It amazes me how quickly bad information gets spread. The article that you are talking about is here:
http://www.caranddriver.com/article....&page_number=8
and the G35 Sedan pulled off a .90, which is very good. I've seen .92 for the Coupe in R&T. 1.00G is very rare for "stock" cars and I've only seen it with cars like Vipers, 911s, Ferraris, and other pure performance cars.
By the way, the TL pulled a .89 in the same article. Don't mean to be nitpicking, but let's get the facts straight.

 

One thing to note, is that the Sport Tuned Suspension on the 05' features forged rims that weigh 19 pounds, wheras the Sport Wheel and Tire package on the 04, had 25 pound cast wheels.

 

TL Hands Down

 

Considering all the tranny issues the TL has had, the writeups from car and driver, and the other issues on the forum.

The tl was still 3rd overall... It could not out handle the G that had higher profile tires.

The product does what it does and the margin that separates it from another can be very thin....

So maybe for stright line 0-60 go for the tl for handling go for bmw or the G.

I used the 0-60 specs when I bought my 01 and now I look at more than just that. I look for overall driveability and reliability.

 

2004 A-Spec TL Hands Down. If you have the money.

Guys I am tired of people talking about M3 thats crap you are not even in the ballpark on the M3 at 42K I wanted one I know. Its more like 57.5K with SMG and Navi.

If you want a used car go buy one But keep in Mind M3, M5 S4 those cars are hot and they are big money when you get it a few years old they may only have 20,000 miles or so but for those cars they are the hardest miles those cars have ever seen. People beat the snot out of them. Plus there used.

My car is different and with my selection of rims is one of a kind and thats what i wanted. So to all of you out there get what you want and be different. TL-Apec is more rare then most cars out there.

As far as the G35 Coupe its Engine and Look are Hot the Interior is not even close to ours but a very sweet car overall.

 

Speaking of the G35, I just saw possibly the ugliest car/color combination that I've seen in years - a lightish blue G35 sedan. Ugh!

I actually think the G35 is a pretty good looking car. Not as nice as the TL in my opinion, but still nice. However, this color made it look aweful!

There are just some car/color combos that shouldn't exist. This is definitely one of them.

 

How far in did you zoom? The default setting is a few notches below maximum, so that's probably why you had a hard time reading the street names. It also depends how much detail you set it for. If you set it to show you all restaurants, hotels, atms, etc, the screen will get cluttered really fast. I keep mine on maximum zoom, and I have no problems reading streets quickly. The reason I like bird's eye view, is that you can see the path the navi will take you on, before it actually presents it to you. Comes in quite handy. When I used the 2D ones on other cars, it can get annoying when you are approaching your exit/turn/etc, but you aren't sure which fork to take, as it could be an exit/turn with multiple forks. Bird's eye view lets you just look at the pink line, and follow it in the distance, so you can figure it out really quick. It also helps to anticipate lane changes to get to your turn/exit.

It also simplifies detours, as if traffic gets all jammed up, and you press the detour button, you can keep asking for different detours, until you see the pink line in bird's eye view, actually takes you along a different path. In 2D mode it will be harder, because you won't be able to easily see for example, that the detour you selected will just put you back on the jammed freeway 1 mile ahead.

 

Checked CarsDirect.com - a 330i with the performance package and a reasonable option level (nav included) is under $37k. Although it is externally smaller than the TL, it is a great package and one I'd strongly consider. Had the 330 been this aggressively priced when I bought my TL, I might be driving a BMW today.

Don't forget, the 330 IS the target, and so far no one hits it like BMW. Certainly the driving dynamics of the TL, as good as it is, cannot disguise 270 hp through the front wheels.

 

Are you sure about that? I shopped for a 330ci before I bought my car. I priced it out with what I considered to be an acceptable content level, it stickered a little shy of $46k. If it was only 37 I would've boughten it, as even my G35 stickered for 39.

FWIW, I came millimeters to getting a TL, but I decided I wanted a coupe. (And the wife already has a TL anyways)

 

Some article pulled .92 g off the G35 Sedan. Forget which one though. FYI, he was right.

 

G Coupe >> G Sedan

 

I drove an TL A-spec and regular TL Saturday back to back with my own car as well as an '04 G35 coupe manual and auto, an '05 auto, and took a ride in an '05 manual (owned by the regional service manager).

My wife liked the Acura's interior the best, she liked the exterior of the '05 G35 coupe the best. I found that the '05 auto G35 was every bit as strong as the '04 G35 6 speed if not stronger down low. The '05 manual felt about like the '04 G35 manual off the line, but noticably gained power into the revs--kinda like the way I equate my modified car. The rev's get high, it noticably opens up. I'd say my car modified was as quick as the '04 6speed G, maybe the '05 auto G, did not feel as quick as the '05 manual, and couldn't keep up with any of them except maybe the '04 auto in some twisties, but only because of the additional oomph. Honestly, the A-Spec TL did not feel as though it handled as well as my car let alone the G in any form and felt slower to me than the regular TL.

Though the '05 G has a much improved interior that I liked very much, I still found it subpar to the TL except for the guages.

That being said, I likely will order an '05 G35c, auto, non-navi, with the performance and luxury packages and XM stereo. since the sales guy offered $1500 under the MSRP. For anyone shopping, auto '04 was $500 over invoice, manual '04 was $1500 over invoice, manual '05 was on backorder and was $500 over MSRP at this time...

 

G Coupe vs TL is not apples to apples even tho the if you get the TL in a-spec trim. its a 2 door vs a 4 door. I personally love the G Coupe's styling and performance. If you are after a sporty coupe then get the G, if you think the extra room in the TL is beneficial to you and can sacrifice a bit on the performance side of things then get the TL. I was very close to getting the G coupe as well but rwd(in bad weather) kept me away from it. i find having the extra room in the TL however comes in great when going places with friends.

 

Well, we have great weather in Florida and I have a Sequioa to pimp the friends...My next car is going to be a bit more fun, but I can still cram the 3 kidlets in it if need be...I would take the TL over the G sedan without question...

 

2 doors = G35 coupe, the prettiest car on the road....period
4 doors = TL, the coolest sedan in class on the road

 

There is no difference in the powertrain between an 04 auto coupe and and 05 auto coupe. Both are 280hp with 270 ft/lbs of torque. Could of just been production differences between the two cars. The new VQ is only in the 05 manual coupe/sedan. It has 298hp and 260 ft/lbs of torque. The 05 should handle a bit better than an 04 due to 19s vs 18s if you get the sport suspension.

 

I think you are wrong: '04 is something like 260hp/260tq...My butt-dyno tells me you are wrong, too...

 

I have now owned both a 2003.5 G35 sedan and a 2004 TL sedan. Both pretty comparably equiped automatics. I liked the G35, especially in terms of handling and engine performance. The G35 felt much torqueier (SP?) than the TL and the RWD handling was great. And my car did not even have the Sport package (I did put on 18" wheels and some good tires).

The TL is a much nicer all around car though. Much of it is just subjective. The difference between wearing a suit that is perfectly tailored to you as opposed to one that is nice, but takes some time to adjust to it.

As far as performance (meaning acceleration) they are about even. I would have sworn the G35 is faster, but I have two friends - one with a TL, one a G35 who raced a few times recently. They were extremely close, but both agreed the TL was slightly faster. I was very surprised by that.

One other area the TL destroys the G35 is gas mileage. In exactly the same driving, I averaged about 20 in the G35. I average 24 - 25 in the TL. In fact, 24 is the worst I have ever gotten in the TL, and I have twice gotten 31 on extended road trips. I think you'd have to drive it off a cliff to get over 24 in a G35.

In either case, I think it should come down to personal preference. I would not hesitate to recommend either car, but I do like the TL better.

 

Your butt dyno is off then. 03-04 coupe = 280hp. 05 coupe auto coupe = 280hp. 05 coupe manual = 298 hp. 02-04 SEDAN = 260hp/260 ft/lbs of torque. Dyno for auto 04 coupe = 225hp which translates into 19.6% drivetrain loss (G35driver.com). Dyno for manual 04 coupe = 230hp.

 

To bad you didn't get a G35 Coupe in 02 (not available, I know). Kidlets become kids in short order. That said, I'm sure you will do what seems best for you. I had to wait until my kid hit 21 before I could justify a 2 seater. OTOH,, we had a Scirocco and a Civic hatchback as daily drivers when said kid was ages 6-10; have fun.

 

Maybe it was the LSD optioned '05 auto. Maybe it is a tighter car. Maybe it was a manufacturing variance between the two specific cars on the lot. I dunno, but I just know the '05 auto felt noticably quicker that the '04 auto.

 

Strange, but variances can be high between cars. My 04 coupe (with VLSD) feels better than the loaners i've had (sedans) but i've had a few loaners that felt even quicker than my car. Butt dynos are also sometimes inaccurate The 05s auto coupes did gain weight so in theory they should be slower but the sport suspension 05s do have forged wheels which would reduce unsprung weight (although they are 19s). Too many factors to consider