Hey everybody, I've been lurking on these forums for several months now (every since I started looking at the TL), and I had said to myself that I wasn't going to post until I decided on the car. Well I'm posting and I've decided

I've looked at and driven so many cars, and finally brought it down to the TL. Here's a list of cars I've looked at seriously and why they didn't go.

Lexus IS300: I still like the exterior of it, but I was so turned off by the interior I never looked again.
Audi A4: Love the looks, drove it, terrible. Next.
Volvo S40: Almost got into a fight with the salesman, and decided it was an ugly car.
Mitsubishi Galant: Looks okay, has a kind of ugly interior, and doesn't drive too well. Plus it seemed low quality.
Nissan Altima: Nice enough, drove well, and I liked the interior, but I don't like seeing four of myself at every light.
Saab 9-3: While very nice looking on the outside, pretty boring interior, plus I never got to drive it.
BMW 325i: This one was close. Slick outside and in, and plenty of go. I guess I just sort of grew to dislike the exterior a little bit.
Chrysler 300C: Obviously this was the fastest thing I checked out, and it definitely goes, but it's too big, I want a smaller car.
Cadillac CTS: Another jackass salesman, plus the interior looks as bad as a Lincoln Town Car IMO.
Mercedes C230: Second runner-up. I drove it and liked it, but found out that I couldn't get the color I loved, and it just didn't have the same flair as the other two options.

Which brings me to the last two. The TL and the Infiniti G35 Coupe. Yes, all those four door cars, and I almost picked a coupe. The exterior looks insane, as does the interior, it drives amazing, and has pretty much everything I want. Well, I went to the Acura and Infiniti dealers today, and found out from the Infiniti salesman (great guy by the way) that I can't get the color I want without it being brought in from out of state, and that I still couldn't quite get the things I wanted on my secondary color choice (not an option for me, I'm very picky). So, I come back to the car I've loved for so long, and seen so many a beautiful picture of on this site.

In about a month I'll be getting (hopefully, I have to check with my salesman again, but he says there shouldn't be a problem) a 5AT ABP w/ Quartz and Navi. I'm so excited about this car, and have a load of plans for mods, but I'll only post that if anyone cares, I know I've blabbed enough anyway

So, hopefully I'll be around. What does everyone think about the ones I ruled out?
Oh, I'll definitely post pics when I get the car by the way, I know someone would ask that eventually.

 

Blue looks great with Quartz. That was my test drive TL.

If it was me, I would of gone with car than color I wanted - means I probably got G35 if I was in that situation.

Good choice anyway! I am driving TL because I didn't mind color but I couldn't get G35 in snowbelt area. (Don't even talk about AWD it's more money)

 

Congrats Im right there with ya.

I pick mine up in a couple of weeks.

 

Over the course of the last 10 to 12 months I have driven the following cars.

Acura TL, Acura TSX, Acura RSX, Mazda 6s, Mazda 3s, Nissan Altima SE-R, Dodge Charger RT, Stratus RT (2 and 4 door), Pontiac Grand Prix GXP, Pontiac G6 GTP,
Pontiac GTO, Subaru Legacy GT and probably a few I am missing. I was hoping to have made a purchase by now but, the price of gas is actually delaying that.

This purchase will most likely last my wife and I for at least the next 10 years so it has to be right. If gas stays as expensive and unsettled as it is now we may need to look more seriously at 4 cylinder and cars that run on regular. Since I picked the last new vehicle my wife gets to pick this one. Of course I have kind of steered her in the direction that I wanted her to go.

We have narrowed it down to three or four of the above cars.

Nissan Altima SE-R - Her favorite, has everything that she wants and
most of what I want. My third choice.
Acura TL - My first choice almost from the beginning, but am afraid
it just beyond our reach price wise. Her second choice
Subaru Legacy GT - We both really like this car, also has everything we want
She thinks it's a little small compared to the Nissan and the
Acura. Her third choice my second
Pontiac Grand Prix - The sleeper of the group, lots of power and torque, nice
ride. Best price of any but no manual trans offered, my lady
a stick person.

Just for the record all the salesman except the Subie guy was an idiot, the Acura guy being the worst.

 

I agree about car over color, it's just that I was really on the fence to begin with, so that really gave that last good push. Not to mention that in the end I'll probably be glad I didn't go with the two-door.

My first test drive was in a Blue/Quartz that they got in two days before I came in. Said I was the first person out of the factory to drive it, don't remember how many miles it had though...

 

Two cars on that first list that I liked. I looked at the Mazda 6 quite a while ago, and liked it, but didn't drive it. Also, the GTO. Thing is, you're paying solely for that engine. It doesn't have much in the way of creature comforts, like the TL or G35 do. Did you get to drive it? I never got the chance, but I wanted to.