Generally speaking, Infiniti come in a distant 3rd with Lexus and Acura. Infiniti is beginning to turn this around with the introduction of the G35.
Bimmers are wonderful cars to drive; but not to own. My upstairs neighbor has a '99 M3 which, even though still under warranty, he spends $1,000 each time he takes it in. Problems that always seem to fall outside the warranty. He will never own another Bimmer, he says.
My father had a 740IL in which the engine blew 2 months after the warranty expired. Rebuild cost was in the tens of thousands. So go figure why he bought another one.
Needless to say I'd only own a Bimmer if I had another more reliable car, and plenty of patience and pocket change.
The typical European automobile owner sees Lexus, Acura, Infiniti as a Rich Mans Toyota/Honda/Nissan. An ES330 is a Camry, A TL is an Accord, an I35 is a Maxima, etc. But this is how these 3 Japanese manufacturers can produce such a quality car for a competitive price.
With that said, sit in your G35, then sit in an A4 or 330i. You'll see how crappy the interior is in the G35. But they had so save a couple bucks somehwere. But really, how much would better trim cost? $50?
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