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2008 Infiniti G37 Coupe Long Term Owner's Review: 2-years


It's been two years since I purchased my 2008 Infiniti G37 Sport Coupe. In those two years of ownership the US has elected a new President, we've all been dealing with a fluctuating economic crisis, there have been large changes in the Nissan and Infiniti lineups from an environmental perspective, and I've put just over 30k miles on the odometer. Regardless, where did the two years go?

2008 Infiniti G37 Sport Coupe For those unfamiliar, this is the third installment of my long-term "road test". The first article, Installment 1: 2 Months, detailed the purchase of the vehicle, options and initial impressions. The second, Installment 2: 10 Months, detailed positive and negative attributes of ownership, events and upgrades. Each article keeps a tally of current mileage, maintenance costs and repairs at the time. For more details on the car and impressions via the above timeframes, read the articles. I want to keep this as on-point as possible.

Issues and Annoyances:
There are issues with every vehicle, nothing you didn't expect. For the most part, my annoyances with the vehicle, as detailed in the 10-month article, are the same minor issues. I've gotten used to the high console and I've learned how to adjust the environmentals. The passenger-side seat belt still rattles at times against the door, nothing new there. But, there are some new issues to report. Sometime after the 10-month review the exhaust system started to rattle. Seems others have had this issue and the result was the same; Infiniti replaced the muffler under warranty. I have also had issues with tramlining. Tramlining is when "directional control is disrupted by the vehicle's tendency to follow the longitudinal ruts and/or grooves in the road". In effect, grooves in the roadway, and "truckers ruts" will cause the car to jerk left and right, a very annoying issue when driving 70+ on the highway and just a pain to deal with in general. Infiniti has looked at the car and the issue, per them, is due to inside tire cupping of the front tires. What caused the cupping? That's hard to say and up for debate, never to be answered. The solution is to replace the tires. Personally, I've just lived with the issue. I have over 30k miles on the factory Bridgestone tires and still have decent tread left, which is a surprise to some. At this point I'll just live with it an additional month or two and "bite the bullet".

Another annoyance started this past winter. When driving over bumps there is occasionally a slight "clunk/tap" from the dash area in front of the driver. Initially I thought it was due to something within the gauge pod but was unable to pinpoint the exact location. Luckily, for me at
least, others have had the same issue which seems to be a tab that is below the windshield and repairable via Infiniti. I will get this issue resolved upon my next service visit.

For those of you purchasing a white G37 I highly suggest you get a clear bra installed. The nose of the car is black underneath the paint and as you receive rock chips you will get a nice black speckled effect. Even with a clear bra covering the whole front of the car you will still get a couple of chips on areas that are not covered. I have a couple around the headlight to touch up but that is nothing compared to what it would look like without the bra. In my opinion it is well worth the expense.

2-year Overall impression:
The car is awesome and I'm very happy with the purchase. I have had no mechanical breakdowns and the car is always "ready to go". The majority of the annoyances above are minor or repairable under warranty. I purchased the car expecting to replace the tires by 20k miles. With 30k miles, and still having tread, it somewhat makes the tramlining issue moot as they have performed beyond my expectations of longevity. The exterior still looks new, the interior still has that new leather smell, and it's simply a fun car to drive and own. I don't regret this purchase and intend to own this vehicle for quite a number of years.

The Tally:
Months of Ownership: 24 months
Vehicle list price: $41,300 + $500 for aftermarket spoiler
Mileage: 30,200
Total Maintenance:$48.80 for 3000 mile inspection, $80 for new air filters + Standard Oil Changes
Repairs: Muffler replaced under warranty
Miles Per Gallon: 22-24MPG in mixed city/highway driving


Review by: Matthew Moody (audtatious), NICOclub Administrator – moodym.com
4.16.2010

Information Copyright 2000-2010 by Matthew Moody
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Material may not be copied or reprinted without written permission.
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