I am a current and long-term BMW owner thinking about making the switch to a G35 or the FX45 when it arrives. Any former/current BMW owners out there who can comment on both brands?

I think you will find that quite a few Infiniti fans, are former BMW loyalists.

I myself used to drive an older BMW 528 and had been looking at a newer one, when I bought my first Infiniti (used Q45).

I found that for less money I got a newer car, with a bigger engine, more room, more features equivalent handlung and better braking (comparing an early 90's Q45 to a early 90's 7 series).

Both are expensive to maintain (by most ppl's standards).You will hear more moaning about that, on an Infiniti board, becasue BMW owners generally tolerate that better and there is a bit of an expectation of this with a german car vs a japanese one.

I think BMW still has an edge in ergonomics, handling (this edge is eroding fast and only applies to select models anymore), street cred,exterior design, resale value. When buying a new or newer Infinit you get:

- a better warranty

- significantly better build qualit(Infiniti beat Lexus in the latest JD Powers initial build quality report) and we all know about BMW latest quality issues.

- more engine than you would get in an equivalent BMW model. (for example for the price of a new 530 you can buy an M45 w/ a 32 valve V8 w/ VVT and 340hp!)

- better braking (if looking at G35, otherwise equivalent braking)

- much better service departments (driving a 10 year old Q45, I get better service, respect and follow up, at my dealer, than I have observed the owners of brand new 3 series getting at a BMW dealer) Infiniti customers as a whole, are pretty pampered when it comes to service, and have come to expect the best (horror stories still exist as they do with any brand).

Hope these musings help and I also hope my enthusiams for our marque, wasn't too denigrating to another great marque.

Fred...

I dumped a 95 740 for a 94 Q and never looked back.

My experience with the 740 was not typical, however, I had repeated electrical problems that various dealers were unable to fix.

Performance wise, the two are just about a wash. The BMWs "feel" was a little better (the steering was more precise and there wasn't as much bushing deflection) and the brakes modulated better.

Thats compared to a 94 Q. The 92 Q I drove "felt" better than both.

As for reliability the 94 Q kicks the 740s butt.

The only serious downfall for the Q is NO AFTERMARKET SUPPORT!!!! Most 740 owners don't modify their cars much so it may not be a big deal.

I looked at BMW 540i, Audi A6 and GS400 Lexus in early 2000, they were all 1997 models since I was bugeting about 40k for a new car. Couldn't really do the 540i with reasonable miles for that price, there were no used Audi's so it was a new one for at least 42k (before taxes and other stuff) and the GS was about the same as the 540i.

I have always been a Japanese car person and have owned a Toyota Celica (1977 first car) and a 1984 300ZX (still have it handles like a slot car with lots of upgrades and TLC after all these years). I also was always impressed with the first generation Q45 but heard there were lots of problems with them. I happen onto an Infinit lot and drove a 1996 Q45 that was about 25k and than stumbled upon a 1997 Q45 touring model...this model is slammed often on this board as "Lexified" or detuned, but I drove it anyways...that was it...bought it REALLY cheap due to a problem that the previous owner had (which was solved) that got the car down to 22k.

Here is what I have to say, first, zero real problems with the car, good gas mileage for an 8 (solid 20MPG mixed driving with my lead foot and 23-24 highway) and I love it more everyday. New 17" rims and ZR rubber will get the handling improved but overall I love this car and will drive it for at least another 5 years. And you know, I than went back and drove that 540i and I didn't like it any better. It was maybe a little faster, but not enough to make it really a big difference. I've matched up with lots of other big german cars, and the only one I got really spanked by was an M5.

Go for it, take a look at that new Q and see what you get for the dollars, you can bargain hard with a dealer since they are not selling too many of them, you should be able to get a new Q for high 40's if you buy it right.

Guess I'll add my .02 Cents here.I replaced my BMW M3 with a Q and have found it overall a good deal. Nothing handles or feels like a Bimmer. If you are in love with the Bimmer Feel, nothing else compares. Of course, nothing quite compares in terms of cost of ownership either. . . I've had a couple of 3 series BMW's and 2 MB's, they were great cars, but just cost too damn much over time.

I do feel that infiniti offers a similar experiance for less cash over time.

It really depends on what you are looking for.

Compared to a 7 series, the Q is an incredible value, as the 7's cost a fortune to maintain. Personally, I feel the Q motor is more refined and more enjoyable than the BMW 8.

The 5 Series is more expensive to buy and to maintain, but close in overall costs, except for major repairs as it has a higher resell value on average.

The 3 series is way overpriced compared with the g35 especially in long term maintance expense.

BMW imparts some sort of Barvarian Magic that no other manufacturer can, it's this wonderful mechanical feedback, that keeps you perfectly in-tune with the road and the car. BMW's are built for the driver, but still function incredible well as long term crusers, grocery getters etc. But as they age, they cost a fortune to keep on the road.

I found that troubleshooting the problems in a German Car and the associated replacement parts are simply too expensive.

The Japanese may not be able to work the same magic, but the recepe is close enough for me, that I don't mind, especially when I consider the difference in cost. Maintanence is much easier as almost everything can be replaced as a component, which reduces troubleshooting to a minimum and makes overall maintenance cheaper.

I've been pondering what to buy next myself, I really like the idea behind the FX45, but I want to see it upclose before getting too excited. If you want a sports coupe the g35 is a winner, if you like the interior styling. The car handles very well and the motor is wonderful. But the mid-80's maxima interior was a turn off for me.

the mid-80's maxima interior may have been a turn-off, but I've got an 85' with 265k original miles (tranny finally needed rebuild) and the seats are still very comfy too....great car to leave at the airport, take the dogs to the park, or bring home bags or cement from home depot. The mid 80's maxima is one of the strongest cars every built IMHO...but wasn't to exciting inside!

psycho wrote:I am a current and long-term BMW owner thinking about making the switch.......

Tell us more about the car's you've owned... some BMWs are dreamy, some are nightmares. Got a chuckle out of two letters regarding the new 745i in the Car & Driver that just came out.

Also get a chuckle about my neighbor who just bought an MB CLK430 convertible (something like $60K??). Looked cute in the parking garage for a few weeks, but now all I see is a different C-class loaner car every few days.

I think the build quality of ALL cars has diminished in the last few years under the pressure to deliver the most bang for the buck, but if you look at the track record of automakers the last 10 years, the Japanese lux car makers are running circles around everybody else.

Hey Jeff, I wasn't trying to dog on your Max, I've had 2 (mid-80's no less) and they were great cars for the $$$, I don't think I ever spent a dollar on them except for gas, oil and tires. But the first time I sat in the G35, that's immediately what came to mind. I just felt the interior was oddly out of place, given the level of refinement in the Q.

Anyone noticed the slot above the drivers head, it's even labeled something like "Parking Cards" or something silly like that. And what's with those slots on either side of the radio? What could possibly fit in there, it's too shallow. Even when they do something great, like the tilting instrument panel, they put orange gauges faces in there! How in the hell do you build the new Q and then step back 20 years for the G?

I guess the Renult interior designers must have strung it together.

I loved the car, beautiful exterior, great motor, sports car handling, but the interior was awful.

ya, didn't take it as a slap, the max is the dirt hauler anyways, but I was pointing out that it is a comfy car. My friend has a 90' 3 series BMW which is the most uncomfortable car I think I've ever sat in, lent him the max for the weekend a few weeks ago and he was dying when he went back to that 3 series (made for small woman and little 140 guys I think).

I sat in a G (didn't drive it) and I wasn't as impressed as I though I would be. I love my 97' Q interior and the 2002 is really cool, they did miss the mark a tad with the G35, but than again the A4 and 330i are not much better....

The G35 isn't perfect, but sounds like Infiniti is listening to feedback and making changes along the way.

There's a mid-year update which adds Xenon as standard to leather model and removes the big badge from the trunk (better integrated). A few more minor things too (which I forgot).

You can order a grab handle to replace the card holder thing.

I think red instruments are common on BMW/Audi, so that's probably why they chose orange... but wouldn't it be fun to have a tint adjustment??

I'm pretty confident that the 2004 or 2005 model should be a lot better. First time I sat in it, it felt very small... but then realized my Q isn't exactly a Town Car. After driving the G35, sizewise feels similar to the Q, just a little more top-heavy.

I used to have a problem with the fact that the turn signals in the rear are red instead of orange, but after seeing them in action (LED), they signal their intentions clearly!!