Put this in the coupe forum but realized that the sedans might be more pertinent.
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8th place Saab 9-3 Aero Manual
7th place Volvo S60R AWD Manual
6th place Cadillac CTS Manual
5th place Audi A4 3.2 Quattro Auto
4th place Acura TL Manual
3rd place Infiniti G35 Manual
2nd Place Lexus IS350 Auto
1st Place BMW 330i Sport Manual no active steering

Acura Audi BMW Cadillac Infiniti Lexus Saab Volvo
0-60 5.9 7.5 6.0 6.9 5.9 5.1 6.4 6.4
1/4mile 14.6 15.7 14.8 15.2 14.6 13.7 15.1 14.6
@MPH 97 91 97 93 98 104 97 98
skidpad .91 .83 .89 .83 .85 .85 .81 .85
lane
change 62.5 60.0 61.7 62.1 60.0 58.7 60.6 61.8

Ride 7 6 9 8 8 7 5 5
Handling 7 7 10 8 9 9 5 6
Steering 4 4 4 3 4 4 3 3


Saw this in the other forum and wanted to share. That lexus is M3 fast It only costs $35k...I guess the ante just went up

 

Is the Lexus IS350 out yet? I don't think it is so I don't see how anyone can have an opinion how it drives. I'm curious to see what exactly you get for $35k. I liked the old IS but was never impressed with the power. If they can keep the same price level ($30-35k) and boost performance, the G35 might have a real competitor.

 

I like to know how they got that time out of the IS350. LOL

 

Ya, it's all about price level. I have a very funny feeling an IS with even standard option is going to be 4, 5, 6K+ more expensive than a G.

 

No kidding. Considering many of the other cars posted slower times that anticipated (G35, S60R)... some of those numbers are wacky.

 

Yeh, I think they have a review of the IS350 in the August or Sept. C&D where it does 0-60 in 5.9 seconds. And in all other publications, I've also seen most times in the 5.9-6.0 second range; 5.6 being the fastest. Now how in the hell did it go from a 0-60 in the high fives, to a 0-60 in 5.1 seconds?!

 

And on top of that the original poster stated its an automatic getting that 5.1.........

 

Supposedly, the Oct MT that a friend had seen reviewed the new IS350 at 5.5 for the sprint to 60, and the quarter in 14.0 at 99.8 - which is right in line with what I would expect. I really think the 5.1 sec and 13.7/104 are uncommon results.

And, yes, if they do offer manual, then it will probably be even faster.

But that won't be until at least 2007, and hopefully there will not be a G35 with a manual anymore.

Hopefully, it will be a G40.

 

i forgot which magazine... they claim the S2000 can do 0-60 in 4.8s

 

That is an easy one to answer. It went from 5.5 to 5.1 because that is what the magazine needed it to be to justify picking it where they did. The magazines always use a fudge factor that is supposed to account for Temperature and altitude. However, it always seems to help the winners of the comparo more than the other cars. There is no way they ever got close to 5.1 in the IS350! Oh yea the IS350 will only be offered in an automatic. What were they thinking there? It is a really nice car but there is no way Lexus will ever sell one of those for $36,000. Every single one of them will be more like $40K to $42K. It is classic bate and switch. List the Base model at $36K and then never actually build any of those cars. BMW, AUDI, and Lexus all do it. Acura and Infiniti have avoided it so far.

 

Ok...why would C&D lie? It just makes us look foolish as a community when a faster, higher technology, and perhaps better car comes out and everyone starts refuting the published numbers that the car produced in the tests. The IS350 weighs the same as the G35 and has a good amount of horsepower and torque along with a 6 speed auto...its a faster car than the G35 period. Lets give credit where credit is due and hopefully, Infiniti will give us a pleasant surprise next year.

 

The G35 is old now, let's see what the next one does!

 

I am suprised nobody is talking about the TL getting a .91g skidpad. That is either a miracle, a misprint, or everybody has to stop complaining about the TL being a front wheel drive car.

 

Come on guys, you know how this works ... new kid (car) on the block always gets preferential treatment during these comparos. We got it too 3 years ago, that is for sure! Depending on how they price it, the Lexus is going to be a lot of car for the money ... it's just a question of is it really $35K, or more like $39-42K with options?

I am really just shocked at those numbers ... it beat the Acura, G and the 330 to the 1/4 mile by a full second. I mean, really!?!?

 

C&D lies because they need the advertising from certain companies more than others. Normally I give credit where credit is due. However, in this case there are several statistics that this article has stated that I believe are impossible and are probably flat out lies! If they said the 330i or the IS350 could do a 5.6 second 0-60 I would just say wow that is really good and take their word for it. When they say that the IS350 can do a 5.1 0-60 I say no way! I also noticed the stupid numbers they are giving for the TL handling. How in the world has the TL gone from a middle of the road FWD handler to near sports car handling in this comparo. It sounds like C&D was making up a lot of things in this article. The $36,000 price is laughable. Obviously they have not tried to purchase these vehicles lately. I haven’t read the article yet. However, I hear that the BMW 330i didn’t complete the competition because of a major mechanical problem! How the hell do you give a car the win when it can’t even complete the competition? That is absurd and if that article really says that then this is the last time I buy C&D magazine. I think they have reached a new low with this article. I might as well go read the National Enquirer to find out what is the best Sport Sedan.