ms2kj

Hi all,

First a little background. I currently drive a 03' Honda S2000, but my wife and I had our first child in May. After much discussion, we have decided to give up my S for a more family oriented car.

My wife has the 03' TL 3.2 and we've both been in the Honda/Acura family for a long time.

After an extensive research and online negiotiaing between Acura and Infiniti dealers, here is what I have so far. I would appreciate your opinions on which to choose. (Granted, I'm at a TL forum, but I'm posting a simliar thread in a G35 forum)

I can't seem to find any G35 Sedan with the Nav and the Sport-Tuned Suspension package on it so..my choice for G35 is what it is.

Thanks everyone for looking.

Lister00169

If you don't care about Navi, then go with the G. The '06 has updated materials in there and has a much better feel than previous years. But you need to sit in both cars and determine which one fits you. You seem to like both exterior styles, but the interior can make or break a car. Go to the dealerships and sit in both, drive and think. The G is cheaper in price, but you would not get the Navi and better looking interior. The TL costs more, but it's not RWD, the quality is suspect at times, but you get a lot for the money .

VelfarreClubber

Get the G35 ONLY if you want a Coupe period

Steel

All I can tell you is why I did what I did.

I went with the TL because of the interior and styling. The interior in the g35, even with upgrades, didnt feel as nice, nor look as nice. (IMO).

Styling: The A-spec set the TL out for me. I do not like the look of the g35 sedan, although I could have lived with it, yet the A-Spec was GORGEOUS.

I'm happy with the TL short of the slightly less impressive performance than the g35.

ms2kj

Is the quoted price for a TL Nav w/ A-Spec a good price?

mark 3M bra man

No, I think you would be better of getting no A-Spec and then get it online and have it installed (all for about $4-5K and possibly no taxes - if you get it on e-bay)

Like mentioned above, I would only go with the G35 if you want a coupe, but it is not really a family car. Therefore, stick with the TL and if you are concerned about the higher price, then get one without a Navi

Good luck, Mark.

ndx2

ah, the ultimate dilemma... yet again.

Why give up the S2000? I'd just trade in the TL-S and keep the S... and if you don't already have a 4WD/AWD, why not consider a G35 AWD? It's family oriented, and is "safer" in snow.

But among those options, I'd get the TL w/Navi... you can always get the A-Spec parts later; probably a lot cheaper than the dealerhip's price.

IMO, a RWD sport sedan/coupe with AT is just... meh.

Will Y.

I chose a 2005 TL over a G35 as the TL had a quieter interior (the G35 has a more audible exhaust burble; I assume this will not be a big issue given your RSX and S2000!) and nicer looking/feeling interior (esp. steering wheel controls). The G35 (auto) feels faster than the TL in 0-30, but not by much; its gas mileage is less than TL on the freeways, and likely less on street driving as well despite EPA numbers. My total commute in Los Angeles metro area is 6 miles and I no longer drive in autocrosses, so rear wheel drive advantage of G35 is not an issue.
Both the cars seem like good choices, so choose the one that feels right to you, and enjoy it!

Random1

I went with the TL. It is very quiet and it's a smooth ride which is probably more along the lines of what you really need it for. It does have a lot of low end torque which enables me to run with the mid atlantic S2Ki boys. Nandska also mentioned that it has the safety latch for the carseat. So sorry you have to sell the S.

Teh Jatt

this is how I would pick

G35 coupe > TL
TL > G35 Sedan

ms2kj

We need two cars that will fit a carseat. My wife works across town and the daycare is near my work. She is having to drop off our daughter in the morning and rush out of work to pick her up. It's not fair and even though my S is my dream car, there are more important things.

I'll make my final decision by end of the week. I'll let you guys know what I do with it.

My S is paid off, so that's not an issue either.

chill_dog

Those prices for ASPEC parts seem high...$1,200 for the underbody kit? $5,800 for the full ASPEC? Definitely do not consider those options, the prices are ridiculous! Buy them after the fact from eBay...

Personally, I'd get the TL...it looks 100X's better than the G (I used to like the coupe, but the more I see it, the more I don't)...and now that I think about it, the price on the TL seems a tad high...maybe $33,000 or so OTD...'05 model year is over, it's house cleaning time, you can get a better deal.

As for the navi, what do you need that for, do you get lost often?

shodog

Get the G35. The TL has a nice looking interior but has a number of quality issues like thin leather on the seats, falling headliners and tint that gets scratched if you don't install moleskin first.

Coming from a rear wheel drive s2k, your going to hate having a highpowered FWD car.

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

um.. I don't have any of these problems.. in my 05 TL AT..!

I believe all those problems are from the 04 TLs.

It's been almost 4 months after I got my TL, and my leather seats have no problems; I don't even know what the headliners but no problems; My 20% tints all around don't have a single scratch...

What's moleskin and falling headliners anyway..?

FSHIZZL

Since the S2000 is paid for, keep it. Buy a reliable car under $15k to do your weekday commute. On the weekends and days that you don't have to pick up your child drive the S!

VelfarreClubber

For me as of now..
G35 coupe > TL
TL > G35 Sedan

But if the TL Coupe comes out
TL > G35 Sedan
TL Coupe > G35 Coupe

TerminaderTL

Try your carseat in the G35. A friend of mine did that in the TL and the G35 and liked the room in the TL much better.

Neorick

Go with the TL---Sporty (for the racing teenager in you urges) Much Safer, smoother ride and quieter (for the Baby). Just remember to put a towel on the leather seat before you install the baby car seat. Those baby car seat will leave a nasty mark that is hard to remove.

SpecialFX

S2K >>>>> G35 Coupe > TL > G35 Sedan

But it's irrelevant if what you need is a sedan. I Know people with the G sedan. Decent car but the TL seems better put together. Don't know about the '06 upgrades to the G, though. Those hideous red instruments are enough of a turnoff. RWD is a plus in all but the worst weather.

As for the leather/baby seat issue, pick up a "Seat Saver" from Babies-R-Us. It's a molded pad that goes under the car seat to protect the leather. Works great and also catches a lot of crumbs and junk that the baby drops.

JackSprat01

this just isn't true for most of us here. My 05 is tinted, no moleskin, no scratches, good leather (they upgraded in 05 ) and my headliner is right where it's supposed to be. This is a VERY small number of people you are talking about.

Get the TL and then just snag the ASPEC suspension off ebay, you don't need the rest of the kit unless you really want it.

Tunerman

TL better put together? LOL...look at both the TSB lists and come back and repost that again.

fast-tl

Is it really practical for both you and the wife to have sedans? What about trips to Home Depot or Lowe's? Why not a SUV like the MDX or FX if you're RWD inclined? As for the TL vs. the G35, It'd be hard to pass up the 280hp and RWD, but the TL w/Navi is just worth it. Or, perhaps you could go with the 6mt G35 and 298 hp?

ms2kj

My wife's lease on her TL ends next year. We'll be crossing that bridge next year around this time. This purchase is for my S2000 replacement.

As for the decision, I'm still undecided. It's still down to the TL and the G35, but I have to say that the G35 has a slight advantage in my mind, based on the test drives that I had on both vehicles. I've had test drives on both cars, and I just feel more connected to the road in the G35. Don't get me wrong, the TL drives and handles well, but the more weight balanced RWD handling of the G35 just appeals to me.

There are definately Pros and Cons with both vehicles, which most of you know of in the TL and the G35.

I plan to make the final decision in the next week or two.

ms2kj

Ok, I've made up my mind. I've decided to go with the G35. I just can't get the G35 test drive out of my mind. The TL is a fine car and if I never had the S2000, it would have been great. But, after considering everything, I just love the way the car handled. And I drove a demo without the sports-tuned suspension package on it. I can't wait to drive the car with the package on it. I'm heading to the dealer today to take delivery.

I'll post pics when I get the car and when I have the chance.

Mike

midas69

Good luck with your decision. Trust me when I say that nearly everyone here looked at the G35 and obviously chose the TL. Of course I'm sure everyone on the G35 boards considered the TL and, well, we know what they chose. Obviously there is no clear cut decision to be made.

I'm sure you'll be happy in the long run. I had very good luck with my 2 previous Maximas so I have no doubt it will relatively trouble free.

JackSprat01

I know what you mean about the "connected to the road" thing. The ASPEC suspension fixes that 100% making it handle like a BMW or G35 plus retaining the gorgeous Acura interior. It's too bad people can't test drive them, Acura loses a lot of sales that way.

Tunerman

I agree. It is a VERY VERY VERY hard decision between the two cars. If your still young and want some spice in life still basically the G35 would fulfill this, but if you want to settle down some, the TL takes the cake.

lindros2

Myself and my girlfriend own both cars (2004 TL w/ navi and 2004 G35 with few options) and the G35 is clearly the driver's car. I prefer to drive (and have more miles on the TL); she drives the G35 primarily in the city.

My first word of caution with the G35 is gas mileage: we get ~10-12 MPG in the G35. Highway trips yield 22-24, but this isn't good for a car without all-wheel-drive. I get 30+ MPG on the highway in my TL and ~16 MPG in the city.

The second was that we did the BMW 330i auto-cross event at the Ultimate Drive this year. The BMW was clearly #1, the 2005.5 Audi A4 3.2 quattro was #2, and suprisingly the G35 (fully loaded w/ sport package) was a distant #3. It actually scared us how poorly it performed.

Good luck.

-josh

Tunerman

That's because she is a woman. lol My G35 gets 21 city, 25 highway! I even push it to redline a few times in the city driving. Never gotten lower than 19 mpg and that is with racing on both my 04 G and 05 G.

Tennisjon2002

exactly what I would say. Since your looking at the sedan get the TL. Also b/c of ur roots (s2000) get the aspec suspension on ebay to get a little more sporty ride, don't waste ur money on the rest of the kit

JackSprat01

I think you missed it bud, he bought a G35.

simont53

Yup , hes gone.........

ms2kj

I'm still on the board. Just because I decided on the G35 doesn't mean that I'm outta the Acura/Honda family. My wife still has the 2nd Gen TL and we'll probably look at the MDX when it gets refreshed in the next couple of years.

The A-Spec package is nice. I actually drove one at the dealership in Virginia. They had it as a demo. But it costs too damn much. The G35's Sports-Tuned suspension package comes with the tweaks to the suspension, the 18" wheels and the tires and the LSD for a fraction of the cost of the A-Spec package. Granted, no bodykits and things like that, but for the $ and the convienance of the factory installed option, you can't beat a $650 option vs. $5000 option.

fast-tl

We're leaving in a few minutes to go drive the G35 sedan for the first time, to compare to the TL, 300C, and maybe Dodge Charger R/T. I believe my 2000 TL/Navi will be replaced with another TL, but I want to be sure to shop the competition. I need to get my specs right on the competition to ensure I'm comparing apples to apples. Even the Hemi-powered Charger had navi and hands-free bluetooth...

JackSprat01

Speaking of that, I thought the '06 MDX was supposed to be all new this year? What the hell happened? The Ody was all new last year, that means the MDX should be this year, and the Pilot next year. What's up with THAT?


Again, I agree with you 100%. Luckily my 6MT already has the LSD, but I bought my car non-Aspec. Bought the suspension for $650, installed for $450, and swapped around for 18" wheels tires for another $200 (after selling the factory stuff on eBay.) That's still double the Infiniti option so Acura should be ashamed. I'm still glad it's an option though and I still wouldn't trade with ya, but hell, they're both nice cars.

elsensei

If you are considering the G35, you should also check out the new IS350 if you can wait about 5 weeks. It looks killer and has some really nice specs compared to the G. The G is nice but remember it is a 4-years old design now, the IS is brand new.

Both the G and new IS are smaller than the TL and especially the 300C, so factor that in as well when deciding what you want.

ms2kj

Yeah, I know. It needs refreshing. It's been out for almost 5 years without a MAJOR upgrade or freshening. I'm looking forward to seeing the next variant. (Hopefully, they'll put in a pair of Xenon projectors )

ms2kj

I've read the road test reviews from various car magazines and I've driven other Lexuses. Here's my thought and guess. From the looks of it (from reading the reviews) the car looks great and sounds like the refinement level went up a couple of notches. However, I believe that the driving dynamics of the car will be subdued even more on the IS than the TL. Quiet cabin and highway crusing is all good and fantastic, but I love driving with the feeling of the road. I love getting feedback from the steering wheel, and feeling and hearing the exhaust. Now, I haven't test driven it, but Lexus so far hasn't been too sporty in their cars. (E.g...LS, GS, ES, SC models) It's been geared towards Luxury. Nothing wrong with that. Just not my cup of tea, yet. I'm still young and I don't need to be coddled too much...again, yet.

elsensei

Well, you could be right. But Autoweek just reviewed last week and said feedback was good with just the right hint of engine note. The dynamics on this car are supposed to be excellent, in fact they said the IS250 was most like the new BMW 3, with the IS350 a touch more refined but still excellent handling.

We shall see. Personally, I will be checking this car out, even though I am not in the market per say. But with the looks, killer interior, killer quality, and long 70k mile Lexus warranty, I could be swayed. Plus with rear drive, 18's, a six-speed auto, and some 50+ foot pounds more torque than the TL with similar curb weight, this thing could be a real category killer. I'll give Lexus the benefit of the doubt untill I drive it and find out if it is a limp noodle or not.

My point was if someone is going to look at a older design G at this late stage, surely they owe it to themselves to check out the newest competition, which is now the IS350.

Ol Blue Eyes

i would go with the TL, w/navi

considering thats what i have, and am very happy with it

i would wait on the aspec kit, and get the ron jon kit

best of luck