flatfoot

First not to anger anyone, I was invited to post once in a while because I have the unique opportunity to have in contact with my 2005 tl auto, nav, which I sold to someone I know, and the replacement m35x which I have.
The tl is about one year old now, and the m35x is six months old. Time really flies.
The m35x has 7 thousand miles on it, and the tl has 16,000 miles on it.

First the m35x. Nothing new to update since the last report. The car continues to be a work hourse getting decent mileage. The car does everything its suppossed to do without me having to think about it. I dont feel the need to dodge inperfections in the road at every corner, acceleration is plenty brisk , but not in tl category. I feel the car is definately louded then the tl. We had a fairly mild winter as far as snow goes, so the x part was definately not put up to the test, but on those cold nights , when it has been raining, or there was a lot of snow melt, the m35x drove confidently and smooth on keeping an even pressure on the accelerator.
Since initail purchase repairs, I have only did regular servicing, and had the dealer recently do a detail on it, and to get my "summer wax" on. They did a fair job in my opinion, and will try and find a place that is more in tune with detailing.
I just wanted to make short I got some wax on. The paint on the m35x is much more forgiving and takes a cleaning a lot easier. While the paint job is not spectacular, it does seem more solid, and more impervious to small frying debris.
I do not have navi on the infinity so I cant compare, however I am sure the acura,s navi is superior. However while the acuras navi was the industry standard at one point, I have seen some new navis, that are right in the same class, and in acura doesnt update their navi, I feel will not be the industry standard any longer.
THE TL
To refresh, I sold the tl to an salesman who always wanted a tl, but wanted a late model used to save some cash.
He was told by me all that I thought about it. He drives the car to work from nyc to new jersey and back, combining highway and city.
He has added tints and some wheels but kept the same michelins.
Basically all his complaints are the ones that I told him about, and he is fighting with. 1) He now feels there is some problem with the abs or computer safety systems. He says the system comes on all the time when going over and braking even the slightest impergection of road. Even when standing at a light and then proceeding to make a left turn, he can feel the brake pulse, and hear the light whining noise of the abs.
He has brought it in to acura to have it looked at and they put new pads on gratis, but it hasnt changed the problems(they recut the rotors for me when I complained) It is something he is not happy with, but he has become complacent with the problem.
2) Ride.
He is also starting to get tired of getting banged up by the suspension on his ride everyday. He even says people who have never been in the car, ask him if his shocks are broke. LOL
I told him about it, when I sold it to him because of my bad back from the war, and now he says he knows what I mean. He says he has brought the place to acura dealers and one independent repair place and they say theres nothing broke.
3) Gas mileage
While when buying an entry luxury car, the gas price and mileage should be a bit secondary, the gas mileage on the car has been horrendous. Especially in the city. I used to average about 12 miles or so per gallon for the entire time I had the car(And I drove it normal to brisk given the opportunity, but 90 per cent of time, I was commuing with this car and drove it like I had a ford taurus.
The new owner, is a bit more on the highway, and he is only getting 16 miles per gallon, and is unhappy with it.
4) overall
overall, he has had not repairs or problems with the car, except as the ongoing issues above. He loves the performance, the way the tl looks, the navi, the ac, the npb when it is all polished up, and he says the girls like the way it looks. He says he wouldnt buy the car new the way it is, but plans on keeping it for several years. He is looking to get some type of ski rack for it for the next ski season.

Two good cars, both has its pleasure. I am glad I got it to someone who appreciates it, and I am glad I got the infiniti m35x. I feel its everything a car should be, except I still cant fall in love with its looks. Call me crazy, but I still like the way the cadillac cts looks. I like its lines. I even prefer the lines of the g35(which in a way looks like a baby m35), but something about the looks, doesnt allow me to love it. But once inside, I am home.

Thanks

LyNX31

first of all congrats on the m35.. sounds like a fun car to drive!

but those are some serious problems for a 2005 TL. I got a used 2004 TL and I couldn't be happier. 12 and 16 mpg with the TL? something has to be seriously wrong with the car.. i drive city/highway and like to bring the revs up every now and then and i still average about 22-24 mpg!

Will Y.

Thanks for reports, flatfoot. Agree with LyNX31^^^^-- the mileage sounds low. My TL is about 19 mpg per tank for mostly-city driving and has been mid-high 20's when driving on the freeway for half a tank or more.

Also, the ABS problem sounds unusual. I have not experienced it, and I don't remember seeing it here in the threads.

Ron A

Always good to hear from you, flatfoot. Thanks for the updates.

kennyc

hmmm.... I am pretty agressive on the throttle and I still get 19mpg...

12mpg is not normal...

M is an awesome car. Too bad it's out of my price range..

lembowski

iTrader: (1)

You must drive like me! I drive mostly city and I get around 12-16/gal. On Highway only miles I get roughly 25/gal

flatfoot

I agree. If I am 100 pct on hiway, I can get close to 28-29 mpg, driving at around 60-65
But unfortunately, most of my driving is urban driving and the 12-16 is not good.

Much regards

brianp6621

Wow, you guys must really be flooring it all the time. I drive pretty agressively (especially now that I have the TL) but I still average 18-19 on 100% city.

gldman

Flatfoot,

Thanks for the review. I have the 04 TL with Navi. I get 21mpg in the city and 27 highway. I am ready to pull the trigger on the M35x but the gas mileage on the screen during my two test drives was 10.2 mpg and 5.6 mpg and that is scary. I also think I agree with you on the looks.

Dealer is offering me the M35x for $256 over invoice for the 06 and is willing to give me 24k for my TL. The M35x 07s are due in July.

Do you think I should go for the deal or wait and look at the 07 M35x and maybe the 07 TL?

Thanks for your thoughts.

G

neuronbob

Nice review, thanks for taking up the invitation (I think it was mine ?), especially since I am partial to the M. There's one in the physicians' lot at my main hospital now. I just every time I pass by it.

Edit: That mileage is abysmal. I've looked at the mileage display on the MID while driving in the city and I get 19-20 mpg, and I still get 30 mpg on long trips. Flatfoot, your buddy must be flooring it. As far as the ride....it's really not bad at all to me. I like communication with the road.

Dr.Murdock

i stomp the crap out of mny car and it doesnt fal lbelow 18 in the city

flatfoot

the mileage on the m35 must accounting for the time, when the salesman has the car on showing a client and the car isnt moving. Or when the car is on, and a salesman is showing all the features. I get about 16 in the city and about 21 on hiway. A little less then its rated for.
I also got the car at invoice. They were coming in to dealership in droves(the cars) and they needed to get them out on the street. I think they overordered or something. So for an hours worth of paperwork, they kept the entire buyback, and they seemed happy to do it. Maybee because it was late November, the weather was lousy, and they needed to make yearly vehicle quotas. It was an easy sale, if a disinterested sale by the dealership.
I cant advise you what to do. For me, I needed to get out of the tl. My spine did not want to take the punishment anymore do to sensitiviy on damaged disks. I drive in police cruisers with 300,000 miles on them and no shocks and they dont bother me, anywhere as near as the acura did. But it seems like its my problem, however I have seen quite a few people say the same thing on this board. I have also heard people say, its not tight enough.
I guess thats why there are choices of cars out there. To each his own.
The price on the tl seems fair. Almost 75 percent of original value, but you need to judge for yourself.
When I get into the m35x, its like sitting into your favorite broken in easy chair. Get in, turn it on, feel the cool air coming out, the radio just loud enough to soothe, and float home on a cloud of air, while still feeling all the input from the road in the steering wheel, and not on your body and your teeth.
I would be curious to see what changes the 07 will have though.
Maybee I will grow to like the looks eventually, but I doubt it. I still find myself looking at other cars all the time, but I have been in almost all of them, and most didnt feel as good as the tl, if at any. I love the looks of the tl, and the cadi cts.
One of my first cars that I love was a reconditioned volkswagen Kharma Ghia. That was a great car for those who might remember it. Designed by pinafarina, rear engine, kind of looked like a porsche. No heat, 4 speed, air cooled. It was stolen on me when I went to a wedding and there has never been a better car since then that I loved as much. Nicer cars yes, but not in love. LOL I do like my sequoi very much. Dont think you can find a nicer truck then that. Takes a beating and keep on ticking.

Much regards

your_mom

I hit VTEC every other day in city driving mixed surface streets and urban highway and I get between 18 and 22 mpg. That's calculated off the gas pump and odometer, because I'm anal, not the MID. I once got 16 mpg and discovered I had a dangerously low tire.

Suspension does seem a little rough, but I'm young and don't care.

Something is wrong with the ABS. Mine only kicks in when I have to panic stop because dumbasses in Atlanta can't drive.

Hawhyen51

How's everything goin? It's always refreshing to hear from former TL owners and your objective reviews between the M and TL makes for good reading.

MR1

Hey Flatfoot, always good to get your input. Over about the past 10k miles I average about 15 mpg. Mosly city driving and a lot of sittig on the side of the road looking at paperwork or inputing addresses. I have a small software program to keep track of my expenses and milege. On the highway I tend to drive fast so 26-29 mpg is about it there.

Nothing wrong with the car and I don't have a lead foot. It's just the kind of driving I do for my job. Glad you still like the m35x, it's not that bad looking.

Mike 06 TL

That mileage is crazy low. My '06 is one week old and now has 600 miles on it. I drive 95% pure highway 100 miles round trip to work and back. I am EXTREMELY pleased with the 29-30mpg I have been averaging at 60-80mph.

The roads in PA are terrible and the ride feels fine to me.