Why not? .. it is great fun and interesting to hear different voices and opinions. Not necessarily G37 specific so long as it is G37 related.

 

^^Agreed!

 

Just adding my 2 cents...

BMW has made some great cars - but (just my opinion) it feels as if they have lost their way a bit...look at the new 5-series. Really? I was a proud owner of a '99 540i. (E39 era). Loved that car. Gorgeous. I then had a gen 1 X5 4.4. Very nice too.

But - I'd never want to own one out of warranty. Examples of what went wrong over 6 years (2x 3 year leases): in the 540 - I had the oil filter canister separate spewing 8 quarts of oil all over the engine. That was fun. Oh - and the drivers seat that would rock in it's mounts could be classified as pure torture in stop & go driving. The X5 had a binding accelerator pedal. That was the cause of several minor heart attacks for me - take your foot off the accelerator and it would take a second before it would pop and smack the underside of my foot. OH - and both cars required the instrument panel to be replaced due to pixels dying.


Overall - they were great fun while I owned them. The dealer wasn't too bad (South Jersey - Desimone BMW). I really just feared owning them post-warranty. I did not experience any of the failed front knuckles/bearings/etc on the 5. Didn't want to wait that long. And although the X5 was 'supposed' to be more trouble prone - the last year I had it was pretty uneventful. Put a solid 45k on each car - used to drive a lot more back then.

I'm sure they have become more reliable since then - but it also seems like they have lost some of their 'soul'. The X5 has grown - and the X3 just recently looks good. The 5 & 7 will never regain the reputation of the 'ultimate drive machines' as they had in the late 90's. The 3 keeps growing - somewhat ungainly to me.

Everyone has their opinions. I'm sure the nameplate is all that is needed for many.

 

^ articulated well

 

Our 745 had the passenger side seat belt sensor & tensioner go out, trunk that would unlock and open mysteriously, trunk motor would "almost" raise the trunk then stop and just whine halfway up. Transmission would lurch and clunk when coming to a stop. Front control arms were completely shot at 75k, computer control module was on it's third one, and the headlights would have intermittent flickering. Other than that it was a fine car, and the back seat in the Li was like a living room sofa

 

When I had my 335 I averaged about 24mpg which is basically 20% better than I'm getting in the G.

HP=fuel I guess but I wasn't expecting such a big loss.

 

If I do half city and half highway I get 23 in my X sedan...

 

I recently just got into a 2012 Kia Optima SX, which has the 2.0T turbo 4 cylinder. My last G was a RWD G37 Journey, which I saw an average of 21~22mpg with mixed city and highway. The Optima is rated at 34mpg hwy and 22mpg city, but with the same driving style as my G I'm only getting 24~25 mixed. Not much of an improvement if you ask me.

I too was contemplating the new 328 because of the 2.0T engine, but for $15k less fully equipped I could not pass on the Optima SX (msrp $31.8k but got for $28k). Not saying that the Optima is direct competitor for BMW/Infiniti, but for my needs its just sporty enough and has wayyyy more options than I could get in either car (panoramic sunroof, cooled seats, power foldup mirrors, heated rear seats, etc)

Once the lease is up on the Kia, I'm hoping for Infiniti to put a 2.0T engine in the G25 so I can come back to the brand. I've have 5 Infiniti G35/37s in the past 8 years, but I was in need of a change. Let's hope this new 328 lights a fire under the Nissan/Infiniti engineering for make the G even better.

 

Anybody who thinks engine size means "Luxury" is dumb. The rest of the world has had smaller engine in their high end cars for years. This is why they generally handle better than American cars. Since they can't have engine performance (fuel prices) they focus on driving feel. Here in the US we like forward thrust.

I've had 1.8T and 2.0T VW/Audi and they are awesome and sound good.

 

I read that but I will not buy a new car at that price that my wife can't wife. So for me the the AT will be just fine. Even though I have mainly driven stick most of my life, I no longer want a manual for my every day car.

 

+1. Big cars, big engines...all geared for American consumers. Same with sunroofs. 90% of luxury vehicles in Europe don't have them. It's an option mainly for the U.S. market.

 

I really liked the article. I do agree that for someone looking for a nice AT car, the 328 is super compelling..

 

at 48k, it is just way too pricey for a 328, much rather have a loaded G37.

 

In the past I used to use the sunroof all the time. Although my 02 WRX wagon had no sunroof. My 83 GTI and 87 16V Scirocco had the sunroof placed in a perfect spot. From the driver's seat you could easily glance up and see the sky as you drove. I can't do that with the G while I'm driving unless I lean extremely back and ;ean my head up. So I've only opened up my sunroof fully maybe once or twice, I kid you not. I do pop up the roof from time to time. But in reality right now I could easily live without a sunroof.

 

I hear you. My sunshade is closed 99% of the time. I might open it to let some light in or at night. But I find it pretty noisy when the sunroof is open. In S. Cal, I usually leave it closed to keep the car cooler. I can also live without the sunroof, and gladly, for the extra headroom.