V36 350/370 Sedan Info

[Onnzo]

Hi Guys and girls,

We are in need of a 2nd car and were thinking of a 4wd to cart our kids around in (2 yo and 1 month old). I have had a rethink as:

1) They are costly to purchase (relatively new)

2) They don't offer much performance unless you get a ml500 or ml63 which fails point 1

3) I want to get into a faster car again.

So i've been scoping out performance/luxury sedans and came across the 350 and 370gt. I actually hadn't even heard of them until about 1 week ago! (Although in 2007 I did sit in one at the Nissan dealer in Ginza Japan - I remember the GTR was being released as I saw it at the Tokyo motor show)

Since we have two kids, the sedan is the more practical choice (I told the mrs I had seen a couple of kids come out of an e46 m3 once but she isn't biting, and automatic (because I cant be bothered driving manual anymore).

So I have been looking into automatic 350gt and 370gt sedans (v36 model) and have some questions that some of you might be able to help with.

1) Does anyone know what the 0-100 times are for each model in the sedan? I am not a boy racer but do like to give it a squirt every now and then. Info i've seen lists the 350gt sedan at 6.1secs and 370gt at 5.4secs. Are these figures accurate?

2) Is it worthwhile getting a 370 over a 350? I might have answered my own question here in that I dont see the 370 sedan as eligible for compliance on Jspecs website...

3) Does anyone know of one in Vic that I could look at? I dont mind importing, but I would like to see one in the flesh before I commit.

4) Are there isofix latches in the rear? For anyone without kids, these are metal anchors to latch your car seat to (usually labelled isofix) and located at the junction of the seat back and seat base in the rear seats. This is a deal maker/breaker for me as safety for the kids is important.

5) Are the rear seats in the sedan roomy? Not looking for 3 adult roomy, 2.5 adult roomy would be sufficient.

In reality, for the price, I can't find anything that comes even close to competing with one of these! I have read through all the issues with the nav etc and am not really fussed about it, although it would be great if someone could come up with an easy fix one day. Aside from this, is there anything else that is a common problem? Any comments/opinions are appreciated.

Michael

[Commsman]

G'day Michael, welcome to the forum.

Before all the V series guys jump in & tell you how wonderful their cars are (& they are right ), would you consider a wagon? If you're open to the looks of the M35 wagon, you'll get a very practical family car that can have all the luxuries of the V35 (same front interior) & more (full leather is common, dual sunroofs etc) plus standard power of turbo V6. No probs with car seat anchor points & you can fit a heap of kids stuff in the back. Check out the Stagea forum for more info .

Good luck with hunting down your next car.

Cheers, Leon

[Onnzo]

Thanks Leon,

Thats another car I didnt know existed (I knew of the original Stagea but not this update). Whilst I dont mind wagons (I was considering a passat r36 - too expensive now as I have decided to reduce the budget significantly) the mrs does not. Turbo would be good fun but in reality it would be my daily driver and needs to be reliable so I doubt I would tinker with it (I did all my tinkering in my younger years).

Is the m35 the v35 equivalent? Another reason why I am specifically looking at the v36 is it is realtively new and for the interior, specifically the keyless entry/start. I've been driving an is250 for the past 3 years and that feature is the sole best convienience developed in the past 5 years! It's great when you have wriggling kids in your arms and its hard to go back once youve already had a taste of it!

The is250 is also the reason I want a faster car again - damn it is slow That, and driving my brothers rs6 for a few days when he left it with me...

[Commsman]

Nothing wrong with reliability with these cars. Turbo doesn't automatically = bad reliability, just more fun. My only performance mods are a bigger exhaust that is quieter than the stock one & a switch that removes a brake signal to the ECU so you can go full throttle from stand still (think trying to get across a busy road) instead of being artifically limited to ~ 30% opening till about 30km/hr. These 2 things dropped my 0 - 100 time by 1.2 sec. But the real benefit is amazing torque for overtaking. They are all 5 speed auto's these days as well. Performance guys aren't overly happy with this, but perfect for the family car. Oh, and then there are the 3.5L PNM35's. No turbo, but still a very nice wagon & these are newer vehicles (but more expensive).

Yes, in a lot of ways it is the V35 equivalent, but with the practicality of a wagon. IMO the best family vehicle around.

If you have budget contraints, you could get aftermarket keyless entry for the (turbo) M35, big wheels, and all the bells & whistles you could ever want in a car and still have $15,000 left over from what you'd pay for a V36 sedan.

But, if your wife doesn't like them then there's no point arguing with her - go for the newer V36 & be very happy .

[Onnzo]

I mention reliability in the context of age. I have no issues with turbo'd cars and I can turn a spanner so that side of things doesn't phase me.

For me, it is getting a little long in the tooth, and the styling is not my cup of tea. Thats why i'm specifically looking at a v36. And yes, happy wife happy life!

Thanks for the input though!

[Sunkist]

I mention reliability in the context of age. I have no issues with turbo'd cars and I can turn a spanner so that side of things doesn't phase me.

For me, it is getting a little long in the tooth, and the styling is not my cup of tea. Thats why i'm specifically looking at a v36. And yes, happy wife happy life!

Thanks for the input though!

if you turn out to look at an m35 and are in melbourne, buy mine.

proven 285kw but could be more. lol

[scarf]

Hi Mate

You can get a 370gt sedan. I have a Dec 2008 build with the 7spd auto.

The back seats are very roomy, as it is more like the length of a 5 series, rather than a 3 series BMW (which is cramped).

We have a baby seat in the back, hooked up to the safety buckle thingy.

You are right, there isn't much that compares to these cars for the cost. I was going to get a 350gt, but the sale fell through, so I got the 370gt. They look the same (they look classy especially from a side veiw). Interior has minor differences. Obviously engine and gearbox are different, but I wouldnt expect performance to be much different between the 350 and 370. They are fast, but not 'really fast'.

Seriously, they are a great family sports sedan.

[Onnzo]

Hi scarf,

Did you test drive the 350 vs 370? There seems to be a pretty big price difference and if you think performance is similar it might be worth getting the 350.

Do you use the isofix mounting points for your car seat or the anchor / belt on the parcel shelf?

If you dont mind answering, did you import or purchase here and how much? Not after specifics, just a rough ballpark.

Do you have any likes/dislikes?

It would be great if someone in Vic could chime in and give me a look at one

Michael

Hi Mate

You can get a 370gt sedan. I have a Dec 2008 build with the 7spd auto.

The back seats are very roomy, as it is more like the length of a 5 series, rather than a 3 series BMW (which is cramped).

We have a baby seat in the back, hooked up to the safety buckle thingy.

You are right, there isn't much that compares to these cars for the cost. I was going to get a 350gt, but the sale fell through, so I got the 370gt. They look the same (they look classy especially from a side veiw). Interior has minor differences. Obviously engine and gearbox are different, but I wouldnt expect performance to be much different between the 350 and 370. They are fast, but not 'really fast'.

Seriously, they are a great family sports sedan.

[scarf]

Hi scarf,

Did you test drive the 350 vs 370? There seems to be a pretty big price difference and if you think performance is similar it might be worth getting the 350.

Do you use the isofix mounting points for your car seat or the anchor / belt on the parcel shelf?

If you dont mind answering, did you import or purchase here and how much? Not after specifics, just a rough ballpark.

Do you have any likes/dislikes?

It would be great if someone in Vic could chime in and give me a look at one

Michael

Yes I did test drive the 350gt (it was a 2007 model). The 370 has more aggressive gearing which may account for it being a bit faster along with the added power. But the performance didn't feel significantly more. The 370 was also quieter inside.

The 7spd has copped a fair bit of criticism, but thankfully I have had no problems and find it excellent. The paint is different in the 370 and I think its better quality. The interior has small changes

in the trim. The 350 I saw, the door handle material was pealing off. This has been changed in the 370.

Im not sure what the isofix mounting points are, but the seat is attached to a metal bracket behind the back seat on the boot floor.

I purchased it for 46K, which was 9K more than the 350gt I looked at. This was back in I think Sept-Oct last year, so they may have dropped a fair bit by now. I purchased it from an import dealer in Sydney. The 370 did have less km's (5500k vs approx 12K), came a body kit. Both had sunroofs. The 350 may not have had paddle shifters.

I like that no-one knows what the car is. Initially I disliked that the satnav didn't work and that the controls were in japanese. But in all honesty I rarely use a satnav and dont touch any of the setting for stereo/ bluetooth etc now.

I think you could get an xr6 turbo or an SS commodore for the same money, but they have more flaws than the 370gt.

[Onnzo]

Thanks for the insights. From what you are saying I will probably go the 350 and pocket the difference.

now before I commit to importing I just want to see/sit in one. Carsales only shows naw and wa with cars in stock

[PN-Mad]

....... Oh, and then there are the 3.5L PNM35's. No turbo, but still a very nice wagon & these are newer vehicles (but more expensive).

Yes, in a lot of ways it is the V35 equivalent, but with the practicality of a wagon. IMO the best family vehicle around.

If you have budget contraints, you could get aftermarket keyless entry for the (turbo) M35, big wheels, and all the bells & whistles you could ever want in a car and still have $15,000 left over from what you'd pay for a V36 sedan.

But, if your wife doesn't like them then there's no point arguing with her - go for the newer V36 & be very happy .

PNM35's and PM35 models have the keyless entry too.... Just another stagea person Theadjacking!

Anyway which way you end up - Good luck with the purchase, and a big WELCOME to the fourms!

Edited August 4, 2011 by PN-Mad

[Alkatraz]

Thanks for the insights. From what you are saying I will probably go the 350 and pocket the difference.

now before I commit to importing I just want to see/sit in one. Carsales only shows naw and wa with cars in stock

Im not quite sure what search you are doing, I see at least one in every state on cars sales??? The only 370gt sedan is at FabCar here in Perth, if you go that way I know that they ship interstate (at your expense im sure) and you can always haggle for an extended warranty, eg 5 years.

From experience you can knock at least 10-15% off of their asking price as well.

[Onnzo]

Thanks for the welcome. The stageas are beautiful cars but doesnt really suit my current style.

I had another look and the only v36 sedans I see (either 350 or 370) are still in NSW or VIC on carsales? Please link me if you have found one in Vic so I can go have a look.

Whilst I am convinced a v36 is what I want, I still want to see one in the flesh before I commit. There is actually one on carsales in NSW that looks quite nice. Would prefer an 08 though.

http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/private/details.aspx?Cr=9&R=11074975&keywords=&trecs=16&__Ns=pCar_RankSort_Int32|1||pCar_PriceSort_Decimal|1||pCar_Make_String|0||pCar_Model_String|0&__sid=119479226752&__Nne=15&__Qpb=1&seot=1&__N=1216%201246%201247%201252%201282%204294963593%204294963846%204294931980%201561&silo=1011

Edited August 5, 2011 by Onnzo

[asitag]

def get the 370GT engine. I have owned the 350 before and the 370 is much better.

370 FTW

also, it's a great car

[T04GTR]

twin throttle vq35hr all the way

[nickcorr]

4) Are there isofix latches in the rear? For anyone without kids, these are metal anchors to latch your car seat to (usually labelled isofix) and located at the junction of the seat back and seat base in the rear seats. This is a deal maker/breaker for me as safety for the kids is important.

Michael

Hi MIchael and welcome to the forums..

The current 2010 MY 3.7s have Isofix fitted as standard, in the same way that lots of Japanese, Korean and EU cars do in AUS...

However, it is illegal to own and use an Isofix car sear in AUS. This is because the powers that be have decided that Australia knows better than most of the rest of the world and that child seats held in with shortened seatbelts and a top teather is safer... No problems with the top tether, and infact it is part of the new isofix standard, but in my experience, AUS childseats rely on the 3 point belt basically being as short as possible, making it a nightmare.. At least in my Stagea it has the system that when the seat belt is pulled out to its longest position it automatically locks as it gets shorter.

Mate of mine has a Disco4 and C-Class and wanted to get an isofix seat from the UK for easy swapping between the two cars... Both Merc and Land Rover, as well as his insurance company, implied that God forbid they have an accident, that he would be in a world of pain should anything happen to the kids as their seats were not AUS stamped approved...

V36 3.7 would tick a lot of my boxes as well, and if I had the money, a G37 Infinit is only a year away from local sale...

[naz370]

Hi Michael

I agree with everyone here and you should go for a 370 sedan.

In terms of the 0-100 specs, I dont know where you got 6.1 sec for the 350 but both cars have a very similar 0-100 times at around 5.3 - 5.6 seconds.

I dont see how you could be disappointed in one of these if you want a mixture of luxury and performance.

Please bare in mind that Infiniti will be releasing the car in Australia next year and im 99% sure it will be a new model and shape. However, they will charge about 60-80K for sure.

Importing one now is obviously the better value choice.

[Onnzo]

Hey guys. So there isn't much of a difference between the 350/370 performance wise then? That makes the 350 more attractive due to the price difference. Especially

With the aud/yen drop recently!

I'm still looking and getting a feel For prices at the moment. Been reading about the theories around shaken an might wait to see if more 08 380 models come out dropping the price down.

Yeah I'm aware they will bring them out here in the next shape. i wouldn't buy one at the price they would sell them

Locally though!

Re isofix seats, I've been using them since my first son was born Yes moving them between cars is alot easier but the overall secureness of them is what made me decide to import them. Id rather be safer in an accident then worry about adr's that are controlled by one particular manufacturer! I had to Buy a normal seat for my father in laws car (no isofix) and it still moves around even though I have installed it properly. You can never get as secure a fit with a 3 point.

[scarf]

Hi Michael

Please bare in mind that Infiniti will be releasing the car in Australia next year and im 99% sure it will be a new model and shape. However, they will charge about 60-80K for sure.

I reckon they would cost a bit more than the 370z coupe. Probably around the 70-75K mark and up depending on options.