I like G'sUP comment ... I really like the "simplicity" of the G as well. It's a drivers car, meant to be driven, but still has a great balance of entry level luxury. For my $29K it absolutely cannot be beat.

That being said, the IS250/350 is a nice addition to the mix, and I'll like seeing more of these on the road. No doubt the 350 is a monster engine, but with an auto on that, and the light in the loafers 250 as the alternative, I wonder if this car will ever drift over to chic car territory anytime soon? You know, like all those 325i and C230s being pushed around with the $349 leases?

 

That's why I hope there is never a G25 with the next generation. I like to know every G seen is a beast.

 

Who will trade their G for IS350? Let them speak now.

 

I hope with the next gen G rumored to come out in 07, Infiniti makes a G45 Coupe

 

Nice review (1st post) - thanks for taking the time.

I haven’t had time to test drive the IS350 yet, and to be honest I was afraid I might be tempted to switch. I've been hearing a lot of rumble about its performance. For me the "niceties" wouldn’t be enough to trade, but if performance was far superior I might consider it.

I'm glad to hear that (in your opinion) it doesn’t necessarily out perform the G35. I will however test-drive it eventually - although I don’t really like the looks of it.

I Hope Nissan/Infiniti comes out with a stunner in '07! (besides the 70K GTR)

 

OCG35 - take one out when you get time. Everyone has different priorities, but I think the traits that led a lot of us to the G in the first place will keep us with it. The Lexus is an excellent car, but it is definitely very different from the G35.

 

As long as I can beat it at stoplight, on freeway on-ramps, during accelerated passing, during (safe) spirited driving on hwy and around town and at the track, I'll be content.

Our G's set a standard that other manufactures are chasing (and catching)... and I don’t want to be beat

 

I could have gotten the new IS350 consider the car i traded in for my G35 coupe was a 03/IS300 with tons of mods, anyways i think the new IS looks ugly. I test drove the new IS350 few times already, it may have 306hp but, it damn sure doesn't feel faster the G35.

 

I thought about it, but havent test drove one yet, but I still think it'll be hard to break from my G whether i test drive one or not, my thoughts were to have more room with a sporty 4 door, but if the back seats don't really have much room.. i'm definitely not trading in my G

 

Hooray!!! I hope you guys are right!

 

is350 cannot turn off stability/traction control no 6spd.

 

IMO, if the IS350 beats the G35 in sales, it will be due to the flood of TV spots that have been running, flooding the market with hype, when was the last time you saw an Infiniti commercial? I haven't seen one in a long time myself! Infiniti has a very subdued marketing strategy it seems.

 

They've been running 'em here (So Cal)... but not many print ads. I always wondered why there are no ads in the weekend paper - I figured the car sells itself. Lately though they do run a 1/8-1/4 page in a separate section (not the Auto Section).

Anyway, I’m glad to keep reading that IS350 doesn't have the performance to make me want to switch. I wonder if the Lexus boards are saying they test-drove the G35 and it aint ****?

We'll just have to smoke 'em when we see 'em. (if you guys are right I won’t be embarrassed).

 

I went to check out the IS350 yesterday as well when I drove by the dealership. The young asian sales person was quite a clueless *****. You get a few of those here and there, but I didn't expect them in a Lexus dealership. Anyhow, here are my observations:

1) Styling: It looks sleek and fast. The exterior is quite small, similar to the size of the TSX. The factory body is much more sporty than most sport sedans on the market. Overall I like the exterior, but it looks alittle like the Mazda 6 from a distance, and the rear end looks alittle bland from the distance. [after seeing the G35C and M45 rear LEDs, most other cars look pretty bland in comparison]

2) Interior: Luxurious, plush, clean, sleek, and technologically advanced. I loved the Lexus NAV as well compared to ours. The Lexus NAV actually seems 'up to day' as opposed to the G35 Gameboy technology. However, there is one huge turn off for me which is the overall size of the interior. Compared to the G35 sedan or even G35 coupe, the IS350 interior is very small. It was only slightly bigger than the last gen IS300, but not much. The interior felt cramped with roof riding inches over my head. (I am 5'10) The interior size contrasts sharply with the $40k price and the 3500+lbs weight. It's hard for me to picture a Civic sized car with 300hp and cramped interior. Just seemed like they took a GS430 and compressed it into a smaller size.

I didn't bother test driving the car, because the interior size is way too small for a 4 door luxury sedan. If I wanted get performance without much interior space, I would rather wait for the IS350 Coupe. If I wanted a luxurious and spacious package, I would opt for the G35 or move up to the GS350.


btw: can somebody explain to me why the Lexus 3.5L makes 306hp but their 4.3L V8 only makes 300hp? It will be interesting when the GS350 is released and people compare the package with the GS430.

 

btw: I just read through the Car & Driver $35k sport sedans comparo. I was left with a few questions in my mind.

1) How did they price a IS350 & BMW330i under $35k? Base model? I can't even built one on Lexus.com or bmwusa.com that will fit in the price range.

2) How did the BMW330i win the comparo after doing the unthinkable. The bimmer whipped out a wild 360 at a 70-0 emergency braking test. Hello~ that's an automatic disqualification for ANY vehicle let alone a performance sedan. The only vehicle that might kill you when tapped the brake too hard. Minor electronic problem? Understatement of the week.

3) I fail to see how the 2005 placed 3rd place in the comparo? It's the cheapest, most spacious, most proven, has the best resale value, and one of the best handling and the second fastest car. Huh~ After reading all that stuff, I simply don't understand why they placed BMW 1st and IS350 2nd.