Auto Update (as in "cars")

I mentioned last month that I've been in the market for a new car. Well, I've talked with lots of people, gone on many test drives, and read every review I could find. Here are my conclusions so far.

First, StreetDeck is amazing. I want something just like that. In fact, everything at MP3car.com makes me drool! So after noticing the addins they make specific for the Infiniti G35, I headed straight to Kirkland to testdrive one, including the new 2007 version.

Bottom line: the Infiniti 2007 is very, very nice. I found that it rides as well or better than the BMW 3-series and the interior just feels more refined and much bigger. Yes, it has bluetooth, yes it has great navigation (a 3D mapping system that is much better than the 2D kind on other cars), yes it has SR. I'm also addicted to the backup camera.

Biggest problem: it's hard to get. My dealer will only sell it at full MSRP and it'll take up to 12 weeks to get the exact color and configuration I want.

I also test-drove the Lexus 350, which again was very nice. It had the quietest ride of all the cars I tried. They sell it in a version with two moonroofs: both the front and back seats get their own view of the sky. I wasn't as impressed with the nav system -- I thought the Infiniti had better controls.

Several people suggested I check out Acura, and you see a lot of them around here, so I test-drove the TL. It's priced more reasonably than the Lexus/Infiniti/BMW, and it runs on regular gas. But nothing else about it caught my eye. Somebody also told me that the drive system is going to be updated soon and that the current ones won't have as good resale value, so I pretty much crossed it off my list.

So many people criticized my dismissive opinion of the BMW that I went back and test-drove the automatic version. Yes, it felt much better, but still nothing really clicked. Their iDrive system was just too complicated for me, and the extra performance people praise it for was lost on me. I would rate the Lexus higher just for its quieter ride.

Since my Number One requirement is cool gadgets, my California friends insisted I look at the Prius, so I test drove that also. I'll write more about that later.