speedracersong

iTrader: (10)

In about 3 months I will be giving my civic to my little brother and purchasing a new car.
I have about 30-40k to fiddle around with.
I was looking at several cars.

Acura TSX

2006 G35 Sedan (2007 looks kind of funky)

Suburu 2.5 GT Legacy

Lexus IS350


any other suggestions?
My requirements are as follows: 30-40k price range, 4 doors, NEW, i dont like the wrx sti and the evo.

ncirom2003

iTrader: (7)

lexus or acura, suby looks odd and lifted on the road. and g35's are only nice as coupes.

DDragon7

Either the Subaru 2.5GT Legacy or the IS350, but I like the Legacy a little more because its 4wd, but I think the IS350 is a little more efficent and it looks better in that pic.

diskreet

iTrader: (1)

I can't see buying anything but the Lexus or the Acura. The rest are just boring

The new IS350 is just an amazing car and I would love to own one.

drive_fast_dail

Id have to say in that price range, if you are going for a sporty car it shouldnt be fwd. Although the TSX is pretty practical. To me the legacy is ugly, but ive never liked the look of subaru's. Since you are in San Jose snow driving shouldnt be a concern I would have to say the G35 or IS350 would be the ones to go with. They are both pretty similar, you should take them out for test drives. One big thing is do you want the auto/sequential with paddles in the IS350 or the traditional manual in the G35. I would have to say nothing beats the feel of a manual tranny, and paddle shifting in something that isnt race car like seems weird to me. I like the looks of the G35 a little more, but I think the IS350 is a tad bit smaller.

speedracersong

iTrader: (10)

see i was thinking about the legacy as well, but i live in cali and theres no snow. so i wouldn't need a 4wd system. i like the is350 alot as well. its pretty damn sexy.

chrisleecool

iTrader: (18)

same here.

but there's about 10g difference btw tsx and is350 which means they're in a bit diff. level.
BUT if u can afford it IS350 is the way to go man. Legacy is ugly....

speedracersong

iTrader: (10)

yeah, im going to test drive all the cars, soon.

ill be getting an automatic. i cant stand driving stick.

diskreet

iTrader: (1)

then you should drive the IS350 immediatly and decide if you like the car, then try the others later. The lexus is a brilliant car, even on the level of the more expensive BMWs, so you should love it.

dacivic

iTrader: (22)

I will pick the IS350 Very nice car

drive_fast_dail

Ah. well if thats the way you feel, the lexus is the way to go I would think. You can still make the decisions when you want to, but the car can shift too. Plus its a 6 speed auto.

speedracersong

iTrader: (10)

i was considering the 3 series bmw as well, but its just way too expensive for what you get. paying for the brand name...

yeah im going to test drive the is350. i test drove the is300 and i wasnt too impressed...

dont worry, im going to keep the civic after my brother uses it, as long as he doesnt wreck it. im going to do a k24 swap in it. its going to be siiick! civic for life!

ironchef

Take a look at the BMW 330 sedan (I'm assuming you're looking for a 4dr), the driving dynamics are amazing, people aren't kidding about BMWs being a real driver's car. The inline-6 is soooo smooth, and the styling is better than any of those other cars IMO. Either way, go RWD.

diskreet

iTrader: (1)

The new 3 is so bland too. not worth the money.
Good luck on the purchase and hope it all works out for you!

DDragon7

Well in your situation, you should chose the IS350.

Graphicdude

I would choose the Lexus as well, but after sitting in one and finding out that there is NO leg room whatsoever for the driver,. I would scrap that idea. The center hump is set so far back that your leg rubs up against it. Your passengers won't like sitting int he back seat as well. It looks big from the outside but its a tight fit once your in it.

I would go for the G35. It looks sexy witha body kit on it and the engine is solid. Has more interior room then the lexus as well.

SimplySLB

iTrader: (2)

I'd say go for the G35. It is SUCH a great car. It beats out almost all the other luxury cars with it's standard features (blue tooth, intelligent key.....) It drives so nicely as well. We have a G35 coupe and when we take it in for service, we always get a G35x. I love it. The G also comes automatic with manual shift mode. It's fun!

I've driven the IS350. It's nice, but the G is better. The new 3-series are nice on the outside, boring as hell on the inside. I was deciding between the IS, a 3-series and the C230....so I drove them all.

Curiouz_G

iTrader: (1)

Acura is coming out with a A-Spec version of the TSX which includes a Comptech Supercharger and other little bolt on goodies onto it. i was reading up on it on honda tuning.

YUL

if you're looking for space I think the TSX and Lexus might be a little tight on room.

Did you think about a Maxima or Avalon?

hotdogpilot

would you consider the benz c350 or the audi a4 3.2 quattro as well?

speedracersong

iTrader: (10)

ok, i just went out and test drove the is250, and the g35 sedan. they didnt have any is350 available. really high demand.
IS250:
It is one nice nice car. It has the smart key system where you dont even need to take the key out of your pocket. just push the engine start button. this is a standard feature. the drive was really nice too. smooth. only complaint it was kind of sluggish, which was expected because it has only 200 and something hp. theyre going to give me a call when the 350 comes in. the major grip. it costs 43k for the sport package. way over budget. oh and the backseat is so small!

g35 sedan.
what i noticed was a very comfortable back seat. the backseat even tilts, like airplane seats. i thought it was cool. g35 also has the smart key system but not push start. its kind of weird turning the key without the key. my major complaint was the brakes. felt very mushy. i dont know if was due to the constant beating of previous test drivers or thats how they are made.

ill keep updated.


c-class is nice, but i dunno... im too impressed with their styling.
audi, i cant stand driving them for some reason. its just weird. maybe its the awd system.

ironchef

Did you like the interior on the G35? I've found that NIssan has really started to skimp on the interiors; it seems like they're cutting corners. The materials don't feel all that great to the touch, things just don't feel as solid as when you sit in an Acura, Lexus, BMW, or Benz.

It could just be me, but IMO my friend's 2002 Maxima has a nicer interior than the current one. I think they used to do a better job a few years back than they do now.

white2K2EX

My first inclination would be to try to find one of the last E46s on the lot because dealers will be wanting to get rid of them to make space for the E90s, but I'm not actually sure there are any E46s left

Aside from that, I'd definitely go for the IS350 first. It's the only car in that group that is on par with cars such as the 3-series and the C-class.

Second would be the G35. Great car aswell even though I prefer the coupe.

The legacy just doesn't do anything for me and the TSX is a 4-door RSX in my eyes. Neither are cars I'd consider if I had 30-40 to spend.

speedracersong

iTrader: (10)

i thought the g35 interior was ok. the lexus interior was pretty bad *** though. it even has a shift light that you can set. well thats for the is250.
shrug. is350 is out my range. plus the size of the backseat really bothers me.