Hey guys, I'm considering buying a 350z but I'm 6'4" and the size of the G35 is a bit more appealing to me.
My question is mainly about reliability. I've been told that the G35 is less reliable and more expensive to fix than the 350z, is this true? Is the 350z a better performance car? I'm not just asking numbers, I'd like people who've experienced driving these cars to weigh in.
they're both shit. get a manuel g37 instead. It's better in every way.
Can't afford a G37, they're a good deal more expensive.
I will be buying a manual for sure though, should have mentioned that.
Drive both. buy the one you like more. I like how the z looks better. That's just like my opinion though man.
I agree, I think it looks far better. I just don't know which one will fuck my wallet more. I can afford it, but the more money I spend on fixing the things the less I'll have to spend on autistic user-made anime stickers.
It's not even reliability that's my issue, it's how much shit there is on a car that I can't fix alone in my garage. I'm selling my E39 540i now because there's one non-immediate problem, the timing chain, and I can't replace it on my own without risking my engine, or without buying a bunch of special tools for the job. I can pay for parts, I can't pay for labor.
I'm 5'11" and my hair just grazes the headliner in my G35. Stock seats, adjusted all the way to the bottom.
If you REALLY like the car I guess you could recline the seat a bit back for more head room, dunno if that's comfortable for long distance drives.
G35 is a basically a lengthened 350Z with rear seats and a really small trunk. Mechanically they'd be nearly identical to fix.
all the major components are the same. They are both old cars by now so be prepared to spend money on maintenance. You need at least 2k a year
I can do 2k a year. I could even do 4k a year. I just can't have one thing break and have to spend 4k on just one repair.
Thanks for the input guys, I appreciate it all.
anecdotal evidence but I had a '07 350z that was solid as a rock. Just did oil changes, eventually sold it because it ate through tires faster than a fat kid at a bakery
the 350z will no doubt have a rice tax though, so the cost of owning might just balance out with the G35
350Z/G35's are known for front compression rod bushings, rear differential bushings (pain in the ass to remove/install), early manual ones are known for blowing 2nd-5th synchros. VQ35's are known for chugging oil, Rev-up's are even worse.
The illustrious sinking clutch pedal always happens, the clutch line runs REALLY close to the driver's side exhaust manifold / catalytic converter. G35's have window motors die all the time, both G/Z's have radio failures out the wazoo.
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G35's, 03-04 are the DE's.
05-06 are the rev-up's
07-08 are the VQ35HR's, dual throttle body revised motor.
Similar set-up for the 350Z's.
07-08 VQ35HR's. The motors are solid (compared to the DE's), but they're known for shitting out clutch slave cylinders. They're fully contained within the bellhousing so replacement is a transmission-out procedure.
Similar problems with G37 (coupes), early ones were having CSC failures.
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>radio failures out the wazoo.
oh yeah I forgot about this. I ended up having to use the fade to route all my synthwave and eurobeat to the tiny 6" speakers behind the headrests
Let's say that I need to get said transmission-out procedure done on my imaginary 350z.
How much would the work cost, labor and parts? I could tough up and try to do it myself, but if it's not terribly expensive I'd probably just pay a mechanic to do it.
>They're fully contained within the bellhousing
is there a technologically advantageous benefit to this?
for RWD vehicles, transmission removal is really straightforward. Disconnect exhaust, shifter and driveshaft. Unbolt tranny and she falls right out. Its driveway-able but its heavy as a motherfucker.
Might as well do a clutch at the same time, unless it looks mint. Depends on the shop but labour alone I'd say 500-800 dollars is a healthy estimate. Looking online the internal slave cylinder is only 30 bucks.
Problem is, a lot of times when those slave cylinders leak, they contaminate the clutch disc so you HAVE to do a clutch at the same time.
Oh, that's not so bad then. Honestly if it's below 1k then it's cheap to me, as long as I don't have to do it more than once a year.
I'm coming from owning a 2004 540i so as long as I don't have anything that expensive, I'm fine with either of these cars. The G35 has a timing chain right? And the 350z has a rubber belt? Is it hard to replace either of those?
it decreases the total amount of parts needed. The slave cylinder, clutch fork and the release bearing are all one unit. Realistically? I don't like the set-up at all. A lot of that shit is made of plastic which confuses me since normal clutch forks are stamped steel.
I had my slave cylinder act up, Its 2 bolts and a fluid connection. Totally external so everything was gravy.
Mitsubishi uses internal slave cylinders on their "normal" vehicles where they use a traditional external slave cylinder and a clutch fork.
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If you can't afford a G37 get a fucking civic. Or keep your current car until you can.
They both have timing chains. I mean, front of the car comes off, timing cover comes off. Replace all 3 chains, the guides, tensioner and might as well do the water-pump while you're in there.
I imagine a shop would charge similar money to do a timing chain. That timing cover is fucking massive and a bit of a job.
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In my area a G37 is nearly twice the price of a G35 in comparable condition. I could easily afford the payments on a G37 but I'd rather just sell my current car and buy another one without getting ripped off by a dealership.
Forgot to mention, I think the G35 looks a lot better than the G37. I already don't think the G35 looks that great, so I'm not going any less appealing than that.
'05 G35 owner here
Pros
>Comfy
>Low maintenance
>Decently fast in a straight line
>52/48 weight distribution
>RWD
>Roomy in both the front and back (even on the coupe)
>Excellent visibility
Cons
>NISSAN
>3400lb curb weight
>Loose suspension
>Has an appetite for oil and will start leaking at one or more gaskets after 100k miles or so. I just change my oil a little more frequently and check it about every 2-4 weeks. It really hasn't been a problem for me.
>Repairs are expensive and difficult when you do end up needing them
I don't think Nissan is a con. I know their current lineup is mostly shit, but they have a couple of good cars imo.
Is the car too heavy to do any meaningful suspension modding to? My E39 is around the same weight and it goes around corners nicely, but in all fairness I don't think it's a stretch to say that stock BMW suspensions are better than stock Nissan suspensions.
What's the most expensive part replacement/fix you can think of? I'm pretty good with my money so it's not an issue of being able to afford it, I just don't want to run into an issue like I did with my BMW and have to either spend 4k on a replacement or cut my losses now and just sell the car as-is.
Dealerships don't always rip you off. It might be double the price but it's double the car or at least doubly reliable.
Interest is always something worth avoiding in my opinion, and dealerships will always price cars higher than they're worth. I'm not saying they're immoral for doing so, that's how they make money, but dealerships are a convenience I don't really want to pay for. I have the patience and savings to just buy a car outright on CL.
From what I've heard so far, the reliability of the G35 isn't terrible, neither are the repair costs. As long as it's better than those of 2000's BMW's I'm perfectly fine with it, especially if I can do most of the work myself.
>VQ engine family
lol
Elaborate.
had a g35 and this is my experience exactly. the first time i sat in one, i hit my head on the headliner and couldn't see well with the sun visors blocking the view while up. took some seat adjustment, but fit eventually. I'd say if you're really that tall to sit in one first before you decide
Bitch say something.
Valve cover replacement. Huge pain in the ass to do yourself, and if you take it to a shop, expect to pay over $1000 total. It's a common problem, and I haven't bothered to fix it on mine (hence why I have a leak).
I'll definitely sit in both before I decide. I sat in a 370z during the second to last LA Auto Show, and it was a bit cramped, but I didn't mess with the seat adjustment. I'll spend plenty of time with it in whatever car I buy.