Opinions on best luxury car?

Johnny Boy

2010 Acura TL vs 2010 Infiniti G37 vs 2010 Lexus ES350.

In no specific order, I'm looking for a car with overall best luxury, performance, reliability, prestige, head turning design, etc. Thanks for your opinions. Detailed answers would be appreciated.

Answer
An Infiniti is always better then an Acura and on par with its cross country rival the Lexus. Lexus and Infiniti dominate the luxury market among the Japanese manufactures. The driving dynamics of the Infiniti are far more superior then that of the Acura & Lexus and on par with its German competitor the BMW. Acura is a good brand but when its come to Luxury & Performance Infiniti has always dominated the title for being the best performing luxury Japanese manufacturer in the segment.The G37 has a sportier exterior and more powerful engine then the Acura TL. The aesthetic design of the G37 is also more appealing in my opinion, its both elegant and sporty and over all its more refined then the TL. Also Acura has never been taken seriously in the performance segment let alone in the Luxury market, they offer a great product but its not enough to sway buyers from the German market let alone buyers who have owned Lexus and Infiniti. Acura is reliable and long lasting not to mention very affordable but they simply fail to compare with their rivals in terms of design language, prestige, luxury & comfort, refinement and over all performance. Keep in mind that both Lexus and Infiniti are global brands, which means they are marketed as Luxury brands Intentionally with the exception of Japan while Acura is known as a rebadged Honda world wide. Acura only exist in the North American market which gives them no sense of pedigree at all. The Lexus ES is a comfortable sedan but it screams OLD HAG, its not a performance car and it doesn't drive any where near as well as the Infiniti not to mention the ES has a less powerful engine. Nevertheless the Lexus does feel more plush and refined to the touch. The G37 has a 3.7 liter V6 328 HP engine which makes it the most powerful entry level sedan in the market competing against the BMW 3 series, Audi A4, Lexus IS & Mercedes C-class. The G37 is basically the closest Japanese rival to the BMW 3 series. The Lexus ES is a refined and comfortable ride but its boring to drive not to mention boring to look at. The prime difference between Lexus & Infiniti is that Lexus is a Luxury sport "appearance" car while the Infiniti is a Luxury sport "performance" car. Infiniti is a brand with an identity that lies between the sportier offerings of a BMW and the plush indulgence of a Lexus. After all the Infiniti is the main alternative to German engineering. Typically the Infiniti brand attracts a much younger clientele due to its sports oriented background the same way BMW & Audi intend to be all while its competitors like Lexus & Mercedes attract a much older demographic. Infiniti and Lexus have proven themselves to be viable competitors against the Germans. Infiniti has been the only manufacturer that has been able to come to par with the excellent driving dynamics of a BMW which is why Infiniti receives more cross shoppers from BMW then any other luxury brand they compete with. Lexus & Infiniti are the top tier of Japanese Luxury cars in the auto industry. Lexus is a reliable product but admittedly they have no soul when it comes to performance, the Infiniti boast more charisma while the Lexus although a refined car leaves you feeling uninspired. Infiniti is essentially the Japanese BMW the same way Lexus is the Japanese Mercedes Benz. The G37 is basically the equivelant to a BMW 3 series with a Japanese aesthetic, it performs impeccably and its also the class leader of standard horsepower among any of its rivals. When it comes to performance in the entry level luxury segment the BMW 3 series & Infiniti G37 are the class leaders among all their rivals. The G37 is the most logical choice of the three.

What type of car should I get?

Adam

My 2008 Subaru Legacy was in an accident yesterday. Though I have yet to hear whether it's totalled or not, I'm assuming it is, as the side, and curtain airbags deployed, and the B-Pillar was pretty bent. I was rather lucky to walk out with only a few scratches and bruises (I was T-Boned by a 2001 Toyota Sequoia).

Anyway, I am probably going to be in the market for a new car, and I have no clue where to start. Here's my criteria:

- Under $21,000
- New or used (I don't care - if used under 60,000 miles though, and newer than an 06)
- AWD is preferable, but I can live without (I live in Connecticut where there can be quite a lot of snow)
- Sedan/Coupe/Hatchback - no SUV's
- Something relatively sporty. Though my Subaru was family sedan, it was moderately sporty.
- It needs to be available in a manual.
- I don't need a large car. It's usually just me, or a few friends. I'm not looking to go any larger than my Legacy.
- I don't want a car that's a dime a dozen (Camry, Corolla, Accord, Etc).

As of now, I've found a few cars that are worth a look. This is what I've found.

2008 Acura TSX
2007 Acura TL
2007 BMW 328xi
2007 Infiniti G35x
2007 Mazda Speed6
2010 Suzuki Kizashi
2008 Subaru Legacy GT (I found one that's a manual for $20,000 with 78,000 Miles)

As of now, I find the Kizashi to be appealing, as it's not common, it comes in AWD, and it's good looking. However, I'm a little apprehensive to be buying from such a small brand that may not be around in the US in a few years.

Do you have any cars to add to the list, or any recommendations to make?

Thanks

Answer
The only true performance sport cars listed above are the BMW 328xi and the Infiniti G35x. Both BMW and Infiniti are the class leaders when it comes to standard performance, the Infiniti G35 and BMW 3 series out perform their competitors like the Mercedes C-class, Audi A4 and Lexus IS. The 328xi is a great car and although it may not be as fast as the Infiniti it attains what the industry knows to be one of the best performance cars on the market. Infiniti & BMW are both known to have the best overall driving dynamics in the luxury market. The G35 is much more powerful with a 3.5 liter V6 producing a potent 306 Horsepower while the BMW 328xi composes a 3.0 liter V6 emitting an adequate 230 HP. Infiniti and BMW are the best performers on each side of the spectrum, BMW is the best performing German brand while the Infiniti is the best performing Japanese brand. In terms of reliability the Infiniti or any Japanese brand for that fact will be more reliable then the Germans however BMW has improved over the years and although they are more demanding to upkeep they are great cars to own if you maintain them to their appropriate standards. However I see you have more alternatives out side the luxury segment which makes me wonder..... you are more then likely focused on reliability, affordability & practicality. You can always try the Subaru which is a great car too, if you want a more premium feel but at the same time an affordable sports car you can always opt for the Acura TSX or TL. It may not be as good the BMW or the Infiniti in terms of brand prestige and over all performance but the Acura TSX & TL are great cars, they are affordable, cheap to maintain and very reliable. By the way just a tad bit more of information, I see that your price range is below $21,000..... you do realize that you can get an even newer vehicle for the price range your in, have not checked the 2008 G35, 2009 BMW 328i or even the 2009 Audi A4?? You can easily find them for under 21K with a clean title and low mileage.

Here are some examples:

2009 BMW 328i sedan, 48,000 miles: $19,993
http://autos.yahoo.com/used-cars/bmw-3_series-cars6917206028709841454;_ylt=Av_dzR_BJ6MQ4Qcx_YPAHJzY.up_;_ylv=3?bodystyle=sedan&sortcol=price&sortdir=up&start=91&modelyearub=2009&modelyearlb=2009&askpriceub=any&askpricelb=any&deliverymileageub=any&deliverymileagelb=any&location=Pompano+Beach%2C+FL+33065&listingtype=used&model=3_series&make=bmw&distance=any
2008 BMW 328i coupe, 57,000 miles: $20,000
http://autos.yahoo.com/used-cars/bmw-3_series-cars1156397038759583785;_ylt=AgqMeHlExielOkvMvYQbEcbY.up_;_ylv=3?bodystyle=coupe&sortcol=price&sortdir=up&start=16&modelyearub=2008&modelyearlb=2008&askpriceub=any&askpricelb=any&deliverymileageub=75000&deliverymileagelb=10000&location=Pompano+Beach%2C+FL+33065&listingtype=used&model=3_series&make=bmw&distance=any

2008 Infiniti G37 coupe, 55,000 miles: $20,499
http://autos.yahoo.com/used-cars/infiniti-g-cars285893837882319359;_ylt=AjkC4NiKZNFwzTZbogwnB7e_..p_;_ylv=3?sortcol=price&sortdir=up&start=121&modelyearub=2008&modelyearlb=2008&askpriceub=any&askpricelb=any&deliverymileageub=75000&deliverymileagelb=10000&location=Pompano+Beach%2C+FL+33065&listingtype=used&model=g&make=infiniti&distance=any

2008 Lexus IS250, 36,000 miles: $19,900
http://autos.yahoo.com/used-cars/lexus-is-cars1125127901248777757;_ylt=AkK2zYzlvnbvVvXujYaroYXb..p_;_ylv=3?sortcol=price&sortdir=up&start=46&modelyearub=2008&modelyearlb=2008&askpriceub=any&askpricelb=any&deliverymileageub=any&deliverymileagelb=any&location=Pompano+Beach%2C+FL+33065&listingtype=used&model=is&make=lexus&distance=any

2009 Audi A4, 49,000 miles: $20,500
http://autos.yahoo.com/used-cars/audi-a4-cars2228037532217955334;_ylt=Ar4k9lGj3LkjxXDHtW9XY5B9VY54;_ylv=3?sortcol=absoluterank&sortdir=down&modelyearub=2009&modelyearlb=2009&askpriceub=any&askpricelb=any&deliverymileageub=any&deliverymileagelb=any&location=Pompano+Beach%2C+FL+33065&listingtype=used&model=a4&make=audi&distance=75

2008 Mercedes C-class, 47,000 miles : $20,800
http://autos.yahoo.com/used-cars/mercedes_benz-c-cars3216561219027298654;_ylt=AjwYVxu1n8G7RHykhSKgtwn0..p_;_ylv=3?sortcol=price&sortdir=up&start=61&modelyearub=2008&modelyearlb=2008&askpriceub=any&askpricelb=any&deliverymileageub=75000&deliverymileagelb=10000&location=Pompano+Beach%2C+FL+33065&listingtype=used&model=c&make=mercedes_benz&distance=any

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