I don't think anyone is debating whether the ride and speed of 335 is better than that of the G35.
The question is, is it worth $10g's more.

Personally, the slow shifting would be a non-issue for me since I'd be looking at a 6 speed model for either
Hopefully my local dealer has one in soon for me to look at this weekend.
I'm thinking about trading up as well.

 

Well, the only way to know for sure is to test drive both as I did and ask yourself which one you want and is the BMW worth about $9k more (if you like the BMW 335i more ). Good luck and enjoy!

btw - for those only trying to compare the Infiniti G35 Sedan and a BMW Sedan, then I suggest test driving the G35 Sedan and the BMW 335i Sedan (with the same tt 300+HP/300+TQ engine); the 335i Sedan costs a little less than the 335i Coupe.

 

Is the 335i Sedan out?

 

Yes, the BMW 335i Sedan is out now as well. Personally, I could have gone either way this time around...sedan or coupe. My wife's SUV with the DVD player and 3-rows-of-seats, etc. is our family hauler. I do about 20k-25k mi./yr on my car for buisness travel in my territory, so a coupe with a decent-size back seat (just in case) will work just fine, and I was pleasantly surprised the BMW 335i Coupe has plenty of room in the back seat. I sat in the back with about 3+ inches of knee space; it's much roomier than the current G35 Coupe's rear seat.

 

For those interested (and/or trying to decide between the G35 and BMW 335i), I just found out that BMW does offer a rearview camera in the 335i Coupe/Sedan. It requires the Navi system (which I'm getting), but I have no idea how much extra this dealer-installed accessory is (I'm sure it's several hundred dollars, if not thousands). Although I love using the rearview camera in my FX35 (where it's definitely a very good feature to have in any SUV), it's probably not completely necessary in the much lower, less blind-spot proned 335i Coupe. So I'm skipping it, but I thought it's interesting to know that the rearview camera is actually offered in the 335i as a dealer-installed option. Had I added that as an option, the only tech-gadget missing (that the '07 G35 Sedan has) would be the 9.5gb HDD.

 

awesome review..thanks..

But I am sorry the new BMW couple is plain ugly...the sedan is avg 40+ yr older if you know what I mean...the G35 being derived heavily from the old g35 is still fresher than the new BMW...

I can agree the drive in the BMW would be better...but I would go for the G35 every time..

g35 would be a better car overall

 

G37? .... do tell the rhumors


I have not driven the G35 (new or old) nor have I driven the 335i. I've driven the 330i 6spd. I like the handling of the car, the power is linear and progressive, the exhaust sounds nice, the throttle can be modulated nicely. Thats about it. I like spirited driving, and I've known the myth of the BMW - The Ultimate Driving Machine for years. I've owned 3 cars (Honda Si, Nissan Maxima, and Volvo V50) and everytime I was shopping for a new one, I did visit the BMW dealership. ...

Please don't get me wrong I'm not bashing BMW, but here is what I absolutely hated about it (without even test driving it). When I sat inside the older 328s, the buttons on the dash were rediculously cheap, it felt like late 1980's chevy buttons. The seats were too sporty, they squeeze you into a seat and keep you there as if you are on a rollercoaster. Most of all I couldn't stand the shifter. For a $50,000 car, can't they get the shifter right? If it is the Ultimate Driving Machine, shouldn't the shifter complement the car not stand out like a sore thumb? Also, my priority in shopping for a car is not to have the best handling sports sedan with a the dumb i-drive system that is hard to use, ... I have a wife and maybe soon I will have kids, so a balance between nice egronomics, room, comfort and performance is what I am looking for.

Anyways, I've played around with mods for a while, and when hearing about the G35 implementing everything that we did back in the days (like the true dual exhaust, ram air, valve timing, etc etc) it makes me shiver ... Basically, I'm in love with the car just by reading about it. I know how strong and flexible my '02 Maxima's VQ engine was, and I just can't wait to experience the new one. The price difference between the G and the 335 is also a consideration.

Automatic transmission is something that never concerned me, I drive stick, hopefully (and judging from the reviews) it is better than the BMW's.

BTW: wait untill someone tests the G35 when it is broken in, I bet it will be just as fast if not a hair behind the 335.

Just my 2 cents
~Andy

 

Could you explain what you mean by "banging into gear". I have a 06 g35 but I certainly didn't feel like the tran was "banging" into any gear. From first to second, the shifting is slightly jerky but other than that, it is mostly very smooth. In fact, most reviews said it's one of the best trany in its class.

 

During my '07 G35 test drive, I used MM mode shifting only (using both the gear shift and the new paddle shifters) and not full Auto mode. When I shifted in MM mode, it seemed to really bang hard into the gears, like the car was having trouble shifting into the next gear. It wasn't a smooth transition into the next higher gear; it was more of a hard "clunk" that was really felt as it moved into the next gear. Even the Infiniti salesperson said she felt it banged into gear and it wasn't as smooth as it is during slow, casual acceleration in Auto mode. She, of course, had no explanation as I knew a lot more about this car than she did.

In addition, please tell me you know about and feel the MM delay that the G35 has always had??? This is a known issue that plagued the G35's since day one, and many of us chose to buy and install very thick grounding wire kits (like Gordgee's Grounding Gear) to help alleviate the MM upshift delay problem. The grounding wires help but don't completely eliminate the delay (in stock G35's, there's about a 1/3 to 1/2 sec. delay from the time you shift into the next highest gear to the time it actually goes into that gear). I would have thought that Infiniti would address this tranny issue with the "all new" '07 G35, but it didn't; it appears Infiniti didn't change the Auto tranny at all.

By comparison, the BMW 335i shifts (upshifts and downshifts) without the slightest hesitation (it's lightning fast) and the transition from gear to gear is so very silky smooth. It's a 6-sp. ZF tranny I believe, the same one that's in the BMW 650i. It does not bang into gear and you hardly feel it going into the next highest gear (except for all the amazing TQ that really pushes you back into your seat kind of gives you a clue ).

If you doubt me -- please know that I've had both the G35 Sedan ('04.5) and the '03 FX35 and I am a "real Infiniti fan." I had the same tranny complaints on my '04.5 G35 Sedan and my '03 FX35. I do love these cars and I think Infiniti basically "came back from the dead" beginning with the G35, and now the M35/45 is a huge success as well. I may very come back to Infiniti in the future. They are phenomenal cars, but now I know why all the car mags and car enthusiasts talk so highly of the BMW's, and this 335i is probably their best non M car they've ever built. The car's balance, the handling, the power, the TQ, the transmission, and the tech-gadgets...they're all there and very hard to beat, even for a few thousand $$ more. I would highly suggest to anyone (whether seriously shopping or just for plain curiosity or to have some fun on your lunch break ) to go to your local BMW dealer -- pulling up in your current G35 or even a new '07 G35 and test driving a new '07 BMW 335i. Then, I think you'll experience first-hand what I'm talking about. This was a very difficult decison for me, because I love the Infinti's, but for now, I'm trying the Bimmer.