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Few cars in recent memory have been greeted with more initial exuberance in the press, from USA Today to Consumer Reports. It does have many praiseworthy features.

However, it gets the worst mpg of any Luxury Performance Sedan -- you won't get more than 18-19 mpg in commute/city-drive/freeway-maximum-speed combination driving. Strong V6 engine depends on low-geared transmission to turn 275 HP into exciting-acceleration throughout the (only) five (not the usual six) gears.

Also, it comes equipped with poor (ride quality and wet-weather-traction) Goodyears (see Tire Rack owner surveys) which become a defect of sorts that requires an $800-$1000 fix before the first winter rains (not to mention snow).  

i dont know much about the m35..but my friends dad as a M45 and he loves that thing...i know these two cars are totally different...but wow..the m45 is sweet  

The biggest difference between the M35 and the M45 is the motor.  And honestly, we love them both.

18-19mpg in normal driving from a quick, 275-hp big sedan is totally fine in my book.  My last daily driver before moving to Ann Arbor to hang out with these magazine nutjobs was a 2003 BMW 525iAT wagon... and over 34,000 lots-of-highway miles, I averaged 21.3 mpg. And that was with almost 100hp less.

Different strokes, of course, but there's a whole lot to love about the M35.  

I am not unhappy with the mileage of the M ... I am getting what I expected.  But the big disappointment is the car's drivability on the eastern interstates.  these highways get rutted by the heavy truck traffic and the M has weak on-center tracking ability.  It's like piloting a small outboard -- requiring a million course corrections -- or like driving on vermont's unpaved roads in mud season.  the *** thing won't go straight.  And, while the dealer explains that this is because it has sports car tuning, it's a problem we never experienced on a mercedes 450 sl, a mercedes e 320 wagon, numerous bmw's, saabs, volvo's, and on and on.  if you drive a lot on the freeways, this is NOT the car you'll want to buy -- or lease.