well, i wish i could say "it's been fun while it lasted", but buying my '04 G35c last spring has proven to be quite the regrettable decision.
the highlights:
-- trouble filling gas tank since day 1; two gas tanks, one sending unit, one filler neck, and 2 1/2 accumulated weeks in rental cars later, it *might* be fixed.
-- more rattles, squeaks, creaks, and buzzes than a parking lot full of 5-year old kia's: the roof creaks when i turn into my driveway or drive across any bumps at an angle; the rearview mirror electrical plug buzzes like a distant honeybee when the car is in motion; plus a dozen other various and sundry random noises here and there
-- odd "clunking" noises when transitioning from reverse to 1st to finish turning into my garage
and the biggie: the dealership experience. i can live with niggling problems w/ the car as long as the service department is actively and sincerely working to resolve my problems - shoot, i was on a first-name basis w/ my ford SA when i had my CSVT - but the goons down at my local infiniti dealer give smart-butt answers to legitimate questions and patently refuse to return phone calls or do anything to actively help the customer. add damages to the car to the general unpleasantness w/ the staff and you have a real winning recipe.
the first time i took the car in for the gas tank problem (short version - i couldn't put gas in the car when it got as low as 1/4 tank due to the vapor shut-off system thinking the tank is full), it came out w/ acid-etched paint behind the rear wheel. they first said it would be under warranty; then when they got together w/ their body shop guy it suddenly became something that i "drove through" on the interstate. my word against theirs - as ludicrous as it sounds that i've been surrounded by exploding batteries on my commute each day, there was no way to prove that they did anything and i didn't have the energy to fight 'em at the time due to work and other issues.
the second time i took the car in for the gas tank, it came back washed and shiny - but they apparently washed it w/ a long-handled broom of some kind (as i witnessed them doing to another car) and left hairline swirl marks and scratches in the clearcoat.
the third time i took it in for the gas tank, they chipped the paint off the rear brembos when reinstalling the rear wheels.
anyway - those are just some highlights; there are other issues that would seem to indicate the car is cursed - parking lot bump 6 weeks after i got it left two hexagonal imprints from a tag bracket into the rear bumper; rear tire destroyed by a possessed nail at 5k miles; tire installers scratching the rim(s) replacing the tire; a shower of rocks from a freshly asphalt-embedded steel plate making their marks on the front bumper and windshield last fall; etc....
all that frustration led me toward thoughts of ditching the car starting way back in november. i started looking at a mazda 6s 5-door; then got to thinking about a truck...then an SUV...then back to the land of the 5-door via mazda 3 SP23 special edition. after a couple deals fell through, i decided that i had it pretty good last year when i had a jeep grand cherokee 4x4 and a miata, and a mid-size SUV will come in very handy when moving my fiancee's stuff to my house in the next couple months....so today i'm trading my '04 G35c on an '02 jeep grand cherokee limited 4x4.
the yakima bike rack from my last JGC will go on the roof this weekend, and the front windows will be tinted to match the rears within a week or two most likely. tow hooks and skid plates will be coming shortly (which it didn't come w/ - gotta have those!), and larger, more aggressive tires will also be on the menu.
i purposely limited my budget this time around (much lower than G35c $$) so that i can get another miata within a year - i miss my old one, and the new 3rd-gen miatas are looking
-worthy.
so, there ya go - JVT, time for you to start w/ the "i told you so's" and the cracks on how long i'll keep this jeep and if i can keep it longer than the last one.
