Lexus ES 350 vs. Infiniti G37 Journey Sedan

richardnvarichardnva Member Posts: 91
Is anyone considering the 2009 Infiniti G37 Journey Sedan in comparison to the 09 Lexus ES350? Aside from the differences in luxury-plush focus (Lexus) vs. luxury sport/technology (Infiniti), what are the notable differences you're seeing when you compare these two cars? The Infiniti definitely seems to be geared more as a "drivers" car, but both are comparable in size and some amenities. What pushes one above the other to you for a family sedan?

Comments

  • agnostoagnosto Member Posts: 207
    I drove both and found the Lexus ES 350 nice but too slow compared to G37 Sedan which is nicer and a lot faster... If I had to choose, I would probably choose the G37 as I like its exterior design better... I wish G37 had a little more torque maybe closer to 300-lb-ft... but then again, the torque increase might sacrifice better MPG...
  • addamsaddams Member Posts: 74
    ES- A nicer ride. Less road noise. A bit more boring to drive. FWD. A somewhat fast car but not vs the G37. ES is a bit more room.
  • a1s1a1a1s1a1 Member Posts: 25
    The quick answer is that ES 350 is a family sedan while G37 is a sports sedan. Completely different cars depending on what "you" are looking for.

    Lexus ES 350........PROS....Apart from Lexus name and presence because of its bigger size, ...smooth ride, impeccable fit and finish, bigger inside, fast enough
    Cons.....FWD, no built in XM with real time traffic information, I pod plus XM cannot be operated "together" through steering wheel, no splash guards

    G37..Pros....faster, XM and I pod integeration through steering wheel, painted splash guards, available in all wheel drive
    Cons......OK fit and finish, cramped interior, noisy and choppy ride

    I test drove back to back, both of these cars plus audi A6,A5 and 2009 redesigned Acura TL. I ended up purchasing ES 350 with UL package, Mark Levinson Audio and panoramic glass roof, etc. Delivery tomorrow.

    My previous cars, 2003 Infiniti I35. I also have a 2004 Acura TL Navi. Just like many I have aged over the years and now my preference is smooth, capable car which I found in ES 350. Though our family work horse is our Van Honda Odyssey yet I sometime end up picking our kids from school in my car. I found that the G37 back seats are somewhat more cramped than TL.

    My final 2 cents, you are 30 something, you are single or married without kids, you like to race from traffic light to traffic light and like to drive aggressively than go for the G37. However, if you are 40 something, you are married and have kids, who likes to travel 1st class and have a few more thousand dollars to spare then go for the Lexus ES 350

    'hope it helps, Good Luck!
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    FWD such as the ES350, along with F/awd vehicles, on a slick roadbed can get away from you unbelievably rapidly. Once it begins to plow/understear you best have practiced quickly appying the e-brake judiciously and shifting into neutral.

    The day is soon coming, hopefully, that when VSC detects this situation it will assume control of the throttle and QUICKLY move the engine RPM to the "sweet spot", no engine drive torque nor engine compression braking.

    In the meantime...PRACTICE.
  • richardnvarichardnva Member Posts: 91
    a1s1a1, Thanks for the reply. Looks like you and I have a lot in common when it comes to cars. I currently drive an 05 Acura TL w/Navi and my wife also has a Honda Odyssey. Before the TL I had an A6 (which I loved and miss dearly). I've been happy with the TL, but would like to try something new for the next car, although I would go back into an Audi if they weren't so expensive. I test drove the A4 naively hoping I would be happy with the new larger redesigned A4. The base 2.0 liter engine is a turbo and I felt really underpowered for that car. The 3.2 liter pushes you way over $40k which imho is way to much for a car the size of the A4. I really enjoyed my test drive of both the ES and the G37. You're right, the G37 is definitely sportier and not something that I really need. I enjoy the plushness of the ES and the slightly larger size, but I'm struggling with the concept of paying a very high premium for a blinged out Camry (which is what my wife drove before the Odyssey). Why not just get the top end Camry or Nissan Maxima for that matter. The new Maxima looks amazing. Decisions, decisions. I'm curious as to why you didn't pick the new TL?
  • addamsaddams Member Posts: 74
    Someone took an ugly stick to the new TL, RL and TSX? Not a very good looking front end to it imo of course.
  • gluckgluck Member Posts: 23
    I had the same confusion. Actually both cars belong to different classes. If you are sportier you will like the G. I really love the G for its design and speed but when it came down to the practicality I chose the ES350. ES is roomier, a notch better in luxury, roomy, will retain its value, and has a way better mileage than G35/37. Surprisingly ES is a fast car, I never thought it would be that good. If you like driving fast, don't care about the room, and can afford the gas go for the G. Also I would not get the G brand new. I saw a bunch of 2008's with 16K on it for $22K or so.
  • sjaievesjaieve Member Posts: 252
    I just saw a couple of ES350s with around 20k miles for 24k, use auto trader to see what i mean. Thats a steep drop for the price of an ES given it costs more than a G.

    Resale values today are a function of the market, its just bad given the discounts on new cars are steep. Historically Infiniti has held value very well, winning an award to that extent for that matter.

    I agree that ES is roomier, better interior material and better gas mileage.

    however you cant say if you can afford the gas get the Infiniti since you pay less to buy the car in the first place. I believe that its a practical car, you can drive it as slowly as you can with an ES if you want. Its still a roomy car in its class, probably the roomiest (remember the ES is not in its class) and is available with manual transmission and AWD. If you are satisified with the ESs room you will be satisified with the G's room

    Sorry but there is just a lot of inaccuracies in this thread that I needed to point out. Both are good cars
  • montreid8888montreid8888 Member Posts: 5
    Completely agree with a1s1a1.

    The G37 beat out the ES350 for us because we are in our mid 30s. with two kids in early elementary school. We just turned in the A4 (too small) for the nice G37 because they kept kicking our seats....we just weren't ready for the ES350, definitely gave a good run, but will probably win the next round.

    The TL looks awful. My wife said....is that a buick? Literally...Someone mentioned the Maxima. Ironically, if you optioned the Tech and Nav like we did...current promos can the G37 cheaper than the Maxima. Crazy, but true.

    We still have our '04 Odyssey doing the majority of the workload as usual. Great Van and still keeps up with most cars.

    So yeah: 30s: G37; zoom zoom. a little less space;
    40s: ES350: better dino ride and finishes (especially the wood makes it NICE). acceleration is less, but there when needed.
  • jhankjhank Member Posts: 1
    I agree g37 is much sportier to drive and has a firmer ride. However, if you research recent g35's (like 2005-07), there are hundreds of complaints including break pads going bad around 10-17k, uncomfortable leather seats, and not mention the higher drop in resale value
  • thomas61thomas61 Member Posts: 2
    Just wanted to mention something, piggybacking on the comment earlier of some inaccuracies in this thread. First, all cars depreciate like crazy. Unless you have the time and patience to sell private party, any trade-in allowance from a dealership is going to be low ball, regardless of Vehicle make.

    And yes, some of my trade ins have been vehicles that were touted as "high resale", including 3 Lexus. 1 2005 GS, 1 2006 GS AWD, and most recently a 2007 ES350. All cars are a depreciating asset, and you will lose money on them at some point, regardless of the make.

    The one other "inaccuracy" to mention is the whole size thing. Yes, the ES350 has more cargo capacity, but other than that, it has pretty similar stats to the G. Go online and check the stats out. You'll find that the G actually has more headroom front and rear. So overall, very similar. And for those of you who haven't owned or ridden in the ES, give it a shot in the back seat. It is not a super roomy vehicle. It's size is OK, but again it's not an LS or anything, just like the G isn't an M in size.

    Overall, of the 3 Lexus I've owned, the ES350 was my least favorite. It was competent in some respects. And definitely not bad. I'll give it that. And gas mileage is off the charts good for a heavy 4 door sedan with a little zip. But hated the FWD. Interior good, but not without a few design faults...i.e., that is the most stupid design for the center console armrest, to gain access. And with less than 36k miles, more dashboard squeaks than I would have guessed. Overall, decent ride, but not great.
  • members78members78 Member Posts: 140
    some cars dont depreciate, like exclusive, special edition cars.
  • thomas61thomas61 Member Posts: 2
    Totally correct, but we aren't really talking about exclusive, special edition cars here...the context of the thread, and my response, dealt with a Toyota and a Nissan product. Not really what you'd find in a Dupont Registry or anything. For "most" production cars out there, they're all a losing propostion money-wise, so my comment was just to say there's not much difference in a Lex vs Infiniti. Perception wise, to the Lex owner, maybe....but when he or she goes to actually trade one in, like I have 3 times now, you get hosed, just like on any other trade-in.
  • littlejoe613littlejoe613 Member Posts: 53
    Resale value has a direct connection to what type of discount has to be given in order to sell the vehicle. If you bought a vehicle with a $5 or $6k discount you can bet it will depreciate that much more when you drive it off the lot. The economy is having a direct effect on resale. For instance, If you can buy a new G37 for $5k off MSRP(say 32500) and a used 2008 G35 is $30k. Why wouldnt you spend another $2500 to get the 2009 with the added hsp. If the economy improves, dealers will offer less incentives to move product. Less incentives on the new cars means better resale (higher prices) on used. How do you win?
  • ilexusbuyerilexusbuyer Member Posts: 15
    So, I guess discussion on this happened back in 2009. How do things look like now? I have done the test drive for Lexus, but not for Infiniti yet. Has anyone compared the 2013 models? Any feedback?
    Also, what about BMW 335?
  • 2bfree12bfree1 Member Posts: 1
    edited April 2013
    I actually bought the ES350 really like the look regret it now, I should of continue with Infinity. The infinity felt more sporty and was fun to drive, the ES 350 handling is no were close to what my infinity felt like. When on the freeway the wind noise from the side window is bad. I upgraded to the Mark levinson system it is the worst if you like music with bass, volume is suppose to be up to 63 but if you play certain songs like starting from the bottom by Drake the destrotion is so bad you cannot put the volume over 38, my infiniti sound system was 100 Times better. Do you believe the 2013 ES 350 does't even have sunglass holder, and wait it gets better if you upgrade to the GPS they remove the compass on the rearview mirror.lLexus cheaper out on a lot of things,you do not realize till you buy it. Checkout the below link on all the complaints about the Mark Levinson system. What I know now I would never buy a Lexus, I miss my infinity. Infiniti you get you monies worth more than a Lexus trust me. I am starting to feel I have a Toyota Avalon with an L on the front. If you are interested in a BMW Lexus does not come close, that is why Lexus are still trying to catch up, look at the 2014 IS Aiming at BMW. I had a BMW M3 7 Years ago and it was a great car handling was amazing.
    http://m.clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=652692&page=7
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