Do you guys agree??

[G_whizz]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01...login

Just curious if you guys agree or disagree with some of his points..

[Magellan]

I don’t know that I would call it “creeping car bloat” when the G37 is only .9” longer, .3” wider and the same height as the G35 coupe. Having said that, the market place is the final arbiter.

The Ford Thunderbird comes to mind. The first T-birds were small two-seaters. They kept enlarging it until they became big, ugly sedans, and no one wanted them anymore. Ford stopped production for years until they came out with a sporty coupe again.

[Kendahl]

I do wish the G37 weighed less - about 20% less. That would get it just below 3,000 pounds, which is about the weight of a Porsche Cayman. A 3 liter engine producing 250 hp would yield similar performance with lower fuel consumption. That much of a reduction in weight would would require a reduction in size. Good bye rear seat.

I can't understand why he considers the G37 to be dull when he enjoyed its acceleration and handling on winding mountain roads.

The brakes are more sensitive than anything else I have driven. Anything more than toe tip pressure on the brake pedal results in an abrupt stop. There is also quite a bit of pedal movement. I would prefer more effort and less motion.

If you need a roomy back seat and large trunk, buy the G35 sedan, not the G37 coupe. With only two in front, there is more room in the G37 than in the Mazda RX-7 I drove for 23 years. The seats are firmer than I am used to, but my reference standard is the old RX-7 and a 10 year old Subaru. The G37 seats may get softer with time without turning to mush in 20 years.

I find clutch take up to be very smooth. However, it begins to grab quite close to the floor. Until I got used to that, I stalled the car several times.

I have the G37S 6MT which has the stiffest suspension. The long wheelbase makes it tolerable as a daily driver. However, if a manual transmission were available on the base model, which has a softer suspension, I would have bought that.

One thing he doesn't mention is the low level of interior noise. Both the engine and road noise are well muffled. Infiniti found a happy medium between inaudible and deafening. (The high level of engine and road noise was the major reason I rejected the Porsche Cayman.)

I agree that the G37 is a bargain when compared to other cars of similar performance such as the BMW 3 series. If you plan to keep the car well past the end of the warranty, Infiniti's better reliability and lower repair costs will make it an even better bargain.

[jabain]

OK, first of all there is a typo on a published work...a no no. Second he says the engine is "subjectively" more refined on the bmw....what?

[RedG37SNC]

Some good points, agree on the seats, a bit more plush would have been nice, but they look so damn nice. Disagree on the BMW having more distinctive styling.. my God it's a box..lol. Take the propeller off and the trade mark grill which is also unappealing and it would look like a Civic or Hyundia.

[ArEs23x]

Screw the man.. I love the G37.. im sure the weight issue will be addressed later but the car is still sexy

[will52]

I've had both . Owned a BMW 5 series , 5 speed manual , before I traded it in for a G37 S . There are some differences .

I liked the BMW seats , more comfortable, but the Infiniti's are more secure and have more adjustments , although less forgiving.

The BMW ride was softer,eventhough it was a great turner at higher speeds. The Infinity has a stiffer ride, more of a sports car than a luxury cruiser. I prefer the Infinity ride, and overall it handles comparably to the BMW.

The Infinity definately feels heavier than the BMW, but I think it's the dynamics of the car rather than the weight. I'm not sure I could tell the difference of 200 to 300 pounds betwen the cars , even if there was a difference. The BMW felt "lighter " , and maybe gave a sense of being easier to maneuver.

Brakes...definate edge to the G37

Umm,... power. The Infinity revs higher in every gear. Now I'm comparing a 5 speed to a 6 , but the BMW seemed comfortable around 2000 rpm , the Infinity , to me , seems closer to 3000. Although both were 6 cyls, the Infinity seems to have more power available , and drives as a much more powerful car. You really notice acceleration in the G37, more muted in the BMW. I don't think the BMW had the same kick after 40mph. G37 drives more as a muscle car , is the best way I can put it.BMW was reasonable on gas consumption, the new toy is a killer( requiring premium/high test to boot.

Inside stuff is no contest . The G37 is loaded with toys, most of which I suspect would be costlt extras on a comparably equipped BMW.

I think the appearance of the two cars isn't close. Infinity hands down. To me you have to go to the BMW 6 series to get a car that has lines that are as attractive. .. and then you've broken the 70K barrier.

I spent some time on this . Totally happy with my choice , although much of it subjective. Very nice cars both , but there are a lot of BMWs out there now...your kinda like one of a million. And the price points of the two cars suggests a difference that is really non-existant.

WILL

[torbach1]

I drive an '07 G35x sedan, not the G37, but a couple of thoughts since my previous car was an '06 BMW 330i:

1. I agree that the added weight is a pity. But BMW is equally guilty of doing this - check out the '08 BMW M3...

2. The interior of the BMW may be more 'distinctive', but it's ugly if you get the iDrive, and impractical in many ways. Where BMW used to have everything located exactly right for optimum reach of controls (think back to the E36 3 series), they have now moved towards their new fangled (or new bangled if you like) design at the expense of functionality. One easy example of this - the location of their window controls is way too far forward on the driver's door, and you always end up opening the rear windows instead of the front. Another example, is their LCD screen for the radio and iDrive that you can't read with polarized sunglasses on. A 3rd example is iDrive itself, which is very unintuitive compared to Infiniti's equivalent in the G37.

3. Agree on the fuel economy. My 330i had significantly better fuel economy than my G35x. Granted, there was also a 50hp difference, but still, I think Infiniti could do a much better job on fuel economy, and part of that is the weight.

4. Exterior styling - I think both are equally attractive in coupe form. In sedan form there is no comparison. The G35 is way more attractive than the 3 series sedan (primarily thanks to the 3 series' weird front lights that are better in the coupe). The 3 series coupe from behind has lights that could come from a Camry, or any other standard family sedan, whereas the G37 is sexy from any angle.

5. Lets not underestimate the price difference. I know the G37 is a little more expensive than the G35 sedan, but it's significantly cheaper than the 3-series coupe, and it (the coupe) actually has better resale value according to JD Power and Consumer Reports. It's also way more reliable, and BMW service departments are hit or miss - some of them, like VOB in Rockville, are absolutely terrible (and the main reason why I sold my 3 series after only 1 year of ownership). I built a 335xi sedan with the same specs as my G35x, and it came out to $12k more expensive. If the difference between the coupe is $10k - that's huge. It puts them in a different league.

Regards,Tamir
Modified by torbach1 at 5:48 PM 1/18/2008

[TESLAASTRO]

the increased weight offsets the many, many improvements this car has over the previous generation G35 coupe......I think the reviewer misses the point...The G37 is a sport luxury coupe....it is not a luxury version of a Z car....I personally find my new G37 to be nimble yet luxurious....and certainly more appealing than my 04 G35 coupe I traded in.....if the increased weight is due to more luxury and technology appointments, i dont care, as long as a high level of performance is still there, which from my experience is clearly......

Really, if I wanted a light fast sports car I would have bought a Lotus Exige