*Batman*

I just drove the Infiniti M56S. And my overall conclusion is that Lexus has a lot of catching up to do. I view this as a good thing. If the next GS only matches the Infiniti M, we are in for a big treat.

Key takeaways from my drive:

1) Totally gorgeous interior. I would say I would love to wake up in the morning and drive to work in this cabin. It is a real stunner, and the touch and feel of everything stimulates your senses. I would say the quality of the interior trim and materials is slightly better than the LS460, significantly better than the GS, but well short of the LS600h. I love the leather trimmed instrument cluster, the large amounts of leather trim on the door and center console panels, the absence of simple plastic switches and the use of chrome trim and metal finishes combined with lots of wood. Really nice gauge cluster, and a very nice AMG quality steering wheel with chunky metal paddles. The interior of this car is best in class - better than the Benz E550 which is my recent favorite. The interior is also roomy. With seat in my comfort position, it is hard to get into the seat behind me in the GS. In the M there was enough room in the back.

2) The car drives surprisingly well. Much better than the outgoing BMW 550i. Better than the GS460 as well. It is fast but also has the handling that feels both smooth and planted. I have run-flats on my GS so that may have helped give the Infiniti an edge in driving comparison. The ride of a luxury sports sedan like BMW, not harsh like the G37, nor soft like a Mercedes.

3) M56S feels vastly better in terms of quality. Has a solid feel. No noises not even when driving over rail tracks. My GS460 has no rattles, but you can hear some flex and vibration in the Lexus that the Infiniti just does not have.

4) I didn't like the exterior styling so much. It looks better in person and the big grille gives it a strong luxury presence. However it looks too Japanese in my opinion, like the older Lexuses. I didn't switch to Lexus until L-Finesse which has many of the best characteristics of European styling - minimalist, muscular, sleek, wedge shaped. The Infiniti is too curvy and looks kind of funky like the designers were trying too hard. It doesn't have the classic timeless beauty of the 3GS - a 6 year old design that still looks modern. I intentionally parked my Obsidian GS460 next to an Infiniti M37 on the lot, and I thought the Lexus looks better. There is one thing I liked about the Infiniti styling though which is the standard 20" wheels. No need for wheel upgrade on that car - the wheels are excellent.

5) The selection of exterior paints is appalling. They are all monochromatic - Blacks, Grays, Whites, Silvers, and a dark blue. As an Obsidian driver, I like black. But my favorite color is Matador Red. They don't have any bright colors like Matador red or BMWs Estoril Blue. Also the dark colors weren't impressive either. They didn't have anything as nice as our Black Pearl Sapphire, or BMWs gorgeous Sophisto Gray.

passnu2

iTrader: (33)

Nice write up

Are you looking to trade out of the GS?

Bushwack

What about ergonomics? Are items easily within reach w/o having to take your attention away from the road? When I was looking at an M35 back in '07, that car had terrible ergonomics.

*Batman*

I agree the ergonomics of the old car were poor. The ergonomics in the new one is excellent.

I am not looking to switch cars yet, but once the new GS comes out I will switch within 3 months. Want to see the new BMW and Lexus first. I like Lexus brand better. Also the Lexus dealers in Miami are the best of any brand which is something I care about.

But I do think Infiniti has really pulled a rabbit out of their sleeves here. I always viewed them as a company that made great engineered products which looked and felt cheap. The new M though is quite different. I really think it's the best on the market until Lexus and BMW field their next gen models.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

honestly i would be very careful about any first year production car, lexus included.

[0350]

iTrader: (5)

the interior and exterior is too curvy, though I will admit the interior on Lexus GS is probably at the same level as a Daewoo

*Batman*

Agree on the exterior, but not the interior. In person it is really very very good. Ergonomics are fantastic, and it feels at once luxurious and racy.

I am curious now what Lexus will do with the 4GS interior. Given the level of the interior quality in the M, I think the next GS would have to have an interior slightly better than the LS460. I wonder if they would do that, or whether they would stop short. I think they should take a leaf out of cadillac's book when they designed the CTS interior to be better than that of the existing STS.

dunnojack

i don't think you can fairly compare an S model to a regular GS460

the GS is more of a jack of all trades, and the S is more sport tuned.

tmf2004

iTrader: (15)

I also like the older M's 06-09... The 06-07 has a color called Crimson Roulette Red that looks amazing.. I'm not a Red fan but that color looks great..

*Batman*

All the M56 models on the lot were S models. It is the most common configuration. From a handling standpoint I wouldn't say the GS460 with Active Variable Suspension set to Sport is a softer ride than the Infiniti. The ride was similar. But the 4 wheel steering made the steering feel sharper. Also the brakes are bigger. The M56S ride quality was jack of all trades as well, as is the ride in the BMW 550i and the GS. In this class I think only Benz has a ride that is luxurious and not sporty, and Audi has a ride which is too firm and not comfortable on rough roads.

ReyRey305

iTrader: (3)

then go buy it and trade in your Lexus

LexFather

I drove it today too, fully loaded, tech, sport package. An eye watering 67k for an Infiniti.

Writing my 1SICKREVIW in car chat but will post my thoughts in this thread as well.

I simply was not as impressed overall as batman was. Its good, IMO not 67k good.

Quick pros-tons of power, interior stepped up in quality, lots of available tech, great brakes. great headroom
Negatives-exterior is a miss, price is ridiculous, steering/handling was ample but felt artificial, ride was not good

*Batman*

Your perspective is pretty close to mine. I do think the price was high (the one I drove had a 65K sticker). I am expecting though that it will be heavily discounted - some Miami dealers are already offering for 3% over invoice - and I expect even lower prices by the fall.

I also didn't like the exterior. While I thought the ride was very good, the area around the dealer had pretty good roads.

*Batman*

Um, clearly you didn't read my review and previous comments. I made a few points which make it obvious I won't go buy it:
1) I didn't like the exterior
2) I didn't like the color options
3) I prefer Lexus brand to Infiniti
4) I am acutely aware Lexus and BMW will launch a new cars to respond and given that I own my car I have the luxury to wait and see what my 2 favorite autobrands will offer in response.

Rexus300

iTrader: (1)

I also drove an M56 too 2 days ago. Its a wonderful car as compared to the Lexus I have. However it was a premium package M and not the one with the sports package which makes it look better. Overall I prefer to go for the high revving M37 sport version. The interior and comfort is suberb and makes me feel so good when driving it on the highway as compared to my GS.

My Audi A8L had a starting price of 72K which is better than a fully loaded M at 71k of course.