I didn't want to post a new thread, but I'm placing an order with the GM of Infiniti of Oakland, and today's the last day for the Nov batch. She said this:

Should I get it? I only want the Premium, Nav, splash guards, and cargo net. No technology, no spoiler, no rear active steer. Is the RAS really that useful? And how much do you think that option will cost?

Any feedback is appreciated. I need to get back to her before she leaves the office.

From Edmunds:

Testing a car with four-wheel active steer versus a car without it probably wouldn't prove anything anyway. When you order FWAS, the sedan's suspension is stiffened beyond the G35 Sport's standard settings, so any difference in handling could be due to the active steer system or the differences in suspension tuning. Or both.... Order four-wheel active steer and the ride becomes downright teeth chattering.

 

No apologies needed for starting a new thread. It's an interesting question.

I have no idea what the active rear steer will cost, but it's likely to be expensive. The mags that have tested a cаr with it have detected a distinct improviement in handling compared to a cаr without it, as I recall. Thing is, the new G will have very good handling in any event, and unless you plan to do a lot of canyon-carving, how much real-world benefit would you get from it? Also, I wouldn't count on getting much of the extra cost back at trade-in time. It's the kind of obscure technical feature that will leave used-cаr buyers unmoved, and the salesperson knows that full well.

One other thing to consider - the active rear steer option comes with modified shоcks, or something, that makes the ride even firmer/stiffer (your choice) than the standard Sport suspension. I would really want to drive a cаr with the active rear steer before buying it, to be sure that the ride wasn't too stiff for my taste.

 

I know the G won't be the smoothest ride out there (read 335i), and the Sport version should already have a firmer ride than the other models. So to add the RAS, I think it'll kill the luxury, buttery aspects of the ride. Thanks for your input, DWP!

 

Sounds like typically dealer BS trying to get you to add another expensive option to the car for their profit's sake.

 

I agree with all responses. This option will probably run around $1200... and for very ltitle benefit, imo. If ultimate handling is your priority, then get it... but probably mostly for the stiffer springs and shocks, not the actual sterring difference. As for resale, I agree that it will probably not hold it;s value well. For instance, Nav systems as an option have been shown to hold their resale value very well. This is a niche option... I would rather spend it on the laser cruise tech package. And even that is questionable...

 

If I'm not mistaken, in the G35S vs. 330i sport pkg. road test the BMW had the more compliant ride. Have you driven the 335? You owe it to yourself if you haven't. I drove one with sport package (255/35-18 and 225/40-18) and hit some railroad tracks repeatedly to test the suspension--it was quite compliant. The M3 is quite harsh. To me the trick is to get the best handling while being able to drive in the real world. I got the feeling from the articles that the G35S was a bit harsher than they would have liked.

Where the G35 will shine is all-out reliability, value/price, gadgets, and LED brake lamps. The RAS sounds like a gimmick to me, but who knows until people have driven it.

 

RAS on a 06 coupe was approx $600. Are they really gonna double it to $1200 for the 07 sedan?

 

It's called excellent damping, the goal of any engineer in charge of suspension/chassis/shocks/springs/etc. From my experiences in the e46 3-series and 2004-2006 G35S, the BMW was only slightly better, if at all.

It's actually $750, but $1200 would still be a significant increase.

 

There's probably a placebo affect when driving with it. I'm sure it helps handling at the limit but that's hard to do on the street. I would also skip if the ride is stiffer than the sport.

 

personally driving the coupe w/ RAS i didn't like it.... too quick for me and you can't drift as much.