Hi, I stopped by my local Infiniti dealer to take a look at a 2002 Qx4 for my sister and took a look at the I35. It seemed to have a better paint job and different/softer leather than the Max. I also noticed the same think with the QX4 vs Pathfinder. Dealer said that they are built on a completely different assembly line and given more TLC (better quality control) than the Nissans. Anyone know if this is true? I also had a chance to test drive QX4 and Pathfinder on the same day and the Q seemed to have a smoother and quieter ride than the LE. Could there be more of a difference than just the badging?

AL

 

The smoother ride is probably your imagination, but the quieter part isn't. The leather is very likely better quality and the paint job very well could be too since there are different color options.

 

I have been wondering the samething. All the posts about paint chips and my 2000 I30's paint still looks new with only one small chip in the hood. Nothing like the "million" chips the Max. crowd post.

 

The i35 uses the same leather found in the q45 (Sojourner).

 

Do you have a K&N sticker on ur bumper?

 

Good eyes...have to be different from the neighbors

 

Where'd you get that clear one from? I got one that has a white backing and it looks ghetto...

 

Well...we know the leather is better...quieter due to better sound insulation (which adds weight!)...BUT, I have always wondered about the paint! I know that my '98 Max had millions of nics on the hood. Had several within the first couple of months! My I35 seems to be doing really good on chips (knock on wood), except for the inch long scratch that I put on my bumper, from being a dumb a$$!
K

 

I checked out the Inifiniti I35 about a month ago and I noticed the better laether right away. The salesman stated the leather was the same as the Q. I don't know about the paint but I would assume it's the same. The colors are obviously different but I think the paint brand and type are the same. I do know that Nissan uses PPG. I'll ask my friend who owns a body shop if he knows anything about this.

 

DO THAT!!!!

 

Yup,
Better leather and smoother ride (the tranny shifts smoother and suspension tuned somewhat like a lincoln town, airy if thats what u like).

dunno if thats worth 10-13 big ones more than a 2K2 though.

 

10-13????

 

The smoother ride isn't a result of it being an Infiniti...just because most of us are driving SE's which have a harsher ride. The GLE and I30/I35 have similar ride quality (if not the same). No doubt the leather and road noise will be different on the Infiniti.

But, who's paying $10-$15K more? I guess when compared to the GXE, that probably is accurate.

 

when i got my car, i had a option called "permit plate", dont know if i speel right but it sounds right....and after i've done that, u can feel the paint quality just increditable....compare to the original painting....u can feel it...but, $$$$$

 

10-13 is so inacurrate...I think that the most would be 35-36k on the I35...I just test drove one.....

 

Right, that was my original reaction too...but maybe the guy who made the comment has a GXE...new GXE can be about $10-$15K less than an I35.

 

At the time when I test drove it for my free palm I got a quote for 27K on a 2k2 and the I35 with the same stuff I was quoted 39K.

woosh .... out

 

Man...hell to the naw! That dealer was trying to rip you! The only option that I don't have is the Navi...adds 2k, and the cold weather package, adds $500...being that I paid less than 30k...I see no way that a fully loaded can peak to 39k. I actually paid less than what I was quoted for a 2k2 6spd.

 

My 2000 I30 cost 29,000 including the winter weather package. This was only a few thousand more than a loaded Max at the time. (Not 13K more!)

As far as the decal, you can get then online in any color. My K&N is not clear but a very light gray so it blends in with my titanium I30.
http://www.speedgraphics.net/home.htm

 

Bullseye! The cars are almost identical except for a couple cosmetic differences and body modifications.

 

It is called Perma Plate and the previous owner of my max had it done. The paint on it looks like it came straight out of the dealership. How much did it cost cuz I never did ask the previous owner.

 

The Infinitis have the build quality that all Nissans use to have ( *cough* 3rd gen Maxs *cough* ).........so the paint and leather being better is accurate.


For the rest of us, there is this:

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....threadid=60533

 

The I30 doesn't have a rear anti-roll bar. That might make you feel the difference.

 

The 2000-01 Maxima leather and the 2000-01 i30 leather are pretty much the same. But in 2002, that definitely changed. The i35 leather is definitely better now (like a couple people said -- it's the same as the Q45 leather). In fact my friend, who just got his Lexus Lexus SC, said the leather in my i35 seems better than his.

I don't know about the paint though. The fit & feel feels a bit more solid, and it does is lacking the rattles and squeaks my 2k Max did. The rear seats are heated in addition to the front, and the nav system is motorized (hides in the dash). I think that's most of it (oh yea, a first aid kit :P in the trunk).

One of the most significant differences though is in service. When I had my spoiler installed and asked that the interior brake light be disconnected, they actually took the time to make sure the wires left wouldn't rattle!! (imagine that!!) I've yet to leave the service area feeling like someone tried to screw me over, brush me off, or have the service rep act like he was doing me a favor by helping me. The only annoying part is that whenever I get service, I get phone calls and surveys from both the dealer and Nissan making sure everything was okay and done to my satisfaction. You also have free roadside assistance and a 4-year warranty instead of 3. Price-wise, compared to a loaded Max to the i35, depending on your negotiation skills and the dealer, the cost isn't that far off.