Just test drove the Infiniti G35 Coupe
12-24-2002 | 04:22 PM
#1
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Moderator Alumnus
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 16,399
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From: Washington DC (NOVA)
Just test drove the Infiniti G35 Coupe
I will try to describe the experience. Went to the Infiniti dealer at Lisle, IL.
There was this blue G35C in the floor with every possible extra. First feeling is: "this car looks much better up close than it does in the photos...photos dont do justice to this car". The gold colored Brembo look great. You cannot miss them. There are a bunch of other people around the car and no one is paying attention to the M45, nor the G35 sedan. Took a look at the sedan and I have to say that there is a ton of value there as well. I think the TL is in trouble as much as the 330Ci is in the Coupe's case. Anyway...
This sales rep comes out and I ask for a test drive. He says "sure". No hesitation whatsoever. I said, it's a stick right? He says, we have no stick for a test drive. All the sticks we have are sold. Hmmm... I am thinking...better than nothing, plus I can do a direct comparison with my car.
I get in the car and the rep starts giving me a speech about how the CLS' stickshift is not a true "Tiptronic" as he called it and that it will change gears all the time, as compared to the G's which will not do that, blah, blah. I keep agreeing with the guy so we get to the test.
He then goes to say that the AUTO car is FASTER than the MANUAL car! I am like, I know it is.
And finally, he says that the AUTO car is 100 pounds lighter than the MANUAL car. I reply: WOW! really? He was right on that one. According to the manual: Base car= 3416 pounds, Leather model= 3422 pounds and Leather with 6MT= 3434 pounds. No t exactly 100 pounds, yet heavier.
In all fairness, this AUTO will shift to 1st from 2nd though, unlike our stupid thing. To this day I am disappointed at Acura about that. Something tells me it has to do with them knowing that our auto tranny was not exactly bullletpoof when they designed the whole thing. Hmmm... Same when I cand downshift from 4th to 3rd at 85mph or so.
I am testing the AUTO car with the 17inch wheels. No sports package in other words. Anyway.
INTERIOR
First let me say that the photos dont justice to the quality and design of the interior of this car either. The interior is par with ours in my opinion, both in quality, as well as, design. Nothing wrong with that. As far as space, no problems for the front passengers. The rear passengers have enough room for every dimension except head room. The sloped roof does not help. Worse than our CLS.
START ROLLING/STEERING
Start the car and the engine's sound is totally different than our CLS at idle. Deeper. Start moving and right away you tell that the steering is a lot more sensitive. It is about as heavy though. Because it is much more sensitive, it might fool you thinking it is heavier, but not so. I got into my car right after the test, so I notice the differences. The drive was pretty long...at least 10 miles, so I got a good feeling of the car.
RIDE
I am not very interested in the features of the car, cos I know they are about par with our CLS, so I want to concentrate in the drive. There is tons of rough asphalt around the Chicagoland area, so that I see how compliant the ride is. Again, I am driving the "more compliant ride" car, the one without the summer tires and the 18 inch wheels. I can say with certainty that the CLS has a clearly more compliant ride stock. Which means that with the sports package, the G will feel even harsher. How much? I will find out during the next test.
ENGINE
Now about the engine. Low rpm, par with the CLS. Seriously. Nothing interesting there. Mid rpm, that is where this engine shines. Better than CLS. Actually, I always thought that our engine's weak spot was the mid range. It shows in the Dynos as well. Top rpm, no question about it, our CLS is way better. Actually, I was dissapointed in the G above 5K. Maybe because I am spoiled by our engine which really shines at the top end. But combine that with the fact that when you pass the 4800 rpm mark our engine sounds great (if not amazing - to me at least) and the G's engine sounds worse than it does at its low and mid rpm and you have a pretty disappointing overall score for the G here. Actually reving that thing, was a turn off, with regard to the engine sound. Our CLS is a much better experience overall when it comes to acoustics.
Bottom line, our CLS' engine, I like A LOT better. I know this is not what the mags said. The mags did not compare the 2 cars
though. Plus I dont care what the mags said.
HANDLING
OK. We are at a red light and I am supposed to take a right turn. This happened at least 3 times during the test so I got a good feel of how this car turns. The car turns like a true sports car folks. It actually reminded me of the E40 M3 I drove 2 years ago. It slides controllably, the front end is totally controllable unlike with our car and if anything, you feel a little oversteer. Always communicative though and always giving you all the info you need so that you have fun while doing it. The roadholding was not super impressive though, I must say. I am sure the summer tires will be more grippy, but it was very easy to bring the tail out in this car. Maybe it's the higher torque of the engine.
Overall, there is no comparison with our car. Our car has been built to try to imitate a sports car, but first be friendly and compliant (as far as the ride). This car is exactly the opposite. Way more planted to the road, you feel you are driving a much sportier ride even when you are going straight in this car. And this can only be more pronounced with the sports package.
LITTLE OBSERVATIONS
1. The G's tranny will not accept more than 1 command at a time, unlike our CLS' tranny. I always like it when I want to go from a redlined 2nd to 4th quickly (you get out of a messy situation on the road and now you wonna go back to a relaxed state of driving). Well, because it takes a while for 2 or even 3 shifts to take place with StickShift trannies, you don't have to wait with the CLS. You tap it 2 or 3 times and no matter how quickly you do that, it will shift eventually. That was not the case with the G and it was annoying.
2. I noticed that the visors had the extenders like in our CLS. I love that feature and I think it is necessary. Every car should have it. Good job to the Infiniti folks, that shows they did try to pay attention to the little things, even during this first initial year of the car's life.
3. The outside mirrors of the G are smaller than our CLS' mirros. To the point where it is affecting visibility. I dont like that. I always loved our mirrors.
4. I looked at the trunk in the end. It is WAY smaller than our CLS' trunk. Especially, depth-wise. BUT, you can fold down the seats, so it evens out.
5. The more I play with the car, the more I realize, that the quality of the car overall (interior and exterior) is better than overall described by others (including mags), but I got the sense that the G35 Sedan is better built overall. The way those doors closed reminded me of Lexus cars. JD Power will tell us a few years from now. But when you come closer to one of these cars, dont expect to see quality significantly lower than our Acura cars.
Finally, I thought, I'd sit in a 6MT G and see how it feels.
To my disappointment, I notice that the nice handrest in the AUTO car is MISSING! There is no handrest? No, the rep replies. Big turn off in my opinion. Plus the position of the cupholders is way in the back which makes it totally not ergonomic. The reason for all this? The position of the handbreak. IN the AUTO car, it is placed where it is in our CLS AUTO cars. It is a footbrake. In the case of the 6MT car, they bring it next to the stick (like with the 6MT CLS) and so that change, screws up all the ergonomics around the vicinity. So no handrest, no nicely positioned cupholders, the compartment under the handrest is gone by 70% as compared to the AUTO G car. Everything is out of wack. Hmmm...
I am sure these cars will get much better during their 3rd year. When a lot of bugs will be worked out. I am in no rush right now to jump into one of these.
There was this blue G35C in the floor with every possible extra. First feeling is: "this car looks much better up close than it does in the photos...photos dont do justice to this car". The gold colored Brembo look great. You cannot miss them. There are a bunch of other people around the car and no one is paying attention to the M45, nor the G35 sedan. Took a look at the sedan and I have to say that there is a ton of value there as well. I think the TL is in trouble as much as the 330Ci is in the Coupe's case. Anyway...
This sales rep comes out and I ask for a test drive. He says "sure". No hesitation whatsoever. I said, it's a stick right? He says, we have no stick for a test drive. All the sticks we have are sold. Hmmm... I am thinking...better than nothing, plus I can do a direct comparison with my car.
I get in the car and the rep starts giving me a speech about how the CLS' stickshift is not a true "Tiptronic" as he called it and that it will change gears all the time, as compared to the G's which will not do that, blah, blah. I keep agreeing with the guy so we get to the test.
He then goes to say that the AUTO car is FASTER than the MANUAL car! I am like, I know it is.
And finally, he says that the AUTO car is 100 pounds lighter than the MANUAL car. I reply: WOW! really? He was right on that one. According to the manual: Base car= 3416 pounds, Leather model= 3422 pounds and Leather with 6MT= 3434 pounds. No t exactly 100 pounds, yet heavier.
In all fairness, this AUTO will shift to 1st from 2nd though, unlike our stupid thing. To this day I am disappointed at Acura about that. Something tells me it has to do with them knowing that our auto tranny was not exactly bullletpoof when they designed the whole thing. Hmmm... Same when I cand downshift from 4th to 3rd at 85mph or so.
I am testing the AUTO car with the 17inch wheels. No sports package in other words. Anyway.
INTERIOR
First let me say that the photos dont justice to the quality and design of the interior of this car either. The interior is par with ours in my opinion, both in quality, as well as, design. Nothing wrong with that. As far as space, no problems for the front passengers. The rear passengers have enough room for every dimension except head room. The sloped roof does not help. Worse than our CLS.
START ROLLING/STEERING
Start the car and the engine's sound is totally different than our CLS at idle. Deeper. Start moving and right away you tell that the steering is a lot more sensitive. It is about as heavy though. Because it is much more sensitive, it might fool you thinking it is heavier, but not so. I got into my car right after the test, so I notice the differences. The drive was pretty long...at least 10 miles, so I got a good feeling of the car.
RIDE
I am not very interested in the features of the car, cos I know they are about par with our CLS, so I want to concentrate in the drive. There is tons of rough asphalt around the Chicagoland area, so that I see how compliant the ride is. Again, I am driving the "more compliant ride" car, the one without the summer tires and the 18 inch wheels. I can say with certainty that the CLS has a clearly more compliant ride stock. Which means that with the sports package, the G will feel even harsher. How much? I will find out during the next test.
ENGINE
Now about the engine. Low rpm, par with the CLS. Seriously. Nothing interesting there. Mid rpm, that is where this engine shines. Better than CLS. Actually, I always thought that our engine's weak spot was the mid range. It shows in the Dynos as well. Top rpm, no question about it, our CLS is way better. Actually, I was dissapointed in the G above 5K. Maybe because I am spoiled by our engine which really shines at the top end. But combine that with the fact that when you pass the 4800 rpm mark our engine sounds great (if not amazing - to me at least) and the G's engine sounds worse than it does at its low and mid rpm and you have a pretty disappointing overall score for the G here. Actually reving that thing, was a turn off, with regard to the engine sound. Our CLS is a much better experience overall when it comes to acoustics.
Bottom line, our CLS' engine, I like A LOT better. I know this is not what the mags said. The mags did not compare the 2 cars
though. Plus I dont care what the mags said.
HANDLING
OK. We are at a red light and I am supposed to take a right turn. This happened at least 3 times during the test so I got a good feel of how this car turns. The car turns like a true sports car folks. It actually reminded me of the E40 M3 I drove 2 years ago. It slides controllably, the front end is totally controllable unlike with our car and if anything, you feel a little oversteer. Always communicative though and always giving you all the info you need so that you have fun while doing it. The roadholding was not super impressive though, I must say. I am sure the summer tires will be more grippy, but it was very easy to bring the tail out in this car. Maybe it's the higher torque of the engine.
Overall, there is no comparison with our car. Our car has been built to try to imitate a sports car, but first be friendly and compliant (as far as the ride). This car is exactly the opposite. Way more planted to the road, you feel you are driving a much sportier ride even when you are going straight in this car. And this can only be more pronounced with the sports package.
LITTLE OBSERVATIONS
1. The G's tranny will not accept more than 1 command at a time, unlike our CLS' tranny. I always like it when I want to go from a redlined 2nd to 4th quickly (you get out of a messy situation on the road and now you wonna go back to a relaxed state of driving). Well, because it takes a while for 2 or even 3 shifts to take place with StickShift trannies, you don't have to wait with the CLS. You tap it 2 or 3 times and no matter how quickly you do that, it will shift eventually. That was not the case with the G and it was annoying.
2. I noticed that the visors had the extenders like in our CLS. I love that feature and I think it is necessary. Every car should have it. Good job to the Infiniti folks, that shows they did try to pay attention to the little things, even during this first initial year of the car's life.
3. The outside mirrors of the G are smaller than our CLS' mirros. To the point where it is affecting visibility. I dont like that. I always loved our mirrors.
4. I looked at the trunk in the end. It is WAY smaller than our CLS' trunk. Especially, depth-wise. BUT, you can fold down the seats, so it evens out.
5. The more I play with the car, the more I realize, that the quality of the car overall (interior and exterior) is better than overall described by others (including mags), but I got the sense that the G35 Sedan is better built overall. The way those doors closed reminded me of Lexus cars. JD Power will tell us a few years from now. But when you come closer to one of these cars, dont expect to see quality significantly lower than our Acura cars.
Finally, I thought, I'd sit in a 6MT G and see how it feels.
To my disappointment, I notice that the nice handrest in the AUTO car is MISSING! There is no handrest? No, the rep replies. Big turn off in my opinion. Plus the position of the cupholders is way in the back which makes it totally not ergonomic. The reason for all this? The position of the handbreak. IN the AUTO car, it is placed where it is in our CLS AUTO cars. It is a footbrake. In the case of the 6MT car, they bring it next to the stick (like with the 6MT CLS) and so that change, screws up all the ergonomics around the vicinity. So no handrest, no nicely positioned cupholders, the compartment under the handrest is gone by 70% as compared to the AUTO G car. Everything is out of wack. Hmmm...
I am sure these cars will get much better during their 3rd year. When a lot of bugs will be worked out. I am in no rush right now to jump into one of these.
12-24-2002 | 04:36 PM
#3
Thread Starter
Moderator Alumnus
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 16,399
Likes: 8
From: Washington DC (NOVA)
One more thing to add. Dragracing from a red light: The rear tires did not spin at 85% throttle and I am sure thatTraction Control and Stability Control were ON as a default. Needless to say, torquesteer is a moot point. This is a RWD car here. The front wheels are only doing the steering. 
12-24-2002 | 04:41 PM
#4
Cost Drivers!!!!
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 19,392
Likes: 1
From: burbs of philly
graviil,
Nice review. However, i must disagree with you one major point. I don't think Acura ever intended for the CLS to be a "sports car". Everybody including myself wants it to be but it just isn't. The CLS is moving in the direction with the introduction of the 6speed w/HSLD but far from what Honda/Acura would attempt to float as a sports vehicle.
Luxury-sports coupe is the label which Acura uses and I realize......after a year of owning two CLSs, that it is luxury w/ some sporty accents.
Nice review. However, i must disagree with you one major point. I don't think Acura ever intended for the CLS to be a "sports car". Everybody including myself wants it to be but it just isn't. The CLS is moving in the direction with the introduction of the 6speed w/HSLD but far from what Honda/Acura would attempt to float as a sports vehicle.
Luxury-sports coupe is the label which Acura uses and I realize......after a year of owning two CLSs, that it is luxury w/ some sporty accents.
12-24-2002 | 05:10 PM
#7
gavrill, very nice review. I am familiar with that dealership. That is where we got my dads Q45t.
I am going to go there soon to check out the g35c. I am real curious....i wanna see if it worth jumping ship. I mean i am not planning on it right now but i would like to see what is out their.
Trunk space is a bonus for me! I love our big trunks.
I am going to go there soon to check out the g35c. I am real curious....i wanna see if it worth jumping ship. I mean i am not planning on it right now but i would like to see what is out their.
Trunk space is a bonus for me! I love our big trunks.
Trending Topics
12-24-2002 | 05:15 PM
#8
Happy CL-S Pilot
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 9,215
Likes: 1
From: Nashua, NH, USA
Let us see how the new 04 TL will destroy the competition... By looking at the gizmos that are found on the JDM Accord .... Including Active Accident Avoidance, AWD, and bunch more...
I have a feeling in my guts that the next TL would be killer!
Check here: http://babelfish.altavista.com/babel...d%2Findex.html
I have a feeling in my guts that the next TL would be killer!
Check here: http://babelfish.altavista.com/babel...d%2Findex.html
12-24-2002 | 07:27 PM
#12
Thread Starter
Moderator Alumnus
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 16,399
Likes: 8
From: Washington DC (NOVA)
Originally posted by Loseit
gavrill, very nice review. I am familiar with that dealership. That is where we got my dads Q45t.
I am going to go there soon to check out the g35c. I am real curious....i wanna see if it worth jumping ship. I mean i am not planning on it right now but i would like to see what is out their.
Trunk space is a bonus for me! I love our big trunks.
gavrill, very nice review. I am familiar with that dealership. That is where we got my dads Q45t.
I am going to go there soon to check out the g35c. I am real curious....i wanna see if it worth jumping ship. I mean i am not planning on it right now but i would like to see what is out their.
Trunk space is a bonus for me! I love our big trunks.
12-24-2002 | 07:29 PM
#13
Thread Starter
Moderator Alumnus
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 16,399
Likes: 8
From: Washington DC (NOVA)
Originally posted by chikai
the pictures of the blue G35C I've seen in brochures looks very
feminine. How did it look in real life?
the pictures of the blue G35C I've seen in brochures looks very
feminine. How did it look in real life?
The blue is the most stunning color in my opinion. They have it in both coupe and sedan. THat is the one I would get. According to the rep, apparently, the most popular color is the Diamond Graphite, which in my opinion is the ugliest of all and one of the ugliest colors on the road. It makes the car look a lot worse than it does.
12-24-2002 | 07:31 PM
#14
Thread Starter
Moderator Alumnus
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 16,399
Likes: 8
From: Washington DC (NOVA)
To all that sent their thanks, you are most welcome folks. IT is my duty to report this as a acura-cl member and a miserable car buff and mag racer to the rest of the world. My wife could not believe I went to test the car, just to test it (with no interest in replacing my CLS right now). I am sick, I know.
and a miserable car buff and mag racer to the rest of the world. My wife could not believe I went to test the car, just to test it (with no interest in replacing my CLS right now). I am sick, I know.
12-24-2002 | 07:33 PM
#15
Thread Starter
Moderator Alumnus
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 16,399
Likes: 8
From: Washington DC (NOVA)
This Friday, I am going out again. I will go for anything this side of BMW, etc.,
Interest in the following cars:
Z4 3.0
M anything
S2000
IS300 Manual (drove the auto 2 years ago)
A4 3.0 stick or CVT anything
Mercedes CLK and all other cars actually
Interest in the following cars:
Z4 3.0
M anything
S2000
IS300 Manual (drove the auto 2 years ago)
A4 3.0 stick or CVT anything
Mercedes CLK and all other cars actually
12-24-2002 | 07:36 PM
#16
Thread Starter
Moderator Alumnus
Joined: Oct 2000
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From: Washington DC (NOVA)
By the way, on the way back from the dealer, I see a brand new NIssan Murano following me. I slow down and I check it out from all sides. This thing is impressive folks. They will sell like hotcakes. Looking from the rear, I see the LCD popped and 2 kids watching something one it. Wow! Automobiles have come a long way and their progress has accelerated in the past 5-10 years. These are the days for be a car enthusiast, especially in the States.
12-25-2002 | 12:08 AM
#18
///M POWER
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 15,299
Likes: 1
From: West Bloomfield, MI
nice review, when i drove the g35c w/o brembos the brakes felt so mushy, they are supposed to be tight n firm n a sports car. and the g35 steering is way too light, i like the heavier more sportier steering in my cl-s
12-25-2002 | 12:57 AM
#20
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 4,052
Likes: 0
Test drove the g35c 6spd with 18s and brembos this past Saturday. What a totally fun ride. Definetly enjoyed it. The most impressive thing is no body roll in comparison to my cls with Eibachs.
I was able to take the g35c into the backroads, and it was an enjoyable ride with excellent cornering ability and superb braking.
It lacks head room, worse than the CLS. No arm rest, and the dash of the car just did not feel right. Other than that, this coupe is a definite consideration for a purchase.
I was able to take the g35c into the backroads, and it was an enjoyable ride with excellent cornering ability and superb braking.
It lacks head room, worse than the CLS. No arm rest, and the dash of the car just did not feel right. Other than that, this coupe is a definite consideration for a purchase.
12-25-2002 | 01:35 AM
#21
Under the radar
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,423
Likes: 0
From: WA
Thanks for the G35 review, I think I will keep my CL-S for the 4 years or 50,000 miles whichever comes first. The G35 interior showed a lot more wear at a car show I went to than other cars, I think that would've simulated 2 years worth of use right there -not a good sign, but maybe it was a preproduction model.
I am also curious if the Murano has a nasty blind spot in the rear. The way that window in the back sides is shaped seems to cut off a lot of vision.
I am also curious if the Murano has a nasty blind spot in the rear. The way that window in the back sides is shaped seems to cut off a lot of vision.
12-25-2002 | 05:39 AM
#22
Senior Moderator
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 22,909
Likes: 388
From: OR
Originally posted by gavriil
By the way, on the way back from the dealer, I see a brand new NIssan Murano following me. I slow down and I check it out from all sides. This thing is impressive folks.
By the way, on the way back from the dealer, I see a brand new NIssan Murano following me. I slow down and I check it out from all sides. This thing is impressive folks.
i followed one today. had to catch it to see what it was. pretty cool, different from anything i've ever seen
12-26-2002 | 04:09 AM
#23
Subie Dubie
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 5,987
Likes: 1
From: PDX
Originally posted by mattg
i followed one today. had to catch it to see what it was. pretty cool, different from anything i've ever seen
i followed one today. had to catch it to see what it was. pretty cool, different from anything i've ever seen
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