I'm in the market for a new car... Had my mind set on a G35 coupe, but having second thoughts after seeing a TL on the road this weekend.

My biggest complaint about the G35 is the durability of paint. I've read pages and pages of complaints involving paint chips on G35 forums. It seems that pretty much every G is having serious problems with paint chipping, even at very low mileage. Sure, every car that has a run in with a loaded dump truck on a highway might come out with a few marks... but it seems that the soft paint wants to chip if a large bug hits the car the wrong way.

I'm not sure how many of you have a good amount of miles in the the short time since the TL has been released, but can anyone comment about chips, or lack there of? I have no interest in a clear bra, so that is not an option for me.

Thanks.

 

paint seems to be as cheap as all other honda paints

 

This thread shows up all of the time and everybody blames Honda, but I gotta tell you: from what I've seen this is a generic problem since the transaition to water based paints. My '99 M-B SLK-230 has a pit in the paint from every grain of sand it's ever hit.

 

that's true, the paint on my 92 accord was solid

 

Yep, the environmentalists are creating havoc when they get their way at times. The environmentally-friendly toilets in my home use 1/3 less water when flushed, the problem is that they need to be flushed twice as often to get everything out.

 

:lol1:

About the only way to protect the front on your car is to put a clear mask on it.

 

The best example might be from me as a friend just got his G35, and we took both his and my car up to Disney and back. This is only a 7-8 hour drive, most of it highway. We both took turns taking the lead to avoid having a higher risk than the other for getting a ticket (we both have detectors), since we were going between 80-100 on the highway.

Anyway, when we got back, the first thing we did was wash our cars to get all the bugs off. He noticed some areas that did not want to clean off, and asked me to look at them. Sure enough, he had road rash/paint chips in his front bumper, and even a few on his hood. I quickly inspected my car more closely, since I hadn't seen any, and luckily, mine had not a single one. I couldn't understand this as we both drove exactly the same, and weren't behind an 18 wheelers for more that a few seconds at a pop.

So the bottom line is that the G35 does have a major chipping problem, and so far, my TL is chip free.

 

Can you see a clear bra when it is on the car? Wont the paint under it be a diff color then the rest of the car after a few years?

 

The only time I owned a car bra was years ago, and I only put it on for long highway trips, then took it off. I never noticed a difference, but then again it wasn't on that often.

If you maintain the paint with regular washings/waxings, you shouldn't have a problem unless you keep the bra on 24/7 and the paint never gets exposed to the elements. Then again, if it is different, just leave the bra on, and you wont see the difference. :toothless

 

Z Factor,

Thanks! That is exactly the type of comparison I was looking for. I understand that most all new cars are having problems due to the water based paints, I think. But, some definitely seem worse then others. I'm currently driving a 2002 Chevrolet, and have two MINOR chips, barely visible, and 90% of my driving is highway. I took a look at a co-workers 2003 350Z today... he has half as many miles as I do, and his entire front end is nicked and chipped. Go figure.

Thanks again.

 

Your welcome, and by the way, welcome to the forum.

Besides the paint, I think some drivers have bad habits, and your 350Z buddy might also. I was in a buddy's car, and we were behind a dump truck that was spewing dirt, rocks, etc., all over the road. He was just driving right behind it like nothing was wrong. I'm sitting there listening to all the little rocks hitting his car and wondering what the heck was wrong with him. I told him to stop driving behind the thing, and he replied what for? :banghead:

When I mentioned his paint being damaged, he looked at me as if I was from another planet. It was only a two lane road, and he didn't want to pass since traffic has heavy in the opposite direction, so he asked me what choice did he have. I simply replied for him to back way off and follow from a greater distance, or pull over for a few seconds and let some other driver follow behind. Again, he looked at me like I had just escaped from the insane asylum :lol2:

Needless to say, I've learned that it isn't only the paint that cause new cars to chip so quickly. But in the case of my buddies G35, there paint is really problematic compared to the TL's.

 

Z Factor I understand he's your friend, but I wouldn't be letting him borrow the Acura at all

 

Another thing I noticed on the G35 coupe and the Z is that they have a lot of frontal area to catch stones with the large fender flairs.

 

Thanks the replies everyone. I went and drove a TL yesterday. I was very impressed. The dealer was kind enough to let me take it out alone, which was nice since you can't really get a feel for a car with a salesman sitting next to you yapping the whole time.

I'm not used to front wheel drive cars, and the torque steer - it was pretty minor compared to some other cars I have driven - caught me off guard. But that was my only concern... The 6 speed transmission was one of the nicest I have ever driven.

Thanks again.