Pick my sports sedan

[ouch]

First pics of John's new wheels.

Spoiler

 

[jones2289]

Volkswagen Phaeton....google it. It may be bigger than what you're looking for, but my neighbor has one and it's NICE. I think the stock engine is a V8, but a W12 is also available with some ridiculous amount of horsepower. All wheel drive also. They I don't think new models have came out in the U.S. in the past year or two, but from the way it sounds you're looking for something a couple years old? Oh well, just my two cents. Best of luck.

 

[letterk]

Finally got out this weekend to drive a couple cars. First up, the Infiniti G35/37 and BMW 335.

Infiniti G35/37 - The new model is quite a bit nicer than the previous model. The exterior is better looking, but the interior changes are the most dramatic. Very nice. Fantastic Nav. But most important, the drive. First off, I love the sound the engine makes. Very atypical for a Japanese car, coming from a family of Honda owners. Off the line it's quick. I didn't compare numbers, but it felt faster than the BMW. Stopping is great, although not quite as good as the BMW. It held the curves very well, and really impressed me. More than enough ability for me. High-end performance, but still a comfortable car for the daily commute.

BMW 335i w/ Sport Package - So a bit of a story to this drive. The salesman was a retired F1 instructor and Bridgestone test driver. It was interesting he wanted to drive first. He said, "I believe you need to know how to drive a BMW to sell one." As we left the lot he said in a very straight face, "In the course of this test drive, I will drive aggresively. However, I will warn you before I do so you can brace yourself." OK. @!#$#@ @#$ #@$ $#%&^$#! I believe he broke at least two laws of physics and I thought we were about to die on a number of occasions. When he finished he claimed he was only driving to 60% of the cars ability due to it being a test drive and he not owning the car. (Side note, he is no longer allowed to drive on test drives of the M series. Too many customer complaints.) So then it was our turn. It's very easy to see why the BMW is the benchmark for this class. If the Infiniti is the closest in the class for performance, the rest of the cars are a long way away.

So, you can't argue with the BMW performance. But, I'm not a professional racer, and have years of my kids growing up before my wife will let me track a car. The Infiniti offers a lot of features you can't get on the BMW or cost a lot extra. So is it ultimate performance or something a bit more comfortable for everyday driving? I'm not sure yet. And I have more cars to drive.

Update: I looked up the numbers and it appears the BMW is quicker to 60. Strange. It's a sneaky fast. And also sub 5 seconds.

 

[Austin]

Tell the truth John. This is the car you are really looking at.

 

[professorchaos]

Finally got out this weekend to drive a couple cars. First up, the Infiniti G35/37 and BMW 335.

Infiniti G35/37 - The new model is quite a bit nicer than the previous model. The exterior is better looking, but the interior changes are the most dramatic. Very nice. Fantastic Nav. But most important, the drive. First off, I love the sound the engine makes. Very atypical for a Japanese car, coming from a family of Honda owners. Off the line it's quick. I didn't compare numbers, but it felt faster than the BMW. Stopping is great, although not quite as good as the BMW. It held the curves very well, and really impressed me. More than enough ability for me. High-end performance, but still a comfortable car for the daily commute.

BMW 335i w/ Sport Package - So a bit of a story to this drive. The salesman was a retired F1 instructor and Bridgestone test driver. It was interesting he wanted to drive first. He said, "I believe you need to know how to drive a BMW to sell one." As we left the lot he said in a very straight face, "In the course of this test drive, I will drive aggresively. However, I will warn you before I do so you can brace yourself." OK. @!#$#@ @#$ #@$ $#%&^$#! I believe he broke at least two laws of physics and I thought we were about to die on a number of occasions. When he finished he claimed he was only driving to 60% of the cars ability due to it being a test drive and he not owning the car. (Side note, he is no longer allowed to drive on test drives of the M series. Too many customer complaints.) So then it was our turn. It's very easy to see why the BMW is the benchmark for this class. If the Infiniti is the closest in the class for performance, the rest of the cars are a long way away.

Sounds like great fun!!! That is not the experience I have had at any of the BMW dealerships I have visited. Had it been, they may have sold me on the M3.

 

[Fnord5]

(Side note, he is no longer allowed to drive on test drives of the M series. Too many customer complaints.)

I would have gone back and asked him to demonstrate the M6

 

[letterk]

Tell the truth John. This is the car you are really looking at.

Stop trying to sell me your car. I said no, already!

Sounds like great fun!!! That is not the experience I have had at any of the BMW dealerships I have visited. Had it been, they may have sold me on the M3.

I know. I was shocked myself.

I would have gone back and asked him to demonstrate the M6

I asked for a drive with the M3 and that's when he told me he's not allowed anymore.

 

[Fnord5]

I don't think I am allowed to test drive any more WRX's at the dealership in my hometown.

Did you know that from a stop, you can break all 4 tires loose on the WRX when you dump the clutch at 4k rpm?
I thought the poor salesman was going to poo himself.

 

[letterk]

I don't think I am allowed to test drive any more WRX's at the dealership in my hometown.

Did you know that from a stop, you can break all 4 tires loose on the WRX when you dump the clutch at 4k rpm?
I thought the poor salesman was going to poo himself.

Nice. I didn't have the guts to push it, even after what the BMW guy did in the drive. What happened to the days when they would just hand you the keys? When the Mini first came out we test drove it. The guy handed us the keys, told us where the fun roads were, and told us to bring it back in one piece. We certainly had fun and you could smell that car coming it was so hot when we brought it back.

 

[strat1117]

FWIW, I currently own a 2006 G35x sedan and a 2008 G37S coupe. They are fantastic automobiles, and you couldn't go wrong with either. I've owned at least one Nissan product at some point during almost all of the last 20 years, and I find them reliable, fun to drive and a whole lot better value for $ than the competitive European models. The only thing they lack is the price tag and the extra bit of cache that goes along with it in some circles.

My vote would be for the G37 coupe (it comes in an "x" model now, with all wheel drive, if that's important to you), but I can't believe you could find any reason not to be happy with the sedan either.

Enjoy!

 

[ZZTop]

I have an A4. I agree with your assessment of it. It could be faster.

There is an intangible though that I will share with you. I previously owned a 1999 Passat (same car) and I got nailed by a guy who blew a stop sign at 40 mph and hit me on the passenger side fender and across the front end.

The combination of the car's agility (which I attribute to the "german engineering"); the cars build quality (again "german engineering") and my own reflexes saved my life.

I will forever be a VW/Audi/Porsche (hopefully) customer.

The impact was so severe it cracked the turbo, tossed the windshield out of the car and down the street and spun me around and put flat spots on all four of the tires. The car had 7000 miles on it when it happened and the insurance adjuster who decided to repair said if it had over 10k he would have trashed it. After $19000 in repairs and 4 months rebuilding it the car was like new and I drove it incidentless for another 90000 miles.

I used to drive a '98 Passat. An amazing car! 180,000 on the odometer and traded it in, still running without trouble. Some 16 year old is probably still enjoying it (or learning how to drive with a manual transmission).

 

[letterk]

FWIW, I currently own a 2006 G35x sedan and a 2008 G37S coupe. They are fantastic automobiles, and you couldn't go wrong with either. I've owned at least one Nissan product at some point during almost all of the last 20 years, and I find them reliable, fun to drive and a whole lot better value for $ than the competitive European models. The only thing they lack is the price tag and the extra bit of cache that goes along with it in some circles.

My vote would be for the G37 coupe (it comes in an "x" model now, with all wheel drive, if that's important to you), but I can't believe you could find any reason not to be happy with the sedan either.

Enjoy!

To be honest, I think the G sedan is at the top of my list, even though the 335 is a better performing car. I have to be somewhat practical, as I'm not ready for a mid-life crisis yet. We sat in the coupe and while I really like the styling, the rear seats are food for nothing more than a gym bag. That glass is loooooow.

 

[letterk]

I used to drive a '98 Passat. An amazing car! 180,000 on the odometer and traded it in, still running without trouble. Some 16 year old is probably still enjoying it (or learning how to drive with a manual transmission).

I owned a Jetta back in college. I swore I'd never own another Volkswagon product, no matter how fun they are to drive. There are pieces of that car on the side of the road in many, many different states.

 

[strat1117]

To be honest, I think the G sedan is at the top of my list, even though the 335 is a better performing car. I have to be somewhat practical, as I'm not ready for a mid-life crisis yet. We sat in the coupe and while I really like the styling, the rear seats are food for nothing more than a gym bag. That glass is loooooow.

That back seat on the coupe is clearly not for tall people (say 5'10" and above), but it is surprisingly roomy for everyone else. Access and egress is a little bit of a pain, but my wife, who is about 5'5" has sat back there for trips from Long Island to Philadelphia (2+ hours) and found it reasonably comfortable. So while you wouldn't necessarily want to use it to go out to dinner with another couple, it's fine if you want to put a kid or two in the back to drive to the park.

On the other hand, you would not go wrong with the G sedan. It is a fantastic car, almost as fun to drive as the coupe, and a LOT more practical.

Either way, I think you will be happy.

EDIT: The 335 is a great car, no doubt about it. I just couldn't justify spending the extra money when the Infiniti was so good, and the BMW was so much more expensive.

Good luck!

 

[letterk]

That back seat on the coupe is clearly not for tall people (say 5'10" and above), but it is surprisingly roomy for everyone else. Access and egress is a little bit of a pain, but my wife, who is about 5'5" has sat back there for trips from Long Island to Philadelphia (2+ hours) and found it reasonably comfortable. So while you wouldn't necessarily want to use it to go out to dinner with another couple, it's fine if you want to put a kid or two in the back to drive to the park.

On the other hand, you would not go wrong with the G sedan. It is a fantastic car, almost as fun to drive as the coupe, and a LOT more practical.

Either way, I think you will be happy.

EDIT: The 335 is a great car, no doubt about it. I just couldn't justify spending the extra money when the Infiniti was so good, and the BMW was so much more expensive.

Good luck!

Well, I'm not sitting in back, so I don't care! But my wife who's 5'6" complained. Since I ocasionally car pool, the sedan is a better fit for me.

And yes, the 335 is quite a bit more money. And I agree, the G is very close.

 

[Ceezer]

I didn't see it mentioned, so I'm going to toss in a domestic:

2010 Ford Fusion Sport 3.5

I bought a new Escape last week and while walking over to look at them, this little gem distracted me. I was ready to buy it on sight. No kidding. The only reason I didn't was because the salesman went to get the key for me and when I sat down in it, I felt a little cramped. Very sharp exterior. Very sharp interior (this was black on black, with leather (looked like racing seats). 263HP (and probably won't be long before a bolt-on super charger kit is available and pushing it over 300HP) and I think fuel efficiency was 21/27. That car sells itself.

In fact, we were sent back to the sales manager to go over the final paper work and everything, and when we came back out to tell our salesman goodbye he said, with a grin (because he could tell how much I loved it), "That lady just bought your Fusion"....

*Edit - Oh, and it was stickered at just above $28k.

 

[letterk]

Update.

Last weekend I drove a 2008 Acura TL S-Type. Nice car, but holy torque steer. Just a niusance on the straights, but unnerving in the corners. You really had to rev to get to the torque. The steering was heavy. It also drove bigger than I thought it would. Here's a funny thing to note. It has a tape deck.

So I finally bought the car I thought I would buy, with a lot of research and test drives. This weekend picked up a 2008 G35 Journey w/ Premium.

 

[wimbouman]

Wishing you Freude am Fahren!

;-)

 

[Kratos]

I didn't see it mentioned, so I'm going to toss in a domestic:

2010 Ford Fusion Sport 3.5

I bought a new Escape last week and while walking over to look at them, this little gem distracted me. I was ready to buy it on sight. No kidding. The only reason I didn't was because the salesman went to get the key for me and when I sat down in it, I felt a little cramped. Very sharp exterior. Very sharp interior (this was black on black, with leather (looked like racing seats). 263HP (and probably won't be long before a bolt-on super charger kit is available and pushing it over 300HP) and I think fuel efficiency was 21/27. That car sells itself.

In fact, we were sent back to the sales manager to go over the final paper work and everything, and when we came back out to tell our salesman goodbye he said, with a grin (because he could tell how much I loved it), "That lady just bought your Fusion"....

*Edit - Oh, and it was stickered at just above $28k.

You might want to test-drive it first. There's no 6-speed offered(yet, hopefully), and the driving dynamics betray it's aggrssive exterior. I'd go for the Mazda 6, personally, but I'm a bit partial to Mazda these days...

 

[Austin]

Update.

Last weekend I drove a 2008 Acura TL S-Type. Nice car, but holy torque steer. Just a niusance on the straights, but unnerving in the corners. You really had to rev to get to the torque. The steering was heavy. It also drove bigger than I thought it would. Here's a funny thing to note. It has a tape deck.

So I finally bought the car I thought I would buy, with a lot of research and test drives. This weekend picked up a 2008 G35 Journey w/ Premium.

Congratulations John! Nice ride man.