Okay, it was technically yesterday, but I had a chance to take a G35 Sport for a spirited, yet all too short, spin. It was such a rewarding experience that I was compelled to post at this late (early) hour. Needless to say, I was very impressed with the power and handling, and I absolutely loved the new and refined interior. It's light years ahead of the old generation. I also went to the Bimmer dealership to take a closer look at the 335i, but it was no comparison. For me, the G wins hands down in terms of design and aesthetics, and the cars are close enough performance-wise (I ain't no Formula 1 driver!). Factor in the respective prices, and it's now become a no-brainer: G all the way. My buddy who joined me for the test drive agreed, and he was already partial to the 335 coupe. Good thing the lease on my 2005 G is up in January, though I'm seriously considering turning it in early so I can get into a 2007 or maybe even a 2008 when they arrive. I've even "narrowed" my color choices down to OB, LP, PG and BS (with PG the front-runner). Each of those colors looked amazing in the hazy San Fernando Valley twilight. I guess smog has some benefit.

Also, as an fyi, there was one "fully loaded" G37 coupe (black on black) on the lot. Today was the first day it went on sale, although it had been at the dealership for a couple of weeks. While I had a chance to sit in it, I purposely chose not to test drive it. I didn't want to have any regrets when I bought the sedan (which partically speaking makes much more sense for my particular family situation). It was at Miller Infiniti in Van Nuys/Sherman Oaks, CA in case anyone is interested.

Anyway, sorry for the long post, but I had to share my excitement with the rest of you. Until I get my new G, I'll be envious of the rest of you lucky peeps.

 

Thanks for the write up. I'm seriously considering selling my '06 6MT for and 07/08 as well.

 

Glad to hear that you had a test drive today/yesterday and that it went so well, that you had to make a post this late/early... LOL

I also, very briefly, considered the BMW 335 but once I saw it in person... eww.
From the back, I'd swear it looks like a Honda Civic now.

Who cares if it's .02 seconds faster in a straight line... I love my G.
Equipping the BMW with the same options puts it almost $15,000 higher in price too!

I remember my test drive and the days/weeks that followed.
If your test drive affects you the way mine did, it'll be eating you alive until you finally buy one.

 

What sort of pricing are they offering you?

 

I did my first test drive there too - Van Nuys to Magnolia and around the block. But I didn't buy mine there - I bought mine 25.3 miles west of there, and was very happy because of it :-)

What a car. I remember my first drive. The scary as hell power. The tight turning radius. The flat no-tilt turns. The glistening tech. The opulent leather.

Cheers,
-Gorn

 

I, too, remember well my first test drive. Had an additional extended test drive over Memorial Day Weekend that sold me on the car.

It's not clear whether the Sport you test drove was an AT or 6MT. If the 6MT, what's your reaction to the difference between the G manual and the 335?

Did it have 4WAS? It's the one option I have slight regrets not getting.

I was deciding between the 335, TL-S--I had a front wheel drive Passat VR6 --and the G. Chose the G for all the reasons you cite plus the spectacular brakes and larger interior and trunk space.

Also was deciding between the LP, PG and BS. And PG was my front runner too, until I saw how the BS seems to change color: from gray to slate blue to amost a dark violet, depending on the light and surrounding environment.

Whatever color you choose, the G Sport is an awesome car. Powerful, solid, supple, and sexy. People stop and stare. And competitors on the road so back off after they get one whiff of the G Sport's ready power and handling.

Get the G. Have a blast!

 

Great choice.
When I was deciding on a car I looked at fully-loaded Infiniti G35x, BMW 328xi, Acura TL, Audi A4 and Lexus IS350. In the end this is how it all came down for me:

5. IS350 : Sat in it - decided not to test drive. Too small, the redesign got rid of the "high school teenager" car looks but it still just doesn't do it for me.

4. A4 quattro: Sat in it -decided not to test drive. The minimalist interior design of Audi is not my cup of tea. Also interior feels cramped. Exterior is very sweet on the '07 though!

Out of the G35x, 328xi and TL,

A. Exterior looks: (1) G35x (2) 328xi (3) TL (clean look but bland)

B. Interior : (1) G35x (very modern and luxurious with the rosewood (2) TL
(3) 328xi (too dated)

C. Drive: (1) 328xi (very smooth) (2) G35x (great acceleration) (3) TL (not too shabby either)

D. Price: (1) TL (i like that it comes fully loaded for a nice price) (2) G35x (3) 328xi (costs several thousands more to get it comparatively-equipped to a G35x ot TL)

E: Other considerations: (3) TL - no AWD;

F: Visceral reaction: (1) G35x (2) 328xi (3) TL

G: Made "sense": (1) G35x (2) TL (3) 328xi

OVERALL: (1) G35x (2) 328xi (3) TL (4) A4 quattro (5) IS350

VERDICT: Got 2007 G35x fully-loaded for $500 above invoice ~ 37500

After 5 months, I know I made the right choice. Only thing I hate about my car is the inability to start many NAV functions while the car is moving - although you can bypass some of that using the voice command.

 

Kach

I also bought my G at Miller Infiniti, same deal $500 over invoice. I worked with Dave Marsh in their internet department, he was easy to work with, especially because I decided at the last minute to buy the PG instead of Blue Slate. I've been to their service department once and had a good experience. I'm here in the SFV too and the PG changes colors all day long from dark gray to lustrous shimmery silver to violet/purple in the evening. I love my G. Enjoy!!

 

theGForce07 - your post pretty much summarizes what I feel about the G35x and its competitors. Even w/o the AWD, I would still agree with your rankings. Getting the G35x with AWD is one BIG, further advantage over other cars w/o AWD (IS350, BMW 335i). AWD is not often spoken about, but is wonderful to have in rain and snow. Plus, supposedly improves accleration from a dead stop since it puts power to the rear and front wheels when it gets going initially.

 

I must be related to 'theGForce07' as well as 'randman'. We considered same alternatives and arrived at the same conclusions. Can't wait for the snow to fly and put the snow tires on and take it up the mountain to hit the slopes. Should stick to the road nicely.

 

While I never drove/looked at the 335, I did drive an IS250, A4, 328 and a 330 prior to testing driving the G all in the same day. While I liked the look of the IS, it is was just too small, too under powered and priced too high for what you get. the A4 was just so outdated that it didn't even come close. Both BMW's I got to drive with no salesman, just my buddy. The 328 in manual shift mode shifted up for your, which is no fun. It appears they fixed that in the 330, but the interior was just not to my liking. Why in the hell are the cup holders over the passenger side of the car on those 3's. Anyway I didn't push any of those cars hard, so the 'better performance' of the 3's didn't stand out and since most of my driving will be at less then 8/10th's I don't see a reason for the BMW. As soon as the salesman pulled out of the lot in the G, I knew it was the right car for me. Much more power, better ride and handling also. Then once I go to drive it, there was no other choice for me. This was back in November and I have never regretted my decisions once.

 

hye em yes hye em yes, kach vartaneen torn em yes! LMAO!!!! nice name dude!

i didnt drive the 335 cuz i never considered it (a. too pricey, b. its BMW), but the minute i started driving the g35 i knew i wanted it. even more than the 05.5 (new body style) s4 dsg! it just felt much more fun to drive!

 

When I bought my G, I wanted one very nice car that would work well year-round to replace my Porsche Cayman and my winter/kid Mazda. My 3 serious considerations were the 335xi, S4 and the G35x, and I didn't think the G was going to be my first choice. I also looked at the Legacy GT Spec.B and the IS 250 AWD. I was less serious about those (too little power in the Lexus and not the luxury level that I was looking for in the Subie) but I wanted to give both of them a shot.

I drove them in the following order: 335, S4, G35x, IS 250 AWD and Subie.

Yes, the 335 was a great a car. When it comes to power, handling, and overall driving experience it is superior to the G35, but I didn't like the interior and exterior styling. I thought the S4 was going to be the car for me. I was looking forward to the big V8 and quattro vs RWD until slippage. But the S4 was quickly dismissed. Within minutes of starting the test drive, the S4's numb steering spelled the end of Audi's chances. There was little I didn't like about the G35x. I loved the exterior, really liked the interior, great features, great power (as fast as my Cayman in a straight line), and the handling was good.

So the choices were down to the 335, the G, or a third option of keeping the Cayman and buying a cheap AWD car (Subaru Imprezza). I stuck with my decision to have one car that would meet all my needs, so keeping the Cayman was out. With the bath on the Cayman, the BMW's price point meant I was going to pay more for the 335 than I was for the Cayman. And there was just something wrong about that to me. Even without that, the performance difference (between the 335 and the G) wasn't enough to justify spending $10K more.

 

I test drove a 2007 G non-sport, by renting it over the weekend - Hertz rents Infinitis. I took it from Sacramento to Lake Tahoe, golfed, and came back that evening. Loads of fun, solid, a little soft in some of the mountain turns but still planted.

The following week I had to take a business trip 160 miles south, so what did I rent - a 2007 Infiniti M35. I personally have never liked the center stack on the M and felt the car looked too big. Let me tell you, the M is sweeeet and the center stack didn't take long to appreciate, kinda like smooth jazz, I suppose - you have to learn how to appreciate it. Luxurious feeling, great handling, power. I'm still getting the 2008 G or EX though, but the M is all that!

 

im not too excited about the m. my mom has one. its not a drivers car at all! i cant speak baout the sport but the reg's suspension is tooo soft, engine is a bit underpowered compared to the new g, steering isnt as responsive, along with the tranny. the brake pedal is in the worst position possible!! its alinged to the LEFT of the car rather than the right infront of your foot! its very unconfortable, to the point where your foot hurts after driving it for a while.

vick