Anyone have an Infiniti G35?

So we went to see (and test drive) the new Scion XB today and I thought it would be a great car for my boyfriend to get to replace his Subaru Impreza WRX. It had plenty of rear legroom (38" compared to the Impreza's 33"). I installed Conner's Regent and a rear-facing FPSV in it (for when we have #2) without any troubles at all and still had plenty of legroom for the front passengers. The trunk area is plenty big for our needs and I was still able to fold down the 60 side of the 40/60 split seats with the Regent installed on the 40 seat. It comes standard with side curtain air bags, stability control, 3 adjustable rear headrests, 3 top tether anchors behind the rear seats, and a nice and flat rear bench for easy carseat installation. And it would only be around $8000 after my boyfriend trades in his car and adds on all the "extras" that he liked. So it seemed like a good car for our needs.

Then my boyfriend called his parents and after talking to them agreed that it wasn't the car for him and that he would get "bored" with it pretty fast. Now his parents haven't had a kid in 25 years, know nothing about carseats, and both drive a 2-seater Porsce and BMW. So obviously what they like in a car has nothing to do with what we "need."

My boyfriend now thinks he should get a used Infiniti G35 (probably a 2006 or 2007). I know nothing about this car, but a quick online search was all I needed to find some things that are of a concern. From the pictures it looks like the rear seat bench has a big hump in the middle. How does this affect installing a carseat in the center (since my son will be in the center until we have baby #2)? Also, there appears to be no rear center headrest and it looks as though the outboard headrests are in a fixed position and stick forward some. How does this affect carseat installations? And then, in the safety specs, while there is mention of lower LATCH anchors, there is no mention at all about top tether anchors and in the picture I didn't see one behind the center seat which would be huge problem and a deal breaker. Also, it doesn't look like there is much rear legroom in the Infiniti which is the #1 reason we're looking to get rid of the Subaru! The 2006 G35 has only 33.6" and the 2007 has 34.7" (compared to the Impreza's 33" and the Scion's 38"). And is there a "hump" on the floor in front of the rear center seat? Just typing all this out makes it obvious to me that the G35 is not going to fit our needs, but my boyfriend seems to be blind!

I know a member here that has one...let me PM her this thread

I heart that car, btw.

I don't know much about the G35, and agree that it wouldn't really make sense to get rid of the WRX just to get something with the same room.

But I also don't think the Scion is the way to go. I can tell you from experience that your SO's parents are right in that he will probably not like going from a WRX to a Scion. We went from a WRX to a Buick Rendezvous (I know, big difference), but we absolutely HATED the Buick. Because it was a bad vehicle? No. It was an awesome vehicle. But it was just too much of a shock to make such a leap.

He might be interested in the G35 sedan. Still has pretty awesome performance, but also has a lot more interior room, 4 doors, adjustable headrests and lap/shoulder belts in all positions, etc... A few other used cars he might be interested in are turbo charged or larger-engined Audis. I have the A6 and it comes in a 4.2 liter engine (depending on year) that puts out more horsepower than the WRX STI. And it's really nice on the inside. A used BMW might also be a good spot to look.

ETA: The G35 sedan (4 door model) has adjustable headrests and top tethers in all three back seat positions, and seats 3 in the back. The coupe/2-door model is the one that has the non-adjustable headrests and more molded seats in the back, and it appears (from pictures of the 2008 model on infiniti's website) that it only seats two in the back. That would explain why it only has two top tethers.

Here are the links for what infiniti says will definitely fit in the coupe and sedan.

http://www.infiniti.com/pdf/techpubs/g35/2005/child_safety_G35.pdf

http://www.infiniti.com/pdf/techpubs/g35%20coupe/2005/child_safety_G35sportcoupe.pdf

My husband has a 2006 G35 sedan. I honestly need to go out to the garage to be able to answer all your questions because I haven't spent much time in his backseat. I know we have LATCH outboard and top tether in all three seating positions. I have only installed Britax convertibles and that was easy both ff and rf. I know there are two options on backseats...one has fixed headrests and the other has adjustable headrests so it will depend on which package the car has.
I will go out to the garage tonight and get you some pictures that might be helpful and I'll post back with them in a little while.
Oh and let me know if you have any more specific questions.

Thanks Danielle! My only questions I can think of are the ones in my orginal thread. Glad to know that there's 3 top tether anchors though and that some of the models have adjustable head rests. Does that include a center adjustable head rest then? You don't happen to have a Regent to try out in it do you? That's what seat we have for Conner right now, but we'll probably be getting a Frontier for my boyfriend's car which hopefully sits flush with the seat back and won't cause legroom issues like the Regent did in the WRX. Conner's in a Boulevard in the WRX right now, but he only has about 1/4" of growing room left.

Ok sorry about not getting to the pictures last night. We are about to leave because someone is showing our house but when I get home I'll get pics and answer your questions better.

I am a married guy with plans for kids in the near future. I am 6'3" and wife will have separate SUV. I will be primarily commuting and if all works out for the family plans my wife will be doing most of the daily driving with the kids. Any warnings about the 2008 G35 for that scenario. Can you install any of these seats in the middle or is the hump in the back seat a problem?

Any pictures or youtube vids would be really helpful.

Thanks....

My SIL had a similar problem with her DH. She told her DH he could get any car he wanted, but it had to have 4 doors and fit the car seat. I have a specific list for our car shopping, most have headrests and top tether in all 3 positions and as we're looking at a SUV must have ESC and side curtain airbags. We're buying so I'm more particular as this car needs to get us the next 8-10 years. If it was a lease, I might relent on some of that.

Is there any chance that when you go to test drive that you take your son's car seats and try to install them. Maybe he needs to see that there's no way the seat will fit, or that the passenger has to be smooshed against the dashboard.

The G35 is a sweet car & the fact that it comes in a sedan & has the power it does, wins over a lot of guys.

Another option might be the Volvo S60R. The R is the amazing 300hp version of this car, & is only out for a few years at a time. In fact, 2007 was the last year they made the S60R (for now...it will come out again in a few years). The car is SWEET. It has plenty of hp, makes a nice "growl" noise that, let's face it...the men love, has all the standard safety amenities of a Volvo, but looks a little sportier than the regular S60.

If you're going for a 1 or 2 year old car, the S60R might be a happy medium for you both. Not sure about the legroom, etc. you were asking about, though.

Good luck with your search. And, FYI, I think the new Scion XBs look SO MUCH better....& are a great choice for kids & cars!

Ok I FINALLY got some pictures but I am not sure how much they will help. I do not have a Regent right now to install and take pictures of but I did install one that got sent to me for a KDM install in it and it installed fine with the short-belt path. I didn't try the long belt-path though but I would assume it would be fine. My husband has the integrated headrest in his G35 as he has the "sport" with modified brakes, suspension (I think??), wheels, rocker panels, and some other crap...along with that comes the "sport seats". His backseat is more like a 2 seater as the outer seats are sculpted for comfort and the middle seat is just there in case it seems. The only trick to installs is sometimes you have to twist the belt-stalk 1 or 2 times depending on the seat you are installing.
Legroom is not horrible but it isn't great either. I traded him cars once for a week when he had to go out of town for work. I was hauling three kids around and it was not nearly as bad as one would think. I had my 7 year old in a booster outboard, a Safeseat in the center, and a ff Boulevard outboard. I could really do it everyday if that was my main car and wouldn't have a problem with it.

This is the leg-room with the seats adjusted as my husband drives. He rarely has backseat passengers so both front seats are adjusted to be comfy for 6ft+ men.


And adjusted "normal" for comfortable but to accommodate backseat passengers. Notice the hump in the floor you asked about...it isn't that big and I only see it being a problem for adults not for children in carseats.


This is the middle tether location it is off-set to the drivers side.


Just showing the whole 2+2 concept and how it is designed to be comfortable for 2 outboard passengers.


With the armrest up

Thanks so much Danielle! So you didn't have any problems installing the Boulevard forward-facing with those integrated headrests that stick forward? It looks like it would prevent the carseat from being flush against the seat's back. I'm glad to hear that you could get a SafeSeat in there since it's the biggest infant seat out there. We'd probably get the Keyfit for baby #2 so I'm assuming it would fit if the SafeSeat did. Now I see why it looked like the center seat didn't have a top tether anchor. Do you think that it being off centered would affect the carseat installation-- like would the seat lean to the side maybe? Also, that hump on the floor is not a problem for most carseats since they sit up high on a base, but with seats like the Regent that sit so low then that hump is right where my son's legs go. I'm just concerned that as he gets older and his legs get longer the hump would be in his way. Maybe we'll just try and find a G35 to try out in person with our carseats.

And I'll look into the Volvo S60R as well, but my boyfriend has been pretty anti-volvo so far.

essnce629 said:

Thanks so much Danielle! So you didn't have any problems installing the Boulevard forward-facing with those integrated headrests that stick forward? It looks like it would prevent the carseat from being flush against the seat's back. I'm glad to hear that you could get a SafeSeat in there since it's the biggest infant seat out there. We'd probably get the Keyfit for baby #2 so I'm assuming it would fit if the SafeSeat did. Now I see why it looked like the center seat didn't have a top tether anchor. Do you think that it being off centered would affect the carseat installation-- like would the seat lean to the side maybe? Also, that hump on the floor is not a problem for most carseats since they sit up high on a base, but with seats like the Regent that sit so low then that hump is right where my son's legs go. I'm just concerned that as he gets older and his legs get longer the hump would be in his way. Maybe we'll just try and find a G35 to try out in person with our carseats.

And I'll look into the Volvo S60R as well, but my boyfriend has been pretty anti-volvo so far.

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You are welcome!
No, the headrests (and seats) are very mushy so the headrest will just compress under the pressure you apply while installing the carseat. So I have never had any problems with installation because of that. The tether isn't that much off center and it won't affect the safety of your install at all. I believe up to 30* is allowed by Britax and this is maybe 5*-8* off center. With the Britax Versa-tethers it won't cause a problem since the V will just lean more towards the tether yet it won't pull the seat that way. Does that makes sense??
I hear you on the hump...I wish I had a Regent to install there so I could stick my tall 7 yo there and see what she thought of the hump. She has sat in the middle many times in her booster and never mentioned it.

Could you possibly get a picture of your 7 y.o. in the center with her booster? Then I could get a look at how her legs are in relation to the hump. If it's too much trouble though, then don't worry about it. I'm glad to hear that the headrests are "squishy." I looked all over the net for pictures of the G35's backseat with the adjustable headrests and couldn't come up with anything. Every picture I found of the backseat was of the sport model. But then again the sport model may be the one my boyfriend would want since it seems to be the only model that you can get with a stick shift instead of an automatic.

I can do that tonight once my husband gets home no problem. And you are correct about the sport package it only comes with the 6-sp manual.

essnce629 said:

And I'll look into the Volvo S60R as well, but my boyfriend has been pretty anti-volvo so far.

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The S60 is a bit "cozy". I like Volvos cuz their seats are sooo comfy. Looked into the S60R at Carmax for fun. Comfy, but very cozy. Bigger than an Impreza, but not near the size of a G35.

You really gotta try it out in person. Numbers are nice and all, but they really don't mean much until you try it out in person. Due to the various shapes of car seats and car interiors, a car with more room on paper can feel smaller in person.

My wife's cousin has a G35 sedan. 04 year or so. Haven't talked to them much about it but they've never complained about room for their 2 yr old.

My sister has an '08 S60, however not a S60R. She doesn't have kids, so I can't comment on the legroom. However, my hubby is 6'3" & he rode in the backseat & said he had the same legroom as my Hyundai Tucson does in the backseat. <shrug>

I have a 2007 Infiniti G35 Sedan and can't fit my infant rear facing car seats in the car. Anyone have this problem? They sit so far off the front of the seat, we have to scoot the front seats too far forward to actually drive the car. I am about to have twins, and had NO idea it would be too small of a car for car seats. I have the Chicco Key Fit 30, which is listed as a car seat that "fits" the car. Help!!!

I have had a 2007 G35 as a service loaner twice and our Graco Safeseat fit fine. The Safeseat is actually bigger than the Keyfits lengthwise so yours should definitely fit. I would contact a tech in your area and let them help you out getting them in there and fitted properly.

Well, the seats fit in the car, but my husband and I do not. We have to scoot the front seats up pretty far. He's 6'4" and needs the front seat in the back most position. Did you have your seats scooted forward? It work ok if we lift the back of the car seat above the front seat headrest, then scoot the seat back and the wedge the car seat between the top back of the front seat, but I don't imagine that's how your supposed to install a car seat. The base fits just fine.

I've actually just posted my car for sale because we can't seem to make it fit. Total bummer, I only have 8K miles on it.