2000 Infiniti G20 Base Sedan 2.0L from North America
Summary:
A comfortable poor man's version of the BMW 3 series and I love it
Faults:
Oil pan gasket, transmission pan gasket, license plate/3rd brake lights wiring, CV axles and lower control arms, starter, distributor O-ring gasket, oil pressure switch.
General Comments:
I have had a thing for this car for a while now. Don't ask me why, I do not know. I constantly kept an eye out for one on Craigslist and Facebook. Most were crap.
After 2.5 years of browsing and then seriously looking, I finally found as good a specimen of a G20 I could find. The previous owner did a lot of DIY repairs prior to my purchase: transmission mount, new alternator, automatic antenna mast, front brakes, new tires (kind of low-end Walmart tires but they'll do for a few years).
Upon purchase I had to do about $2500 in repairs to get the car in perfect running condition, including a sunroof repair to prevent headliner leakage (a common problem with G20s). Anyway, the car now runs like a champ and will hopefully be problem-free for a while since it's largely been rebuilt! The engine hums, the ride is smooth, the original radio/cd/cassette player (were cassettes in use in the year 2000? I don't think so but it's amusing to have one, nonetheless) works well with terrific Bose speakers. Tushy-wise, the heated leather seats are comfortable and have held up, save for a tear on the lower outer edge of the driver's seat, something that always happens in older cars, while no one has really come up with a fix beyond duct tape.
Anyway, one last thing: the tinted side view mirrors really help now that blinding LED headlights are all the rage. Thanks Nissan, for thinking ahead!
The design flaws that I could kvetch about (and will): the poor turning radius, the lame cup holders and the rock hard door armrest.
This kind of rare "entry level" luxury sedan is hard to find these days (they only sold about 13k a year) so if you find a decent one, don't obsess, don't think about it, snag it.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 16th January, 2021
21st Jan 2021, 02:16
You cannot find a G20 in very good condition for $1,600 in my part of the US; believe me, I've looked. So, with a total investment of around $3,700 (including the purchase price) I've got a car that will last me years, since I don't drive a lot. It is not a glorified Altima, it has the reliable 4 cylinder SR20 engine (used in the Sentra), that is easy on gas and can go for 300,000 miles. So, all told, I'm quite pleased and I don't believe you can get a quality car like this (with tons of new parts) for $3,700. To each his own!
24th Jan 2021, 04:12
Good review.
How is the acceleration with the automatic?
25th Jan 2021, 06:35
I just tuned it up with premium spark plugs and wires so it's pretty zippy for a 4 cylinder. No complaints. I'm sure a manual/stick shift would make things even faster.
31st Jan 2021, 04:09
Thanks for keeping us int the loop :)
And glad to hear that the ignition tune-up woke it up ;)
It's a tough row to hoe for an engine that gets developed for a light car with a manual transmission that finds itself suddenly transplanted into a vehicle that is heavier, with a wide-ratio automatic transmission.
19th Jan 2021, 18:53
You spent $2500 on repairs on a car with a book value of around $1600 or less? On top of the amount you paid for it? Isn't this model essentially a glorified Altima?