Mr. Bo Jangles

Which one would you rather have and why?

Went to the Acura dealership and saw and test drove the A-spec and I must say it is one amazing car BUT they wanted $43k for it. For a few thousand more I could get a real sports car.

mickey3c

You can get a loaded G35 for less than 43. Hell you can get a BMW 330 for that as well. Once you cross over the 35k line you are looking at a different class/category of iron.

or buy a TL for your best deal and make mods as you please. Go get the high end cross fire. At least drive it for comparison.

Jerky

Yeah, once you get into 40k

the G35 is not 'really' in that class, I would be looking at other vehicles...

g35 and tl are in the mid 30 class (or at least this is how they are positioned)

EmuMessenger

Cross-forum

http://www.my350z.com/forum/showthre...hreadid=105769

I'd take the G coupe over the TL any day of the week, but the TL over the sedan. If the 6MT G sedan had dual exhaust, I'd take a second peek.

neuronbob

Multiple-times repost...

I would move this....but can't.

But since you asked, I agree with EmuMessenger. If I didn't need four doors, the G coupe wins. That is simply a thing of beauty on the outside. I mean, um...drool....
But sedan wise, the TL still kicks the pants off the G in terms of ergonomics, features, etc.

ClnOB

I don't think that A-spec is worth all that money IMO>..

EleVatE

Hey do any of you know what the insurance rate on these two cars compare to be? that'd make a big difference for me.

Also the TL rated better in the 'actual cost of ownership' or whatever its called... put out by MSN auto.

I would make a basic assumption on one being a sedan and one being a coupe that the coupe rate would be higher... and these two differences could make the cost of ownership on the TL much better for someone pinchin pennies to get either of them... As these two and the Lexus IS300 are what I am looking at gettin in a little while.

SBTL

I had a $1000 deposit on a 2004 G35 6MT sedan for six months 9/03 - 3/04 and my local Infiniti dealer couldn't find me a car. I asked for my deposit back and test drove the TL and bought it with A-SPEC 3/04. If you added all the options to the 2004 G35 6MT sedan to be equivalent to the A-SPEC TL (bodykit, premium package, XM radio etc) the difference was ~$3000 with the A-SPEC TL being more the more expensive choice. With the 2004 G however that got you 17 inch wheels and skinny tires so if you upgraded on your own, the difference would be less than $3000. The A-SPEC TL drives great and I am very happy. If I had bought the 2004 G35 6MT sedan I would be very bummed because the 2005 ups the HP to 298 and it comes with 18 inch wheels and wider tires. I'm much less bummed having bought the TL. If I had to choose between the 2005 G35 6MT and my A-SPEC TL 6MT it would be very tough. I honestly would have to favor the G all things considered. Especially since without the bodykit (the new body is better looking with body color rocker panels so you don't need it to make the car look good) I could have saved over $3000 if I had bought the G. I love my A-SPEC TL, I just favor RWD...or even AWD over FWD.

AcuraVic

Hey, you can get a 2002 540I sport with man trans for 34,000. And alot of other cars for that matter. I love my TL, but I wouldn't pay 43,000.

Acuraluvr

iTrader: (2)

since the smilies dont work for me right not.... ^^iagree!!! id give u some rep points........ bUT.....

rets

.

LexDriver

agreed, G35 is really nice. Kinda makes me wonder why Acura or Lexus or any other luxury car manufacturer doesn't roll out a really nice sporty 2 door.

mio

G COUPE is nice... but I just wonder why Infiniti doesn't roll out a really nice sporty 4 door~...coz the G35 SEDAN is sooo ugly....

missmyprelude

Lexus SC430, Mercedes makes a bunch of them (CL, SL), BMW M3, etc...

Or are you talking in the 30k range? There, you're talking about Nissan, Honda, Toyota, etc.

vp911

Get the TL with navi - add the 18" wheels and some good tires (probably about $1600 + or - a little) and add the a-spec suspension ($600 to buy, $200-300 to intall at a dealer)... then if you want the high perf brake pads extra $125 and steering wheel extra $300...

I think just the wheels, tires, and suspension will do well.

I have the full a-spec, and I personally wouldnt buy the body kit again... but I think for $35,300 you can get the parts of the a-spec that make a real difference in the handling.... that price is based on the price I paid for my Tl with navi ($32,873) and the wheels & tires at $1600 and the suspension at $800

Just my opinion....

Eduardo

You're just about in "M3" territory. As I've mentioned various times in the past, I disliked the way the TL drove (too 'floaty') and wanted a TL with A-Spec option but the price was $41,000+.

Thus, I ended up with my 330i with the performance package. You "gotta love what you drive".

SilverCL225hp

G35, just my opinion.

dmsmitty

I would go with the A-Spec (which I did). It came down to the G35 and the TL. My TL stickered for $42,000 with everything I wanted + more. The G35 equipped like I wanted was going to be $1,000 more. Since I lease, adding a bunch of aftermarket equipment after purchase is throwing cash away. I think I pay probably another $40/month on my lease payment for the A-spec stuff. More importantly, the G35 has the cheapest looking navigation setup ever. I hate that damn pop up screen. I couldn't be happier with my car. At least in Dallas/Fort Worth, there are Infiniti's all over the place. I still haven't seen a TL that I liked better than mine on the road. The interior ergonomics in the TL are beyond reproach IMHO compared to any other car in the $35-40K range. The only thing close is a BMW. But 3-series are too common. No "wow" factor at all.

When my lease is up in 3 1/2 years, I pray that Acura will have a new TL with RWD. That's my only bitch. It wasn't enough to get me to buy a G35 though. My .02

EZZ

Does the A-spec still exhibit torque steer? Is it less noticeable than a regular TL?

avs007

My G35 Coupe is roughly $200 cheaper every 6 months to insure than my wife's TL. I thought that was pretty strange, but even my brother's Honda Oddysey is more expensive to insure than my G35

That's odd. I check boxed every single option on the G35 coupe, when I got it, and it's MSRP was still slightly under 39k.

rets

Before TAX, if I build G35C with selecting "everything" (Power Sunroof, Premium package, Sport-tuned suspension package, DVD Navi, XM, Splash Guard, BSM, Trunk Mat with Space Saver Tire, Aerodynamic Body Kit, etc.), its MSRP is about $41,020 in my area. ($39,610 for G35S; $41,590 for G35X)...

IMHO...

mickey3c

If you are price driven go with the cheaper car. But, at 40k a couple more should not exactly stop you from eating. I would go to the g35 forum and see what is being said about that product.

I am not sure what it is, maybe it is the fact that there have been 6 years now of tls and only 3 for g35, but there are more complaints about various issues for the TL and Cl than there are for the G35. Yes the G35 has tranny issues as well. It appears to be with their 6MT (synchros), but I have not seen or heard about rodent eating wires, massive tranny failures with oil jet installs, rear deck rattles, etc... Maybe it is the shear numbers of cars built on the global platform that acura uses for accord and TL/CL. The warranty is also better on the G.

I have both cars and while the G35 is new... I cannot comment on the service yet. I will say that maybe it is time to lease the car. So what if you typically buy.... It seems to me that you might get stuck with a model people do not want down the road, whacking the trade in value. If you like the car and want to run it to the ground buy it, if not say good bye. I would not get anything more than a lease that allows 36,000 since you can get by without tires and brakes etc. Just do 6 - 7 oil changes.. rotate tires at 18k. and buy the air filter at 25K. Hell, and throw in a set of wiper blades...

Pro Stock John

I'll assume that you are not comparing the G35 coupe.

I test drove a 6mt 2005 G35 sedan, and we went with the 2005 Acura TL 6MT.

Here is why I did not go with G35 6MT RWD Sedan:
-seats look dated
-dated looking cluster, center console
-lot of g35's in chicago
-rwd would be been terrible in bad snow
-trunk styling is lacking

My TL feels faster, but they are both rated for low 14's.

Acuraluvr

iTrader: (2)

yea, i agree with 'john' the g35's interior is dated and well.... dull, the navigations id not as good and legible and the trim isnt so good....

Pro Stock John

The TL trim is actually the best or almost the best out there for 33-40k cars.

The seats look great to me, the G35 I saw had a camel interior and it looked cheap. I went and looked at like 6 different brands of cars that day, and the TL looked the best interior-wise even over the 330i.

EZZ

The navigation is very legible and easy to use. If you haven't used it, how do you know its not legible for everyday use?

Acuraluvr

iTrader: (2)

i hav; the 'birds eye view' was hard 2 see the streets for me....

mickey3c

Well as I said people like different cars for different reasons. For example the ES330 may not be inspirational to drive, but... it does do what it does very well. The 04 TL seats had issues... etc. People might like how the TL looks and it has impressive numbers... Let's see how well the new tranny holds up. I do not want to take a car to the dealer for rattles etc. But we all make our choices.

I am hoping acura gets back on top HP wise and resolves its tranny issues...

ClnOB

Yes you are right! It feels faster but, I dont think it's actually faster than the 05 G35 6mt sedan. Just a fact.

EZZ

The 2-d view is just like the Acura's. The only true difference between the two Navs is that the Acura is touch-screen and has a better interface (also includes Voice activation). In terms of functionality, they are both very good. The birds eye view is a great feature in certain situations and I've never had a problem using it.

MongooseDog

Hmmm G35 VS. TL tough choice. It all boils down to what you want in a car. 6MT coupe very nice and sexy lookin on the outside has a ver aggressive stance nice stock HID's, comes stock with Brembos and Pilot Sport tires. free flowing exhaust system and Advanced Front Midship layout does for very good front to rear balance, the car is actually almost 50/50. They even made it to where if you chop the car down the middle the car is almost 50/50 left to right ratio(minus driver). Now for the Sedan...1320 time is about 4/10 of a second faster makes up for not being able to pull 1 g on the skidpad like the coupe. beautiful thing is that it comes with AWD as an option. All suspension/ engine parts are interchangeable with the coupe. Sedan has an aftermarket exhaust for the sedan that gives it the dual exhaust look for those who like that. Safety features on both G's are wonderful the EBC keeps the car straight and doesn't allow it to spin out on hard braking. VDC does wonders except for launches at the tracks. TL let's look at that car NICE, Inside and Outside wonderful car. one drawback is the FF setup. Makes up for that by being a little lighter than both the sedan and coupe for the G.

Looking at performance specs:G/TL
3.5 V6/ 3.2 V6
298@64,000/270@62,000
270 lb-ft @ 4,800 RPM/ 238 lbs-ft @ 5000 rpm
In My Opinion I'd choose the G.

MongooseDog

In fact for everyone
G35 http://www.automotive.com/2005/12/in...ons/index.html Versus TL http://www.automotive.com/2005/12/ac...ons/index.html

MyJohnson

You can get an A-spec cheaper than $43,000

I paid $40,708 for the following

6MT/Nav A-spec with all weather mats, wheel locks, trunk tray, BSM, Moonroof Visor.

Can be done. Saw two 2004 A-spec's in Cleveland for $38,800 but didn't want black interior or I would have taken the silver one at that price.

I think they've improved the seats for '05 since I have no butt prints after 1500 miles.

EZZ

0.4 second faster in the 1/4th is not accurate for the G35 sedan. The fastest sedan time vs the fastest coupe time (both 6mt, stock) is at 13.9. The average coupe time vs. average sedan time are relatively equal too. In auto form, the coupe seems to run better times, this could be due to hp (20hp more) or traction. Its probably a combination of the two. A 1g skidpad is also too generous for the coupe...its more like 0.9 and 0.86 for the sedan. Not too much separation if you ask me. The Coupe Slalom vs Sedan Slalom had a big separation due to the Coupe having a lower center of gravity and better tires.

G35driver.com has the best information and is the most active forum for the G35. BTW, the above info pertains to the 02-04 G35. The 05 G35 has not yet been tested.

avs007

Yeah, 1g is too generous, but the sedan is actually not that low. In Car & Driver, (I can't remember which, it's in one of my magazines), they specifically talked about the handling. The G35 sedan got a 0.92 wearing the "most conservative rubber" in the test group. They were 215's or something like that. I think the coupe, wearing the performance wheel and tire package, got a 0.94. So yeah, they're pretty close...

mickey3c

And the 05 Gs come with more hoursepower and torque (depending on the model) than the 04s. It will be interesting to see how that translates to the overall rating. I believe it was the car and driver or motor trend show on spike TV that said for 04 they chose the G over the tl (3rd) and the 325 (2nd). They were testing sedans that were under 35K.

EZZ

Actually, the 05 Gs come with less torque in Manual trim. They also gained weight across the board I'd be surprised if the 05 G35 auto with sport suspension is faster than an 04 G35 coupe w/auto. I'm very curious to see if the manual trim with 18 more horsepower does better.

Pro Stock John

Here in Chicago, the average G35 sedan is auto trans, and half are awd. The AWD drive auto cars are heavy turds, 200 lbs more than the 6MT rwd.

If I lived in a non-snow clime I would have probably gotten a 6MT RWD G35 and just overlooked the Maxima look of the interior.... yards and yards of pleather.

Acuraluvr

iTrader: (2)

this is the birds eye view that i dont lik..... no offense imo

midas69

Hmm, the birds eye view is the one feature I miss the most on the TL Navi. When I first got it, it took me a little while to get used to it. But it didn't take long before it was my preferred view. And as was mentioned, you can change it to the straight overhead view if you prefer.