BMW 330 vs G35

sly · Jul 4, 2005

Both are fine cars but I decided to go with the G35.

The performance of the two cars is very similar, but similarly equipped the G35 is around $8K less. And this is before discounts are considered. I was able to get the G35 for $2500 less than MSRP but the BMW dealer I went to would only offer me $500 under the sticker.

As far as styling is concerned I gave the edge to Infiniti. It has real nice lines IMO. I especially liked the 19" rims which are standard on the coupe. Also, the interior quality for the 2005 has been improved over the 2004. Finally, you can buy the coupe without the shark fin which is a big plus for me.

I've owned Infinitis in the past and their service has been excellent both from the perspective of customer service and the quality work performed by their techs.

So when it came right down to it, it wasn't hard for me to pick the G35 over the 330. As I stated before the 330 is an outstanding car and has a lot to offer, but in my case it wasn't enough to offset the significant price difference.

epj3 · Jul 4, 2005

BMW won't give any spectacular deals on the brand new 3 series yet, at least I can't imagine they would.

BellasBmw · Jul 4, 2005

I also was only able to lower the msrp by $500 on my bmw. I tried and tried, called other dealers (thinking that mine was ripping me off) but they all told me the same thing... $500 is the most you'll get anywhere. So they all told me i was actually getting a "good" deal. The g35 is nice, but wasnt my style... i like how bmw has a distinct look.. no matter what, its a bmw everywhere in the world. But g35 is def a competitor hah.

beamca · Jul 4, 2005

BellasBmw said:

My brother just bought a 2006 330 and got an $800 discount , he did lots of research and this was the best he could do. Southern Califronia is his location.

sly · Jul 4, 2005

beamca said:

It depends upon how well they are selling in your area. I did my negotiating at the end of the month to get the best discount, but $500 was tops for me. I think that if anyone has bought into the BMW mystique, they will be making a mistake buying other than a BMW because they won't be happy. In my case I'm a bottom line guy. So if a BMW and another car have almost identical performance and handling, I'll go for the best deal every time.

Militant-Grunt · Jul 4, 2005

The interior of the G35 is much better over the Bimmer too...

MrElussive · Jul 5, 2005

I have seen those 05 G35 Coupe/Sedan interiors and while they are a noticeable improvement over previous-model G's, the 3-Series' interior quality and luxury are still far better. Of course, the G35's value is hard to beat.

BellasBmw · Jul 5, 2005

Militant-Grunt said:

I really didnt like the interior of the g35 coupes. I hated the steep slope of the rear in the backseat.. i felt too squished. I also didnt like the steering wheel (something small but just didnt rub me the right way, even though i tried telling myself it was cheaper hah)

Average Jae · Jul 6, 2005

G35 kicks ass when it comes to value. but you really can't compare the new 330i to the g35 coupe, because they are in different classes.

g35 has the numbers, but i still think 3er comes out on top, IF price isn't a factor. near 10G, that's a big factor imo. one of the reasons i chose not to go with the g35 was due to the dealer. there were 2 in the area, but they both sucked. (doesn't help that i went in looking like a 20 year old with my hat and shorts) one dealership had the car i wanted, but had the mirror busted off. gave them a week to fix, no go, it was a complete BS. also the resale was a bit shaky..

sly · Jul 6, 2005

Average Jae said:

I agree that service is critical. As a matter of fact that's the primary reason that I won't be buying a C6 Z06. In my area the Infiniti service far exceeds two of the BMW dealers and is about equal to the third dealer. BTW I've previously owned two Infinitis and a M3.

I think a lot of the info on depreciation is BS. The way they calculate depreciation is to take the differance between MSRP and average resale price as quoted in various journals. That's a good calculation if you paid MSRP like most BMW buyers do, but how about guys like me who paid $2500 under MSRP. Based on history I expect to be able to wholesale my car in three years for about $24K or around $10K less than I paid for it. Any bets on the chances that a guy who paid $44K for a new 330 will be able to wholesale his car for $34K in three years. Yes I know we should be talking percentage depreciation, but I personally look at the cost of ownership and that's calculated in dollars and not percentages.

Bertuzzi · Jul 20, 2005

I am trading in my 2003 Infiniti FX35 (Sport Pkg. with 20" wheels) for a 2006 BMW 325i. The reasons for getting rid of the Inifiniti are the infamous "clicking noise from the driver's seat / shifting driver's seat" syndrome, and the constant rattles and squeaks that this car makes. The car has been in service numerous times, and the seat base was replaced twice, but the clicking noise is now worse than before. It also affected 350Z's, and G35's. Imagine hearing a big, loud "CLICK", randomly every few minutes. This can make people suicidal. The dealer gave up on this issue and said "it is within factory spec and we will not attempt any more repairs." Basically told me to "Live with it!".

http://forums.freshalloy.com/ubbthr...lposts&Main=67725734&Search=true#Post67725734

http://forums.freshalloy.com/ubbthr...FX45&Number=67464623&page=&view=&sb=5&o=&vc=1

And the constant rattles from places you just can't figure out!!! I call my FX35 "the rattle bug". This car also suffered leaky valve stems (losing ~2 lbs. of pressure a day) on two separate wheels on two separate occasions. The dealer wanted to charge me $100 each time, even though it clearly is a design flaw. I am getting so sick of the poor build quality of Infiniti vehicles, I had to get rid of it. Luckily the car didn't depreciate too much in the past two years and I was able to get decent amount of money back.

Good luck with your G35. Hope you don't have any issues with your car. I am moving on to a better-quality automobile.

sly · Jul 24, 2005

Bertuzzi said:

Infinitis are high quality cars and they lead BMWs in that category, but that doesn't mean that they are all perfect. I've owned the following Infinitis: G20, J30, and I30. After I put around 130K miles on the G20, I gave it to one of my sons who still drives it and it now has over 200K miles. I also had zero mechanical problems with the I30 and J30.

If you go to the various Porsche and BMW Boards, you'll find reports of loads of quality issues. There was the recall on the M3s because engines were blowing, and a large percentage of Porsches have leaking RMS problems. So all cars have some problems, regardless of their price.

For me the price of German cars has just gotten too high. As to whether or not you are moving to a higher quality car, only time will tell. But based on your experiences with the FX35, the odds are certainly in your favor.

One last point. As a former mechanic, I learned never to buy a car in its introduction year. As a matter of fact, I wait until the third year. One year to identify problems and the second year to fix them. So by the third year most if not all of the problems have been identified and repaired.

MrElussive · Jul 24, 2005

sly, I can understand Bertuzzi's frustration but I do agree with you. My G35C 6MT used to have a couple of annoying rattles going on in the interior, but they have all settled down (or maybe I just got used to them).
One thing people do need to realize is that a few rattles here and there do not really determine the quality of a car. I have 21,XXX hard-driven miles on my vehicle and it runs as good as the day I picked it up. Granted 21K miles is still way too young for a vehicle to show any real signs of aging, everything is holding up well, inside and out. Also, the car constantly gives me that super-solid, super-tight feel to it when driving around that you used to only be able to get from BMW.
What I am saying is that although there are some quality "issues" up front with Infiniti vehicles, such as a cheap paint job, cheap interior materials, etc. everything works well, and once you get past these things, you appreciate how well-made the car is on the inside (everything the driver doesn't see).

When all is said and done, the 330i is a better-quality vehicle than the G35 Sedan and you do pay more for better quality, but the question is if it is worth it or not. I think it is always worth going for the BMW, but the Japanese come in handy when you want a solid sports car without paying an arm and a leg for it (the Nissan 350Z being a cheap alternative to an M3, for example).

TheBry · Jul 29, 2005

Let's not forget the BMW drive. BMW has a way of delivering smooth power, agile handling, and exceptional suspension tuning that gives a driver total confidence -- a connection with the road. I drove both the G35 coupe and sedan before buying my BMW, and noticed a big difference in these areas (in favor of the BMW). In other areas, the G35 has the BMW 330 beat -- horsepower, reasonable priced optional equipment, etc. But, at the end of the day, it's about the DRIVE... and in my opinion after having driven both, BMW 330i, 330Ci and 330Cic models win hands down.

MrElussive · Jul 30, 2005

TheBry, no offense, but how much does the drive matter to you with that autotragic transmission?

sly · Jul 30, 2005

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the 330 is garbage. It's a great car. My last BMW was an '02 M3 which I enjoyed a lot, but when I analyzed my driving I rarely had the opportunity of driving the car hard. So why pay $60K for a car that can be driven hard only on those few track days I had time for.

I've owned BMWs since the mid 70s when they were great handling cars and moderately priced. Granted the HP of the earlier models wasn't much, but do we really need all of that power? Believe it or not but I had just as much fun driving some of my earlier sub 200 HP BMWs as I did my 333HP M3.

So when I test drove an '05 G35 coupe and found out that with the discount offered I could buy one for around $34K, I jumped at the deal. BTW for that price the car was equipped with the premium package, sport tuned suspension, 19" aluminum-alloy wheels, close ratio 6 speed tranny, and 298 HP engine. Add all of those options to a 330 and you are pushing $44K. Another way of looking at it is, that you would be hard pressed to get a 325ci with its 184HP for $34K, if it's fully optioned.

But to each his own and if you love BMWs and don't mind paying the premium they command, you'll get a great car.

TheBry · Aug 1, 2005

MrElussive said:

None taken, MrElussive... to each his own.

Personally, I don't see what difference rowing through gears (vs. letting the auto tranny do the work) has to do with the "BMW Drive" to which I originally referred. A manual transmission without doubt gives you more control and a sportier feel when behind the wheel, but I was more referring to the in-line engine configuration (smooth delivery regardless of tranny), steering calibration and suspension tuning. Those are the things I felt (personally) gave the BMW an advantage over the G35.

Bryan330i · Aug 1, 2005

The G35 *feels* as though it has more power than my car. I guess that’s because it has 50 more hp.

I am not saying that one is faster than the other, just that I noticed a lag feeling in my car after driving the G35.

TheBry · Aug 2, 2005

Bryan330i said:

Hey Bry... in my opinion (after having driven the G35 coupe and sedan) that car is without a doubt faster. However, I still stand by my original observation (and personal opinion) that Infiniti and other marques still have a ways to go before they approach the "feel" BMW delivers.

sly · Aug 4, 2005

TheBry said:

Every car has its unique feel and the German cars have that certain something that's hard to describe but it's certainly there. I notice it in Porsche 911s and I noticed it in the M3 I use to own. As I posted earlier, BMWs are great cars and anyone who says differently doesn't know what he's talking about. But for me they are getting too pricey. The 330 that was tested in MT had a sticker of nearly $48K. It's still hard for me to believe that a supposedly entry level BMW can cost over $50K with taxes. Wow!

BMW 330 vs G35

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