Yangster: When you walk into a BMW dealership, their salespeople don't start mouthing off about how much better the 3-series is than the G35 or the Lexus IS..
Mine did. I mentioned that the two cars I was considering besides the 300i were the M35 and the Audi A4/A6. The salesperson made disparaging remarks about both cars, which really put me off.
On the other hand, all 3 Infiniti salespeople (from 2 dealerships) had nothing but nice things to say about the BMW and the Audi, then went after what they perceived to be advantages in the Infiniti. The two Audi dealerships I visited had similar takes.
Frankly, I had to get past the arrogance of my BMW dealership to get to puchasing the car. (Except the finance department, which gave me the 5.25% I asked for, and didn't high-pressure me on the upgrades.)
Yangster: I know the G35 will beat a 325 off the line, but the Infiniti's handling and styling just doesn't compare. That's why I enthusiastically plunked down my downpayment on a 325 a month ago after closely considering and test-driving the G35 and the IS.
I really liked the G35's acceleration, and found it to be much better than the 330i's. But the interior didn't look anywhere near as nice, and I couldn't get the luxury options I wanted. I nearly purchased the M35 (for several thousand more than the 330i), but we couldn't agree on my trade. (I don't negotiate, I price and offer.)
All-in-all, I'm very pleased with my purchase. Despite the M35's hefty feature set and fast engine, I couldn't get past paying $50k for a Nissan.
