Cannot stand how my car drives on the road. Sell or keep? (2011, braking)
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2007 Infiniti g35x sedan. I did so much research before I bought it. All the reviews were nothing but positive from both consumers and automotive publications. About 2 years ago I bought it with low mileage and ran a carfax, came out clean. The owner described the history of the vehicle and provided everything I needed for me. Very clean, easy transaction. During the test drive nothing about it bothered me. Zero cosmetic issues, the car was flawless.
But from the first week onward I just never could agree with the way it drives. Everything from the steering to the braking to the way it it handles curves to the off-the-line acceleration...nothing feels right about it. The transmission shifting is so damn jerky and clunky and the steering feels like it was taken out of a Ford E-Series van and made 10 times heavier and harder to turn. Bad turning radius makes parking an extreme issue and the engine is torqueless. It's like a small displacement 4 cylinder under 5,000 rpm. It doesn't handle like the "sport sedan" it is marketed as. It's just very cumbersome and annoying to drive on a daily basis. Interior quality and space is also lacking and I only average around 16 combined mpg even though it is rated at 20 combined mpg.
Most people say "but it has 306 horsepower"...but honestly what good is horsepower without the handling to back it up. I'd rather take a slow car that handles well than a fast car that handles like a cruise ship. If I wanted a car with poor handling, I would have bought one.
I honestly feel like I would be happier with a Honda. I borrowed a 2013 Honda Accord for a little while and was shocked at how light and agile it felt compared to my car. I also liked having low-end torque. I just want something that just drives comfortably and effortlessly so that you don't really have to think so hard about how to negotiate every corner you encounter. I don't do all my driving around the track or in slaloms, I just want a nice commuter car. What do you guys think, go through the hassle of selling my car or just keep on driving it.
Also owned a G-35 and it was a mixed bag. Nissan (Infinity) has been on a downward trend over the last number of years...not what it used to be. As long as you can mitigate any financial loss I say sell. Now drive a 2008 VW Passat and like it mucho.
Some people over loadacar when moving and then drive it cross country. This can be a suspension killer.
As i said yesterday. Go drive some other cars just like yours. Any thing else is just speculation. Google your tire brand and size as well to check the quality and ride,performance etc. out.
If all you could afford two years ago was a six year old car, have your finances improved? Could you afford to buy a new(er) car without serious harm to your finances?
You don't have to keep this car. Do some research. Figure out what you could get if you sell this one (net of any loan you have on it), then, if the numbers work for you, start researching cars and test driving the ones that look good, keeping in mind the issues you've had with this one. Maybe rent one or two of the finalists for a weekend.
When you know what you want, sell your current car and make your best deal on the new one.
You sure something just not wrong with your car? I have a 2006 G35x sedan and the engine has plenty of torque and handles quite well. I come from a history of driving torque V8's and one of the reasons I got my Infiniti was that the 3.5L had so much torque for a V6. The fact that you say it's gutless under 5000 RPM makes me scratch my head. You are claiming it's like a 4-cyl why I think it's low end torque makes it like a V8.
My G/F has a 2012 accord with 30K miles and I hate driving that car. It's suspension clunks over bumps more than my car. Every time I get back into my '06 it feels so much better in terms of handling and acceleration. So the fact that you are claiming a 2013 accord felt peppier makes me wonder if there are some issues with your car that need to be addressed.
Sell it... Those cars are popular and I bet you can easily find a buyer
BTW I bet the reason you don't like it is that it's the AWD version
My dad drives a RWD G Series. It does feel more "Sprightly." The AWD versions do feel different. The steering in the AWD is certainly heavier and it doesn't launch like the RWD version.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tourian
No, sorry - you have to keep it. You don't have a say in the matter and will just have to suck it up.
....or if you really think a car that is based on one of the better platforms on the market and is universally praised for its handling is worse than a typical FWD sedan then maybe you ought to look into an alignment, some struts some tires etc.
I don't think that OP is talking about handling in the slalom/skid pad sense, but the road manners sense. The Accord does have "lighter" steering. Even a 4 cyl Camry, while it wouldn't beat it in any race, would "feel peppier" from a stop sign because of how the throttle and transmission are set up.
Have you ever driven one? You really can't go solely by reviews. I did get an alignment and tire rotation done this past summer which didn't solve much of anything.
This review actually sums up my take on the car pretty well..too bad I didn't see beforehand: 2008 Infiniti G35x AWD Review
And I don't think it has anything to do with struts or shocks as it has 65k on it and receives regular inspections and nothing negative ever comes up. Part of the reason why I'm questioning selling it, can't deny that it has been relatively inexpensive (besides gas mileage).
Selling a car, let alone buying one, is a huge hassle. Just want some insight as to weather or not it's really worth it to go through all of that when the car isn't technically causing me any serious problems. 75% of me says "life is too short to drive something you don't enjoy", but the other 25% of me is saying "it's just a car, it gets you where you need to be, and who knows, by some miracle you could even regret it"...
And I could just throw money at it hoping it gets better, but who knows if that will solve the problem.
I own one, slick. A newer RWD S model. The AWDs dont feel that much different unless you are pushing them on a track. Either you have some messed up expectations, can't drive or just have some personal issues. Either way I just cant figure how a grown up needs the internet to tell them what to do with something they don't like.
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Now drive a 2008 VW Passat and like it mucho.
