Drove a 330i the other day

Nice car...Tranny and clutch were like butter. Good power although I didn't get to really hammer it. Handled well and soaked up the bumps nicely. For being a relatively small car, it had pretty good room inside. I still am confused why our G is compared to the 330. To me the comp should be to the 540. The size and power are more comparable than the 330.

G35s 6MT Garnet Fire, Premium, Aero, Aero Body Kit, Winter Sport

[Britishbloke]

Have too agree on all points. The 330i is a very nice car, I have owned two 3 series Bimmers before my G and really loved them. However, the 3 series in my opinion can not be compared too the G because of it's power, smaller size and incredibly overinflated price. The 5 series is the competitor, in 540i guise. Plus I absolutley hate the new dierection in styling that BMW is taking too all it's models, that's why I went for my G..and am happy with my decision.

[Micah]

The G35 is a direct competitor to the 330i because of price, wheelbase, engine, and general vehicle type. The 5 Series is higher up on the ladder and would compare to the M45 or Q45.

To me the M and Q 45 should compare to the 7 series. I dont have exact numbers but to me the 540 compares to the G in all the categories you mention except price. Hell the 330 doesnt even compare in price.

G35s 6MT Garnet Fire, Premium, Aero, Aero Body Kit, Winter Sport

[Klubbheads]

G = 330
M45 = 540 (both are V8)
Q45 = 745

-------------------------------------------------
04 Maxima

[Britishbloke]

Show me a 3 series that costs 35k that performs like a G and I'll eat my hat. I can show you a 540i that costs 20k more and performs exactly like a G. Who knew????

[pelucidor]

Exactly. The BMW 5 series has LESS interior room and LESS trunk space than the G35 Sedan. The 540i is the closest comparison (especially as it is one of the few sport/luxury cars with a 6MT) to the G35 Sedan 6MT for space and performance. Of course it beats the G in refinement, luxury etc, but not by $25k worth.

I for one cross shopped my G35S against a BMW 530 and 540 (old model two months before the new one came out). Sadly even the about-to-be discontinued 525i with only sport/premium cost way more than the G35 ($650 per month vs under $500 per month on a similar lease).

I also checked out the Lexus GS430 (too expensive) and GS300 (too slow, still pricey at $650 per month loaded) even though they were really too old to consider.

'04 G35 Sedan 6MT in Diamond Graphite/Graphite with Premium, Nav, Aero
'02 Acura MDX Touring in Redrock Pearl/Saddle with wood bits, cargo stuff

[deadmanincbh]

If I am not mistaken I read somewhere many Maxima owners crossed shopped the Maxima with 540 and the A6 because of the size. By that judgement the Maxima is a little bigger than the G so the G would compare to both the 5 and 3 even tho its bigger than the 3 but they compare it to the 3.

[Britishbloke]

Lol..I love this kind of post.
The 3 series is a "compact" car. Too compare the 3 too a G is like comparing the mini too a Buick Regal. Lol, but seriously, the biggest thing in comparo's is price. If your shopping a sports sedan/coupe in the 30-40k price you'd be looking at a Volvo S60, maybe a Lincoln LS(V8), Saab 9-5, Acura TL..hang on a sec, what the hell am I talking about, I just raced a 540i two weeks ago and smoked him...I LOVE MY G!!!!!

[ryoken]

The 3 is compared due to price/performance/comparable feature sets. It is smaller. The 5 would be closer in size, but also realize that a 3-series comes with options not available on a G35, and a 5-series has even more luxury goodies. It depends on what you want. The G35 is by far the better performance value. A 5 can take on the Q45 in luxury and still be sportier at the same time.

2003.5 G35 Sedan Desert Platinum/Graphite Premium/Sport/Aero/Nav/Winter

[pelucidor]

But the ONLY 3-series comparable to the G35 in price is a poorly equipped 325i. And it does not compare in features or performance or size or space by a huge margin. Those 'special optional features' of the 3 series make the car much more expensive than the G35.

Whereas a 540i does compare in terms of space, size and performance (almost) but not features or price (way more price to get some more features - just like 3-series but more extreme).

'04 G35 Sedan 6MT in Diamond Graphite/Graphite with Premium, Nav, Aero
'02 Acura MDX Touring in Redrock Pearl/Saddle with wood bits, cargo stuff

[ryoken]

Well, it depends on what you're doing. If you're comparing sports sedans, there's the 3, G35, CTS, etc. If you're comparing $30-35k cars, then it's a different ball of wax. You can get a TL with more features than a G35 for less money, but it's not as fun to drive. Personally, I think the 330i is worth the extra money, except for the fact that it's too small. To each his/her own.

2003.5 G35 Sedan Desert Platinum/Graphite Premium/Sport/Aero/Nav/Winter

[cliverman]

I crossed-shopped the G with a Volvo S60R but it was ~43K
Too much $$ for that car. It was nice but it just didn't JUMP out at me.

[yotone]

the G35 dose not smoke the 540 in any way. once on the highway a 540 6 speed manual will roast the G35.

[derek]

Beg to differ- don't normally go in for this sort of thing unless challenged and I think it's close. Ran a 540 (had an M on the back- is there a Performance pak like with the 330? I know it was not an M5). The mags show near same 0-60 and quarter for the two cars, the 5 cannot corner anywhere near, and the G brakes in shorter distances. My fun, however addresses the last comment- on the highway. We ran anywhere from 60-135, several times over. Every sprint I let him take off first, and he was behind me every time when we backed off for upcoming traffic. This was exagerrated the faster we went (G's aeros better?). We did this for almost a half hour, when all was said and done. Impressive that such a big car performs so well, but no match for the G. Judging from your signature pic, this will not please you.

DB