RA061024

My wife and I looked at the M35 and we both feel in love with the car. There were only two things that prevented us from getting the M. One was that it was rear wheel drive and the hump in the rear seating area wasn't going to work with our three kids. The other was the price. It was a bit more than what we paid for our ES. It didn't even come with Navigation. It all depends on what your driving style is too.

vin 78

Exterior: M35 (the ES looks too much like the Camry imo)
Interior: M35
Engine: Tie
Overall Quality: ES350
Value: ES350 (4-5k cheaper)

If was going to buy the M45 (base 41k), I would seriously consider the new GS300 (base 42-43k), those prices are from Acura/Lexus websites.

If I was looking for a new car (based on the M vs. ES), I would get the M35 or consider the new GS300.

Don't get me wrong I love my ES, I'm the original owner of a car that is almost 10 years old, I'm in love with its quality and looks.

dshahs420

simple, if you value comfort and quietness get the ES. If you like the twisties and sportiness get the M. I personally think the M35 is a better looking car than the ES but i value the luxury and quietness so i would choose the ES. Definately drive the cars back to back again and look at the big picture and see which car fits in that big picture for you! good luck and BTW i dont have a 07es.

Yang1815

iTrader: (1)

for us folks who know the difference can tell... But for the people that aren't into cars, Camry, ES350, they all look alike.

oldcajun

The Infiniti M is a much larger car than the ES - actually most dimensions are the same as the LS430. The ride is pretty good, but the set-up is more in the direction of sporty handling. Whether you like the style or not, it is distinctive - not shared with any other car. The list price is a bit higher, but since the car has been out for a while, there are deals out there, particularly on the 2006's. Infiniti reliability is good and dealer service is based on the Lexus model. In this comparison, the Infiniti has been out longer, so the early problems (like the 6 speed auto failures) are pretty much fixed.

Consumer reports rated the M35 AWD the best sedan they had ever tested!

Hypnotik

I remember when i first saw pics of the ES350, i really liked the looks. Lately, ive been seeing a few on the road and the car just screams camry. I know it looks different in many ways, but the general shape and look is too similar. More so than the previous model. Those pictures above just confirm their similarities even more. Even my mom who knows nothing about cars saw the resemblance. From a distance she said "is that the new camry? It looks nice". Even my eyes had me fooled at first. But i guess it just depends on your preference. Im sure the ES350 is a great luxury cruiser. Im not saying at all that it looks bad because it looks good, but the fact that it looks so much like the camry totally turns me off. If i were in your situation, i would rather get an IS350 or consider the GS300. But if you decide between the GS300 vs M35, Id definitely get the M35. I also remember reading in consumer reports that the M35 ranked higher than even the LS430

jeffofla

I really believe that the Camry and the ES 350 look distinctly different.

twister

I think there are different sides to this comparison. For those of you who have a garage full of luxury $50k+ cars, decision is based on the distinctive look to absolutely stand out from the crowd of other luxury cars at your local country club There, you will expect a few jokes thrown in your direction for driving a "camry-clone". I really think Lexus was smart to give enough similarities to ES350, and yet make it distinct enough. Its still an entry level luxury car which is extremely affordable without UL and NAV. I was in a market to buy a new car, and usually go for standard Toyota/Honda/Nissan. But, when I start looking at their prices with a well equipped package, I realized that luxury is just around the corner with ES350 for a small premium. The car is a perfect blend of performance, luxury, tech innovations, and has this rich Lexus-appeal. I told a number of my friends that I just bought Lexus and described them some of the cool features in it, they all concluded I got a $40k-$50k car, and were extremely surprised when I revealed a price to be mid $30k.

I think that probably with this new ES strategy Lexus could loose a number of their previous ES customers who would want to be distinct from the Camry (the way how it was before). But at the same time, they will gain a ton more who used to drive Camry and now want to move up to the next luxury level without second mortgage on the house

I'll give you another, slightly off-topic example. Almost 2 years ago I got my wife 2005 Highlander (a present before my daughter was born). I heard a number of comments that I was crazy for not getting RX instead. The explanation from a few of those was: cause its a Lexus! Now, I'm laughing back at them for trying to fit half of baby-cargo into their RX in comparison to our Highlander

andejes

Some of the opinions weren't objective, but they were useful none the less. I've got a 2000 Camry now and I have looked at the 2007 Camry (LE not the SE in the pictures above) next to the ES350 in person and they do look the same. I have polled people and everyone says they basically look the same with some subtle differences. There is nothing dramatically different about the vehicles' exteriors. However, I have heard of some service/dealer issues with the electrical in the console in the M35 and I have heard more complaints about Infiniti's. The ride of the M is a little noisy also.

I looked at the GS300 but my husband is 6'6'' of legs and that just won't work. I am finally going to drive the M and ES again with my husband this weekend. I'll keep you guys posted.

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

How about a comparative analysis. Anything that is less than 5% difference (coefficient of variace of 0.05), I will consider insignificant...

ES350 vs. M35

MSRP (base models): $33,170 vs. $41,840 = Advantage ES350
Basic Warranty: 4yr/50k vs. 4yr/60k = Advantage M35

Horsepower: 272 hp vs. 280 hp = No Significant Difference
Torque: 254 ft.lbs vs. 268 ft.lbs. = Advantage M35
0-60 mph time: 6.8 sec. vs. 6.3 seconds = Advantage M35
Fuel Economy: 21/30 mpg vs. 18/25 mpg = Advantage ES350
Curb weight: 3580 lbs. vs. 3832 lbs. = Advantage ES350

Front Headroom: 37.40 in. vs. 39.60 in. = Advantage M35
Front Legroom: 42.20 in. vs. 44.20 in. = No Significant Difference
Front Shoulder room: 57.30 in. vs. 58.20 in. = No Significant Difference
Front Hip room: 55.90 in. vs. 55.10 in. = No Significant Difference

Cabin Volume: 95.40 sq.ft. vs. 105.20 sq.ft. = Advantage M35
Cargo Volume: 14.70 sq.ft. vs. 14.90 sq.ft. = No Significant Difference




Is this objective enough? Which advantages do you prefer? I think the price provides a huge difference between the two...

usermel

I would go for the M35 based on these numbers. And I'm a Lexus fan but, if going by numbers I'd go with the M35. The price is higher but, I'd bite the bullet based on these figures. That said without having numbers to aid in my choice I'd pick the ES 350, theres something about Lexus quality!


GOD IS GOOD!

usermel

You could get a ultra luxury ES 350 and still be close to the price of a base M35. Maybe for the ultra luxury ES350 you will pay around $43,000-$44,500.


GOD IS GOOD!

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

M35 5 speed tranny vs ES350 6 speed, M really needs a 6 speed

and lexus has a 72 month powertrain warranty with the 4 year basic warranty: Advantage ES350 not M35

andejes

Infinity has at 4 yr /60,000 miles bumper to bumper
Lexus has a 4yr/50,000 bumper to bumper

The powertrain is 7 years 70,000 mile for both of them. PhilipMSPT has it right.

twister

Lexus is rated higher in quality, so extra 10k miles of b2b makes no difference