Buying a car...what do you think of these choices?

Question

I started test driving a few cars; I plan on buying myself a birthday gift for my 25th, we weren't always well off, but now I am doing alright, so I thought why not....I've narrowed it down to three cars...what do you think of them?

03-04 Infiniti G35 coupe
01-04 BMW 325ci or 328ci
04-05 Acura TSX

Thanks

Answer 1

Definitely acura.

BMW's are very nice cars, but they are more expensive to maintain and less reliable than Japanese brands (in fact, according to the latest consumer report survey that I saw, american cars are now slightly better than the european ones in terms of reliability, and japanese cars are far ahead).

G35 has some issues mentioned in the above answers.

Acuras are very good cars at very reasonable prices. In particular the TSX is quite cheap for a luxury car. Besides, if you're interested in a car with navigation, I've heard that Acura's navigation software (same as Honda's) is much better than other brand's (although toyota comes close).

I bought a car recently, and I had a similar dilemma (although I didn't have G35 on my list. Instead, I was considering Audi A4 which looks very sexy imo). After a lot of research, I decided that Acura's are a much better value. It has all the luxury features, nice engine power, looks great, and is reliable. I bought my TSX (with Navi) 1.5 months ago, and I've been very happy with it!

As an aside, a resource you can use to make a decision is Edmunds' forums at: www.carspace.com. For any make and model of car, there are several forums and a lot of car enthusiasts that can answer your questions (also a lot of information about how much is a fair price to pay for a car). Also, on edmunds site (edmunds.com) you can calculate the true cost to own of various models of car (that takes into account estimated repair & insurance costs).

Answer 2

The acura for durability or the bmw for looks. If it were just looks I'd say the bmw all the way. THe only prob is every bmw my family has had has been in the shop WAY too much. Acura isn't as badass looking but the ride would be smoother than the bmw-bmw is more of a sport ride. Why not check out consumerreports.org and see what the drivers of those cars say? It'd be a few bucks (maybe $5), but what's a few bucks when you are making such a big purchase? You want to do this with any used car anyway. I've done this and avoided many problems while my friends didn't listen and bought cars that aren't as reliable. Any of the cars you listed will be way nice and still pretty expensive.

Answer 3

The G35 had major brake issues in 03 & 04 some issues remained in 05. Make sure these have been resolved because you don't want to mess around with brakes. Short of brakes this would be a good choice.
The BMW 3 series like any other German car has electrical issues. They had minor engine problems, but minor can lead to big bucks in a German car.
The Acura TSX is your best over all bet. No major problems. The 04's audio system had some issues but you could upgrade that.

No doubt one of these feels right when you drive it. The Bimmer will ultimately cost you the most for repair. I would have to say the Acura is your best bet followed by Infiniti then Bimmer. Good luck.

Answer 4

I owned the Infiniti G35 coup. It is OK but nothing to get emotional about. Good service record. Remember it is a Nissan.
The BMW is a lovely car with lots of good features, it rides well.
One problem. Reliability not what it used to be and cost for service is high.
Acura TSX best car of the group but different that the INfiniti of BMW. It all depends on what you are looking for. Tight ride, sports handling......BMW. Good ride, road smart, good service
for Acura. I am not an Infiniti fan having had one and sold it after 3 years. If you want a sporty car that handles like a sports car get the BMW....either one.

Answer 5

my friend said G35 seats are uncomfortable, but it looks nice. BMWs are a bit over priced in my opinion. Great lease car tho. :-) I test drove a lot of cars lately and just got a VW GTI. My friend got the Lexus IS250 and it's nice. My wife's coworkers had trouble with their Acura TL & TSX. They keep hearing things while driving the car and they can't seem to pin point the problem.

Go test drive and make sure u get a nice extended warranty. Have fun with the car. Wish you luck.

Answer 6

Since you never had cash before, and now you want to splurge, get the beamer. the 325 is a damn sexy car, and it goes too. Very cool set of wheels. The acuras aren't as good, not as much bang for your buck. And the infiniti is just plain weird lookin, not a head turner, but a beamer with a good paint job will certainly get some attention.

Answer 7

the bmw and infiniti will be more expensive to maintain, both in parts and labour so its impact the overall cost of the car. seeing that you are only 25, the bmw and infinitty are going to have a higher insurance premium. if these factors dont influence your purchase, i would buy the bmw, the build quality is far superior to both infiniti and acura. one last thing, BLACK no sunroof please.

Answer 8

All but Acura are HUGE moneysuckers, and are worthless in terms of resale value. The best choice would be a Lexus.

Answer 9

Beamer man, that car is so slick not to mention that things has the power. It could smoke an integra like nothing.

Answer 10

BMW all the way, if those are the only choices u are going to give us..