gundog

I won't claim to be an expert. My experience is mostly limited to my Honda which I've had for over 9 years, another Honda that I've driven some over the years, and an Audi that I rented in Europe for a few weeks. If you drive the G back-to-back with the 9 year-old Honda, just in terms of the shifter, the Honda is sadly infinitely better (sorry about that). Maybe it's something I could get used to, I don't know.

dmkozak

iTrader: (1)

Keep driving fwd cars, and you won't have to get used to it.

gundog

Seems all the BMWs around here are auto, but I'm going to try to set up a test drive on a manual and see what it's like. If the shifter is as bad as the G37's, maybe a TT is in my future.

shumby

iTrader: (3)

took a 6mt out saturday and found that the clutch engagement was waaaaaay off the floor. Just took a while to get used to. the shifts were smooth and i n oticed very little shifter vibration. This is not a concern for me though as i am getting the 5at. But as of right now the only g37 on my dealers lot is a 6mt and you can only drive it if you have ordered a g37. I plan to take it out every weekend until i get mine in november.

mal_TX

Eh, the Honda tranny doesn't have to move nearly as heavy as a car, nor does it have to cope with nearly as much torque OR horsepower coming thru the flywheel, nor does it have to cope with vibrations from a V6 engine vs. an inline four.

There's a lot more to building one of these cars than just manufacturers trying to out-do each other. Priority #1 is to make sure it doesn't break, priority #2 is to make sure it doesn't inflate the car's price too much. Then, MAYBE they need to worry about how it feels compared to some completely different car made by another manufacturer. Sometimes accomplishing the two most important things leads to things like heavier components to get the job done such as tolerating some yahoo (me) launching a 3700lb car at over 200ft/lbs at the flywheel without breaking.

Even compared to say, a 3-series BMW, the Infiniti spends a lot more of it's money on technology and gadgets relatively speaking, which means they're spending less money making the tranny as silky smooth, or whatever.

It's all a balancing act. Lucky for me, I almost 100% agree with the balance that Infiniti has chosen on this new coupe. If I could have an S2K-smooth tranny in there for say.. $500 more, I guess I'd take it, but any more $ than that and I'd rather deal with what the car comes with.

gundog

Well, I did find a BMW to test, it has a slight, low frequency, vibration but nothing like the G37 I tested. I liked the BMW a lot. I came across a review of the G37that mentioned that the shifter on the G35 sedan that they tested last year was terrible but that the problems seemed to be fixed for the G37. Given the range of experiences people have had, I wonder if they just don't have their quality control down on this yet. The car I tested was assembled in the US, are they also selling cars assembled in Japan, or were the pre-production models that were tested made in Japan? My guess is that they will eventually get this right. In the mean time though, I can't see taking a crap shoot on whether I get the car with the decent shifter.

dmkozak

iTrader: (1)

No G has been assembled in the U.S. You are right, you can't see taking a crap shoot. However, by your own admission, you have very little experience driving manual transmission cars. I am also guessing you have very little automotive experience (hence thinking G's have been assembled in the U.S.), including doing your own wrenching and piloting a car on a racetrack. If either of these are something you want, you will have to learn. You will have to make a commitment to learning something new and honing your new skills. Are you asking for advice on which car makes the best learning platform? Or, are you just saying the G shifter vibrates more than you want?

gundog

They are required to list on the sticker where the car is made. On this car the sticker said "Assembly Elizabeth." True, I don't know the location of every Nissan plant, but that does not sound like Japan. I suppose it could just mean the port of entry, but that is not how I interpretted it.

No, I said I was not an expert, that's not the same as saying "I have very little experience." I'm not claiming to be Michael Schumacher, but I have driven well over 200,000 miles in manual transmission cars. While I'm not claiming to be an authority, that does not mean I'm admitting to being an idiot.

Where the hell did this come from? When you assume something you make an *** out of you and me.

Regarding the assembly location, no I did not research the assembly location, I read the sticker and misinterpretted what it meant. I am sorry.

Yes, that's what I said. It vibrated so badly that it totally ruined the experience of driving the car for me. Does this mean everyone feels that way or should feel that way, no. On the other hand, a non-zero number of people have complained about it, meaning there must be something to it (I did not start this thread).

A lot of excuses were offered ranging from this is typical to any RWD car, to any car with lots of power, to any car that doesn't do this is crap - this is all nonsense. Road and Track on the 2007 G35 sport sedan- "As impressive as the engine is, the rest of the drivetrain isn’t up to the same standards. A high amount of vibration resonates through the 6-speed manual gearbox, and the take-up point of the clutch is like an on/off switch, making it nearly impossible to leave the line smoothly." Another review faulted the G35 Sport for being overly harsh. First reviews of the G37 said these problems had been largely solved. I found the clutch fine and at least on the roads I was on, the ride was not overly harsh.

See this review from MotiveMagazine (http://www.motivemag.com/pub/feature..._Audi_S5.shtml)

"Noise and vibration levels are low: The old car's shifter would shake like a fork in a garbage disposal, but the new one is as still and silent as a post. As a whole, the G37's cabin is quieter than the G35's, which is disappointing only because the new car's engine sounds so great."

While the one I drove didn't make a lot of noise, it did shake a lot which leads me to the conclusion that something must have been wrong with it, and since other people have also experienced this it suggests that Nissan is having quality control problems whereever they are making these cars. The other point is experts really do expect the shifter to be "as still and silent as a post."

B L U E S L A T E

iTrader: (2)

I test drove it and only felt minor vibration that I feel from my 94 Honda Del Sol.

mygiantcircle

My 2 cents on the G37 6mt:

As people mentioned:

1) Relatively short throw
2) Clutch engagement is way high off the floor.
3) Shifter vibrates.

Additional info on point #3:

a) I am comparing it to my 300zx 5MT. This is a 17 yrs old car, and its tranny was constructed to handle 300+HP (so it has very little to do with HP handling). I looked at it before jumping into the G37 - yes Virginia there is a marked difference - the 300zx is much quieter.

b) if you question my driving experience: I only own all types of MT cars for over 20 years now

c) I disagree with the statement of "it vibrates because they want a sporty feel to the car" Sporty feel comes from how the car reacts, how it handles, how it responses, how it connects to the road via steering, not how the car vibrates.

d) the marks of a good MT are: short throw, smooth and positive engagement (no rubbery feel), linear clutch take up. I have never heard anyone says "good vibration"

I have no idea why people tried to make a connection between vibration and FWD/RWD car design. >shrug<

dmkozak

iTrader: (1)

Because the shift linkages are different. FWD usually uses some sort of less direct shift linkages, like cables or non-rigid tubing. RWD usually uses a more direct shift linkage.

UNV-IT46

iTrader: (3)

do people not understand they are driving a nissan? your going to have issues like this. If you dont want them spend the extra money and get into a german car....

mal_TX

LOL I'd rather deal w/ my vibrating shifter than the issues German cars bring....

UNV-IT46

iTrader: (3)

I'm not sure what problems your t alking about with german cars but my E46 M3 had no problems over three years and my fathers 911 twin turbo S also has no problems either over 2 1/2 years. All his previous porsches also did not have any problems over 3 years. The only german car that had problems he has had was his SL55. A lot of electrical problems with is common on mercedes due to the amount of electronics on them.

mal_TX

My Grand Boss just got rid of his 545i due to continuous problems which had his car in the shop more than in his hands. The e46 M3s seem to have been built fairly well. Apart from the occasional engine blowing up, they have been reliable as far as I know. However, their build quality is not *amazing* -- my friend's e46 m3 convertible is a bucket of rattles and squeaks (most noisy car I've *ever* ridden in) and it is only five years old. I'll take my vibrating shifter and quiet, well assembled interior =)

Having a lot of electronics on a car is no excuse for it having problems, Infinitis and Lexuses (Lexi?) have plenty of electronics on them and generally do not experience issues.