Advise On V36 Sedan

[minto]

Hi all,

I am very interested to get a V36 sedan. Any advise welcome.

I am new to Jap import, my main concern is ongoing maintanence as i live in Canberra.

regards,

Minto Pang

[VNS 24]

Hi all,

I am very interested to get a V36 sedan. Any advise welcome.

I am new to Jap import, my main concern is ongoing maintanence as i live in Canberra.

regards,

Minto Pang

I've got nothing but praise for it. Great looking car, affortable and bang-for-your-buck (Comparing to Merc, BMW, etc.).

A few down sides I can think of are:

(1). It's still a newer car so finding a good maintainence place is a must.

(2). Parts could be expensive.

(3). Not sure about the resale, because it's still an import.

Other than that, if I have spare money, I would definitely get one.

[WazR32GTSt]

i've been lurking around here for a while again as well...

keen to see what someone says who actually has a V36 sedan. its on the pipelines for 2011 for myself as i'm wanting to get out of the 2 door car

what's it like to drive?

what options to look out for?

what's the tiptronic / paddles like? responsive? does it have the revmatch on downshifting?

how big is the boot?

are the seats able to fold forward?

let us know someone! there's no dealer cars for sale here in vic for me to look at

[omp]

Latest Performance Imports mag has a review on the V36 Sedan. I can tell you if the V36 sedan boot is like the V35 Sedan boot, it is quite big enough.

[M34N]

i've been lurking around here for a while again as well...

keen to see what someone says who actually has a V36 sedan. its on the pipelines for 2011 for myself as i'm wanting to get out of the 2 door car

what's it like to drive?

what options to look out for?

what's the tiptronic / paddles like? responsive? does it have the revmatch on downshifting?

how big is the boot?

are the seats able to fold forward?

let us know someone! there's no dealer cars for sale here in vic for me to look at

OK I'll bite... got a 2007 V36 350GT sedan type SP.

what's it like to drive?

Handles extremely well, a bit twitchy around bends at anything above 150km/h, but otherwise it's exceptional for a sedan. The car sticks to the road like an equivalent 3-series, IS and C-class, if not better IMO (tested all models). Steering is not too heavy or light, weighted well, very good turning circle and things like the side and rear view cameras really help a lot with general parking. It's a very good daily driver, VERY comfortable seats (drove from Sydney to Melbourne non-stop and it was better than the Maxima, that's for sure).

what options to look out for?

Get a type SP - they include 13" rotors on the fronts, pull up the car unbelievably well. Also this model includes the paddle shifters behind the wheel standard. Also, definitely get one with the rear and side cameras, very useful. I'd be trying to get one with adaptive cruise control technology (sadly mine doesn't have it, read up about it if you don't know what it is), make sure it has Bluetooth (which is excellent quality, compared to my mates Bluetooth in his 2008 VE SV6 Commo which is rubbish quality), try to get one with electric heated seats or a sunroof, the latter is very rare. Also I'm not sure if they all come with keyless proximity sensors (mine did), very cool, and memory seats. Also try to find one with the optional Bose sound system, includes sub in the front dash and amps in the rear parcel shelf.

what's the tiptronic / paddles like? responsive? does it have the revmatch on downshifting?

Awesome, it's good because you only have to downshift using the paddle shifters and it automatically gears down without having to shift it across to Dynamic Sport (DS) mode, so it's good for a quick gear change. Reverts back to normal auto mode after a while too, so if you need to overtake or take off quick you just have to downshift using the left paddle shifter and take off. As to responsiveness, it's very good and smooth gear changes, a bit rougher in DS mode but that's because it likes to hold the gear changes out longer and it feels rougher. As to the revmatching, yes it does (exactly the same as the 370Z), it's a VERY good feature, you'd be surprised how useful it is.

how big is the boot?

It fits two average sized luggage bags in the boot OK, compared to my old MY06 Maxima, which fit 3 similar sized bags, so it's a bit smaller.

are the seats able to fold forward?

The rear seats? No, there is only the middle section of the rear seat which folds down, and that then can open up a small cubby-hold to the boot so you can get access to the boot and fit long, thin things through. I think they call it a ski-hole?

Other things I'd mention;

- Interior: it's amazing, everything feels nice, looks great and the buttons feel like good quality. Compare it to anything locally made and you'll see what I mean, very comparable to a C-class Merc, which is a touch better inside I'd say, but they are the class leaders in that segment I'd say.

- Space; very roomy inside, more roomy than competitors

- Suspension; very good and works well on our roads, driving over potholes etc and it's very smooth, good balance between comfort and handling. Maybe more biased towards sporty-ness but that's expected from a sports sedan IMO.

- Fuel economy; got 8.5L/100k between Sydney-Melbourne. Getting around 10.5-11L/100k driving mostly in the city with a little freeway, pretty good.

- Bang for buck; compare it to a 335i BMW or IS350 Lexus or C350 Merc, and tell me what wins?

Anything else not covered guys? Feel free to ask, happy to share anything else with you guys.

Edited March 4, 2011 by M34N

[WazR32GTSt]

M34N - that that was great!

i had a V35 so i agree its amazing value for money which is why i was wanitng to get back into a V series...

do you know if the SP version has an LSD? this was one of the worst things about the V35 i would say

[scarf]

M34N - that that was great!

i had a V35 so i agree its amazing value for money which is why i was wanitng to get back into a V series...

do you know if the SP version has an LSD? this was one of the worst things about the V35 i would say

have to agree worst part of car is not having an LSD, but you can get a quaife lsd. Also to note, the 335i/135i also dont' have an lsd. Next worst thing is everything being in japanese and non functional gps.

Also to add onto M34N. Ive got a late 2008 v36 with the 3.7L and 7spd. Using paddle shifts in upshifts are not fast enough. Downshifting with paddles perfect and rev matching I love. If in DS mode and not using paddles, the computer shifts perfectly. Driving position, comfort, interior quality and exterior finish are very good.

test drove a 2009 sedan 335i and a 2010 audi S4 before purchase. The 335i lacks space in back seat, and has heavy steering at low speeds. Interior is not as nice as the v36. Cost was 98K.

The S4 was nicer than both 335i and v36. With the differential option (which is what makes the car so good in handling) cost was 148K. The v36 is an absolute bargain.

Edited March 5, 2011 by scarf

[WazR32GTSt]

scarf, where did you get the 370GT from? did you improt it yourself?

i can only see topcar doing the importing and they only have a 370GT P at the moment

do you think its worth the extra coin for the 3.7L?

[M34N]

M34N - that that was great!

i had a V35 so i agree its amazing value for money which is why i was wanitng to get back into a V series...

do you know if the SP version has an LSD? this was one of the worst things about the V35 i would say

No LSD in the V36's, but I think in the US Infiniti sell them with that option? Not 100% sure there, maybe it's only available on the M37/M56 models there and not the G35/G37's. Either way it's an aftermarket thing you'd have to look at if it was that important to you.

Other thing you may wish to think about; waiting for Infiniti to be officially released in Oz in 2012? Can you wait?

[scarf]

scarf, where did you get the 370GT from? did you improt it yourself?

i can only see topcar doing the importing and they only have a 370GT P at the moment

do you think its worth the extra coin for the 3.7L?

Got it from International motor group- lidcombe sydney. They import and comply.

I was about to buy a 2007 model and got screwed over and was put onto Gavin from IMG.

Mine is also a 370Gt P- but came with body kit, and sunroof.

For me it was worth the extra amount (10K) as the car was immaculate- very low kms. I also run it through our business so everything is a tax deduction, and claim back the GST upfront.

The interior has been changed slightly- the 2007 model I saw had peeling from the interior door handle and gear knob. The 2008 does not use this material anymore in these areas. The exterior paint also seems to be different- possibly thicker and softer? It somehow 'seals' over shallow scratches. Plus a newer engine and gearbox.

The 3.5L and 5 spd auto are also very nice and many prefer the 5 spd over the 7spd.

[scarf]

Other thing you may wish to think about; waiting for Infiniti to be officially released in Oz in 2012? Can you wait?

first I heard of this. Just read up on it.

I would say the G37 would be more expensive than the 370z? So around 60-70K.

Always liked the v36 b/c it was different, but that will come to an end.

Edited March 6, 2011 by scarf

[M34N]

Got it from International motor group- lidcombe sydney. They import and comply.

I was about to buy a 2007 model and got screwed over and was put onto Gavin from IMG.

Mine is also a 370Gt P- but came with body kit, and sunroof.

For me it was worth the extra amount (10K) as the car was immaculate- very low kms. I also run it through our business so everything is a tax deduction, and claim back the GST upfront.

The interior has been changed slightly- the 2007 model I saw had peeling from the interior door handle and gear knob. The 2008 does not use this material anymore in these areas. The exterior paint also seems to be different- possibly thicker and softer? It somehow 'seals' over shallow scratches. Plus a newer engine and gearbox.

The 3.5L and 5 spd auto are also very nice and many prefer the 5 spd over the 7spd.

Agree, the interior plastic parts on my V36 (namely the door handle and around the steering wheel) are starting to chip a little, and I don't have long nails or anything. Was told by the place I got it from that this is common in this car, and they already replaced these panels (was even shown the old pictures), so I'd probably look at getting parts from Infiniti or someone from the G35Driver forum in the US. Apparently it's common there on the earlier models too, and like you said the 2008+ models fixed the problem and are the same sizes, just different coatings on them.

Also on what you said with the 7sp vs. 5sp auto, the 7sp is designed more for long-distance cruising and fuel efficiency, where as the 5sp is more for performance and sporty driving. I'd personally get a 7sp if it was my choice to be honest, but couldn't find any 370GT sedans without having to import it myself, so it wasn't worth the hassle for me in the end. I think this car is more designed for longer drives and daily driving, so it suits a 7sp auto more, but there's hardly anything wrong with the 5sp auto, it's extremely good actually.

[minto]

Thanks for all your help so far,

I saw a few 2007 350GT SP at the dealers for 37000 with ~12000 km on them. Are they ture to the real milage? also they offer 3 years warranty. seems to good to be true.

one problem i have so far: i got a quote from Just car insurance for $1900 a year to insure a V36. Is that what you guys paying at the moment?

[scarf]

All those figures sound about right to me. The 3 yr warrenty is a joke. The only worthy warrenty I beleive is the intial 3 months which the dealer themselves must act on. After that issues with the car have nothing to do with the dealer and the warrenty belongs to a third party. There are a lot of restrictions.

[scarf]

Agree, the interior plastic parts on my V36 (namely the door handle and around the steering wheel) are starting to chip a little, and I don't have long nails or anything. Was told by the place I got it from that this is common in this car, and they already replaced these panels (was even shown the old pictures), so I'd probably look at getting parts from Infiniti or someone from the G35Driver forum in the US. Apparently it's common there on the earlier models too, and like you said the 2008+ models fixed the problem and are the same sizes, just different coatings on them.

Also on what you said with the 7sp vs. 5sp auto, the 7sp is designed more for long-distance cruising and fuel efficiency, where as the 5sp is more for performance and sporty driving. I'd personally get a 7sp if it was my choice to be honest, but couldn't find any 370GT sedans without having to import it myself, so it wasn't worth the hassle for me in the end. I think this car is more designed for longer drives and daily driving, so it suits a 7sp auto more, but there's hardly anything wrong with the 5sp auto, it's extremely good actually.

For some reason I have a feeling I was going to buy the car your driving.

The 370gt I bought wasnt even advertised. It was the owners wife's car. The only other one I found last year on carsales was in perth and at the time they were wanting 59K for it.

And yes the 5spd did feel sportier.

[WazR32GTSt]

scarf - that car looks absolute porn! love the sunroof

its a shame about he LSD. i read that the 370GT coupe type SP comes with an LSD. its a shame about the sedan.

[scarf]

scarf - that car looks absolute porn! love the sunroof

its a shame about he LSD. i read that the 370GT coupe type SP comes with an LSD. its a shame about the sedan.

hope you end up with one.

[WazR32GTSt]

the only other competition is a VW passat R36 or passat CC

[Yo-Yo]

The sedan looks so good in person, if infiniti do come out to aus I might trade my coupe in for a sedan

would be nice to have navigation that works & bluetooth that doesn't speak japanese at me when I want to pair

though, I always have fun with passengers with my nav whenever it shows the swastika on the screen (most of you would know but for those who don't, the swastika symbol is known as manji & in gps systems used to show location of temples in japan)

[R377]

 

Is the suspension (springs/shocks) different in the V36 SP vs the P ? I know it has different brakes

 

thanks