Not sure if this is old news or not, but MT has a comparison test of the A4, 330i, and G35...all automatics. The G came in 2nd, but as tested it was about 11K cheaper than the 1st place BMW.

The G was quickest of the three but it certainly didn't set any records, 0-60 6.5 and 14.7 @ 96.

 

LOL, it may have attained only 2nd place at M/T, but it's 1st place all the way here.

Here's a link to the article: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...509_3scompany/
C.

 

All the car mags suffer from BMW-envy.

 

Old test, but a goodie. The G won in almost every catagory..........definately price!

 

I just drove in my friends 330. IMO, the G is faster, has better brakes and is bigger... the only advantage to the BMW to me is the suspension. They really know what there doing when it comes to the suspension on these cars. It handles great.

 

agreed, the new 330i handled great, by far the best out of all the test drives but i felt it wasn't as brawny as the g. And i was comparing the 330i against the awd g35x. When you add x drive on the bimmer, i think performance drops more for the bmw.

Price was ridiculous. When comparing both cars with similar options, bmw was almost 10k more. Lease came out to 50 percent more for the bimmer vs the g each month. No thanks.

I personally liked the 330i insides better, but believe it or not, wife preffered G interior to the biimer, she said the bimmer felt very austere.

 

FWIW. I just came across an older Automobile mag article that compares two G sedans. One is the RWD and the other is the G35X. They compare it to the Audi AWD and FWD version. Interesting article. Quite surprising also. Was dated sometime in 04'. Probably when the G35X first came out.

 

Since I read that comparison, I've had a chance to drive the new 330i. I better understand why it always comes out on top but it drives me crazy when price is not a major part of the equation. You can go on and on about the superb BMW technology but little of it is standard.

 

If my memory serves me right, that was the article that they did the performance testing of the RWD and AWD cars on pavement, snow and ice right? The AWD cars did so much better, as they should - with little to no penalty in the dry.

 

why 6.5 to sixty? and not 6.2?

 

numbers are relative. the low end torque our engines put out aren't easily seen in the press.

 

Yup. That is correct. The performance penalty for awd with the G is minimal despite the added 160lbs. I have to also say, Infiniti's approach to awd is impressive. I really like the idea of rear biased AWD system.

The article basicly said if you don't live in areas that snow frequently or if you aren't something that visits the mountains alot, the RWD would be fine.

 

mags suffer from BMW worship, not envy.

-t

 

LOL, their advertising wallet in particular

 

i wouldnt go that far, there was nothing in the article that i wholely disagreed with, except for how they price the cars.

when you compare just the rwd cars, the 330i is head and shoulders "better", imho. Its just the fact that its about 10-12k more than the comprable g that really bugs me. Sure stripped, the price difference is more or less 15% like the article says, but fully loaded, the price difference is closer to 30%.

I think its unfair to make comparisons when the price difference is so wide.