Tossed this questoin around at bimmerfest.com and got, predictably, pro-BMW responses. What do you all think? Price is not a factor since there are some deep incentives for the BMW. I can get a MSRP $43k 330i for near the price of the G35c that I want.

Interested in hearing your thoughts!

 

I'll take the G35c

 

I'm assuming you're talking 05s?

Not a BMW fan at all. I think you'll find largely biased viewpoints over here too - it's a G forum after all.

I drive a G Sedan, but I'm a car freak like the rest of the folks here so I'll offer my opinion - get the G.

You can't swing a dead yak without hitting a BMW. They ride on an outdated reputation IMHO. They're great cars (BMWs) but they're not all the press makes them out to be. They're certainly not worth what people pay for them. Your discount would make it more attractive, for sure, but I still wouldn't bite. At the end of the day, as you drive down the street, you'll see yourself coming and going.

G. No question.

 

G35, Its not really cloes to the G35, The 5 series would be closer. The Insides of a 3 series aren't the greatest, esp the seats, and its lacking in the engine department, all of which the coupe has at the same price.

 

Also - tons of G vs BMW threads with lots of good information available via the 'search' feature here.

 

Having both cars in the family..the 330ci is the better car(2002 330ci PP SP HS) , In my opinion. I bought the G35 6MT (fully loaded with every option) 5 months ago not wanting a 330 again because of the new body style that is coming out this year...But if you do go the 330 i would have to recommend the Performance Package which will match the performance of the G35...The fit and finish of the G35 comes no wear near that of the 330 (even with the 05s), and if you want to be one of those people that say "oh the performance blah blah blah" ...great the G35 is for you...but it is equally matched with if you get the performance package...FOR THE PRICE...in fact i had one ordered and it came into the dealer lot...and i backed out at the day i was suppose to pick it up...issues came up...Don't get me WRONG ....I LOVE my g35...and it gets MORE heads to turn than the 330..and i'm not regretting buying it....its just two different cars...and the bmw...is a bmw...once the the NEW 3 series coupes come out or the NEW M3..i'm trading it in 1-2 years after the fact (let them work out some bugs :-) hehehe)...Good luck with the buy! but i don't recommend spending the money now for the 330...buy a G35 drive it for a few years...and once all the bugs are worked out of the new 3 series...go for it! you'll regret it once u see the new coupes..but I LOVE THE G35coupe..its different! everyone has a freaking 3 series these days especially the 328....and it will get worse as they try to clear out the outdated models...

 

The BMW ride is more refined and the interior is much nicer. If the cost is the same I'd buy the BMW. That being said, I bought a G35 6mt with very few options for thousands less then a 330. Another thing to consider is the seats. The G35 has unusually narrow seats, which fits me perfectly. The 330, even with the sports package seats, has a seat which fits heavier people better.

 

The only reason to get the bmw over the G to me is to say I drive a bmw....now if you getting a m3 or a 5 series...then that's a different scenerio.... Go with the G; and with the extra cash you saved from not getting the bmw...dump it into the G for some extra goodies....

 

Man, this has been discussed a lot

Two of my coworkers have 330i's, and the overall fit and finish is just plain better than our G's (moreso on the interior).

But I do love my G, and it comes down to what you want out of the car. The 330i, being a sedan, is just more practical.......but I didn't need a practical car

I give the G35 a slight performance edge (basically a drivers race), and the BMW the quality edge. If the price of the 330i is the same (not sure how....), then you sound like you might want the 330i.

 

My little brother just got the 330i ZHP (Performance Package) on Saturday evening. Since there are many incentives including the $4200 rebate,it came out to the same price as my fully loaded G35 coupe. I started comparing our cars this weekend to see who got the better car. Quality of the BMW's interior is much superior to my car. Feels more solid, better interior materials, lacks the squeaks and rattles that i have as well. Harman/Kardon is much better than Blose, and his leather seats are on another level. Also jealous of his xenon lights. However, that's where it ends. I think my car's design is much more superior to his almost outdated look. I think my blue G35 looks much more appealing than his silver BMW. The platform most seen out on the streets. His 235 hp engine feels more sluggish than my 280hp. Even with the gripes on the BMW, it would still be hard for me to choose. However, knowing that the e90 3 series is coming out soon, I would go for the G35 because the style is still fresh. So fresh that people still stop me to ask me what kind of car I'm in.

 

I owned a E46. The PP package doesn't give you the upgraded engine, the ZHP does. The ZHP wasn't available in until 2003. That's not a ZHP 330Ci (I can tell by the rims and the interior). The PP gives you better tires/wheels and springs. The ZHP had 10 extra horsepower among other upgrades that cost over $4k. Equally-matched, I don't think so. Anyone who says the non-ZHP bimmers can run with a G35 (tranny for tranny), really haven't opened the G35 up much. Like the 330i/330Ci, I've eaten a ZHP on the highway already. It did put up a better fight though. The BMW has nicer materials on the inside, but that's as far as I'll go. They both have squeaks and rattles. I like the in dash six cd player and Infiniti's nav is much better. I also like the seats in the G35C much better than the seats in my old BMW.

 

What are you looking for in the car? Performance, handling, refinement & smoothness, luxury features, status symbol, etc? manual or auto?

If you could explain your preferences, we could try to give you a more neutral opinion on which way you might want to go.

 

Auto. Not real big on raw HP, so the HP difference doesn't really sway me. Handling, refinement, luxury features are all important. Seems like BMW has the edge in this respect. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Is it true that you can't operate the Nav while the car is running?

 

You can operate the Nav, just can't do route setups while driving.

One thing to consider (1) leasing or owning. If you intend to keep this car long term, I'd go with the G (more reliable in general). (2) As far as luxury, it all depends on what your sensitivity level is... I came from an Audi S4 with one of the best interiors. Sure the G's interior doesn't have that level of fit and finish.... but it doesn't bother me that much, enough that I'd make a deal out of it.

Hope this helps.

 

I haven't driven the ZHP 330i, but I did give the 330i a good test drive. The interior look of the BMW is hands down better, but I felt that the power was mediocre. I'm a big guy 6'2' 200lbs and I liked the seats much better in the G35, but that’s just personal preference. The g35 has more of a unique exterior by far and the 2005 interior improvements help it a lot. I personally don't want to bother with a manual car and the automatic BMW's are too underpowered compared to the automatic G35s. So for me the decision is easy. At the end of the day the two cars are so close that it’s really more of a personal preference.

Take them both on a good long 30 to 60 minute test drive and you should be able to feel which car fits better for you.