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Infiniti G35 vs. Lexus IS 250



  • newcarmannewcarman Posts: 55
    Good day.
    I have a service question for someone that hopefully can help me regarding my 07 G 35X.

    I was reading my owners manual and it says at 7500 mile service this is done oil change, rotate tires, check fluids check brakes etc etc.

    The first question is when you tell them you want the 7 500 mile service hopefully i would expect all this to be done?/

    Second question say if i dont want to bring the car to the dealer for the 7,500 mile service and want to bring it to my mechanic and i tell him to rotate and balance the tires first of all.
    I was reading the owners manual and it said that the Tire pressure warning lite will come on when you change the rim or put another tire on. Will this lite come on and stay on if i rotated and balanced the tires not done at the dealer??
    Does it have to be done at the dealer because of that lite?
    Also will the lite come on and stay on if i changed eventually all 4 tires or if i got a flat and had the nail taken out and re inflated??

    thank you.
  • scottm123scottm123 Posts: 1,501
    The maintenance on any car, not just the G, can be done by anyone, anywhere.
    It is not required to bring it back to the dealership, although that is just what they hope for.
    The dealership will make more $ in your maintenance visits than they did on your purchase.
    Most of the stuff in those suggested service intervals in nonsense anyway (cost) and can be done yourself.
    Don't be afraid to go elsewhere.... just get the suggested fluids and rotations done.

    As for tire sensors, they are registered to your car's computer.
    If you install new wheels with new sensors, the new sensors would need to be registered.
    Rotating tires is not a problem though.
    You can rotate your tires and no work to the sensors will be required.
    Since the sensors are installed in the wheel, and not in the tire itself... changing tires after a flat is also not a problem.... as long as the hack doing the work doesn't break the sensor while mounting the tire.
    The sensors are actually pretty delicate.
  • newcarmannewcarman Posts: 55
    Thank you kindly. So then i will take it to myu mechanic and not infiniti for the tire rotation. Im not changing the wheels and never will just hope that the sensor isnt broken.

    In addition what about the transmission fluid?? The manual said to use only nissan brand fluid for that but all other fluids you can use equivalent.

    One last thing what would you use for the power steering fluid?? Dextron 2 transmission fluid which the cap of the power steering fluid says or Power steering fluid which the manual says?? Somewhat vague.

    Thanks again
  • bread8bread8 Posts: 16
    G35 is rear wheel drive, Altima is front wheel drive. IS is rear wheel drive, Corolla is front wheel drive. This is a major difference and requires a different platform.

    G35(at least 2006) was made in Japan and imported into US. Altima is made in America. Size is similar, options are similar, but make no mistake...the cars are quite different. I had an Altima and it is nowhere near the car that my G35 6M is.

    A better analogy is the Accord and TL. Same platform. Camry and ES. Same platform.
  • scottm123scottm123 Posts: 1,501
    The 07 and 08 G is built in Japan as well.
  • sjaievesjaieve Posts: 252
    I thought this thread was dead, and for good reason. The G performs much better than the IS250, the G has more room. The IS has better fit & finish but thats not to say the G has poor fit and finish, the fit & finish in the G is at par with most of the ELLPS. Given this, the better buy would be the G. I have the IS250 & within the coming year will be trading it in for the G or IS350.

    There is no reason why any man should drive a car worth +35k that is slower than an Accord or Honda Civic si for that matter.

    ...thinking the same here. :mad:
  • patpat Posts: 10,421
    I guess it would depend on if "fast" was "any man's" only criterion! ;)
  • cdnpinheadcdnpinhead Forest Lakes, AZPosts: 3,312
    the meat, it's the motion. (That, by the way, is a song title from a couple of decades ago, not a wish to cause trouble)

    Some people appreciate fine handling & put acceleration in the second tier of what they're looking for.

    Others clearly don't.
  • sjaievesjaieve Posts: 252
    like i said, for 35k, you should have power, even if you do not need it. I learnt my lesson when I bought this car. The funny thing though, the car delivers in everything else but the power. I test drove the G and you can see what you are giving up in terms of fit & finish & overall quality. But there is no doubt, the G makes up for all that with the bigger engine. For someone who does not care about power (this was my view when I got the IS250), there is no doubt the Lex is the better buy.
  • Pat, please don't make this read only and direct me to a thread that is way outdated, that was from 2006 and2007. This is regarding the 2008 models and I'm asking specifically about nav systems comparisons, that thread isn't - please, I need help and need current 08 drivers expertise, this is important as I'm making my purchase this weekend. Fresh thread for a new year not old year and model. I was excited to finally get a response to see what you had done.

    1. Why is the Nav more advanced on Infiniti and not with Lexus? Infiniti comes standard with a backup camera which I really love and downloads your cd&#146;s, Lexus does not do this.
    2. Why doesn&#146;t Lexus have more leg room in the back of the IS ?
    3. How much more gas will I spend on the G vs. the IS per tank of gas approximately
    I&#146;m torn, fell in love with the brand LEXUS and LOOK of the car inside and out but love the bells and whistles and power of the Infiniti plus more leg room in the back.


    Peanut in Beverly Hills
  • 2008 Infiniti G35 or Lexus IS 250 &#150; w/NAV



    Peanut in Beverly Hills
  • sjaievesjaieve Posts: 252
    I think I can help with this. I bought the 2007 IS250AWD, sold it a couple of weeks ago and got the 08 G35X

    In respect of the navi, here are my thoughts:

    -The picture resolution of the IS is better than the G, especially on the backup camera
    -The birds eye view in the G is great, the IS has nothing similar to this
    -The search by point of interest name and phone number function in the IS yields better results than the G
    -The voice recognition in the G is much better than the IS
    -The G has the CF slot, the music box and comes stnd with XM
    -The ipod connection on the G is ahead of almost all of the ELLPS, it is simply awesome, it transfers control of the ipod to your car and the ipod screen is transferred to the Navi screen. The IS does not have this.

    In respect of the leg room at the back, I cant answer why Lexus has less leg room back there. What I can say is we had a new arrival and the rear facing car seat was squeezed back there, the G certainly offers more room (however I had other reasons for dropping the IS, the rear seat room was not the main reason)

    On the gas issue, its safe to say you will spend more gas money on the G than the IS, depending on your mileage, probably +$500 a year. However, you cant compare fuel consumption for a 2.5l to a 3.5l.
  • Wow, thank you so much - very good information. Both have pro's and con's which makes the decision difficult.

    Thank you and thanks Pat for letting me have this new thread.

    I was DEAD set on the Lexus IS 250 &#150; if you survey most peeps who have not driven either (especially the females which I am) they all say get the white lexus &#150; just has a nice ring to it. I then tell them have you test driven the G and they say no. Lexus has done a brilliant job w/marketing. I only test drove the G to make my BF happy, he said I should compare all cars to really know and not go by marketing. I was like &#147;fine&#148; and stubborn as I knew what I wanted, drove it and thought &#147;great&#148; now I&#146;m confused. It was fun and I&#146;m honestly not big on engines or speed at all. It wasn&#146;t the speed it was the way the car handled, seemed the IS was tight in the steering wheel not as easy to turn, almost like a brand new pair of sneakers that need breaking in &#150; not sure if that is in my head but that is what it felt like. I loved the car and at the time I drove the car power was not a factor. I am currently driving a convertible Toyota solara and the gas mileage is 18 in the city, comparable to the G so I don&#146;t think I&#146;ll notice much of a difference. Although here in CA gas is nearly 4 bucks a gallon right now, cost me 54 to fill up the convertible, ouch! I still flip back to the luxury of the lexus and face it, its got a nice ring to it. I&#146;m 90% sure I&#146;ll go with the G, its hard when you make a firm decision and then get thrown off 
  • Additionally, I do not think the reverse camera is a standard option on the IS so the resolution of nothing is not very good :) that was another selling factor on the G.
  • sjaievesjaieve Posts: 252
    I think you are getting a far better car with the G than the IS250, I can understand why you were confused initially, it took me 6 months to let go of the IS but the power thing really started getting to me. I have always said, if you are going to spend +35k on a car, better make sure it has everything that cars worth less than that have. The G certainly passes that test in luxury, performance and toys (music box, ipod interface, CF card, the lines that come up in the rear view camera, looks etc), unfortunately the IS is above average in fit and finish and some toys, but is lacking, seriously lacking on performance. I have no regrets about selling the IS250,

    My wife was also refusing to get the G cos she wanted the Lexus brand, after driving and looking closely at the G, she changed her mind within a day.
  • psunowpsunow Posts: 17
    Two of us at my work looked hard at both the G and 250. He bought the 250 and I bought the G. After a few months, he felt he made the wrong choice as he has difficulty fitting his kids in the back seat. Also, he complained the 250 does not have close to the pickup and handling (his words, not mine) compared to the G. He can&#146;t trade it in as it&#146;s under a year old and he will lose his pants. Just a thought I would share this with the group.
  • ocg35manocg35man Posts: 52
    To me, in terms of value,performance and standard options, G35 and IS250, there
    isn't much of a competition other than Price. G35 is a closer comparison to IS350,not IS250!

    Typically equipped G35 and IS250 would be $35 to $38K
    IS350 will cost $5k or more than G35.

    IS250 is better if you like smaller car,slightly better gas mileage,don't mind a not so
    great performance(slow and soso handling).And Lexus name recognition.

    To me, buying G35 is like getting 95% of BMW335 performance and have enough
    luxury and have much more room than IS350 OR BMW335.

    And if you are considering Dealer Service for maintenance, typically Inifiniti will be
    slightly lower than Lexus. Also, some Nissan dealers will do typical maintenance
    on Infiniti cars for less money.

    Once you get the taste of sweet G35 engine, you won't want to have 2.5 V6
    engine. ;)

    Good Luck.
  • Thank you and thanks to everyone. Yeah, I know I'm stuck on the Lexus Brand. I'm 99% positive it will be the G35, more bang all the way around for the buck. I found it surprising my insurance, the G35 was LESS than the IS 250. I thought for sure, bigger engine meant higher premiums. My insurance gal said the Lexus cost more to fix and that is what they based it on NOT the engine size.
  • scottm123scottm123 Posts: 1,501
    I was torn between the IS250 AWD and the G35x as well.
    Ya, the Lexus is a beautiful vehicle but the beauty can only go so far.

    If you enjoy driving a car with performance and luxury in mind, drive both and you'll see that the G is WAY more car for the buck.
    If you don't care much for performance and just want a small luxurious ride, the IS may be enough for you.
    It wasn't for me. ;)
  • Thanks everyone. A few more questions. Can I put regular unleaded in the G 35 or does it have to be premium? Does the moonroof for 2008 come standard and if it does not I noticed on the Infiniti web site when I tried to put the moonroof with the wood package it would only let me have one or the other. Can't I get my G with wood package, moonroof and nav? Thanks.
  • gooddeal2gooddeal2 Posts: 749

    I think you have to have Premium package in order to have Nav. Most of the G has the moonroof as an extra option if you don't want Premium.
  • newgsnewgs Posts: 29
    Infiniti recommends Premium. I have always used Prem on my 07 G35 Journey sedan (same as 08). Moonroof is part of the premium package; it is standard on the IS250. You mentioned about the rearview camera... it is part of the Navi package as already mentioned by somebody here already. The Journey model, premium package, and Navi package all add up to the cost of the base G35 sedan. You should get some nice discount though.

    I like the IS250, as well. My friend has it and it is very zippy... and in my opinion, is easier to drive than the G. The G has more horsepower though and makes this sudden surge/thrust coupled with nice "growling" sound when you accelerate. It zooms from there.

    You need to test drive both and feel for yourself which will suit your driving style more.
  • Thanks. Even though they recommend Premium can i use regular? I have heard that premium is that much better than unleaded and not to throw my $$ away.

    I test drove the IS 250 several weeks ago. I was very impressed with the interior/exterior and attention to "detail" in that car i.e. air conditioned seats, the way the holders on the door popped out, standard wood package but when I drove it and the guy said "so how does it feel" I was thinking but did not say that my toyota solara convertible seemed to have more get up and go then that car and the drive was okay but did not wow me. Again, I an not one for SPEED but the way the car handles. I test drove the G35 to make my BF happy (keeping an open mind) and when I drove it I wanted to keep driving :) and I wasn't going fast, just the way the car handled, so easy, the steering wheel turned like butter whereas the IS 250 seemed tigher to move.

    Thanks. :)
  • newgsnewgs Posts: 29
    Here's from the Infiniti manual...Infiniti recommends the use of unleaded premium gasoline with an octane rating of at least 93 AKI (Anti-knock Index) number. If unleaded premium gasoline is not available, you may use unleaded regular gasoline with an octane rating of at least 87 AKI but you may notice a decrease in performance".

    So, it is okay to use regular unleaded. Other experts back this up saying the use of regular unleaded gas' trade-off is just a slight decrease in performance.

    Infiniti further added..."Octane Rating Tips: Using unleaded gas with octane rating lower than recommended baove can cause persistent, heavy, spark knock. (Spark knock is a metallic rapping noise.) If this is severe, this can lead to engine damage. If you detect persistent, heavy, spark knock (even when using Prem gas), which Infiniti terms misuse of the vehicle, the car must be checked by the Infiniti dealer for correction to ensure you maintain car's warranty coverage.

    It is really up to the driver what gas to use after considering the above. I have always used Premium in my case (about $.20 difference per). And this is where the G35 will hurt you a bit more. EPA estimated fuel economy of 17/24 (city/highway) is lower than the IS250. :cry:
    Infiniti forums in other sites can give more details on owners' real-world experiences.
  • scottm123scottm123 Posts: 1,501
    Please don't take this the wrong way...

    There's nothing worse than a person who spends $35,000-$40,000 on a performance sedan and then complains about the extra $500 per year needed for the required premium fuel.
    Yes, gas prices are a complete rip-off but if fuel costs are your highest concern, the G is not the ride for you.

    With that said, I get 22-27 city-highway when I'm behaving. Don't expect much better than that with the IS either.
  • sjaievesjaieve Posts: 252
    smallpeanut, I have read your posts and fuel efficiency seems to be a big issue for you. I also read that you do a lot of city driving. I have read on a lot of posts, there are even some on and, fuel efficiency for the G is going to suck for you, especially in city driving. My car has 1000 miles on it and I am on 17 mpg combined city/highway driving. I would say this is pretty much what the majority of the G drivers out there are getting, +/- 2mpg. There are exceptions, scott123 is one of them but please read the posts and judge for yourself. My advise, if fuel efficiency is a big deal for you, and speed is not an issue, really consider the IS250. In my case, fuel efficiency was not an issue and I wanted power and the G was for me. Make sure you read the posts I referred to. If you do decide to get the G, look at the posts on the buying experiences of others on edmunds as well, so you can get a good deal.
  • scottm123scottm123 Posts: 1,501
    I'll be the first to admit that my mileage is high due to the types of roads I commute on and not my style of driving.
    I drive hard but I do not fit into the exact definition of "City" driving.
    I'm not stop and go between red lights every block.

    I'd say I fit more into the Country/Highway category... if there was one.

    City driving, the G stinks.... yours, mine, and every other. ;)
  • cdnpinheadcdnpinhead Forest Lakes, AZPosts: 3,312
    Use the premium. There's usually no more than a 30 cent per gallon additional charge and it's often 20 in my part of the country.

    Let's say you only get 15 mpg (you should do quite a bit better) and drive 15,000 miles per year (probably you drive less). That's 1000 gallons per year, so at most you're paying $300 more to put the proper fuel in your luxury vehicle. If you get more than 15 mpg (highly likely) and drive less than 15K miles per year (also probable), you'll be spending even less extra. Your engine is clever enough to retard the timing when it gets less than premium fuel (under acceleration), which lowers the fuel mileage when you use 87 octane, reducing the delta even more.

    When regular was 35 cents a gallon (yes, I am that old) and premium was 45 cents (there were only two grades), the delta represented a significant percentage. Nowadays, not so much.

    Give the G what it needs, or look at different cars. My TSX gets well over 30 mpg routinely, or you could go whole-hog and get a Pious.
  • sjaievesjaieve Posts: 252
    You are one of the lucky ones I wish I can get 20mpg combined driving once my car is broken in

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