SkyG37

Theu are common depending on what you are comparing it too. Living in NorCal, I take 101 sometimes but mainly 92 to 280 and I see maybe about 1 G out of every 10 BMWs and Toyotas. But as you mentioned they are all mainly the non sport. I drive the sport RWD and I rarely see any. I also noticed alot of G owners (sedans) are either people like us or middle aged woman. That's what I noticed. Love the SS as well, can't beat the LS.

4DRZ

iTrader: (7)

Good pics. Have you driven an E90 M3? The V8 sounds nice, but they have no torque. Just the opposite of the F80. If you go E90, it sounds like you may want to replace the rod bearings as a precaution.

4DRZ

iTrader: (7)

A friend of mine was talking about a Lotus Elise today and it got me thinking about my earlier idea to pick up a used Elise and a used Leaf for next to nothing as a daily driver to replace the G37. Please talk me out of this before I do something stupid.

Epiphany

That sounds like a fantastic plan. Super fun weekend/track/whatever car, and a fairly sensible DD assuming the Leaf works for you.

emerilnut

Fantastic plan until the car is 8 to 9 years old and he has to replace all the batteries because they'll be worn out and he'll be lucky to get 45 miles on one full charge.

future62

I am on another forum where we have been having the "one car to do it all" vs "one tool for each job" debate for years. Initially I was all about the multiple car setup, because my Civic was slow as dirt, and my motorcycle got me my kicks. I don't do track days or weekend drives; I am just fortunate enough to have a great commute with back roads and no traffic.

Ever since I got the G, I've been riding my motorcycle less and less, to the point that I'm about ready to sell after 5 years and 20K miles of riding. For the kind of driving I do, the G is pretty much perfect. Comfy, quick, great handling. Gas mileage sucks for the level of performance compared to modern cars (I think a 335i can do 5 MPG better over the same cycle), but overall I'm struggling to think of another car I would buy and actually drive that would complement rather than overlap with the G.

So I give you my life story just to say I'd really think about it. The G is a much nicer place to be than the Leaf, and unless your commute is truly abysmal I do think the G's performance and balance will be a net plus for the daily grind. The Elise is very extreme... I'd put it in the same category as a motorcycle. If you get to the track regularly, I could see it. As a "fun car for the street", I've seen that story play out too many times, ending up in a sale. So I wouldn't do it. I'd probaly consider something like a swapped Miata along with the G, or something along those lines.

emerilnut

That's my current garage setup right now. Turbo Miata that I've had since 1997 for weekend fun, and my 2010 G for daily use. I must be doing something right.

Rochester

iTrader: (9)

This again? The Elise isn't a realistic DD, and the Leaf isn't a rewarding driving experience for someone who values power in a car. I think any argument to the contrary is more rationalization than otherwise, so I can't really wrap my head around this plan.

But somehow you can, so... life is short, just do it.

future62

There is so much about the G that I enjoy that doesn't even involve driving it. Just looking at it. The way it growls and twists on startup. And then there is how it drives. The huge aftermarket. Etc. Any replacement would have to be as good in all those aspects. Given the extensiveness of 4DRZ's build, I'd say it would have to be the same for him too.

4DRZ

iTrader: (7)

That might be a problem in Georgia with the heat, but in WI I still have yet to see a Leaf that has lost a single bar of capacity and I work at a store that carries Nissan so I see a lot of the Leaf. The Leaf battery pack has an 8yr/100k warranty as well as individual cells so even if I ever needed to replace anything, it would never be the entire battery pack. Even if it ever got down to 45 miles on a charge (extremely unlikely) I only live 6 miles from work and we have a ton of chargers there.

Sorry to make you read my mindless drivel again Rochester. I have a pretty short commute, but there are some fun curves. The Leaf is actually really fun for power around town as electric cars are stupid fast up until about 45mph. I had a Leaf before for 2 years and there was never a day that I disliked the car, but you are right- it is not a sports car. That's where the Elise would come in.

For me I am torn between the car I have now which is great or finally getting a Lotus or maybe an Alfa 4C- 2 brands I have lusted after for quite a long time. The Lotus is crazy light, almost all aluminum, supposedly has steering from the gods, and cheaper than the Alfa. The Alfa is faster and turbo so there is probably a bit of tuning potential as well as newer and carbon fiber. However, I am not 100% on reliability and I would much rather have a manual.

I agree. I know the Elise would be a riot on country roads and one small track close to home, but it might feel slow at a longer track like Road America. That's where I started considering the Alfa 4C or even a last gen Z06. All fun sports cars. The Leaf would be a perfect daily driver for me and when I get bored I would take the sports car to work. The Leaf would also be a smoother ride than my G so if my back is acting up I could always take that.

The other option is just to keep the G as it does so many things well, especially after all the work I have done to it. The constant struggle of being a gear head as someone mentioned earlier about their thread like this on another forum that continues to grow.

Thanks everyone else for your support and advice. I always appreciate the input of other passionate gear heads.

future62

No problem. That is why we are here!

I said it before but someone on another forum called the G "the last great Japanese sedan". IT's someone I butt heads with a lot, so it pains me to agree. It's the peak of the FM platform, and arguably the best Japanese sports sedan we ever got in the US since the 510. I have no qualms about sinking money into it because I don't see anything on the horizon that can replace it. Closest things are the F30 335i, which has awful I-Drive, and Japanese successors like the Q50/GS350, both of which are downgrades IMO even with the 3.0TT. Especially with the 6MT. Hold on tight guys, we have something special.

Lee Nguyen

Audi S4 or Lexus GS 350. If I have more money, than it would be the GS-F or the RC-F

4DRZ

iTrader: (7)

Being a gear head is so time consuming!

I spent a lot of time yesterday reading reviews of the Elise and 4C. The Elise can definitely be had cheaper as it is 10 years older, it is a stick, and the steering seems to be better too. However, I read a lot of reviews about the 4C being better and it looks like you can make it very quick with a little tuning for tracks over 1 mile in length.

Tempting, but if I really convince myself to cough up $50k for a sports car I might as well get the M3 or ATS-V I have been lusting after and simplify to one fast car I can drive all the time.

The $50k Alfas got me thinking about what other cars I could get for <$50k with even better performance and I kept looking at the Mustang Shelby GT350 and the Camaro Z/28. You can get used Z/28's in the low $40k range which is a bargain considering they cost $75k+ just 2 years ago. I thought those huge 305 tires would bankrupt me, but they make a lot of sticky tires that are not too bad. It is a heavy car with a cheap interior that would take up significantly more garage space. The GT350 is more $$$$ and has slower lap times, but at least the interior looks nicer.

All cool options to think about, but I think the G37 lives to see another day with me.

Victory

I'd agree with that. All my previous cars were large and american, but when I came due this last time, the G was the right car for the right price. I'll probably return to my big american luxo-barges at some point, but the G was a total standout from 2009-2014

milosz

Since for me, my '13 G37x 4door is more of a GT type car than a sports sedan, in terms of how I use it, there may be some Acura or Lexus models yet to come that I would consider in 2025 when it's time to replace my G. Or maybe even an Infiniti model- or who knows?- something from Korea or China. Right now, there's nothing on the used market that I could / would buy with the $20k I paid for my car in October 2016 with 38k on it, with premium and nav, that would be all that the G37 is. The quality, the reliability, the "niceness," the power and handling, the ergonomics, the appearance, etc- nothing out there is what the G37 is for that kind of dough.

And although I mostly drive my car like an old man (because I AM an old man!) it's nice to know that some guys do actually enjoy G37's on the track, especially with a few up-rated mods. There's a kind of prestige in driving a car that is considered THAT capable.