2006 Lexus GS 430 vs. 2006 Infiniti M45 Japanese Car Comparison

Like a pair of sumo wrestlers, Lexus and Infiniti have been going head-to-head in the U.S. market for approximately 15 years. They often chase the same buyers, but in different ways and often with different maneuvers, and both profess to be inspired by the success of European blue-bloods. As the Japanese move into midluxury V-8 rear-drive territory long held by the Europeans, BMW's propeller logo appears in the crosshairs as many competitors target its products as segment benchmarks. Lexus executives have already stated that its future products will have more focused dedication to high performance and handling akin to what BMW has achieved. Infiniti had the BMW 3 Series under the microscope when it developed Motor Trend's 2003 Car of the Year, the G35, and Nissan's premium division shone a spotlight on BMW's 5 Series when it executed the new, larger M35 and M45.

The passionate direction taken by the new GS--blending classic proportions and contemporary sleekness--is a clean break from previous, more rotund Lexus designs, which could be best described as Hong Kong Mercedes knockoffs. The Infiniti, on the other hand, shares and upsizes themes from the smaller G35 sedan. The M45's hoodline and cowl grew some two to three inches taller to accommodate the V-8 engine and the flanks a couple of inches wider to handle the beefier chassis. The not-unattractive result could be described as a G35 sedan pumped to 120 percent.

Interior design, materials, and fit and finish are usual Lexus strong points, and as noted in our GS launch story elsewhere in this issue, the new GS 430 doesn't disappoint. A new panoramic dash design is dramatic, culminating in electro-chromatic gauges with machined aluminum faces that automatically adjust their brightness for good visibility regardless of outdoor lighting conditions. Lexus is among the best in the business at coddling, and the GS 430's sumptuous leather seats, real bird's-eye maple or walnut trim (from the same tree on each car!) add rich ambiance. Head restraints adjust automatically with seat travel. An array of tiny LED courtesy lights illuminates the interior. The Herculean effort Lexus typically lavishes on executing seemingly minute details such as the muffled "chunk" sound of the door closing, the consistency by which power window and power seat motors sound and operate, the substantial way trim bits such as the console latch or turn signal stalk feel--all of these are no accident. With the possible exception of a cramped, though well-sculpted back seat, the GS 430's interior is beautifully executed.

The M45's cabin is no deprivation chamber, either. Infiniti listened to complaints about hard plastic and painted metallic trim on previous models and gave the Sport version of the M45 real aluminum trim and rich-looking electroluminescent gauges. Attractive-looking, well-bolstered and supportive seats welcome the M45 driver and his lucky passengers. The Infiniti has just enough spread-out room inside, which by every interior measurement is more generous than that of the GS 430. The nearly flat, command panel-style center stack takes some getting used to, but there's a lot of functions to control, and, for some, it's still a more appealing alternative than an iDrive-type system.

The new Infiniti is more generous under the hood, too. The M45's 335-horse, 4.5-liter moves with more authority than the GS's 300-horse, 4.3-liter, despite carrying 164 extra pounds and being down one gear to the Lexus's six-speed transmission. The Infiniti V-8 loves to rev and has a rich top end, blasting the M45 to 60 mph 0.3 second faster and down the quarter-mile 0.4 second faster than the GS 430. It's no surprise the Infiniti's 10 percent horsepower edge allows it to run away from the Lexus in acceleration tests, but the two company's different approaches to vehicle dynamics drive to the heart of their diverging brand identities.

With the upcoming Lexus GS gas/ electric hybrid just around the corner, engineers have developed electronic steering and braking systems that they've also applied to the GS 430. Electronic power steering bases the amount of boost on steering angle, vehicle speed and yaw rate. This is combined with vehicle-speed sensitive variable gear ratio steering, which among other algorithm-enhanced features has a built-in side-wind correction factor. The electronic brakes phone in the driver's commands to the calipers, but Lexus has seen fit to equip the GS 430 with high-friction pads, a combination that makes the brakes touchy and difficult to modulate because of their nonlinearity.

Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management is Lexus's fancy name for a combined stability control and electronic braking system that constantly monitors vehicle balance and anticipates situations rather than reacting to them. Lexus boasts that the system takes care of problems before they occur and is the root of our displeasure with this car. In sporty driving, the GS 430 often feels like a baby bird that won't leave the nest--safe and secure in its well-feathered domain, but will never know what it's like to soar.

In contrast, the M45 Sport hugs the road the old-fashioned way--with big, 19-inch meats and a well-calibrated suspension. Its active rear steering system, which gives a variable ratio by moving the toe links on the rear suspension, takes some getting used to. On decreasing-radius exit ramps, the M45's line tightens noticeably and the driver needs to adjust to the sharper turn-in. Stability control is far less aggressive than on the Lexus and can be switched off if desired. And there's no denying the effectiveness of the M45's conventional hydraulic Brembo brakes, which stop the heavier car some 15 feet--nearly one car-length--shorter than the electronically dithered-with Lexus from 60 mph.

If you drove only the GS 430, you'd probably come away impressed with its quiet and confident over-the-road performance. But take a stint back-to-back in the Infiniti M45 Sport, while muscle memory is still fresh, and it's clear the M is crisper, more entertaining and more satisfying in its responses, particularly if you value sportiness. Acceleration is more brisk, turn-in more responsive, braking far more direct, organic, and easier to modulate. The GS 430 is somewhat muted, insulated from what the road, the engine, and the car's other mechanical bits are doing. Its electronic overlords keep you from straying from the smooth and steady, abetting your innate driving abilities with a digitally enhanced reality. Beyond the performance numbers, the M45 Sport with its active rear steering toe links is more responsive in transitions.

The degree of electronic meddling in the GS 430 is astonishing. It's the electronic equivalent of making love while wearing mittens; the end result is the same, but you have less fun getting there, although that's what some buyers like. We don't doubt the logic in using electronics to accentuate the positives and minimize the negatives in the driving experience. The Lexus driver shouldn't have to surrender involvement or be deprived of tactile input that the throttle, steering, suspension, and brakes communicate to make the drive all the more rewarding.

For the buyer in search of a great looking, dependable sedan with superb fit and finish and reassuring driving characteristics, the new GS is a sound choice. Based on recent experience, it's likely the Lexus will retain excellent resale value as well. But if you're seeking a true driver's car that encourages you to make excuses to hop behind the wheel to look for the long way home, the M45 is the right choice here.

Our GS 430 tester was equipped with the new Lexus Pre-Collision System. Its premise is simple: When sensors have determined that no amount of driver or electronic heroics will prevent an impending frontal collision, the car assumes the worst and prepares the driver and front seat passenger for the inevitable ka-boom. In a blink of an eye, front seatbelts cinch up to the full tight position, the adaptive suspension switches damping to sport mode to aid handling and lessen nose dive, and brake assist gives maximum braking pressure the moment the driver touches the pedal. Lights flash and buzzers sound warnings. And if for some reason the driver doesn't apply the brakes, the system will do it for him. PCS works in conjunction with the radar cruise control system, using the same milliwave sensor behind the grille. Problem is, the system apparently sees the 12-inch-tall rubber cones we use to mark our figure-eight and slalom courses as impending collisions, turning a light brake tap into a full-on near-ABS threshold panic stop and nearly strangling the driver in the process. Notes senior road-test editor Chris Walton, "buried deep inside the GS 430 is a great car; we just can't find it."