recently ive been getting a little bored with my car.
granted its a 97 with under 60,000 original miles, but theres something about it that i never really loved (never the way i loved my 93 maxima)

i think this is probably due in part to the fact that ive always wanted a 5th gen, but couldnt afford one when i was in the market for a used car.




recently though ive come to love the look of the newer I35s. im guessing its like the 03,04 range, but i never bothered to find out.

this swap will probably not happen soon, but i want to start gauging cost and specific models vs specific models.

is there any specific year or trim level that is better than others? similar to the way the 99 4th gen has frequent coil pack/immobilizer issues vs other 4th gens (95, 96, 97, 98)?

how easy or hard are these things to work on yourself?
one of the things i like about the 97 is that everything in the engine is easily accesible and require minimal labor.

is there anything else you think i should know before switching to infiniti?

is there a best year to get?

im also on the fence about 3.0 vs 3.5. obviously the newer 3.5 looks WAY better, but the gas mileage discrepancy concerns me.

 

3.5 is newer and more powerful N/A, if you want to do forced induction go with the 3.0, also the 3.0 lasts longer. They sip about the same amount of fuel.

 

The I35 and the A33B are identical other than sheetmetal and emblems. Have you ever worked on an A33B? It's just as easy as an A32, pretty much. Obviously things are going to be different with the VQ35, but nothing all that different.

Honestly between the VQ30 and the VQ35, it's a no-brainer. Go with the 3.5 if you're looking for power. The fuel mileage isn't that big of a difference, actually in many cases my friend's A33B would get the same or higher MPG than my A32.

Saying that the VQ30 'lasts longer' is a huge generalization. Also, the VQ35 is very stout when boosted.

FWIW the I35 was available 02-04.

The only downside is no available manual trans, really.

 

In my expirience, my 03 3.5 gets better mileage than my 99 3.0 did.

I love the power of the 3.5.

Don't know much more about I35 in details to give you any more insight. GL

 

is there any particular year or trim level that is known to have frequent problems?

the way that 99s have certain repetitive issues?

 

is there ANY downside to owning an infiniti over a maxima?

 

no downside, It has no stick, only bad thing. All years are solid, no known problem(same as 5th gen maximas)

 

Having an I35 and after seeing how it's "basically a Maxima", makes me think why I actually bought an I35. I payed under 5 for it so it's not like it was that far from a Maxima...did I really just pay for the Infiniti brand name? I love the heated steering wheel though!

 

The heated steering wheel is always nice!

 

The Infinitis have thicker armrest padding

 

and I believe they have more sound deadening.

 

^ I wish I had a heated steering wheel, its so annoying on those cold mornings when your rushing to school, its all cold.

 

last time i checked the I30/I35s were considerably cheaper than the corresponding Maximas. Buying those cars used you pay more for the Maxima franchise then for the Infiniti name...

 

my 03 maxima has a heated steering wheel and its stick!

 

seems like it should be the opposite - that you pay for the infiniti name while the maxima is the same exact car, but the "cheap" version.

 

New to the forum, but i just picked up a 02 I35. Got it for $6100 with 96k miles.

In my opinion, the I35 is just an expensive maxima. I saw comparable maximas for the exact same price range, so getting the I35 with its more luxury features seemed like a nobrainer.

 

you're from LA and you're complaining about not having a heated steering wheel? Try living somewhere where it can get down below 0 in the winter and then complain about not having a heated steering wheel..... Who knows, maybe you don't go to school in LA, I don't know. Sorry to get off topic. Just thought that was weird.

 

Im mad happy with my I30t.. No complaints!! 147k put new engine mounts and struts all around not one complaints running like a beast:] and purring like a kitten

 

4th gen > 5.5 gen imho

 

hi Barada,

How difficult was to change you motor mounts, mine def need to be replaced.
ANy good links?

thanks

 

A little searching...
http://www.vqpower.com/v2/articles.php?article_id=151
http://forums.maxima.org/4th-generat...mount-how.html

etc.

 

Gawd this thread makes me sad. I miss both my I30s (98 I30 stolen and torched, 03 I35 totalled cuz some a hole in a Benz cuts me off AND slams on his brakes). In all honesty, both were excellent cars. When I got my I35, I felt just like I was driving my old one, just more power.

the only difference between Maxes and I's to me is I liked the style lines on the I30 better. Fell in love soon as I saw it and stopped even looking at Maxes till the I was discontinued.

Which is the reason I roll a G35 coupe now, but that's another story.

 

sorry to bring this back to life, but i have an offer on my car and have started looking at some i35s.


does the fact that this car was discontinued going to adversly affect the pricing on parts down the road?

and once again, is there any year or specific trim i should be avoiding? what are the trim choices on I35? (like maxima had SE, GLE, GXE, etc.)

 

Your only trim options on the I35 are base and sport. I have the sport model, which doesnt have any extras except larger rims, side skirts, and floor mats with sport logo on them. Pointless. The only factory options are navigation, and the cold weather package, which is fantastic. I love my heated steering wheel.

On the down side. I cannot wait to get rid of this car. I have had issues with it from day one. Transmission was replaced twice, both times with under 50k miles on it (and is currently on its way out again). The car currently has 80k and the exhaust system is falling off, and rusted to pieces. Its average shop visit is $800-$1000 at least once a year for various oil/engine seals. This car has also left me stranded 800 miles from home on 2 occasions. Reliablility = 0, in my personal hell/experience.

I will not be purchasing a Nissan/infiniti again. They are beautiful cars, but I have had the worst luck with mine.

As far as price goes, I have had mine for sale various times (deciding whether to keep it or not). Mine is in virtually flawless condition (with the exception of needing a completely new exhaust), has all the options, and KBB lists its value at less than $7k. In my opinion, you should not pay over $6k for an I35.

I hope if you choose to pursue an I35 you have better luck than me.

 

I cant believe no one is complaining about the fricking turning radius lol. Otherwise a great dd!

 

Huh? Pretty sure that Max's and I30/35's of the same gen have the same turning radius, don't they?

 

It does have the turning radius of a school bus, but that's the least of my worries lately. Completely forgot to b!tch about that, too. ha!

 

in order of worse to worst lol:

5.0 max -> 5.5 max -> i30 -> i35.


Yes I am serious. Maximas turn slightly better, and if you own a 5.0/5.5, you know how terrinly it already is

 

WERD!!! RADIUS IS ***** lol

 

Got an 02 I35 and besides one user on this post that had issues, mine has been rock solid and I have purchased it used in 03. Absolute mint condition when I got it and although I am pushing close to 200 000Kms on it now, feels just the same to me and I push my car hard. I will be driving it into the ground. Love the VQ.

Minor concerns to be aware of:

Turning circle. Definitely could be better but I came from a 99 3.0 CL way back when and that was even worse... I can live with this.

Known issues with failing O2 sensors. Damn car has too many of them. Easy to change out yourself though but cost can add up.

Coil pack concerns. So far I did a tune up myself at 180000 Kms and so far I am on the original set. Pricey to replace if you need to change the entire set but anyone with a 5.5 Gen Maxima knows this already.

Miss having a stick. You could also try and find a 01 to 03 Maxima six speed.
Not too sure how well there trannies/clutches hold but I would love to get my hand on one of these as my spare car. Can someone driving one of these models chime in?

Got some oil blowing back into my collector but at this many KMs, what else would you expect? Car is no longer new.

Sport suspension is still a little soft for me but meh, not driving it at the track.

To summarize, I do not think you will be disappointed. The only thing I do not have is the NAV but got a garmin that is way better. Heated steering wheel is nice but I never use it. I just have the vents adjusted to my hands when I need heat. In addition, having rear heated seats is awesome. A lot of people that I give rides to are shocked that this even exists on my car and comment on how nice it is to have.

I'm sticking with Nissan/Infiniti for now having come over from Acura/Honda (what are their designers thinking as of late...ugh...go back to old school designs please...sorry I digress)

If you have any direct questions, do not hesitate to ask or PM me.

Just my 2.5 cents.

Later,

 

Just clippped a curb with my 98 I30 turning around in a cul-de-sac, was a wee bit tighter than i thought !R.F. rim was fine but the tire was destroyed !

 

Go for newer & lower mileage (duh !) My 98 I30 with 134K is starting to break like its a sport !

 

I've got a '02 I35 and love it. By the way, the main dif between luxury and sport package is the suspension, Not the floor mats!
The I35 really is just a glorified Max and pretty much all mechanical parts are interchangeable.

 

I HAVE AN 01 I30T.. AND I THINK ITS GREAT.. I SOLD MY 01 MAX FOR IT...I THINK THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MAX AND THE INFINITY BESIDES THE BODY IS THE RIDE.. THE I30 HAS A SMOOTHER MORE LUXURY RIDE..

 

I35s are worth less than Maximas (nowadays)...at least in my zip code.

For example, on an '02 with 140k miles, the KBB PP ranges (standard options):
I35: $3.9K - $5.0K
GLE Max: $4.8K - $6.0K

I got rid of mine, but I wouldn't pick up one again nor a Max.

In terms of reliability, the only time I got stranded was when one of my hoses going from the trans to the radiator came loose & dumped its ATF. Once I found out the problem (new clamp & filled fluid back up), I was back on the road. However, I only owned it for under a year (my join date).

I've had O2 sensor problems, MAF problems, the EVAP canister/valve problem, VIAS problems, oil leaking, bad radiator including fans, and overall dissatisfaction with the steering/suspension, even after replacing a lot of components. Disregarding the suspension stuff, the problems listed were easily fixed & done by me - someone who doesn't know a lot about cars but just did enough research to figure out what needed to be done.

ZGadson is right though, that heated steering wheel was a wonderful option that I now miss. Didn't really care for the rear sunshade. Rear heated seats, not too much since no one was in the back 95% of the time. Aside from those, the options are pretty much what most luxury cars have & now non-luxury cars (front heated seats, sunroof/moonroof, hid headlights, homelink/garage controls, etc.)

The only thing it was a clear winner at was in engine power; had some pretty good acceleration. I'm more of a cruiser & didn't mod or anything, but exercising those horses every once in a while felt damn good.