My Personal Car Comparisons
03-27-2005, 09:31 PM
#1
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
My Personal Car Comparisons
Midsized-Car Review
The Cars in Question:
• 2006 Lexus GS 300
• 2005 BMW 530i (without sport package)
• 2006 Infiniti M35 (without sport package)
• 2005 Acura RL
Two weeks ago (March 3), I test drove the 2006 Lexus GS 300. On the following Monday (March 7), I test drove the 2005 BMW 530i, 2006 Infiniti M35, and 2005 Acura RL back-to-back. Here are the results.
First, I need to say that there isn’t a bad car in the group. All of them are impressive and it really comes down to personal preference. For example, the Lexus GS 300 is Toyota’s attempt to create a BMW 5-series challenger. It’s a nice try, but not quite. I think corpse-quiet and hound-dog-reliable luxury is wired into the Lexus DNA. It certainly shows in this vehicle. Granted, the GS corners far better than the ES that I test drove a couple of years ago, but it is this car feels very isolated in that “Lexus Way.” To me, this is a car that cuts off your senses. You can see the road, but you can’t feel or hear the road, which takes some of the joy from the car’s handling and acceleration abilities. Again, luxury is their DNA, not sport; I don’t even think their salespeople know how to sell performance cars. The salesman was terrified the whole time I was driving. Oh well, on to a real sport/performance car.
The BMW dealership had a 530i available for test drive. This car had active steering but did not have the sport package. In contrast to the Lexus dealership, the BMW salesperson actually encouraged me to drive aggressively. He even taught me a little thing or two about how to hit turns at high speeds. About the car itself, the new 530i is far different from the previous generation. For one thing, the suspension on this car is softer than its predecessor. Before, the 530i had a hard suspension whether you had the sport package or not. Now you need a sport package to get that traditional BMW feel. Still, the car handles corners well, even without the sport package! It is truly a mid-sized family sedan that you can drive like a little sports car. I enjoyed the car, but then my inner geek kicked in. I asked about the CD changer. BMW has the nerve to charge an extra $1500 for a primitive-ass, optional CD changer that’s in the glove compartment? Umm, BMW? 1995 called. They want their played-ass CD changer returned to them immediately. Also, iDrive is as evil as people say it is. From an IT person’s perspective, I have to say that the user interface sucks. Why is there one big dial where the cup holders should be that controls everything? Why should I need to go through several steps just to manually change a radio station? And why should I go through all that to change a CD in the changer? Is BMW such a driver-oriented company that they ignore any feature that isn’t directly related to driving the car? Also, the control the turn signal gives no tactile feedback. You don’t know you’ve successfully turned on the turn signal until you’ve seen something blinking. What the hell is that? And don’t get me started on their so-called cup holders. Acceleration, cornering, and braking aside, the new BMW 530i is a hard car to love. If you want a car with similar prowess with more logical gadgets and a lower price, you might have to commit the ultimate sin: go Japanese.
So I went to the Infiniti dealership.
The M is the latest from the newly ascendant Infiniti. A few years ago, French carmaker Renault took control of Infiniti’s parent company Nissan. The European influence shows in the cars Infiniti has produced recently. First came the G35, the only Japanese car to truly answer the legendary BMW 3 series (but not beat it). Last month, Infiniti released the mid-sized M. It comes with either a V6 (M35) or a V8 (M45). I test-drove the M35 without the sport package. Before we went anywhere, the salesman gave me an overview of the car’s gadgetry. The M comes standard with an in-dash CD changer, as any car over $40K should (are listening, BMW?). Like the 530i, the M35 has an iDrive-type dial, but it has also includes regular buttons so you don’t have to use the big knob for basic stuff. Also, the voice recognition was impressive. Another cool standard feature was Bluetooth capability. The salesman linked my phone to the car. When somebody called my cell phone, I was able to answer the phone from the car’s steering wheel and talk with the car’s speakers. Nice. There was also quite a bit of optional equipment. If you want to spend a grip, you can have a car that does everything but makes you a sandwich. Anyway, after the gadget overview, it was time to drive the car.
Believe it or not, the M35 felt a LOT like the 530i. I got a chance to drive the car as hard as I wanted and I was amazed by the feel. Bear in mind that I drove the 530i just an hour before I drove the M35 and they felt like related cars. My point is this: a Japanese car company has finally created an alternative to the BMW 530i. Scary, isn’t it? And it even has superior ergonomics (did I mention I loathe iDrive?). I left the Infiniti dealership thinking that the M35 was, overall, the car to beat. Then I went to the Acura dealership to test drive the RL.
The BMW 530i is a driving enthusiast’s dream. The RL, on the other hand, is the gadget fiend’s masturbation fantasy. The 2005 RL has more standard features than any car in its price range. That’s a good thing, because the RL has no factory options whatsoever. I’ll be honest; I was a little skeptical when I arrived at the Acura dealership. However, the sales manager offered to let me keep an RL overnight. I got the car the next day and it was on!
When I say the RL comes with a lot of standard equipment, I mean EVERYTHING. Remember when I was bitching about BMW charging an extra $1500 for some old-school CD changer? Well, the RL comes with an in-dash, six-disc changer that plays CD’s and DVD Audio. It even plays MP3’s! If you don’t know what I’m talking about, y’all betta ask somebody! In addition, the car comes with XM satellite radio as standard equipment. I love XM radio! Love it, love it, love it! I’m ready to upgrade the car just for the XM. FM seems so inadequate now. Apparently, I live in an area that has repeaters on the ground, because I did not have any problems with XM radio reception while I had the car, not even in covered parking. I wonder if I would be able to get decent reception in underground parking? Also, unlike the other 3 cars I test drove, the RL comes with a navigation system as standard equipment. As a techie, I must say that the RL has the most advanced nav system out there. Not only does nav system respond to voice commands such as “find nearest ATM,” it shows you the traffic! That’s right, the RL has the first nav system in the USA that displays real-time traffic. And guess what? It works! Wow. Like the M35, the RL has built-in Bluetooth phone support. Couldn’t get the damn phone and car to link with each other at first. Had to download a FAQ file. Finally got the car and the phone to bond with each other. The process wasn’t user-friendly because it seems to be all voice-command driven. Other than that, I think I did pretty well figuring out the car without a manual. I think that is a testament to the user interface of the car. I don’t even think of the RL as a car per se. I see it as a computer systems integration project on wheels. I see why PC magazine and IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) magazine reviewed this car.
On the aesthetic front, I love the blue gauges. Blue’s my favorite color and I like the multilevel look of it. I prefer the blue gauges better than the “solar eclipse” gauges on the Infiniti M. The 530’s gauges are just blah. Chris Bangle and them need to hire an interior designer. On the other hand, the RL’s exterior is a little plain. From a distance, the car’s looks scream “generic Japanese car.” Honda is not known for radical design, and it shows in their top-of-the-line sedan. The car is not ugly, just boring like a men’s conservative blue business suit. Okay, enough of the aesthetics and the gadgets, how does the car drive?
Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) is no joke. As a result, the RL is definitely the most agile Acura I’ve ever driven. All other Acura sedans are front-wheel drive and most of them (including my current car) suffer from torque steer. This Acura doesn’t have this problem, AT ALL. The car did corners very well, even while accelerating. But really, all of the cars I’ve driven have been able to take what I’ve dished out, except possibly the Lexus. I’m not sure if the cars are that good or if I’ve become a conservative driver in my old age. Also, I think the 530i with sport package and the M35 with sport package would probably be able to spank the RL like a puppy. However, I’d rather have an RL with standard all-wheel drive in a hurricane, a blizzard, or the apocalypse.
So, which car gets the nod? It depends on what type of driver you are. If you really want a luxury car that coddles you and protects you from the outside world, yet lets you occasionally drive with vigor, then get the Lexus GS 300. If you are a performance-driving enthusiast and you must have a BMW, then get the BMW 530i. If you are a performance-driving enthusiast and you don’t have to have a BMW, then get the Infiniti M35 and save money. Finally, if you are a gadget whore like me, then go for that computer systems integration project on wheels, the Acura RL.
The Cars in Question:
• 2006 Lexus GS 300
• 2005 BMW 530i (without sport package)
• 2006 Infiniti M35 (without sport package)
• 2005 Acura RL
Two weeks ago (March 3), I test drove the 2006 Lexus GS 300. On the following Monday (March 7), I test drove the 2005 BMW 530i, 2006 Infiniti M35, and 2005 Acura RL back-to-back. Here are the results.
First, I need to say that there isn’t a bad car in the group. All of them are impressive and it really comes down to personal preference. For example, the Lexus GS 300 is Toyota’s attempt to create a BMW 5-series challenger. It’s a nice try, but not quite. I think corpse-quiet and hound-dog-reliable luxury is wired into the Lexus DNA. It certainly shows in this vehicle. Granted, the GS corners far better than the ES that I test drove a couple of years ago, but it is this car feels very isolated in that “Lexus Way.” To me, this is a car that cuts off your senses. You can see the road, but you can’t feel or hear the road, which takes some of the joy from the car’s handling and acceleration abilities. Again, luxury is their DNA, not sport; I don’t even think their salespeople know how to sell performance cars. The salesman was terrified the whole time I was driving. Oh well, on to a real sport/performance car.
The BMW dealership had a 530i available for test drive. This car had active steering but did not have the sport package. In contrast to the Lexus dealership, the BMW salesperson actually encouraged me to drive aggressively. He even taught me a little thing or two about how to hit turns at high speeds. About the car itself, the new 530i is far different from the previous generation. For one thing, the suspension on this car is softer than its predecessor. Before, the 530i had a hard suspension whether you had the sport package or not. Now you need a sport package to get that traditional BMW feel. Still, the car handles corners well, even without the sport package! It is truly a mid-sized family sedan that you can drive like a little sports car. I enjoyed the car, but then my inner geek kicked in. I asked about the CD changer. BMW has the nerve to charge an extra $1500 for a primitive-ass, optional CD changer that’s in the glove compartment? Umm, BMW? 1995 called. They want their played-ass CD changer returned to them immediately. Also, iDrive is as evil as people say it is. From an IT person’s perspective, I have to say that the user interface sucks. Why is there one big dial where the cup holders should be that controls everything? Why should I need to go through several steps just to manually change a radio station? And why should I go through all that to change a CD in the changer? Is BMW such a driver-oriented company that they ignore any feature that isn’t directly related to driving the car? Also, the control the turn signal gives no tactile feedback. You don’t know you’ve successfully turned on the turn signal until you’ve seen something blinking. What the hell is that? And don’t get me started on their so-called cup holders. Acceleration, cornering, and braking aside, the new BMW 530i is a hard car to love. If you want a car with similar prowess with more logical gadgets and a lower price, you might have to commit the ultimate sin: go Japanese.
So I went to the Infiniti dealership.
The M is the latest from the newly ascendant Infiniti. A few years ago, French carmaker Renault took control of Infiniti’s parent company Nissan. The European influence shows in the cars Infiniti has produced recently. First came the G35, the only Japanese car to truly answer the legendary BMW 3 series (but not beat it). Last month, Infiniti released the mid-sized M. It comes with either a V6 (M35) or a V8 (M45). I test-drove the M35 without the sport package. Before we went anywhere, the salesman gave me an overview of the car’s gadgetry. The M comes standard with an in-dash CD changer, as any car over $40K should (are listening, BMW?). Like the 530i, the M35 has an iDrive-type dial, but it has also includes regular buttons so you don’t have to use the big knob for basic stuff. Also, the voice recognition was impressive. Another cool standard feature was Bluetooth capability. The salesman linked my phone to the car. When somebody called my cell phone, I was able to answer the phone from the car’s steering wheel and talk with the car’s speakers. Nice. There was also quite a bit of optional equipment. If you want to spend a grip, you can have a car that does everything but makes you a sandwich. Anyway, after the gadget overview, it was time to drive the car.
Believe it or not, the M35 felt a LOT like the 530i. I got a chance to drive the car as hard as I wanted and I was amazed by the feel. Bear in mind that I drove the 530i just an hour before I drove the M35 and they felt like related cars. My point is this: a Japanese car company has finally created an alternative to the BMW 530i. Scary, isn’t it? And it even has superior ergonomics (did I mention I loathe iDrive?). I left the Infiniti dealership thinking that the M35 was, overall, the car to beat. Then I went to the Acura dealership to test drive the RL.
The BMW 530i is a driving enthusiast’s dream. The RL, on the other hand, is the gadget fiend’s masturbation fantasy. The 2005 RL has more standard features than any car in its price range. That’s a good thing, because the RL has no factory options whatsoever. I’ll be honest; I was a little skeptical when I arrived at the Acura dealership. However, the sales manager offered to let me keep an RL overnight. I got the car the next day and it was on!
When I say the RL comes with a lot of standard equipment, I mean EVERYTHING. Remember when I was bitching about BMW charging an extra $1500 for some old-school CD changer? Well, the RL comes with an in-dash, six-disc changer that plays CD’s and DVD Audio. It even plays MP3’s! If you don’t know what I’m talking about, y’all betta ask somebody! In addition, the car comes with XM satellite radio as standard equipment. I love XM radio! Love it, love it, love it! I’m ready to upgrade the car just for the XM. FM seems so inadequate now. Apparently, I live in an area that has repeaters on the ground, because I did not have any problems with XM radio reception while I had the car, not even in covered parking. I wonder if I would be able to get decent reception in underground parking? Also, unlike the other 3 cars I test drove, the RL comes with a navigation system as standard equipment. As a techie, I must say that the RL has the most advanced nav system out there. Not only does nav system respond to voice commands such as “find nearest ATM,” it shows you the traffic! That’s right, the RL has the first nav system in the USA that displays real-time traffic. And guess what? It works! Wow. Like the M35, the RL has built-in Bluetooth phone support. Couldn’t get the damn phone and car to link with each other at first. Had to download a FAQ file. Finally got the car and the phone to bond with each other. The process wasn’t user-friendly because it seems to be all voice-command driven. Other than that, I think I did pretty well figuring out the car without a manual. I think that is a testament to the user interface of the car. I don’t even think of the RL as a car per se. I see it as a computer systems integration project on wheels. I see why PC magazine and IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) magazine reviewed this car.
On the aesthetic front, I love the blue gauges. Blue’s my favorite color and I like the multilevel look of it. I prefer the blue gauges better than the “solar eclipse” gauges on the Infiniti M. The 530’s gauges are just blah. Chris Bangle and them need to hire an interior designer. On the other hand, the RL’s exterior is a little plain. From a distance, the car’s looks scream “generic Japanese car.” Honda is not known for radical design, and it shows in their top-of-the-line sedan. The car is not ugly, just boring like a men’s conservative blue business suit. Okay, enough of the aesthetics and the gadgets, how does the car drive?
Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) is no joke. As a result, the RL is definitely the most agile Acura I’ve ever driven. All other Acura sedans are front-wheel drive and most of them (including my current car) suffer from torque steer. This Acura doesn’t have this problem, AT ALL. The car did corners very well, even while accelerating. But really, all of the cars I’ve driven have been able to take what I’ve dished out, except possibly the Lexus. I’m not sure if the cars are that good or if I’ve become a conservative driver in my old age. Also, I think the 530i with sport package and the M35 with sport package would probably be able to spank the RL like a puppy. However, I’d rather have an RL with standard all-wheel drive in a hurricane, a blizzard, or the apocalypse.
So, which car gets the nod? It depends on what type of driver you are. If you really want a luxury car that coddles you and protects you from the outside world, yet lets you occasionally drive with vigor, then get the Lexus GS 300. If you are a performance-driving enthusiast and you must have a BMW, then get the BMW 530i. If you are a performance-driving enthusiast and you don’t have to have a BMW, then get the Infiniti M35 and save money. Finally, if you are a gadget whore like me, then go for that computer systems integration project on wheels, the Acura RL.
03-27-2005, 10:23 PM
#2
Moderator Alumnus
For me,
'05 RL > '06 M35 > '06 GS300 > '05 BMW 530i
No sport package.
I just hope RL could have more power/torque, and better insides and outsides, IMHO.
'05 RL > '06 M35 > '06 GS300 > '05 BMW 530i
No sport package.
I just hope RL could have more power/torque, and better insides and outsides, IMHO.
03-27-2005, 11:44 PM
#4
Racer
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Great review...many thanks for this.
It is interesting that MotorWeek found that the Infinity suffers from lack of "road feel".
The M35X was given an overall good review, except for road feel which generated the comment "While we found a serious lack of steering feel to be annoying,..." and the lane departure warning system, which garnered "It works, but it can be annoying. Thank goodness there is an ''off'' switch.".
Here is a link to the full reviw for the M35X from MotorWeek:
http://www.mpt.org/motorweek/reviews/rt2430.shtml
Pete
It is interesting that MotorWeek found that the Infinity suffers from lack of "road feel".
The M35X was given an overall good review, except for road feel which generated the comment "While we found a serious lack of steering feel to be annoying,..." and the lane departure warning system, which garnered "It works, but it can be annoying. Thank goodness there is an ''off'' switch.".
Here is a link to the full reviw for the M35X from MotorWeek:
http://www.mpt.org/motorweek/reviews/rt2430.shtml
Pete
03-28-2005, 12:43 PM
#5
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This was not only a good and fair review but it was also entertaining reading too. You may want to consider replacing the dinosaurs Brock Yates and Patrick Bedard at Car & Driver. Those guys only write about their political views these days.
03-28-2005, 02:03 PM
#6
Racer
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great review, I wish you test drove the M35AWD, becuase the M35x, GS300AWD, RL.....in reality those are the only 3 cars that are still on my list. as much as I love a sports suspension, saftey on the michigan roads are a lil more important to me, especially when we are in 8inches of snow. Thanks for the review, Im just going to have to get to the dealer myself and mess around with all of them. Thanks for ur great review!
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03-28-2005, 07:29 PM
#8
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
I wished I could have tested the AWD versions of the Infiniti M and the Lexus GS, but neither car was available in my area at the time, early March.
03-29-2005, 09:33 AM
#10
Originally Posted by jhr3uva90
I wished I could have tested the AWD versions of the Infiniti M and the Lexus GS, but neither car was available in my area at the time, early March.
03-29-2005, 02:07 PM
#12
Drifting
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Nice writeup with one exception.
I think you overstate the case with respect to the driving experience of the GS.
I drive a TL Type S with performance shocks and H&R springs and Comptech Sways and while my test drive of the GS was noteably softer, I thought body roll and handling was very impressive for a stock vehicle. Much less than a stock TL Type S.
More importantly, I know that Lexus, Infiniti, and Acura all have pretty reasonable after market support so I would not reject a vehicle based on how it handled with stock tires and suspension.
If you want the GS to handle like an M5, it will. But you can't exactly get rid of I-drive and replace it with a proper dash!
I think you overstate the case with respect to the driving experience of the GS.
I drive a TL Type S with performance shocks and H&R springs and Comptech Sways and while my test drive of the GS was noteably softer, I thought body roll and handling was very impressive for a stock vehicle. Much less than a stock TL Type S.
More importantly, I know that Lexus, Infiniti, and Acura all have pretty reasonable after market support so I would not reject a vehicle based on how it handled with stock tires and suspension.
If you want the GS to handle like an M5, it will. But you can't exactly get rid of I-drive and replace it with a proper dash!
03-29-2005, 07:02 PM
#13
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
The dealerships:
Lindsay Lexus of Alexandria
BMW of Arlington
Passport Infiniti of Alexandria
Radley Acura
I think the Infiniti had the tech package, but I'm not sure.
Thanks to everyone!
Lindsay Lexus of Alexandria
BMW of Arlington
Passport Infiniti of Alexandria
Radley Acura
I think the Infiniti had the tech package, but I'm not sure.
Thanks to everyone!
03-29-2005, 08:27 PM
#14
Originally Posted by jhr3uva90
The dealerships:
Lindsay Lexus of Alexandria
BMW of Arlington
Passport Infiniti of Alexandria
Radley Acura
I think the Infiniti had the tech package, but I'm not sure.
Thanks to everyone!
Lindsay Lexus of Alexandria
BMW of Arlington
Passport Infiniti of Alexandria
Radley Acura
I think the Infiniti had the tech package, but I'm not sure.
Thanks to everyone!
I'll try Rosenthal Infiniti in Tyson's, Chevy Chase Acura, and I'll have to look to see what other Lexus dealers and BMW dealers are in the area.
03-31-2005, 02:07 PM
#15
Thanks for the review. I agree on all counts. I own an RL so I'm aware of all its capabilities. I've also test driven the GS300, GS430, M35, and M45 Sport. Not even interested in the 5 Series.
Everything you said is true. The GS is a competent car, but it isolates the driver so much that it's like a sedative. The M is the true driver's car of the bunch. I just wish it had the RL guages/lighting. I also think the RL's styling is a bit generic (although handsome), but so is the M's. The GS is the only one that is somewhat original, and it's "love it or hate it". Anyway, great unbiased review. Let us know if you make a choice.
Everything you said is true. The GS is a competent car, but it isolates the driver so much that it's like a sedative. The M is the true driver's car of the bunch. I just wish it had the RL guages/lighting. I also think the RL's styling is a bit generic (although handsome), but so is the M's. The GS is the only one that is somewhat original, and it's "love it or hate it". Anyway, great unbiased review. Let us know if you make a choice.
04-01-2005, 10:58 PM
#16
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
I bought a blue RL from Radley Acura on 3/31/05. I'm taking it to Charlottesville, VA (UVA) tomorrow. So far, so good. . .
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