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Infiniti M35 vs Lexus GS 300

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Comments

  • blov8rblov8r Member Posts: 567
    Infiniti's made a couple of mistakes, and one of them is giving NO fall back mechanism to start the car if the fob gets lost/misplaced (as by a valet, even one's own clumsiness). That, plus an inadequately adjustable passenger seat, plus the doors not locking automatically when setting the car in motion are TO ME its main frailties ... none of which has been addressed in the 2007 model. Bart :shades:
  • ghstudioghstudio Member Posts: 972
    I'm not sure we know if the passenger seat has changed yet...All I've seen is a list of feature content changes and some rumors. We also don't know if the 2007 M35 has the increased horsepower of the G35...they are both 3.5l engines but the G35 has a horsepower increase.

    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 :)
  • art234art234 Member Posts: 99
    I just made the plunge-pick up my M35x relatively loaded on Saturday. My only real concern is fuel economy. I drove the GS300, and found it cramped and small, and generally unimpressive on the road. I am going to have some fun with the M, which has much nicer road manners than the 2005 G35x I am trading (long story.)

    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.
  • bocatripbocatrip Member Posts: 194
    Sorry to burst your balloon, but the M as well as the G35 is a thirsty car. The Lexus on the other hand does well for gas/economy. Good luck with your purchases regardless of the extra cost of fuel..It seems as if you have broken even with your trade.
  • sfcharliesfcharlie Member Posts: 402
    "Sorry to burst your balloon, but the M as well as the G35 is a thirsty car. The Lexus on the other hand does well for gas/economy. Good luck with your purchases regardless of the extra cost of fuel..It seems as if you have broken even with your trade."

    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.
  • velveteendad1velveteendad1 Member Posts: 36
    I drove both the M35 and the GS300 (and the Acura TL), and chose the M. I really liked the GS, and I'm sure it's a great car. But I found the inside so small and cramped relative to the M, the trunk is tiny, and the price for an equivalently-equipped GS is several thousand higher.

    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.
  • buyer10buyer10 Member Posts: 1
    For the last two years, I drove a 2004 GS 300. I recently looked at a 2006 GS300 and then looked at an Infiniti M35. The M35 won me over immediately. More room, better Nav system, and it just screams down the road.

    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.
  • alexuslover1alexuslover1 Member Posts: 1
    I love my Bimmer, still have it, just gave it to my Mom. I wanted to upgrade, the 5 has nice exterior but inside looks cheap. I hate to say it coming from a bimmer owner but I was not about to drop 60K for something that looks cheap. I went to the lexus dealer the next day and bought my GS300, I like the luxurious feeling that it gives, its also very well known for reliability and holds it value over time, so I don't have to worry about depreciation. The M was okay, the exterior doesn't do it for me. The inside is nice with all the Nav and voice activation system but the smooth ride, and the feeling from a lexus is not the same for me. The M has a more boxier look to it. I think really all depends on taste, both are good cars. My in law bought a M35 and she loves it. I'm not easily impressed by technology, for me its the whole package. Not just the look, not just the way it drives... but I think about insurance cost, up keep costs, depreciation, safety, and overall smoothiness and luxury feel. I'm happy w/ my lexus
  • 150mphclub150mphclub Member Posts: 316
    I know what you are talking about. I loved the 2006 GS, BUT my head touched the sunroof. That killed it for me.
  • blov8rblov8r Member Posts: 567
    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.

    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:
  • carfan28carfan28 Member Posts: 43
    For those of you who own the GS300 awd or the M35x, how did it do in snow conditions last winter?

    Thanks!
  • shermanlshermanl Member Posts: 9
    I drove the '07 M35X for the first time today. Nice...really nice.

    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.
  • pete_l_ppete_l_p Member Posts: 322
    Thanks for the report. I came to exactly the same conclusions myself.

    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
  • mmoreno1978mmoreno1978 Member Posts: 106
    I love the M35x, but i have to admit, the AWD does not really give you as much confidence as you would expect.
    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.
  • james27james27 Member Posts: 433
    Tires make a difference...the stock ones aren't the greatest.
  • shermanlshermanl Member Posts: 9
    Thanks. I'm looking forward to having those feelings, but with the M35X. I don't want to go through one more no-traction winter (or rainstorm) with the GS300 and look forward to the all wheel drive!

    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.
  • pete_l_ppete_l_p Member Posts: 322
    Pete, do you feel that the majority of issues that owners bring up on this site are isolated issues?

    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
  • steveking1steveking1 Member Posts: 7
    I dont know what you guys are talking about, im 6'3 200 and the Lexus has plenty of space for me. I also dont get the whole "feeling" of the road deal, how often are you racing around that you would need or for that matter want to "feel" the road. The lexus is smooth and quiet as can be and I love that about it.
  • james27james27 Member Posts: 433
    Ever noticed that there are all sorts of sizes of clothing in the stores...I have a friend that is the same height as I, he has 3" longer inseam than I. It makes a huge difference on what cars we each can fit in comfortably. That is what I'm talking about. The insistance of installing a sunroof and losing nearly 3" of headroom as a result severely limits what cars I comfortably fit in. You might find the lack of legroom a factor, or the reach to the steering wheel. Now, if I had simean arms, I could lay the seat down more and headroom wouldn't be as much of a problem. We each have our crosses to bear. I've only owned one car that had a perfect seating arrangement - a Citroen, strange as that might be. Nothing else has come very close. You can attribute some of that to the French doing things their own way, like making the clutch, gas, and brake all at the same level so you could just swivel your foot from one to the other making the seat to steering wheel less critical so you didn't have to lift your leg to reach the brake pedal - if you could reach the gas, you could reach the brake. The perceived fiasco with Audi pretty much prevents anyone from doing this simple but nice to have situation. Really made heel and toeing easy. If you are too sloppy to hit the brake or gas when you want the other, you really shouldn't be driving.
  • steveking1steveking1 Member Posts: 7
    yeap that makes sense, I was just letting people know that you can be big, and still fit very very comfortably in the lexus.
  • allagarooallagaroo Member Posts: 88
    Now that Lexus has upgraded the horsepower to 303 the equation may have changed. My lease is about to expire on my'03 Audi A6 2,7T w/ quattro and the main prerequisite for my next car is AWD. I have narrowed it down to the GS350 and the M35X and have test driven both of them. The Lexus is now quicker off the line and in passing situations than the M. The M handles better as best as I could tell since the test run in the Lexus was on straight roads in traffic. The Lexus is quieter, more refined and more luxurious feeling but the M is sportier and more fun to drive. The Lexus is smaller inside and has a tiny trunk. It appears that the technology in the M is better somewhat but hard to tell in a short test drive. The M doesn't have automatic door locking which I like and in order to get HID headlights you need to order the advanced tech package( which has features I don't want) and then add on another $800 for the lights. The Infiniti dealerships are more high pressure and the Lexus dealerships are far classier however I have no idea who has better service.
    Now that the Lexus has upped the hp I'm curious to hear opinions on preferences. I change my mind every day.
    Thanks,
    Jerry
  • mmoreno1978mmoreno1978 Member Posts: 106
    Which tires would you recommend?
  • james27james27 Member Posts: 433
    I've got some Michelin Pilot Alpin 2's on my M35x - they handle about the same as the factory tires, and aren't noisey in the process. We've had very little snow, so I can't really say how well they work.
  • used2lovelexoused2lovelexo Member Posts: 4
    I used to love GS, like you I had a GS 300 1998. I loved it 160k miles. I recently bought the GS 2006 model and WOW the features. But I was in a fender bender and a nissan altima suffered minor bumper damage while my car suffered $10,000 damages. The car is made much thinner and crumbles. Consumer reports said its Lexus worst model for body integrity. Not Safe I am so mad I chose this over an infinity or even a BMW. I have begged Lexus CS to get me out of this car and the airbags did not even deploy, safety is a big issue over asthetics. next car is infinity
  • hausshauss Member Posts: 169
    FYI...CR states body integrity as the following:

    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.
  • james27james27 Member Posts: 433
    Manufacturers were forced in the (70's?) to make 5mph bumpers....they complained. Now, the requirement is slower. To meet the crash tests, all new cars crumple - this absorbs energy so it doesn't impact you. It is unfortunate that this can mean more must be replaced after a crash. A luxury car's parts are more expensive than "lesser" cars, which may not provide the same level of occupant protection. So, you make your choices, and pay the price.

    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.
  • used2lovelexoused2lovelexo Member Posts: 4
    I read the report today on MSN, that many new cars crumbled but it also states that the previous model GS up until 2005 had a better crash test rating. The issue is they can make it safer and as sturdy as the previous materials used.
  • kivikivi Member Posts: 12
    We considered and test drove the usual crowd ( 5xi, A6,GS, and M). I really did like the GS but the headroom killed it for me (6'2"). I liked the styling of the lexus better than the M, but we chose the M35x because of the headroom it offered over the lexus.
  • james27james27 Member Posts: 433
    Me, too. I really feel cheated that I have so few choices because of headroom. I would gladly live without the sunroof (which is almost impossible to find). But where you can possibly order one without a sunroof, it is a package with many of the fun and nice to have things that you lose too. Bummer...On my last car, and Audi A6, I ordered it without the sunroof - had 2.85" more headroom per the specs. Today, you can order one without, but, can't get the HID lamps, etc. Have been spoiled by them, and don't want a car without them. Cost a major fortune to retrofit, so that is out. Maybe when I replace this one, there will be more choices.
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