Edmunds has posted up a comparison test of 2007-2008 sports sedans, pitting the 2007 Lexus IS 350 and Infiniti G35 Sport against 2008 models of the Cadillac CTS, Mercedes C350 Sport and BMW 335i.
How did Lexus fare? Fourth place:
Not one editor who scored this test was able to find the kind of personal connection with the Lexus that they felt behind the wheel of the top-scoring cars. Its awkward, synthetic steering, soft brake pedal and slow-responding transmission kept us from maximizing the Lexus’ man-machine interface. Synthesizing the IS 350’s abilities with one’s own limits was near impossible, and it earned less confidence in its abilities than any other car in the test. And it’s not because the IS is slow — far from it actually, as the IS’s accelerative surge will tear your head off — but it just doesn’t encourage the at-the-limit driving that we think should be a part of every true sport sedan’s abilities. If this doesn’t matter to you, then you should consider it more highly.
The sport sedan market is a fierce segment, and ranking these cars is like making a list of your favorite foods, it all depends on your mood. In the end, the Infiniti won, mostly due to price and a desire to put BMW in second place. The redesigned CTS came in third, and there’s every appearance that it’s going to be a huge success for Cadillac. The poor new Mercedes C350, with so much riding on its shoulders, came in last.