Hey everyone, I first must say this is a pretty darn impressive board...tons of info. I've been reading for a few days and feel that I have learned alot about the car.

I'm ready to get out of my current car and get my first luxery automobile...I've test driven a 2005 530i, and I plan on testing a g35 sedan hopefully tomorrow, and an 2006 acura tl.

if you have had experience with the other cars can you tell me why the g35 is a better (or not better car??? I'm leaning towards the G because I value reliabilty over performance, and the car looks pretty damn hot ... but I"m still a little on the fence.

also, I've read some pretty good threads on gas milage and the posts are pretty positive ... I see alot of 20+ mpg's...is that realistic?

also, is the warrenty on a used car 4 or 50 like most other luxeries??? I had someone tell me that infinities were 5 yr or 60?

any info or advice for a person looking at G would be much appreciated...

 

If you test drive a G35 sedan make sure it is the '07 or newer (second generation). They blow the first gens out of the water.

City MPG, +20 is hard to do. Highway, no problem - I get ~25mpg all HWY in my coupe, but only 16-17 all city.

Not sure of the newer G's, but bumper-to-bumper is (was?) 4 years/60k and powertrain is 6 years/70K.

As far as the G35 vs. the 530i vs. the TL - if you go with a second gen sedan I think you'll really like the G35. FWD (TL) just can't touch RWD. And the 530i is... a BMW. Now if you're talkin' 550i (or the new 535i chipped) - that's a different story!

 

both the wife and i are in grad school and things are wee bit tight... an 07+ is doable but not smart ...

is that the 07 and newer are that much better or the pre 07's not that good??? don't get me worried here. I've really heard nothing but glowing reports about the car, save for mpg. also, it is pretty funny to go the prominent 530 board and hear the brutal horror stories about their cars. Big difference on this board.

 

Warranty is a 4/60 6/70; longer than the others

 

Get a 05-06 sedan, it has a much better interior than the 03-04. The TL is hard to beat for the money, but if your looking for some a bit more sporty, the G is your answer.

 

I own a 2005 g35x,
i get about 330 miles to the tank.
I drive alot, so I am a good gauge.

Most of my driving is highway and i do 'drive' the car, so if you are more conservative I say you can get 360 miles out of a tank, which would equal about 18mpg.

if you drive slower you can get about 25mpg.
But what a fun car to just sail in....

Enjoy! And safe driving!!!

 

More so the '07 and newer is that much better... both generations are great cars.

You can get an '07 Sedan with some miles on it for mid-high 20's now. Certainly not in the ballpark of the 1st gen sedans, but it's about 70% of sticker.

Now is certainly the time to buy something not perceived as "fuel efficient".

 

05-06 is still a good year.

 

Agreed

 

I like my dads 08 xS. But there is just SOMTHING about my car that i like more... it just feels more raw...

 

If you take a look at the used car ratings on Edmunds.com, you'll find that the G35 from the 2003 to 2007 model years have been given exceptional ratings by the Edmunds editors and consumers. IMO I think that says quite a bit about the reliability of the G35. The Acura TL is a decent car for the money but it's FWD which is a big disadvantage when talking about performance. I don't know enough about the newer BMWs but we used to own a late 90's model and I can certainly tell you that parts/service can get mad expensive for these sporty German cars compared to Japanese imports like Acura and Infiniti. Just my $.02

 

I purchased an 04 g35 coupe with 77,xxx miles on it a few months back. I have been pleased with car. However, with mostly city driving I average about 15 miles per gallon -- less if I get on the gas pedal.

 

I have heard the the TL had some transmission problems, but I don't remeber the year it was. The G35 was a better preformer than the TL and it was rear wheel drive, which I have been driving RWD for most of my life.

The BMW are nice, but they rape you on options you added to the car. Also my buddy has one and he has to replace items (battery, sensors, etc) and it cost a lot to get fixed.

 

I get about 20 around town if I don't drive like an a$$. If I push it it'll dip to like 18 or 19.

I've logged gas mileage on a few longer trips (5-6 hours). I tend to drive pretty hard on the highway, and I can still get about 23 mpg. If I lay off the gas I can get 25-28 no problem. I drove from CT to a friends house in NJ, and I managed 28mpg driving 65-72 on cruise control.

In general, the 3.5L has the potential to be a real gas burner, but that totally depends on how you drive it. I used to have a modified 2001 GTI VR6 (intake, exhaust, chip, lightweight flywheel, about 177whp), and the gas mileage was slightly worse on that car than my G. The GTI only had a 2.8L with a lot less hp, and it sucked gas like no other if one wasn't careful.


As for the 530, what year are you considering? BMWs are great cars, but I would beware of the cost of labor and parts. While it's still in warranty all maintenance and other bs is covered, which is nice, but when it's time to replace parts it can get expensive. That said, BMWs are on another level in terms of refinement, but I enjoy my G because it's a little bit more raw.

Ultimately it's up to you, and I hope you make the right choice for your situation!

 

I like everything about the TL except that it is FWD which just makes it not an option for me to own. I like the 530i for everything except repairs are a little expensive and the body style is a little outdated (assume you are looking at a 97-03?)

I have an 03 sedan with the 6 speed manual and it is a great car other than the interior squeeks and rattles which they are known for.

I also get better mileage than most on here. I average 21 mpg around town and 30-32 on long trips. People dont believe me but in the last year I have gone on 3 seperate trips and got 550 + miles on a tank and fill up with 18 gallons or less.