It was a nice weekend in Houston so we decided to see some cars.

I drive a 2009 G37 Journey with Prem + Nav. My wife drives a 06 Accord EX-L and wants to upgrade to something nice in a couple of months. Here are the cars we drove:

1. 2012 TL SH-AWD with Tech: I like all the changes they did to the TL except for the quad exhausts - They should have kept them. I have to push my wife for this test drive though . The ride with 18" tire is very similar to my G in terms of firmness/comfort/hanlding but the TL is actually better in corners due to AWD. Its steering wheel feels less heavy, and the car overall feels lighter than it's actual weight. The 6AT is smooth, smoother than our 7AT. I notice there is no lag when I press the pedal and no jerkiness when it slows down. The leather is softer and more comfortable than the G. The backseat has more space too. I like its interior because I like having many buttons, she doesn't. However we both think the build quality is better than the G. Overall we like it but not sure if we want to buy it because the driving dynamics are very similar, not taking into account of other factors (size/interior/price).


2. 2011 GS350 RWD Luxury Package (18" wheel) + Nav: This car is quiet and comfortable. That is our first impression. Everything is great about this car except for maybe driving dynamics coming from the G. However, the transmission seems to be "lazy" (laggy) when I push the gas pedal. But once, it starts, it pulls pretty hard. The driving experience is very relaxing. The backseat is very roomy and comfortable too. We are intrigued to upgrade to the GS. The only thing holding me back right now is the all new GS is supposed to come out soon. Wife likes it although she thinks it looks little bit "old".

3. 2010 528i (used with 10K miles) with no other options: I am surprised by its quietness. The handling is very good. The power is there although it's no G power. The steering wheel feels similar to the G. But we both agree that its interior sucks! We both like the exterior styling very much. The car is listed for $40K. It seems high for a used car with no options (and it doesn't even have real leather - they call it "leatherette"). I think the 528 is one of the more reliable BMW models. We'd probably consider a relatively loaded 528 if we were to buy it.


4. 2011 FX35 loaded with Prem/Nav/Deluxe Touring: I've always liked the FX. The 2nd gen FX is more luxurious than the first gen for sure. We feel like the build quality is better than the G too. She loves the leather and the wood trim very much. The transmission also has some jerkiness/sportiness like the G. It's quick but definitely not fast due to its weight and ~300 hp engine.The backseat provides adequate leg/head room. The ride is a little bit bumpy with 20" wheel and my wife doesn't like it. You can see the curvy hood from the front seats which is a nice design IMO. Gas prices might be an issue with this vehicle and we are not too sure if we want to own 2 Infinitis though!


By the way, on our way out of the Lexus dealer, wife notices the IS250 convertible with brown/red leather. And she loves it! I warn her it's pretty slow and the IS350C is powerful but expensive. We have not test driven the car yet but I think she really likes it.


So what do ya think? Our budget is around 40K, more or less.

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Updated on 07/25/2011. We finally bought a car.

So we decided to cut the budget back for this car to 35K for our traveling plans this year. So we looked into the CPO market. We were set to find a white sedan with low mileage, 2008 or newer. It finally came down to a '08 GS350, '10 IS350, '09 M35S, and 08' 528 - all CPO-ed. Now, that good thing was that we were able to find those cars in the color combos we like (white/non-black leather) but with Lexus's ultra low inventory situation, we found they were priced at ridiculous amounts. For example, the 2010 (loaded) IS350 with 15K miles is priced at 42.5K - heck I could buy a new one with a little bit more. The 2008 (also loaded) GS350 with 52K miles was 36K. And the Infiniti M35S with 31K miles was at 38K - What the heck?? I was offered 43K plus TTL for the same car when I bought my G more than 2 years ago.

So we thought we could negotiate and buy one of those cars at about 3-4k off the asking prices. Guess what? They didn't budge. All they could do was to take off 1K at most and I was telling them that I was dead serious buying it (We got pre-approved loan and everything). Especially with the M35S, all they could do was to take $500 off. Maybe I am not good at negotiating but they know they had some rare cars on their lots. Yes, they are pretty rare cars in my area, especially those white ones.

So yeah, you guess it right. We bought the white BMW 528i with 30K miles. It comes with no nav, but other things like xenon, power/heated seats, bluetooth, real leather (dang, leather is an option on the BMW), etc. It's a CPO so I have 2 years/100K miles on the warranty. We might have to deal with BMW being less reliable than the Japanese but for now, we love it. It's very smooth, quiet, fun to drive and has good gas mileage. The power is OK with decent pickup. It fits perfectly with my wife's driving needs.

Alright, thanks for reading fellows!

PS: I've just realized that it's been 3 months since we started looking! Wow!

 

AWD doesn't help you turn. Only the front wheels do the turning regardless of drivetrain layout... (re: AWD on the TL)

Have you guys considered non-lux brands?

 

I guess I should have been more specific. I think the Acura's SH-AWD system actually allocates torque to the rear wheels when necessary. So like when you make a hard right turn, some torque will be sent to the rear left wheel. Is it how it's supposed to work?


What non-lux brands/models are you talking about?

 

Yes it does.

 

The SH-AWD is a glorified electronic differential. It's functionally no different from any other AWD system with limited slip diffs. (Think GT-R's ATESSA or the Evo's AYC) Only difference is it can put 100% of the power on the rear axle to a single wheel, and the rear wheels spin faster than the front.

:gasp: Hyundai Genesis, VW CC, Subaru Legacy, etc.

 

hyundai genesis 4.6 is a beast

 

yeah but its still a hyundai...

 

And the G is just a nissan...

A decade ago, Infiniti was a joke of a brand.

 

value, performance, luxury, its right there with all the other high end brands. just cuz it says hyundai everyone thinks its garbage, they have really turned around in the last 10 years. but i guess thats society, put a louis vuitton logo on a pile of dog **** and someone will buy it.....lol...but i cant lie, i am biased to alot of name brands also...but maybe theres a time for change? well maybe for the OPs wife at least...

 

I'd say go with the 2011 FX35!

Being a 2nd gen FX owner I can give you my current take on the 2nd gen FX:

Pros:

1. I'm at 34K miles right now and currently have had zero problems with the car. No SES lights, no broken parts, NO NOTHING!!

2. No rattles inside either at 34K miles! Compared to the G (since I've had two 2011 G37 loaners for a couple of days) the FX seems better built than the G37 in terms of quality of materials and fit and finish. Both 2011 G37 loaner cars I had were noisy inside, rattled like the ****ens, and too much plastic! My 2009 FX35 has 34K miles and no rattles

3. I love how you can drive this thing like it's a sports car, but when you need the space of a SUV it's there for you. Rear seats fold down and allow you to haul more things around which is awesome!

4. The ride is very quiet inside. But I must admit that it can get bumpy inside sometimes with the 20" wheels (I have the deluxe touring package too) But the quiet ride makes up for it. Wind and road noise is minimal

5. All the tech is awesome inside too. I love the around view monitor with the 4 camera's. No other manufactuer has that. Not even BMW's knock off front view camera. I also have the technology package and love it. The distance control assist feature in the tech package can actually move the accelerator and brake pedal up and down itself with a motor in stop and go traffic to keep a safe distance from vehicles and what not ahead. You basically don't need to operatethe brake pedal and a part of the gas pedal since the car does it for you. It makes it look like a ghost is operating the car (Seriously). By the way that is not adaptive cruise control, it's a seperate feature. Other sweet features are the electronic retracting seat belts, pre-collision systems, lane keeping system, auto leveling adaptive headlights, ventilated front seats, and the list just goes on and on and on.....


6. AWD system is awesome in the snow. I went up to Mohegan Sun Casino earlier this year in a HORRIBLE blizzard we had here in NY, and never got stuck once. It went through the snow like a tank



Cons:

1. Engine is a little underpowered for my liking. It's a great engine and we all know Infiniti makes awesome sounding reliable engine's, but sometimes it feels like a slug haha. But when you put into sport mode or shift the gears yourself in manual mode, it delivers powertrain performance alot better than regular drive mode.

2. Gas mileage is not the greatest and could be better.



That's pretty much all my opinions. I really have no real big complaints about this car other than the two cons I listed above. It's a great car and very reliable. The thing will probably out live me if I take care of it. The biggest selling point to me was being able to have sports car fun when you drive it, and have SUV space when you need it. I also love the same thing you mentioned about being able to see the whole entire curvy hood from the drive and passenger seat.

Oh and be prepared to for all the attention you will get. Every where I go this thing attracts a hell of alot of attention and people asking questions.

 

^^^^^ i agree to with the FX you cant go wrong there.. i was looking at the GS350 what they wanted for it price wise the infiniti was a better choice hands down.

 

Bottom line is most of the time you get what you pay for regardless of the brand.

Chinese are capable of building high tech weapons and send rockets into space. They're also known for making cheap and low-quality stuff, but that's because of demand, not because they can't make high quality ones.

VAG makes Bugatti Veyron, but they also make VW Jetta. You can get a Hyundai Equus which is a lot more luxurious than a Mercedes C230. Performance & luxury depend on how much you're willing to spend, it has a lot less to do with brand nowadays.

 

Please do NOT get the GS350.. damn grandpa's car lol

 

I drive an 09' TL on a weekly basis and is a very nice car. Some speaker rattles and little stuff like that, but is same in the G. Ride is softer and steering lighter. Seats are softer and car is more spacious. Gas mileage is better.

It also has some nicer electronics and amenities than the G.

You can't go wrong with the TL. Very nice car for the price.

 

To those who recommend Hyundai Genesis/Equus: I think they are nice and really good value for the price. I specially like the Equus but wife doesn't like it or she thinks it's still a Hyundai. But I do agree Hyundai is in serious business and will be a major auto maker.

@Fire0nIc3 on FX comments: It's nice to hear from a FX owner. I see you have a fully loaded FX which is really nice. I think the power is good enough for us but gas mileage really sucks, it could really be better. We really like the maple wood door trim that comes with the Deluxe Touring package but we both don't enjoy riding on those 20" wheels. The ride on the back is pretty rough. I am very glad to hear that it's still quiet after 34K miles.

@equetefue: do you drive the regular TL or the SH-AWD? We didn't test drive the regular TL though.

@JohnnysG: lol I thought the GS was the second most fun/sporty car in the entire Lexus lineup (behind the IS of course). We kind of think it makes sense to own a G and a GS. I and she can switch them around when one gets bored.