2005 Infiniti G35 Test Drive

Infiniti's Answer to the Hallowed BMW 3-Series

A G35 is about to blow your BMW's doors off. Read this to find out why.

Should You Buy This Car?

While the G35 gives the BMW 330i a run for its money, it's a slightly unfair comparison. The Infiniti is so much roomier that you could legitimately be a big person and carry your big golfing buddies in back and everyone would be plenty comfortable. Try that with the BMW and somebody somewhere (behind the driver) is going to be miffed.

Nonetheless, we think the BMW probably will out-corner the Infiniti because of its smaller size and shorter wheelbase. Ditto for the IS 300.

However, versus the C320 Mercedes, the Volvos and Saabs in this category (S70 and 9-3, 9-5), as well as against the GS 300 Lexus, the Infiniti either wins hands down or makes buying one of the others at least a leap of logic. The Lexus you might get if what you really want is a semi-sporty car but your primary goal is to have a Lexus.

The Mercedes is somewhat sportier and really exhibits beautiful road-holding manners although, when pushed hard, it heals over more than the G35 and likes its play on sweeping asphalt, not corkscrewing two-laners. The Volvo only becomes viable in T5 configuration ($34,650), and even there we're talking about a less roomy, more expensive car that's still got front-wheel drive. Fine if you have to battle snow, but as Mercedes and BMW have shown us now for years: Unless you live in Minnesota, traction and stability control (both standard on the G35) and a good set of snow tires can get rear-wheel drive cars through most of winter's ugliest moods.

One contender we'd leave in the mix is the revamped Audi A4, which although not as roomy as the G35, is more in the running than before (gaining several inches of aft-seat legroom in 2002). The revamped A4 also handles more tautly than before, especially when it gets quattro all-wheel drive. Ah, and you can have one with a stick, too.

Bottom line, though, is that for a lot of folks what they want and what they need clash:

• 1.You'd love a manual but that's a grind on your daily 90-minute commute.



• 2. You'd love the 3 series but you have to entertain clients or haul teenagers and neither suffer tight backseats gladly.



• 3. You'd love a GS 300 but it starts at $39K. Ditto a C320 at $37,595.



• 4. You want both a sporty car and a smooth-riding one.

This sound like you? Like we said, you really need to check out a G35. For under $35K it comes loaded and doesn't punish you for wanting your fun and your daily driver in one.