I've had an E39 BMW, Lexus GS300 and now an X5. I also own a 2005 STI. Let me tell you first hand. Luxury cars WILL NOT get you girls. My R6 gets more girls than any car I have ever owned, LOL! Not to mention luxury cars are extremely boring to drive. The good thing about them is the comfort and class. The STI keeps my blood pressure up and makes my commutes so much more fun. I hope this helps!

 

LOL sooo true... Bikes get the girls!!! My gixxer got all sorts of love. But I sold that and now have a supermotard. This one doesnt get the girls but i have way more fun on it that I did on the gixxer.

 

well, if my input helps at all, my dad is in the same debate right now, but he's also considering the Legacy Spec B....

 

I had to laugh at the comment about the G35 being the new Civic -- most certainly, here in Scottsdale (Snottsdale!) AZ the G35 is indeed the "Scottsdale Civic." I see 10 to 15 of those per day, mostly in sedan models with about 1/4 of them coupes. They have definitely become the "BMW M3 Lite" of the newly-rich crowd, and I think the only car more common is the Chrysler 300 for the young-n-bling set and the old-n-gray set (who ironically, drive the exact same cars!). By comparison, I think I see one STI a week, maximum.

307 HP of normally-aspirated power is nothing to sneeze at, especially below 2000 RPM, where the STI and WRX are total weaklings. Yet the car is heavy, has a long wheelbase and a very conservative suspension set-up; changes like coilovers and sway bars seem to be expensive with few choices. I've driven the coupe model several times and the sightlines from the rear are terrible; that giant B pillar blocks your view on both sides. Dash and everything was very nice, but the car is too quiet, too tame and too generic-looking for my personal tastes. The AWD version of the G35 is a joke; their system is nothing like symmetrical AWD and wil only kick in under rare, extremely limited circumstances. You can do a RWD burnout in the "AWD" model, as 90% of the power is still going to the rear.

Having said all of that, get the G35. Anyone who is considering the STI should be 100% comitted to the car before buying; it is not an automobile for the fainthearted, the soccer mom or those who have a commute with lots of stop-n-go. Or dump them both and get a 2004 M3; those are totally reasonable used, and you get the luxury and looks you want and a little power as well.

 

I just sold my 2005 G35 Coupe and bought a '07 STI Limited....PM if you want more details.

 

I had this same problem.... they're both great cars.... but for me and these 2 cars specifically... it's all about image and what you want to show.... but if I was trying to be the more flashy, I got money type... basically the bling factor... I'd go with the G35 coupe (sedan isn't as good looking).... it's a really clean car... but let's face it... you don't think luxury when you think STI... so if I was trying to give the performance vibe.... STI all the way... that being said, you can't really compare them to eachother cause they're built for different types of driving and image... either way, you can't go wrong... I chose the WRX cause let's face it, I'm not much of a bling kinda guy...