Personal Picks: Upscale sedans, part 2

Here are more staff perspectives on the upscale sedans test group:

Jake Fisher: This month’s pick is easy! The Infiniti G35 is amazing. The car drives like 300-hp Miata with room for four. With its quick reflexes and progressive breakaway, the rear-drive model is one of the most rewarding cars to drive on our track. My boss might take the cost of a set of tires out of my pay, but it was worth it!!

Tom Mutchler: As a champion of the creed “driving a slow car fast is more fun than driving a fast car slow,” I have a crisis of confidence here. That mantra would have me picking an Acura TSX with the six-speed manual. It feels light and nimble on its feet, four-cylinders are certainly enough, and a sub-$30,000 price tag is pleasing.

But. My colleague Jake Fisher calls the stunningly-fast Infiniti G35 a “four-door Miata.” (And we know how much Tom loves the Miata: ED.) That’s good enough for me; I’m sold. The G packs 306 horsepower and great handling, but it still cossets with a beautiful and comfortable interior with optional state-of-the-art electronics. More telling, along with the Infiniti M35, the G35 has squelched my long-held desires to own a BMW sedan. Sure, the 3 Series has a bit better steering feel and ride, but the difference is nuanced and the G is no slouch in those regards. (Never mind the G35’s much cheaper price, or its huge base power advantage, or that Infiniti, thankfully, didn’t go and redesign/overcomplicate simple controls like BMW did to the 3’s turn signal lever or the panel dimmer control….)

Mike Quincy: I know my colleagues are going to bust a gut laughing at this one, but my pick for this month is the Saab 9-5. I realize that it’s one of the bottom-rated models within this category (and it came in dead-last in this test group), but for some reason the old 9-5 still speaks to me. Maybe it’s the steering feedback or the thrust of the turbocharged engine… I don’t know exactly why I like it. Or, perhaps when I was in college, a Saab was THE car to own – and I never came close. I like the way the 9-5 looks, and I fit well in the seats. Most of the other cars are faster, handle better and a few get better fuel economy. But I find that the Lexus ES350 has no soul, the Nissan Maxima is boring, the Lincoln MKZ does nothing for me that the cheaper Fusion doesn’t do, and I’m MUCH too young to fall in love with the Buick Lucerne (but its V8 engine is a gem). I really like the G35. It’s so clearly an engineering marvel-–I spent a great deal of time driving our RWD model back from North Carolina–-but when it came time to pluck a set of keys off of our car board, I kept reaching for the 9-5. Personality goes a long way with me, and what the 9-5 gives up in performance to the G, it more than makes up for it with character.

Comments

[Phil]

Any word on what's new for the '08 M?

[Larry M]

I drive about 100 miles a day. 95% of which is on the highway at highway speeds. I would like to get a more fuel efficient vehicle but I am concerned about my comfort on my daily 45 minute commute. I currently drive a V6 Toyota Camry. Any thoughts?