GTaudiophile
Lifer
The G35 might win on value for now, but wait until they get popular. The new Altimas have a huge dealer mark-up and the same will happen to the G35. By contrast, the IS300 is not a huge seller in the Atlanta area as far as I can tell, so its price will remain around $32K loaded. I also like that you can get the IS300 with limited slip differential for only $350.
In the last issue of R&T, here's what they said about the IS300:
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The IS 300 is really the sports car of this group, and it feels small, taut, nimble and fun. As one driver noted, you "wear" this car more than any of the others.
The 215-bhp 3.0-liter engine is not the most powerful in this group, but it has that silken snarl that only inline-6s seem to produce, with excellent throttle response and pulling power at all rpm, and it had the best brakes in our group when it was time to slow down.
The nicely shaped, supportive driver's seat, good pedal and gearshift placement and easy-to-decipher switches and controls make for a very pleasant station from which to operate this nimble car. Along with the BMW, it seems to have been set up for racing as well as touring, and it makes the active (or even over-active) driver feel instantly at home.
On back roads, the G35 is not quite as nimble as the BMW or Lexus ? it's a bigger car than either; 10.5 in. longer than the 330i ? but it has precise steering and very good turn-in, with rather high steering boost at low speed.
Nevertheless, certain undeniable, marked conclusions emerged from our notes and our scoring, with a high level of concurrence. Almost all agreed that the Mercedes had the most supple and civilized highway ride for touring, the Audi was the best-looking car, the Saab had the most likable personality (along with a dose of great performance), the Lexus was the most spirited and pure fun to drive on a mountain road, the BMW was the best all-round sports sedan for the enthusiast driver, and the Infiniti was the best all-around sports sedan for the money.
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My vote is still for the Lexus.
In the last issue of R&T, here's what they said about the IS300:
---
The IS 300 is really the sports car of this group, and it feels small, taut, nimble and fun. As one driver noted, you "wear" this car more than any of the others.
The 215-bhp 3.0-liter engine is not the most powerful in this group, but it has that silken snarl that only inline-6s seem to produce, with excellent throttle response and pulling power at all rpm, and it had the best brakes in our group when it was time to slow down.
The nicely shaped, supportive driver's seat, good pedal and gearshift placement and easy-to-decipher switches and controls make for a very pleasant station from which to operate this nimble car. Along with the BMW, it seems to have been set up for racing as well as touring, and it makes the active (or even over-active) driver feel instantly at home.
On back roads, the G35 is not quite as nimble as the BMW or Lexus ? it's a bigger car than either; 10.5 in. longer than the 330i ? but it has precise steering and very good turn-in, with rather high steering boost at low speed.
Nevertheless, certain undeniable, marked conclusions emerged from our notes and our scoring, with a high level of concurrence. Almost all agreed that the Mercedes had the most supple and civilized highway ride for touring, the Audi was the best-looking car, the Saab had the most likable personality (along with a dose of great performance), the Lexus was the most spirited and pure fun to drive on a mountain road, the BMW was the best all-round sports sedan for the enthusiast driver, and the Infiniti was the best all-around sports sedan for the money.
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My vote is still for the Lexus.
