What you may want to consider is your upgrade plans (if any at all) for each car.

If you're planning to upgrade suspension, the S is almost unlimited while the X is limited to springs (at the moment). A properly setup suspended S will easily outrun an stock X, except in the wet (still a possibility).

As far as exhaust, no one knows if "regular" exhaust fit the X's due to the different layout.

 

I picked up an 07 g35x in July with 12k miles and wondered the same thing myself. I live outside of Boston and all i can say from the passed few weeks alone with the snow we've been getting is that I'm glad i got the X. I dont plan on messing with the suspension or taking it to the track. It's my daily driver to get to work, and it is plenty of fun on the weekends. I couldnt stand having a manual in the traffic i have to sit in on 93 it would just drive me crazy. The AWD is pretty good too, it does slip from time to time but the vds seems to keep me going straight. Unless i shut off the snow mode and VDS to blow some donuts.
Try out both, you may feel you like the susp/manual trans better in the S than in the X but I'm verry happy with my car so far. They also make the 08 with the available xS, try looking for that one.

 

Thank you for sharing your excellent real world experience.

 

I bought a 2009 G37xS a few days before Christmas.

The S package only adds sport seats, bigger wheels and maybe a couple of other gadgets. The suspension is the same between the S and non-S models. I noticed a handling difference, but I think that has more to do with the seats holding me better (I felt like I was sliding all over the place in a used G37 without the S package)...and the bigger wheels probably contibute to slightly better cornering and firmer ride.

I live in Frisco, Colorado...9,100 feet elevation and mostly permanent snow on the roads in the winter. With the original tires, it is a bit loose in the snow...probably work perfectly fine in Denver (with occasional winter trips to the mountains), but the Blizzaks make the handling in snow almost as good as dry pavement...very impressive.

Regarding x vs. non-x...get an x if you plan on driving in snow. Two wheel drive just doesn't cut it in the snow...even with snow tires.

I'm very happy with this car, but I wouldn't buy one another one without the S package.

 

I think that the previous posts cover all the pertinent points about X vs S vs Xs.

Just to re-iterate:

If you plan on driving often in snow, an X or Xs will be greatly appreciated when the white stuff starts coming down.

Else, just get the S and enjoy the unlimited mods out there that will make your car that much faster.

I keep regretting not getting an S in the summer, but as soon as the Canadian winter start, I feel like a genius :-)

 

This topic always seems to come up every couple months! I honestly do not thing you can do wrong either way. I live right around the Boston area as well and drive an S. I will say that this is the first winter I have had my G and prior to going into my first snowfall with it I was terrified. Part of me was thinking maybe I should of bought an X. Granted we have only had a couple of good snowfalls so far but my G has been great in the snow with the proper set of tires. I have been very happy with it and I love being able to pick up any type of mod available, I haven't got to upgrading to some of those RWD only suspension mods but I do plan to head down that path. I would not go back on my choice and am very happy I went with an S. The G35 X or S is a fantastic set of wheels and I am sure you will be pleased either way!

 

^werrrrrrrd!

 

Here is my .02

I know some of you guys hate on all season tires and love winter tires. However that is half of the story.

With winter tire set up some people have summer some people have all season. Now to me the all season /winter set up is the 100% true way. The summer/winter set up is more dangerous tha run all season tires all 4 season. Here is why I think it is. Most people switch to winter tires when it is a must. Like snowing in mid December. So possible from end of October when the temperature is colder than the summer tires should not be used, this tires are still on the car. Isn't that dangerous? Summer tires in cold/maybe some snow are like hockey pucks.


Also to say winter tire is better than all season just not the whole story and not always true. What winter tire? What all season tire? There are huge differences between winter tires. Just as big if not bigger than between allseason tires.

Some of you guys said winter tire is better in wet and dry cold that allseason. Well maybe not always true with all winter tires and allseason tires.

Michelin X ice winter tire stops in wet (23degrees) stops from 60-0 in 173ft

in dry it stops 158ft

Michelin pilot allseson did stop on wet (23 degrees) 60-0 in 139ft

dry 128ft.

30ft shorter than the winter tire. So I think the querstion is how much do you drive in snow and dry/wet condition in winter. If they clean the roads quick and you drive on dry/wet more than snowy road I take a good all season[ for example Nokian WR/ wrG2] over many winter tires.

I did not mentioned about the warmer days like we had last January for 2 weeks around 55 degrees. Well thats not ideal for winter tires. Not mention about the road noise either with the winter tires.

Read it yourself they used the g35 sedan RWD to test the tires. So it is perfect fit here.

http://www.caranddriver.com/features...ice_xi2_page_5

Hope this helps.

So winter or allseason? LOL

Where you live where you drive? That is the question.

 

Edmunds InsideLine had an article today on Summer Tires Vs All Season Tires Vs Winter Tires..
http://www.insideline.com/features/t...vs-summer.html

 

For reference per snow issues - had a 98 BMW 540i 6 speed, 05 Jetta GLI Revo Stage II, 06 G35 6mt. None could get out of my driveway after snow and a plow with a crushed stone driveway. Silly how bad these cars were in the snow. Full disclosure, no snow tires on any, only summer high performance rubber (shame on me). With my G37xS, I don't even blink at snow covered roads anywhere and completely effortless getting out of my driveway now.

Do I miss the stiffer suspension, quicker steering, manual tanny etc. of a RWD S, yes, no question, and badly during the 9 months of no ice and snow in Boston. Would I trade my G37xS in based on all the above? Not in a heartbeat based on having to drive in Boston during the winter. The G37xS is an excellent compromise.

I really need a summer car and a winter car ;-)

 

So I decided to take my dad's 07 Honda Pilot in the snow today and I'm surprised how bad it preformed in snow compared to my x.

 

I know I'm late, but here's the link to the page!

http://www.roadandtrack.com/tests/co..._drive_page_10

 

^^^^^^^^^^ That is the first generation G.

 

I understand that, but it is where AesonVirus originally pulled his quote from which was what kchilaka was asking for.

I don't have a G yet so I may be wrong but from what I understand, the second generation still uses the same AWD system. I'd imagine one could make a similar comparison in the second gen S vs X.

 

You are right about similar. However the 1st generation RWD vs AWD had different gearing ratio. Second generation has the same gearing ratio.