Faults:

- Passenger side window motor replaced once (58k miles), driver side replaced twice (36k & 55k miles) in 2 years (very common problem with these cars) Window motors cost $350 each out of warranty. Nissan/Infiniti TSB 04-064.

- Leaking spark plug tube seals due to design flaw @ 30k miles. Oil pooling in cylinders #3 & #6 along with fouled spark plugs. Dealer replaced both valve covers & gaskets. Costs $800 if out of warranty. Another very common problem.

- Common rear axle click during acceleration @ 40k: Nissan/Infiniti TSB 04-065.

- Fuel tank pressure/sensor failure at 18k: Nissan/Infiniti TSB 05-048.

- TMPS failure @ 38k miles.

- Creaks and rattles since I bought the car: Nissan/Infiniti TSB 02-122.

General Comments:

The Good:

- Fun to drive, handles great considering its weight.

- Torquey V6 with lots of power.

- Decent highway gas mileage.

- Looks great, factory exhaust sounds awesome.

- Seats are very comfortable for long road trips.

The Bad:

- Cheap factory paint job, paint chips incredibly easily.

- Nightmare to maintain (even if you do your own work on cars). Nissan/Infiniti have lots of Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) to deal with a lot of common failures. Had the vehicle repaired 8 times in 3 years at the dealership under warranty. All were common problems with TSBs, none were due to neglect.

- Creaks and rattles everywhere, feels like poor fit and finish.

- Needs better brakes to stop all the weight (6MTs get Brembo brakes, 5ATs unfortunately get crappy Nissan brakes)

- Dash looks like its out of a 1990 dodge pickup truck (fixed by Infiniti in 2006)

- Factory Bose sound system isn't that great considering its cost.

Overall a really fun car to drive, but very poorly built. Feels like it has the quality of a Neon instead of a luxury car. Looks great on the outside, not so much on the inside. Don't think I'll be buying a Nissan/Infiniti again, my next vehicle will be likely a BMW.

Faults:

CD player skipped in the cold. Dealer repaired under warranty.

General Comments:

I was in the market for a pre-owned car priced under 30K. I consider myself a car guy, and the fun to drive factor is extremely important to me. I live in the “snow belt” and need a car that is good year round, unfortunately that leaves out most sports cars. I have a 350z, which I love, in my household and it useless in the snow.

I test drove the following vehicles: Infiniti G35x, Subaru STI, 2003 & 2004 Acura TL, BMW 325xi, 330xi, and Audi A4.

Subaru STI was too bare for me. It is extremely fun to drive, but I could not imagine taking a client to lunch in it.

I enjoyed driving the Audi, however it felt a little underpowered. I had read some negative reviews regarding Audi reliability. There is only one small Audi dealer near my home. Potential poor reliability and a lack of dealer support ruled the underpowered Audi out.

The 03 TL is a bit dated and the 04 TL is a wonderful looking car, both inside and out. I have owned many Acuras, and as far as I am concerned, they have a proven reliability record and amazing dealer service. The car is smooth and powerful. However it is a frown wheel drive car and it lacked in the “fun to drive category”.

The BMW 325xi and 330xi were everything I expected, marvelous machines. The engines were smooth and the interior fit and finish is flawless. Trying to track one down with real leather, sports package, low miles and a maintenance history was a bit of a challenge, but I found one. The BMW certified price for this vehicle was laughable, and they were not willing to negotiate. The exact same vehicle was on another Acura lot for 3 grand less.

Now, for the 2004 G35x.

The Good:

After about 2 miles I knew this was the car for me.

Even though it is AWD the power train bias is toward the rear wheels. When traction is reduced at any wheel, the AWD seamlessly redistributes torque in varying proportions to whichever wheels still maintain firm contact with the road. In snow mode, a fixed 50:50 ratio goes through anything.

The 3.5 liter is extremely powerful and accelerates stronger than any of the aforementioned cars.

The vehicle also handles like a sports car, you can speed through off ramps with little body roll.

The Bad:

The VDC is overly intrusive, I just have to remember to turn it off when I drive the car.

Gas mileage is poor. When I first got the car and drove it hard and the vehicle returned 15mpg. I am not soft on it, nor do I beat on it, the vehicle returns 17mpg mixed city and highway driving.

The build quality is sub par; Infiniti utilized too much cheap plastic in the interior.

Summary:

If you can put up with the cheap interior, the car is a blast to drive, year round. The mix of luxury, power, and handling; nothing comes close.