I wonder if anyone read the latest issue of Automobile magazine, where they sort of did a comparison between these three new sedans? I must say that they all look and sound great, with the exception of the rear end of the M45 - what is that? Is that an Avalon rear end? I hope that the re-designed G35 does not get the same Avalon treatment here...

 

I hope it wasn't with the current RL, but I'd be really impressed if they got their hands on a prototype.

 

It couldn't have been a current RL if they were running it against an M45 and an STS. All three are yet to be released. Maybe they really have started doing protoype testing

 

They actually were talking about the NEW RL. It did not sound like they actually tested the cars, but they did a comparison anyway......

 

Interesting...

 

Anyone can do a comparison from stats given to you by the manufacturer. Without a test drive a comparison is useless.

 

here you go guys


All of this comes from the latest issue of Automobile magazine.

2005 Cadillac STS :o
Of these three outsiders, Cadillac had eyed this prize the longest. Back in 1975, the first Seville was supposed to take it to Mercedes-Benz; it did nothing of the kind but proved hugely successful in its own right, albeit among domestic-luxury shoppers. The 1992 model made a major leap forward--particularly in STS form, it brought Caddy within earshot of the party. But the stellar Northstar V-8 (which arrived in '93) only served to highlight the limitations of the Seville's front-wheel-drive layout, the chassis dynamics were more Michigan than Munich, and the interior execution remained off the pace. With the 2005 STS (the Seville name has retired--perhaps to Spain), Cadillac acknowledges these past issues and gathers its energies for a serious run at the Germans.
The STS starts with GM's excellent Sigma platform, a rear-wheel-drive architecture that also underpins the CTS and the SRX. The DOHC Northstar V-8 returns, now oriented north-south. Output has been bumped up to 320 horsepower and 315 pound-feet of torque. To parallel more closely the German competition, long offered in six-cylinder and V-8 variants, Cadillac is adding a six-pot STS, using the 255-horsepower, 3.6-liter, DOHC V-6 from the CTS and the SRX.
Both engines use five-speed automatics with manu-matic shifting, but, at least initially, only the V-8 can be combined with optional all-wheel drive (which includes four-wheel traction control). Strangely, the V-8 and rear-wheel drive combo comes with three different final-drive ratios, while the other powertrains have only one each. Presumably, it is when using the liveliest ratio that the rear-wheel-drive V-8 STS accelerates from 0-60 mph in less than 6.0 seconds, as Cadillac claims. The all-wheel-drive model, which uses the middle ratio, adds a second to that time. The division hasn't yet released any performance figures for the V-6, which employs the lowest final-drive ratio exclusively.
Chassis-wise, there are some variations as well. Equipment on the base model includes an aluminum control-arm front and multilink rear suspension, four vented disc brakes, stability control, and panic brake assist. The optional Sport package offers MagneRide (magnetically controlled active dampers with two driver-selectable firmness settings), larger brake rotors front and rear, and speed-sensitive steering.
The sheetmetal stretched over the hardware hews to the creased, angular theme first set out by Kip Wasenko with the Evoq concept car and used on the CTS, the XLR, and the SRX. It's mellowed somewhat here but still marks a tire-squealing departure from the previous Seville. The new car is shorter, narrower, and taller, proportions that should help the STS in European markets, where it has been all but invisible.
The cabin is all-new, with slimmer gaps and better-quality materials; BMW obviously has been a model. Lots of new equipment has been added, bringing the STS up to the levels of excess that typify this category. Please welcome keyless ignition, active cruise control, a heated steering wheel, remote starting, voice recognition, curtain air bags (in addition to side air bags), heated and cooled seats, a head-up display, and Bluetooth capability.
The most changed car here, the 2005 STS has turned itself inside out to gain entry to the club. If it fails, Cadillac won't be able to fall back on excuses of packaging and layout. But if it succeeds at last, it puts a dramatic exclamation point on Cadillac's much-ballyhooed renaissance.

Design Commentary on the 2005 STS:
Amazing. In this trio of conservative, understated four-door hot rods, the homegrown product comes off best. Not as zoomy as the Acura, not as plump and bulgy as the Infiniti, the Goldilocks STS is just right.
- Robert Cumberford

2006 Infiniti M45
Carlos Ghosn and his hyperspeed new-product-development pace have lit a rocket under Infiniti's butt. In 2001, the sleepy luxury-car divison barely had a reason to exist, selling three rebadged Nissans and a soggy, Buick-wannabe Q45. Then came the new, tech-laden Q45; the unique and compelling FX; the fabulous G35 sedan and coupe; and, just recently, the QX56, a rebadged Nissan Armada. Largely overlooked in the sudden downpour of new product was the M45, which slipped into the lineup with little fanfare but a big assignment: to make Infiniti a player in the luxury mainstream. The M45 was fortified with the Q45's 340-horsepower V-8 as standard fare, yet it was priced closer to its competitor's sixes. But the M45's chassis, adapted from the three-year-old Japanese-market Nissan Cedric, was a little ragged, and the vaguely retro, flat-pane styling could have been more generic only if it had been wrapped all in white and labeled "car."
Come next spring, things will change. Infiniti has just unveiled the new M45, and although it's officially a concept, only minor details differentiate this from the car that will roll into dealerships one year from now as a 2006 model.
The styling is obviously all-new; given the sales of the current M45, Infiniti had even less reason than Cadillac to save anything from the outgoing car. The slab sides give way to more dynamic shapes. In keeping with the current custom, the wheels move farther out to the corners; the wheelbase grows four inches, but the overall length shrinks; and the car is also slightly taller and wider. The design is far more distinctive overall.
Underneath the new sheetmetal are big changes as well. It's not a wholesale shift in philosophy, as the M45 already had rear-wheel drive and a V-8 engine, but it is a new chassis. Specifically, the new car rides on Nissan's all-conquering FM (front-midship) platform, which also underpins the G35, the FX, and the Nissan 350Z. "Front-midship" refers to the engine location, which is behind the front axle for more balanced (less nose-heavy) weight distribution. The new chassis also vastly improves body rigidity (by 40 percent in torsional rigidity and 400 percent in bending stiffness).
In addition to rear-wheel drive, the new car will offer all-wheel drive, adapted from the G35x. Suspension changes include a switch from struts to control arms in front and (as an option) the addition of actively adjustable toe angle for the rear multilink suspension, which is supposed to improve high-speed handling.
Like Cadillac, Infiniti is adding a V-6 model, which uses Nissan's omnipresent 3.5-liter V-6, thus creating an M35. Interestingly, the optional all-wheel drive will be offered only with the V-6, as there isn't room to package it with the V-8. The V-8 itself is a case of it-ain't-broke-so-don't-fix-it. The current car's 340-horsepower 4.5-liter will be carried over intact, bringing along its five-speed manu-matic transmission.
In this gadget-happy field, the current M45 is hardly underequipped, what with its adaptive cruise control, voice recognition system, navigation system, and climate-controlled seats. Nonetheless, the new version layers it on thicker, with keyless ignition, a rearview monitor, Bluetooth connectivity, and, most spectacular, a lane-departure warning system.
This system--which promises to be just the thing for Starbucks-sipping, cell-phone-gabbing supercommuters--utilizes cameras in the sideview mirrors that recognize lane markings and send a signal to alert the driver when the car is about to drift over the line. The system operates only above 45 mph and can be switched off; using turn signals tells it the lane change is intentional. (VetteZ06 - Cool!)
The intention of all these changes is the most ambitious sales jump of this trio: a quintupling of volume (to 24,000 units). To accomplish that, the new M will have to do more than look good and drive well--it will have to get noticed. About the only prospects who might not need to be shouted to will be happy G35 owners looking to trade up. That's a group that didn't exist for the current M45.

Design Commentary on the 2006 M45:
It's better to have a bulked-up smaller chassis with plenty of power than a bulky tanker with the same engine. A little thick-looking, a little lumpy around the front end, afflicted with a chrome barrel-stave grille, the Infiniti leads for power. Zoom.
- Robert Cumberford

2005 Acura RL
The current Acura RL didn't exactly cause a Who-concert-style stampede at dealerships when it was introduced in 1996, and in the eight years since, it has aged not so much like fine wine but more like an egg salad sandwich.
The RL's status as a perennial wallflower has been largely the result of Honda's particular philosophies. The company is known for its conservative styling, and, indeed, the current RL's appearance seems as determinedly undercover as Julia Roberts in sweat pants and no makeup dashing into Wal-Mart full of photographers from the Star.
Honda also has shied away from V-8 engines and--except for the S2000 and Acura NSX sports cars--rear-wheel drive, both of which increasingly are seen as essentials in the mid-luxury category.
The new RL, then, has been the subject of much speculation. Would Honda compromise its principles to give the market what it wants? In a word, the answer is no. But the company hopes the changes it has made will be enough to give the RL what it needs.
So there is no V-8 and no rear-wheel drive for the new RL. But the V-6, while still displacing 3.5 liters, is a new, 60-degree engine that gives the RL a massive power boost, taking it from 225 to 300 horsepower. To keep all that power from making the steering wheel twitch demonically and the front tires spin furiously, the RL is fitted with all-wheel drive. This is a front-wheel-drive-based system (like that in the MDX), so the engine retains its far-forward location and transverse orientation. In the RL, the system not only shuttles the torque between the front and rear axles but also can actively distribute torque across the rear axle. Other mechanical highlights include four dic brakes with four-piston calipers and steering-wheel paddle shifting for the five-speed manu-matic transmission.
On the outside, the RL sheds its plain-box sheetmetal for a creased and rounded new suit. (Although Acura characterizes this car as a prototype, it is essentially what we'll see on sale this fall.) Slightly shorter but wider and taller, the new RL has a faster roofline, greater tumblehome, and a more dynamic profile overall. It no longer looks like something that should have lace doilies on the back seat and a white-gloved Japanese chauffeur at the wheel.
The interior, likewise, has been extensively redesigned and features an attractive, modern new dash and livelier use of color, along with Acura's typical high-quality materials. The RL's electronic cornucopia is not as bountiful as the other two cars', but it does include keyless ignition, navigation, satellite radio, and the DVD audio system introduced on the TL.
The new RL may not be what the pundits wanted, but it might be all customers need. This is an extensive makeover to a long-neglected model and is bound to generate interest among the legions of loyal Honda owners and--with the well-received TSX and TL--returning Acura folks. Will they vault Acura into the top tier of luxury cars? We shall see.

Design Commentary on the 2005 RL:
Extreme windshield layback? Check. Pointy nose? Check. Ferrari-style five-spoke alloys? Check. Booming V-8 engine? Well . . . someone has to be last. At least Acura owners will know that they've probably got superior reliability. That's important in a sport sedan, right?

2005 Lexus GS :shit:
Lexus has put fear and envy into the hearts of its competitors, but one of its cars, the GS sedan, has been something of a meek sister in the marketplace. The new 2005 version looks ready to make the competition a little more nervous.
The original 1993 GS300, with its Giugiaro design, did stand out a bit from its haven't-I-seen-you-before stablemates. But its 3.0-liter in-line six-cylinder engine was pure milquetoast, rendering moot the performance advantages of its rear-wheel drive. The second-generation GS offered newfound brio in the form of a 300-horsepower V-8 (offered in addition to the six), but unfortunately, the car's styling took a turn for the baroque.
For 2005, Lexus joins Cadillac, Infiniti, and Acura in taking a more serious run at the German establishment, fielding a new, third-generation GS. Previewed at the 2004 Detroit auto show, the new GS not only intends to make more noise among its competitive set but also aims to establish a distinctive look for the whole division (which, for all its success, has never had one).
The GS again will be sold as the GS430--with its 300-horsepower, 4.3-liter V-8 carried over--and the six-cylinder GS300. Stepping in for the smooth but languid 220-horsepower in-line engine is a new, 245-horsepower V-6. Both powerplants are mated to a new, six-speed automatic (with sequential manual shifting) and drive the rear wheels--or, as an option, all four wheels.
The new car bolsters its technology quotient with keyless ignition, a rearview camera, headlamps that turn with the front wheels, less meddlesome stability control, retooled adaptive damping, and a Mercedes-style precollision system.
For all that, the boldest change is certainly the new design. The size has changed very little, but the styling is far more dramatic. Our own design editor, Robert Cumberford, pronounced it "smoother and far more interesting than the Mercedes clones Lexus has done in the past." Will it get the GS noticed? It certainly can't hurt.

(There was no design commentary on the 2005 GS, as its article was more of a sidebar than the other three.)

 

That would be the 2006 GS - as Lexus themselves have said. Again, all of this is just re-hashed text provided by the manufacturers that has been published in some similar form before. Until one climbs into the production vehicle to feel it, touch it, sense it all of this is just useless text.

 

Back End Of The Infinity = MAJOR

They did a great job on 95% but somebody should get fired over the a$$ end!


I would probably go with the Acura.

The Caddy still looks too plain. The M45 has a just plain unacceptable taillight treatment.

The Acura looks great with a cool AWD system to top it off.

 

The GS has won Car of the year, 2 times ten best awards, it's the most reliable in it's class and did bring younger and a sports car mindset to Lexus. Hell, it was the fastest automatic sedan until the AMG cars started coming. The 1st gen was a failure, the 2nd gen was a succeess. I have no idea what that idiot is talking about. It made plenty of noise with it's competitors and has finished 1st, 2nd or 3rd in comparisons.

Sigh, I canceled my Automobile subscription last year as they have the worst articles/pics and layout.

 

oh if u're talking about the current M45, yes it looks weird, but the new M35/45 coming out looks like a longer G35 sedan and looks like the Maxima, but of course much better.

 

Please explain to me how this car is 'plain' especially compared to the boring ass RL



the RL looks like a bloated version of the orig legend from 15+ years ago

Now the new RL is pretty sweet.. but if you are comparing the new STS to the current RL.. come on....

Plus the M45 is going to be re-done in a year or two and will be based on a stretched version of the platform the G35 is on and might even have a v8 with a MANUAL!

 

I don't think he was talking about the current RL.

The new M45 will have a V8, hence the name, (4.5L V8) just like the current version has a V8. And it will be based off the G35 platform, of course streched. It will begin selling early next year as an 06.

 

And of course, it'll come with a 3.5L V6 for those who don't wanna pony up the cash. Also, the new STS will have a 3.6L V6 as the base engine and the Northstar V8 (I think it's 4.2L) from the XLR and SRX as the upgraded motor.

 

Surpised the RL's E60esque rear trunk lid hasn't been mentioned. It seems they (as BMW did) lifted it to make up for the Manx-like tail.

Vandy

 

LOL, that's because it is. The RL rides on the old Legend platform.

I saw the STS at this year's NY auto show...it's basically a clone between a CTS and an SRX (especially the vertically stacked headlights that taper inwards). I didn't quite get the same impression as you do; I thought it was a rather conservative design that continues the long boxy look of big American luxury sedans.

 

i didn't read everything about the M35/45, but will it just be RWD, I hope there will be AWD added.

 

The M35 will be available in AWD form - no room under the hood for AWD on the V8 model. And accoring to some on Nissan sites probably no MT for the new M. Infiniti.

 

speaking of :sqntfawk: infiniti... when are they going to retire the lame-ass i35

 

This is the last year for the I35. With the exception of the ES (Lexus sells too many of them to can it) both Infiniti and Lexus will be a RWD only car company and follow the MB and BMW model.