HondaOnly

As a TL owner, it's hard for me to admit, but I think the G35 drives better than the TL. Don't get me wrong. I love my TL and would never trade up for a G35, but if there's one thing I really hate about the TL, it's the bloody torque steer. And I have an automatic so I can only imagine how much worse it is if you have an MT. I've been driving FWD cars for the last 15 years and have really gotten used to it, but I now I understand why people love RWD. But living in the midwest, there's no way I'd ever want RWD. I really like the AWD on the G35. I've never driven the RL, but I really don't like the fact that under normal circumstances 70% of the power goes to the front wheels. The G35 never sends more than 50%. Plus the engine has some real kick. But of course the TL beats the G35 by all other measures. The TL looks better both inside and out, has a better stereo, Nav System, felt roomier, better ergonomics, etc. Even the Infiniti salesguy admitted that if Acura ever put AWD on the TL, that would be one awesome car and would really shake up that whole market segment. I really hope Acura puts AWD on the next TL and I hope the AWD is a true AWD, not one that's FWD and sends power to the rear only when it needs it.

Tunerman

Well I believe everyone here knows the G35 is more of a performance sedan over the TL. The TL is more of a Luxury Sedan. The G35 beats the TL in everything performance wise. The TL beats the G35 in a few ergo areas but not really that much. The stuff you mentioned the TL is better on is your opinion.

Actuary

I don't agree on G35 is more fun to drive part. I came from mustang convertible and I find TL is more fun to drive. I haven't had torque steer lately.

TL might able to keep up with with first and second year G35. Only thing you can't do on TL is smoking tires (or it's not as fun)

You should only do it if you really wanna pay for $300 a piece Michelin anyway.

Tunerman

LOL if you think that maybe you need to go back to driving school. Nothing beats RWD. And all the reviews go against your claim. The TL maybe fun to drive, but definitely not as fun as a G35. A Mustang with the old Fox Body frame. I mean really, we can't call that a fun car anyways.

MichiganRich

Whatever you like sucks, and whatever I like is awesome.

pettydw

RWD is more fun on a race track were darn near every lap is the same thing and you can practice hanging out the tail on one corner all day long. This rarely happens in the real world, which usually has an oh sh_t attached to most tail out adventures. FWD is usually the fastest way around an autocross track because you only get three tries, and FWD is more forgiving.

ndx2

I know the G35 is more of a driver's car... but more fun? I beg to differ. G, especially the sedan, is still a big/tall, "heavy" car that's really not tossable like sports car. Like I've been saying, G35 sedan is no better than the TL as far as daily driving is concerned.

I, too, live in the midwest so RWD daily driver is rather impractical for me... more so since I'm moving to Denver (sadly, I MIGHT trade in my TL for a Legacy).

I agree with you, though, on disliking the torque steer... took me a while to get used to it. Another thing I like about the G is the fact the keyless go system, granted it is yet another option...

EZZ

That is totally dependent on how good a driver you are. There's a reason why the Miata is probably the all time autocross favorite. The Integra Type R also did wonderful but the Miata is crazy nimble.

Legend2TL

And what you just stated is a fact?
No it's only your opinion no better or worst than other's on this forum.
Both the G35 and TL are nice performance sedans, get over it.

HEK

In a nutshell

mickey3c

ah I see the arguments flying again... Some people ofering their opinions have not eeven drive both cars. As for RWD...years ago everyone had RWD and drove them in all areas of the country.

The G handles better on 55 series tires than the TL does on 45s. That's a fact... better on the skidpad.... Be sure you compare 05s to 05s since lots have changed.

The rest is up to the person. To some a few extra features or some styling cues are more important than the handling aspects of the car. Acura has also fallen in initial quality as well.

But hell you guys do not need to defend your purchase.... That's what people do on both boards or so it seems...

downtown

I like TL MT better, and G Auto better.

I'm driven both many times. To me the handling on the G is superior due to RWD. In everyday driving, I like them both.

TL Auto doesn't touch smooth, power of G35 tranny, but the TL's short throw is smoother and better IMO. G35's is notcher, tougher, not as refined as their auto, which is amazing.

HondaOnly

It's amazing how defensive some Acura owners get. I love Acura and doubt I'll ever switch to Infiniti, but I have no trouble that the G35 than the TL in certain aspects. Praising the G35 does not mean you're bashing Acura. Anyways, the main reason I started this thread is because the TL's torque steer is really, REALLY getting on my nerves. I love to accelerate hard at the stop light and leave other drivers in the dust. But I hate having to grip the steering wheel so tight.

Pro Stock John

I have a 6MT TL.

I also test drove a 6MT G35 sedan. I enjoyed driving it too. But RWD in Chicago was not gonna work in the winter. Plus the G35 had a lame interior and I did not like the matte finish rocker panels.

Ga_Tech_TL

Yeah i hear you man. IM here here in NJ. But of crouse... I dont know how much driving u have done but its quiet obvious that a rear wheel drive car is much more fun to drive than a FWD. Just not in the rain BUt yeah the G has more hp, tq so it must be faster. But to me, the TL is better than teh G bc of the interior, comforts, and the fact that it is helluva better looking car than a G. The coupe is okay but i would take the 350z

shodog

It all really comes down to personal preference. Before I bought my G, I looked at the TL. It's a nice car and drives well. Coming from a Modded Taurus SHO I knew all to well about torque steer. Since I live in Cali and it doesn't snow here, I knew I wanted a RWD or AWD.

RWD it not just better on the track, it's better for everyday driving. One thing that annoyed about FWD is every time you got on the gas in a turn, the inside wheel would light up. Everytime you take a hard corner, the front end would plow.

One other turn off on the TL was the previous generation weak tranny. My buddies TL had two before 40K I just didn't want to take a chance on the third generation having the same problems.

mio

G35 is a FR!!!

but TL handling is not bad either!

WdnUlik2no

I agree the G35 is more fun to drive than the TL. But like you if I had the chance to do it all over I would get the TL again. There is more to a car than the fun factor. Eventually the fun will wear off and what happened with my Mustang.

I haven't experienced that much torque steer on my 6MT. In fact the only time I notice it is when I am turning and giving it a lot of gas from a complete stop. Never exprienced any when taking off straight. Torque steer is there, but not nearly as bad as my 04 Maxima.

ayethetiense

Go work out or something.... hahahah

Scott in Houston

I"m an owner of a TL and LOOOVE it. I chose it over the G35 and A4.
That being said, there's no arguing that to be a true driver's car, a car should be RWD or AWD with a rear bias. On a track or autocross this is true. The reason is simple physics. It has nothing to do with 'the same turns let you practice hanging the rear out' or whatever was said by someone who has obviously never driven on a track.
(hanging the tail out is the slowest way around a turn... just FYI)

It's based on the physics that FWD asks too much from only 2 of the tires. You're asking those 2 tires to brake, accelerate, and lateral grip. On RWD and AWD those things are split between the 4 tires, so less work is required of each.

But when you say 'fun' to drive, that means somethign different. I think the TL is more 'fun' than the G35. It's the whole package that I liked better. If I was going for lap times, the G35 all day long, but for fun... the TL wins for me.

nick04tl

awd beats rwd.

Actuary

You can't call mustang a fun car anyways? I'm sure you get tons of flame for that.

Tunerman

You obviously don't autox much. FWD is not as quick as a RWD car around a autox course or roadcourse period. You go around sharp cones, and you will be spinning the inside tire on a FWD car or if you have LSD, it will push out of the turns.

Tunerman

Not tossable? LOL!!!! May not be as tossable as a Miata, but its damn close.

Tunerman

No its a fact. RWD is a real performance car, not FWD. You get over it with your WRONG WHEEL DRIVE.

Tunerman

Umm no it doesn't.

RWD has better weight distribution especially and less power loss. That is why RWD cars are the best in the handling department compared to AWD cars.

Hugh9269

[QUOTE=Pro Stock John]I have a 6MT TL.

I also test drove a 6MT G35 sedan. I enjoyed driving it too. But RWD in Chicago was not gonna work in the winter. Plus the G35 had a lame interior and I did not like the matte finish rocker panels.[/QUOT

Very well put, I love both cars and they were the only true choices for my automobile purchase, but I live in Detroit, I really did not want to get into winter tires and rims and $35,030.00 comparable price for the G35. The performance figures are so close on both models, it comes down to a preference....

jdone

On nice dry smoothe hard-surfaced roads you may be correct. On anything else he is correct. Witness rally cars like the STI and EVO, both awd..

vtec187

This is the most asanine(sp?) argument for fwd > rwd that I have ever heard. The only time fwd is better is in the rain or snow. when was the last time you saw a fwd porsche?

Donte99TL

The G35 is better around a track or through the turns and you guys can say anything you want but it is proven fact. Just face it for Christ sakes. When you sit here and say the TL is better in the turns over the G35 you just look like an idiot.

Now fun to drive is totally different because fun to drive is different for everyone. One person might like the characteristics of a front wheel drive car over a rear wheel drive car and vice versa.

With that being said a lot of us drive our cars on the street and not that track. So the difference between front and rear wheel drive doesn’t matter that much, unless you drive in snow.

I personally bought my car to get from point “A” to point “B” in style and comfort. And In my “opinion” the TL does this a lot better than the G35 hands down. I mean we have all seen the interior of the G35. YUCK….And the exterior is that much better.

I did not buy my car to get from point “A” to point “B” in the best time or to get around every turn the fastest. If we did want to do all that stuff then we shouldn’t be driving either one of these family sedans.

midas69

I was going to post much the same thing. I bought my car to get me to work and back, to do grocery shopping and get me back and forth to the golf course. Yea it's a lot of fun to punch it off the line once in a while. It's a lot of fun to take corners faster than you should. That's all well and good.

But it's a lot more fun to drive a car every day that doesn't have seat adjusters hitting me in the thigh. It's a lot more fun to drive a car that I don't feel cramped in. And it's a hell of a lot more fun to drive a car with an interior that doesn't make me feel like I paid for a luxury car and didn't get one.

Ga_Tech_TL

haha i totally agree. If the s4 was rwd then it would utilize all of its 300 plus hp but the fact that its a awd just kills it.

Bobbydoedoe

wth

Legend2TL

Watch some European Touring Car racing and watch the Euro Accord's (US Acura TSX) take on European cars including BMW 3 series and yes the Accords win races also.

BTW, it's still an opinion not a fact. However most auto editiors prefer AWD or RWD to FWD.

BTW, why are yuou even on this forum if you don't even own a Acura?

Tunerman

I have owned Acuras. 2002 CL-S for that matter.

ljj33

I just came over from a 6mt g35 coupe and would have to agree that it drives much better than my 6mt TL. I actually was planning to buy the TL initially but when I test drove it in the rain, I felt uneasy when the wheels slipped because it felt like I couldn't control the direction of the car. But I wouldn't give up the space and amenities that I get from my TL. I'm still learning to live with the torque steer but overall I think the TL gives you a lot more car, esp the nav and the hfl(if i can ever get it to work with my treo). If anyone from Acura is reading this, I think having fold-down rear seats would help alleviate the torque steer problem. :p

Ga_Tech_TL

Wait hold on, u test drove the acura in the rain and didnt like it so u bought the G? I dont get it bc a rwd will drift everywhere in the rain...

shodog

Not with the vehicle dynamic control on. it pretty much curtails in any tail happiness.

mickey3c

Well I have driven both and some people are more used to how RWD is in all conditions. When you have the front wheels all over the place... it is a bit alarming!

rets

I did feel terribly when driving my TL in the thunderstorm in TN about 20 months ago, my car was "drifting" and hardly to gain the control... after replacing the tires, it's good now.


As for "G", the two test-drives I had in the Summer '03 didn't make me very fond of themselves (Coupe/Sedan), I even couldn't believe this is so-call highly appraised RWD vehicle. Until the last month, I test-drove my buddy's new G coupe and appreciated the good performance out of it. However, if comparing with another RWD GS models, I personally think GS is still the better car.