jjl

I am looking for some sound advise in choosing between these vehicles. The main question involves whether the Acura TL driving performances are comparable or close to the G35 during everyday driving conditions. Please respond if you had the opportunity to drive both vehicles. Thanks

jjl

I am looking for some sound advise in choosing between these vehicles. The main question involves whether the Acura TL driving performances are comparable or close to the G35 during everyday driving conditions. Please respond if you had the opportunity to drive both vehicles. Thanks

rets

Welcome to the forum

Where are you gonna drive it? In the crowd city, stop and go roads, or countryside...


When testdriving G35 in '03 Summer, I didn't quite enjoy that car, except it had RWD advantage. Hopefully 05G has got the better tuneup plus more features. Both of them are the good cars.

ibeplato

Do a search, this has been discussed to death. I had my heart set on a G35x but after I test drove it I bought a TL. It was an amazing car to drive, nimble, fast stable. But the interior was especially uncomfortable (especially the driver's seat) and I just couldn't live with the day-glo orange dashboard. Check out all the problems with the driver's seat on some of the G35 message boards.

IMHO the TL has about 95% of the performance and 150% of the interior of the G35.

jjl

Thanks for the replies. I plan to use the vehicle as my primary source of transportation, commuting to work, etc. I live in the suburbs but occasionally go into the city (los angeles). Now, if I do end up buying the TL, I want to do some modifications in terms of the performance. I am not interested in the full A-spec mods. Do you think it is worthwhile to get sports suspensions and change the tires, not the wheels?

Tennisjon2002

yes!!! I find the Auto suspension a bit soft for my taste and the tires are bad, especially the el42's

avs007

The 05 G35 Sedan adds some nifty features that the TL doesn't have like:

Proximity Key (Keyless ignition and locks)
Power Tilt and Telescoping Wheels, with position memory.
The auto tranny also rev-matches when you downshift, as well as holds all gears

magbarn

Have you checked out a '05 G35 lately? They improved the interior quite a bit. and the post above also highlights some features the TL doesn't have. Plus you also get a nice HP boost over the '04 G35. Plus I would put a little more faith in their tranny over the TL's given my parents experience (on 3rd tranny) That said the TL still has better materials than the G35. I'd say the the TL interior is now 125% of the G35's

nikko

Before I bought my 2005 TL, I drive tested G35 sedan and here are my impressions:

PROs:
- Power to spare.
- RWD, which can be an advantage under extreme driving conditions.
- A tad better handling - here I was disappointed since I was expecting more from a RWD car.

CONs:
-Back of the car slides unexpectedly under heavy acceleration even when stability control is on.
-Noisy and un-refined engine.
-Overall interior noise is more pronounced than TL.
-Cheap looking interior, a car of this caliber should have a better dash layout and less plastic.
-G35 is 2.5 inches narrower than TL.
-Navigation system is a joke compared to TL's Navi.
-Funny layout for power seats buttons.
-Extremely touchy brakes.
-Uncomfortable driver’s seat.
-Orange glowing gauges.
-Very cheap looking Bose sound system - the main display looks like the one in Ford Taurus.
-Too much silver painted plastic on center console.
-Very high appetite for expensive gasoline.

After all this when I jumped first time in TL I thought I was in heaven...
As I stated many times in the past, I strongly believe that TL is an almost perfect blend of performance and luxury.

avs007

You read this out of Consumer Reports eh? I don't know what they are talking about, I've never had the back end slide out on me unexpectedly, unless you try to floor it and turn at the same time. I've taken a 35 mph curve at over 80, and power slid through the turn. The car is actually quite easy to control. I accidently did a similar thing in my FWD GTP at a much lower speed, and it was orders of magnitude harder to control when the tail slipped out.

My G is definately louder than our TL, but I wouldn't call it an un-refined engine. It feels just as smooth. The exhaust note is just louder/deeper. (Especially in my coupe)

Depends... I like the bird eye view of the G's navi. Also contrary to what I've heard, I found the points of interest of the G's navi to contain more entries than our TL's. At least the last couple of quarterly parties at my company, the locations were not in the TL, but they were in the G's.... However, I hate how you can't use the Navi on the G while you're moving... My main gripe with our TL's navi, is that sometimes the touch screen locks up. And the voice recognition is really slow. It also has a lot of difficulty with my wife's voice.

I've heard some people complain they hurt. They don't bother me and I don't know anyone that it bothers, and I don't consider myself skinny by any means. Sometimes it's convenient, so you can easily move the passenger seat from the driver's seat to reach and get stuff in the back, etc.

This is has been resolved for 05'. However, I noticed our 05' TL's brakes to be just as touchy as my coupes. Doesn't bother me either way. It only takes like 2 seconds to get used to it.

Actually, everyone that has sat in my cars, always thought my G's seats were more comfortable than our TL's. And some of them, like myself have herniated discs in our back. In fact, I remember some reviews saying the G's seats were so comfortable, they were chiropractic.

Orange and Red on black has been scientifically been proven to be the easiest on your eyes. Just ask any fighter pilot. Blue on black however, has been scientifically proven to be the worst for your eyes. Actually been proven to cause headaches and fatigue.

Doesn't the taurus have an oval shaped stereo and climate control system? Either way, at least it can play MP3s.

The 05' doesn't have painted trim anymore. It's real aluminum.

Either way, you can't go wrong with either choice.. They are both nice cars.

rets

What a war thread here!?


Well, if you really go TL-bound, you could change to A-Spec Suspensions, Swaybar, better tires.


Many ppl are having the feeling that 05TL's ride is a little stiffer than 04's.

Gadgets

Good luck with this one as both are very nice cars.


Was this a 2005 because the interior was improved over the 2004.


The G35 has a programmable shift light so you know when to upshift during spirited driving.

I like the exterior appearance of the TL over the G35. Also, I like the dual exhaust pipes that the TL has.

Acuraluvr

iTrader: (2)

ive actually been able 2 play mp3 on the tl.........
burned it to a cd-r and plays well

avs007

Are you saying the TL has MP3/WMA support? I don't think so.... If it does great, then I don't have to burn DVD-A....

nikko

I agree, they are both nice cars and everything boils down to personal opinion.
I think the saying "Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder" applies here.
However, just so you know, when I drive tested that 2005 G35 I was all alone, the dealer gave me the remote and let me run a few laps around the block.
Since I got on a side road that was nearby I was curious how is the pickup for G35, i was expecting nothing less than amazing, anyway to make a long story short, I went "pedal to metal" from a total stop.At that point the back started to slide left and right for about few seconds and then got back on track.
I told to dealer what happened and he simply shrugged and said that 2 more customers complained about the same problem.
Later on I happened to stumble upon that review in Consumer Reports describing exact same problem so you're partially right, i used their words to describe the problem I came across.
About orange gauges you may be right but as far as I am concerned I had enough "orange glow" from my last BMW !

ibeplato

I haven't looked at the '05's but from reading the g35driver.com board it seems as if they didn't fix the seat problem. My right leg was falling asleep after driving the thing for about 20 minutes. Whoever decided to put the seat controlls on the right bolster should be fired. :-)

Does the G35 have bluetooth yet? I know the Nav was a kluge compared to the system in the TL.

ibeplato

Agreed. I really had my heart set on a G35x and hadn't even really looked at the TL. However after spending some time on a test drive I called my wife and told her I couldn't buy the car due to the interior issues.

On the way home from the Infiniti dealer I happened to decide to stop in at an Acura dealer and check out a TL just for kicks. I test drove one and called the wife to come down and do the paperwork. I've had it for a year now and it is absolutely the best car I've ever owned or driven.

thaita78

I test drove both the TL and g35 sedan. My reasons for purchasing the TL were less maintainence costs, anthracite color, the "wow" effect of the body style, and lastly but importantly, the TL is cheaper to insure for me.

downtown

Test driven both many times. Deciding same thing.

Between autos, I like the G more. For me it's a tougher choice in the MT. The G doesn't have the same refinement in the manual. Their auto is unreal. Pulls and pulls, at all speeds.

To me, it's coming down to this. I'm not racing, but I want to push the corners occasionally. I believe the TL will suit me fine. Plus, when there's traffic, the TL is still a blast!

shingles

I really like the styling of the G35 coupe. But I cannot get over how bad the interior is compared to the TL.

Since I am IN the car when I am driving, I cannot get myself to buy the G35 coupe.

dsc888

For those of us who can't stand the interior or the exterior styling, the TL was an easy choice. In fact, I think the G sedan just got uglier on the outside after the 2005 update. They tried to give it a kitted look and ended up ruining it in my opinion. That's OK. It just makes me love my baby even more .

dsc888

F23A4

Interesting conversation. It's simply a matter of preference but, I think the 2005 G35's dash and trim look far better than the 2003-4 model:





The TL's dash is a bit more conventional, so it will probably appeal to more folks:




The new M35/M45 have it so maybe it'll trickle down to the G at some point.

In driving both the G35X and TL, I personally would prefer the G35X over the TL but only by the slightest of margins and mainly because I love the VQ.

Pro Stock John

I test drove a G35 sedan 6MT RWD, and my 2005 TL 6MT FWD, here are my thoughts:
+G35's rear door's open really wide, like a Cadillac
+G35 was fun to beat on and push around
+G35 has nice headlights
+G35's wheels look nice
-G35's interior looks dated to me
-G35's center console looks like something from 1994
-G35 from the rear looks uninspiring
-G35 is more common than the TL

+TL was still pretty rare in Oct/2004 when we got our's
+TL in anthracite is great, but I like 4 of the colours actually
+TL's slightly edgy styling is a winner to me
+TL's console, trim, overall interior is a 10/10
+TL is decent in snow
+TL is still a blast to beat on with 6mt/fwd combo
+TL's bluetooth is handy
+TL has very good stereo, that sub is bumpin'
-TL is becoming more common
-TL has Honda-ish cast wheels

There ya go!

mickey3c

The VQ is a better engine and not pushed to the limit (flame suit on) like the 3.2. I am not saying the 3.2 is a bad engine, it just does not have the low end torque it should. Check wards, the 3.2 is not even considered for the top 10.

I have both cars... And since there is no utopia of cars you have to go with what you need/prefer the most. The better interior does not help out in the 80 inches of snow we got this year. The front drive and sucky stock tires did not help either. The g35x was great in snow even with the same sucky EL42s.

The G will out handle the TL on higher profile tires. I took both cars on a test drive on the same course on the same night. It was funny to watch the salesman in the tl with me ask if I was going to take the corner with a speed limit of 25 at 40-45. I said the g did it with 55 series tires...

The 05 G interior while not as good as the TL, does not suffer from the rattles the TL has.. The G is expensive and the TL is cheap... not looking but cheap.. call it value or whatever, but it is an accord pushed to the limits. I would like to see a serious performance car that is less than a 90k nsx. Something that is not a cookie cutter car that the TL is.. they are all the same so they are cheaper to make.

As for the color of the dash display... when will the car makers wake up and allow people to select their own... How pricey can that be...

In the end I want something that will keep me out of dealerships or having the car maker
"work" with me on a problem by fixing it for free (and the fix taking away the performance of the car...). I have my own problems and do not need to troubleshoot theirs for them. I want to get regular service and not have any issues for over 100K miles. That to me is a good car.

That is what I base a decision on.. I was going to have two TLs... but I said I am not going to put all my eggs in one basket.

F23A4

:IBSOMEONESTATESWRONGLYTHATTHEG35ISANISSANALTIMAPUSHEDTOTHELIMITS:

Gadgets

Ask Ford, the new Mustang has like 125 different colors the driver can choose.

mickey3c

yeah see a stang for less money can do that.... and acura has had more tranny issues over the past 5 years than other japanese competitors.. their idea of a fix is retuning the performance of the car and taking some low end torque away and changing shift points etc.

So they have pushed the limits of the engine and 5AT

I have own 3 models since 99 so I can tell the difference...

o3TLson19s

G35 any day . . . rear wheel drive . . looks good and is faster (also handles ALOT BETTER

rets

Unfortunately, I did testdrive G35 sedan and coupe... both of them scuk, they're loud and noisy, and handling was not as good as my Legend. I guess both of them were defective...

IMO, G's not my favorite.

DOUBLE_M_I

Honestly before I bought my TL I was considering buying the G35. The thing is I test drove a Maxima first. I figured I would step up and see what the big hub bub was about... So I test drove the G35. I was really disappointed to me. It seems that they just took off the nissan emblem and put the infiniti emblem on it. To tell you the truth I liked the maxima better. I know that Honda is the parent company of Acura. But you can really tell the difference between an Accord and a TL. The difference is definite. But between the Maxima and the G35 wasn't a clear seperation of the two. There were some things I liked more in the G35 but overall the TL had the complete package. To tell you the truth the only way to find out is to drive them both and figure it out yourself. I am pretty sure there is a G35 forum somewhere on the Net trashing TL. Of course I think those peeps are dilusional but hey that is just my

mickey3c

I belong to both forums and have both cars... and there are more dilusional trash talkers here lol... There are more people on the other forum who provide more information about tuning cars etc., more like this forum was a couple years or so ago. There are much less concerns over what color was chosen or polls where it is like people need to feel that agree or belong to some club. There are more hard facts about the car issues, performance gains, experiences, etc. on the other forum.

I find it odd that you cannot detect a difference between a FWD and RWD / AWD car. But then to each his own... People buy a car for whatever reason they buy a car... Most of the trash talkers are internet racers... The ones that do claim a victory when they push the car way beyond what they should on public roads.. take the car to the track and see what it does... Drive in traffic on an oval and see first hand

In the end there is one aspect ... any G35 owner can afford a TL since they are almost always cheaper.... They choose not to own one. Where not every TL owner can afford a G35 but some would get the tl regardless of assets etc. personal perference or bad experiences they all drive the choice...

EZZ

To the original poster...ask this very same question in the G35 forums and you'll get the same response but with a G35 bias. They'll say the TL is wrong wheel drive. They'll say the torque steer is pathetic. They'll probably point out all of the quality problems such as the drivetrain vibration, constant rattling noises and the spotty reliability of the automatic transmission. They'll point out that the G35 by most objective measures is more reliable than a TL.

The truth is that both are good cars with different objectives in mind. There is no doubt that the TL is more luxurious. Every comparison ever made between these two cars has the TL as the better luxury car. There is also no doubt that the G35 is a better handler...if you test drove the vehicles, you can tell (especially the coupe...waaaay better). Not surprising due to RWD, 52/48 weight distribution and a sports car platform with better structural rigidity.

In your case, since you live in So-Cal, I would choose the RWD vehicle if you really enjoy driving. I also live in So-cal and trust me, the VQ torque really really makes driving pleasurable when I need instant torque. If you want a luxury car and don't care about the sport, the TL is just waaaaay better at it than the G35.

Pro Stock John

I would add, G35 drove like a sedan with a sporty look, and the TL feels sportier and lower. I think I was higher off the ground in the G35. G35 felt like a toyota avalon.

mickey3c

ok so the last two posts I would agree with more... The G sedan has a higher seating position.. not sure about the avalon refrence since I have not been in one... recently..

The G sedan provide better visability to the road that the tl does. The flairs around the lights allows for easier driving in traffice much easier to know how much room you have...

I do prefer the additional torque that the G has the new x has 270 and it makes a big difference in regular driving...

Pro Stock John

If I did not live in the snow belt I would probably still get the TL since I just felt that the G35 had a dated look and it was not really sporty.

I do think the G35 coupe is very sharp but to me it's like a totally different car than the G35 sedan.

Had I gotten a G35, I would have had to get an X for AWD. That was a turnoff for me, car would have been like 3650 lbs and a total turd. And you cannot get the X with a 6MT. At that point I will spend up and get an XC90 wagon.

03TL-S

Are you smoking something? Legend handling better than a g35? I'm sorry...but you must not know what good handling is. I still have a 94 GS legend and as much as i love that car, it handles like shit. Its loose feeling and soft and feels overly heavy. Its comfy to drive but to say a g35 doesnt handle better than a legend is just dumb

03TL-S

The engine in the G35 coupe is louder but in the sedan it is quite quiet. Un refined engine? The VQ engine has been in the top 10 of wards best engines in the world for 11 years in a row. It is named possibly the best v6 ever created.

03TL-S

Either car is good. I was going to get a TL. I had my heart set on it until i drove a g35. After that, i had no more thoughts of wanting a TL. Which ever car you decide to get will not be a bad choice because they both have their ups and downs. If you want real performance, the g35 is the better choice. If you want a more cushion-like ride then the TL is your choice. Like i said, both a good cars and you just have to pick the one that suits you best

EZZ

avs007

I don't know if my coupe is lower than the sedan or not, but my coupe (stock suspension) is much lower to the ground than our TL is. I'm not saying this to say one car will handle better or not. I'm pointing this out, because my G35 will not clear my ultra-ramps with the extensions. In fact, it wont clear my hydraulic floor jack unless I either pump up the tires, or drive onto a 2x4. (I'm talking about the front/center jack point).

PITA, but I don't mind. I also have to be extra careful with driveways and such, as for example, my G35 wont clear the my brother's driveway. What's funny about this, is that my front lip is in prestine condition, whereas, the front lip on our old TL was all banged up. My wife claims to be extra careful, so maybe the suspension is just softer, so if she hits a dip, the front comes down more, I don't know. (This was on her 03'. We just got our 05' just a few days ago, so I don't know if it's anybetter) Though she told me yesterday, she felt it scrape on a driveway somewhere

If you plan on changing your own oil.... (I haven't done our 05' TL yet, so I'm sure a fellow TL'er can pipe up...) The G35 (well, at least mine, maybe because I have the full aero kit), has a lower engine cover, that is held in place with 14 bolts. I need to remove this cover, before I can change the oil/filter. I suppose I don't "have to" remove it, as it has access holes in it, but I don't want to spill oil all over it.

I think it's not a big deal, since I use my cordless drill, and it takes a whole 2 minutes to remove. Some people might not like this, so I'm just pointing it out to you...

But the changing the oil is not messy at all on the G35, as there are no suspension parts or anything that get drenched in oil, which I find to be a bigger PITA, since I have to clean all that gunk up afterwards. I'll probably try the ziplock method next time.