Mid size sporty/luxury sedan comparison - Opinions
 

In the next few months I'm looking to purchase a sedan. I've been a honda fan for years, but am completely unbiased.

I'm looking for personal opinions and experiences on the following:

Lexus IS250
Lexus IS350
Acura TL-S
Acura RL
Infiniti M35X

TIA
Posted via RS Mobile

Does it have to be those? If not i'd go for a G37S over the M37 anyday...

^ x2

M35 is a elephant. Unless you get the M45.

If ur a honda fan boy... You wouldn't like the IS... the steering feel will not satisfy you
but its a nice car nevertheless... go for the is350 tho.. 250 will leave you wanting more and gas mileage is not that much different

Having said that .. depending on the package and model of the IS ... it may come under equipment.. ex. only the navigation package has memory seat/bluetooth ..etc..

I'd go for the Acura TL-S or the RL if it has SH-awd

RL? How about the RLX? Seems way more exciting.

I agree with the both of you g37s over the m35 but m45 over g37s if you can find a clean one and don't mind the fuel economy.

My picks in order would be
M45
G37s
Acura TL s
Is350

Take them all for a drive and make your decision on which one you liked the most.

Go for the new upcoming IS 250 or 350.

is350's are sweet!

dont go for is250. they are gutless and always have engine problems. is350 now comes with awd but not sure about the newest model though. is350 engine is smooth and fast, but doesnt really have a good sound. but if you add a f sport exhaust...etc...it sounds very good.

do consider the g37. i tried a 370z auto (assuming they have the same 7speed trans) and it has quick shifts up and down. g37 does come with a manual but its clutch point is quite abrupt so im not used to it.

Thanks for the input. I will be purchasing something a few years old, 06-08ish
Posted via RS Mobile

Is350 is quite small. Suspension is pretty stiff for oem. Transmission is jerky in auto and slow as hell in manual mode. M35 is nice but under powered especially if x model.
Posted via RS Mobile

I personally drive an IS and have driven both is250 and is350, it really depends on what your need are. Family car? or just yourself or +1? Family car I wouldn't recommend it because the rear is really tight, trunks not as big as you want it to be and the seats don't fold down. If its just you or +1 it's not a bad dd at all is350 definitely makes it a bit more fun to drive, but gas is a bit more expensive. AWD is these cars are not bad either, but if you choose to drive in the winter with RWD make sure to have good snow tires and some weight in the rear or you'll be slipping with even a bit of snow on the ground.
The cars above average in my opinion, it does have some "lower" qualities to it in the interior, any noises in the cabin will be fixed by the dealership if you buy one under warranty still you could get it fixed (has been a CSP warranty thing filed). Nevertheless it is a Lexus so reliability isn't a problem, seen a few of these cars hit over 200k miles even though there aren't many that are that high out there lol. If you hear about the "Carbon buildup" problem in either models Lexus has recently decided to extend their warranties to 10years unlimited mileage so don't have to worry about the engine so much. Overall it's reliable, decent as a daily driver, but a bit too compact if you're carrying a few passengers or are tall.

Tl-s is significantly cheaper than is350 (at least new when i was looking in 07) - great bang for the buck, but like all honda's the 6 spd transmission needs improvement. Otherwise great car

Our family has been looking at a TL-S for quite some time now. But being a Type-S it's rare there aren't very many on the market. Right now there's probably only 2-3 being sold in all of Vancouver.

Lexus IS is a bit too small, and the Infinities drink a lot more gas.

If you are looking for mid size. Why not Lexus gs?
Posted via RS Mobile

What's wrong with the 6 speed? Honda makes some of the best manual transmissions IMO.

based on your signature, i see you don't drive one - this matters as you only realize their weakness when you drive them daily. initially, it's buttery smooth, but under the surface, the weaknesses come through within a couple of trips

i have owned multiple 6 speed honda transmissions, my family owns and have owned numerous honda 6 speed transmissions

all of them suck! gears grind under quick/aggressive shifting (shift cable is not strong enough, back in the day when there was a stamped metal connector, it was way better.

also, every single one has had a weakness in shifting into 3rd gear - consistent across every single one.

hondas are known for poor transmissions, but amazing engines - my experience supports this. Their autos also suck in a major way

i'm talking from the perspective of someone who is hard on transmissions, hard and heavy shifting, quick shifts, aggressive driving - honda's ONLY weakness is their transmission when you drive like this

New or used? Why not other brands?

If used, a few other options are:
Subaru Legacy GT (and Spec. B)
Mazdaspeed6

Not a fan of there looks.

Size isnt much of a factor, its me +1, just having the back seat is nice for when I do occasionally have extra passengers.

Im not looking for anything "insane fast" I have a 400hp Civic to thrash on, this will just be a comfy daily.

I appreciate all the input so far!

price range?

my vote goes for the RL

https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.n...08551685_o.jpg :sweetjesus:

20ish
Posted via RS Mobile

he used to have a s2k...

RWD vs FWD probably has a lot to do with it then, as mentioned, i think the weakness is the connection between gearbox and shifter (not 3rd issue though, which is well documented for civic si's), with a RWD the connector will be completely different and likely a lot stronger/more responsive/better.

perhaps i should have qualified my prior statement, but given the lack of RWD hondas, i didn't consider it - fair point, though!

My pick goes to the tl-s. 3.5L v6 - 5speed auto - fwd(gas) - brembo - quad exhaust - reliable
Posted via RS Mobile