G35 vs Maxima

Stimpsonjcat2 · 10-27-2003, 11:02 PM

Well, I have raced a few G35's on the road over the last year, routinely winning the showdowns. Mind you I am talking about the 4 DOOR - not the coupe version - I'm not an idiot. My 4 door maxma (2002) I have long argued is the king of the dad - mobiles. Now, I think I have conclusive evidence.

My wife's QX4 recently had to visit the shop and they kept it for more than 2 weeks waiting on parts. Well, lucky me, they gave us a G35 as a loaner, while our soccer mom suv was waitin. Any ideas as to how I spent this 2 weeks?

Of course I got a bud to drive the G35 vs my max. Now, as you all prolly know the G35 is RWD vs my FWD. Not good for me, but I have driven nothing but manuals for 25+ years, so I know how to launch them pretty damn well.

Pass after pass, I consistenly hammered the G35. My best was 2 car lengths by the end of second gear, and my worst was at least 1.5 car lengths. The max is simply faster.

When the G35 came out I predicted this - due to the fact that the G35 was heavier and approx same HP. Even though RWD had a launch advantage - that can be negated by a skillful FWD driver.

So then the acid test came down to me driving the G35 vs the max - my friend not being overly skilled at manual tranny. Still, he got me by at least a nose on all of our runs - and we did dozens of them over the two weeks.

My opinion of the G35 is that it is superior in every way to the max EXCEPT in speed. It truly feels like a BMW - who I also routinely blow off the road. The G35 can probably handle a lot more aftermarket tuning too - being that it is RWD and you are going to have a lort more success keeping the HP on the road.

Still, the max beats the G35 as a stock vehicle.

One final comment is that the tiptronic tranny in the G35 is "neat" but is is FAR slower shifting than the pure manual max. As an aside I HATE the max 6 speed - it is like trying to stir a box of rocks with a wooden spoon!! Be that as it may - once you have the learning curve down - the G35 goes down.

I think what this basically proves is what I have always argued - figure out your horsepower to weight ratio - and you will figure out which car will win in a given race.

Oh and another aside - I recently moved to CA (near LA) and Oh my fucking god is there soooooo much RICE here!!!!

thrasher · 10-28-2003, 12:30 AM

now let's make this a fair race. give the G35 sedan a 6 speed, and see what happens. you will get owned, guaranteed.

deadmaninc · 10-28-2003, 12:52 AM

I would have to agree an auto G35 is doing close to what a manual Maxima is doing. If I am not mistaken the fastest the 6psd sedan was tested at was about 5.6. Made alot of coupe and Z owners think that maybe Nissan overrated the Z and coupe or underated the sedan.

MaxRX7 · 10-28-2003, 08:21 AM

The G35 is my pick no doubt. OMG it's stock and loses to a similiar car by a little

RWD is the main reason I choose the G35, I never liked FWD.
The G35 will also have more potential due to the aftermarket for the 350Z and the Maxima will continue to be limited to $tealin and a few others.

bk2kmax · 10-28-2003, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaxRX7

The G35 is my pick no doubt. OMG it's stock and loses to a similiar car by a little

RWD is the main reason I choose the G35, I never liked FWD.
The G35 will also have more potential due to the aftermarket for the 350Z and the Maxima will continue to be limited to $tealin and a few others.

I'd still take the G over the Max anyday, I've driven the G and that thing handles like it is on rails, much as already stated like a BMW, plus you get that high quality Infiniti Service not like crappy Nissan that will give you a small a$$ Chevy that is smaller than your Max to drive around until the Max is up. At least Infiniti gave you a G or a car that was an Infiniti not a Crapalier.

Speed isn't everything and actually the difference in your car and the G is very minimal considering he was auto and as previously stated Stillen already has a 5.8 psi SC kit for the G coupe, it is only a matter of time before that application is applied to the G.

It boasts 320hp to the rear wheels on the G and you know what that means, vvvrrrroooom.

BP2K2Max · 10-28-2003, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bk2kmax

I'd still take the G over the Max anyday, I've driven the G and that thing handles like it is on rails, much as already stated like a BMW, plus you get that high quality Infiniti Service not like crappy Nissan that will give you a small a$$ Chevy that is smaller than your Max to drive around until the Max is up. At least Infiniti gave you a G or a car that was an Infiniti not a Crapalier.

Speed isn't everything and actually the difference in your car and the G is very minimal considering he was auto and as previously stated Stillen already has a 5.8 psi SC kit for the G coupe, it is only a matter of time before that application is applied to the G.

It boasts 320hp to the rear wheels on the G and you know what that means, vvvrrrroooom.

is that rated on the 280 hp sport coupe or the regular 260hp G35?

heh heh, crapalier

Stimpsonjcat2 · 10-28-2003, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thrasher

now let's make this a fair race. give the G35 sedan a 6 speed, and see what happens. you will get owned, guaranteed.

Actually it would make the race even. The G35 still weighs a lot more than the max.

By the way I am a big time infinity fan too and RWD is the main reason. I wrote this up because I own a max and have always argued that stock vs stock the max is faster - oh and quite a bit cheapoer as well. Recently of course they made the max heavier - it is headed away from its roots as a sports sedan now - straight to the cheap entry level luxo sedan class (if there is such a thing).

If I were the head of Nissan, I would make the max at 260 and 300 HP versions and then have my performance/luxury sedan the infinity starting at at least 350 HP with say a 400 HP available. If you are going to pay 6-10k more for a vehicle it ought to have a LOT more power, not be shown up by its baby brother.

It really bothers me that the BMWs are at least 10k more than the max - and the max can bury them on the street. Someone said here that "speed isn't everything." Well let me tell you something - given the same exact amount of money to spend - I will buy the faster car every time. If toyota or mazda or acura or mitsu or any of those bozos could manage to make a reasonably fast sedan, I would have bought it over the max. News flash - they don't. I'm willing to bet that the speed and HP advantage the max has had for years is the MAIN reason people have bught it.

bk2kmax · 10-29-2003, 06:31 PM

is that rated on the 280 hp sport coupe or the regular 260hp G35?<quoted by BP

No, it was actually dynoed at 320 to the wheels on the G coupe and I think that it wasn't even intercooled, I've also heard that Stillen is making it possible to turn up the boost, just imagine once it is intercooled with probably a smaller pulley, a chip with a full 3 inch "True Dual Exhaust."

I'm certain that Stillen is working to get the fitment issues for the Sedan, so look out for understated G sedans on the road, they could be SC'd.

Funkdeal · 10-30-2003, 10:27 PM

my dad has a 2003 automatic maxima and it's really fast. it's almost scary sometimes. the se model has the stiffer suspension and the 17 inc wheels so it's fun to take the corners at higher speeds. that's cool how you drive nothing but manual. i wish my dad was like that.....

thrasher · 10-31-2003, 12:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Funkdeal

my dad has a 2003 automatic maxima and it's really fast. it's almost scary sometimes. the se model has the stiffer suspension and the 17 inc wheels so it's fun to take the corners at higher speeds. that's cool how you drive nothing but manual. i wish my dad was like that.....

yeah dude, for sure the power can be overwhelming some times. i am sure the 2k2+ drivers can attest to the fact that whe you're in a corner, you really have to be careful with the throttle or you will completely lose traction, made my heart damn near stop a couple times. that's why i want RWD, makes all the difference in the world in the twisties

Funkdeal · 10-31-2003, 01:03 AM

hey thrasher, what's the maxima titanium edition? is it like some special color or is there anything different performance-wise?

BP2K2Max · 10-31-2003, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Funkdeal

hey thrasher, what's the maxima titanium edition? is it like some special color or is there anything different performance-wise?

it's a trim package. titanium paint, silver wheels, probably some other goodies.performace wise it's the same, very good looking in person

thrasher · 10-31-2003, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Funkdeal

hey thrasher, what's the maxima titanium edition? is it like some special color or is there anything different performance-wise?

looks like this

caould be had in any color, with one special, which was the titanium color, only slightly different from silver. extra goodies include titanium gauges(which are really sweet) and interior trim, hlsd, heated seats and mirrors, compass in mirror, "Maxima" kick plates, uh, the dark chrome wheels (which the pictures don't do justice to). uh, that's all i can think of right now.

blasian_man · 10-31-2003, 03:42 PM

i just pulled out my car and driver and the g35 6 speed will beat a maxima in the 1/4 mile, the g runs it in 14.2, and the max runs it in 14.7,

deadmaninc · 10-31-2003, 11:19 PM

what were the 60 times. I know one mag go 5.6 for a manual G35. Made all the G and Z owners if the 260 sedan do 60 that fast then the lighter and more hp Z do at least 5.2 to 60.

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