frankt19

Was wondering what everybody thought on the IS 250 AWD vs. the Acura TL and Infiniti G35 sedan. What are the positives of the 250 over the others and what are some of the negatives?

Also, does anybody have any links or at least car magazine names and month when the Is 250 was reviewed and/or was compared to these other vehicles?

Any opinions or thoughts on why I should buy the 250 over other cars is needed because I am unsure on which car to get. Thanks in advance.

jsquared

250 will beat the other two out with its interior, electronics and reliability. it gets killed though in power, especially by the new g35 sedan which can keep up with the 350. it also has less interior space, especially in the rear, i think.

let us know the uses for your car. that'll help us decide what will work better for you.

ff_

Says who?

I happen to like the TL's interior much better than the IS's. Haven't seen the G35's yet.
What electronics does the IS have that the TL or G35 doesn't?
Why do you think the IS's reliability is going to be any better than the Honda's?

jsquared

well i guess that's just my preference. my cousin has the TL... he agrees with me on what i said, and was even thinking about trading it in for the 350. a majority of people that have seen both of our cars say the IS interior looks and feels better.

i can't say much about the nav, haven't even seen the one in the new G35, but from what i've heard, the IS is AT LEAST equal, if not better.

the IS's reliablity in my experience is light years better than hondas. my mom's old accord was crap, my friend has been through 3 different civic's with endless problems. i know at least 7 people with the 2nd gen IS (various models) and the biggest problem any of us have had was the moonroof rattle. besides, he's asking about the TL and G35, which i've heard more issues about in comparison to the IS.

again, THIS IS COMPLETELY OPINION. you don't have to criticize every other person's opinion you don't agree with. instead, you should post what you think about those cars and try to help the OP regarding the thread.

ff_

You stated it as fact, and that's why I called you on it.

jsquared

sorry, that was my mistake then. but back to topic, can you provide some insight on this comparison? i'd like to know more as well...

totalstu

Technically not a fair comparison as the 250awd is the only awd vehicle you listed. Also, the TL is FWD and the G35 is RWD, unless you get the G35awd.

IMO, the TL is an old, outdated design, that I just don't care for. The changes they made to the 07 didn't do much to change my mind. My buddy got one recently and recommended that I get one. You do get quite a bit for your money. My problem is I've never really liked the look, the dashboard design, and that there are just way too many on the road. As for the G, well I've never been a Nissan/Infiniti guy and I feel the interior of the G is not up to par, especially for a so called premium brand. The facelift redo did nothing to change my mind.

As for the IS, well what can I say as I purchased one. It was more expensive and slower than the other two but has features such as ventilated seats, good sound system, paddle shifters, killer looks, etc. I will grant you the rear seat room is limited. In my case it didn't matter as I rarely have anyone in the back seat. It would look better lowered but that is another story. You also get the Lexus/Toyota reliability factor but that's no guarantee.

Anyways, this probably didn't help you but it's my opinion

AM1

iTrader: (6)

all three cars are different cars. the only thing that links them is that they are from japan based manufacturers. The whole relaiblity, build quality, blah blah stuff is so close between the three that saying one is better then the other two is strictly SUBJECTIVE. All the three makers have had their build quality issues, dont be deceived to think that lexus is perfect, cuz its not. i personally think the TL looks the best out of the three. i could list a whoe page of differences between the three as i have considered all three in trying to get my next car.

al503

my g/f has gotten a TL as loaner now and then... The interior is very good. However, the one stark difference I noticed was that the resolution of the nav in the TL truly sucked compared to the one in the IS.

The ride is also on the jittery side in the TL. Don't know what it is exactly but it's definitely noticeable on the highway.

Other than that, the TL definitely has more room at least in the back and has a much bigger trunk because of the FWD layout.

G35: Had 2 of them before the IS, can't speak on the new '07's but the ones I owned had too many issues and I would rather get a root canal than try to get warranty work done on them.

frankt19

Thanks everyone for your insights. I would be getting the Infiniti G35 in AWD so the 250 and G35 have AWD and the TL doesn't. I live in long island NY and besides this winter snow and bad weather is the norm and I just feel having AWD is needed. For the people who said it doesnt have much power since its an AWD is it still a somewhat quick car overall? I dont plan on speeding too much and I plan to drive on the highway to get to work and local places on the island and really probably nothing more. Do you think the extra power is needed? Gotta test drive all 3 soon.

I like the TL but the big concern I have there is I could only afford the base model w/out the performance tires and since it has no AWD at least I feel safer in the IS 250. Still unsure but I appreciate everyone's opinions. Any others would be greatly appreciated as well.

The Chad

The TL comes equipped with VSA and you can get it with all-seasons which of course you could swap out for snow tires. I think that a FWD car with snows is just as good as AWD in the winter, IMO.

Also, the TL will have more interior space b/c of the FWD platform which means the back seat is quite spacious and more space in the front. Having driven both, the TL feels bigger and more roomy on the inside than the IS.

I believe the TL also has XM NavTraffic now, or at least it's an option on the Type-S version (I believe), and can be used when the vehicle is in motion, which would make it superior to the Lexus' nav, but the screen resolution on the IS is absolutely superb.

I've seen many people complain on Acurazine about the build quality of the TL. It's assembled in Marysville, OH and not in Japan like the TSX and RL, and some people claim that's the reason.

The nice thing about the TL is there isn't many option packages. You either get it in manual or automatic, Summer tires or all seasons, and with or without navigation.

The TL and G35 will both trump the Lexus in power. A quick search of this forum will talk about how people are content with the power, while others wish they would've gotten a 350. The 6-speed transmission in the Lexus (the auto) will help it feel a little peppier than what it is. My only suggestion to you about that is to test drive the cars and see which you like better.

I don't believe you "NEED" AWD, but if you believe that you do then the TL is not an option for you. I just saw a commercial advertising a 399/month lease deal on the IS250 AWD. A pretty compelling argument for me, if AWD was a priority.

al503

I'm actually driving my sister's 250 awd today because of some snow we've gotten here. (I have the 350 with hockey pucks for tires right now.)

It was actually a lot peppier than I thought. The 6 speed shifts very smoothly and there doesn't seem to be too much of a deficit in power in normal driving. I think there's enough juice for 95% of the time. It will be a little lacking when you want to be pushed back into your seat and hear the growl of the 3.5 but with gas prices being what they are (still around $2.80 for premium) I don't do that as often anyway.

sdbrandon

Comes down to horsepower and style. All three are nice, reliable cars. Just look at the sales numbers for each.

Foxberry

But if he would have said that the G35's or TL's interior/electronics/reliability beats the IS's, I wonder if you would have "called him on it"...

LexFather

Its hard to beat the G35 AWD. It probably will be the same price if not cheaper than a AWD IS 250, it is a great value. Also, the literal 100hp difference is easily felt between the 2 cars. G35 is also bigger.
The TL is another good car in this class, I do find the interior very good. Fast and more room than the IS.However, the whole built in Ohio thing ruins it for me.

IS is a smaller car, in a GOOD way, the same size as the 3/A4/C class. I find the build top notch. I feel Lexus has details in the IS that the other 2 cars still cannot match. It has a "Feel Good' vibe, it is IMO, the best looking in class.

Good luck, all 3 are awesome!