Pros: Great Engine, roomy interior, and incredible value.
Cons: Not as quiet or solid feeling as the Lexus ES.
The Bottom Line: A great buy! I wanted an ES, but I'm glad I found the I35 instead. The I35 delivers more luxury and performance - hopefully the reliability will match Lexus!
I recently bought a 2004 I35 with 52,000 miles. I was looking for a used entry level luxury 4-door with great reliability. For months I searched for a used Lexus ES that was in my price range (less than $17K), had fairly low miles (less than 75K), and in excellent shape. If you are looking for the same then let me help you out: it doesn't exist! They are all too expensive, have too many miles, or beaten up. Luckily I decided to consider other vehicles. I checked out almost all the obvious 4-door sedans (Accords,Camrys,Tls,G35s,3-series) but didn't find anything I liked until I stumbled onto the I35. After doing some research I decided it was worth taking one on a test drive. I immediately fell in love with the car!
First of all the I enjoy the styling. It is somewhat dated/conservative, but the lines are clean and not overly trendy. The interior is extremely roomy (has more room than a BMW 5-series) and well appointed. It comes with a Bose stereo standard - audiophiles will complain about it, but for the normal adult it sounds great. The engine is spectacular! It starts up with a throaty growl and delivers great performance when asked. Drive with a lighter foot and the engine is quiet and smooth. The engine is mated to a 4-speed auto - not the latest and greatest, but it does the job admirably. The suspension is more luxury tuned, but still retains some sportiness. This car has a solid rear axle - not independent rear suspension. You can feel the difference - it doesn't track as solidly as the BMW through rough stuff, especially if you are pushing the pace. If you are just looking for a smooth, comfortable ride, and have no intentions of racing someone down a mountain road, then you will be plenty satisfied. I haven't had the car long enough to determine the reliability, but Infiniti's reputation is just a little below Lexus.
While researching the I35 I came across the following complaints: wide turning radius, Bose Radio, 4-speed trans, and torque steer. While all these points could be considered valid for a car magazine editor, the average adult will not be impacted by them what so ever. The turning radius is average from my experience, the radio sounds great, and the 4-speed would have been praised a couple of years ago. As far as torque steer - IT'S A FRONT WHEEL DRIVE CAR. If you can't deal with it then a) spend another $10K to get a rear wheel drive car or b) buy a car with a wimpy engine so no torque is produced to cause the horrible torque steer!
The only negative I can think of are the 17" wheels. They look great, but you sacrifice ride smoothness and quietness. I still have the stock tires which don't receive very high customer reviews. I'll switch tires soon, but I think all the low profile tires are going to suffer from the same noise/ride complaints.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 16650.00
Condition: Used Model Year: 2004 Model and Options: Cold Weather Package
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