My CL is in the shop for a new transmission and I don't think I can trust the transmission that they are going to put in it. So, I'm considering selling it and getting a different car. Choices are the 04 TL, or an IS 300. I'm leaning more towards the IS 300 for several reasons. I don't quite trust the quality of Acura anymore and how they dealt with the tranny issue. It seems the 04 TL is having tranny issues as well. (Correct me if I'm wrong on that one.). Plus the service folks in the Acura dealerships here in NoVA suck ass man. With regards to the 04 IS 300...will I feel a big difference in the power compared to my CL (I have the non-Type-S). I feel really bad even considering getting any other make other than a Honda made car but Acura has made me realize that there are others better within their price range. Please advise. Thanks.

 

Boo this man! Boo!!

Just messing with ya.




Why would you feel bad about considering other brands? It's not like Honda/Acura is your wife. You're the one spending money; you should get your money's worth and satisfaction. As for performance, you won't feel a big difference. CL-P and IS300 are pretty on par with each other as far as straight-line performance is concerned. Cornering, the IS300 takes the cake.

It's just me, though, that the IS300 is a bit too small and the design does not appeal to me too much. I would go with the G35 coupe personally.

 

Do you need 4-doors??? G35 sedan?

 

Expect a major overhaul for the IS300 around the corner

 

dont trust the tl or anything acura made..at least im not going to anymore

 

2005 Rl

 

Icy ... me too ... considering the sale of my CL. I absolutely love the car but this tranny crap ain't no fun. I've been considering an '05 TL (HOPING THEY HAVE FIXED THE TRANNY ISSUES) and a G35. I think the TL is roomier, better equipped, and doesn't have this massive blind spot over the right rear headrest. Plus, the G35 Navi won't allow you to enter things on it if you are driving. Sometimes I wait until I get closer to the destination before entering an address.

But ... finances are tight so this whole thing might be a moot point for me. Can't get much for my CL ...

 

If 4 doors is a must then the IS or even the G are to good choices. '

If you can wait, see what happens with the IS redesign and if you’re not happy with it you could probably get some killer deals on the current gen IS.

 

get a g35 or is300

 

Get an '03 CLS 6MT!!!

 

you should consider the g35 coupe. I test drove the IS 300 and their is almost no torque (if you compare it to the cl-s ) Anyways, price-wise, the is300 is so not worth it, IMO.

 

i still need to test drive the is300. i will go check out the g35 as well. but i am leaning more towards the exterior and interior styling of the is300. if the torque specs of the is300 are almost the same as my cl-p and it is about 200lbs lighter, wouldn't it be quicker than my cl-p?

 

u wont be happy w/ the speed of an is300 .. i've driven one, they are really weak compared to the CL s

 

IS300+turbo

than yeh its worth it...

 

if you can no longer trust the car you're right to move on. the question is move on to what????

you'll find posts about the '04TL trans problems here and on other TL sites. you're not improving your situation any by going from a CL/auto to a TL/auto. just expect more of the same.

acura service is no better than any other make. its lower in my opinion. just consider a number of new cars. the G35 may work. the 325/330s are also nice cars. a little smaller, on par performance wise, much more expensive though. don't overlook a few things from detroit either. the quality/reliability isn't any worse than acura's. the 300C/Hemi is a very nice ride and HAULS. the GTO is also worth a look. so is the cobra - although you may want to wait for the '05 redesign. if you're willing to spend a little more look at the GS300. it's a little slower but quite a car. also take a look at the '04 Maxima and '05 altima. the V6s really move. they handle quite well. the designs just take a little getting used to.

good luck.

 

Go German

 

The G35 is definetly more bang for your buck than an IS300.

go for the G35! i believe the 05 model comes in awd as well

 

Listen, I didn't realize you had the CL-P. I should say that I would still go with the CL-P over the IS300. But if you had to choose between the g35 coupe and the IS300, where both are similar in price but certainly not in performance, I wouldn't even hesitate to go with the G35. I test drove the baby too! It's amazing. The brembo brake kit is one of a kind. Believe, the interior and exterior styling of the G35 is as nice and stylish as the IS300. I find the IS300 is just too expensive for the performance and handling you get.

check out the critics from the consumerguide or automotive guide. That will help you out decide too! Obviously test driving them will make up your decision! My man, it's your money!

 

i appreciate all your comments and suggestions. yup, i will need to drive both these cars (g35, is300) this weekend. i think the 04 tl is starting to fade a bit as an option. the 260hp of the g35, the torque is really attractive. i'm just not that fond of the ass. maybe it will grow on me. how's the resale value of the g35...sedan...or is it too early to tell? lex have good/high resale values that's why i am considering it a lot. i don't drive like a crazy race driver but would like the power when i punch it. i was content/happy with what i got from the cl-p so that kinda tells you the kind of power, acceleration i'm looking for. i feel it's really a shame that trannys fail on these models...and the ones put in fail again. i really enjoy the comfy ride but i take my neices and nephews around a lot and would not dare put them in arms way....if the tranny does fail again. by the way, i will need to get a sedan cuz someone just informed me a couple of days ago that she's on the way.

 

congradulations! heheheheh. Yeah, well if you want a sedan, don't go for the infiniti g35. Not worth it. If you want a sedan, I would look at the new maxima or the IS300. The G35 coupe has 280 hp, the sedan 260hp, by the way...

 

You have a very though decision. The market is very much in favor of guys like us who need some luxury as well as performance. Some nice cars were mentioned. If you wanna go german you might wanna also look at Audi, or course BMW I think is the benchmark but a bit pricey especially if you want the same features as what you had w/ CL-P. American cars have come along way, I must say. The GTO is a nice option, so is Grand Am. If you wanna stay w/ Japanese then the above mentioned G35, especially the coupe, is personally what I would go w/. You might also like that Altima SER if you wait, only thing is it's a 6 speed. From the Mazda camp, you have the 6 and RX-8, both are comparable I'd say to CL-P. Then there is the WRX and Evo. Some advice, try out a whole bunch of cars, even if you don't think it's even a choice. Remember the dealer is at your mercy. Check out forums like this for cars you're interested in so you can get an idea of some problems the car might have. Congrats on the news of the upcoming arrival. Good luck, I wouldn't put those important packages in harms way either by staying w/ Acura.

 

IS300 is a great car to modd with Great Lexus service/quality

 

very true

 

There is a simple mod that bypasses this limitation. I did this on my FX35.
By default, you can't manually enter a new address while driving, but you can select from your address book. To bypass this, its just a switch you install on one wire. The NAV DVD is under the passenger seat, so very easy to get to the wire.

 

If you are looking for power and 4 doors, take a look at the FX35. Almost as quick as the CLS in 0-60, once its going it just as fast if not a tad quicker, and definitely handles much better than the CLS's suspension (even has a tighter turning radius). Seats are more comfortable, sunroof opens more, and interior is much nicer layout. Its RWD in everyday driving so no torque steer, and AWD kicks in as needed.

 

There is a special of 1.9% APR for 60 months on the FX35.

I went to the Infiniti dealer last week to "look" at the reamining M45s.

The only hot car the Infiniti has is the G35 Coupe. THe G35 sedan has good lease plans and they got a lot of them on the lot. Q, M dont sell shit. FXs are sold slowly.... who knows why. QX56 has lease specials too, cause seems that consumer do not wanna spend 60 large on a 13 mpg SUV.

All these information was provided by the "sales associate".

By the way, what a nice car the M45 is IMO. I will buy it if I could.

 

My local dealer has been running that deal on the FX45 for months along with rebates in the 3-4 K range.
One ad said that they had 20+ in stock at one point.

 

True, the Inifniti website has the 1.9% for both FXs. FXs are not SUVs IMO. They are SAVs with SMALL back space, and not third row - Maybe that is the reason of their slow sales? . Good looking tho.

 

True, the FX isn't for everyone. The 3rd rows are useless once you actually try them out. Its "SAV" class is the same as the MDX, RX330, Highlander, etc. None of these vehicles will be blazing trails anytime soon, but then again neither will I. Quality issues knocked out the X5, Toureg, and the Volvo. This left the MDX, RX330 and FX35. The MDX has tranny issues, the RX330 is too mushy of a ride. The FX35 gives me CLS power and handling, sport shift mode, no tranny issues, and more room. In 2 years I will have my FX35 as my daily/bad weather driver and I will pick up a 2 seat roadster convertible. Looking at the Z and boxter right now, but have time to wait.

 

I am in the same boat. My tranny just went so I will be lookin 4 a GS 400 in a couple of weeks.

 

I have a 2003 6speed with 53k miles on it. I have it serviced once a month at Pohanka Acura in Fairfax VA and I highly recommend them. The few small issues I have had Pohanka has handled very well and my service advisor Jerry is top-notch. Just my experience.

I do like the G35 a lot and did consider it with the CL-S. The G35 was a few grand more.

Good Luck!

 

One question if you're looking for the best performance car for your buck right? If I was looking at a new car in the $30K range I wouldn't even blink before going with a Lancer Evolution. Has to be the most badass car I've seen on the road. Big Brembo Kit, I don't know the specs off the top of my head, but I definitly suggest you look into them. They have AWD too and you cannot go wrong with that.

 

what about the c230? less power, less torque...but the ride is very comfortable. any comments?

 

High residual, low reliability, positioned brand.

I wiil consider it for a lease, not for buying. CL kicks the C230s ass, but MB is MB.

 

the tranny is under warranty till 100k..why get rid of a great Car if it has warranty coverage for teh trans???

 

If you want something different Icy, the M45 is a way to go. They sticker for $43G but a lot of folks are getting them for well under $40G because they dont sell AT ALL!!! BIG PLUS: I rarely see them on the road and they're very nice cars (though a bit tight in the back seat). And NIssan's current 1.9% financing is tempting.

As for the TL vs G35S/X comparison, both cars rock but the G35X (that I drove) just felt better to me. NOTE: The 2005 G35S/X will be rated at 277hp, although the performance diff remains to be seen.

$.02

 

My friend has the C220 as a company car and the reliability is awful. There is a reason why MB and VW do so poorly in the JD Power owner surveys....their quality is no where near the Japanese and even some American cars now.

 

exactly.. i will keep my cls at least until my warranty runs out in 4 and a half years. it's stupid to ditch it before then unless you're experiencing serious safety problems with the tranny failing.

 

Something i have read already here.

sad.

 

all of this talk about infiniti, i wonder what is happening to them.

I hardly see any q45

same goes for the m45

fx35 and 45 i see maybe 2 a day

g35 sedan for some reason im seeing less and less a day

g35 coupe i see almost 1 a day

I havent even seen the QX56 on the road yet!

how the hell is this division going to survive???

can someone post a comparitive sales figure among acura, bmw, and infiniti

sidemarker