For me it was the Subaru legacy GT 5MT. We were trading in our WRX, and that thing was bulletproof. The leggie was fast, handled great, but the interior was not quite up to the G's standards, however it was about 5 grand less so it actually was a pretty tough decision. It is a shame we couldn't get a manual trans with AWD from infiniti.

We also drove a lexus IS350, even though it wasn't AWD we wanted to check out the competition. It was way too cramped inside, and a bit too refined for our tastes. Next up was an Acura TL type S, again just for comparison purposes. It was slower but it had awesome brakes, and came with cool stock wheels. Last and definitely LEAST, was the Lincoln MKZ AWD, yuck...nuff said.

 

Probably the 335i sedan.

 

335i - was very close call

- it had a little more oomph, but not enough to overcome a little less space and a lot more $$ for similar equipment

- all in all the G just "felt right" and is fast enough for my need for speed in a family sedan

 

I test drove the Acura TL Type-S. Costco offered a good deal on the car, but in the end, I simply liked everything about the G35 more than the TL. I was trading in an Acura 3.2 CL Type-S, and I really wanted to stay in the Acura family, but in the end I liked how the G35 handled, the extra power, and the interior better. I liked the rear wheel drive and I liked the seats in the G. So I jumped brands.

 

Is 350

 

BMW 335, the extra 8 grand didn't seem worth it

Lexus IS250 AWD and 350, beautiful interior, but a little cramped, backseat spacing was terrible

Subaru Legacy GT, was close, but couldn't match the G35 in my mind.

 

Lancer Evo IX - Fast, handles like a go-kart, nicer inside than I expected, and we get invoice pricing.

 

328 coupe - loved it but in the end, the infiniti dealer came up with a deal I could accept before BMW did. And I got a loaded g forthe price of a nearly base 328

 

IS250. It was a tough one, but couldn't deal with the lack of power

 

2 year old Audi S4. Drove better, more HP, but for the price the car was pretty bare bones.

No regrets.

 

As background, my wife and I already own a '95 240SX (170k miles) and a '97 Maxima (102k miles). Both have been very trouble-free and solid, so we started our car buying process with a Nissan bias. Plus, I loved the recent design path of Infiniti (e.g. M, FX, and G). I had pretty much decided on the 07 G Sedan Sport AT right away (in fact, I never actually test drove anything but the G35 and the M35x).

So here's our story:

1) Test drove the M35x in spring 2006. Absolutely loved it, but it was at the upper end of my car budget. Felt the '06 G35 was nice but heard of a coming redesign. Saw articles about the 2nd-gen G35 sedan and was very impressed with what I read. Pretty much decided on the G35 before it launched. So I waited ~8 months for the '07 G35 sedan to come out, and did some casual research in the meantime.

2) Sat in the 3-series (and have driven them a few times in the past). Back seat was extremely small. Price was high. Interior was unwelcoming. Didn't bother test driving.

3) TL looks nice, but is FWD. Game over.

4) I had heard of folks getting the new RL at heavy discounts (i.e. ~$40k). I also heard of numerous quality issues (e.g. 8 dealer visits during Motor Trend testing). Overall, the RL simply wasn't a car I could get excited about.

5) Couldn't stomach the styling of the IS. Visited Lexus anyway, sat in the IS350 and the cockpit felt tiny. Rear seat was even tinier. No test drive.

6) Purchased 2007 G35 Sedan Sport AT with Premium, Nav, splashguards, clear bra in Decemeber.

I couldn't be happier with my G. It is truly a great car.

 

335i
Legacy Spec B was right up there.

 

IS250/350 was the only consideration other than the 07 G for my wife, she just didn't like the styling of the 3-series...

 

I made it really easy for Infiniti. I test drove no other vehicles (heck, I didn't even test drive the new G), and I didn't consider any other vehicles. I knew back in May that I was getting the new G and placed my order in June.

 

^^^ Talk about loyalty