Hey there everyone.

After perusing your forum and others for probably a year i decided to join yours as it seems the most active.

Keep in mind that i am in Toronto, ON and we do get some snow from time to time.

So here it goes.
I have been doing copious amounts of research for my first car. I flip flopped a lot in the beginning trying to weigh looks, power, enjoyment, and fuel economy in my decision making. I have finally narrowed things down to the G37. I have removed the Audi A4 cuz they got rid of their 3.2 which in its self wasn't great and their 4 turbo doesn't sound good in my opinion, Plus its overpriced. Lexus IS is simply too small in the back, and the Genesis Coupe is a coupe and I want a sedan. I wont say the "H" word only cuz it still feels a little dirty ;-). I still may consider the BMW 3 series because i have yet to test drive it, but im almost certain the cost of the 335i wont be worth it over the G. I know i will never push any of these cars to their full potential, so i wont even notice the differences between them. So now comes my question to all you owners of RWD and AWD G37 sedans. How well does the RWD version handle in the snow? I did learn to drive in a Ford Aerostar, which is RWD... but it weighs a hell of a lot more I think and doesnt have the low profile sport tires ;-) so to some degree I know how the *** will slip out easily if your not careful. But the G is lighter with sportier tires so I know it wont be as good in the snow. So please let me know your experiences and hopefully one or more of you have dealt with both setups.

Also, I am now aware of the +1 increase in MPG for the 2010 model which will factor in to my decisions.

Thanks

Andrew

 

Since you're in an area with a winter climate I would recommend the AWD. I've driven both RWD and AWD in northern climates and RWD is fine in Toronto with a snow tire setup but I love AWD for the dry as well as wet performance. This AWD system is not your typical poor weather setup.

I may be biased but I selected the G37x because I preferred only AWD candidates and the other similar makes (Audi/BMW/MB) didn't offer the same value when I compared them side by side. The G has the strongest engine as well.

Good luck. You'll be fine with either choice.

 

Unless you need a manual transmission, get the AWD. You will be happy with it in Toronto.

 

Whatsup... I'm in Toronto and my mom has a G37x coupe (came from an 07 G35x sedan and before that an 03 C320 benz (RWD). My mom would always get stuck during the deep snowfalls in her RWD benz, even with snows on it. Mind you she isn't the best driver (but she's certainly not the worst!), but still at the bottom of big hills it would slip quite a bit.

Since she got the G35x, with all seasons she has never been stuck, no matter how large the snowfall has been!

IMO I'd go with the G37x. And this is coming from a fellow Torontonian. The G37x can drive just as spiritedly as the RWD version, honestly most of the time you won't notice that you are driving a car that isn't RWD. If you like the sport seats and wheels, then get the G37xS sedan... but you'd still be fine with just the G37x sedan.

 

I test drove both the G37x and the 335x-drive coupes and on wet roads it was a tossup. I did not like the interior of the 335 or the price difference of at least 8K with similar features.

I did eventually get a G37S coupe rwd and a set of snows and it's been great so far. Plus we've been lucky in the GTA this year with not too much snow.

 

RWD with dedicated snow tires handles and drives just fine in the snow. The AWD adds about 200 lbs. of weight primarily in the front half of the vehicle. The RWD version handles much better than the AWD. We've had plenty of snow and ice this winter in the Midwest this year. No problem. Now, if you're going to be in a foot of snow forget it. Whether you have a RWD or AWD you're not going to get through since the vehicle has only about 6 inches of ground clearance. Once you start plowing snow you're done. How many days in a year do you need AWD capability.....not very many.

2009 G37 Sedan Journey Premium AT 7K miles (American Racing Casino alloys w/ Michelin Alpin Primacy)

 

I'm in Colorado and just purchased a G37xS for my (lucky) wife. The Infiniti intelligent AWD system works well in a climate that encompasses all four seasons. You mentioned this being your "first vehicle" and if that true, I wouldn't recommend a RWD car for you. There's just too much of a learning curve to ignore and don't want you to have to learn with bent Infiniti sheetmetal.

 

a g37x sedan is the better choice.it launches better than g37x coupe.my friend had an 06g35x from a roll,here would just pull on me like crazy this was when my coupe rwd had no mods.but stil he got me good.

 

We just had our first major snowfall here in IL, so I've been able to play around with my G37xS in the snow for the first time this week.

Assuming that you're ONLY considering the 7AT, I'd say go w/ the AWD. I've also owned an '05 G35 6mt coupe but bought snow tires in order to manage the IL snow (A/S tires in a RWD is doable if you don't mind a lot of fishtailing, but it's not smart). Here are the reasons I went w/ the AWD instead of the RWD sedan:
1) With AWD I can throw on high performance, "low" profile tires (Continental Extreme Contact DWS 235/45/18) and still drive safely in 6 inches of snow (did some plowing in 6+ inches just fine this morning - granted the snow was not packed). No way you could do this in a RWD using A/S tires....you'd have to throw on snow tires.
2) Building on reason #1, I didn't want to keep two sets of tires/wheels anymore, i.e. one for summer and one for winter. With the AWD I can run HP A/S tires and still be safe.
3) With the "intelligent AWD" system, in dry conditions you won't be compromsing the feel of a RWD vehicle since, as you know, 100% of the power will be directed to the rears anyways.
4) Unless you're pushing the car to its full potential, you're not going to notice the difference of the added weight of the AWD.

In summary, I'd recommend the AWD over the RWD b/c a) you won't have to carry two sets of tires and b) the ATTESA system promises no sacrifice of the RWD driving experience. Personally, the only reason I'd consider the non AWD is if I wanted a manual transmission. Good luck!

 

Thanks for the replies, they're very much appreciated.

This helps a lot.

If anyone else has $.02 to put in, I would still appreciate it. Its always better to have more people with their experiences on these types of drives.

Also, just to make something clear. Ive been driving for 11 years. Only ever driven my parents cars, but they ranged from Minivans to Sedans. Its just that this will be my first car that's mine, and yes my first sports car as well. (88' Aerostar, 92' Caravan, 01' Montana, 98' Stratus, 00' Alero V6, 07' Camry V6)


Thanks

Andrew

 

I think you'll do great either way though RWD is more a driver's car. I'm in CT and I went RWD. I set out to buy as high performance a sedan as I could afford and the G37 6MT fit the bill.

I'm not a big fan of AWD for everyday driving. It's extra weight, complexity and cost. For the few days a year where we get a lot of snow AWD is nice because you can screw around in parking lots and empty roads but at the end of the day it doesn't help the car brake better and only improves steering in a few situations. AWD is all about better acceleration.

About half of the cars I've owned were either AWD or 4WD (so I've done my fair share of screwing around in the snow) but when buying the G37 I decided I wanted the RWD for the ~355 days a year the roads aren't a total mess.

Now, if you have a special case where you need the extra grip of AWD (steep driveway, you're a ski nut, etc.) then it's probably worth lugging the extra weight around all year long. In that case, the Infiniti system is the best out there.

 

Andrew,

First off, you are making a great choice with the G37! I have had mine for 3 weeks and I love it.

I lived in Buffalo, NY for 18 years and in the northeast for several more. I have a lot of driving experience in snow/ice/blizzards. Currently I live in Atlanta. Last night we got 1 inch of snow, the city closed. But there was a lot of ice. I was at the Thrashers/Rangers game last night and had a 30 minute ride home in the ice and snow. I have a G37s 7AT.

My impressions: The traction control works really well in the RWD. And when you turn it off, it is very fun to slide around (I only did this on my neighborhood streets). I have a short but sloped driveway. and I will tell you that I barely made it up. It was fun because we get snow once or twice a winter in Atlanta. If I had to drive in snow for months on end, the RWD would get old, even if the traction is better with a set of snows.

Bottom line: Go with the AWD and feel safe in the snow. This car is a rocket in any form, so I doubt that you will notice the weight difference or performance differential between RWD and AWD.

Good luck!

SAW1

 

im will be RWD in CT as well

 

The AWD always seems to be the natural choice if you drive in a winter climate like we do. You can't go wrong with getting the X. Having said that though, don't let RWD stop you from getting a G37S if that is what you truly want. I've been driving a RWD G for 6 winters now and have never encountered any issues. I run Blizzaks on my G and love em, no issues whatsoever. Snow tires are a must regarding if you get the X or the S, so keep that in mind. My G35S equipped with my Blizzaks will out perform an X with AS tires.......but an X with snow tires is a tank!

Happy shopping!

 

I've had my G37S since May of 09 and I have now had a change to drive it on 3 different occasions in the snow. I have not driven a RWD car in the snow since the early 80's. All my past cars were either FWD or AWD, 83 GTI, 87 16V Scirocco, 98 Prelude, 02 WRX Wagon, 08 G35xS.

So far I've had not encountered any issues in the snow. And to be honest I was a little scared and excited the first time I encountered snow. I'm also running winter tires I have Blizzaks LM-60's for the season.