2007 Is 250awd Vs 2007 Infiniti G35awd

[chrispy21]

I am new to this and I'm looking for peoples opinions.

I live in the NYC area and im looking at the following two cars, 2007 Lexus IS 250AWD or Infiniti G35AWD (i want to stick to Japanese cars). I know this match-up mostly comes down to Luxury vs Performance. Here is my personal experience with cars. I dont drive many people, its usually myself and one other person. Rarely do i drive 2 or 3 other people besides myself. I live in the city, so i can go only so fast. I can be an aggressive driver, so i am also looking for a "fun" car. I would love to get the IS350, but it doesn't come in an AWD option. I really want an AWD car. I test drove all 3 (IS250, 350 and G35) and i still cant make up my mind. Honestly i am swaying towards the IS250 because of how luxurious it is, as well as, to my amazement, 204hp seemed to be sufficient. But just the thought of having a 306hp AWD car with better handling with slightly more room is very tempting; even though i have to sacrifice some luxurious quality's. Any input would be appreciated.

[Rx330driver]

i sat in the new G35 this weekend and i must say i am impressed with the car. its not as unluxurious as you would think, but it doesnt have that delicate feeling you get from a lexus. I would say i like the look of the lexus in comparison. the rear built in spoiler on the G is a bit weird to me.

your not going to get a lot of people on this forum to say "take the G35" but both are comparable cars. Obviously you have sat in both and probably have already made up your mind and our opinions will not swing your opinion.

*whispers* go for the IS

[Zoomin Dan]

I have driven two similar cars that am considering: the 07 G35 Sport versus the IS350. I also tried the G35X.

The biggest difference between the cars you are looking at, IMO, is the engine. The G has a lot of power, but will also get much worse fuel economy, especially if you use the extra power frequently. My opinion of the IS250 is that it needs about 30 more HP. By today's standards, the IS250 AWD is dog slow. But if the IS250 has enough power for you, then you might as well save the gas.

On the luxury side, I feel that Lexus is overrated. The green digital clock and silver plastic center console don't exactly scream "luxury" to me; the styling reminds me more of a $20 Wal-Mart clock radio. In terms of electronic features, you can easily get a number of options for the G that either aren't available at all (real time traffic display, integrated hard drive) or can be hard to find (name-brand audio, adaptive cruise control) on the IS. Also, the configuration of the auxilliary audio/video inputs and the 12V power socket in the arm rest are much more useful in the G than the IS. On the other hand, I would trust the Lexus build quality more than Infiniti's, and the Lexus has a quieter and smoother ride. It also has a few exclusive bells and whistles of its own such as ventilated seats and rain-sensing wipers. The Lexus controls are simple and generally intuitive; the G35 on the other hand goes for a busy arrangement of knobs and buttons.

In terms of driving feel, I found that the G drives like a large car, whereas the Lexus feels smaller and more maneuverable. The G35X felt softer than I expected; I liked the Sport more. The G gets its handling prowess the old fashioned way: a good, hard suspension. The Lexus has a more European feel, with a more compliant ride that is still offers very good control.

The size difference is more than slight. If I recall, the G is 7 inches longer. In car terms, that's a lot. If I recall, the IS is technically a sub-compact and the G is a midsize sedan. The G has a much more useful back seat. The Lexus suffers from a puzzling packaging problem; it's actually 2 inches longer than my old 99 Audi A4 and yet officially has less rear leg room and a smaller trunk. Its back seat is one of the nicest, most luxurious torture chambers that you'll ever see. Unfortunately, neither car's back seat folds.

This is a tough choice. By many criteria, the G is both sportier and more practical, but Lexus has some intangible benefits that are hard to ignore. I'm still on the fence and hope more people will chime in.

[lex250awd]

I tried and looked at both of these as well. I felt that Lexus had the following that was better.

a. less road noise

b. better and tighter in the turns

c. much better looking body lines

d. interior looked much cleaner and tight seams ... pure quality to the max.

e. the radio with or without the ML is better

f. more options and costs less than the G35

g. better resale value by a large margin

This is just a start. If you do some internet research you will see a mixed bag; however, for the money, you will find that Lexus gives you much much more for the investment.

I know it's a difficult decision and everyone has their expectation. For me the Lexus was top in the class. I drove the IS350 and my neighbor and I got to race at oval track and I did much better with AWD in the turn and he was able to kick my butt in the straight's.

The IS250AWD is very fast in the PWR MODE and when using the sport shift mode it can get up to 60MPH only 2.5 seconds behind the IS350 so who cares unless you are going to race.

Good luck with your decision! Regards ...

[larry chester]

:Edited post to note G35 as the car referred to:

Like the others that commented, I drove both the IS250 and the G35 before I bought mine. Even took wifey along so that she could make her comments. They are both nice cars, so you really can't go wrong, but RX330Driver is right, this is a Lexus forum, and if we had thought that the G35 was the better car, we would now all be posting on the Infinity forum. Here's my take on the two cars.

1. I was looking for a stick, and a stick on the G35 is very hard to come by.

2. I was really looking for a more luxurious car than a more powerful one, which is why I gravitated to the IS250 rather than the IS350. I'm not planning on racing my IS250, and it is quick enough off the stop and around corners to satisfy me.

3. We liked the G35, and it had a nice ride, but the seats were stiffer, especially in the back. And, the car was significantly noisier, especially when you put your foot in the car. But if you want a powerful sports sedan, I'll bet you would like the sound of the rumble under the seats. I didn't.

4. I am really sold on Lexus quality, and have posted my comments on that elsewhere in this forum so I won't repeat the stories here, except to say that I have had a Corolla with 198K miles on it, and a SC300 with 210K on it. Nuff said.

5. I guess if I wanted gas economy, I would have bought a Prius. But at 24 mpg, I am at the lower end of what I really wanted. Being in the G35 with upper teens would have really gotten my goat every week when I filled up.

6. The G35 really has a bigger cabin, but if you raise the front seat up off the bottom, and don't drop it back all the way when you have company in the back, there is sufficient room there for two medium sized adults. We went to theater yesterday with another couple, and he was thrilled with the back seat.

All in all, it's just a damn fine driving car, and if it holds up as well as my last ones, I will be just tickled. You won't be sorry buying the Lexus. (maybe I should lurk around the Infinity forum to see if you have done a comparable post there. ;) )

larry