What does the I30/I35 gain over a 5th/5.5th gen Maxima GLE?

P.S. I tried searching and looking in the FAQs but did not find anything.

 

nothing, i30 has VQ3.0 engine. i35 has the 3.5. It's mainly just the interior and the infiniti badge.

 

That's exactly what I want to know. What in the interior does the infiniti have?

One example I can think of is the power rear sunshade.

 

well i know you won't find any manual I30's or I35's for that matter.

infiniti has the led or light dashboard, higher quality leather, the little clock that does not light up in the night, emergency brake under the dash then in the console, exterior is different wheels, fenders, lights, bumpers, and quarter panels.

 

The only option I know of that the I35's have over the 5.5 gen Maxima's is the rear heated seated. I also think a full size spare was an option on the I35's and not the Maxima's but I'm not positive on that.

 

I was hoping for a detailed comparison, similar to what is here for the 4th gen's.

http://forums.maxima.org/showpost.ph...63&postcount=3

 

I've also heard people say that the leather in the I30/I35 is of better quality than the Maxima's. Not sure if that's really true but...

Some of the I35s also have wood grain steering wheels. Personally, I prefer the leather wheels.

The I30/I35s also have cornering lights in the front exterior.

 

Yeah, IMO the woodgrain wheels feel and look cheap.

I much prefer the leather shift **** and all leather steering wheel.

But yes, interior is the main difference. Sport models also had VDC (Nissan/Infiniti's version of Electronic Stability Control) - which is different from TCS.

Also had things like a pop-out cupholder over the passenger side dash vent, better leather, rear sunshade, more standard features (some of which were optional on Maximas), etc.

I also noticed that my car is quieter than my buddy's '02 GLE was. I chalk that up to more sound deadening. His doors were also a LOT lighter - I have to slam my doors shut to get a satisfying thud...when I shut his doors with the same force they'd fly and kinda "clang." Again, I chalk that up to having more sound deadening.

 

Good, but still incorrect and incomplete in some areas...

 

The pop-up rear sunshade was also an I30/I35 only feature IIRC.

 

Yeah I dig the gauges that appear dark until turned on. Also one correction - my fancy analog clock DOES light up, matches the rest of the dash lights. Is it not supposed to?

And yeah the leather is super nice - too bad the vinyl right next to it could be better quality....

 

Ok which parts are actually leather? I have been trying to figure it out.

 

Pretty much all the surfaces your body touches...save for the armrest in the center and the armrests on the doors.

 

Yeah that's pretty standard for any car with "leather interior"....it's always really "leather and vinyl that looks like leather". On SUVs and minivans, the entire 3rd row is usually pleather.

On the i30, right under your butt and right where your back goes, is dead cow. All around the rear of the seat, the sides, and those annoying, weak little 2-inch strips stitched next to the seat bottoms and backrests are pleather.

 

So when you condition the leather should you do it only on those parts? Boy would that save some time. What does everybody use to clean/condition their leather?

 

Just use Maguire's leather cream on both the leather and the pleather sections as the pleather can still crack.

 

How does the Maguires compare to Lexol? I have used the Lexol, but it didn't really make much of an improvement. I also tried the Maguires Wipes but they just made them shiny and I am trying to get that new matte look.

 

I actually use a Magic Eraser to clean the leather and then use Lexol to condition it.

I've only done it once though. I f'ing hate cleaning interiors.

I'll detail the exterior 20x before I'll touch the interior.

 

oh god this thread makes me feel really guilty for slacking on interior and exterior maintenance.

 

Never used Lexol... I just like the Maguires because it is a rich cream that makes the leather feel soft and supple after application.

 

I use Meguiar's a lot, but Lexol is said to be real good stuff....

 

Maybe I used the Lexol wrong then because the results weren't all that great. I used the Cleaner and a seperate Conditioner. I think I may try the Meguiar's.

 

When you say the results with the Lexol weren't all that great what do you mean? Are you looking for it to repair cracks in the leather because no conditioner will do that.

Lexol is what you want to use. Meguiars just leaves residue on the seats that transfers to your clothes and doesn't do anything more than Armor All would do for the seats.

To use Lexol properly wait for a warm day and let the inside of the vehicle get warm. You want the seats to be warm to the touch so the leather soaks up the Lexol as you are applying it. Then buff the seats gently with a clean cloth. The point of leather condition is to condition the seats and help prevent cracking in the future.

 

No I wasn't expecting it to repair cracks. So is the cloth supposed to be wet because thats what the instruction on the bottle said. Also do you just spray it directly on the seats because it also said spray it on the cloth.

 

I use 3M leather cleaner and conditioner. Does a great job of cleaning the seats, has a nice smell, and doesn't leave a residue though it does leave the seats somewhat shiny in appearance.