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Infiniti M35 vs Lexus GS 300
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Comments
I plan to lease a 2006 M35 for two years....by then, someone will have gotten this right. I've been looking at everything. Navigation is very important to me as a realtor and the system in the BMW's, Audi and MB are just antiques. They are still better than the Chrysler 300 which has, by far, the worst navigation system I've ever encountered. The Lincoln zephyr is just a non player as far as I can tell. I hate the passenger seat on the M35...I have been riding with a friend and it's just plain uncomfortable. I would buy an Acura, but just bought an Accord with all bells/whistles for my wife..now there's a great nav system, albeit, without birdseye view. The RL just isn't worth the money and the TL is just buying another Accord with a much tighter/less comfortable suspension.
GS300 drives like a Slushy American car and while most seem to like a thick steering wheel, it drove me nuts..I don't have large hands.
Maybe I should just buy the Porsche Cayman I really want, but I'd find it awkward asking my clients which one would like to see the property first
I actually bought 2 cars this week--traded the G35X for the Lexus RX400h for my wife, and traded my 2003 Murano for the M--now I have the sedan and she gets a fuel efficient SUV.
I took the M for a relatively long (30 min) test drive yesterday and that was all I needed after driving the Lexus.
Consumer Reports overall mpg with the M35x AWD was 18.
Consumer Reports overall mpg with the Lexus GS was 20.
At 15K, you would save only $250 (at $3 per gallon) with the GS, and, generally, the M35x gets one mpg less than regular M35, which is a fairer comparison with the GS. I'm not sure I'd decide to go with one $45L-$50K car, over another, to save $125-$250 per year. If we're looking for mpg, none of the cars recently discussed are the road to mpg heaven.
I also had a '96 Maxima that was the best car I ever owned - most reliable, most fun to drive, most spacious. My great experience with that car definitely had an influence on my selection of the M. I'd replaced that car with an '02 Volvo V70 that needed to have the transmission replaced at 35k miles, fortunately under warranty. I sold it as soon as it was fixed, and decided it was time to go back to Japanese cars.
I ordered an '07 M35 in April, and it'll finally be here in another week or two - it's been a painful wait, but I'm excited that it's finally on its way. I special ordered because I wanted a Crimson car with Graphite interior, which was very hard to find. Glad that it ended up being an '07, since Nissan did make the passenger seat a 10-way adjustable seat like the driver's seat.
It's actually a quieter drive than the GS-300 as well and was several thousand dollars cheaper.
The GS-300 just seemed like a bland car versus the M-35. Yes, the M-35 seems to use a little more gas, but it's like riding in an F-15 when you're going down the highway. It is definitely a lot more fun to drive than the GS-300.
I had to have the dealership check one thing on the M-35 when I thought the NAV system froze up on me. Turned out it didn't, but the service personnel at the dealership went above and beyond the call of duty to make sure I was satisfied. When I got home, I even got a followup call from the salesman who sold it to me to make sure I was satisfied. That's very good followup.
So far I don't just like the Infiniti. I love it.
With all its other attributes, I think you've hit the nail squarely on the head on what separates these two cars. I felt I was "riding" in the GS, "driving" the M. I have a hang-up about handling machinery .. I've raced cars, boats, and flown planes. I like to feel like I'm more than merely a passenger ... that I'm having fun actually driving! And that's what grabbed me about the M. For that matter, 12 years ago I opted for a Q45 over an LS because it was more of a driver's car. Bart :shades:
Thanks!
I've been driving a Lexus GS300 since I bought it new in 1998. It has been a terrific car and the dealer has been nothing short of spectacular. I could hardly believe I was test-driving an Infiniti but...
The M was just a better feel all the way around. Certainly the NAV system was better. As a matter of fact, all the controls were easier to see and easier to access.
The only thing better on the Lexus was the gas mileage and that is a bit of a guilt issue.
I'll probably go for the M in a month or so. Too many items in the plus column to ignore.
I love my M45: The power and handling, the intuitive, instant access dashboard controls, the great Nav and voice commands, the incredibly bright backup monitor with steering dependent, path predicting lines.
It's a pleasure all of the time in just about every way.
Pete
The car handled OK, but I expected more. Even in the rain, its just doesnt grip as one would hope. But its still better than a RWD or FWD vehicle. The Lexus has the same issues (ive been told by my two associates who own the GS)
I think nothing will handle better than the Audi in this class.
Pete, do you feel that the majority of issues that owners bring up on this site are isolated issues? The dealers I've been to seem to have it pretty much all together...very service oriented, and I'm feeling pretty confident about the service network.
Sherman
I think the issues that show are pretty isolated, but of course if a few people see their own problem a few times, they may feel otherwise. The car has been perfect for me in every way.
I think the most accurate gage of reliability comes from broader surveys.
Consumer Reports annual owner satisfaction survey (April 2006) asks OWNERS to rate their satisfaction with their own cars. The question they ask for this survey, as always, is: "Would you buy this car again?"
The Infiniti M35/M45 came out number 1 with the highest percentage of satisfied owners of any luxury car on the road.
The Survey lists the following cars (Shown next to the percentage of owners who would buy it again.)
* 92% - Infiniti M35/M45
* 89% - Lexus GS300/GS430
* 89% - Lexus LS430
* 80% - Audi A6 sedan (V6)
* 78% - Acura RL
* 75% - Jaguar XJ Series
* 75% - Audi A8
* 72% - BMW 5 Series (V8)
* 70% - Lincoln Town Car
* 69% - BMW 5 Series (6-cyl.)
* 67% - Cadillac STS
* 64% - BMW 7 Series
* 63% - Jaguar S-Type
* 62% - Mercedes-Benz E-Class
If you subscribe to consumer reports on-line, you can find the survey here.
Pete
Now that the Lexus has upped the hp I'm curious to hear opinions on preferences. I change my mind every day.
Thanks,
Jerry
Body integrity: Seals, weather stripping, loose interior trim, air and water leaks, wind noise, rattles and squeaks.
What you experienced is most likely due to other factors that caused your car to suffer more costly damage than the Altima.
Also, just so you know the car was given a "Best Pick" by the IIHS with their highest rating across the board.
Air bags only trigger if the impact is both above a certain speed, and the "G-force" exceeds a certain level. It is probably rare a slow-speed bump (less than 10mph) would cause them to trigger unless it was into an immoveable object, and even then, may never do it under 5mph or so.