I stand Corrected: M35 Is One Heck of a CAR!
01-04-2006, 06:09 PM
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Originally Posted by m630' post='219133' date='Jan 4 2006, 10:32 AM
....dont you think that $50K to pay for a nissan maxima is quite expensive? Infiniti can call it what they want, the reason the cost is lower is that it is a lower value car....when platforms and equiptment are shared with many cars as Nissan does, the overall product is less valuable and the quality is lackluster...as others have posted, since this IS a BMW board, i will tell you that the only thing subjectively better between the cars you are comparing the E60 to would be the price...the E60 is a luxury-sports sedan, and the others are japanese copies of what they think they can sell in the segment. I still dont know where people come off comparing a nissan to a class leader like the 5 series? The nissan is quicker, but who cares? Do you drag race in your car? I dont think you will find the feeling that the car is slow or anything in the 530i, ...the nissan cant handle for anything, and a year later they really look like crap inside and out...many of my friends and family go the infiniti or lexus route to try to show some 'prestige' and i laugh all the time (to myself of course)...how toyota and nissan or honda for that matter have tricked so many with their pricing is so much fun....they look ok inside and out, as to not offend or trend set, but they are not driving machines and they are not performance machines made by a company who's sole goal is driving pleasure....the japanese cars have alot of bells and whistles, but i must say that everyone that i know that has them (and its alot of people), once they sit in my car, they instantly fall in love with what a car should look like, both inside and out, and of course the feel of the drive and the steering is so tight and perfect...if you are honestly in the market for the mid-sized luxury sports saloon to drive seriously and impress at the same time, there is only one car for you to choose...the E60...now if the price is the problem, then just accept that you are not willing or able to get the best, but dont try to fool yourself into believing that those other japanese cars are on the same playing field, because they are not.... good luck PoliticalAid007 
I have a question for all you BMW folks. How do you feel about the 525i? Given the tax situation in California and the difference in price between the 525i and 530i, I could save about $3500 to $4000 going with the 525i with the same options, and $3500 or $4000 is a nice chunk of change. I love the BMW handling, tight steering, the way it hugs the road, the image, everything about BMW! But, I am not someone who is going to race the guy beside me from one stop light to another. I do however want power to pass efficiently on a freeway, go over a mountain pass efficiently, and have BMW fun on a twisty mountain or coastal road. Will the 525i with the new engine and additional power handles all those objectives well? Thank you for your honest answers.
01-05-2006, 01:59 PM
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My Ride: 2006 BMW 550i "Ben Hogan's 5 Iron"
SilverGrey/Black Sport, L7, NAV, CW, AS, Split FR
2003 Audi A4 3.0 CVT "Part of the Moniker"
Silver/Ebony, Prem, CW, Star 17s
[/quote]
I agree with heezy545. Many cars share parts and engines across the line. M45 is not a Nissan and, technologywise, its an advanced and reportedly great handling car. A huge improvement over essentially nothing. Its not a Maxima, although it resembles one. If performance specs and tech gadgets are top priorities, the M is not a bad choice.
My view is the Ms exterior and interior design are both uninspiring and cheap. The audio/video tech gadgets are cheap to make and, generally, not critical in a true sports sedan. BMW has misstepped a bit here too. But behold the greatest NAV of all NAVs on the RL, the overall car is a freaking dud. The quandry for Asian makes, in the sports sedan and luxury field, is the dull and sometimes copycat designs. Whether for better or worse, a BMW is a BMW. They always drive great, age well, look and feel sporty, and push the edge in driving technology. Its like buying the original and feeling good about it. Here is true value. While the 5er seems less perfect nowadays with the increased competition, its still the best and looks and feels that way. Expensive yes, but it pays off in terms of driving and ownership pleasure.
Be like the French, buy fewer things, but buy the very best and feel good about it. Alot of Americans should heed this adage.
Just my two cents.
CVT Benhogan
Well, as USC is getting beat at the Half (I am pissed right now!), I decided to log on to the Forum and check things out. Wow, you certainly wrote a GREAT post. It does make a lot of sense. I am leaning back towards the BMW for all the reasons you listed. I have been thinking pretty much the same.
I have a question for all you BMW folks. How do you feel about the 525i? Given the tax situation in California and the difference in price between the 525i and 530i, I could save about $3500 to $4000 going with the 525i with the same options, and $3500 or $4000 is a nice chunk of change. I love the BMW handling, tight steering, the way it hugs the road, the image, everything about BMW! But, I am not someone who is going to race the guy beside me from one stop light to another. I do however want power to pass efficiently on a freeway, go over a mountain pass efficiently, and have BMW fun on a twisty mountain or coastal road. Will the 525i with the new engine and additional power handles all those objectives well? Thank you for your honest answers.
[/quote]
Hi there,
Many people will tell you the 525 is quick enough. Bah, I say very average for premium dollars. 530 is fairly respectible and the greater HP is really needed. IMHO, they should not make a 525 for the U.S. My suggestion, wait a few months and save your pennies for a 530 or wait longer and get a possible 535. Best still, get a lightly used 545i for around $55K to $49K and be happy as clam. Just get the sport package whatever you do.
Just a few thoughts.
CVT Benhogan
I agree with heezy545. Many cars share parts and engines across the line. M45 is not a Nissan and, technologywise, its an advanced and reportedly great handling car. A huge improvement over essentially nothing. Its not a Maxima, although it resembles one. If performance specs and tech gadgets are top priorities, the M is not a bad choice.
My view is the Ms exterior and interior design are both uninspiring and cheap. The audio/video tech gadgets are cheap to make and, generally, not critical in a true sports sedan. BMW has misstepped a bit here too. But behold the greatest NAV of all NAVs on the RL, the overall car is a freaking dud. The quandry for Asian makes, in the sports sedan and luxury field, is the dull and sometimes copycat designs. Whether for better or worse, a BMW is a BMW. They always drive great, age well, look and feel sporty, and push the edge in driving technology. Its like buying the original and feeling good about it. Here is true value. While the 5er seems less perfect nowadays with the increased competition, its still the best and looks and feels that way. Expensive yes, but it pays off in terms of driving and ownership pleasure.
Be like the French, buy fewer things, but buy the very best and feel good about it. Alot of Americans should heed this adage.
Just my two cents.
CVT Benhogan
....dont you think that $50K to pay for a nissan maxima is quite expensive? Infiniti can call it what they want, the reason the cost is lower is that it is a lower value car....when platforms and equiptment are shared with many cars as Nissan does, the overall product is less valuable and the quality is lackluster...as others have posted, since this IS a BMW board, i will tell you that the only thing subjectively better between the cars you are comparing the E60 to would be the price...the E60 is a luxury-sports sedan, and the others are japanese copies of what they think they can sell in the segment. I still dont know where people come off comparing a nissan to a class leader like the 5 series? The nissan is quicker, but who cares? Do you drag race in your car? I dont think you will find the feeling that the car is slow or anything in the 530i, ...the nissan cant handle for anything, and a year later they really look like crap inside and out...many of my friends and family go the infiniti or lexus route to try to show some 'prestige' and i laugh all the time (to myself of course)...how toyota and nissan or honda for that matter have tricked so many with their pricing is so much fun....they look ok inside and out, as to not offend or trend set, but they are not driving machines and they are not performance machines made by a company who's sole goal is driving pleasure....the japanese cars have alot of bells and whistles, but i must say that everyone that i know that has them (and its alot of people), once they sit in my car, they instantly fall in love with what a car should look like, both inside and out, and of course the feel of the drive and the steering is so tight and perfect...if you are honestly in the market for the mid-sized luxury sports saloon to drive seriously and impress at the same time, there is only one car for you to choose...the E60...now if the price is the problem, then just accept that you are not willing or able to get the best, but dont try to fool yourself into believing that those other japanese cars are on the same playing field, because they are not.... good luck PoliticalAid007
I have a question for all you BMW folks. How do you feel about the 525i? Given the tax situation in California and the difference in price between the 525i and 530i, I could save about $3500 to $4000 going with the 525i with the same options, and $3500 or $4000 is a nice chunk of change. I love the BMW handling, tight steering, the way it hugs the road, the image, everything about BMW! But, I am not someone who is going to race the guy beside me from one stop light to another. I do however want power to pass efficiently on a freeway, go over a mountain pass efficiently, and have BMW fun on a twisty mountain or coastal road. Will the 525i with the new engine and additional power handles all those objectives well? Thank you for your honest answers.
[/quote]
Hi there,
Many people will tell you the 525 is quick enough. Bah, I say very average for premium dollars. 530 is fairly respectible and the greater HP is really needed. IMHO, they should not make a 525 for the U.S. My suggestion, wait a few months and save your pennies for a 530 or wait longer and get a possible 535. Best still, get a lightly used 545i for around $55K to $49K and be happy as clam. Just get the sport package whatever you do.
Just a few thoughts.
CVT Benhogan
02-26-2006, 09:09 PM
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wanted to add that after seriously considering the m45 sprt I rechecked the numbers and actually it looks like a loaded 550i (even with the aero package) is only about 6-8k more. granted that's a lot but not so much that it makes the infiniti an incredible value (imo) if the spread was more like 12-15k that might do it.
02-26-2006, 09:52 PM
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My Ride: 2008 Porsche 911 Carrera S Convertible. Midnight Blue, 6 Speed.Retired - 2007 997 Carrera S, Midnight Blue, Grey leather, premium audioRetired - 2007 550i, Monaco Blue over Beige, Navigation, Logic 7, Cold Weather Pack, Comfort Access, Sport Package
Model Year: 2008
Originally Posted by m123456' post='246515' date='Feb 26 2006, 10:09 PM
wanted to add that after seriously considering the m45 sprt I rechecked the numbers and actually it looks like a loaded 550i (even with the aero package) is only about 6-8k more. granted that's a lot but not so much that it makes the infiniti an incredible value (imo) if the spread was more like 12-15k that might do it.
02-26-2006, 11:10 PM
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I have not driven the M, but was fortunate enough to be able to drive the G35 back to back with a 330i and Audi A4 3.2 in an Autocross situation at last year's Ultimate Driving Experience. Nothing let's you really compare cars like driving them back to back aggressively in an autocross coarse (test driving at a dealer just can't compare). I can summarize my feelings about the G35 in two words: Huge Dissapointment. I loved the way the G35 looked when it first came out, but it has not aged well at all. Also the interior materials and design was EXTREMELY cheap. The thing that really disappointed me was the performance......both acceleration and handling. After reading and hearing for the past few years that the Infiniti had built a 3 series killer in the G35 I finally had the chance to compare the two. As I expected the G35 did not handle well, but what was surprising was just how bad the handling was and how much body roll there was. What surprised me even more is how slow it felt compared to the 330i. You would think that with 25 more horsepower and 50 more lb-ft. of torque and the same curb weight it would feel faster than the 330i. I don't know what the official acceleration numbers are, but what I am saying is that the G35 "felt" slower than the 330i. To me the feel is more important than actual numbers. The Audi was front heavy and slow too, but it "felt" much better than the G35. Granted this was the G35 and not the M35, but they do have the same engine and power, and the M is about 400 pounds heavier than the G, while the 530 is less than 50 pounds heavier than the 330.
If you want to read more about my experience with these cars and the UDE >>>>>Click Here<<<<<
If you want to read more about my experience with these cars and the UDE >>>>>Click Here<<<<<
02-27-2006, 03:19 AM
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My Ride: 05 530 Titanium Silver/Sexy black
Get the new V6 Lexus GS instead.....Makes alot more sense
M35 has a bunch of tech goodies but as far as fit and finish it cant touch a GS. Obviously it cant touch an E60 but thats just evident
M35 has a bunch of tech goodies but as far as fit and finish it cant touch a GS. Obviously it cant touch an E60 but thats just evident
03-04-2006, 05:29 PM
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Originally Posted by swajames' post='246530' date='Feb 27 2006, 01:52 AM
welcome m123456! So did you order the 550 then?
thnx for welcome and funny you should ask. I priced out an 07 and for some reason seems like the cost jumped.
loaded it was now 74,400 (2200 intelli, 2200 nightvision) but even w/o those still now a solid 13k more than loaded m45.
So I retested the m45. still like it alot. still doesn't handle as well as 550. so I'm still stuck in the middle.
2 more options, m5 which is overkill but it is an m5m, or try a jeepsrt8 for the hell of it. or, just forget the whole thing and get a bicycle it can all drive you crazy.
cars of debate.
cayman (won't fit 80lb dog too well)
911c4 (dog fitting problem)
550i (great but...)
m5
e55 (can find an 05 for 75ish w/0 miles, of course the only one @ dealer lot is a color I don't like)
jeep srt8 (superfast. fits dog. 4wd. ugly cheap interior, reliability? is it worse than even bmw, audi etc.)
m45 great car but kind of blah.
is350 (nice but kind of rides soft)
wait for...
z4mcoupe
rs4
s3
s6
335
(any other suggestions?)
buy a skateboard
...sorry to vent couldn't help myself.
03-04-2006, 05:56 PM
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My Ride: 2008 Porsche 911 Carrera S Convertible. Midnight Blue, 6 Speed.Retired - 2007 997 Carrera S, Midnight Blue, Grey leather, premium audioRetired - 2007 550i, Monaco Blue over Beige, Navigation, Logic 7, Cold Weather Pack, Comfort Access, Sport Package
Model Year: 2008
Originally Posted by m123456' post='249930' date='Mar 4 2006, 06:29 PM
thnx for welcome and funny you should ask. I priced out an 07 and for some reason seems like the cost jumped.
loaded it was now 74,400 (2200 intelli, 2200 nightvision) but even w/o those still now a solid 13k more than loaded m45.
So I retested the m45. still like it alot. still doesn't handle as well as 550. so I'm still stuck in the middle.
2 more options, m5 which is overkill but it is an m5m, or try a jeepsrt8 for the hell of it. or, just forget the whole thing and get a bicycle it can all drive you crazy.
cars of debate.
cayman (won't fit 80lb dog too well)
911c4 (dog fitting problem)
550i (great but...)
m5
e55 (can find an 05 for 75ish w/0 miles, of course the only one @ dealer lot is a color I don't like)
jeep srt8 (superfast. fits dog. 4wd. ugly cheap interior, reliability? is it worse than even bmw, audi etc.)
m45 great car but kind of blah.
is350 (nice but kind of rides soft)
wait for...
z4mcoupe
rs4
s3
s6
335
(any other suggestions?)
buy a skateboard
...sorry to vent couldn't help myself.
loaded it was now 74,400 (2200 intelli, 2200 nightvision) but even w/o those still now a solid 13k more than loaded m45.
So I retested the m45. still like it alot. still doesn't handle as well as 550. so I'm still stuck in the middle.
2 more options, m5 which is overkill but it is an m5m, or try a jeepsrt8 for the hell of it. or, just forget the whole thing and get a bicycle it can all drive you crazy.
cars of debate.
cayman (won't fit 80lb dog too well)
911c4 (dog fitting problem)
550i (great but...)
m5
e55 (can find an 05 for 75ish w/0 miles, of course the only one @ dealer lot is a color I don't like)
jeep srt8 (superfast. fits dog. 4wd. ugly cheap interior, reliability? is it worse than even bmw, audi etc.)
m45 great car but kind of blah.
is350 (nice but kind of rides soft)
wait for...
z4mcoupe
rs4
s3
s6
335
(any other suggestions?)
buy a skateboard
...sorry to vent couldn't help myself.
03-07-2006, 07:22 PM
#30
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Originally Posted by swajames' post='249941' date='Mar 4 2006, 06:56 PM
What about a certified pre owned 545? 90%+ of the 550's capabilities and there are some decent cars on the dealer lots right now. Warranty is excellent on CPO as well.
Bottom line is that BMW's have a soul that can't be found in other cars. It is what it is......German