2008 BMW 3-Series Review & Road Test at Automotive.com

Dueling Coupes: 2008 BMW 335i vs 2008 Infiniti G37S

Below is a review of the 2008 BMW 3-Series written by the automotive experts at Automobile Magazine. A full evaluation of the driving experience, price, equipment, and specs are here in a structured, easy-to-navigate format from journalists with a wealth of experience.

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IntelliChoice Value Rating

The chart above shows the purchase price versus ownership cost for each car from a specific vehicle class. The cars with better than average ownership cost/purchase price correlations are the best values, and these best value cars are represented by the dots below the curve. (i.e. the cars that have a lower ownership cost compared to its purchase price.) Those cars, which are worse than average or poor values, appear above the curve.

One way to view the graph is to draw a vertical line through any purchase price. You may see several dots that fall on this line - each of which is a car with a similar purchase price. However, notice the difference in ownership costs of each car represented by the vertical position of the dot. Two cars with the same purchase price can have thousands of dollars difference in ownership costs. This is what separates "good value" cars from "poor value" cars.

What is a good car value?

A "good car value" is one whose cost to own and operate is less than expected. The lower the cost to own and operate a car compared to what is expected, the better the value of that car.

But how do we know a car's "expected cost"?

For each car in the class, IntelliChoice plots the car's purchase price against the total five-year cost to own and operate it as determined by IntelliChoice research. Each dot on the above chart represents a specific car. Generally, we find that as the purchase price of the car increases, the cost to own and operate that car increases. This is why the dots on the graph tend to rise upward and to the right. This phenomenon also makes intuitive sense - as the purchase price rises, financing costs tend to rise, as do insurance, depreciation, taxes, and most other car ownership costs.

This is an important concept. It's normal for car ownership costs to rise as purchase price rises. Therefore, we can't just establish one "average" ownership cost number for each class, since cars in the class have different purchase prices. (This is why the "Relative" shown on each chart is different for cars in the same car class.)

Using statistical techniques, IntelliChoice "connects the dots" to form a curve that defines, for this car class, the relationship between the car's purchase price and car's ownership costs. This curve is our "expected cost" curve. The curve defines, for any car in the class, the five-year ownership cost that we would expect to see at each possible purchase price. If every car in the class were an average value, then all the dots would fall exactly on the curve. However, it's rare that any dot is exactly on the curve. Some dots are a little higher or lower, and some are a lot higher or lower. The dots that are a little lower are better than average car values, while the dots that are a lot lower are excellent car values (A dot that is a lot lower than the curve has ownership costs much lower than expected for a car of its purchase price). Conversely, a dot a little higher than the curve is a poorer than average car value, while a dot that is much higher than the curve is a poor car value.

Value is a relative term, not an absolute term. It is performing better than the logical expectation.

So is a Mercedes-Benz E320 expensive to own and operate? Certainly in an absolute sense. Most other cars cost less. But, when its cost to own and operate is plotted against cars with comparable invoice prices, the E320 costs less. So the E320 is not expensive to own and operate - it is a good car value. The Mercedes does not have low ownership costs, but it has low ownership costs for its invoice price.

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Review From Automobile Magazine

Dueling Coupes: 2008 BMW 335i vs 2008 Infiniti G37S

Photography by Jim Fets / all contributors: Don Sherman
/ Article provided by: Automobile Magazine

2008 Bmw 335I Vs Infiniti G37s Infiniti Front Corner

Joy rides such as this sport coupe dash from Alabama to Michigan are hard-earned. To qualify, Automobile Magazine editors suffer endless hours in crowded airliners harassed by surly flight attendants. While jetting coast to coast in pursuit of grist for the editorial mill, frustration swells like the national debt, because the America best suited to car fun--lonely roads through lush forests, sprawling deserts, and beguiling mountain passes--lies less than six miles below cruising altitude.

To vent some of our air-travel anxiety, managing editor Amy Skogstrom and I exploited the road warrior's award option by bailing out of the aluminum tube to test drive an Infiniti G37S and a BMW 335i coupe--the long way home--on the finest back roads no money can buy.

Infiniti picked the original fight five years ago, when the first-generation G35 coupe was born with its sights fixed on BMW's roundel. Back then, what amounted to a Nissan 350Z with a back seat topped the then-current 3-series, but the margin of victory was as thin as the tire tread left after those two squared off for their road ruckus.

2008 Bmw 335I Vs Infiniti G37s Infiniti Slide

The rematch we've arranged pits an all-new 3-series against a comprehensively re-tuned G37. BMW raised the bar with--no surprise--an engine to die for: six turbocharged and intercooled cylinders fed by direct fuel injection and optimized with variable valve timing. The fruits of Infiniti's G37 homework include a 36 percent stiffer unibody, a larger and more potent V-6 engine, and a chassis fortified with larger brakes and tauter suspension. The S's (S is Infiniti's not-so-secret code for Sport) armory is well-stocked, with a six-speed manual transmission, quicker steering, larger brake rotors with opposed-piston calipers, nineteen-inch wheels and tires, more supportive seats, a viscous limited-slip differential, and battle-hardened suspension. Punch the start button, and the sizzle in the G37S's exhaust tells you that it's ready to rumble.

As intended, the fur was flying within a few miles. The G37S stepped into an early lead by racking up style points before we crossed the Georgia border. The new Infiniti--with its rakish stance, flamboyant fenders, and ten-spoke aluminum wheels--decisively upstages the more demure Bimmer. On its own, the BMW is a handsome sculpture, but the Infiniti's sparkling headlamps, Gatling-gun taillamps, and four-inch exhaust cannons fire visual salutes like a rolling fireworks exhibition. Every angle beckons an appreciative glance.

2008 Bmw 335I Vs Infiniti G37s Infiniti Interior

There's also plenty to admire inside the G37S. The feel-good begins when you slip into the perforated-leather, French-seamed, highly adjustable seats. While both contenders present critical information with clear red and white markings on a classic black background, the Infiniti trumps the BMW on two counts: One is the captivating purple glow accenting its dial centers and control knobs. The other is the handy lever that allows you to elevate the G37S's cluster and wheel as an ensemble. A detail that is practically indistinguishable in this pair is the handshake you receive from their three-spoke steering wheels. The subtle spoke-to-rim transitions feel as if both wheels popped from the same mold.

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