WillCo1

Bah. Now I am considering getting an IS350. Thought I was dead set on a G37 Coupe.

ReD2847

Big difference, Is350 not nearly as fun to drive although i heard its faster from 0-60.

Why the sudden change of heart?

jjasonSU

iTrader: (1)

true indeed

bluedevils95

iTrader: (2)

that's why you have paddle shifters

rmfnla

I still think of Lexus as the "old peoples" brand...

Superteeth

I have also heard that the IS350 (before 2014) was not really very agile, with unresponsive steering and other "unsporty" qualities. However, I also read that things have changed with the new IS350, which also looks much better than the old one (to me, anyways). I think that if the current IS350 was out when I was deciding on a new car, I would have gotten it instead of the G37.

halfshaft

The 370z and the G37 share the exact same transmission. I'm not sure if the gearing is the same or if there is a difference in programming but I've seen some of the guys on the370z.com claim that the G37 7AT shifts more or less the same way as the 370z 7AT.

halfshaft

If you are talking about the 2nd generation IS350 (2006-2013), I think you will be very disappointed if you are looking for any fun. I test drove those cars several times and while they have many positives (great reliability, interior build quality, smoothness, etc) they are quite honestly very boring compared to the G37. The steering has literally no feel, the car doesn't communicate much of anything to the driver and the paddle shifters are fake. They are fake because they are actually top gear limiters, not actual paddle shifters. The transmission doesn't have a manual mode, always runs in fully automatic mode and doesn't downshift rev match. Paddles respond so slowly, they are useless and meant for show.

Now if you are considering the newer IS350s, its an entirely different story. I've heard pretty much only good things about it and that its a great drivers car that at least rivals or beats the BMW 3 series and kills the Q50. If you get the F sport model, it comes with the 8 speed transmission from the ISF!

stm69

I went AT mainly because of a bum knee. Tore ACL/meniscus/cart etc, and still have stiffness in it after a few years. No regrets here, just need to keep the right foot planted to have fun

WillCo1

I don't know. I saw one in my work parking lot, checked it out and it was pretty nice. I knew they were decently quick, so I starting researching them online. After seeing how quick they are and the fact that its a Toyota/Lexus, I started considering it.

But, now I'm not so sure. Many comments about how the car isn't really fun to drive like a G37 is. And the fact that it is a somewhat feminine looking vehicle (if that makes sense). Also, I still don't really need or 4 door sedan.

And, I have read that the suspension isn't nearly as sporty as the G37 or even the IS300.

So I'm pretty much back on board with the G37 coupe.

WillCo1

Your observations are very similar to what I have come across online.

Basically, it is a very nice vehicle, but it is really made for comfort. Not a drivers car and very little road feel.

I would be able to mod the suspension of course. But the steering will always be too cushy and numb.

Seems like the IS350 is a great red-light racer, but most other aspects of the car aren't that exciting.

halfshaft

Indeed. I feel like even tightening up the suspension wouldn't be enough to make the IS350 very engaging. There are just too many areas of the car that will never be sporty. As you mentioned the steering will never communicate anything much to you (2006-2007 models were the worst, 2008 and later improved a tad). You also get very little control over the transmission, if you set it to sport mode and try to downshift with the paddle from 6th to 5th, the gear will drop as expected but what you have actually done is reduced the top gear limit from 6 to 5. The transmission is still in fully automatic but is only allowed to use 5 of the 6 gears. If you try to now up shift, the transmission is now allowed to use all 6 gears but there is no guarantee that it will upshift right away, the transmission can change the gear whenever it feels like it. I found this experience to be pretty off putting if you are looking for a drivers car since you have so little control. The G37s automatic has a true manual mode where it will let the driver do whatever you want as long as you don't over rev the engine or stall it. This is the way it should be. I very seriously considered buying a IS350 before I shifted my interest to the G37, but I felt it was just too lacking in engagement. Still a wonderful car if that isn't the priority though.

As I said in my previous post, they seem to have fixed all of these issues in the new IS350 F sport. Sadly its a bit out of my budget and I'm not sure how I feel about the new look.

WillCo1

Yeah, I like the new IS350. I already like the look of the front end. Very nice aggressive lines. But of course it is way out of my budget.

I have even been looking at 370 Zs. I have always liked them. But I don't know if I want to go that route. What I like about the G37 is the fact that it is a luxury sports coupe with many creature comforts and a good deal of technology.

I know I would have fun with a 370z, but the interior is just too minimalistic (which is in accordance with many sports cars). And also the fact that it is only a 2 seater, even though the back seat of the G is pretty small.

I love that the G37 is sexy, fast, handles/corners well and has the luxury and tech all in one package.

halfshaft, have you made any more headroom on deciding on an auto or standard?

This might be one of those decisions where the grass will always be greener on the other side lol.

inknartg37

I have an 13 AT...Enjoy driving it every day... Threw on the Aero Kit, IPL Exhaust, Springs and Intake and i'm sure it will strike all the right chords!

Even when I just throw it in sport mode the difference is insane, it even aggressively downshifts and sounds like a beast, everyone that gets in the car says something when it downshifts in sport with the intake and exhaust, it sounds beautiful

halfshaft

I think the grass will always be a little greener on the other side for us but I do think I’m going with the 7AT.
It may not be as engaging as the 6MT but it is still quite fun in its own way. The gear shift speeds aren’t quite dual clutch speeds but are really not hugely different either. I recently drove a 7 speed dual clutch BMW 335is and a BMW F30 328i 8 speed auto and the G37 7AT honestly held its own. The 7 speeds downshifts are simply excellent but the upshifts could use a little bit more quickness but it isn’t bad. The BMW dual clutch was obviously better in just about every way but the difference wasn’t really night and day in my opinion. The paddle shifters in the G are also column mounted (as they should be) and are perfectly sized and positioned. The G is a luxury performance car and I find that the 7AT is much more in line with the G’s character. The 7AT makes the car more refined, smoother, quieter (you still hear the sound you want to hear), more fuel efficient and even faster. The 6MT is just so clunky and feels out of place in the otherwise classy G37.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that the G is a fairly heavy car and the engine could really use some extra torque to make the car feel a bit more eager to move. The 7AT helps in this area since its lower gears are shorter than the ones in the 6MT, this leads to greater torque multiplication and greater torque applied on the wheels than the 6MT which ultimately makes for a quicker car and a car that feels more eager to get moving. I certainly noticed this in my test drives, I don’t have the exact numbers here but last time I calculated, the G37 7AT sends 14% more torque to the rear wheels in 1st gear than the 6MT due to the shorter gearing. You also get the longer 7th gear for better fuel economy.
Since the G is supposed to be a luxury sports car, it shouldn't beat you up and should be able to change its character based on what you feel like doing. I like how the 7AT is very civilized and quiet in regular drive mode, responsive and aggressive in the DS mode and finally it lets you take full control in manual mode. It’s much more dynamic than the 6MT.
The only thing the 6MT has going for it is the level of control and engagement it provides, but of course this is a huge deal. If it wasn't a huge deal I probably wouldn't have made this thread. After doing the research and test driving different cars, I think the 7AT is the better fit in this car and will suit my needs better. That said, if I get a great deal on a 6MT, I might still pick one of those up.