As I wrote in my original post, I recently purchased a 2008 Infiniti G35x Sedan. I've been driving it for a few week and overall, I really like it. It definitely has a different feel from my previous daily driver, a 2005 Subaru WRX Sport Wagon. Of obvious note: it's got a 3.5L 300 hp torquey V6 instead a 225 hp turbo-charged 2.0L 4-banger, it weighs 3800 lbs instead of 3300, and it's got a "sport" automatic 5 speed transmission instead of a 5 speed manual.
First, I really like the motor. It's eager to rev, but doesn't need to for producing power. I like the instant-torque of the bigger motor. It's got a nice, throaty growl to it. I've seen C&D and other reviewers claim it's kind of raspy and unrefined compared to some of the BMW's, but I've never had a BMW, so I don't really care.
The 3800 lbs is noticeable. When cornering, there car definitely wants to push. It's also got a good amount of sway in the car due to all the mass. Expansion joins on exit ramps produce a nice shimmy in the rear end of the car although the suspension keeps all the wheels planted. Launching the car from a stand-still makes good use of the AWD and the car rockets forward with a very satisfying amount of thrust.
As a life-long stick driver, the manumatic transmission takes some getting used to. As I wrote in my other post, I'm used to manual transmissions that do exactly what I want them to do and ONLY when I want them to do it. I admit it -- I'm a control freak. Further more, the throttle has a direct linkage to the wheels without any RPM slop due to a torque converter. With that said, I'm slowly getting used to the new transmission. I like the fact that I can put it in manual mode for cruising on the highway or in traffic. On the highway, I want to be able to apply full throttle to get a short jolt of speed without the transmission down-shifting and winding out to 6000 RPM's. In this case, the slush-box torque converter actually works well to allow the revs to increase slightly and get some additional power. (In most cases, I still prefer it if it just locks-up and keeps the revs matched to the wheel speed.) In traffic, I like to be able to put it in a gear and drive with the throttle instead of jamming on the brakes all the time to slow down slightly. It's actually a blessing to not have a clutch to deal with. Finally, I like being able to manually select a gear during almost-stop turns (e.g., making a turn in an intersection) so you don't get the delay-down-shift-surge lurch while the tranny tries to figure out what gear it wants to be in.
The car has two automatic modes: Drive (D) and Drive Sport (DS). While cruising around, they both seem kind of similar. DS is more aggressive during braking: it automatically down shifts, anticipating your going to get back in the throttle. This is a little annoying when approaching a stop sign, but could be beneficial if you were driving around a track or on a curvy road. However, in both those situations, I would probably have the car in manual mode, regardless, so the point becomes kind of moot.
I tend to use the automatic modes when I'm puttering around not paying attention. (Now I know what the other 90% of the population feels like. Frankly, I like actually having something to do and concentrate on during driving.) In fact, I find my most common gear pattern to be as follows: cruise in 5th gear manual, slow to a stop, pop shifter into "D" to reset "auto mode", then back into "DS" to get in automatic-but-ready-to-manually-shift mode. Accelerate normally, allowing the transmission to up-shift as it goes. Once I reach speed, bump shifter forward to "5" manual mode and cruise there. Apply as much throttle as I want to change speed. When necessary, bump down a gear for additional speed, then return to tall gear for cruising in 5th. If I need to stop, rinse and repeat.
Overall: I really like the car. It's a bit of a heavy pig compared to the WRX, but it's also a lot faster and pleasurable to drive. I'll have to write more about my recent experiences in the snow as well as my general impressions of the various technology and luxury features of the car.
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