2008 Infiniti G35 Reviews

Interior trims need to be replaced.

Driver's seat leather is wearing out.

TSB and warranty issue fixes.

I have had the car (G35S with 6 speed manual transmission) for over a year now, and it has performed remarkably. It's truly a performance sports sedan. I can install a child seat to carry my baby around town one day, and take the car to the track (with the child seat still installed) the next day. I am very happy with the car as a "dual purpose" vehicle.

On one hand, it has plenty of the luxury as a every day car. The car I have has the upgraded Bose sound system, navigation with backup camera, etc. The car provides a comfortable ride (on the firm side) on the freeway.

On the other hand, the car has great balance when you push it to the (driver's) limit. The 3.5L V6 engine is plenty powerful and revs up nicely. The 6MT transmission has positive engagement, but doesn't like to be rushed. The FM (front mid-engine) design allows the car to settle nicely in corners. The steering provides good feedback. My complaint is that the clutch can be tricky. And I think the brake and clutch share the same reservoir. So when the brake fluid begins the overheat, the clutch fluid will too. The car feels heavy around the track, but can't complain too much with all the luxury items on-board.

The rear doors swing open up to almost 90 degrees, which were great for trying to put the child seat into the car.

What I like about the car:

+ I really how it looks.

+ Powerful engine (VQ35HR), great acceleration.

+ Positive transmission.

+ Strong brakes (especially with aftermarket pads).

+ Front mid-mount engine + RWD = great handling.

+ Pretty luxurious, for me :)

+ Reliable so far.

My complaints:

- MPG is not that great (around 21 MPG normal mixed driving for me, and it takes premium gas).

- Tricky clutch.

- Could use a little more driving position adjustment. I barely fit with a helmet on (I am 6.1").

- Small trunk (both opening and size).

- No fold down back seat (only ski pass-through).

- The build quality is so-so. Nothing broken yet, but quite a bit of TSB.

It's just me:

- No Bluetooth audio streaming.

- Wished for better iPhone integration.

- Could use a better rear differential (torque sensing instead of VLSD?).

- Could use even firmer suspension tuning.

- Adjustable rear passenger head rest.

The car has been very reliable.

Bluetooth sometimes doesn't work.

This car has extremely aggressive handling. It felt like I was driving a racetrack roadster. I'm an active driver, but I felt like if I took my eyes off the road for a split second (as in to look in the rear view mirror), I would go off the road. This car is NOT for the casual driver who has one arm out the window and the other wrist draped over the steering wheel. I was consistently in a 10-2 steering wheel position just to control this car.

Road noise is high for a luxury car. You also feel every bump in the road. It honestly feels like a race car. There is good and bad in that.

Another example of the aggressive handling is that it grabs every rut in the road. My wife complained that the car often pulled the steering wheel from her hands, especially when braking. When you come to a stop light, you can feel the car searching for position on the road. It feels almost like someone has jerked the steering wheel from your hands.

By far, the biggest deal breaker is the blind spot. I have NEVER had such horrendous rear vision from a car. Especially such an expensive car. You have to use the side view mirrors very actively, because turning your head will yield you nothing at all. You CANNOT SEE what is coming. After accidentally changing lanes into an occupied lane for the 5th or 6th time (making other drivers very angry), I positioned my mirrors correctly. Once correctly positioned, you can see very well if someone is in the lane you want, but you will NOT be able to see anything else. This required me "relearning" how to drive just to stay out of an accident.

The car's fit and finish is gorgeous. Performance is excellent. Reliability has been great. But I would never buy this car again, even if it were $10k less. Every time I took it on the freeway, I felt like I was one step away from an accident.