I crashed the Taste of Lexus event this morning in Houston. They were very cool about me not having an invite so I was very pleased. I really wanted to drive the IS350 and the BMW 330i. I drove a few other higher class cars for grins. My thoughts:

IS350 - I really like this car. The interior is on the small side but not bad. The comfort and interior is top notch in my book. Much better than the G35 or the BMW. One thing I thought was odd was that the entire engine compartment was covered in plastic. I guess that will help aerodynamics if the hood flies off. Driving wise, the car feels a little faster on the straights than my G35 6mt, but not no 5.1 0-60 fast. Cornering, you can feel the body roll and soft suspension but it still corners well IMO. The steering feel is light and not as good as BMW or G35. I was able to run it hard and did feel some of those nannies kick in but they didn't feel intrusive to me. I think the IS350 will feel great punching it around town. I think that is what Lexus intended. If it came with a proper manual, I would rate it higher than my 6mt. As it is, I would call it a very close 2nd since the G35 is more performance oriented and that is what I look for. The price is much higher than the G35 but you can see where the money is spent, unlike the BMW. I didn't drive the IS250 because I have no interest in just 200hp.

BMW 330i - I finally know what all the fuss is. I drove the IS350 first and then the BMW. The BMW gave me so much more confidence than the Lexus. It was not as fast but had a wonderful punch through the turns. The handling was excellent and I can see why it's considered the best in it's class. I'm no racer but I had that BMW flinging back and forth through the turns. The car went exactly where I pointed it. I didn't consider the interior anything special or the driving comfort. It was all fine but not sure it reflects the high price tag. It's a great car as expected but I feel like it needs more power and/or a price drop for me to seriously consider buying one. I wish I could of ran my G35 on the course for a direct comparison. I feel like the G35 is very close in performance.

BMW 530i - This car felt nose heavy and had a lot of body roll. It still handled okay but not what I expected after driving the 330i. Once you got the car turned in, it handled well and the engine power was good, but not great.

GS430 - This thing made a great sound and felt fast. It had a lot of hesitation in the acceleration and braking, though. The brakes were hard to get used to since the engaged hard fast. I liked this one over the 530i. I drove a black one that just looked awesome. Too bad there was not a M45 to compare with.

Overall, I had a blast. I wish I could of stayed longer but couldn't. After driving a few laps, I was really getthing the hang of driving these cars close to their limits. The people didn't seem to mind people breaking the tires loose and nudging a few cones. They encouraged us to accelerate hard and to slam the brakes in the beginning to test the acceleration and brakes. I recommend anyone in Houston to head down there early tomorrow and have some fun.

 

I had the same thoughts regarding the 330 and the 530. You would never think that they were from the same manufacturer. I also left with a little more respect for the 330. The only words I could describe 330 was that it felt like a go-kart going around the track. I tried the IS250 AWD since no one was in line, and I was surprised. I think it may have been the AWD or the fact that it can't pick up as fast as the IS350, but it felt more stable than the 350 in the corners. It was actually pretty nice around the curves.

 

I was at that very same event today. 11am to about 2:30. I pretty much agree with everything you said about all of the cars.

Yes. The 330i handled like a dream. Very neutral in the turns and stuff. The IS350 was quick on the straight, but yes. Not 5.1seconds quick. In fact, the intro lady said it was 5.4sec. The body roll was there. I prefer the G35 with sport handling better than the IS.

However, we talked about it and you'll never use even 2/3 of the potential of any of these cars in the handling department, so if it came down to it, the IS is a more practical and better buy than the 330i.

Which makes the G35 coupe or sedan that much of a better value than all of those.

 

I agree. I think there is a reason they didn't have a G35 at the event. With the BMW, they can admit it's better in a few areas but it's more expensive. With the G35, I think they would have a much harder time proving the IS350 is that much better than the price difference. It looks like you can get into one for around $36k. That's not too bad but it's not that much better than my $29k G35. If Infiniti can keep the same formula they have now, I will always be a customer.

I left the event at 10:40am and spotted a lot of coupes in the parking lot. I thought it was funny that most of them parked way in the back away from the common folks. I bet a lot of them are members here. It looked like I was the only G35s there in the morning, though.

 

Yup. I saw that too. I was looking for a spot to park in the grass like everybody else and towards the back there were a bunch of G35s, WRXs, and other enthusiast cars. So I knew my car would be safe back there. =)