Hello everyone,

Due to unexpected events, I might end up getting a G37s MT. My brother is leaving the country and the G37s, which is his car, has more owed than is worth. (Isn't that crazy? 13' G37s with 35k miles is only $23k...) So I'm thinking of taking over his car and his payments and handing over my car to my sister.

I've never driven an MT except for a few hours in the past. I am also a little short, standing at around 5'5. I was able to drive the car but the clutch went in a little too much for my comfort. However, I heard there were some adjustments you can make to the clutch to make it not go in as far so maybe I'll do that if I decide to take over the G37s. Just out of curiosity, though, how much would that cost and what is it exactly called? Are there any down sides to it?

Is G37s an easy MT car to learn with for the first time?
Is G37s MT reliable?
Is G37s MT suited for short drivers?

 

Yes, you can learn on any car.
Yes, it's reliable.
Yes, you can adjust the seat if you're short.

 

Yep yep yep, assuming your bro maintained it as scheduled.

 

I was 19 when I bought my G37s 6MT. Never driven Manual in my life, completely learned and daily the G now. As for clutch engagement I got the RJM clutch pedal which allows you to adjustment engagement points and gets rid of the spring assist.
Like OP, it's easy to learn on these cars. I'm just now replacing the clutch 30k miles later but more for performance reasons then the clutch being worn. My girlfriend who is 5'4-5 ish has no problem learning either. Just move the seat forward and you shouldn't have any issues. Wonderful car to learn on!

 

I'm having a hard time pushing down the clutch all the way down. It's doable but definitely not on the comfortable level.

What are some things I can do to the car to remedy that? Minus the cushion on the back of the seat... I really don't want to do that to these nice seats.

 

Hit the gym and do some lunges and leg presses

This was also my first manual car. Tbh the clutch is a bit harder to learn on this car than any other car I've driven (S2000, EvoX, STi, GTI, Miata, etc). Even the gearbox is a bit funky, as 5th and 6th and probably the easiest to miss shift. But these are just nuances that give the car some personality and shouldn't deter you from driving it! Once you feel more comfortable driving the G, you'll be happy to know that you're one of the few who can operate it smoothly.

 

#1 - while the G37S is not an overly difficult car to learn how to drive stick with, it is far from the easiest out there. any honda, mazda or toyota would be much easier - assuming a small 4-cyl FWD and stock platform. but the G37S is nothing like a 60's/70's muscle car. so it slots somewhere in the middle of options. as with any car, lifespan of clutch friction components is completely dependent on driver competence and nature of their commute (lots of hills, stop and go traffic, etc).

#2 - overall, yes. the gearbox is generally stout, however some G37S MT's have issues with hydraulic components. no real way to tell if your bor's car is a bad seed, but if he's maintained the car properly that can't hurt. any clutch fluid exchanges on record?

#3 - can't see why not with all the adjustability of seats and steering wheel.

 

1 - it was so so when I started out on it. The dual mass makes it a little hard to do it smoothly at first. Get the basics down and then teach yourself how to rev match when you down shift.

2 - Car has been great to me so far.

3 - Push that seat to the steering wheel lol. The clutch is actually pretty heavy to push down. Drove corvette's with lighter clutch pedals.


In all it's a great car. Sounds good and is visually appealing. The only downside of the car is gas mileage and the weight.

 

1 - It's not difficult to learn, but I started in a Mazda Protege way back, and any smaller car, with less power, would be way easier to learn with.

2 - Very reliable. VQ engines are bulletproof. Had an 08 G35 coupe for years, never needed major maintenance. Take care of it and follow its schedule

3 - Sure, adjust the seat up/down/forward to get the proper distance to the pedals.

and yes, gas mileage is a negative (19mpg), but, the car makes up for it in many more ways. Still hurts at the pump...

 

The seat has plenty of adjustability to get to the pedals. My girlfriend is 5'2" and has no problems.

 

Yes, yes and yes!

Get it! You won't be disappointed!

 

[QUOTE=Sig6MT;4098152]
i also got a 2013 6MT and love it- consider yourself lucky.
Yes, the clutch takes a little getting used to because the clutch spring is a bit strong. Youcan replace it if need be, I just got used to it.
This is a great car that provides a good balance between sporty/fun, practical (can hold 4 people in car/ flip back seat for more trunk capacity) and very reliable.
I have had no problems and thoroughly enjoy it. It won't beat a 911 off the line but won't have to pay its maintenance or insurance. It won't beat a Prius on economy but it will be a heck of a lot more fun.

 

Thanks for the replies guys!

By the way, why is this car worth so little?

2013 G37S with full options and in excellent condition is only 23k for private party sale on KBB last time I checked about a week ago.

 

Probably has to do with the fact that the G37 (V36) is no longer current generation, being replaced by the 2017 Q60 (V37).

 

If you're having a hard time pushing the clutch to the floor, bring the seat in closer. I don't fully extend my leg when the pedal is to the floor. In general, if it were an automatic, I'd have the seat further back, but for optimum clutch control, it's closer.

Either that or start exercising more Coming from a 4th gen camaro z28, I'd say the G clutch takes less effort to depress.

My car just turned 27K miles and 5 years old. No issues so far, knock on wood.