First, I know this is a stupid post but I need some advice.

I have a 2013 Infiniti G37xS with every single option that was available and it has 40k miles, I bought it around 2014 or 2015 with 18k miles. The problem is I Never liked it, always felt it was fat and loose going around corners as if I felt every single pound of this car and it feels very lethargic driving around as there is no low end torque and you need to get on it to feel power.

I am reading up on 2025 BMW M240i Xdrive and 2025 Audi S3. The problem is I am cheap and I like saving money rather than spending it.

I am looking at the two above cars as I always missed my little 2004 Lexus IS300. Fun and tossable. So I am looking at a smaller car, the problem is in today's world there are not many light, small sporty cars in the luxury segment.

I don't know if I will get that joy with these two cars like I had with my IS300 (yes I know it was slow but boy was it fun) as both of the smaller cars above are not what I would call light, the BMW is right up there with the Infiniti and the Audi is maybe 300 pounds lighter though I know they will take away that lethargic feeling on the low end. Both cars don't have great feel.in the steering wheel as well

What has crossed my mind is maybe I should just save my money and just upgrade on the car I already have. I don't want to take away the comfort but I would like this to actually feel sporty, will upgrading the suspension provide a much more rewarding experience or will it not satisfy that ich?

Also, I assume there is nothing that could be done to the lack of low end of power?

 

I personally like the fully loaded 2025 Genesis G70. They took some features away for the 2026 model year. For the low end torque, try this, https://roarpedal.com/products/roar-pedal-controller . I have it and it works. No risk of limp mode with built in safety features unlike the Pedal Commander i had.

 

You have a fairly rare car today with that mileage, but if you don't like it, don't drive it. My 2004 G35 Sedan 6MT was light-ish (3405 lbs, 260 bhp) and with some handling mods very tossable and fun. After 210K miles with track time she was used up, so I bought a 2009 G37 Sedan 6MT, which was ~300 lbs heavier and had 328 bhp, so it was a bit faster at the top end but not as nimble or responsive. I fixed the responsive part by installing a Stillen supercharger. The dyno says that added ~130 bhp and 110 lb-ft of torque at the crank (387 at the wheels). She's not more nimble, but the extra torque and power transformed her.

The other side of this is that all of the new cars are turbocharged and using very small, fast-spinning variable turbos so they have nearly-instant torque at nearly any rpm. You get saddled with all of the electronics and even more weight, however.

 

I was also looking at that, but I was very surprised that Genesis are not reliable, it seems even the German brands are more reliable than the Genesis which really surprised me

 

There's your answer. Follow your instincts.

Personally I think the G37xS Sedan is a rewarding and uncommon car (although the xS Coupe is better ), and that whatever concerns you have about power and handling can be addressed with aftermarket upgrades. But it's an expensive route for relatively small gains. Since you've owned it over a decade without any mods, and barely driven, it seems unlikely for you to start modding it now. Get a new car and move on. It's OK.

 

The AWD version of our car understeers quite a bit by design. This would make the car feel heavy as it has a tendency to "plow". Many resolve the issue by adding a sway bar from a sport RWD model. The shocks and struts are also very light on the X. Many add Swift Springs and aftermarket dampers, which improves handling.

I have never heard an IS300 compared favorably to our car, but I guess it's possible? My RWD suspension is pretty much dialed in to take advantage of everything the FM platform offers, but it took an investment to get to this point.

M240i and S3 are much newer and way more expensive (70K for an m240i?), so it's tough to compare those two to a 12-15 year old G. I also like to keep cars for at least 7 years, so those two would not work well for me unless I transition to a 2-3 year lease model.

As Rochester mentioned, if you dislike the car, you are in a good spot to sell it as 40K miles is essentially new. Warning, do not sell it on FB marketplace as you will get 5-7K there max regardless of condition. I'd clean it up and try to sell on Autotrader.

Trade-in will be very low because of car's age. If you want to give it away, I'd find a family member to sell it to instead as that car still has alot of life in it.

Personally, I am not interested in the Korean makes. Instead for a sport sedan, I would likely look at Cadillac, Subaru or and slightly used m340i and deal with the sleepless nights worried about repair costs.

 

That statement alone is reason enough to move on from the platform. If you dislike it that much then no amount of modification will bring it to a level to where you will appreciate what the car has to offer... especially if your comparing it to a 20-year-old IS300 which has absolutely nothing in common with the G37X

As for replacements, you do not say if AWD is a necessity. If you need AWD you will not beat Audi or Subaru. Period. Quattro and SSAWD are pretty much the cream of the crop. BMW's XDrive is more inline with Nissan's ATTESA being a RWD biased/ on demand system. Not that there is anything wrong with that but it is not full-time AWD like Quattro. Again, depends on your needs.

Then you do not want a German car. Period.

Maintenance and repair costs are a nightmare with anything German. The horror stories are real and there is a strong reason why German cars are "dumped" once the warranty expires. And the further you go up the trim line the more expensive it gets. It is beyond painful when "M," "AMG, or "RS" trims are in the mix. Trust me. Been there/ done that. Still have flashbacks. Even if you were able to do most of the maintenance yourself there are some things that most home mechanics just are not up to task. If you are the type of owner that runs to the dealership- or even a indy shop- for everything, your wallet will curse at you at every interval. The costs for parts are astronomical (current political crap notwithstanding).

My BMW Z4 is, thankfully, old enough to where I can still perform a majority of the maintenance items needed. However, there are some things- like walnut blasting the intake and DCT maintenance that I am not equipped for. And those services (and parts) cost money. A lot of it. And, as was mentioned above, most new cars these days come turbocharged as a means to achieve EPA/ MPG compliance. When those small snails start to fail- and they will- your 401K will likely die of a heart attack. As much fun as my Z4 is- and it will blow the doors off my G at every turn- it is far from inexpensive to own and at 10-years-old those costs will only rise. But I knew that when I bought it and budget accordingly.

There is no easy answer to your conundrum. I am not trying to dissuade you from BMW or Audi, just know what you are getting into when it comes to German brands. Do your research, get some seat time in different models, ask for input, discuss it with your wallet (and/ or the Mrs.). Once you come up with a compromise sell your G and drive on. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

From my own personal experience with a low mileage G, I have dumped ~10k into it, trying to make it more exciting and sporty to drive, and it still hasn't quite scratched that itch. I don't know if my itch is similar to yours, but if you are saying you never liked it, DO NOT start modding it at this point because I doubt it will satisfy you no matter what you do to it.

It's definitely more fun to drive after modding it and it handles pretty well, but at the end of the day, its still just a luxury sedan and not a sports car. For reference, mine is a 2012 G37S 6MT RWD with 48k miles.

What others have said is true though, it can be hard to find something that will be as reliable. This is probably the best aspect of owning these cars, especially at lower mileage.