My new car: 2011 Infiniti G37x sedan.

[GoCougs]

Was out doing some sport driving in the wet tonight. The AWD + stability control is going to take some getting used to, as the car does not behave as a "normal" car would (obviously). Without experience with this particular car the limits and reactions are hard if not impossible to predict (stability control cannot be completely defeated so there will always be an element of artificiality to at-the-limit handling). Nissan's AWD system does live up to its reputation for inducing oversteer unlike pretty much most other AWD systems. I'm also extremely impressed with the reactivity of the traction control - I can see the light flash on the IP but try as I might I cannot detect it unlike the system in the Accord (which was intrusive if not violent).

I was also testing out "DS" mode (drive sport, which is supposed to tighten up the AT's reactions and hold gears longer). I really can't tell a difference verses plain old "D" mode save that when reaching a steady state speed a gear is held longer. Also, rev matching isn't quite as snappy as I had predicted. Sure it works infinitely better than no rev matching, but it seems a bit lazy.

[Rupert]

Set the (front) floor mat issue to resolved.

I threw them in the washer for a couple of cycles, which got the black cloth portion clean. The G37 logos however were still dingy so I just colored 'em in with a black Sharpie. Now just need to get the rears from the dealer...

Hah, the old Sharpie dye trick.

[GoCougs]

Hah, the old Sharpie dye trick.

Ha, ha. I've done this on clothes too - liked a Helly Hansen vest but not the stupid bright white log on the breast - colored that baby in!

Also, what looked like burns on the driver side mat came completely out.

[SVT666]

I'm surprised you left the dealership without all this stuff taken care of.

[afty]

Congrats on the G purchase!  I noticed the same things about my '08 G35 as compared to my '02 Altima:

- Ride is significantly better, despite having better handling.  I guess a more sophisticated suspension is what you're paying for when you move up to this class.

- Engine NVH isn't great.  Even compared to the VQ in my '02 Altima, the G35's is rougher.  Not sure why, maybe different engine mounts?  But it does sound better, which is a plus.

- RWD traction beats FWD traction hands down.  I have to be doing some pretty stupid stuff to break the tires loose in the dry.  With FWD and a powerful engine, it's just too easy to spin the tires and go nowhere.  In the G, the car just squats and goes.

Don't worry too much about your car's background.  I personally don't drive a rental any different than I do my own car.  Is yours CPO?  If not, it's at least still covered under warranty until 60k miles.

[GoCougs]

I'm surprised you left the dealership without all this stuff taken care of.

Meh, most of it wasn't really noticeable as it was raining and at night. Plus, no used car leaves the dealer as good as it could be. And as stated, I'm very particular and observant about my cars.

[GoCougs]

Congrats on the G purchase!  I noticed the same things about my '08 G35 as compared to my '02 Altima:

- Ride is significantly better, despite having better handling.  I guess a more sophisticated suspension is what you're paying for when you move up to this class.

- Engine NVH isn't great.  Even compared to the VQ in my '02 Altima, the G35's is rougher.  Not sure why, maybe different engine mounts?  But it does sound better, which is a plus.

- RWD traction beats FWD traction hands down.  I have to be doing some pretty stupid stuff to break the tires loose in the dry.  With FWD and a powerful engine, it's just too easy to spin the tires and go nowhere.  In the G, the car just squats and goes.

Don't worry too much about your car's background.  I personally don't drive a rental any different than I do my own car.  Is yours CPO?  If not, it's at least still covered under warranty until 60k miles.

Nope, not CPO (at least I don't think), but as you state lots of warranty left.

Yeah, I'm pretty set with it. If it had so much as an offset steering wheel I'd be raising holy hell.

Have you noticed anything strange about the brakes? Mine feel grainy; imagine the rotors with a rough surface finish. The overall feel is fine but this feels kinda weird...

[afty]

No, I haven't noticed a grainy feel to the brakes.  They are very sensitive, though.  Actually in my car they are less sensitive (I probably need to bleed the brakes), but in the loaners I've had they grab right at the top of the pedal travel. 

I've read that the rear pads tend to wear faster than the fronts.  That's kinda weird too.

[SVT666]

Meh, most of it wasn't really noticeable as it was raining and at night. Plus, no used car leaves the dealer as good as it could be. And as stated, I'm very particular and observant about my cars.

I don't know man, I'm pretty anal, so I've never left the dealer with a car that wasn't detailed.

[r0tor]

Nice ride...

I wouldn't buy the whole "infinity dealer rental" thing though.  The local dealers here at least just contract with the local hertz.  Most have the contract so they will receive the same brand of car.  But everyone else in the world can and do rent the same cars.

[GoCougs]

No, I haven't noticed a grainy feel to the brakes.  They are very sensitive, though.  Actually in my car they are less sensitive (I probably need to bleed the brakes), but in the loaners I've had they grab right at the top of the pedal travel. 

I've read that the rear pads tend to wear faster than the fronts.  That's kinda weird too.

A bit of Googling says others have noticed it too - most seem to just blame road feedback through the pedal. I looks at the rotors and pad thickness and all seems kosher so I'm not going to worry about it.

[GoCougs]

Nice ride...

I wouldn't buy the whole "infinity dealer rental" thing though.  The local dealers here at least just contract with the local hertz.  Most have the contract so they will receive the same brand of car.  But everyone else in the world can and do rent the same cars.

Thanks. They said the car was leased directly from Infiniti corporate by Hertz. When the rental period is over the car gets returned to Infiniti corporate, and if it passes muster, is sold at an Infiniti corporate auction for Infiniti dealers. I have no clue if the auction part is true but I do know rental agencies typically buy from corporate. Either way, what's done is done and as long as they fix the trunk issue I'm golden.

[sportyaccordy]

Those G3xx's def love to rotate. I still remember drifting around a roundabout in a rental my dad got when it was wet out (dumb I know but w/e). Turn off traction control and the tail just goes. Transmission was pretty responsive too though obviously could be sharper. Not bad cars at all

[GoCougs]

Dropped my car off at the dealer. The service manager took a quick look at the trunk and said they used too much cleaning solution during the steam cleaning process. Makes me feel better in a way. He says it could be hard to clean though. I got an '11 G37x with the exact same options (including wheels/tires) and almost the same mileage as a service loaner and the brakes are butter smooth unlike my car's "grainy" brakes. Left VM for the service manager for him to check. I've also noticed the service loaner's steering is much twitchier on center - it's actually a bit irritating. Perhaps both issues are just car-to-car variation, not sure. 

[GoCougs]

Tried out the car in snow (in the service loaner ? ha, ha), and there was a LOT of it. Performs as expected. Naturally the all-seasons are marginal in traction for braking and at-speed maneuvering but for acceleration all worked fairly well. ?Snow mode? is a moderate boon (locked 50/50 torque split up to 12 mph, loosens up throttle response). Would love to try to get away from using dedicated snow tires owing to cost and significant performance degradation on pavement (esp. wet); after this test it?s a possibility.

[afty]

Those G3xx's def love to rotate. I still remember drifting around a roundabout in a rental my dad got when it was wet out (dumb I know but w/e). Turn off traction control and the tail just goes. Transmission was pretty responsive too though obviously could be sharper. Not bad cars at all

I accidentally broke the tail loose in the wet just taking a normal left turn and getting back on the gas too early.  I was totally unprepared, but stability control caught it for me.

[68_427]

Tried out the car in snow (in the service loaner ? ha, ha), and there was a LOT of it. Performs as expected. Naturally the all-seasons are marginal in traction for braking and at-speed maneuvering but for acceleration all worked fairly well. ?Snow mode? is a moderate boon (locked 50/50 torque split up to 12 mph, loosens up throttle response). Would love to try to get away from using dedicated snow tires owing to cost and significant performance degradation on pavement (esp. wet); after this test it?s a possibility.

Leave it out of snow mode, for drifting.

[Tave]

I've run all-seasons on the Aveo living in the Rockies and never had many problems. You guys get wetter snow than us, but I crossed the continental divide 50-100 times going skiing in all types of conditions and the Aveo got me there every time. I've been on I-90 over Snoqualmie in inclement weather, and it can be a little hairy, but it's no worse than I-70 between Golden and Idaho Springs. With the added benefit of AWD, I wouldn't bother with snow tires.

[68_427]

His car is also going to be way better at highways speeds due to the added mass.

[Tave]

Bah, the Mighty Aveo glides like a ballerina over snow due in no small part to its comically skinny tyres.

[hounddog]

Well 'SPINners, you were with me through thick and thin, provided me lots of good advice and friendly banter, and otherwise got me to the finish line. Good on ya.

Lakeshore slate blue w/black interior (hard combo to find) w/premium package (moon roof, keyless entry/ignition, upgraded audio). 19,800 miles. took a bit of time but got a decent deal worked out tonight and pulled the trigger.

Obviously a step up from the Accord but not quite as much as you'd think; the Accord can definitely hold its head high especially concerning engine NVH - the VQ ain't got nothing on the Honda J-series. Surprisingly though the G37 has a better ride. The AWD + stability system is a wonder. Wet road performance is phenomenal. Shenanigans that'd have the Accord spinning away through the first two gears sees the G37 just squat, grip and go.

At home:



Dealer pic:

Happy you are the owner of something which makes you happy.  Hope you have fun, and get many many years of fun experiences out of it. 

[giant_mtb]

The service manager took a quick look at the trunk and said they used too much cleaning solution during the steam cleaning process.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

[hounddog]

I'm surprised you left the dealership without all this stuff taken care of.

I would honestly hate to be the service advisor at his dealership.

Can you imagine? 

[GoCougs]

Well, it was definitely some sort of cleaning soap/detergent/etc., and not ink or some other non-removable stain. 

[GoCougs]

So, got my car back. Splash guards installed, rear carpet mats installed, and brakes checked out fine.

The dark color will take some getting used to - just look at it wrong and it will mar/scratch/scuff.

The gas cap door is super flimsy and cheap, and easily bends when you press on it (that's how you open it  ) so there is a small crease mark where it's been pressed on. Ugh.

[WookieOnRitalin]

Cougs, since you're now a part of the Push Start world, I'm curious if your push start has the same flaw as mine.

Next time you're in it, tell me how you just turn on JUST the electrical of your car.

The Kizashi has to be in neutral, but it can only get into neutral when the car is already on. This seems like a fundamental flaw in push start systems.

[2o6]

Cougs, since you're now a part of the Push Start world, I'm curious if your push start has the same flaw as mine.

Next time you're in it, tell me how you just turn on JUST the electrical of your car.

The Kizashi has to be in neutral, but it can only get into neutral when the car is already on. This seems like a fundamental flaw in push start systems.

Hold it down?

[CALL_911]

Cougs, since you're now a part of the Push Start world, I'm curious if your push start has the same flaw as mine.

Next time you're in it, tell me how you just turn on JUST the electrical of your car.

The Kizashi has to be in neutral, but it can only get into neutral when the car is already on. This seems like a fundamental flaw in push start systems.

In my dad's car, which has a push button start, you just hit the "ENGINE START STOP" button without depressing the brake pedal. You can only start the engine with your foot on the brake.

[afty]

In my dad's car, which has a push button start, you just hit the "ENGINE START STOP" button without depressing the brake pedal. You can only start the engine with your foot on the brake.

^^^ This.  Though in a manual, it's the clutch rather than the brake.

[GoCougs]

In my dad's car, which has a push button start, you just hit the "ENGINE START STOP" button without depressing the brake pedal. You can only start the engine with your foot on the brake.

Yep.