2003 Infiniti G35

I bought this after driving a big Ford SUV for about a year. I wanted something that had rear-wheel drive and a manual transmission, but still had four doors and could seat three kids in the back seat. My choices boiled down quickly to this or a 3 Series BMW; I picked the Infiniti for its better projected reliability. So far it has been a very good car for me. The power is great, and although the clutch pedal is heavy, the transmission shifts crisply, even with more than 100,000 on it (I bought it used). I was a little worried that it'd be a hassle to shift in traffic, but the engine has enough low-end power that I can leave it in 4th gear all the way down to about 10 mph without the car shuddering or behaving badly. Fuel economy has been pretty good, too, averaging around 20 mpg with my somewhat lead foot. The interior is roomy enough for my kids to climb in the backseat and not complain, and I like how the rear seatbacks recline a little for taller adult passengers. The trunk opening is a little small though, and there's not a lot of storage space inside, like door pockets or cupholders. My biggest complaint has been the audio controls. It's a known problem in these vehicles; the buttons for the Bose audio system and climate controls will go out. The radio still works, and you can switch stations and whatnot using the steering wheel controls. But the climate controls stop working too, so I cant' even use the rear window defroster. I plan on replacing the panel soon. The only other complaint I really have is that some of the interior panels are a little cheap feeling. Again, I knew this going into the car, and Infiniti upgraded the interior a couple years later, but if you're looking at the '03-'04, the plastics on the center console especially are a little cheap feeling. Otherwise, I'm very happy with this car.