2004 Infiniti G35x Review

xphilter
10/25/2007

Ownership Status: I own this vehicle.
Recommendation: I recommend this vehicle.

Pros Styling Power Value

Cons Suspension Transmission Interior (updated in 2005 so this is resolved for sure) Fuel Economy Dealers

I really want to like this car. I'll be honest that I am a BMW guy and this is my wifes car, but I really want to like this car. For starters, it is a great value. For the price of a basic 328xi you can get this fully loaded. I love the exterior styling, it has a unique shape (except the c pillar and rear quarter panel that looks identical to an Altima) and a lot of power. And based purely on that I would recommend this car to anyone who commutes rather than drives. There are some things that I cannot get over, however. My biggest complaint is fuel economy. I cannot get over 18 mpg unless I drive straight 65mph from Minneapolis to Chicago when I get 22 mpg. My second complaint is the suspension. It is harsh. We asked the dealer if all G35's were this bad, and they responding that it is normal because it has a "sporty" ride. No way. It's harsh. You feel every crack in the highway and anytime I go over a rough rode I think the car is going to explode. The suspension woes don't end there, however, as the worst is yet to come. This car has the worst bump steer I have ever experienced. If you take a cloverleaf at a moderate speed and you encounter a bump...watch out, the steering will get confused and the front of car will jump. My last suspension complaint also has to do with steering. This might be from my inexperience with AWD cars but I cannot feel the limit. Whether in rain, snow, or dry, anytime I drive this hard it will hold until it goes, and I never know when it will go. Finding and then pushing the limit in cars is what I love doing and I cannot do it with the Infiniti. There are two more cons to this car, the transmission and the interior, but since the transmission can be solved by getting a manual and the interior problems can be fixed by getting an 05 I won't count them against it that much. I do have an issue with Infiniti though. Their maintenance program is horrible. Anytime my wife calls to get an estimate she gets one price, when she gets their she gets another, and if we let them do it they give us another. The 30,000 mile check was going to cost us $500 so we said forget it. When BMW offers free maintenance competitors at least have to provide a good experience for customers, which Infiniti has failed to do.





It is very bland, and there are no knobs, only buttons and more buttons. It was updated in 05 so check those out too.



Seems to hold up well, and I am very harsh on cars.

Engine is great. Tons of power but don't get the auto, please don't get the auto.

With the lack of steering feel, harsh ride, and bump steer, I do not feel comfortable driving this hard into corners.

This is subjective, to me 22 mpg highway is bad, if I can get 27 mpg in an M3 on the same trip I expect more.



If you do the maintenance at the dealer its going to cost you.





Test drive the car first, if what I pointed out in this article does not bother you then go ahead and buy one. But I would seriously recommend test driver a 3 series too.