redterminator

Hey guys,

I've visited this forum for almost a year now and been following the TL since it was presented as a concept car. I'm getting real close to buying a car and like many here it comes to a choice between the TL and G35 for me. I know this topic has been discussed numerous times before but I need some input. Obviously the TL has the better interior hands down. Exterior-wise I'm leaning a little towards the G35. I test drove both cars today and the G35 has better handling and better off-the-line acceleration. I drove both the AT and MT TL's and they don't start accelerating really well until you get into the VTEC range.

So for me it's a trade-off of performance in the G35 vs. a little weaker performance but better interior/features in the TL. I was wondering if there are mods that will bridge the performance gap to an acceptable range (i know this varies for each individual, but I'm interested in your opinions). What mods have you guys done to improve acceleration and handling that you believe make your rides equivalent in performance to the G35 (and how much were they)? What helped you make up your mind to purchase the TL?

w1n78

had the same question you did and what did it for me was the long list of options for the G35 coupe vs a long list of standard equipment that the TL had. those options were such a turn off for me.

boltjames

If you're looking for a sporty luxury car, get the TL.

If you're looking for a sports car, get a Porsche Boxter.

The G35's interior eliminates it completely from the sporty luxury car conversation.

The G35's performance isn't that different from the TL to make a difference; but if getting from 0-60 in a fraction of a second less time between traffic lights on the way to McDonald's, just get a Porsche and call it a day.

BJ

caball88

the performance numbers for the G and the TL are about dead even. it feels like the G pulls faster off the line because it has more torque than the TL right off the start. so you are right when you say you have to get into the vtec range to feel it pull. that is just the way these honda engines work.

smoore

Take both cars out for an extended test drive. I was leaning strongly to the G35 coupe until I took the extended test drive. The TL seats are signficantly more comfortable and with the telescoping steering wheel I was able to find a much more comfortable driving position.

I am farsighted and the instruments are much easier to read in the TL.

The popup navi in the G35 gets washed out by the sun a lot more often than the TL's. I also think the TL navi is a lot better than the G35s even though it doesn't have the Bird's eye view.

The stereo with DVDAudio capabiltities is better in the TL. I absolutely love the HFL Bluetooth in the TL.

Every time I pass a G35 coupe I still admire the exterior looks but I am very happy with my TL and I know I made the right choice.

Good luck choosing.

żGotJazz?

Performance-wise, the G35 and the TL are almost dead-equal on the striaght-out acceleration. Aside from the slightly additional 13% torque of the G35 coupe (9% for the sedan), I found that the G35's accelerator and brakes were designed to be aggressively sloped, so that a slight push on the accelerator/brakes gave a stronger response. However, the rest of the accelerator/brake travel didn't seem to accomplish much.

This probably sells cars well, because it makes the G35 seem more powerful than it actually is. Once you are "trained" on how the G35 responds, you won't find that much of a difference between the TL and G35 on the straight-away. The TL actually did better than the G35 on all the Consumer Reports real-world acceleration tests, but only by a fraction of a second/MPH.

On cornering & overall handling, I found the G35 was a touch better, but again it was splitting hairs.

Exterior-wise, I think that both cars are attractive - and there's less 04TLs on the road now, so they tend to be more of an eye-catcher. I was at the neighborhood gas station/convenience store last night, and found my car surrounded by a half-dozen dudes "oohing" over it while I picked up my latest losing Powerball tickets.

But, for me the exterior design on a luxury/sports car is not nearly as important as the interior. Why? I think about how many hours that I'll be spending in the cockpit, compared to how often I'll be admiring the car's exterior lines.

According to the MID on the 04TL, I've been averaging approximately 10 hours of driving for every 400 miles traveled. Over 100,000 miles that equates to around 2,500 pure driving hours inside the car. That doesn't include the extra time that I occassionaly sit in the driveway listening to a great stand-up routine on the XM Radio Comedy channels, so my "interior living" numbers are actually a bit higher.

Once I compared feature-for-feature between the two cars, the 04TL won hands-down. The small performance differences that the G35 offered over the 04TL were part of the equation, but didn't heavily balance the scales for me. My driving style doesn't have me flooring the accelerator / brakes every time I'm in the car (but it still happens quite a bit - probably more than the cops would like to know ). I haven't found the TL performance lacking at all in the "fun-to-drive" category.

I can guarantee that if you went with the 04TL, you won't ever sit back one day and regret that you got the extra 10 HP that the G35 coupe offers. I just ain't worth the other features that the TL offers over the G35 for a lower price.

As a side note, I found the exterior color selections of the G35 to be a down-right disappointment. What's with the 3 nearly-identical silver colors? Even the car saleman had problems seeing the difference until we were up close (he wondered the same thing).

lakeman

I test drove both, but the features and interior of the TL won me over. On the question of performance it is really very simple. If you like to drive near the limit on curves and do 0-60 as fast a possible and this is important, do NOT get the TL. If you are like me, and like to have power to pass, get on interstates quickly and enjoy 8/10th of the limit on the curves and canyon runs, the TL is THE car.
The thing I like most about the TL is its "duality." It is truely a fun car to take to the mountains and attack the twisties for a day and yet has all the luxury you want as you can settle back with the DVD-A or XM in the very quiet(compared to G35) interior for an interstate trip.

redterminator

I think my driving style is very similar to yours. About 50-60% of the time I just drive but I do like having the power to easily pass anyone on the freeway and the off-the-line acceleration is what I found to be a weakness in my current car - 96 Maxima. I've been in several situations where I needed to pass somebody going from a dead stop and it just didn't have the power.

I guess the lack of torque would be my biggest complaint about the TL. I realize that it's fine in the vtec range but in my "normal" driving style I usually don't take the car into high RPMs. So even if I'm not trying to push the car to its limits, I want it to still pull well. Have you guys found the TL to be slow to accelerate if you shift up at 4000rpm rather than 6000+rpm?

So this brings me back to my original question: For those of you that have done mods, have you been able to increase the torque and noticeably improve the performance? If so what mods were these and how much did they cost you?

Thanks for all the replies guys.

Jim123

The issue I had with the G35 was the price it came to optioned to get close to what the TL comes with standard...

2004 Infiniti G35
Sedan w/Leather
MSRP $30,100
Premium Package w/o Full-size Spare Tire $3,050
Sport-Tuned Suspension Package $425
XM Satellite Radio $400
Splash Guards $120
Total with Options $34,685

I know there are some good deals on the G35 and Infiniti has 60 month 1.9 financing right now but I doubt you can get the above car for less then what you can get a non-navi TL. As others have said I could not get past the difference in the interior. The TL's interior is superior to the point it made the decision for me. If the price of the G35 optioned to equal the TL was $2000 - $3000 less then the TL then it would have been a much tougher decision.

Now with that said I'd have no problem owning a G35. It's a great car and fun to drive. Good luck with your decision.

1SICKLEX

They are both damn good cars. There is no loser. It depends on which one fits you better.

boltjames

Actually, I think that the rear end of the G35 is ugly. Those tail lights look like something from a Japanese horror flick.

żGotJazz?

Agreed. The G35 rear end sure is easily recognizable, but not in a good way.

jdrasin

We considered the infinity (I do like their short drive better), but there were two things that really suck out in our minds:
1 - The infinity interior is just not as nice as the TL, and as someone said, you spend a lot more time looking out than looking at.
2 - The nav screen (if you want that) on the TL is 8", which is just huge compared to everyone elses

Joe

Dkrudop

Whoomp, there it is. I drove both cars....really enjoyed both cars. I was sold on the G until I saw the TL. Once I climbed in the TL, the deal was done. However, they're both fine machines...it basically boils down to personal taste. I just liked to styling of the interior of the TL much better than that of the G.....and, since this is my "mid-life crisis" car, I knew I wanted red....the TL's RRP is red enough without being "arrest me" red!