OPINIONS NEEDED: 350Z vs ACURA TL
 

Trying to figure out which one would be the better choice. So I'd figure i turn to you guys for some advice.

I'm in the market to get a car. Its going to be a 4yr lease.

2005 Acura TL 5AT or 2005 350Z enthusiast 5AT

here is the thing... i'm not sure which one is practical. these are both 2 VERY different cars. I'm always used to coupes and small cars. But being 28 and its going to be a 4 yr lease, i'm starting to think slightly future wise. I have no wife/kids/gf but in 4yrs anything can change. Mainly now i'm in the car alone and barely drive anyone. so would getting 4dr car be good.

I like TL for the fact its refined, has everything you need. A bit more upscale. I still like to open it up once in a while and drive fast/take corners so just wondering if the TL will be good for it.

The Z on the other hand is soo much what i always like... basic... no leather no frils... just a car to have fun in. Plus in NYC are i dont see that many. TL's are a dime a dozen. Love the engine and the handling... power. But the only draw back is not trunk space and would not fit more then 2. So thinkking if i will outgrow the car fast.

Both of these cars will get about 15k a year on them. will be Heavy on daily driving and will need to go through winter and NYC bumper to bumper traffic. No matter what car i end up with ... there will be slightly moded (cause YOU JUST HAVE TO)
Price wise the Z is slightly cheaper per month but more expensive in insurance.

So help me out here.... which one would you go for.

Quick question... do you need 2 doors or 4?

Answer than one and you have your answer (unless you are considering a G35 sedan as well...).

With the weather in the EC, I'd say go for the TL, but I'm biased ;)

Why not split the difference and get a G35 coupe? :shrug:

Well I had 2003 G35C but gave it to my parents. I'm coming out of a lease on a Prelude and i'm gonna miss the small compact car and what it can do.

I prefer 2 door coupe cars. But then again.. thinking about the future i'm left to think... what if Z will become too small. While on the other hand.... i still like the small sports cars since they are soo much fun to drive.

I havent really driven the TL. But for you guys.. how well does it handle and For those with SUSPENSION modifications... how does it handle from stock.

Sounds like you have already made up your mind to me.

I did alot of looking before getting my '05 TL, and the Z, G35 were others considered. My opinion is for your normal get around car the TL.

The Z, IMO would be great if you were in CA or further south, but having to deal with the winter driving and even as a single person space issues would come up with the Z.

After driving 1800lb / 1000hp cars for 4 years I LOVE the speed and power like anyone, but wouldn't want to drive that to work everyday ;)

Well, the A-spec suspension handles considerably better than the OEM suspension, however it does not even come close to the handling of a stock 350Z setup b/c of the 1) RWD vs. FWD (which you obviously know) and 2) the 350Z sits lower to the ground ..

So, in the end, I think you're leaning towards the 350Z .. so just get it.

Agreed :2cents: back seet if nessicary and somewhat practical

How does TL do with Aftermarket suspension? I'm mainly intrested in Comptech sway and H&R / Comptech springs.

also .. When in SS mode on auto tranny... does the gear shift for you .. or you can decide when to switch.

Do Not Do A 4 Year Lease. Warranty Will Run Out In 3 Tears

I looked at the Z, but found it totally usesless for anything practical,, couldn't even fit a set of golf clubs in the hatch because of the shock support. Has less room than a 'Vette. The seats were too small for my shoulder width and were uncomfortableto me, and it has considerably less room than my old Integra or the new RSX... I know engine wise they are not comparable, but I would rather have an RSX-S than the Z350.. and the comfort and convience of the TL just blows them both away.

Actually, the warranty would run out at 50,000 miles, not 3 years, which could still be a problem on a 4 year lease with 15,000 miles/year.

In 3 years this guy will definitly do 50k. He should stick to a 3 year lease.I get sick of my cars in 27 months.

I"m not really concerned with waranty. If this car is as good as Honda claims and is known for, then i doubt i will see any major problem in 4yrs.

If any problems happen its usualyl within the first few years.



CAN ANYONE answer my 5AT question when in SS mode.
--When in SS mode on auto tranny... does the gear shift for you .. or you can decide when to switch. I know older CL's and TL's would only give you control over 3-4-5 gears but 1-2 would switch on their own.

Same in this SS. You can select 1st or 2nd when stopped, but whichever it starts in, it will only go to or stay in 2nd and then you have to shift manually for each succeeding gear.

dont think that i am biased with the TL, but in my honest opinion....

being stuck in traffic, i would rather have the amenities that the TL has.

i would only go for the 350Z if i was looking for a manual, not auto. AND if i was able to open it up and use that power most of the time

Acura TL 5AT versus 350Z
 

I figured I would add my own personal experience with a 350Z last week. I live in the Indianapolis area and on the way home from work I passed a 350Z at 75mph. We were on I465 and he was going about 65mph which apparently provoked him to a friendly race. After threading the needle through traffice he ended up in front of me approaching I69N. As soon as both of us were on I69N the race was on....we both floored it! I went to the passing lane immediately and the 350Z stayed in the slow lane (two lane interstate). Unfortunately we both approached traffic and his lane cleared first. He had about 1-2 second lead on me, but I took it up to 100mph and he never lost me...nor did I gain?!?! It was a fun race, but I thought the 350Z would blow me out of the water. With the practically of the TL (mind is stock) the car held its own. If you are seriously choosing between these cars I would go with the TL...you won't be disappointed. I have only had my car since Sept of last year and I have held off a stock Ponitac GTO (350HP) and a BMW X5 4.4....I love this car. Either car will be fun, but the TL will add practicality you could be looking for in the future with performance. Good luck..

I had the Comptech suspension on my TL-S, so I can kinda comment: The CT suspension is much tighter, IMHO, however, the ride quality is more harsh, and totally detracted from the luxury feel that the A-spec suspension still gives you. However, the CT suspension will let you corner better and there will be less nose-dive and rear squat under hard launches.

The SS doesn't let you hold 1st gear, but you can shift down into "L" which will let you hold 1st gear, however this tranny wasn't designed to do that, therefore I don't know how comfortable you'd be doing it. I don't know if the 350Z let's you hold first gear.. i imagine that it does.

If you want practicality, get the TL. If you want to compromise a little, and have some practicality, get the G35 Coupe. I've fit two friends in the back of mine just fine. They just need to be careful not to hit their heads on the rear glass, but they must be comfortable enough, as they still ask me to drive during lunch. The seats also fold down, so I found it to be fairly practical. (I don't really see the advantage of getting the Z over the G)

If warranty is an issue to you, (I can't remember who raised the issue), Infiniti has a longer warranty than Acura: 60,000 mile bumper-to-bumper/70,000 mile powertrain.

I just bought an 05' TL for the wife a few days ago, so obviously I think the TL is a really nice car. Personally, I find getting into/out of my G35 Coupe to be easier for some strange reason, but I also have a bad back, so I could just be sensitive. I can get in/out of my G easily, but I find myself twisting and/or sitting/leaning on the bolsters to get in/out of our TL. Could be because the G is lower, so I just step in and drop into the seat.

If you are getting an automatic tranny, you'll find the 5AT in the G/Z to be more advanced than the one in the TL. In manual mode, it will hold all gears till redline, so you'll hit the rev limiter if you don't upshift. And if you downshift, the computer will actually blip the throttle and rev-match, to make for a smooth downshift.

Since you already had a G35, I'd say just get the TL, just to have something different. Especially if you seem so concerned about the future. Hence, that's why I have both :thumbsup:

If your thinking of getting the Z you should be getting a MT otherwise don't even bother. Why get a AT tranny for a sporty car like that. That would be such a waste I think. With my experience, 2 seater is nice but not pratical. THerefore, if you do get the Z you might just end up trading it in within 2yrs. My friend works for a car dealership and that is a very common trend he tells me. They have fun with the 2 seater sport car for a yr or two then later it is not pratical for them so they end up trading the car in with a huge loss. So think hard because you will be keeping this car for at least 4yrs!!!! That is my 2cents!!

Could you elaborate more on the SS mode in 5AT.

Right now i have a PRELUDE 2001. It has the SS mode function on it. Which i love. My car was pretty moded a few years ago and i did track days with it. In straight i wasnt as fast as a manual but in corners and twisties... i held my own if not better.

Basically in the prelude when you start in 1st from dead stop.. it wont switch on its own... it will hit the rev limiter....same in the G35C. Same will go for any other gear that you are in.

But you mean that in TL... if you start in first and say FLOOR IT... it will shift on its own at RED LINE or way before it? What about the 2-3-4-5 gears will they hold till rev limiter or switch on their own.

Reason why i'm asking... is that i might put the TL on the track like i did with the prelude and the G35. so i need to know ahead whats it capable of.

oh please do not get an Automatic 350Z....

with the TL its fine but on a Z....... :thumbsdown:

eh i dont see whats a big deal about getting the Z in auto. Its still has the power and the handling ... just with less shifting.

Besides in NYC traffick its.... SHIFT_oh waits its AUTO... :rolleyes:

If you have set your heart in AT then get the TL otherwise don't bother!! It would look really silly driving a 350Z in AT I think!!!

i'm not sure if the new TL's are the same as the 01-03 cl's...but my 03 cl only shifts for you from 1=>2...but to 3 4 and 5 u can manually shift at any point...if u dont you will hit rev limiter. however i believe we are able to shift a lil past redline if in SS mode..redline is 6900 and i remember some AT users shifting at 71 or 7200 in SS mode. just not from 1st to 2nd gear. i know the RSX doesn't automatically switch for you though, so i dunno about the TL

get the Z, so we can see less TL`s on the street. :toocool:

Yes Yes What he said

About ss, when you FLOOR it from a dead stop, the gear won't shift to 2nd as fast as normal driving, so it will redline then you can move it up. hope that helps

sounds pretty dangerous
 

Maybe he was not as crazy as you were... As for holding off a stock GTO etc.. same deal there. It's true the TL does well in the upper ranges and has great lungs... but I doubt in a true race you would be able to hold anyone of those cars off. ecept maybe the x5

yes thats is very true... they are a dime a dozen out here in NYC.

guess i'll need to modify it enough to stay apart from the rest. :tongue:

Buying an automatic Z is like having a hot girlfriend with an STD. sure you can still do her but it's definetly not as fun.

LOL!!!

Though the 350z is almost as quick with a 5AT is a 6MT in a straight line. The 5AT is pretty good in the car, or the 6MT is just that bad!!!

Dunno.......I looked at the Maxima and the Murano (and glanced at the Z....but with a family of 4 no way it was gonna fly)......but I just couldnt get past the "cheap" appearance on the Nissan interiors. Then I looked at the G35 and was sold for sure.......until the first time I sat in the 3G TL. If you want a cabin you can live in for extended time....the TL is it. The G is still a great car.....and what I'd be driving if not for the TL........but I've had my TL a year now and still smile every time I climb in. Biased?? Yup, most definitely....but happy, too!

TL says sophisticated and educated with style.

Love the TL. Great performance, especially if you mod it.

Z - too small for anything, cannot even have fun with your hot girlfriend.

My :2cents:

Didn't you think the Maxima and the G35's interiors were very similar in look and apparent quality?

There are other factors to take into consideration. If this is going to be your only car and you plan to get the sports wheel package with the 18" wheels then you may have some problems getting around in the snow. A co-worker of mine has a G35 Coupe with the sports wheel package and cannot find A/S tires for the front. When we get a few inches of snow his car slides all over.

Well for the G35 i went 2 winters without snow tires and it was pretty bad. At time the traction control just gave out. So for next winter i'll be getting winter tired for the G.

as far as TL goes... if i do get it, i will keep the stock wheels for winter use only and get 18s or 19s with summer tires

That's probably because he's looking for 225/45-18. Most everyone (myself included), installed 245/40-18 on the front. Not only is there a whole bunch more choices (almost the same rolling size), but it will make the car a little more neutral handling.

225 was too stretched for the 8" wheel anyways. The 245's look much better, and will not expose your rim as much.

Can you stand the ride?
 

I bought an 04Z TA5 Touring in jan.of 04 and the acceleration and handeling are superb. However as a daily driver the constant BUMPY ride and the tire noise finally got to me and I sold it in dec 04. So now i'm driving an 05 TL AT5 and although I kind of miss the Z 's preformance I sure do enjoy the nice quiet ride and all the other features the Z doesn't even offer. So if you can stand the ride and noisy interior you will like the Z--- at least for a while. 4 years is a long time. My 2 cents.