G37S 6MT Sedan...Thoughts?

[brace up]

while my 2008 9-3 was at the dealership (again), i decided to stop by the infiniti dealership to see the new g37 sedan in person. ill admit, i told myself id never go japanese, but im pretty impressed with the G. the dealership is doing 4-5000 off msrp right off the bat. a base model g37 (which includes hids and real leather standard) would be 29 or 30k before you even sit down at their desk.

i told them i didnt care about the toys..i just wanted the 6 speed. and thats the hard part. they said its extremely tough to find a 6MT (which i am aware of...my 9-3 6MT was shipped from a dealership in ohio all the way to LA) but fortunately they had one in stock. unfortunately, its fully loaded at 40k msrp (or 35k with cash back). but if i could do 35k out the door...thats a steal. at the same time, i can have the dealership locate me a base 6MT for probably 30k+t/l before negotiations.

anyway i test drove a g37 journey (auto) and i really liked the interior and the driving feel. i like that you get a huge screen even if you dont have navigation. unlike the mercedes c300, the steering wheel is small and thick...sporty. bolstering was already much better than my 9-3 and the 6MT comes with even better seats. the 3.7 sounds great..i was able to put my foot down a few times but not enough to really see how fast the car is. back seat space feels like a limo compared to the 9-3. trunk space didnt wow me, but then again i have a sub in my trunk so storage isnt exactly a priority in the first place.

overall, i really like the performance+luxury of the car. and for the price, its easily the fastest with handling near-equivalent to the 3 series. the thing im not sold on is its looks...especially the rear 3/4 view. jalopnik or one of those sites rated it one of the 10 most beautiful japanese cars being produced now, but if you looked at what else was on that list you would see that the award doesnt mean much. im also not quite sure if im ready to leave the european market.

some specs for the 6MT:
3.7L v6 - 328 hp/269 lb-ft torque
4 piston 14" ventilated front brakes
2 piston 13.8" ventilated rear brakes
18x7.5" and 18x8.5" wheels
hids/fogs/led tails standard
bolstered front sport seats with thigh/torso adjustment
7" lcd screen
17/25 mpg
viscous limited slip differential









thoughts? has anyone else driven one? comparison to 9-3, bmw, m-b, audi?

[stamonkey]

I think I could pass on the looks of the sedan, but the coupe is quite good looking.

[brace up]

[saab19]

^^not exactly stock though

[WhiteT5]

I've driven the 6MT G35. It was neat, but I was turned off by the cheap feeling interior and the sorry fuel efficiency. The only BMW I have to compare it to is the M3 6-spd. The M3 beats it hands down in basically every category, not surprisingly as it does cost a good bit more.

[raquettelaker2]

If you have that kind of money burning a hole in your pocket I would spend it on a new A4 with the 3.2 V6. There's a sweet ride.

[brace up]

Originally Posted by WhiteT5

I've driven the 6MT G35. It was neat, but I was turned off by the cheap feeling interior and the sorry fuel efficiency. The only BMW I have to compare it to is the M3 6-spd. The M3 beats it hands down in basically every category, not surprisingly as it does cost a good bit more.

was it the new body style g35 (08+)? the interior is supposed to be on par with everything else in its class...when i sat in several of the cars at the dealership and test drove one i never felt like the interior was cheap. the first generation g35 is another story though.

and yeah..if i had the money for an m3 id get that.

the a4 is a great car but i want rwd. fwd sucks and awd is too heavy/overkill in southern california. the 3.2 also doesnt put out as many ponies as the 3.7 in the G. plus, audi = the new bmw.

[raquettelaker2]

Originally Posted by brace up

plus, audi = the new bmw (prick car).

Really? Maybe it's just a West Coast thing so far. I really like the A4. It's my second choice after the Turbo-X for my next car.

If I were spending the money I'd have the A4 (I hope I don't fit the new stereotype though), but I do really like the G37 sedan. I have only driven one of the older G35's (2004, I think) but it was a blast. My only gripe was fuel economy. It liked to suck down the high-test. A lot of people say the exhaust note sounds "canned" or fake on the Infinitis, but I LOVED it.

[sptsdn]

I rented a G37 in Napa Valley for a week and was very impressed. I've never been a fan of the styling but the ride and performance won me over. By the end of the week i could find very little wrong with the car.

[900t]

Originally Posted by raquettelaker2

Really? Maybe it's just a West Coast thing so far. I really like the A4. It's my second choice after the Turbo-X for my next car.

If I were spending the money I'd have the A4 (I hope I don't fit the new stereotype though), but I do really like the G37 sedan. I have only driven one of the older G35's (2004, I think) but it was a blast. My only gripe was fuel economy. It liked to suck down the high-test. A lot of people say the exhaust note sounds "canned" or fake on the Infinitis, but I LOVED it.

I was in the parking garage of the downtown Montreal Hyatt last week, and damn out of 12 cars I saw there were 10 Audis and one older Saab 9-5 and a taxi

I really liked the styling of the G35, especially the coupe. The G37 is lightly restyled but I don't like it at all (the parts I like... are carryover from the older model)

[ACBarnett]

Originally Posted by WhiteT5

I've driven the 6MT G35. It was neat, but I was turned off by the cheap feeling interior and the sorry fuel efficiency. The only BMW I have to compare it to is the M3 6-spd. The M3 beats it hands down in basically every category, not surprisingly as it does cost a good bit more.

The interior on the G37 is much better put together than the G35's interior.

I say if the price is right, then go for it. The G35/G37 is a ton of car for the money and you'd have absolutely nothing whatsoever to be ashamed of if you drove one.

If I was looking for something in that pricerange, I'd jump on the G37 coupe (or maybe a camaro SS) and the only car that would have a fighting chance of making me think otherwise would be the 135i. But the 135i is deep into "when you're behind the wheel you don't have to look at it" territory.

[sankuspr]

Originally Posted by ACBarnett

The interior on the G37 is much better put together than the G35's interior.

I say if the price is right, then go for it. The G35/G37 is a ton of car for the money and you'd have absolutely nothing whatsoever to be ashamed of if you drove one.

If I was looking for something in that pricerange, I'd jump on the G37 coupe (or maybe a camaro SS) and the only car that would have a fighting chance of making me think otherwise would be the 135i. But the 135i is deep into "when you're behind the wheel you don't have to look at it" territory.

Plus it was voted one of the most popular new cars for the gay crowd; as stated in The Advocate (a gay magazine).

[raquettelaker2]

Originally Posted by sankuspr

Plus it was voted one of the most popular new cars for the gay crowd; as stated in The Advocate (a gay magazine).

Oh I'm sure Saab isn't too far behind...

[brace up]

Originally Posted by raquettelaker2

Really? Maybe it's just a West Coast thing so far. I really like the A4. It's my second choice after the Turbo-X for my next car.

If I were spending the money I'd have the A4 (I hope I don't fit the new stereotype though), but I do really like the G37 sedan. I have only driven one of the older G35's (2004, I think) but it was a blast. My only gripe was fuel economy. It liked to suck down the high-test. A lot of people say the exhaust note sounds "canned" or fake on the Infinitis, but I LOVED it.

guess you dont watch top gear huh?

i really like the new a4 (huge improve over the last generation, which i wasnt a huge fan of) but theyre super played out in LA. before my 9-3 i had a mk4 jetta so i highly considered the a4 but its kind of dull.

fuel economy isnt a huge deal for me. my 9-3 gets about 23 in the city (vs epa claimed 19) so its by no means terrific. im sure i can milk 20 out of the 3.7.

as far as the sound..i think its great. i didnt listen too closely when test driving the car but what i do remember was good.

[boon94]

Originally Posted by ACBarnett

But the 135i is deep into "when you're behind the wheel you don't have to look at it" territory.

But you still have to look at its interior, which im not sure is even fit for a low end hyundai.

[ACBarnett]

Originally Posted by sankuspr

Plus it was voted one of the most popular new cars for the gay crowd; as stated in The Advocate (a gay magazine).

And how exactly is being popular with a group that's known for their design sense and their attention to detail in any way bad?

Oh I forgot, TEH GHEYS are still a bad thing to some people

Originally Posted by boon94

But you still have to look at its interior, which im not sure is even fit for a low end hyundai.

Unfortunately, the quality of it's materials blow those of everything that's ever creaked off a dealer lot with "Saab" on the hood out of the water. In my eyes, any BMW interior without an idrive screen is a good interior. If I wanted something with a giant LCD screen, I'd buy a laptop.

[mohooba93]

Originally Posted by ACBarnett

Unfortunately, the quality of it's materials blow those of everything that's ever creaked off a dealer lot with "Saab" on the hood out of the water. In my eyes, any BMW interior without an idrive screen is a good interior. If I wanted something with a giant LCD screen, I'd buy a laptop.

for me its not only the materials, its the solidity and solidness of the interior. when you over a bump it reacts like a vault.

[ACBarnett]

Originally Posted by mohooba93

for me its not only the materials, its the solidity and solidness of the interior. when you over a bump it reacts like a vault.

Which probably has something to with why BMW outsold Saab by an order of magnitude TIMES TWO last month. Hell, even Volvo with it's bland S80, overpriced S40 series and S60 that's even older than the 9-3SS managed to sell almost ten times as many cars as Saab did this past month.

[brace up]

id say bmw plays it pretty safe with their interiors. definitely nothing interesting about them but nothing vulgar either. a few of my friends have e46s and e92s and the interiors use great materials and have held up well...much more than i can say for my 08 SS. (another reason im contemplating switching..)

[Mattlach]

I think those things are hideous inside and out. I've never cared for the jap styling.

That being said, oh my god are they fun to drive. Low end torque is a real neck snapper, and they stick to the road really nicely. At least it was on the G35, and the G37 I hear gets a stronger engine.