For someone who hasn't driven the G35/350Z, how would you know if it's less bland than the IS350 powerplant? The IS350 sounds better, is smoother, and rips a bit more than the VQ. I have driven both. Multiple times.
What are you basing your opinion on? Just wondering...
All reviews I've ever read of the VQ agree it's raspy, has very aggressive response to initial throttle openings, that it vibrates a lot at high revs, and in general is a bit of a bull in a china shop. Now, that may be a character you
dislike, but I don't think you can call that bland.
Likewise, reviews of the IS350 focus on smoothness, isolation, etc. I've experienced the same engine in a different state of tune in a RAV4 and I've experienced quite a few different Toyotas over the years, being the progeny of two Toyota fans and married to one. Like every Toyota engine I've ever experienced, the 3.5L is a smooth pussycat, but seemed very "distant" to me. The 3.5L is a lot more powerful than other Toyota engines I've dealt with, though it doesn't get in your face while catapulting you forward.
Don't misread my post. I'm not saying that the VQ is a "better" engine. That's pretty subjective. But the VQ is, by pretty much any objective standard, more "in-your-face." And that's not bland. You may prefer to have Clive Owen as a roommate instead of Axl Rose--and I certainly wouldn't argue with that--but that doesn't mean Axl Rose is blander than Clive Owen.
Remember how this started. I objected to V6s as a whole, and the VQ in particular, being called "bland." It's like the guy who called the E46 3-Series styling "plain." He may not like it, that's subjective and pretty hard to argue with, but it's not "plain." If anything, it's complex to the point of fussy. Now, the A4, I think that's pretty classy too, but that design (before the gaping maw grill) was very "plain." Plain and fussy are not inherently good or bad, nor are bland and raucous.
