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The wife is buying a 2013 Infinity G37 Journey tomorrow

3K views 23 replies 12 participants last post by  MikeT 
#1 ·
After much research (Her car, her research), the wife has decided to purchase the Infinity G37 Journey. She loves the fit and finish of the car. The loves the power and agility. I like it as well, do any of you have any experience with the G37?
 
#2 ·
No, yesterday I rode in a 6 year old G35, but I do not think it in the same league based on the age. But I drove a 2010 BMW 5 something sedan and got a chance to experience what some BMW owners say sometimes and that is " nothing drives like a BMW". I guess they might be right but I have not driven many other luxury cars, one thing for sure many BMW owners tend to get another one based on the driving experience.
 
#4 · (Edited)
I loved my G35 coupe when I had it. It was very reliable, and lots of power made it fun to drive. The transmission was a 5 speed (this was a 2004 model) but definitely a cut above the one in the Honda, but then it was designed for performance. Instant shifts, and never harsh.
You could run it on regular, if you did not mind lopping off some power on the top end. I think it actually got better mileage with premium.
RWD was not an issue for me, no hard winters. And made it a blast to drive on mountain roads. Very balanced performance and good road feel. Great sounding exhaust, and the pull from low RPMs was a real kick in butt.
Firm suspension but soaked up bumps very nicely on long trips. Very smooth running.
If you wanted to add another 10-20% hp you could do it if you wanted to spend the money, and still meet emission requirements. No shortage of legal performance equipment for Nissan sports cars.
Downside are tires. The best tires were the Michelin Pilots which were standard fitment, But they cost a mortgage payment to replace and you will be lucky to get more than 25K out of them. There are cheaper alternatives that will last longer too, even if not giving you the surgical sharpness in handling.
I picked it up on a private sale, had I been shopping for a new car I might have looked closer at a bimmer. But had some friends with them and as soon as the warranty is over, any repair is through the roof.
The G is a very personal car. It looks great, fits like a glove and fun to drive. It is not the ultimate performance car, but does everything reasonably well, except carry more than 2 in any comfort.
I have a friend with a '10 G37 coupe, and he is very happy with it. Some 40K trouble-free miles.
There's a lot of other choices out there these days, not sure I would not get something else if doing it again.
The latest Accord V6 sport coupe could probably keep up with my old G35, except in the tightest corners.
 
#5 ·
The BMW I drove was purchased used, the owner bought an extended warranty and service, everything is covered even the $2500 service due at 60K miles that soon will be due, he paid only $1300 for the warranty service meaning it was a not a hard decision to buy it.

In the G35 I was a front passenger it felt tight smooth and comfortable.
 
#7 ·
I owned a 2001 VW Jetta 1.8T GLS. I will not own an Audi do to the experience I had with it within the first 40,000 miles (2 years) of replacing electronic components, wiring harnesses, ect. Plus the Audi does not have the best reliability ranking since 2010 according to the VW / Audi mechanic that worked on my old Jetta. The BMW is overpriced for what you get especially when you figure in insurance. I would agree that a CPO is probably a better deal to avoid the first year depreciation. However, my wife (After owning her 2000 Accord EX-L V6 with 125,000 miles) wants a new car. I am not going to stand in her way. The previously mention VW / Audi mechanic owns a 2012 G37S Coupe and drives it like it was stolen. He loves it and highly recommended it when my wife were discussing her list of choices (BMW 3 series, Audi A5, VW CC, Camry, Aura TL, and the Accord). The Acura's dash was a bit busy for her, but she like the voice activated GPS. The BMW 328 she looked at was somewhat louder on the highway than she wanted and she did not like the interior. The VW CC was hard for her to see out of (Side mirrors are tiny and rear window might as well not be there) and the 2.0T has a weird hesitation (Turbo lag) that was an absolute deal killer. Same for the A4 she looked at as well. The Toyota Camry was bland but quick, she did not like it. She's had the Accord and does not want another one (I think it's the best bang for the buck with all of the offered accessories). The Audi A5 was questionable due to reliability concerns and cost. When she climbed into the G37, a huge grin spread across her face. She played with the GPS (Hates the voice part as it isn't very good), got situated and went for a test drive. The salesman was really good at just sitting there and letting her experience the drive. Our test drive lasted thirty minutes. She had a little fun and then mentioned to the salesman to tighten his seat belt for my portion of driving. He went on about owning the Coupe version and how much work he had done to the engine, ect. He even dared me to try to scare him. We went to an empty lot that he has customers try the brakes and aggressive steering inputs. For a coupe that is setup for the normal roadways, the G37 handles really well. It has decent balance and the limited slip rear end made steering with the rear end even more fun. We had fun with the car and my wife got tickled when the salesman muttered "you win" after I showed him how to use the rear end, steering inputs, and throttle with no braking to handle his S turn setup at speeds he was not acquainted with (All on a closed lot mind you and not on the open streets). My wife has had the car over the weekend and will probably take possession of it tomorrow. I told her to get as the center console is able to accept my full size M&P40 as the side bolsters will wear prematurely when I am carrying. In Texas, we need to know our vehicles will handle our weapons :act010: I look forward to seeing what see shows up with tomorrow afternoon.
 
#19 ·
#12 · (Edited)
Wow, I'm surprised your wife likes the way it drives because I think it belongs on the track, not the street. Before we bought an Audi Q5 for the wife, we test drove several models from Infiniti including the G37 and thought it was way too loud and shifted very rough. In fact, I almost threw up after getting out of the car after a 10-minute test drive because of the motion sickness I got. I realize I get motion sick more easily than others, but it was the only car brand that did it to me (and we went to Toyota, Lexus, Audi, VW, Volvo, BMW, and Acura).

Did you feel it was very spirited drive compared to the other brands you test drove?

EDIT regarding Audi reliability: The poor reliability for Audi over the past 5 years were all due to the terrible 3.2L engine they used in all their models (i.e. as an upgraded engine in a Q5, or a base model in the A6). Since they came out with the 2.0T and now the 3.0T, reliability has improved a lot. In fact, Audi is actually ranked higher than Infiniti in the latest JD Power Dependability study. Also, here are the latest results from Consumer Reports, so we have 2 sources which back up my claims (Note the jump from last year of 16 spots):

Rank (last year), Brand, Best model, Worst model

1. (same) Scion, xB, xD*

2. (+4) Toyota, Sienna (AWD), Prius C*

3. (-1) Lexus, GX, CT 200h

4. (same) Mazda, Mazda3 (Skyactiv)*, CX-5*

5. (+3) Subaru, Legacy (6-cyl.), Impreza Sedan*

6. (-1) Honda, Odyssey, Fit

7. (+4) Acura, MDX, TSX

8. (+16) Audi, S4*, A7*

9. (-2) Infiniti, G Convertible*, G Sedan

10. (+2) Kia, Sorento (V-6), Sportage

11. (+14) Cadillac, SRX, CTS coupe*

12. (+10) GMC, Sierra 2500 (turbodiesel), Terrain (V-6)

13. (-4) Nissan, Armada, Leaf

14. (+4) Mercedes-Benz, E-Class Convertible*, E-Class (V-6)

15. (+2) Chevrolet, Corvette, Volt

16. (+3) BMW, 7 Series*, 328i*

17. (-6) Hyundai, Sonata (turbo), Veloster*

18. (-2) Volkswagen, Jetta (4-cyl.)*, Jetta SportWagen (5-cyl.)*

19. (-6) Jeep, Wrangler (4-door), Patriot

20. (-10) Volvo, C70*, XC70

21. (+3) Buick, LaCrosse (V-6), Enclave

22. (+1) Mini, Cooper Countryman, Cooper Clubman*

23. (-8) Chrysler, 300 (V-8)* 300 (V-6) *

24. (-3) Dodge, Charger, Durango (V-6)

25. (new) Ram, 2500 (turbodiesel),1500 (V-8)

26. (-12) Lincoln, MKX, MKS

27. (-7) Ford, Explorer (V-6, 4WD), F-150 (V-6)

28. (same) Jaguar, XF*, XJ*
 
#13 ·
Not the G37 but owned a 2008 G35xS sedan for 4 years and 48,000 miles...Solid ride with great dynamics. Lower mpg than my RL, however (14-16 mpg in suburbia - but mpg is better now with the new 7 speed AT). No reliability issues overall but a TSB for new front rotors at 30,000 miles (I replaced the rear rotors and pads at 29,000). Ended up with a head gasket leak at 45,000 which turned into a month long fiasco when the local Infiniti dealer BROKE the cam shaft (right side) while doing the head gasket. Almost impossible to break a cam but they did it.

Ended up trading the G for a 2011 VW GTI Autobahn (more fun to drive than the G - primarily due to weight - and a true 24-30 mpg while doing it).
 
#14 ·
I considered a Lexus IS, BMW 3-series, Mercedes C-class, and Acura TL a few years ago. All were nice vehicles in their own way, but I found the G35 to have unbeatable performance and features for the price compared to the others. The BMW was a close second, but it just looked too plain and was lacking such expected features as HID headlamps, navigation, and even leather at the price range I was shopping in. The G35 might not have the heritage of BMW or Mercedes, but it sure held its own on the road. Turns out, it was too nice of a car [for me] to use as a daily driver so I ended up getting rid of it after a year and 8K miles. Admittedly, it was indeed a blast to steer with the rear wheels - frightening if you weren't careful or didn't know what you were doing.
 
#15 ·
Admittedly, it was indeed a blast to steer with the rear wheels - frightening if you weren't careful or didn't know what you were doing.
Especially when you turn the VSA switch off. Then it gets real 'fun'. Even with it on, the torque was very impressive. I wish I had driven a stick version at some point, just for the experience.
 
#16 · (Edited)
I had great experience with my Audi's. LOVE the way they drive, feel as if they are machined from one huge chunk of billet aluminum rather than assembled from a lot of parts.

1997 Audi A4, FWD, 1.8-turbo, 5-speed. APR chip added after warranty expired. Drove for 8-years, 80,000+ miles with only 'major' problem was being stuck ignition key ($200), I opted to change the timing belt early at 60,000 miles because a higher than average number of belt tensioners were failing prematurely on early 1.8 motors (dealer gave me a break on early belt change I think I paid about $800-850).

2006 Audi A4, quattro, 2.0-turbo, 6-speed, APR chipped after 2-years. Drove for 5-years, 70,000-miles (traded it in for Ridgeline). Only problem was water damaged ignition coils (I washed engine after Audi tech spilled oil during oil change, dealership said I should not wash engine, I said they should not spill oil, we split the cost of the four coils so I paid $300).

Audi felt glued to the road and was pretty quick, especially after chip-tuning. I was able to beat quite a few Maximas, BMWs and even a muscle car or two :) I could easily take most exit ramps without any drama at 65mph and usually took curves at double whatever the recommended speed was around curves :) All maintenance was performed on schedule and I used only Audi filters and synthetic oil.

The only downside with the Audis was the resale, I knew this when I bought both cars new, but I'd do it again if I wanted a fun-to-drive car. Traded my last A4 in for the Ridgeline, it needed a new set of tires and I only got $12,500 for a 6-year-old car that cost about 35k new.

If you enjoy driving, I highly recommend test-driving an Audi. If you have concerns about reliability, get an extended warranty, or trade it in at the end of the warranty.
 
#20 ·
Well, it's over. She took delivery of a white exterior / black interior G37 Journey Sedan with the Premium and Navigation packages. She was given free oil changes for the first year / 12,000 miles. She then purchased the extended service plane and extended warranty that covers all needed services and warranty issues for 12 years or 120,000 miles from any Infinity dealer in North America for less than Honda sells just the extended warranty plan for the Ridgeline. It is a beautiful car and it scoots pretty quick and handles surprisingly well. I just may have to get the coupe version in 2014 or 2015. That is if we survive the zombie apocalypse and the second coming of Christ.
 
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