jrock65

1) M45 Sport (582.5 pts.)
2) 545i (569.0 pts.)
3) GS 430 (559.1 pts.)

Apparently, there were three categories (Performance, Subjective, and Price), and the M45 won in all three.

I wish that the mags would do more tests with the V6 and AWD variants in this category, as those would make the bulk of the sales. Maybe those tests are coming later.

xravexboix

Ouch... I understand being beat by the 5 series (have you driven one? wow) but the M45... damn... now I want to go check out the M45... I drove a G35 and wasn't too impressed... so we'll see about the new M

rheiy

How about posting up some of the 0-60 and 1/4 mile times

jrock65

0-60, 1/4 mile

M45 Sport: 5.3, 13.8
545i: 5.2, 13.7
GS430: 5.7, 14.2

Guy Legend

Surprised with the M? It has won nearly every major magazine comparison.

I'm more surprised in the GS's loss to the 5 series, but not too much considering this test was focused a lot on sportyness.

They should have included the E500 and A6 4.2 in the test, cars more simmilar to the GS.

teutonictr

This is a good review - they clearly state that each car has strengths, and that because this was essentially a speed test, the Lexus was 3rd. Its strengths are that it is a sporty luxury sedan, basically, and the others are sporty sedans with luxury - depends on what you want.

SCWells72

I've now driven both the 3rd-gen GS430 and the M45 Sport, and I have to say that the M45 Sport would get my money. As a 2nd-gen GS430 owner, that's a tough concession! The GS430 has a little nicer interior--mostly a subjective point, but in the objective category, quality of the dash and console plastics is quite a bit better in the GS430--but overall I have to say that I like the performance, handling, and gadget factor of the M45 Sport more. The throttle response is night-and-day different between the two, with the GS430 being incredibly sluggish and the M45 Sport being VERY responsive, in fact, as responsive a manumatic as I've driven. Even with the adjustable suspension on the sport setting, the GS430 had quite a bit of body roll even in easy turns. In fact, so much so that my wife is the one that brought it up first. The M45 Sport stuck even the tight turns as well as a vehicle of that weight could, in my opinion.

Also, even though it performs and handles better, the M45 Sport has substantially more interior room than the GS430. My wife puts her seat in what we've come to call "pimp mode", and in my previous GS430 (and in the new one), there's literally no room for a normal sized person behind her. Seated similarly in the M45 Sport, I could sit behind her no problem. I'm 6'1", and with the driver's seat arranged to my preference, I could sit behind it and just about cross my legs.

I prefer the M45's voice control system with natural voice recognition instead of just pre-defined commands. The audio systems are both amazing. I do prefer the touchscreen in the GS, but the HMI in the M45 works well, and you can control most functions easily from the steering wheel and through voice commands. The reclining, heated rear seats and rear entertainment system are really nice for rear seat passengers.

It'll be interesting to see how the M45 Sport holds up over time, particularly its resale value. The G35 Coupe has great value retention, but that's very abnormal for Infiniti vehicles. Given the strong demand and industry reaction to the M-series, I'm thinking that that it might hold its value well.

My $0.02...

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

Shizola those are FAST times! Niiiice.

Bmw2lexus

What I don't understand is why is everyone so caught up with 0-60 times? To me it's like your processor speed. "My computer is faster than yours!!!" (By the way, I'm a mac user!!!) Cars just keep getting faster. The new BMW 550 should be around 5.0 sec or less. That's getting into the E39 M5 times!!! Can anyone tell me what the difference is with .5 seconds? Is that 1/4 cars length, a bumper, or what?
I think these magazines should include RELIABILITY and customer service into these car comparisons since they have a lot of subjective ratings already.

speedflex

That's what Consumer Reports is for. These magazines are about driving exhilaration and the fun of the whole experience.

LexFather

Marketing and it sells cars. Lexus used this strategy with the GS back in 1998 and is using it for its hybrids.
THe mags will always pick the sportiest car unless they specify otherwise. The GS is no slouch but a slight step behind the competiton in overall performance.

One thing that puzzles me though, for drivers oriented cars, the 5 and M45 dash are not sport oriented at all. WIth the GS, the dash is titled towards the driver somewhat, like the previous 2 generations. ALL the old BMWs had this setup, putting the controls closer to the driver.

Being based on a 350Z and the FM platform, the M35/45 will be a sporty car like all the other FM cars.

I have yet to read the review but I am sure the overall results are pretty accurate.

Guy Legend

Here's the article scanned over at freshalloy. Not very reader friendly, but nonetheless.

http://forums.freshalloy.com/ubbthre...b=5&o=&fpart=1

Xenthar

Yet another well deserved victory for infiniti

xravexboix

Lexus can't win everything! Then they'd have nothing to be proud of and will have to dedicate a wing of HQ for trophys

I was only surprised w/ the M winning because I'm using the G35 as the comparison vehicle (didn't like it that much). We all have different tastes, obviously, and I'm starting to go for pure luxury as opposed to a pure sports car. Obviously, the luxury car will still have to handle =P

So, like I said, I'm gonna go check out the M45 this weekend! It may open a new door to appreciate another Japanese automaker's luxury (although I consider Infiniti to be Sports, like BMW) line.

flipside909

It was a very good read. It's funny how C&D rated the 5 series way below and R&T put it a cut above the rest. My money would still go to the 06 GS430 if I had the choice at this moment. It suits my preferences and needs the most. But if I was in the market for a performance sports sedan, call me crazy but the 5 series styling is somewhat growing on me. I see them all over here in the OC.