2008 INFINITI G35 SEDAN

i had an 04 and liked it, but the 08 is much nicer ie:interiot trim, exterior changes (lower and wider) and the engine clearly more powerful - that combined with lower ratios in tranny make so much quicker.

I purchased the 2008 G35S in September 2008.  For the price, there are much better cars out there.  After two monhts of owning the vehicle I have had it in the shop twice and it is scheduled to go in to two different dealership service areas next week.  The navigation/phone/radio system is not working and must be replaced--3 week lead time on parts.  The Check Engine light has been on for two weeks.  When I called to report that I was told not to worry about it unless it starts to flash.  I was told that because it got cold one night (35 degrees), the car isn't used to that and the light will go out eventually.  The heated seats do not work and every time I fill it up (with premium gasoline every time), the car stutters and spits for 2 minutes before the engine catches and starts.

I purchased an '08 G35x (premium package, w/o nav system) in November of '07 to replace an '05 that I was unhappy with.  The brakes on the '05 squealed and the interior rattled.

I test drove the '08 model and was impressed with the interior upgrades (solid vents, not as many panels in the dash that cause squeaks, refined texture on the brushed metal accents, improved stereo controls and pretty lighting :), ipod connectivity) and the improved handling. I find the '08 to be much more responsive in the handling than my '05.  The increased engine size is also a joy and the shifting is much more smooth and sometimes unnoticeable at certain speeds.  I am 100% happy with this car and in the 10 months that I have had it I have not had any rattle problems, brake issues, or other major mechanical problems.

 Performance.  The G35 outperforms almost every other car in it's class with possibly the exception that the BMW outperforms in handling characteristics.  But with the substantial price difference it may not be realistic to consider these cars in the same class.

 Cabin fit and finish.  The style and layout of the controls is excellent.  Everything is within easy reach and is fairly intuitive to operate.  Once the seat/mirror/steering wheel controls are coordinated to your "Intelligent Key", the ability to step into the car and press a button to start the car while the controls adjust to you is simply brilliant.It definitely appeals to my Inner Batman.

 Value:  dollar for dollar this is a lot of car for the buck.  The overpriced (in my opinion) Audi, Volkswagen and BMW simply don't live up to the promise that the sticker price would imply.

The cup holders are baffingly small.  2 grande latte's can't safely sit in the side-by-side holders without tipping.

The amount of iPOD-specific controls is poor.  For example, scrolling to the artist you want to hear can take minutes using the dash buttons (I have over 500 artists on my iPOD).  THis is distracting as it's a dash control, not steering wheel mounted and this distracts from driving. 

The A/C autmatic climate control seems unable to keep a constant cabin temperature.  I'm not sure where the thermostat is located in the cabin, but perhaps this is the issue, since a thermostat location too far away from the air source can cause the cabin occupants to freeze from the cold air blast on hot days and be too warm on cool days.  In my experience, the temperature and/or vent flow controls need constant manual adjustment to keep the cabin comfortable.

2008 Honda Accord
2008 Acura TL
2008 Infiniti G35x
2008 Lexus ES350
2008 Volkswagen Passat 4motion
2008 Audi A4
2008 Lexus IS250
2008 Toyota Camry XLE
used BMW 535

My assessment of the vehicles were based on appearance, comfort, performance, reliability, safety, price and fuel economy.

Immediately I was able to reduce the list of cars based on price and comfort.  Since I am 6'2 more than half the cars (such as the IS250 with it's narrow headroom) were simply too small in the cockpit for comfortable long-distance driving.  Quite frankly the price of the BMW and the fully loaded Passat did not seem like good values.  Toward the end of the decision making process, the only cars I seriously considered were the TL and the G35x.  The V6 Accord, with it's variable cylinder management and great back seat headroom was a great car, but I was looking for something a bit more refined.

The TL lost out on some of the small fit and finish items.  Specifically I thought the "award winning" stereo system was terrible.  The side view mirrors were far too small and the overall cabin design was not layed out well.

Let me say right now, that since the G5 Coupe first debuted, I have always wanted one (Oh that exhaust sound!).  It's entirely possible that I was completely baised in my opinions on the competition and was just going through the motions to justify my decision.

I bought the G35x (no NAV) in blue onyx with a deep tint.  The appearance was quite stunning.  In this color, the tinted windows give the vehicle a very classy look.  The cabin, although snug for someone my size, is very well laid out.  All switches and dials are within easy reach and the fit and finish is superb.  As an after-thought, I would now have spent the extra money to have purchased the NAV package, as it includes a host of other voice activated features for the stereo and phone as well as the laser-guided speed control.

From the first test drive I was comparing all other cars to the G35.  The acceleration was amazing.  The automatic sport shifter was incredibly smooth and the car handled very well.  Standing, the engine was barely audible.  The stereo controls were very intuitive (much more than the Acura and BMW).

After 6 weeks of driving my average HWY/City driving economy is approx 12 liters/100 kms or roughly 20 MPG.  Be aware that this car runs on premium gas.