Any Thoughts On The 350gt Build Quality?

[jarthel]

I was reading the common parts that fails thread and hopefully that is not a trend.

also I was reading a thread in OCAU and someone who has ridden in one said he felt the plastics used looked cheap.

any thoughts?

ps. I'm not after an argument/flame war but genuinely interested on people's thoughts on the topic. thanks again

[NISMO]

Hey Mate

Both fair comments.

Personally i think you may be reading a little too much into it. The common failures thread is a concentration of people's problems. It highlights negatives. Every car I have ever known has had "common problems"

A mate has recently forked out over $60k for a Calais which has been back for common problem fixes 3 times and he hasn't even hit 3000k's.

Personally I've had 2 V35's and they haven't missed a beat. I've had both on a track and both have held up remarkably well. My current one has the rear axle "clicking" issue. But it's something that is not terminal and I know how to fix. So it's not a concern. More an annoyance.

On a positive note, most of the common issues are not major mechanical problems.

As for plastics looking cheap, what Jap car doesn't have this problem :-)

The 2005 and up series II has a much nicer interior. The difference is subtle but it looks much nicer. Personally I think the interior is fine for the money you are paying for the car.

After all it's a Nissan Skyline, not a luxury Euro tourer. I know it get's compared alot to the Euro's and as a package i would take it any day over most similar spec Euro's. But don't expect the interior of a S series Merc in a $35k Nissan.

For my money I'm happy with the interior I have. (Prem Leather/Alcantara) I think it gives the car a sporty feel, and I would prefer this over a full luxury feel, as i think the car is a sports car.

Just my thoughts

[jarthel]

After all it's a Nissan Skyline, not a luxury Euro tourer.

which is the same as infiniti g35 which is supposedly a luxury brand of nissan much like lexus and acura.

[Unique]

Jarthel,

I have read all of the topics that you have posted over the past week, and feel there are a few things that will greatly asssit you. For one, go to an import yard and have a good look at one in the metal, sit in it, go for a drive. Jump on g35driver.com and read read read, the information you get on there will be very useful. I think you will learn a lot more from research than asking a million questions (not that there is anything wrong with you doing that).

Personally I have owned a many number of cars in all divisions and I consider the premium 350gt a luxury sports coupe. I find the build quality, fit and finish, on my vehicle to be as good as if not better than many of the euros. It feels looks and performs at a far higher level than expected.

[jarthel]

Jarthel,

I have read all of the topics that you have posted over the past week, and feel there are a few things that will greatly asssit you. For one, go to an import yard and have a good look at one in the metal, sit in it, go for a drive. Jump on g35driver.com and read read read, the information you get on there will be very useful. I think you will learn a lot more from research than asking a million questions (not that there is anything wrong with you doing that).

Personally I have owned a many number of cars in all divisions and I consider the premium 350gt a luxury sports coupe. I find the build quality, fit and finish, on my vehicle to be as good as if not better than many of the euros. It feels looks and performs at a far higher level than expected.

thanks for the reply/tips unique.

==============

There is certainly nothing wrong with asking questions. I suppose one of a forum's main purpose is to provide an avenue where people can asks questions.

Edited March 25, 2008 by jarthel

[NISMO]

which is the same as infiniti g35 which is supposedly a luxury brand of nissan much like lexus and acura.

There are a few differences between the G35 and the V35. Namely luxury specs. The G35 came standard with full leather and full auto seat adjustments and a few other bits and pieces.

I still stand by the fact that it's a sporty Jap coupe with a nice luxurious interior. I wouldn't say it's at M3 level, but it's not far behind.

I'm a fan of the car because of the way it drives/handling/looks and comfort.

[WazR32GTSt]

jarthel, remember to keep things in context when you read them.

when i get in the car every morning, it is great. starts first time, quiet as hell, i love it. glad i bought it 100% of the time. the low-rpm torque is fantastic. the handling superb for my needs. braking equally as good. it looks classy yet sporty. there is nothing you can get for the same $$$ that competeswith it except its sister the 350z

when i get home i sure as hell don't log onto the forums and post a thread about how much i love the car today and highlight all its positive features as then i would be posting the same thread every day for 365 days of the year!

but, on the rare and odd occasion something does go wrong i will be the first to log on and express my concern, trying to find a solution. this is the nature of forums: solving problems with the car and learning more about hte car (ie developing solutions for common problems or upgrades)

remember this: you always hear about the negatives and rarely about the positives

when you have driven a V35 you will understand what we mean

and as far as the faults go, problematic door locks and window motors is nothing compared to cars having engine and trans troubles that are inherant eg my old MA70 supra that used to blow headgaskets! or genIII v8 commodores that drink oil.

some other god info can be had by searching google for some american reviews on the g35. i read about 10 reviews before i bought my car. the best search is for reviews compaing the g35 coupe to the bmw 330ci - you will soon realise how good the car is and how it competes with bmw in the market. its not an M3 beater, its a rival for the 330ci

jarthel, can i also ask how old you are? and what cars have you owned before?

might help us to understand your car background to help you understand more about the car..

[Blue Arrow]

i think as far as build quality is concerned, the v35 is right up there. you may hear a few sqeaks and rattles from time to time but most cars do anyway. also remember that most of the cars out there are from 2003-2004 model years, they're 4-5 yrs old already and bought used. the materials (plastics) could be better, i agree. nisssan/infiniti received a lot of negative feedback in north america because of this so later models have improved a lot - personally i still think nissan lags behind mazda, honda and toyota when it comes to plastics used but that's subjective.

however, in other aspects, it's comparable to luxury models. take the bmw 325 ci for instance. have you seen the interior of a 2005 325ci? the dash may be great but the seats (leather) look like they're at least 5 yrs old. they're wafer thin and they fade so much faster. my cousin drives one and he can't believe the difference between how his car looks (interior) compared to my 2004, my v35 looks a lot newer (also with full leather). this coming from someone who looks after his car, he's not someone who trashes his cars. use the back seat of the beemer and inspect the rear windows. the lining around the glass looks crappy, it doesn't exude luxury at all. this coming from a car that costs more than $70k. i'm sure it's the same with the 330 ci, as only the engine and some other expensive options are added/different. the bmw drives great, the engine sounds so much sweeter (stock exhaust), extremely balanced but will struggle to keep up with the v35.

the only complaint i have with the materials used (especially the plastics around the radio/nav controls) is that you can easily scratch it. but if you're careful enough, it's not a problem.