Hey guys I'm planning on buying a car soon and I need your opinions. I narrowed my choice down to the Infiniti G35 coupe 6mt or a Lexus IS250RWD 6mt. I test drove both cars and I'm going back on Thursday to test drive them one after the other. I really wanted a two door coupe thats fun to drive. The G35 fits this description but its being redesigned and I don't really want a old design one year after I buy it. The IS lures me with its blend of luxury and design. If anyone owns or has owned both cars can you compare them? Which one woul you say is more fun to drive etc. Also do you guys think the manual in the IS is worth it, or should I opt for the auto with paddle shifts? Thanks in advance!

 

I have an IS 250RWD automatic, and I like it. I've never owned Infiniti so I can't do the comparison. But, first of all, you should think twice about choosing the 6MT... specially when you get stuck in H1 traffic. Secondly, if MPG is important to you, the 6MT IS250 get the WORST gas mileage of ALL the IS's, including the 350. Third, resale value.. people rarely buy standard shift nowadays. And last, but not least important, how are you going to hold your date's hand when driving a stick shift?

 

Thats a good point... haha
If you don't mind me asking paeko, how much were u able to haggle below MSRP?

 

I've had both and the G35 coupe is more fun to drive and is of course much faster than the 250. You're right with the redesign about a year away it would be hard to buy one knowing it'll be out dated soon. Power and handling go to the G while luxury go to the IS and it'll also be around awhile. If you go auto I'd go with the 350 because your power edge goes to the IS which then would be the hands down winner. You really can't go wrong with either one though.....good luck!

 

I wouldn't ever be choosing between those two cars... if it comes down to a bigger motor in a comparable car, plus a 6 speed, I'll take the bigger motor and the 6 speed.

The real issue for me with the G35 is simply that I find the interior appalling Ok, perhaps that's exaggerating a bit, but it looks horribly dated to me. And the reality is, you spend a lot more time in the car than outside looking at it.

But like I said, I wouldn't be comparing a near 300hp, 6mt coupe with an automatic 200hp sedan. In fact, if price was the limiting factor and I was stuck with those two choices, I'd probably opt out and go looking at Audi A4's. I love the new body, and you're looking at similar money. The A4's also lease out very nicely if that's a option for you.

Bottom line for me, I want some character in my car. I went with the IS350 basically because I got a great deal, and it fit with my current needs. The IS250 just doesn't do it for me, where the A4 has a truly great 2.0l turbo that's a lot of fun, and the Audi chassis is quite good.

Back to your question though: G35 6MT vs IS250: I'll take the G35 despite the interior (and it does look marginally ok in tan leather).

 

paeko73: Don't post assumptions that you don't know about first hand. I'll take a picture if you like, my 250 6mt is getting 36.4 MPG on this tank and the lifetime from mile one is getting over 29MPG and will hit 30MPG lifetime this week with 1800 miles on the car. My lower lifetime is cause of the break-in period--getting better every tank and I think it's just peaked. Yes, 80% highway driving, setting the cruise at 72mph with average speed in the 60's. The gear ratio of the MT is different and would suggest lower MPG, but don't even assume that the 350 gets better gas mileage since the EPA Sticker on the window says the 350 gets 28 MPG on the highway. That's the same car with 100 more horsepower and only gets 1mpg lower on the highway than the 250---Yeh right. I drove both cars back to back for long test drives and out of the box, the 250 was getting 26 mpg, and the 350 was getting 18 in the same exact driving scenario.

seolstyle Suggestion: If you are in the low 30k range, they are dealing on the G35 MT and it sounds like the power you want.
If the upper 30's is OK, and you want a car now, get the 350.
If MT is a must, wait for the new G35---Order it now! Plus they may come out with a body kit that resembles the Skyline when it comes out since the prototypes look similar.
I don't suggest the 250 MT at all unless you concerned about the interior over power but still want some feeling when driving. I drove the 250 Auto and I wouldn't even go there. The paddle shifters have a slow response and Lexus tries to smooth out the engagement of the tranny, not anything close to a MT feeling or DSG/SMG Auto like in Audi and BMWs. The manual tranny on the Lexus is just OK, the gates are average, some notchyness, and engagement is higher than the liking.
After driving my friends' Porsche Boxster, S2000, G35, and M3, the Lexus is nowhere near those cars in driving fun. The G35 will be closest to the IS350, but the 350 doesn't handle as well and you have the slow shifting paddles. Both the G and IS are heavier cars with less road feedback than the BMW. If you do sit in traffic on H1 alot, you may lean towards the better interior and Automatic of the 350. Good luck.

And for the 350 drivers that will support the paddle shifters, yes, you learn to shift earlier so that the slow shifting paddles shift at the right RPM and in the apex of the turn. But you'd have to agree that if Lexus brings the IS 500 out in only an auto, they better make it shift similar to the M3's SMG. You can also mod the suspension for better handling, but I thought we were talking stock vs. stock.

 

g35 coupe

 

I have to agree that although the G is being redesigned, it does not mean that it will be obsolete. It still looks good and has a presence on the road.

You'll have more power, more control, and more performance. As nice as the IS250 is, it still has quite a bit of disadvantages right now, which most people have discussed like crazy on this forum. Compared to the G35, the only advantage you'll get out of the IS is better build quality.

Are you planning to keep these cars for life? If I were you, I'd lease the G35 for a couple of years, and try to upgrade to the new G35/37 (or perhaps that IS500?) when they appear two or three years down the road. You get the best for now, and you'll get something better later...

 

Well, I guess I’m also qualified to answer because I drive a ’04 G35 Coupe and my wife and I just bought our IS250 for her.

If I had to choose now between the current G35 coupe and the IS I would select the IS, probably an IS350 to match the power of the coupe. The IS much more advanced and richer in features. The current coupe is dated in comparison. But as you say, the coupe will be all-new for 2008, so it may be worth the wait. That’s what I’m going to do when my lease is up on my current G35 in late 2007, just in time for the new coupe. I will look at each one very closely and make a decision at that time.

But frankly, I can see his and her IS’s in our garage next year.

 

The new G35 available in 07 is the sedan only. There will not be an 07 coupe available. The new coupe is going to be an 08 model and will likely have very different styling than the sedan. The sedan G35 HP rating is going to around 315-325. The coupe is likely to be much higher with several different optional power arrangements. I hope they decide to keep the manual transmission for the sedan. It is one of the main reasons I have decided to wait until 07 to decide on my next daily driver. I am no longer sold on getting the IS anymore. Going to spend the money I was going to use for the down payment this year for more mods on the Vette.

 

I can only give an opinion based on short drivies.

I have an IS 350 with only 350 miles on it, and I test drove the G35 coup once and the sedan many times.

I chose the IS for 0-60 performance, ventalated seats, and the ipod, XM, MP3 integration.

The back seat in the G35 coupe is very cramped, I would almost call the G35 coupe a two seater.

I like the looks of both equaly. If there weren't so many G35s on the road I think I'd like the better.

Most importantly be sure to drive them both on the highway before you decide. The IS is horrible on the freeway.

Auto vs. Manual. If this were being asked 10 years ago I think we would all agree that manual is the only serious option if you care about fun and performance. But in 2006 Automatic transmissions are outstanding. On the IS the paddle shifters are great on mountains especially going down hill, but for normal driving, the auto always pick the right gear. I felt the same way with the G35.

Another school of thought, you can get a used G35 for $25,000.... at least on the mainland you can.

They are both great cars, you can't go wrong either way.

~Jay

 

I had the '02 G sedan, an '04 6mt coupe, and now the is350.

G: one of the best looking coupes out there regardless of cost. Build quality and quality control is lacking. Mine was a rattle trap on smooth roads and the dealership couldn't/wouldn't fix any of them. I had grease streaks on the windows, the car pulled to the right, I had the inner front tire feathering issue (that get's expensive with 19"s) and gas mileage was not that great. I averaged 21-22 after the car was totally broken in. Off the lot, I was getting ~18 mpg. I'm averaging almost 27 for the same commute in my 350 with less than 3K miles so far and it's getting better. The seat rocked back and forth (also had this issue in my '02 G sedan). My tranny had issues also. I had to wait about 'one thousand one, one' before being able to shift from 1st to 2nd. Any faster and it would grind. Of course, this was 'normal' and I ended up shifting from 1st to 3rd. Many were having issues with 3rd and 5th gears also. People are still complaining about this with the '06, which brings me to my biggest issue with Infiniti. They don't seem to care about service after the sale. How hard is it to make a set of seat rails that will actually hold the seat in place without movement after 4 years, no less? Also, getting warranty work is like pulling teeth. It's either 'normal' or they 'couldn't replicate' even after I went with them on a test run with a tech. Once they wouldn't work on the car because they couldn't replicate it again the next day.

The engine burned about 1.5 quarts of oil every ~4K miles but it was strong and pretty much bulletproof besides that.

IS: quality is very apparent. No rattles whatsoever which is all the more remarkable because the interior sound level is MUCH quieter than the G and the somewhat choppy ride from the sport suspension. The engine feels stronger down low and you don't feel the unbalanced nature (the engine makes the car jiggle when you're sitting at a stoplight) of the V6 as you do in the G. The ride is harsher than the G though, which absorbs bumps/irregularities much better than the IS. Stereo: ML (and even the base system) trumps the premium Blose in the G. The Blose was a $900 option and if you look at the speakers and amp, the stereo store around the corner wouldn't be able to get more than a $1 per speaker. I gutted the system and put in an aftermarket system (mb quarts, jl audio amps, etc.)

Hope this helps. If you're looking for power, it's the G hands down. If you're looking for a well-built car who's quality control people aren't smoking crack, and you can actually get warranty work, Lexus hands down.

 

First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for their opinions. You guys all made some really good points that I will take in to consideration.

If i could take the plunge for the 350 I would, however, my budget is 35k. Also, I've considered the audi but I'm trying to stay away for the European cars because of their infamous high maintenance costs and electrical problems. I'm planning to keep my next car around for a long time.

Another deciding factor in my decision are the dealerships. In the island of O'ahu in Hawaii, there is only one Lexus and one Infiniti dealership. From my experince the Infiniti dealership was a little stuck up, perhaps due to the g35's immense popularity here in the islands. They were adament on MSRP for special orders from the factor which I think is ridculous. If I am to get the G35, I plan to wait until the '07 are out in November and hopefully preferred color combo will be available. Servco Lexus on the other hand, provided great service and seemed eager for my business. My salesperson provided great service and although I didn't negotiate yet, he made me feel as though I could get a great deal. It just seems that dealership wise Lexus would be the best way to go.

This is the first time I will be purchasing a new car and although I feel as if I would be happy with either models, I don't want to regret my purcahse when I see the other model driving by. Thank you guys for your opinions! This forum is great I'll keep you guys posted on my decision.

 

Here are the specs on the g35 sedan I did get a mini brochure in the mail and have to admit the car does look nice. You will have a wait for the coupe with not much changing from what
I 've read. Good luck I'm sure you will make the right choice. If it were my choice I'd rather have 4 doors .




Engine 3.5-liter DOHC 24-valve V6, rated at an estimated 300-plus horsepower*
Transmission 5-speed automatic with manual mode and Downshift Rev Matching or close-ratio 6-speed manual transmission
Rear viscous limited-slip differential on Sport models
Magnesium paddle shifters on Sport A/T model
Platform Front Mid-ship (FM) platform (second generation)
Drive Configuration Front engine/rear-wheel drive or ATTESA E-TS™ all-wheel drive (G35x AWD model)
Suspension 4-wheel independent multi-link suspension with extensive use of lightweight aluminum-alloy components, front and rear stabilizer bars
Steering Vehicle-speed-sensitive power rack-and-pinion system
Brakes 4-wheel power-assisted vented disc brakes, standard 4-wheel Anti-lock braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA)
Wheels/Tires Standard 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels with P225/55VR17 all-season tires; available 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels with P225/50R18 front/P245/45R18 rear high-performance tires
Wheelbase 112.2 inches
Length 187.0 inches
Width 69.8 inches
Height 57.2 inches (57.8 G35x AWD)
Select Exterior Features The 2007 Infiniti G Sedan’s sensuous styling combines a long, wave-like hood, pushed-back A-pillars, aggressive stance, an Infiniti signature double-arch grille with sculpted grille blades, High Intensity Discharge (HID) bi-xenon headlights, integrated fog lights, L-shaped LED taillights and available Adaptive Front lighting System (AFS). A unique front fascia and side sills are available on Sport models.
Seating Capacity 5 passengers
Select Interior Features The all-new interior design offers a new level of modern warmth and hospitality, with unique features such as white-and-violet Fine Vision Meter gauge illumination and high-touch textured aluminum-alloy trim with “Washi” (traditional Japanese handmade paper) texture

Available advanced technologies include RearView Monitor, a touch screen navigation system with real-time traffic and the Infiniti Studio on Wheels™ by Bose®, combining the industry’s first 3-way front door speaker array using 10-inch woofers with an audiophile quality head unit incorporating a 24-bit Burr Brown® Digital Audio Converter.

Other interior features includes Infiniti signature analog clock, standard leather-appointed seating, standard 8-way power adjustable driver’s seat and 4-way power adjustable front passenger’s seat, standard Infiniti Intelligent Key with Push Button Ignition, available Bluetooth® Hands-Free Phone System, and available sport-styled front seats with thigh extensions and power torso and thigh bolsters.


Safety Zone Body construction with front and rear crumple zones, Advanced Air Bag System (AABS) with dual-stage front supplemental air bags, seat belt sensors and front seat side-impact supplemental air bags for chest protection, roof-mounted curtain side-impact air bags for front and rear outboard occupant head protection, standard Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS), front seat Active Head Restraints.
Models and Manufacturing
Available in five well-equipped models: G35, G35 Journey, G35x AWD, G35 Sport and G35 Sport 6MT

 

Keep your distance from Audi! They are why I moved to Lexus. I had an 05 S4 and currently have an 03 RS6 and Audi service is the worst I've ever seen. All the techs apparently don't know how to work on Audi's. My RS6 was in the shop recently because the ground came disconnected. It was a simple job that turned into a 3 weeks fix! Biggest idiots ever! I needed good service and solid quality and I'm pretty sure I'll be getting that with Lexus. I also had excellent results from infiniti's service dept.