I have a BMW, this is my 3rd car. It is not about wanting a BMW or any other car. It is about the steering wheel not matching the quality of the other interior components. It is my personal opinion and I don't have to like everything because it came cheaper than a BMW. I am looking for a better one that feels right and I will pay for it additionally from my pocket. Why do you think everyone change their wheels, suspension, exhaust, etc.? All of them are good enough for the price as well! By the way, the sedans don't have the 19" wheels, they are basic 17" and it is fine with me due to the bad road conditions where I need to drive the car. And as much as i love my G37, it is not delivering 99% of the 335i for 85% of its cost. Maybe 80%. And it is fine.

 

Wood steering wheel looks good but doesn't feel that good to me, and it's not suited for a sports sedan

 

Oh, you guys are getting ridiculous - this car is NOT an M3, and doesn't need an M3 steering wheel. And who says the wheel is not real leather? And I say again, reviewers remark all the time about what a great steering wheel the G37 contains. This car also costs thousands to tens of thousands less than the cars listed as having 'great' steering wheels. And WTF, Lexus? You are kidding, right? Steering feel on a lexus? That's like the Pope in a bikini. You could drive those cars with a feather boa or a hula hoop and you wouldn't know the difference.

And yes, wood sucks as a steering wheel material, especially for steering feel.

 

You are ridiculous my friend. What's wrong with asking for a better aftermarket steering wheel? Nobody says it is not real leather, it just doesn't fit into the overall interior and yes it does not feel as good as a good steering wheel when you hold it. Who the hell are those "reviewers" that you are talking about? You are also mixing up the steering feel with the feel of the steering wheel. Those are two very different things.

 

Very subjective conversation - I'm not sure why everyone is treating it like a pissing match.

IMO: The steering wheel on my IS350 was fine, and the G37 steering wheel is fine. It's a steering wheel. Both are covered with leather. The steering FEEL on the G is much better than the IS350. I also like how the wheel on the G gets wider at the 10 and 2 points. Anyway, I'll take steering feel over the feel of the actual steering wheel any day.

I wouldn't change it, but that's just me. I don't know how anyone gets "cheap" out of a nice leather steering wheel. What the heck is is supposed to feel like? If you want alcantara, get it aftermarket. If you want a thicker wheel, go buy one. If you want wood on the wheel grip, you need to go buy a Lexus ES. My wife's car has wood on the steering wheel. It's a urathane (plastic!) coating on real wood, and it feels like crap and gets slippery.

 

The main question at the start of the thread was if anyone knew an alternative to the OEM wheel. It is not if it is good or bad or whether one likes it or not. If anyone knows a place to buy a "better" one, then say so. IMO it does not make any sense to tell that it is fine or you like it. To each his own. If you like it keep it as is if not change it. And I believe the thread was not about the steering feel of the G but about how the steering wheel felt to the touch.

 

Odd comments. My previous car was an M3 and I also own a Porsche and I think the G steering wheel has better overall feel, is more comfortable, and just fits my hands better than any of the others (my buddies S5 does have a nice thick steering wheel though). Of course, the steering wheel in my wife's MazdaSpeed 3 was better than than all of them. I just think it's a matter of personal feel... you can't expect one steering wheel design to fit everyone's hands.

 

FYI... IGT Automotive has a sweet "D" shaped (flat bottom) steering wheel for the V36 G35's and G37's. Here's a link to their sight. Paul does great work and I'd recommend him to anyone... he's done several parts in CF for me. There's also a couple of threads over on G35Driver with much better pics.

http://igtautomotive.com/g3537pdf.pdf

 

beathorse

 

I don't agree. I think the comments are not odd but valid as you also said that you have a preference for the MazdaSpeed 3 steering wheel. So I think it is more important how one feels when driving. I personally don't like the G 37 steering wheel either and as a former owner of several BMW, Audi and Mercedes cars, I agree that those brands give you better materials and better padding. I don't believe that it is just because of the price of the cars only since some of my BMWs and Audis were much cheaper than my $44K G37!

 

Another option for steering wheel replacement

YouTube - Chewbacca the wookie is in a steering wheel!

 

This post is funny, the 335i's steering wheel isn't even close to being as good as the G's. Interior wise the G's leather is so much better, softer, yes I know it doesn't last too long since its not the harsh leather you get in the bimmer. Since we all own G's we don't know how the bimmer guys have it! The good thing about the 335i isn't the interior, its the smooth as silk engine and that steering feel that is hard to match.

 

Amen to that. The interior was bleh, but the driving experience was awesome. The steering doesn't feel so light, but it also isn't heavy...has the perfect amount of resistance. The engine output was also nice in city traffic, but I still love the G's pull up top

 

Sorry, don't know where to get an aftermarket steering wheel but thought I'd comment on the interior (since it's late and I can't sleep so thought I'd rant lol).

I must admit, the G's interior isn't perfect. Leather can be a bit less prone to creases, the paint can be a bit better, and the fit can be a tiny bit better still, but overall, I love it and it looks soooo cool - especially at night with the light violet (Japanese royalty colour) halos around the ***** and the centre control dial, plus the backlit analogue clock, which all contrast nicely to the instrumentation. I feel hi-tech, new age, and cool, which is the positioning Infiniti is going for. Good job on the improvement over the last gen and can't wait for the third gen G! Continuous improvement, Kaizen!

I considered the 335xi too, and I agree the materials are fairly high quality but when I sat in it, I said to myself, "I'm paying how much to sit in here?" The plastic may be a bit higher quality but it has no style. The buttons are littered all over the lower portion of the centre console, behind the shifter. The instrument cluster is a joke - white fonts printed on a black background - and in red colour at night? Who can read that? I just hate red lighting and I'm only 31 and have 20-20 vision. Which brings me to the cupholder - afterthought? .. The driver has to reach over and spring it out right over the passenger's thigh .. that's a great idea (not!) ... but yeah, you shouldn't be drinking anything. You should be driving cuz it's a BMW ... And what's with those indented spots with grippy dimpled rubber inserts (e.g. around the shifter)? Maybe faux-suede and a cover would make them look more fitting in a 335 than those in my SR20DE SE-R (Sentra) - anyways, to me, the BMW's interior is ugly, has poor ergonomics, is old school, and it's sad to look at especially when you pay so much money for the whole car. But then again, that's the positioning of BMW - as long as it drives well, everything else takes second place, including the heated steering wheel which the sales guy tried to show me but was broken - how embarassing. The one in my Maxima worked fine for the 4 years I had it. The 335 drives really well and it's perfect for so many people which is great. I respect BMWs. If it has a nice interior, I would have bought it. But to me personally, looking at the 335 as a whole car, the price premium is just not worth it and hence off to the S4 ($200+/month over the G due to poor residual because of sucky reliability, 34% after 4 years - how sad - and red interior lighting again!!) so hence - two Gs in a row! Couldn't be happier.

Sorry for being off topic ... time for bed.

 

I feel the same, the G interior is simple...ergonomic...easy to use...I like it like that.