IronPyrite

I used to be one of Infiniti's best customers, purchasing (not leasing) 4 new G series over a 9 year window. My 2008 G35x was a great car, but the 2011 G37x was an extreme case of buyer's remorse. Sporty steering ratio, powerful engine, good suspension...but that transmission and its eco-bastardization of a "sports" sedan, was TERRIBLE!

No one buys a 328 hp car (G37), only to have it CLING (Arggghh!!!) to 1.5-2K rpm, all in the name of saving gas. Multiple TSB's for the ECU helped, but issues such as the transmission taking a snooze before downshifting in corners, were still there. And when you stabbed your foot into the pedal enough to finally get the car off its a$$, it cranked out too much power...with no middle ground. The sudden transition from eco to over-compensation of power was *in my opinion* not only extremely annoying and not (not...not, not not!) fun to drive, but also unsafe (again, my opinion - Nissan lawyers, you can go back to filing patents for technologies that take the fun out of driving).

Here's an example of how far Nissan has drifted from its Western audience:
http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/TECH...eco_pedal.html
"...each time the driver exerts excess pressure on the acceleration pedal, the system counteracts in advance with a pedal push-back control mechanism..." What's next...shock collars with Al Gore holding the button? The fact Nissan would translate this into English and believe it would be well received by Western audiences is stunning.

Thankfully eco-pedal was not implemented in the G series, but the lack of responsiveness to driver input to engine power on 2009+ models was there in spades. Infiniti, in an act that was probably initiated by Marketing to distance itself from the G37* series, rebranded the line to Q50. So now the goal is to have a car that works with the driver and is "sporty" to drive, right? Maybe...unless you believe drive-by-wire steering (i.e. no physical connection between steering wheel and road) is a "feature."

So...after 9 years of being one of Infiniti's best customers, and being part of a demographic that would make most marketing departments soil their pants (single, middle aged, 6 figure salary, lots of disposable income), I've parted ways with Infiniti and bought an IS350 F Sport...while Infiniti abandons its core audience of the last decade to engineer "sports" sedans for....errr...tree huggers and old people who don't want feel the road (bubble wrap optional).

And the IS350 F sport? LOVE the car.... It brought back the fun of my 2008 G35 and then some...better suspension, smoother manumatic shifting, better brakes, thicker paint, better handling, much nicer wheels, better interior, and with more luxury. My only complaint is the steering ratio is bit low for my liking, but I'm now finding its easier to steer with one hand and drink coffee with the other.

beeRandon

Welcome to CL & the Lexus family!
Hope you're enjoying your IS350!
Couldn't help but notice you make a 6 figure salary, dang man! The heck do you do? I need to get my college plans organized I graduate in just a couple months! :P My plans are somewhat organized though. Haha. Sorry to get off topic, oops. What color IS did you get?

IronPyrite

Software industry. Nebula Gray.

Advise: Get a degree in something that actually has a job waiting for you when you graduate from college. And if you need to go into debt during college, get a degree in a profession that will pay well enough to pay off your loans. Don't get a degree in Interpretive Dance or Dutch Finger Painting if you need to take out $40K of loans to get there. But if you're 18 and already have a 2014 Lexus, doesn't sound like college debt will be a concern for you.

Other Advice: Stay on topic.

REaL56

I just sold my 09 G37S Coupe and looking into getting a Lexus as well. I had a lot of things covered under warranty by Infiniti due to poor materials (steering wheel peel, cluster not flush, shift **** peeling, seat cushion bubbling). I am going to miss that excellent exhaust note though.

Test drove the IS350 and the quality of the interior is top notch, while its a smooth ride it could use a bit more power. Waiting to see how the new RC is before I pull the trigger.

IronPyrite

When you test drove the IS350, did you put it into Sport+ mode? The car takes on a different personality in the Sport+ vs. Normal mode - suspension becomes firmer, the transmission holds lower gears, and the throttle/downshifting becomes more responsive.

The only downside is the IS350 will reverts back to Normal (from Sport) after turning it off - possibly to abide by EPA mpg disclosures.

beeRandon

Hahaha, thanks for the tip. Sorry this doesn't go with the topic again LOL.
I plan on doing something with computers as well. Still doing research and narrowing things down.

Thanks for the advice! Hope you're enjoying your IS.
By the way, plan on doing any mods?

doodlebug

I came from a 2008 G35 sedan. I absolutely loved that car. But, after 6 years of ownership I was ready for a new car. After driving loaners of 2009+ G37 over the years, I knew I wouldn't be purchasing one of those in the future (I hated transmission). I seriously looked into the Q50, but it was too big for my taste. I was really afraid that I would regret getting rid of my G, but I'm thrilled with my IS.

Kimchiguy

I had a 2011 Infiniti G37 xS Sedan and I loved the car. The only gripe I had was the lack of low speed drivability. When crawling along in bumper to bumper traffic I found the transmission was jerky and couldn't decide which gear to be in. I also found another quirk where if you pushed on the accelerator, then let off, then back on again it would lag and feel like it needs to catch up again. I was told that it was the pressure buildup in the drivetrain that needs to re-establish itself.

I considered the Q50S AWD, but I also found that increasing the size was a bad move on Infiniti's part. It feels like a much bigger car, and the sporting edge is a bit lost. Loving my IS 350 F Sport AWD though!

bhvrdr

We have a 2012 G37S and it's a great car. Transmission is relatively responsive. Steering is great. Suspension is great.

The only gripe I have always had with the car (and that I have with most Japanese cars) is the styling is very nondescript. The IS350 is better but I just had a lady call it a Honda by mistake. For styling, I always look back on the German cars I have owned and think that if you took all of the badges off of the cars, you would still know it as a BMW or as a Mercedes. If you took the badges of the Lexus or the Infiniti, most people would have no idea what kind of car it was. Is it a new Kia, the new Hyundai? This doesnt usually happen with the Germans.

Mike

CJW

iTrader: (1)

This is my story as well.

I'm not as thrilled though. The Lexus isn't as premium as I thought and the drivetrain isn't as responsive. The ride/handling are solid and the reputation is as well. I love looking at my car and I definitely enjoy both relaxed and spirited driving, but I think I would have picked another car if I had a do-over.

doodlebug

What do you think you would've picked? Nothing else was really on my radar.

CJW

iTrader: (1)

I looked at the S4, 335xi and Volvo S60 R-Design as well. The BMW was too pricey new, but a lightly used one was available. I chose not to go that way for a few reasons (warranty, non-certified).

While I love the S4 drivetrain, the car is quite long in the tooth and still very pricey. More used than an IS350 was new.

The Volvo had more options, more power, almost as good looking (IMO). It was between the Volvo and IS350 and both were very good. Lexus threw me a bone while dealing while Volvo didn't and that was the difference. I went on reputation, reviews, lots of thinking when perhaps I should have put a bit more emotion into my decision.

UncleSpud

I had a '12 G37 S 6 spd (manual) for a short time. Dislikes: buzzy V6, rock hard sport suspension, rock hard sport seats, weird clutch engagement point (top of pedal). Likes: stout power delivery, crisp handling, decent steering.

Cross shopped the the Q50. Liked the power, but the 7-spd auto trans wasn't as smooth as the IS350, hated the run flats. Good power though. Overall, I thought the G37 was a better car than its successor, but not as good as the IS 350.

amoney805

iTrader: (1)

I had an 08' G37s coupe. It was my first step into "luxery" vehicles. Loved the styling, one of the best looking coupes at the time IMO. Got tons of compliments. But had constant problems with the rpms jumping every where, had to get the ecu flashed which didn't help, throttle lag was bad, had to buy a "grounding kit" which barely helped.
The exhaust note was sexy as hell but I ruined that with a pos Hks exhaust which sounded like garbage and weighed a ton.(my fault).
All in all the refinement isn't there. I couldn't see myself going back to infiniti especially not with this "Q" rebranding garbage going on.
My only complaints with the 3is are lack of compartments and no cooling seats. Everything else is rock solid.