Yep, traded my recently acquired '96 C280 Sport today for a '04 Infinity G35. Hope I made the right decision because it has been over ten years since I own one made in Asia. So far the car feels very solid and comes with tons of gadgets. The G35 is a left over '04 with no miles on it (put 100 miles on the odo today since I drove it off the show room)

The decision to trade my C for the Infiniti is due to couple of unresloved gremlins I recently discovered. The coolant light stays on, battery keep dying even I told it to a garage (it is a '03 battery) to have the load test, left turn signal activates the hazardous light. I am afraid the car will give me plenty of headaches soon, so I unload it before it becomes a money pit. Plus I have always love the look of the G35 and haven't bought a brand new car for a long time.

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95 R129
04 Infiniti G35.5 BS
10 X204

I bet its going to be wierd going weeks with nothing going wrong.

I traded my '97 202 for an '04 G35 in December and haven't looked back. The Benz definately had more soul, but the Infinity has been worry free, and judging from what I've read on similar G35 forums, should remain that way. Welcome to the dark side. Coupe or sedan? 6 speed? Let's get some gory details...

What is the address to the Infinti site?

Mine is a coupe with 5 spd automatic with manual shift mode. It is not a viable consideration to have manual living in the D.C. area. I have the Premium Package which includes the Bose audio system, power sliding glass sunroof, Homelink, dual zone climate control; the Infiniti Navigation System; and the Aerodynamic Body Kit with spoiler. Car is brilliant silver with charcoal interior. It is equipped with 3.5 liter 24-valve V6 with 280 HP and 270 ft-lbs torque, Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD), Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) and Traction Control System (TCS).

Since it is a left over from '04 with zero mile on the odometer, I had a great deal on it. The dealer knocked off $5K the sticker, so in essence, I got all the Optional features (total $5,400) for free.

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95 R129
04 Infiniti G35.5 BS
10 X204

Very nice. Mine's diamond graphite (dark grey), 6 speed, everything but nav. Added a couple small bits already (bigger sway bars, intake stuff, window tints). Check out www.g35driver.com and www.6mt.net for some good info.

That's cool. Besides the problems you had, what's your impression of the 202?

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Michael

1988 300 SL (5 Speed)
1994 E320 Wagon
1997 C230

It was nice enough. I used mine as a daily and drove my CLK 55 when I needed some excitement. The 202 was adequate and I really liked the styling (especially after adding AMG aero II monoblocks). I think there are definately better buys in that price segment now, as most 202's are going to start needing some work by now. Mine had 60K on it when i sold it and was really starting to rack up the repair bills. Handling and ride are a good compromise, power is a little lacking unless you opt for an AMG model. Interior is clean and uncluttered. The stock Bose radio was horrible. I don't like that Las Vegas at night look of most new aftermarket radios, so I just left it and complained. The m111 motors are a little noisy, so a 104 or 112 variant might be a good choice (or 113-good stuff!).

My sentiment exactly. The 202 is a decent car for what it's worth. Mine was a Sport version so it has CF dash and AMG wheels. The problem with the 2.8 liter I-6 was a sleeper, and the car was rather noisy. I also had a vibration at idle, which some members said it was normal. I got rid of it in fear that it may have hidden problems that may hinder it as a daily driver. Plus in has 95K on the clock when I bought. My SL is a garage queen which I only use for special occasion. The G35 will be my daily driver as I don't think any Japanese car will hold its value and they also tend to be outdated rather quickly. Think I will drive it till warrenty runs out and look for something else.

The way I understand is that the G35 is a very popular car in Japan. They tend to mod the day light out of this car. One thing I would not mind doing is to lower it some to give it a more meaner stance.

I can't drive it too harsh yet since it needs broken into. I have only 99 miles on the odo. It does has a nice engine note, and I can't wait till I can open her up a little soon

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95 R129
04 Infiniti G35.5 BS
10 X204

The exhaust note with the windows down blowing through an underpass or tunnel is intoxicating. The G has one of the meanest sounding (without being obnoxious) exhaust notes on a factory system outside of really high end sports cars. I roll down my driver's window (despite Chicago winter) while alongside divider walls while taking on/off-ramps. It's the little things...

Well I know what you mean about repair bills. The 1997 has been my daily driver (and I really beat it up) since 1999. Totaled up what I've spent fixing bs/quality problems and it comes out to about $500 per year over six years 120,000 miles (130,000 miles total). Balance that against the car making me feel comfortable and safe and the great gas mileage. Most importantly for me it's very easy to drive long or short distances and performs really well in what I'd consider emergency handling. It soaks up DC's third world roads and just keeps on going. I'm to the point where I love the car but am planning an exit strategy for the next few years. I don't like (and flat our would not spend for) the newer MB's, so the Infinity could be a good choice. I figure if I go another three years I'll be at a fully depreciated 200,000 miles and call it quits. My big problem right now is the suspension, while straight, predictable and solid, seems to be in it's declining years, and I'm not sure I want to invest in renewing it. I did the torsion bar bushings myself and breathed significant new life into it, but it's at that "bumpy age", where it feels better with 4 adults in it rather than just me riding. Over time, I'd like to hear how you all like the G35.

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Michael

1988 300 SL (5 Speed)
1994 E320 Wagon
1997 C230

So when you say the 104 2.8 was a sleeper, out of pure curosity, what do you mean?

I've found the the C220 to be slow, the C280 (104 or 112) to be a "gentleman's" cruiser, and the C230 to be downright fun (if a little rough around the edges). That little SOB really scoots off the line, but turns over 3,000 at 80 and over 4,000 at 100, all the time humming, or buzzing if your used to M104 smoothness, away). I looked at the axle ratios and power for each...

1996 C220 = 3.07:1 with 155 ft./lbs at 4,000
1997 C230 = 3.27:1 with 162 at 4,000
1997 C280 = 3.07:1 with 199 at 3,750

I guess my point is maybe MB would have come up with the perfect car for me if they had put the 1997 C280 104/722.6 with the 3.27 axel ratio.

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Michael

1988 300 SL (5 Speed)
1994 E320 Wagon
1997 C230

The '06 or '07 6-speed G35 sedan is a car I'd like to pick up in a few years when I need to move to a (slightly) larger car than my 190.

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1990 190e 2.6 - The only one I can really call "My Car".

1987 190e 2.3 - The donor car's up and running, only mods are Euros and a Sony headunit. My Dad's runabout now.

1990 300e 2.6 - The parents' ride.

Im not so sure I could part with my W202. Its racked up quite a few miles thus far, but then again, thats what benzes are for. Its been with us since new and it hasnt been much of a headache over the past 185K miles other than a bad head gasket, and wiring harness. All of the electrical accessories still work, and its a pleasure to drive. I will admit that it has had quite an appetite for light bulbs- I dont know how many brake light bulbs ive been through, but certainly quite a few.

As someone mentioned above, it certainly has some soul. It feels rather torque rich, which I like quite a bit being a diesel enthusiast. Performance isnt astonishhing... its no C43. But its definitely not weak and underpowered. It handles like its stuck to the ground. And I couldnt be more in love with the design... very clean and un-cluttered, elegant, but not overwhelming. Modern, yet timeless. Its aging quite well. Im not so sure many newer comparable cars will age quite as well.

There was a time when we thought about throwing in the towel... just for the mileage. Ended up disliking all of the options we sought out. We wanted a newer W202.. tried a C230 Kompressor and wasnt impressed with its grainy 4 banger feel. The 6 feels much biggger than it is. In the course of shopping we realized that the only other marque wed like to own other than an MBZ would be a Volvo. But comparing a Volvo to a Merc is like comparing apples and oranges.
Then considering our cars history- knowing its whole history and having somewhat of a strong sentmental attachment to it, we decided to keep it. The color is rare, and I prefer the pre facelifted W202's to the facelifted post 97 W202's as well. We havent looked back, and want to keep this thing running for as long as possible.

Im just not reallly impressed with any of the newer cars out there.. they all look the same, and thhey have way too many gadgets and gizmos. Im a fan of keeping it simple, and while thhe W202 isnt quite simple, its certainly not over complex by todays standards....

Im looking forwards to installing an Eisenmann sport exhaust for a little more grunt, and toned exhaust note, not to mention sprucing up the rear of the cars appearance with dual chrome tips. Will then probably change over to the 98-2000 W202 16" sport wheels.

I hope you guys like your new Infinities. But I wonder if you might fiind yourselves missing your little ol W202 in some ways.

Happy Motoring!

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Nate

1995 E420
1992 BMW 525i
1984 300D Turbo sold
1993 Volvo 244 sold
1995 Volvo 944T R.I.P!


"The details are not details. They make the product."
-Charles Eames

www.cbs.nu

Veloce300TD,
No doubt I do miss the W202 even I had it for a very short while. Like I said, the only reason I let go of it is I bought the car used, it has 96K on the clock, and I am already having problems with it. Those are small problems, but I imagine there will be some big one lurking just around the corner. I post in the Tech Forum asking help on two issues, coolant light stays on and battery discharged every two days. They may be minor but the last thing I need is a car that constantly requires attention. I still have the SL and the E, so I am still a 3-pointed star enthusiast. The G35 is new and exciting, but it does lack the soul of a MB.

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95 R129
04 Infiniti G35.5 BS
10 X204

Strangely enough, I found that the ladies seemed to like the old 202 with 60K on the clock almost as much as they are into the brand new flashy look-at-me coupe. Just one of the benefits of having soul. Of course, very few things outside of a Carrera could top the emotional response garnered by my dearly departed 208