April 7, 2008
This is one of my favorite transmissions in any car in the world. The shift action has the slick, mechanical feel of a bolt-action rifle. Trustworthy and precise, it reminds me of those terrific old Muncie transmissions you find in the 1960s Corvette Stingray.
Every transmission feels different...
April 3, 2008
As our G35 prepares to depart the Edmunds Long Term fleet, I was initially struck with..., well I didn't really care much. It's a great car and all but I'd never get the Sport version and the six-speed manual only appeals to me when I picture myself living in Nebraska or Montana or anywhere that's not Los Angeles.
Just as I was all set to not care about the car leaving, I had a glance at the window sticker - $37,400 including Premium Package and Navigation. For that price our car has a Bose stereo w/ hard drive, Bluetooth, real time traffic info for the nav system, sunroof, power memory for seats, mirrors and steering wheel, heated seats and one touch windows all around...
April 2, 2008
It's sad to say that our year with the G35s is almost up. So, like all of our test cars about to go away, we took it to the track. While you'll have to wait for the long-term wrap-up to get the official numbers, follow the link below to see some videos of the day.
March 24, 2008
Um, that's not good. The right front Bridgestone on our 2007 Infiniti G35 Sport has been curb crunched to the point of two large lacerations. For the record, it wasn't me. But I did check the car's tire pressures when I discovered the damage...
Motohiro Matsumara says the VQ35 V6 in the Infiniti G35 began as a kind of lucky guess and became a success by accident. He designed it, so he should know.
Nissan built Japan's first V6 in volume production for an automobile, and when it introduced the VG30 V6 in the 1984 300ZX, the company was so proud that it took journalists to the engine foundry to see the aluminum cylinder heads being cast. For Nissan, it was a big thing to break away from the inline-6 engine that had defined the company since the 1960s...
March 17, 2008
As much as I like our G35, it’s never impressed me in the looks department. There’s something about its soft lines that leave me a little cold. Then there are the wheels. Like most Japanese and American sedans, the design of the G35’s wheels do little to highlight its rear-wheel drive layout...
March 7, 2008
The more time I spend in our long-term 2007 Infiniti G35 Sport, the more I like it. I'm a huge fan of its power, pure and simple, and the fact that it's held to the ground by such a capable suspension so you only want to go faster.
But it's not just the power per se, it's where it happens. According to our full test, the G35 makes its considerable 306 horsepower peak all the way up at 6,800 rpm and its 268 pound-feet of peak torque at 5,200, but it sure doesn't feel that way...
March 4, 2008
Playing smashmouth football means running the ball down the throat of the defense. It means punishing blocking and bone-crunching impacts. In a word, it's brutish. And so it is with our long-term Infiniti G35 Sport. This is a wonderfully capable car, but there’s an undeniable edginess to it as well. It’s the brute of the sport-sedan segment.
February 25, 2008
At 18,563 miles it's time for a fuel economy update on our long-term G35 Sport...
February 22, 2008
Walking around our G35 Sport after Wednesday's antics in the wet I noticed something strange through the wheelwell opening.
February 21, 2008
Back in my high school baseball days, a wet day was a great excuse to play around on the practice field sliding around and doing goofy things. Yesterday, our track day was rained out. As we waited and hoped for the sun to come out as the weather report had indicated, a wet track and a selection of high-powered, rear-wheel-drive cars was simply too tempting to resist sliding around and doing goofy things.
Our long-term Infiniti G35 Sport just happened to go up yesterday for logistic purposes and in between my own hooliganism, I broke out the Scorcese cam. May I now present to you Mr. Jacquot and the G. Enjoy.
James Riswick, Associate Editor
February 20, 2008
Our Long Term G35 is sort of like a really cute girl you might meet at the supermarket, a really cute girl that would be great for someone else. The G35 S is good looking, comfortable, quick, fun and stylish - all great qualities. It's just that the car doesn't have that certain something - FOR ME.
I'm not sure if it's the stiff seats or the stiff ride, I just don't find myself really connecting with the car...
February 1, 2008
There it is, folks. Where the magic happens. The 2007 Infiniti G35 Sport with a six-speed manual is now officially perfect. As our dedicated blog readers know, we all pretty much love the G35, EXCEPT for the clutch...
January 31, 2008
I recently had the good fortune to return to my favorite place in my Edmunds life: the driver seat of the 2007 Infiniti G35 Sport. What a spectacular machine! The clutch issue has definitely been significantly improved, although the action is no less responsive. The engine note is still a magnificent rumble, the driver seat is firm and supportive, the steering is bowstring tight, the doors close like a vault, and damn I LOVE the way the thing looks...
January 29, 2008
It was a late night as I wandered back into the office after going to the gym. Sitting there typing away was Mike Schmidt, our resident Vehicle Testing Coordinator.
"Jacobs, you going home?" he called out to me as I walked toward my desk.
Sweet!..
January 28, 2008
Last week our Infiniti G35s had a general maintenance scheduled with Infiniti of Santa Monica. All the basics were covered: Oil change, in-cabin micro filter, brake inspection, etc. The cabin filter is part of the recommended 15,000 mile service and it's expensive-- $55. The total cost for the maintenance was $139.22. Edmunds Maintenance Calculator estimated the service at $127.52, so not bad considering our Santa Monica location and taxes.
We also brought in our spare remote key that was no longer functioning. There is a TSB out for non-functioning keys and it was fixed promptly at no cost to us.
When we checked in we were also made aware of a clutch slave-cylinder recall. If you've been following the blogs, you're aware that we're none-too-fond of the clutch in our G35. Unfortunately, we would have to wait to see if this would be the cure for our sore calves and necks. The part wouldn't be available until early the next week.
December 20, 2007
Directly below the slot of the CD player you see above you is the HVAC system for the beloved Infiniti G35 Sport. Southern California was afflicted with a particularly beguiling weather condition the last few days we believe you people call "rain," so frequently the interior of the car had to be defogged.
You hit the top defog button (front window), which curiously sets off the A/C, which you then turn off. I have a friend who swears that this actually works faster than just heat because it equalizes with the cold outside...
December 18, 2007
You've heard more than enough about our 2007 Infiniti G35's crummy clutch / shifter relationship. I've made an effort not to belabor that point in previous blog entries.
With that in mind, I'm pleased to report that this morning I executed a perfectly smooth downshift in the G35 for the first time.
Jason Kavanagh, Engineering Editor @ 14,221 miles
December 10, 2007
In the spirit of the original Infiniti ads, I've used a nature-themed photo without a car in it. The significance of this shot is not as murky as those ads seen back in 1989, which showed a tranquil, babbling brook...and no car, leaving people to wonder "What the heck do these new Infinitis look like?" You've all seen what our G35 Sport looks like -- the purpose here is to show our G's natural habitat. Here, among the winding canyon roads located in Malibu, the G likes to show off its moves. With that torquey V6 and the responsive chassis, getting into the rhythm of the road gladdens my heart as much as those tasty waves amp up the surfer dudes.
On a couple of less romantic notes, I also like the power-adjustable side wing supports on the driver seat (they hug you in the turns while the G hugs the road). And fuel mileage over nearly 14,000 miles is 19.4 mpg. This is in line with the updated EPA estimate of 20 mpg for combined city and highway driving. Not bad, considering we fully enjoy the 306-horse V6.
John DiPietro, Automotive Editor @ 13,884 miles.
December 5, 2007
One of my favorite things to do while behind the wheel of our 2007 Infiniti G35 Sport is to sit at the line at a freeway on-ramp stoplight waiting for the green light (which I'm clearly not doing in morning rush hour traffic in the above picture, blah!).
As soon as I see green, shift 1-2-3 and then glance at my rearview mirror at the tiny motorists behind me. Ha! They usually don't know what hit them...
November 27, 2007
Dear James of 300+ days from now,
If you should be planning on driving to Phoenix for Thanksgiving, please remember this year, which was only slightly less aggravating than listening to four hours of nothing but Fergie. Although you left at 1:30 p.m., it still took you four hours in near gridlock to reach Palm Springs. On Monday, it actually took you less time to reach Palm Springs from the opposite, twice-as-long direction.
However, be thankful that you won't be driving the Infiniti G35 Sport, a vehicle with a clutch only an American Gladiator could love. For the next few days, your left leg felt like you had been doing single leg calf raises for four hours -- because you basically were. On the upside, the clutch seemed a bit more compliant (the creaking was rare) after a few hundred miles and a few chilly nights outside in Phoenix.
Once you breached traffic, though, you finally got to enjoy the G35. Although you weren't thrilled with its front seat legroom/thigh support (the G37 is actually better), the seats were very comfortable and you had no aches or NPS (narcoleptic posterior syndrome). With its ample power, there's plenty of oomph available even in sixth, although there was nothing better than dropping down to fifth or even forth, and rocketing past a Tahoe indignantly blocking the left lane. The nav system also proved easy to program with voice commands and its real-time traffic proved helpful on the way back when you were decided whether to take I-10 or CA-60 (on the way there, traffic actually went beyond XM's traffic reporting range).
So please James, avoid a similar predicament and just celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving. It's a good bet there'll be less traffic on October 13.
Sincerely,
James Riswick, Associate Editor @ 13,187 miles
November 7, 2007
Last night I had the unenviable task of getting from our offices in lovely Santa Monica clear across town to Silver Lake, during the oxymoronically named "rush hour." This endeavor involves no fewer than 3 freeways. So I wavered between two freeway routes and then ended up sticking with the one I always use. But in a discussion with techno whiz-kid Brian Moody, he suggested I see if our long-term 2007 Infiniti G35 Sport has real-time traffic.
It does...
November 1, 2007
Since Monday I've driven our long-term 2007 Infiniti G35 Sport 659.2 miles. I've enjoyed them all. Much of the mileage was covered on a late night banzai run from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, which included some things mom doesn't need to know about (see my previous blog). But it was the less eventful return trip 36 hours later that confirmed my appreciation for the Infiniti's well shaped seats, high-speed stability and precise steering...
October 30, 2007
Just how steady is our 2007 Infiniti G35 Sport at a buck thirty? Steady enough for me to snap this pic. At night. With no flash...
October 29, 2007
With the clutch pedal groaning like the creaking door at the start of M.J.'s "Thriller" (how appropriate with Halloween approaching), I left the Edmunds' garage with the G35 S. I agree with everyone else who has griped about it. Whoever gave this pedal the green light should be sentenced to doing daily (left) leg presses on a dilapidated, creaky workout machine (like the ones you see in hotel "fitness centers").
But apart from that, I really enjoyed driving the G35. I didn't have any trouble enacting smooth take-offs or gear changes, and of course ya gotta like the powerful V6. Some folks may find the steering effort too heavy, but I tend to prefer some heft in the wheel.
I did notice a couple of ergonomic missteps: the one-size square cupholders that don't have the flexible rubber inserts to snugly hold cups (and they're also too small to double as a handy wallet holder) and the scooped-out exterior door handles. Judging by the scratches I saw on the latter, it seems that one of two things happened: Either Catwoman has joined our staff, or some of the ladies here are having clearance problems with their fingernails. On an up note, I appreciated that the instruments move with the steering wheel when it's adjusted, though this isn't the first car to have this (remember the '86 Mazda RX-7 or '88 Ford Probe?).
John DiPietro, Automotive Editor @ 11,161 miles.
October 23, 2007
Recently, as you may have read, our long-term Infiniti G35 Sport experienced a flat. Editor Oldham dutifully swapped it out for the skinny little spare donut and ordered up a new tire. Several days later, I was given the G35 for the weekend so I could go get the new tire, which was due to arrive at our local tire shop Saturday morning.
I went in on Saturday and left the car...
October 16, 2007
It has taken 11,000 miles, but the first part has fallen off our 2007 Infiniti G35 Sport. And that my friends is a pretty good performance around here.
The culpret is the accordian-like thing that hides the workings of the sunroof. The one on the passenger side came loose and began to hang down...
October 15, 2007
This weekend I learned two very important things about our 2007 Infiniti G35 Sport. First I learned that the sedan's low tire pressure warning system works as advertised. And then I learned that the G35 does not have a full size spare.
Gratefully, that spare proved very easy to access, as did the car's jack, lug wrench and other assorted necessities for the wheel and tire swap...
October 10, 2007
Thirteen months ago I wrote a Full Test of a 2007 Infiniti G35 Sport. The car was a virtural twin to out long-term G35 Sport, except it had a five-speed automatic transmission. Our long-term loaner is equipped with the six-speed manual.
In that test I wrote this:
"In the age of the six-, seven- and now eight-speed automatics, the Infiniti's transmission, with only five forward gears, may seem behind the times...
September 28, 2007
Last night, our long-term 2007 Infiniti G35 Sport ran into an old family friend. A colleague of mine has a 2005 Infiniti G35 Sport, but he has upgraded it as closely as he can to Skyline trim. The Infiniti G35 is called the Skyline in Japan.
The U.S...
September 27, 2007
At the risk of setting off another flurry of comments about how cupholders do not make the car, I, too, have a problem with our 2007 Infiniti G35 Sport's cupholders. Looking at them, initially you wonder if that's what they're for. They appear squarish -- circle doesn't fit in square hole. But then my tall Jamba Juice cup did sit nicely in the "cupholder"...while I was parked...
September 25, 2007
This is a closeup of the buttons on the left side of our 2007 Nissan Altima's steering wheel. Note the toggle switch for "seek." It operates exactly how I'd expect it to operate -- push up to advance to the next CD track, push down to go back.
Below is a photo of our 2007 Infiniti G35's cockpit. It's a little hard to make out in this photo, but if you follow my lovingly hand-drawn red arrow, you'll see that it, too, has a toggle switch for seek functions...
September 21, 2007
I rose early this morning and thought this might be one of the rare days when I'd get to the office early, too. But as soon as I settled into the G35's cockpit, I knew that wasn't happening: I simply had to go for a drive. Although not all is perfect with our G35 Sport (clutch, steering, cabin materials), there are many details that Infiniti handled beautifully. The very look of the place kindles my enthusiasm for the car -- modern, bright, colorful displays reflecting off traditional black sport seats and a thick-grip, three-spoke steering wheel...
September 14, 2007
Yeah, that basso profondo rumble that emanates from under the 2007 Infiniti G35's hood is intoxicating. And the sedan is frisky as a puppy when experienced on the highway. But get past the fun and games and there are practical things to consider. Things like my tall water bottle...
August 17, 2007
Others have written about how effective and user-friendly our 2007 Infiniti G35 sedan's navigation system is, and I share that sentiment. However, when I'm not in guidance mode, I find the map screen a bit distracting -- an issue I have with most other nav systems as well (I'm not a good multi-tasker).
For that reason, I prefer the G35's default split-screen audio and climate display...
August 15, 2007
I gave the Infiniti G35 another shot. My first outings in it left me cold to some of its control interfaces, leaving an overall impression of being underwhelmed. One of those interfaces was the steering. Last night, I put my initial impressions aside and drove the G again.
Last week I took our 2007 Infiniti G35 Sport to a dealership for its 7,500-mile service. I had made an appointment and, having sat down with the service advisor writing up the order, nearly did a Letterman-style spit-take when she gave me a $204.95 estimate. The shortened story is that no, we didn't pay that. Ultimately, the price was $54.17. But the potentially scary thing I discovered was something Infiniti calls "Premium Maintenance."
August 13, 2007
I try so hard to find fault with our 2007 Infiniti G35 Sport, but frankly, I keep finding more things to like about it. This weekend, I was driving through Malibu looking at houses for a possible short-term rental and rather than taking hastily explained directions over the phone, I at least partly relied on the G35's map. It includes the birds-eye function, which I think is just fantastic. It's possible that many nav systems have this function, but I am disinclined toward reading a nav-system manual that's longer than the one for the car itself...
August 6, 2007
Though I'm perhaps putting myself at odds with commentary delivered in previously published G35 and G37 road tests, I will state that I'm not overly enamored with our Infiniti G35's steering. It's variable assist, but in some instances – slower speed corners, primarily – the steering feels artificially heavy. Most drivers equate heavy steering as being sporty, but in this case I feel it hampers this sedan's ability to be nimble and engaging.
Otherwise, the G35 is highly capable...
