I'm a current Nissan Maxima owner thinking of upgrading to an Infiniti G35 or Acura TL (auto). I deferred on an 04 G35 due to the sub-par interior. I've now seen in person an 05 G35 interior and the improvement is incremental, but noticable, particular the console area. It still seems a notch under the impressive interior of the TL. In addition, the 05 G35 sedan exterior styling seems even more bland than the 03-04.

I have test driven an 05 TL and it seemed more "refined" than the G35, but, not surprisingly, a tad nose-heavy in the handling dept.

I also noted a slight "buzzing" or for a lack of a better description a "tingling" harmonic at a certiain RPM (which I don't recall). I have read on this forum that this might be an inherent issue?

Another issue that surprises me on the Acura side is the SOHC engine - this seems a step backward, but perhaps it's just academic? Obviously, the horsepower is there, so maybe the lack of that extra cam means little?

Minor things I wasn't wild about:

- The blue gauges take some getting used to
- non-body-colored splash guards look bad on light colors

Otherwise, it seems like a worthy contender.

So, for any TL owners that considered the G35, what tipped the scales for you?

 

Living in IL, I was scared off by the G35s RWD.

 

Sounds like you're looking for something to convince you. Drive them both, see what you feel. As long as you're not in over you head, there should be an element of emotion involved. Color of splashguards?! Not really that important...

 

Around this time last year, I started getting the itch for the then new G35. But a few things held me off. At the time I had a 2002 Altima SE which I had modded with some power improving bolt-ons. I was a little put off by the interior of the G35.. I especially did not care for the location of the power window switches. And I didn't like the fact that with this car, you had to select options packages to get it loaded up the way you wanted.

But perhaps the biggest thing was what was starting to show up with the Altimas and Maximas. Things like clutch complaints and blown MAFs (my MAF blew in March of this year) and a few other things. I suspected the same things could show up in the Infiniti since after all, it is a Nissan.

While I think the G35 is a good looking car, I think the TL is drop dead gorgeous. And the interior of the TL is awesome. When I test drove the TL, all bets were off. This is a fine car and more than meets my expectations in this catagory.

I do think G35 has the TL beat in a few areas, though. For one thing, I do not like engines with timing chains and can't imagine why Honda insists on continuing with this nonsense. That and the fact that Honda makes interference engines to boot!

The other thing is engine size. Both of these cars need larger engines, but at least the G35 engine is 214 cubic inches. The Honda engine is only 196 cubes. These cars really need to increase engine displacement to around 220 cubic inches. But I will say that the VQ25 engine in the G35 is a sweet piece of machinery.. they both are, really.

All in all, if I had it to do again, I would still pick the TL.

 

I looked at G35...

It came down to styling..and features. TL has more.

You will know what's "right for you" once you've driven them both..

good luck... they are both fine cars!

 

Having both (TL primary driver and significant other driving G35), the Infiniti is a better pure driver's car (comparable to German cars). The TL has more interior space but no chance of fold-down rear seat (or recline like the G35 option package), audio systems are similar (a nod to the TL with the enhanced features), and exterior styling is just a matter of preference (I like both).

Clearly if I had to choose one car I'd go with the TL, if for nothing more than the better interior (since that's where I spend my time...).

-josh

 

I was in exactly the position. Previous car was fully loaded 2002 Maxima and I bought my TL on Thursday. Hopefully this will help.

I test drove 4 cars, the TL, the 2005 Maxima, not sure of the year Murano and the 2004 G35X. Let me hit them one at a time.

The TL was the first one, but I'll get back to that. Next was the G35X. Living in Chicago, the RWD Infiniti line has never interested me. But the prospect of AWD tempted me to look at it. I test drove the G35X immediately after driving the TL. I was immediately hit with the cheap appearance of the interior. And despite the numbers that say the interior is bigger than the TL, it just felt really narrow. It drove real nice and the AWD was an excellent feel.

But I couldn't handle the interior. I was going to wait till I could see a 2005 but the more I thought about it, I finally gave up the notion. With the AWD and all the other goodies you're looking at over $38K. And since the 2005 hadn't even hit Chicago, I was pretty sure they weren't going to be offering any real deals any time soon. So even if it looked better, I just couldn't see paying a $4K or so premium over the TL.

Next up was the 2005 Maxima. I was actually kind of impressed by the interior. The center stack was very nice, if a little busy. But there were some downsides. The most important thing is they still haven't addressed the torque steer issue. And it was worse in the 2005 than in my 2002, which is pretty bad. After driving 2 Maximas in a row, I just didn't want to deal with the torque steer again. The TL, at least in the automatic, is a much more controlled vehicle.

I was interested in the Murano because of the AWD. But one look at the inside just turned me off. Even more important, the idea of not having a trunk just bothered me. I like to drive with my golf clubs all the time and I can't imagine listening to them rattling around all the time.

Now, on to the TL. I liked the blue dash lights. I think it looks really nice, especially compared to the putrid orange of the G35. The Navigation system was also a big plus for me. For some reason, Nissan no longer offers the touch screen. I'm very used to having it. I didn't really test out the Nav on the newer ones, but the one in the TL is much faster and much more advanced than the one in my current Maxima. The voice recognition is a pure extra.

The interior was the first thing that struck me when I drove the TL. And it was the one thing that stuck with while driving all the others. I never did see the 2005 G35, but I just can't imagine that it's as nice. I also think the stero is much higher quality.

As nice as the TL interior is, there are some features missing that are on both the Infiniti and Maxima. It's missing the automatic headlights. The steering wheel adjustments are manual instead of electric and of course it doesn't swing out of place when you get out of the car. The steering wheel isn't heated either.The seat also doesn't automatically go back when you get out. Interior storeage is also pretty skimpy.

It wasn't an easy decision. But the positives outweighed the negatives for me.

 

Here we go again! lol, I'd say hands down TL. Would you expect a different answer??

 

Drive 'em both....they're both excellent cars. If I was going 2 door, it'd be the G35 hands down. But 4 were needed, and the TL -- both in and out -- beat the OLD G body. I really like the pics I've seen of the new G Sedan, but have to see 'em in person. New tail lights are sweet...and so are the new interior changes.

Barking from those in G land are centered around the front seat issues (some low back pain for certain folks due to crappy button placement) and oil guzzling engines that are getting waaaaay low mileage (16-18 mpg).

Barking from TL folks centers around RATTLES (I'm one of them....been in the shop 3 times now for some rather loud and annoying crap...not taking it back until they're gone). Early builds had the tranny recalled, but we all hope this is a blip. Honda/Acura does not have a good track record here, so fingers are crossed that it doesn't extend further.

Anywho -- go have fun driving. No car is perfect. And both are great bangs for the proverbial buck!

 

JerryG, welcome to our humble abode and thank you for your interest in our beloved TL . The G35 vs. TL debate has been dealt with in multiple threads over the last year. You may want to search for similar threads as they will undoubtedly provide you with the answer to your question. You'll find that many people question the G35's interior and, in northern climes, the RWD; both of these features changed this year with improvement of the interior and the development of the G35x (AWD).

We have a policy of moving "vs" threads such as this one to our "Cars and Bikes" forum, and so it will go there.

Again, welcome! This is a large site with lots of info to find....

 

One thing u must understand is...if you just want a nice comfortable ride...get the TL...if you are planning to do big things to it...like exhaust, intake, and all the sporty stuff...like S/C or turbocharge get the G35 sedan. IMO...if you live in a place that snows..I would get the TL. =-) That is one of the reason I got a 03 TL rather than a G35...also I dislike the styling of the 35...all aluminum interior...I was like??? No class. =T

 

Nobody told you about the G35x AWD?

 

i'd take g35coupe (not sedan) over TL

 

if the new G35s look like this stock like they do in japan, then i'd say the exterior styling's really nice...and would take it over the TL in a heartbeat



but i'd go with the TL jus cus it looks sooo much better than the G35s...now the coupe, that's a different story....if u're into modding, then the G is prolly the way to go

 

Actually the 05's Sedan is gonna look like that except for the side mirrors and the exhaust. That exhaust is nasty anyways IMO. Thats pretty much how the stock is gonna look like except for the lip/splash guard which gonna be an option...

 

I was "sold" on the G for a long time....was definitely going to be my next car. I drove the 2nd Gen TL and found that, while it was a nice car, it didn't 'grab me' the way the G did. Then along came the 3rd Gen TL.....I made a point to drive both cars on the same day and was sold on the TL....largely because of the difference in the interior. The G is definitely a great car....and exactly what I would be driving today if the new TL hadn't come along. I just like the much nicer (IMO) interior of the TL along with the gadgets (especially the bluetooth). I think it all comes down to your personal preferences....I don't think you'll go wrong either way. Best of luck!

 

Probably not a deal-breaker, but when cars that cost $10K less have body-colored splash guards...

On light colors, they look like they ran out to Advance Auto Parts and slapped them on. On dark colors they are not noticeable.

 

You must have meant "timing belt" instead of timing chain. The Nissan engines use timings chains while the Honda/Acura's use timing belts, AFAIK, which could indeed be very bad news if they do happen to break (I assume not all that likely).

 

Good catch on that Jerry. The VQ35DE does use a timing chain.

I had two cars with timing belts (89 Eagle Summit, 89 Plymouth Colt GT...same cars basically) and the timing belt snapped on both. Luckily, I was save the repair costs on both via a warranty on one and a recall on the other. Chain>Belt

 

I looked at both, but quite honestly never really considered the G35 for styling reasons. It looks way too much like a Maxima with different lights and grill. I know the TL based on the Accord, but no one can confuse the two.

G35 is a nice car, but too plain in the styling dept.

 

sorry, but no one can confuse a maxima and a G35....

 

Well I owned a 03.5 G35 sedan for about nine months and while I liked the handling and power of the car I never got used to the interior. Nissans use of cheap looking plastics and a terrible sound system really wore on me. I even spent a lot of money for aftermarket speakers and amps to make the sound system better sounding. It never did. I swore after selling my G, my next car would have a nice interior and a sound system that I would not have to upgrade. I found those attributes in a TL. I enjoy this car so much.

 

Between this TL forum and the G35driver forums theres an underlying irony: many 04 TL owners who've considered the G35 say they dont like the G35's poor quality interior (compared to the TL) yet, there are so many posts dedicated to the rattles and drooping headliners evident in the TL versus little about the G35's actual cheapness.

Sometimes you have choose between "seems cheap" and "certifiably cheap". Maybe Infiniti didnt get the memo that they should be the one with extensive rattles and drooping headliners, not Acura. Then again, Infiniti は100% の日本語である。

 

Does this ring a bell of whats to come?









And here is the M45

 

M35??

 

The G35 interior looks cheap but there is no denying that I have absolutely no rattles (not a single one) in my g35 coupe.

You have to consider that the cost of ownership will also be higher for the G35. My Michelin Pilot Sports will set me back $1.2k every year (they only last around 15k) because tire rotation isn't possible with the staggered setup. My brakes will only last around $20k before I have to replace them and I bet my rotors won't last much longer afterwards. Its all worth it

 

 

I think you need new glasses if you think the G35 looks way too much like a Maxima

 

Oh I had plenty of rattles in my G35. Infinity did take care of them and when I sold the G, it didn't have one rattle left. Then there were issues of grabby brakes and a too soft brake rotor. My TL has rattles but I know the techs will find them and get rid of them. IMO I don't think that you can get a car that is perfect from the factory regardless of price.

 

The timing chain in an old GM that I had broke at 105,000 and destroyed the engine. Timing belts are maintenance items, and if they break, the result tends to be a bit less costly. Honda typically calls for them around 90k-100k. I don't believe timing chains are considered maintenance items since they do tend to last longer.

Plus, those cars you mention are Chryslers - no wonder. Good ol' American cars.

 

When I was looking for a new car, I narrowed it down to 2 cars quickly - the TL and the G35. I drove the G35 first, and it felt OK to me. The interior/exterior "style" and ergonomics of the interior were the major things that I didn't care for after the test drive. Things like the power seat buttons, the radio control (no knobs, volume on right), etc. seemed to lack thought to me. However, the drive didn't impress me as much as I thought/hoped it would. I was looking for a 6 speed, and the shifter didn't do it for me - it was much less "slick" than I was used to. The power felt good, but not as impressive as I expected.

Then I drove the TL. I liked the style a lot (conservative, but very handsome). The interior was exceptional, as were the overall ergonomics - almost everything was where it should be. I also liked the drive of the TL much better. The engine felt smoother to me, and the 6 speed felt much better to me - the shifter was very short and precise. The clutch was very smooth, although it was a little less precise than I was used to. This didn't bother me, however, since it was actually easier to drive because of this (it covered up my messed up shifts). Also, the ride felt smoother, and the interior seemed roomier.

Overall, it ended up that the TL beat out the G35 in my opinion in every category that mattered to me. So, I bought the TL. Now, almost a year later, I wouldn't change my decision. I've had a few rattles, tire issues, etc, but overall, the car is excellent.

 

I havent seen much confidence from a few folks on this board that Acura service can remedy the rattles effectively. Particularly after reading where a couple of TL owners are looking at apply double sided tape to fix it themselves.

Again, this is no flame on the TL. I personally think it has more style and appeal than the G35 sedan. IMHO in 95% of driving situations, the TL's FWD layout has no disadvantage compared with the G35's RWD (assuming you autox 5% of the time ). But, I have to keep it real. I hear far less complaints from the G crowd.

Another irony: my 02 Maxima JUST (30 mos/32k miles into ownership) developed a slight dashboard buzz around the HU. But an upgrade to a Kenwood Excelon should fix that.

 

The only think Chrysler about the Colt and Eagle was the owner's manual and a better warranty. They were basically rebadged Mitsubishi Mirage's built in Japan; my Colt GT (aka Mitsu Mirage Turbo) had a 4G61t motor and was pretty much the predecessor to the Evolution. My Eagle had a NA version of that same motor.


Mirage Turbo

 

Mitsubishi and Chrysler have some history together (Diamond Star Motors), so I pretty much consider them the same thing. Plus, I also have very little respect for Mitsubishi from a quality point of view.

 

The Summit/Colt preceded Diamond Stars. The Diamond Star Motors assembled the 'triplets' in the Normal, Illinois assembly facility. My cars were just flat out built by Mitsubishi in Japan (as was indicated in both owner's manuals. ) and badged as Chryslers.

 

Well, my original thoughts of getting a car after my GS300 lease is up was the next gen GS or the next gen M35. Both won't be out for at least 4 months, so forget about those. They will also probably be too much more than I want to spend in it's initial introduction. That concluded those thoughts and made me switch to the TL, G35x and RX330. Being that I'm in the car business, I'm a broker dealing with any make and any model, it makes it easier for me to get the best cars at the best prices.
The wife loves the RX, I was considering it, but it was leasing out a little out of my price range. I woul be able to afford it, but I didn't want to spend that much. It too would be my first choice, coming out of a Lexus and being fairly satisfied.

I drove the TL-and liked it, but my wife didn't. One other thing that disturbed me about the TL was the horn. I used it once and it scared the crap out of me! I imagine that they put the horn in the same place where horns would normally be, usually behind the grille, but for some reason it sounded like it was right behind the firewall...I noticed this in more than one TL that I have driven, so I pretty much counted it out, in addition to the bad lease programs they have on the car now.
I took my wife to take the G35 for a ride. Initially when it came out I didn't like the interior much, but the car overall slowly grew on me. I'm very close with a certain Infiniti dealer and he pretty much does anything for me. He took care of me when I got my brother his FX (including giving me lifetime servicing for free). The programs were very good for the G35x, so I put it in front of everything else. Fully loaded with navigation and every other option, it priced out almost $100 less per month than the RX without nav and the TL with nav. I was set on it. I reserved an '04 Diamond Graphite/Black G35x.
Then I saw the '05. It looked much nicer, and added a lot more of the luxuries that I am used to, as well as some that I wanted to have, most notably the Intelligent key and the nicer interior/exterior. I didn't know when the 05's would be out, so I was set on the '04. I wasn't happy about getting the '04, but I figured I'm getting a great price for a car with Nav and I'm saving money, so why not. At this point nobody at Infiniti knew when the '05's would be out, so I stuck with the '04. A couple weeks went by, then I found out the '05's were out, I immediately priced it out and reserved one (Diamond Graphite with Stone <grey> interior). My wife's preference was a lighter interior (my last 2 cars had a black gut), but being that we were going with the '04, their "willow" interior was too light, so we were going to go with the black. The '05 solved that problem. The pricing was a little more than the 04's, but I was set.
Then I find out this week that they came out with a crazy program for the RX330. I priced it out, and now it's only a few dollars more than the loaded '05 G35 that I have reserved, but without Nav. The program for the RX ends on the 23rd, so I need to decide quick. I really wanted the Nav, but it's almost $50 more per month than what my max payment goal is. If I got the RX with nav, it would be more expensive than the G35x, but the lease term is 6 months less, so dollar for dollar, the RX might be a better choice. My wife is looking at it differently, trying to save more in the per month area, as opposed to the total payments figure at the end of both leases. She's telling me to stick with the G35, but now i'm REALLY undecided..I have to come up with a solution by monday or tuesday the latest, as my lease is up on the 27th of this month..Oh well I'm about to myself and pick a piece of paper out of a hat to decide..
Ed

 

I understand completely. I bought the RX330 this year and plan the G35x for next summer. Out here in the heartland spaces are wide open and the cost of living is low so I just plan to get both.

 

Get the RX330. Its waaaay more luxurious and your wife will LOVE it.

 

the g35 needs a coupe version to beat the TL otherwise no one would bother

 

I thought the RX330s run into the 40s. My wife wants one, but I counted it out because of that. Too much bread for my liking. Just wondering, what are you looking to pay for the RX330 (or do they not talk about that in a lease)?