4yrs and 60k warranty not like the Z 36k or 3 yrs.

 

Numerous problems with my 14 month experience with my 350Z - seat rocking on rails, grease streaks on windows (TSB), tire feathering (Swap TSB, Alignment TSB, never resolved), premature brake wear (10k pads and rotors shot), suspension rod replacement (TSB), balky synchos in the tranny, I could go on. Fun car but not worth the hassle and resale plummeting on my '03 model (delivery Nov 2002). Loved driving it except the tire issue, did not want to own it.

Now my G - 16 months later, Brembos in great shape at 16.5k miles, tires still kicking and should make through their second summer season, don't have paint issues (Desert Platinum), have NAV as option and would not do w/o it as I use the car for work to multiple locations, XM (OK, nothing special), actually one of the few passable Bose systems (premium upgrade of the two choices at the time).

In short, not one single problem I've had to deal with, except the dealer forgot the lug key (oh my!). I run 4 Pirelli Snowsport 240's on ASA 18" rims Winter and early Spring, almost a 4-season car.

I don't baby it. It gets driven hard and used as a daily driver. Check out my pics if you want at:
http://homepage.mac.com/stracy01/G35...toAlbum32.html

I also dyno'd it on dynapak (wheels off) and it pulled stronger baseline than my Z on HP by about 5, torque was same with a few units. Don't believe the marketing BS about the power difference in '04 models. Downside - those "new" brakes you get instead of the Brembos look just like my 350Z's brakes that were very shot at 10k miles - as in rotors and pads needed (and tires).

Also note that while there may be 298 in the '05s, at the expense of slight torque drop, I had ~248 RWHP, a very conservative 15% parasitic loss puts it right back in the numbers, a more realistic 20% puts it at 294 crank hp. Lots of variations between cars, only "mod" on mine was the K&N drop-in. I should do the Z tube but for an extra 5 hp to the wheels I say, why bother unless I'm doing more.

Last and not least, it is much smoother at speed and just all-around a much better drive for me.

 

steveZ...how much did the g35 cost u out the door? i want the same one u have...6spd, with navi and the same color too

 

It was over 40k MSRP but paid about $38.5 out the door, partly because I took delivery on 12/31/2003 (year-end, quarter-end, they knocked the price down a bit).

It was on the high end because I added NAV (~2k), Aero Kit w/underbody, front mini-dam and rear spoiler (~$500), XM (~400-500), actually at the time I don't think I missed a single option available, prem pack, etc.

I added mylar-type protection for in front of the rear wheel wells, I would consider getting the splash guards on the rear if you live someplace where there is grit on the roads when its wet - I see some paint at the inside of the fender well slowly being worn down through the clear coat.

Stinks now that you have to get the "sport tune package" for LSD, that was standard. I could buy teins or something better and just get the 18" wheel package.

They definitely price things differently now - in '04 all 6MT's had Brembos, and if you bought the 18" wheel package you got Michie Pilot Sports. Now it looks like about 34k gets you a 6MT w/o premium package or sunroof, XM, NAV, but they put the sport tune pack in. So if you added NAV, Prem Pack (I did), that's another 4500 MSRP, the sunroof went up $200, to $1k, with all my options you'd be pushing 40k MSRP easily.

One thing that troubles me with the '05's is the brakes. Having had stock Nissan Brakes on my 350Z and chewed them up in 10-11k badly, I cannot imagine not having the Brembos or something like them on the car. It makes such a huge difference in braking late, short, and hard into a corner to set the car, plus you really have to pound on them to get any fade to speak of.

Put it this way - I've had two panic stops from 60-70 to zero, one for a bunch of deer at night, another for an idiot who pulled out in front of me and then proceeded to put on a left signal on a two lane road with oncoming traffic - I would not have made those stops w/o the brakes I have on the car. Brembos are pricey but I would hold some change in pocket for an immediate upgrade in that one area only if I had to replace the car today.

 

i may do the same as u and wait a bit. i was qouted at a bit below $36,000 out the door for a 6speed coupe w/o navi,

 

I have not purchased a new car other than quarter-end or promotion, or both. The downside is you sometimes don't get what you want for that year model off the lot. I lucked out and had a dealer with a big shipment of 2004's in 2003 December, tough time to sell RWD Sport Coupes in New England! Plus it helps to check Nissan Sales - when I bought mine, Infiniti was on a record year for unit sales, it was obvious they had a lot of incentive to deal. End of September is often very good time, end of December you have trouble finding a lot of selection. Early Spring is the worst time - March/April, you see a lot of ads but the real deals are usually not there.