Welcome back to Shitbox Showdown! On today’s exciting episode, we’re looking at a couple of Nissans in fancy dresses. But before we get to them, let’s see where you ended up with yesterday’s dead Volkswagens:
As I expected. That 412 really is a great deal if you’re looking for an easy and unique project. But honestly, the Scirocco isn’t as bad as you all were making it out to be. All the parts are there, and it’s pretty rust-free for a Mk1 Scirocco. That car will make somebody a good project. But I don’t pick the winners; you all do.
Today’s choices are both from Infiniti, Nissan’s luxury division, which came into being in 1989. Japanese automakers were flush with cash, and eager to break into new markets. Toyota moved upmarket with its Lexus brand, following Honda’s lead with Acura, and Nissan followed up with Infiniti. Today we’re looking at sedans from the middle and bottom of Infiniti’s range, from a time when Nissan knew a thing or two about building sporty sedans. Let’s check them out.
1998 Infiniti I30 – $2,500
Engine/drivetrain: 3.0 liter dual overhead cam V6, four-speed automatic, FWD
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Odometer reading: 183,000 miles
Runs/drives? Yep
The Infiniti I30 is, for all intents and purposes, a top-of-the-line Nissan Maxima with some minor trim differences. Not that that’s a bad thing; the Maxima of this era was a really good car, marketed by Nissan as a “four-door sports car.” That might have been a bit of wishful thinking, but for a front-wheel-drive midsized sedan of the time, it offered decent performance, certainly sportier than a Ford Taurus or even a Toyota Camry. The I30 added leather and wood to the formula, but for some reason it doessn’t have Infiniti’s signature serif-font gauges or analog clock.
Under the I30’s hood was a three-liter version of the Nissan VQ series V6, an engine that has gained a reputation for decent power and reliability, if not refinement. A four-speed automatic was the only transmission choice; if you wanted a manual, you had to settle for a Maxima. This I30 runs and drives well, according to the seller, who is the original owner. That’s always a vote of confidence for a used car.
The only faults mentioned in the ad are a wrinkle in the rear passenger door, and an airbag warning light. The airbag light is probably just a gremlin in a connector somewhere, but it’s probably worth looking into. The sheetmetal damage, well, it is what it is. Between that and the faded clearcoat, this car should be damn near invisible, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
For only $2,500, I think you could do a lot worse. I mean, everyone is going to mistake it for a Maxima, or maybe even a Camry, but who cares? At this age and price, Japanese sedans are pretty much interchangeable anyway.
2002 Infiniti G20t – $2,500
Engine/drivetrain: 2.0 liter dual overhead cam inline 4, four-speed automatic, FWD
Location: Camas, WA
Odometer reading: 190,000 miles
Runs/drives? Just fine
This car isn’t the same as any Nissan we got in North America. The G20 was Infiniti’s third model, and was based on the Primera sedan, which the rest of the world got in place of the Altima. It’s powered by that fast-and-furious crowd favorite, the SR20DE twin-cam four cylinder, a stout engine with a strong support network. Unlike most Infiniti models, the G20 was available with a manual, but this car is an automatic.
This car’s engine is said to run well, and is almost stock. The seller installed an aftermarket tubular exhaust header to replace a cracked exhaust manifold; apparently the header was cheaper. It also looks like someone painted the valve cover at some point, and not well. But hey, compared to the indignities visited upon a lot of compact imports on the used car market, I’ll take some tacky underhood paint.
Inside, it looks a bit better, though it sounds like things aren’t great under those Wal-Mart seat covers. But then again, at this price, do you care? The body is straight and rust-free, and the paint looks reasonably good. The seller says the car runs and drives well, but notes a rattling noise on startup, which is almost certainly timing chain-related. It’s a common issue on the SR20, and a reasonably harmless one, from the sound of it, as long as the noise goes away quickly.
The seller also says the fuel economy is excellent, though if their frame of reference is the Nissan Armada in the background, that might skew their perceptions a little bit. Any small car will get excellent mileage compared to that. Still, it’s a nicer-than-average small sedan, blessed with an engine for which parts will be available forever due to its popularity, for an even better price than I originally thought – this car was listed at $3,200 when I first looked at it.
Tell most people you drive an Infiniti, and you’ll get a lot of blank stares. Show them the car, and anyone with a vague sense of automotive styles will recognize it as Nissan-adjacent at least. And that has been Infiniti’s problem all along: No one knows exactly what they’re supposed to be, other than fancy Nissans. But fancy Nissans from back when Nissans were good can make for some good inexpensive used cars. Neither of these is going to raise anyone’s pulse, but they both should provide some pleasant but cheap transportation for a while. Which one will it be?
Oh and before I go, I have a request: Find me another Cadillac. A great one was posted to our Discord server, and I won’t have much time tomorrow to look for cars, so you are all officially now on a quest for a cheap cool Caddy. Post it to the Shitbox Showdown channel on Discord, and we’ll let them duke it out tomorrow.
(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)
Welp, it’s I30 somewhere: Maxima Minor.
In college, a friend’s parents had a G20 5MT. I rode in it a few times and it was a nice little ride. Gets my vote today, though if the Maxima had a manual trans it would have won me over. I did really like this gen of Maxima.
The G20 is tidier, so I’ll go with that one. Also, that I4 will be easier to service.
You should see what a pain the oil filter is to get to in those G20s (my former landlord had one.)
With similar miles, even though it looks shabbier in the pic, the I30 is still slightly in the lead for me. 200K with boi racer mods seems like a scary proposition to me. Were it completely stock and looking at clean as it does, I might go the other way after inspecting each one in person.
That I30 interior is bumming me out. It reminds me of GM products from that era, which is about as damning a thing as I can think to say.
Mark, I’m pleased you did your research, because so many people want to think (because of the shared engine) that the G20 was based on the Sentra. Which it was not.
If these were new, despite its awful champagne color, I’d lean towards the I30 and it’s Maxima roots. As is, the G20 is a tidier package that seems in better condition (and it’s design has aged better), and so it’d be my choice despite the autotragic transmission.
A manual in either of these would have been the instant choice.
“Mark, I’m pleased you did your research, because so many people want to think (because of the shared engine) that the G20 was based on the Sentra. Which it was not.”
Correct. It was basically a modified Nissan Primera… which used the Nissan MS platform… which was also used by the Sentra/Sunny.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_MS_platform
So it actually was indirectly based on the Sentra.
I voted for the I30 as soon as I saw the G20 was an auto. A friend of mine had a G20 auto back in the day. I have never driven a car with a worse automatic transmission. However it was geared ruined that car with a massive drop off from 1st to 2nd, and my automatic Jeep XJ is more engaging. Too bad because it was a nice little car otherwise, and probably would be a fun drive with a manual.
Oh wow, I just remembered a friend had one of these fifteen or so years ago. I rode in it only once before it was totalled by an inattentive driver in a snow storm, but I distinctly recall that 1-2 shift being terrible. The friend was not a car person, so when I asked if it always shifted like that, I just got a confused stare. I figured the transmission was on the way out until I looked at the odometer…and saw the car only had 28,000 miles on it. Apparently, the friend inherited the car from a relative and it had always driven that way.
Now that I’ve had my memory jogged, I may have to retract my support of the G20…
G20, I’d rather deal with an I4 engine over a V6 any day.
I started looking for Cadillacs and rather than linking to them all, I’ll just say that a third of these guys are worthy candidates. There’s a ’49 wearing a hat, a Resident Evil themed Caddy, a shocking number listed at “drive it and chuck it” prices, various pastels, and…
an Audi.
It’s the Japanese car for sale in California, I’ll have the I30.
I30s in this gen could be had with the 5MT but they’re extremely rare and only t’s I think.
I had a ’97 Maxima 5MT most of college that was starting to nickel and dime, or maybe dime and quarter (more age than the fault of the car IMO, it was a bit of a fallback purchase after the owner of the first 5MT Max I was going to get changed his mind on selling it). I found a pearl white ’00? G20t 5MT, I think it was the commuter for the owner that had a big Ram as his main car.
It wasn’t any more exciting than my Maxima but, it was nice to drive, great condition and a nicer car than most other cars I would have found in the price range. After I got it checked out and was ready to make an offer, the owner ended up deciding to keep it because his gf totaled her car and needed something, I think. (Coincidence or a pattern?…) I liked the Accord I ended up with, but the G20 would have been a bit more interesting despite its anonymity.
The 2002 G20 Sport did have that-year-only design touches like new wheels and unique interior trim. But auto for auto, I’ll stick (pun?) with the I30 here. The basic design of the G20 isn’t substantially newer than the I30, introduced less than two years apart in Nissan-badged forms, so despite the model years not a big difference. I’m surprised the G20 is edging ahead at the moment – while the G20 is smaller and theoretically would be more ‘fun’, the 2nd gen gained weight so these two weigh about the same and puts the G has a disadvantage in power to weight ratio. IIRC the prevailing opinion of the press when new was, for the same money, just get a Maxima – or for a fun compact for less, the Sentra SE with the SR20.
I used to have an I30 of that same color, and it was fun, but rusty. Also, working on a transverse V6 can be scary, and the 4th gen Maxima is actually one of the better transverse V6 designs. Lots of problems with the engine’s electrical shit like knock sensors, fuel injectors, TPS, MAF failure, etc. seem to suggest that Renault started their influence a little earlier than announced… 😛
They were also very rust-prone, especially the radiator support!
BTW, the I30 *was* available with a manual in the I30t touring model in this gen. However, the next gen I30/I35 were automatic-only.
Therefore, I voted for the G20 with its easier to work on 4-cylinder engine, likely better gas mileage too. 4-cylinder luxury cars are awesome 😀
Isn’t this all the same car? If only Meh car Monday was still a thing.
The G20 looks like it’d be a lot of fun. I like fun. Therefore, G20.
I’d love to join the discord server, but all the links I’ve found are expired.
I haven’t driven too many, but every Infiniti I have driven has seemed a hateful place to be. Plus that grimy champagne color is hands down the worst common car color of my lifetime. I’ll hold my nose and go with the G20 since it’s slightly newer and is painted only the second worst common car color of the last few decades, that light, dull silver.
I don’t want or like either of them. I’d take the rattiest Lexus, or the nicest Toyota I could get over these two.
Both are decent choices, fairly priced and will likely last their new owners a respectable amount of time as basic commuter cars.
Therefore they should both be disqualified from this fine institution on account of being entirely too reasonable.
I don’t know much about these cars. But the neighbors across the street have the same era I30 and it burns oil and uses coolant. I Suspect it has a blown head gasket and they are too cheap to do anything about it. Keep in mind its owned by an elderly Asian couple who are retired, never leave the neighborhood and thus the car barely goes over 30 MPH. So that doesn’t seem like a very good indication of the car’s quality. So I will go with the other one.
Glad to know the right car won yesterday.
Fancy Nissans? Yeesh, I might walk…but that G20 looks to be in much nicer condition.
They’re both disposable cars at this point in their lives. I’d rather enjoy the V6 power until something expensive goes wrong and I toss the car aside like gum that has lost its flavor.
Never liked this generation of G20 (first-gen was best), and I vibe with entry-luxury V6s, so it’s the Maxima Denali for me.
Either would work fine here, but having owned a vehicle with the VG30 (300ZX) with this level of miles on it, doing some of the necessary maintenance on it when installed transverse would be terrible. In that vein, the G20t wins my vote.
I’ll spend my Internet money on the G20t. It’s a good engine and I’d do the timing chain right after purchasing it. I’d use it mainly as a backup
I’ll take the 4DSC with a tie on.
Coin flip for me on this one. Neither are super exciting. G20t would be an easy win with a manual (duh). I’ll go with that.
I had a manual Maxima of the I30’s generation for 21 years and put 370k on it. It was running fine when it died from catastrophic rust in a very unfortunate place (where the lower control arm bolted in). I hated to see it go. I30 for me.