sammieboy

I know that this is a TL board and I have been combing these threads for weeks and months researching if the TL is the right choice for me. And I feel like it is for the most part. But the problem lies in the fact that whenever I am driving and I see a G35Coupe speed by, my eyes are glued to it the same way as if a hot chick strolled on by. It is definitely a head turner for me and it's just so damn sexy. But I only want to spend max 35k on a car. I know that for the money, the TL comes nicely equipped with a sweet NAVI system and the interior that comes standard is far better than the G35coupe's interior. For 35k on a G35, you dont get a premium interior but you get a fun car to drive. So does anyone has any thoughts into which car they would prefer if they had the choice between a loaded TL versus a basic G35coupe that will turn heads? I'm only asking this because I want to fully want the TL and not regret my buying decision, especially if I am going to drop 35 Large on a car. Thanks!!

Dr.Murdock

i had the same issue as you do. i loved and still love the g35c exterior. the inside is not bad, its jsut not as good as the TL's. every one of my firends falls in love with my car when they sit in it, commenting on what a really nice car i got. sometimes i still think that i shgoudlve gone with the g35c bc of more looks and a some more power, but i realized that i got this car for myself and not for others. dont worry about getting a car thats a head turner, get what you think is the best choice. im gonna have trouble deciding for my new car 1-2yrs from now, but i will probably go with some kind of coupe that isnt that small, something similar, or even possibly, the g35c

1gokart

I had the same dilema. I wanted the G35 coupe so bad but it just didn't fit my budget and needs. Weigh you needs and wants but if you really desire a G35 coupe, I would say go for it. They are beautiful and a much better driving experience than the TL. If you could afford it go for it But if you're like me and money was a bit of an issue then I'll say get the 6-speed TL. The 6-speed have Brembo's up front, and thicker sway bar. If you could find any left over 05's, you could get them with navi for around 31-32K. You will not regret either chose but if G35 catches your eye then go for it!

iksenna

I can offer some insight as I own both.

Quality
-The G is flawless. I like every other TL owner had rattles etc but the G has been flawless. Infiniti just seems to get the quality right straight out the box.
Practicality
-TL wins but not by much. Surprisngly the G has good space for seating at the back and so does the TL but obviously the TL has a far bigger trunk and has far superior passenger seating.
-Winter Driving
G is useless, no matter how good your winter tires are you have to be Ayrton Senna to get through ice, snow etc.
-Commuting
TL wins by a mile. The G is great for non-commuting long distances. The TL does a better job of keeping out the road noise.
-Performance
G wins but not by much. The TL is very quick from a stop/traffic light although the G is quicker overall
-Interior
TL by a landslide...the G is pretty ordinary which is why its getting refreshed this year. The TL is actually pretty stunning inside...
-Gas
Both are pretty good although the TL drinks gas quicker when you go 4,000+ revs and hit VTEC. The G is surprisingly good over long distances.
-Navigation
TL by a landslide....
Overall enjoyment
-I'm biased but the TL wins every time. Sure the G is a great car but just not practical. Its very powerful and surprisingly agile but press it hard and the back just swings right out. The TL has forward spin and its well-documented but nobody seems to make a big deal how the back just gets loose on the G when you press it.
The TL puts a smile on my face and I still get a wow factor every time I see my TL. The best compliment the only car that would make me drop the TL is the RS4...

You cant go wrong with either but I hope you can glean from my practical experience....Best of luck...

wasabe918

I also owned both, sold my G, bought a RL and now a TL. I agreed that my G was better quality than my TL. For the 2 years i owned the G, i never had any rattles or noise problems. but had it on both of my acuras. As for power and speed wise, G also wins by a margin. But the G arent even close to TL's interior. But one option i really like about the G is that now it comes with keyless entry and keyless start as in the 06 which i really enjoyed in my RL. wished they should have that in the TL.

dougieritch

My mother was looking at a G35...it was a fun SPORTS car to drive; a lot of power, great handling, however the suspension was a little rough even to the point of throwing you around on rough roads (for instance we were cruising at about 45mph hit a dip in the road and you could feel the suspension bottom out and really throw you around).
Personally I love the suspension on my TL (A-Spec), but even the stock is nice.

After researching car & drive picked the G35 over the TL (barely), however consumer reports which deals more with reliability & overall value loves the TL, the same holds true for edmunds.com.

Overall you are getting a better value with the TL but it really is more of a family sedan, while the G35 Coupe is a SPORTS car, because riding in the back sucks, for instance that bump I was telling you all about in our test drive made me hit my head on the back windshield and I'm only 5'9". I'd say if you are single and you are all about Getty up go with the G35, but if you want overall value with some spice go with the TL.

Good Luck with your decision!

-Doug

CBR1100XX

I drove both and chose the TL. Approaching the decision I was extrmely excited about the G 6 spd. After driving it I was very let down. It does not feel anywhere close to 298HP. Secondly the interior was made from cheap materials. To top it off they wanted more money than acura for an equally loaded vehicle. On thing I absolutely hated was the movement in the tranny stick.


The G is an Altima with leather. The TL really as a whole is a more refined vehicle.

Will Y.

Drive both and decide.
I hated the clutch on the 6-speed G35; my wife then asked me to get an auto. The TL was quieter, seemed more refined and had a better-looking/feeling interior. I also still look at G35 coupes on the road, but I look even longer at the TL as I approach/depart it. Giving up a half-second in 0-60 and quarter mile to an auto G35 doesn't matter to me (given how quick the TL is); otherwise I would have a new Mustang GT or Pontiac GTO...
No regrets about choosing TL over the G35, esp. once I'm inside the TL!

PPLAPW

What everyone else said, and if you do a search you will find many more threads about this......

sammieboy

One reason why I love this forum, the responses are very informative in helping me reach a decision or atleast help me feel better about it. I knew the TL was my car given the package that I'm getting for the price. I guess its better to have beauty with brains than a super model without brains. I feel like the TL will grow with me because of its bigger size and more of a grown up look than the sporty g35 coupe. I'm 25 and I guess I'm fixin to transition into that next phase of my life, the thirties!! Thank you guys for helping me out with this dilemma. I will go test drive it and I'm sure I'll love the TL.

Laxplaya11385

a few of my friends have G35s and they complain about the clutch a lot, as well as tranny problems.

Like a lot of these guys, i was debating b/w the two. W/ the right exterior mods, the TL can be a headturner too. (see PPLAPW's car, NYFENIXTL's car, and blktl1's car just off the top of my head).

The TL comes w/ basically everything. HIDs, Navi (if you want it), 6 spd (which comes w/ the brembos), bluetooth, the mirrors move when you put the car in reverse (which is awefully helpful when parallel parking), comfortable, beautiful dash, the gauges are an awesome color (hate the yellow/orange color of the g35), etc. etc. the list goes on and on.

All i can say is, the only thing i don't like is the fact that it's fwd and not rwd or awd.

PPLAPW

Make sure test drive a 6MT, and I agree with Laxplaya11385 if this car was RWD or AWD it would be dominating.....

sammieboy

thats my next dilemma, A manual or an Auto TL with NAV?

I like how its never boring driving a manual, but I also enjoy just chillin and never having to worry about steppin on the clutch and cruise. I guess what it comes down to is......... for those of you that have driven both..... is there really a noticeable advantage of getting a manual over an auto? If the auto can hang w/ the manny then I might just get an Auto.

PPLAPW

The manual is noticably faster. I haven't driven an auto though, but by time slips its faster....

rifleman-cl

If you can wait for another month, NY Auto Show will show the G35 next generation, coupe & sedan. Since Infiniti already register the G37 name with the US Patent. Therefore, the next engine will be 3.7L. If you are not in a hurry of buying, then wait & see...

JERU

I'm with you on that G35 coupe. Everytime one of those coupes roll by, my mouth drops open. The sedan version is like the average looking sister, makes you wonder if they really do have the same parents. Nissan knows how to make OEM rims look good. I always figured, your going to spend most of your time inside the car, not outside, so make sure you love the interior. Everybody still using that orange lighting on the inside of their cars need to be slapped BMW, Pontiac, Infinity.

Sclass88

That's a tough decision. The G35 Coupe is goregous but so is the TL.

If practacality is a big issue, go for the TL. If you just want a fun car, I recommend the G35, and this is comming from a HUGE Acura fanboy.

johnniewalker

i agree with everyone else. I was looking into the G35 sports coupe as a friend of mine has one. But, since im in the area where snow/ice comes around, im not too fond of rwd. The mustang gave me enough problems as it was.

wizlb

And Two cemts more.
I agree with everyone else.
Here is one questions?
Do you live in the snow belt or a warm winter area.
If you live in a Cal,NV,FL,GA,AL or anywhere else were the winters are mild the the G35 is the answer.

If you are into modified car the G35 is the answer again.

But if you have a budget adn 35K is the limited the TL can't be beat.

Car & Driver mid Luxury car of the year 2006 Acura TL.

Sclass88

Is this a prection or did I miss something???

Trelos74

This TL vs G35 question is getting real real OLD...Do a search and you'll find hundreds and hundreds of replies on this comparison..

dougieritch

I'm always a big fan of the 6sp Manual Transmission, and to be honest once you get used to the car you don't even realize you are shifting. For awhile I drove an automatic and hated it!
However, I live in a state where the traffic isn't too bad, if you live in Dallas or some big city where traffic is a problem (stop & go) I would recommend the automatic!
Either way you're getting a great car, just factor in your life style!

Enjoy you new car & post pics whatever you get!

Cheers!

-Doug

BlackTLaspec

I previously owned a 6mt g35 coupe. I know have the 6mt TL. I would have to say that the TL has many better features than the g, but that the G was a lot more fun to drive. It was definitely a quicker car. I disagree with the person that said it does not feel like 298hp. I would ask them what else they have driven that had as much or more power. The only reason I got rid of my G was that I had one problem after another. Break problems, my power door locks and windows stopped working, axle had to get repacked with grease,engine was burning over 1 qt of oil a month, etc etc....I must have had a lemon.

trancemission

you guys can consider this the official G35 vs TL thread. I will now close each and every one thats started and point you to this one...

psteng19

Interior TL >>>>>> G35
-materials TL >> G35
-fit/finish TL >>> G35
-layout/design/NAV TL >>>> G35

Driving G35 >>>>>>>> TL
-engine G35 >> TL
-handling G35 >>>> TL
-fun factor G35 >>>>>>> TL

It comes down to this question.
Do you like to drive, or do you like to ride?

sdaeb02

er...I had a 1994 Accord EX Coupe with Leather. Forest green, tan interior....ooooh it was the greatest. We had some gooood times together. Then it got stolen in front of my house! It sucked, but I got it back, and it was reincarnated as my good "mentee's" car. He loved it too, took it to prom, etc. Anyways, I'm in my late 20's, and the TL is like the adult version of my accord. Its elegant, sporty, whatever, but when you get down to it, it tears up the road like no other. My "mentee", who just turned 21, is sooo envious of it. I joke with him, and tell him when he graduates from college and I'm back in (grad) school, then he can have it . Now that I'm off on this nostalgic sleep-deprived tangent, I digress.....get the manual!!!!
Gs are not for the young at heart.....

GenXY2k

drove a 05 G35x/AWD/5AT two days ago....

pretty impressive with the handling and power. with 280hps and 270 of torque come from the famous nissan VQ.... and the famous skyline AWD system
road and track stated 0 - 60mph in 5.9 with the 5AT... pretty fast IMO

interior........ not even close to TL's class..... even accord and TSX has better interiors...... rear passenger has no much leg rooms..... and i m only 5'11....

terrible fuel mileage..... 17/24 from infiniti..... average 15mpg from road and track

it was a loaner car.... with 5000 miles.... no rattles

can TL match the G35x ?

So Cali

I too went thru the same delima. Purchased a TL six wks ago. Recently returned from a 1,100 mile road trip....avg'd 29mpg (mostly hwy driving). Only advantage I can see with G35 is all wheel drive, and alittle more power (niether of which is overly important to me).

I felt the G35 was not as comfortable, no where near the interior quality, navigation in TL is far superior. Not very happy Xm is only sat radio offering from Acura...solving that this wknd w/ Sirius install.

GenXY2k

ya seems like TL has more rattle problems compare to the G, the loaner car i drove already had 5000 miles on it and since it's loaner car... most ppl beat the crap out of it.... still very quite while driving at 80mph. i really hate rattles .... makes the car " sounds " cheap

Lanman

I finally swapped out my 2003 G35 yesterday and would like to offer a comparison of the two vehicles for any one who is considering both.

First of all both cars are excellent but I believe that your long term happiness with either vehicle will be dependant on what your true preferences are.

The G35 is a different animal in many ways.

1. Acceleration - The G35 takes off like a rocket no matter what you do, it is VERY difficult to slowly accelerate up to speed unlike the TL which technically is just as fast as the G35 0-60. It is much easier to save gas or your passenger’s neck when driving around town in the TL.
2. Braking – The G35 has the best darn brakes of ANY car I have ever driven, but they are VERY sensitive and tend to throw you and your passengers forward when ever you attempt to stop. (FYI – My brakes had to be replaced every 12,000 to 15,000 and I have a friend who owns a 2005 G35 and she is already replacing her brakes at less than 20,000 miles)
3. Noise – The engine in the G35 sounds awesome but over the 3 years of ownership I was growing very tired of the sound and when you add in the road noise it was kinda noisy inside. The TL is VERY quite.
4. Ride Quality – The handling of the G35 was very agile and nimble much more like a car you would be zooming around a track in. Unfortunately, you could also feel every bump unlike the TL which feels a little less nimble but the ride is much smoother.
5. Gas Mileage – The G35 due to the aforementioned acceleration was not very good on gas, I was averaging 13 to 17 combined. So far the TL has been returning around 22 to 27 for combined driving.

If you are a performance oriented driver that gets excited about what I wrote about the G35 than I highly recommend that you go pick one up it is a BLAST to drive. If you are like me and do not necessarily like or need the excessive performance attributes of the G35 than I highly recommend a TL, I absolutely LOVE mine.

I hope you do not read this as “slamming” the G35, because I am only trying to compare my experiences with them both. Neither car is better than the other and I am sure I will miss my little G35 race car from time to time. Oh yeah, thank you to all of you who have posted all of the great information out here it REALLY helped me a lot.

Thanks again,

Lanman

KJW73

A guy I work with has a G35 coupe (red) and parks two spaces over from me. The one day he was heading to a bar after work (in walking distance from our office), so I offered to drop him off.

He was in awe over the TL; all he could do was positively comment on how the interior was and he was already informed about the engine, etc. He's now actually looking to trade in his G35 for a sports sedan; however...as much as I try convincing him to go for the TL...he's inclined to go for the M45.

My
Go for the TL for the $.

mamboking

Former owner of a 2004 black G35 coupe. Traded it in @ 11500 miles for a 2005 Acura TL. Why? For starters, it was burning oil like crazy. I changed the oil every 3500 miles and the last oil change, the stupid car only had 1 1/2 quarters left. No oil leaks, just burned it. I knew mine was one of those that would end up with a blown motor like others experienced at the G35driver forum. Also, I never felt comfortable in the seat of the G35 coupe.

tzakiel

I have the 3rd gen TL and love it... however the 2007 g35 coupe concept looks fantastic. I hope the retail version will have the style of the concept inside. They've really refined it. On the other hand, a 2006 g35 coupe configured to be like the TL features-wise is over $42k. For a car of such a small size that's a premium price tag to be sure, so when the time comes for me to choose between another TL and a g35 coupe in the future, price will certainly be an issue... we will have to see what the future TL looks like!

ninjamyst

It's like choosing between the dumb, blonde sorority girl and the intelligent, mature girl....it all depends on your preference. If you got game (money), you work them both.

your_mom

Get the 6MT.

I live in Atlanta, which is famous for Usher, Lil' John, and traffic.

For the last 10 days my TL has been in the slowest body shop on the planet (all that needs replaced is a headlight assembly and the bumper cover).

The one thing I've missed most while driving rental cars is shifting for my damn self.

My friend bought a TSX 6MT. He drives 400 every day (worst stop and go traffic in metro Atlanta) to work. He doesn't complain about the stick.

YMMV.

erick3

NICE car...wish my TL looked that good! Anyways, just a suggestion that just might make your car even better! If you look for JDecals on ebay, or just on the web, you can a chrome fitting for the Acura sign in front...got it on mine, and it looks GREAT! cheap too! just...thought you'd lke to know

MR. C

This was my comparison too.

Wife and I were happy Nissan owners for 22 years. I had been driving a 94 Nissan Altima for the past 12 years and it was just time for something new. I wanted a larger car this time around and something a little more upscale. I would have considered the Maxima, but Nissan in their infinite wisdom dropped the limited slip differential half way through the production year and instead offered a traction control system. In my opinion, those systems just don’t work. Living in the great northeast, I had developed a requirement for dealing with the snow conditions. Any car I considered had to have either FWD and mechanical limited slip differential (none of those snake oil traction control systems for me) or some AWD derivative. Many in my family have cars with those systems. When they come to visit me in the winter, they usually end up stuck at the bottom of my driveway and I have to go pick them up in my Altima.

The G35x seemed like the logical choice for me. I REALLY wanted to like the G35x in a bad way, but it wasn't available in an MT, so I lined up a few alternates and took a day off to test drive them all.

BTW I am only 6’ tall, but most of my height is from the waist up, so head room is very important to me and sunroofs are frowned upon because they limit headroom.

1st up Volvo S60 R, turbo 300+ HP, AWD, 6MT.  Most fun of the bunch. I punished this thing! I pushed it through 320 turns at speed, whomped on the breaks basically put it through its paces. The sales kid had to go to the bathroom when we got back. Apparently it’d been sitting around for awhile and they were looking to move it. Priced around 34k. Downsides…5 Cyls (?), cramped, no headroom.

2nd up Acura TL 6MT  3rd most fun of the bunch. Good acceleration. The size, fit, finish, interior, head room and price were all hugely appealing. The gizmos were all cute but if the car didn’t come with them, I wouldn’t pay for them. Downsides FWD and it handled like it, torque steer, tires that wouldn’t hold the road.

3rd up BMW 330xi , 255 HP, AWD, 6MT  2nd most fun of the bunch. I really liked this car a LOT. I think BMW may be exaggerating on the HP, or maybe it’s the nature of straight 6’s. This car handled great, shifting was smooth, precise, cornering was excellent, breaks faded a bit. Downsides small, overpriced at 42K

4th up Audi A4… I could not get into or out of this car without hitting my head, even with the seat on the floor. Didn’t bother trying to drive it.

5th up Infiniti G35x AT, AWD. Unfortunately this car is not available with a MT, but I really like my Nissans, so I thought I might be able to live with it. I cannot over emphasize how boring I thought this car was. The only thing I could figure is that the AWD sucked up all the HP. In my opinion my 10 year old Nissan Altima would beat the snot out of this thing. It couldn’t accelerate any better than a Honda civic so I never got to see how it handled. Very disappointing testride. Downsides small interior, no performance, no interior styling.

I ended up taking the BMW and the TL out for another ride and took the wife along this time to get her impression from both seats. For what I was looking for the TL was a clear winner, from a value perspective the TL had it all over the BMW. My choice … 05 TL, 6MT Anthracite, no Navi., ASpec wheels & Yoko tires.


Good luck with your search.

-mc

Dr.P

My brother has the g35 coupe and all I can say is my TL looks much better inside and outside. It's got that touring car look. Obviously I have the A-spec kit which drops it about a 1" and the 6MT makes it a pleasure to drive. I am surprised how well it handle with the stock tires and just on the A-spec suspension.

ultra5150

I test drove both the G35X and TL. The G35X have much better handling and a stronger engine. My sales rep took me through a drive up a 45 degree uphill climb on a twisty road, and the car handled it flawlessly. However, I ended up buying the TL because it is a much better value, since for about $32-$33K you get a fully loaded car, G35X will run you about $36-$37K. TL has a more refined interior and it's a lot more comfortable for the passengers. If you have the money though, you should wait for the new G35 that's coming out later in the year (Sept.), that should be a sweet car....

FightingTL

Just going to throw this out there.

I have an 05 TL NAVI Aspec
My buddy has an 04 G35C

My TL has some rattles, annoying yes, but fixed.

His Infiniti has so many rattles it's sick.

I used to own an I35sport I always had G35 sedans for loaners. They all rattled, ALL!

No one gets it right these day