Jagx007

I am thinking of getting a new car soon and my main choices are Acura 3.2 TL Type S, the I 35 and the new G35. What in your opinion is the best and why? What are the pros and cons of each. I have test drove the Acura and the I35, and although I like the Acura better, I didnt really get to do a great comparision. I would appreciate your input. Also the TL is front wheel drive, is that good or bad? I have heard for performance it is better to have rear wheel drive. Can someone please explain the differences of each and the pros and the cons. Thanx!!!!!!

EZZ

G35 will come out in 2 months. It looks better than all of them on paper however, it is ONLY on paper. Wait the two months and test drive. Buy the one that you like best. BTW, Fwd vs RWD has been discussed to death so do a search

DJ Iceman

This thread is a cauldron just waiting to boil over (where are you, 1SickLex? ), but I will offer my opinion anyway.

I have never been a fan of Infiniti--I think they are just even more overpriced Nissans, and I've never been a fan of Nissan. I guess that's why I can see spending the extra cash for an Acura or Lexus, because Hondas and Toyotas are solid vehicles. I can't say that I've ever been the least bit impressed with a Nissan.

To be fair, you should probably post the same question in an Infiniti forum. Their replies will be suitably biased towards theie cars, and that way you'll get a better cross-section of opinions. Better yet, post your question at ClubLexus or some other "impartial" web site and see what people have to say!

ElegantTL-S

TL TYPE S!! haha..I'm just biased!!

bioyuki

If you're willing to wait a bit and maybe shell out a bit more money, you should take a SERIOUS look at the G35.

KP117

It all depends on what you are looking for. What are you priorities in the car you want (i.e. Handling, looks, NVH, ride, Price)?

1SICKLEX

Do you drive a car now? Have you read any kind of book or auto magazine about cars?

WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM YOUR CAR!?!?!?!

The I35 and TL-s are similar in style and execution. The TL-S is the winner. Why, because it is cheaper. And there is a small aftermarket for it if you want to mod it. These cars to me are family cars first and foremost so don't expect no Porsche. But people like fast and that the TL-S is.

If you want performance then look at the 3 series and IS 300 for an idea of how the G35 will feel. If you can't feel the difference then just get the TL.

NO ONE REALLY KNOWS ANYTHING about the G35 so do like the rest of us and search threads and read all the rumors about a car that will make as big a splash in the automotive world as any new Infiniti (sprinkle).

I think you need to check out motor trend and Car and Driver first......

samkws

Acura edges out the overall...just list those advantages over the others...not to be too detailed

Acura 3.2
pros
5 spd auto with sports shift
high build quality and interior material
accerlation(6.3sec from 0-60)
very high resale value

cons
leather on seating surface only

Infiniti I35
pros
Powerful VQ6 engine
Heated Steering Wheel
great design

cons
slower than 3.2TL
4spd AUTO
lower resale value

G35
pros
Rear wheel Drive
5spd Auto with manumatic
high-tech looking

cons
very expensive
looks stupid in snow
ugly

well...overall i would pick acura...since i am not a nissan fan...and my dad only trusts honda and toyota cars...they are most reliable

for this price range, u may also consider the new Audi A4 1.8T
this car is very nice

EZZ

You should also consider the Lexus IS300 or ES300. Very nice cars. IS300 will blow the TLS away in handling. No contest. However it is slower.

IS300

215 hp / 218 ft/lb of tq 0-60 = 6.7 (with manual)


ES300

210 hp/ ??tq

The G35 will be faster than the TLS so you should wait till March to test drive it. It will probably be better handling too because of its lighter weight (due to smaller size and aluminum chassis), RWD, and 52/48 weight distribution. It has a 5 speed auto with sportshift and Infiniti quality interior which is very very good. I personally think its a good looking car. Reliability should be good because Infiniti has the 2nd best reliability in the marketplace behind Lexus.

G35 = 260hp / 260 ft/lb of tq.

The TLS is relatively heavy (3500lbs) and probably was not meant for sport sedan handling. But it is a great highway cruiser with plenty of speed (especially for a FWD platform). The TLS will be around $1k to $3k cheaper than either the Lexus or Infiniti brands. Reliability will be on par with Lexus and Infiniti.

Have you looked at BMW. If you could afford it, BMW is easily the best sport sedan out on the market.

hemants

All depends on your priorities.

TLS - luxurious sporty sedan, "younger"
I35 - luxurious sedan (somewhat sporty), "older refined?"

G35 - RWD, sports sedan
WRX, A4 - AWD sports sedans

chestertls

Rear drive is always more fun as long as the conditions are good. As far as build quality, they are all the same for the average buyer. If you plan to keep the car longer than 100K, you probably will have less problems with a Acura/Lexus than a Infiniti. I personally have had Nissan cars with 200K+ miles, with zero problems. Just did the maintenance. My clutch even went that long!

It's your $$$.

EZZ

I don't understand the perceived lack of quality in Infiniti It has ranked higher in most quality tests overall than Acura. Is there something I don't know?

perrymaxima

Your on an Acura board.

JagX007

The TL-S and I35 are pretty the same both have pro, cons over the other but very minimal. The I35 has more amenities like heated steering wheel, heated mirror, auto on/off headlights, rear sunshade. More expensive leather (same as in Q45) birdseye maple wood w/wood steering (not real like in Q though but pretty close). plus loaner cars for schedule or unscheduled maintence. TL-S strong point is value and bang for buck. Has a 5spd w/shoptshift , but there is a chance for trans. failer there.

G35 is larger than the RWD cars that it will compete against on the market size wise. G35 shorter tha the I35 and TL-S but will have about the same amount of interior cabin space as the TL. the I35 wins in Cabin space. The G will also have real wood or brushed aluminum and DVD base nav, and the same features as the I35 but not the same quality leather and cloth is standard.

If I were you I would choose the G35 buy the way fully load with every thing is 35K. TL-S and I35 w/nav are both probably less $$ but your getting more for 35K than the other 2 offer w/same ammenties and Infiniti customer service.

BarryH

If the G35 is as good in person as it looks on paper you're probably better off going with it. The I35 (Maxima) and TL are both nearing the end of the product cycle for their current designs. Redesigned versions of both should be out in 2003. If you plan on keeping the car for at least three years, the G35 will still look fresh while the current TL/I35 will look dated. The downside is that there are usually kinks in first year models although the G35 shares a lot of mechanicals with the Japanese four door Skyline so it may not be as bad. As for service, Infiniti is great. I had a Q45T and was amazed at the treatment I received. Good luck.

chestertls

If you are going to say....

"The I35 (Maxima) and TL are both nearing the end of the product cycle for their current designs."

Shouldn't it be....

"The I35 (Maxima) and TL (Accord) are both nearing the end of the product cycle for their current designs." ????

J/K

bigman

This is the most repeated post on this board.

BarryH

The TL and Accord are built on the same platform but are substantially different cars with completely different body panels, dimensions, and drive trains. The I35 and Maxima are virtually identical. The only difference is the front and rear end, interior trim, and options available. So no, I don't agree with your comparison.

samkws

huh??? what makes u think the G35 is faster than TL-S????
no doubt for handling...but IT WON'T BE FASTER...unless u can give me so proof

EZZ

Its the same chassis as the Z. It has 260hp and 260 ft/lb of torque. It will be around 200-400 lbs lighter. It will have RWD, 5 speed auto with a more aggressive gear ratio. It will have a Cd of 0.27.

The Auto Max is already the same speed if not faster than the TLS. People on Maxima.org have gotten 14.6-14.8 Stock. The G35 is marketed as being the next sport sedan. It will SMOKE the Maxima/Altima. Therefore I don't see how the TLS will be faster than the G35.

Maybe I could be wrong. Maybe Nissan/Infiniti will overrate their horsepower. However, the VQ line of Engine has always performed better than estimated.

samkws

i know about G35 long ago...but i won't say unless teh real thing is out...
u just put urself into a difficult position as u r making assumption to the new car already...and that's not out yet...oh btw...RWD will be slower....probably a loss of 15-20hp approx

pls...it's not a M3 or sth like that...don't give such high expectation and don't post anything u don't know....

ScreamingVQ

The same can be said to you. Unless you can give proof that its slower than the Tl-S, let him believe what he wants. Neither of you are right or wrong. The car is not out yet and there are no performance specs, only assumptions.


To the Original thread starter- Just wait until the G35 comes out and take a test drive. We only have assumptions on how the car will perform. The only way you can get full specs is to check out www.freshalloy.com or www.nissannews.com

Really most of you are listing pros and cons and are just picking most of them out of your arses. Like I said, just wait until the car comes out.

EZZ

I'm just telling you what I think will happen. If G35 is slower than a Maxima, then it will be a failure from a product standpoint. I would think with the rated horsepower, it would attain high 5s to 60. Although RWD has more powertrain loss, it has better traction. Remember, the G35 has much higher rated torque than TLS. (260 ft/lb at 4800 rpm). But, as someone said earlier, it is all speculative at this point. Although, it sure is fun guessing


BTW, never did I claim it was an M3. The M3 has reached supercar status in terms of performance.

perrymaxima

You can't be a car enthuist with out speculation. in other words it is nothing wrong with speculating on a cars performance based on the facts. The G35 may not be out yet but a car that has the stats the G35 has and weight will beat a TL-S or a Max.

On other hand the Q45 controdicts everything I said...:o

1SICKLEX

Honestly, the TL-S and I35 are so similar it is a matter of styling and some sort of brand loyalty.

Dahm the G35 cause IT IS NOT EVEN SOLD yet....

thejavagod

I can't speculate on the G35 but i've found the I35 and Q45, despite their heavy horsepower, pretty boring and slow compared to the ultra quick response of the TLS. The Q45 especially has a tremendous lag of power off the line... I can't believe it has 340 HP!!

hemants

2002 Q45 is 6.5 secs 0 to 60 according to Road and Track.

samkws

now it's different, coz u stated what u think will happen...

well...but i am 100% this car won't be in high 5s with just 260hp...and automatic...

btw...just visit chapters in the afternoon and read the feb issues of C/D, R&T and MT...lots of features...but nth is on the paper about G35...
also one of them tested a stick altima and stick maxima
kinda surprised the altima is half a sec faster than maxima!!! 6.3vs 6.9...with 15hp less...

Guest

Notice how all the members here who already has a tl-s says get the tl-s. Also notice that the people who already have a tl-s hates the G35 (just look at sammy boy, he absolutely despises the G35)

But yet everyone who hasn't bought a tl-s yet and is looking for a new car for $30k is leaning towards the G35 instead of the tl-s

Oh yeah,

FACTS not a biased oppinion.

G35 will be faster than the tl-s
Why, because of this simple formula.
1)G35 has the same horsepower, more torgue and weigh less than the tl-s.
2)The G35 is derived from the nissan skyline and shares the technology with the new z sports car.

G35 will handle better than the tl-s
1)near 50/50 weight distribution on the G35 compared to the tl-s 70/30.
2)Sports car suspension with rear wheel drive. The tl-s is front heavy and we all know a front wheel drive cannot hang with a sports tuned rear wheel drive.
3)G35 has incredible aerodynamics, with zero lift and great coeficient drag. Tl-s cannot compare.

Sam always says that the G35 is expensive, wrong buddy
1)the G35 msrp at 27k
2)fully loaded with all options will go up to only 33k. only about 1-2k more than the tl-s

Oh yeah, Although the G35 is inches smaller than the tl-s in almost all dimentions externally, the G35 has more interior room

I have been a tl-s fan for a long time but once i heard about the G35 i will be buying that instead.

Lets just put it this way if i had bought a tl-s recently i would really hate the G35, just like sam does.

Samky eat your heart out buddy

G35=tls killer we all know it.

perrymaxima

G35= tls, IS300, Max, GS300 etc...killer we all know it

I agree with you but I do understand the points that others are making, but you know they are always going to find a way to make the G35 look bad.

samkws

i never say bad things about G35...
i like the G35 too...but i like to critize every car....no cars are perfect...actually i wanted the G35 instead of TL...but it wasn't out yet

i am sick of the "performance stats" which hasn't been out yet...just high 5s is impossible

but it will be a gd handling car for sure...with balanced weight and RWD...and it's newly designed, compared to TL's design back to 98/99...should improved the cons they have

i repeat, i like that car...but i don't like to make assumptions b4 it's out...
time will tell...let's see what will happen few months later...i just don't want to have a high expectation and then get disappointed

1SICKLEX

WHoa IS 300 killa. Your freaking crazy. You wanna talk about a car that is not out yet, let's talk about the 305hp supercharged IS 300 coming in May.

You people trip me out talking about a car that NO ONE has driven. The freaking car does not have a MANUAL TRANNY, so the 3 IS and A4 will stomp the car.

AND I HOPE NISSAN gets the G35 tranny right, cause if it SUCKS like in the Q, I and Maxima, it will be slower than the HP rating suggests. (like the current Q45 Infiniti can't GIVE away)....

BTW the cars I just named ARE NOT TRUE TL/I35/ES 300competition.....

ScreamingVQ

Yeah and Road and Track is the same magazine that got a 0-60mph time of 7.0 for the TL-S...whats your point?

I understand what willc8 is saying, he is taking specs and telling the his side, BUT still most of it is speculation. No one knows for sure how fast the G35 will be. It will handle great, but so far only on paper.

1sicklex I also understand what your saying. the G35 isn't available to us yet in the US. But, the G35 is available in the Japan as we speak, only under the name Skyline. You mentioned of the is300 S/C any information or just rumors? I'm really interested in this. I would also like to disagree on the crappy tranmission on the Maxima. Auto's are running 14.5-15.0 stock. Manuals are running 14.3-14.7 stock. There was also a post on your board, www.clublexus.com with a GS400 owner vs his buddy in his unproperly broken into (650miles) Maxima 6speed race out on the highway where the GS400 only put about a car length by the time they reached 120 or 130mph. BUT if your talking about shifter feel on the 6speed, then yes, its alittle rubbery but the same can be said about the Is300 5speed stick. But to each his own. Still would take the GS4 anyday

AC

I'm not really comparing apples to apples since you were asking about the G35. In Nissan's defense, my 98 Maxima SE 5spd was as solid as a ROCK! Put 18K miles on it and never saw the dealer except for oil changes.

samkws

actually i don't give a damn for those who likes to lit things up in this fourm like someone did in the off topic about woman and bums...

just watchout there are some guys are just coming in here to put flames all over and trash talking...


whoa....supercharged IS??? that's crazy...is this official???

there's an Altezza Turbo that has 280hp in japan...but i guess it fails for the emission for sure in US...

i can see how hungry lexus is to put extra ponies to their underpower cars...compare to others...their engines can't make the living with Infiniti, acura, bimmer, Audi...hope to see they would come out with a larger displacement V6 and I6 engine instead of S/C...

samkws

hehe....that's y wards put them on the best list for 8 yrs in a row!!! no other cars have done it

my friend's maxima SE is just sweet...sounds better than my TL

EZZ

I wouldn't say impossible, just unlikely. With a six speed, it would probably be easy (Altima has 240hp and hit 5.9). I think if a CLS hit 6.3, some crazy mag driver will do better with the G35

1SICKLEX

THe auto trannies suck. The manual is pretty smooth. Funny though you can still chirp Maxima tires with the auto, pretty impressive for fwd.

Yes it is official. Lexus made a handful of facotry L-tuned models untill Dec 31st. Cosmetic and suspension changes, the exhaust added 8 hp

But Lexus confirmed in May the IS 300 will have a TRD supercharger for it along with more suspension upgrades. Lexus HAS factory superchargers (TOMS) but in the home market Japan.

BTW my first car was a 89 Nissan Sentra that is INDESTUCTIBLE, after 140k miles only thing changed was an exhaust. I always figured if the BASE model Nissan was this good, the Maxima etc must really be great to own.

But when it was time to make the jump, the J30 sucked styling wise, the I30 sucked styling wise and I fell lin love with the looks of the ES 300 (and I have a 5-speed manual in it!) and it has been Lexus ever since.

samkws

5.9 sec for altima?? where did u get this from??

the mag got it best for 6.2-6.3

ssk0771

Quote by willc8

GETT THE G35
Notice how all the members here who already has a tl-s says get the tl-s. Also notice that the people who already have a tl-s hates the G35 (just look at sammy boy, he absolutely despises the G35)

But yet everyone who hasn't bought a tl-s yet and is looking for a new car for $30k is leaning towards the G35 instead of the tl-s

Oh yeah,

FACTS not a biased oppinion.

G35 will be faster than the tl-s
Why, because of this simple formula.
1)G35 has the same horsepower, more torgue and weigh less than the tl-s.
2)The G35 is derived from the nissan skyline and shares the technology with the new z sports car.

G35 will handle better than the tl-s
1)near 50/50 weight distribution on the G35 compared to the tl-s 70/30.
2)Sports car suspension with rear wheel drive. The tl-s is front heavy and we all know a front wheel drive cannot hang with a sports tuned rear wheel drive.
3)G35 has incredible aerodynamics, with zero lift and great coeficient drag. Tl-s cannot compare.

Sam always says that the G35 is expensive, wrong buddy
1)the G35 msrp at 27k
2)fully loaded with all options will go up to only 33k. only about 1-2k more than the tl-s

Oh yeah, Although the G35 is inches smaller than the tl-s in almost all dimentions externally, the G35 has more interior room

I have been a tl-s fan for a long time but once i heard about the G35 i will be buying that instead.

Lets just put it this way if i had bought a tl-s recently i would really hate the G35, just like sam does.

Samky eat your heart out buddy

G35=tls killer we all know it.

__________________________________________________ __



I think YOU are jumping to the conclusion. READ THE POSTINGS AGAIN. I don't think anyone HATE's G35. Most members are saying to wait for G35 to come out before buying, but as for I35 & TL-S, most of TL-S owners will pick TL-S. Most people on the posting feels that G35 will be a good car. As for pricing and specs, people are entitled to their own opinions or assumptions until the facts come out. Look at Q45 for example, every one thought it will be a rocket (not that I am saying its slow). More TORQUE, more HP, & Less WEIGHT than LS430 yet its slower on all the tests. Everyone assumed that it will be very faster than LS430 with all the spec's but in real test, it did not come true.

I am not putting NISSAN cars down. I love NISSAN cars(I just think the company SUCKS IN MARKETING). My brother drives Infiniti J30, I use to have Maxima (1995 Great CAR) until about
1 1/2 year ago and my mom use to have Maxima just upon til 2 month a ago.

All I am trying to say is that most member do not HATE G35 they just have their own assumption.

Until the car comes out we won't know the facts.

EZZ

It was on motorweek. They had it on their website too. The altima did 5.9 0-60 and 14.4 in the quarter. Ask around on this board and people will verify it.