Hey guys, I'm looking at two options.. And just to give some back story, I'm not looking to race, just daily drive.. every once in awhile I love to hit the gas on a long drive.. I'll mod the car out and have fun with that.. daily driver.


a 2009 G37x at 80,000 miles

or

a 2011 G37 IPL at 98,000 miles

The 2009 is in great condition and has been inspected, the IPL doesn't have an inspection.

I'm leaning towards the G37x because its blue, has less miles, and is ready to go, but the IPL seems like a great option also.. both are the same price.
both are automatic, both are far away .. I live in MD so the inspection here is tight, the IPL is 5 hours away in WV, so if it passes inspection there I'd be more inclined to get the car..
I dislike that the IPL has 98k miles (18k more than the G37X) but I think the fact that all the parts are 2 years newer makes up for it.. what are your thoughts? the G37x has been garage kept through the winters, and all maintenance has been verified. I need to do more digging on the IPL.
once i figure out more i will edit the post.

-Edit: I hate extra work! is it possible to remove the AWD? or does anyone know how much the maintenence for AWD is? .. The IPL owner told me he hasn't changed the transmission fluid yet.. The 2009 owner told me he replaced the gallery gasket at the time of the timing belt change 7k miles ago with either a metal or titanium gallery gasket! The 09' owner told me as well that he worked at the infiniti dealership.. Both cars are $10,500.. I can't really afford much more, I sold my 07 Eclipse to upgrade and as time goes on the pain grows .. Both of the cars are private owners.. The 09' owner answers back more and is making it easy, the IPL owner doesn't answer all of my questions and lives in backcountry WV.. If he changed the timing belt and the gallery gasket I'd lean more towards the IPL

 

I can say without hesitation that the X model is stout in the winter. Being a Marylander myself, there was never a storm in the last three years where I was worried while cruising. You're going to have a bit more maintenance with the X, Differentials and transfer case need to be serviced (I do mine every 30 - 40k miles) but it's relatively cheap if you do yourself and doesn't take long if you have some basic tools. Square set-up so rotating tires extends their life.

The IPL is newer and RWD which has its advantages. If you already have a DD/winter beater then this might be the more appealing option.

 

The IPL has a limited slip differential. While certainly not as capable for snow & ice as AWD, it's better than an open diff.

The 2009 will have a low-res nav screen, which was updated in 2010.

The '09 front bumper is unremarkable, sport and non-sport both. Whereas the IPL had a front end and side-sills which are awesome. (Rear bumper, not so much, IMO.)

OP doesn't say whether or not this AWD Coupe has the Tech or Nav package, but he doesn't describe it as a G37xS, so no sport package. However, the IPL came fully loaded with every option available.

The AWD Coupe had 330 hp from the factory. The IPL had 348 hp. (This is where a lot of us would say "duh")

Tit for tat, perhaps. I think the overwhelming consideration is that the AWD G is a common car, whereas the IPL is special.

 

18k miles on a G is not as bad as you think. in 2010 + the G was revamped in the electronics dept mainly. You WILL have to replace the front struts on the X possibly now or in the near future, OEM struts are a bit weak in ALL trims however you have a likelier chance of finding the IPL in better condition than stock.
For once you blow your front axles this can be a quite expensive fix. Most aftermarket axles are not balanced or improperly balance which will cause front end vibrations upon acceleration. Something you dont have to worry with the IPL.
For the X front differential it's extremely important you take a look at your U joints of the front drive shaft. This is a common weak point of these cars and when they fail the front driveshaft most of the times hits the block and breaks it requiring a new engine or lower oilpans and what not.
If the X doesnt have a tech package you'll be stuck like most members here trying to buy aftermarket BT units to play their phones which in the IPL is just a simple as pairing your device.

The IPL will be a faster car not only due to weight and less transmission drive-train loss but also due to the ECU programming which is tuned by Infiniti.

If you're in between both cars from a financial perspective the IPL is the better choice. Not only it will maintain the highest of values of ALL G37s but once you decide to get rid of it, it will sell quickly.

I've always tried to stay away from AWD cars due to maintenance, If snow is a concern I would rather drive a 90s Subie if I could come home to an IPL.

Any opportunity that a forum member has to buy one of these cars means that for the most part will go to a responsible owner, I seriously hope you go for the IPL

 

IPL is going to be the more rewarding car (and more special) but as a DD, the X is going to be the better option; especially in MD. It is such a roll of the dice when it comes to our winters. Some are mild; others are down right angry. If OP has another DD then by all means, IPL all the way; records be damned if a compression test shows all is well.

Ironically, I've had no issues with the X struts. Ran mine for about 90k miles or so.

 

Do not focus solely on mileage and age. You can have a low mileage vehicle that has been beaten to death while a higher mileage might have been babied to death. Are these private sales? Used car lots? Who is performing the inspection(s)? Clean titles/CarFax?

My main concern with the 2009- regardless of mileage- would be the potential achilles heel in the engine: the dreaded oil gallery gasket. That, and everything is seriously outdated (especially the tech).

If OP really needs AWD, I would shop around for a newer "X" model- preferably a "xS."

If it were me I would shoot for the IPL assuming everything checks out legally, mechanically, and physically.

 

A G37xS Coupe would be a great alternative to the IPL.

 

Both would be affected by the faulty gasket; only the end of 2012+ got the upgraded gasket. MD doesn't see upper NY levels of snow but given our climate, rain turns to snow very quickly; two inches becomes 8 inches, etc... The state prioritizes the highways then secondary and tertiary roads; even when they do, they might not get attention until hours later. AWD isn't necessary but there were plenty of mornings while driving in I was glad I made the decision to go with an AWD equipped vehicle. That said, I really envy G37S owners from time to time.

 

the 09' model had the gallery gasket upgraded to a metal/titanium one along with the timing chain 7k miles ago, haven't heard back from the IPL owner.. will update my 1st post when i do.

 

I'll add my voice that the AWD coupe is AMAZING in the winter, especially combined with winter tires. WAY better than ANY Subaru, IMO.

However, I voted for IPL. The AWD coupes just don't feel as "special" on good weather days.

I'm looking at buying a new Z when it is released, of course the new Z won't have AWD, but I really miss the sportiness of sportier cars I have had previously.

 

So whats up with this? How can i check struts on the G37x? I'll get the IPL if he comes down on the price because I don't think he's replaced the timing chain or the gallery gasket.. But the thing about the G37x is that the guy kept it in the garage forever, did every bit of maintenance required and then some, I don't mind walking away from it but it's hard as it's in this good condition. Is it extremely likely that I'm going to have trouble with the struts? How can I test that? I suppose there is no way to get higher quality struts to (future proof) this problem? How can I check the U joints? (not even sure what those are). Are these very popular problems, and big reasons why I should avoid the x? If the car is well taken care of, are these problems mitigated?

 

Lol, I've maybe seen one post about it ; it's not common at all.You'll blow out your rear differential bushing five times before the U joint becomes an issue. I've replaced both front axles using Rockauto replacements and have had 0 issues. Nothing you can do about the struts but when they go, you can pick up some KYB replacements from rock auto for about $60. At the same time, the likely hood of a rear differential bushing blowing out is higher on RWD models - something to consider.

If the owner already replaced the gasket, and has the receipt to show proof, that's a $2k+ repair you never have to worry about. The IPL is cool and all but it doesn't command that much more of an asking price when it comes time to sell. Members of the forum think they're cool but the mass majority outside this forum, to include other car enthusiasts, have no clue what IPL even stands for.

 

And that's what makes it cool. Exactly that thing right there.

 

No doubt. I guess since my car has a tune, wheels, other appearance mods, etc...the IPL doesn't do anything for me. All depends on what OP is looking for I guess. Personally, if I had another car to DD, throw around during the winter or my daily commute was 30 minutes (max) I'd go with the IPL without a second thought. If you're going to be driving 50+ miles and tossing around a car in the winter I'm not sure if I want to do that to my IPL.

 

No it didn't. You couldn't get the Technology or Interior accent package on the IPL.