For those of you on the fence about trading in your 07-08 TLS for an infiniti G37s…

I bought a new an auto 07 TLS back in September of 07 (ASM/Black). As I have been driving Manual Transmission cars, In September of 08, I bought a new MT ‘08 infiniti G37S (blue slate/grey) coupe and sold the acura not long after. This post is to provide personal feedback on both cars and to a certain degree, the brand comparison between infiniti and acura.

Drivetrain; Can’t directly compare since the one car was an auto and other was a manual. Though, I did test drive the MT acura prior to purchasing and felt that the Acura clutch engagement feel and shift gate was a bit better. I did enjoy the paddle shift and smooth TLS auto.

Engine: G37. The TLS felt smooth from day 1, though not as strong as the G37. At around 15M miles, it seems that the infiniti finally “broke in” and felt much smoother and stronger. At 15M the G37 has a much stronger engine and much better stock exhaust note.

Chassis/ Susp; Tie: G37 has the upper hand being rear drive, higher spring rate and much stickier 19” tires. Of course we pay for it in terms of comfort as the G37 is super bouncy on anything less than perfect roads. Better brake feel in the G37 as well. TLS, better steering feel, more stable and Euro feeling, the G37 is light and twitchy. TLS is super smooth without giving too much up in terms of handling.

Interior: TLS: TLS has the upper hand in material feel, layout and user-friendliness. TLS is quiter and more refined. Seats in the TLS are super comfortable and just as supportive, the G37 seats will make you wish you have the TLS seats back. Shallow cupholders in the G37 is useless for anything other than a small soda can. The ability of not taking your key out of your pocket to open/lock doors and start the car is nice on the G37.

Navi: TLS: G37 locks you out of navi, settings and many other functions while the car is moving. This makes the TLS a much enjoyable drive. Trust me, being locked out of functions is really irritating. For example, when driving out of town and looking for nearby restaurants while moving, you can only few 4 options on screen and the scroll down function is locked. Same thing with gas station. A side note, there are no arrows telling you whether the nearby selections are behind you, in front of you or parallel to you in gthe G37. Voice Control; forget about it in the G37: short list of commands, not intuitive at all, in the TLS, it is very enjoyable and user friendly. I miss it.

Audio: G37: Much cleaner and stronger sound. Not really an audiophile, but notice the difference in the 2. G37 has a much better Ipod integration.

Dealership/Service; I have been to a few different acura and infiniti dealerships; the acura service is better. More knowledgeable and have much better/cleaner loaners. The loaners from any infinity dealership is always beat up, dirty and old feeling. Though most of them are the newer G35. The TLS was 33K brand new (negotiated price), the G37S was 41K brand new (negotiated price) with premium and navigation packages.

My conclusion is that for above average 40K price-range, these 2 vehicles are very comparable. I don’t feel that one is a step above the other due to some tradeoffs mentioned above. Especially when you take into consideration price differences between the 2.

By the way, I also looked at IS350 (too small and bouncy), BMW 335i (faster than the G, but not as exciting in terms of chassis and engine note) and C350 (cheap interior, pricey and a bit slow for the cash)…

 

Thanks for the honest and thorough comparison. I went from an 07 G35 coupe 6MT to an 08 TL Type-S 5AT, so I sorta know where you're coming from.

Just a few points:

-I miss the exhaust note of the G. The TL-S has a nice low grumble, but I wish it was just a bit louder.

-You're right about the Infiniti seats. The seats on my G were some of the most uncomfortable I've ever experienced. Whoever designed them so that the power seat buttons are wedged under the right thigh should be shot (although I think they fixed this problem with the G37). Acura TL-S leather is much softer and more comfortable (though more prone to scuffs).

-The G was super bouncy as hell on less-than-perfect roads. While I can appreciate the better handling, the jarring ride got pretty old for me, which was a big reason why I got rid of the car (it was my daily commute car). The TL-S is a much more comfortable daily driver, and I'm willing to sacrifice the slight loss in handling prowess.

-I thought the G had much superior steering feel than the TL-S. The TL-S is nice and weighted, but a bit too floaty. The G's steering felt precise -- not quite up to BMW levels, but close.

-Acura's interior is superior in every way to the previous generation G. I know the new Gs have much nicer interiors, but I wasn't too impressed with the loaners I drove. Still felt a little plasticy.

-I have to disagree with you about Infiniti service. I always received top notch service from them. For some reason, I always feel like I'm being ripped off by Acura service people. Also, I hate my Acura dealership's policy that they will only give you a loaner if your car has to stay overnight. Some of us have to work for a living. I never had any hesitation from an Infiniti dealership when I asked for a loaner, and it was always a nice late model G sedan.

In summary, the G35 coupe 6MT felt more like a weekend car for me. It felt very raw and uncompromising, and I think I would have kept it if I were still in my 20s. But I'm in my mid-30s now and I must be getting old. I just want a daily driver that is smooth, comfortable and has a decent amount of power and handling capability. Design is also important. The TL-S fits the bill in every way.

 

thx for your feedback..I'm sure it'll help those in the market.

I'll personally lean towards a G37S for more than one obvious reason but it doesn't mean the TLS is not a beauty. Acura simply doesn't make their cars with competition in mind which is why they've avoided a 2dr model nor even bother with choosing the rear drivetrain.

 

Nice writeup its good to know our TL-S does stand up against a lot of cars and in some cases exceeds them. So far EVERY report I have read people say the Acura TL-S interior is better than pretty much every car in its class. It sure does look pretty!

James

 

I have the opposite experience. The two acura dealers near me always try to get me into a rental car as opposed to an Acura loaner. The one closer to my work said they only give acura loaners if your service is one day or less, otherwise they give you a rental car. The loaners from these two dealers have typically been enterprise cars, with a few TSX here and there.

The service department is also a bit shady. The one near my house told me I need a radiator flush cuz the coolant was old, even tho they replaced the radiator a few weeks prior. They told me I need new tires, even tho the tires were only one week old. (They admitted they were going by mileage, not by actually looking at it)... They also tried to void my tranny warranty.

The one closer to my work, my coworker took his TL there to get his power steering fixed... The techs crashed his car. I took my TL there to get a tire patched since I was close by, and I had a nail in the side of the tire. (I was running on donut with the flat in trunk). This dealer told me they don't do tires, and said I should go to a tire shop. (All the local tire shops were closed already). I ended up going to a nearby Honda dealer, who happily patched the tire on our TL.

The Infiniti dealer on the other hand. I always got Infiniti loaners. The one time I went and they ran out, they took me to the back lot, and said I could choose any car I wanted as a loaner. So I chose an FX45 that was sitting there. When they pulled it up later, I saw it only had 7 miles on the clock.

Another time I was there for other reasons, and was inquiring about a door handle cuz I told them I wanted to go for a cleaner look and get rid of the key hole on the driver's side. The parts guy said it sounded like a slick idea, and said he would give me the parts for free. Sure enough, a week later he called me, and said the parts came, and I went to pick it up, and he gave them to me for free. Even said if I was there for any service work, he'd install it for free too.

Acura parts department couldn't even get their parts correct. One time I called to get touch up paint. I told them my car was, "Redondo Red Pearl", and they said, "There is no such color in the system. It looks like your car is actually Ruby Red Quartz"... Ok whatever... They said they had it in stock, so I had them hold it for me... I drive over to pick it up... The bottle said, "Redondo Red Pearl"

I went and had a spoiler installed at a 3rd acura dealer. (The one I actually bought the car from). Drove 2 hours to the dealer to get it installed. I get a loaner, they tell me to go have fun as it will take 8 hours... I come back 8 hours later, and see my car in the parking lot... NO WORK WAS DONE. I go inside. They said they ordered the wrong color spoiler... They gave me no reason as to why they didn't call me to inform me earlier so that I didn't have to waste an entire day....

 

I cross shopped the Infiniti models too and ended up with a TL. I liked the IS350 but it was just too small (never did the ES though, maybe I should have but the interior was pretty similar) The G35s were just kind of odd on the inside and out, it felt much older than the Acuras that I drove.

I didn't do any "testing" or anything like that, I just drove them all, and bought the one I liked the best.

 

i hate inifinitis interior. i hate it with passion. And the cars tooooo common. You hardly see girls or old folks driving tl-s where else the infiniti G is driven by prety much everyone. I thought the g35 or g37 sedan was hot and sexy as hell when it first came out. After looking at TL-S, forget about it.

 

Somehow at the time of my first TL, I felt TL is more refined & less of rocket boy image .. been with Acura ever since ... service is okay over the years (getting better) & reliability is the key for me keep coming back to Acura though ... don't know enough people driving Infiniti so can't really tell ... but recently two of my friends opted to get G35 sedan, so in a few years, I will check up on them ...

 

G37S FTW!! I'm not biased or anything...

 

I didn't like the look of the 1st gen G sedan either inside or out but the 2nd gen sedan looks great, and I think I would prefer a 2nd gen G sedan over a TL of the same year simply because it's rwd and faster. The TL can't even launch fast because its tires will just spin.

Of course a 335 beats them both.

The TL does have a nicer interior than anything in its class though, no one can argue with that.

 

No offense to women and "old folks". As far as being 'driven by pret(t)y much everyone', I'd say it shows that Infiniti has a good business model when it comes to that model.

 

^

I've always thought.... who really cares? If you're so insecure as to avoid getting a car because you think people think that only x group drives it, then you're not focusing on the bigger picture.... the car itself. If it matters, the ONLY and I mean ONLY drivers of 3G TL-S's that I've seen in this area are older Asian ladies.

The front end of the G sedan is kinda ehh to me lately, though I used to really like it. I would take a 6MT TL-S over any G37 sedan though. But the G37S coupe all around is a stunner. I would gladly take one over a TL-S. This is an Acura site after all though, so I wouldn't be surprised by biased responses.

I actually really like the G interior, having spent a lot of time in my friend's G37S coupe. The rear is a bit tight headroom wise since the roof slopes so shallowly though, but I rarely sit straight up and right against the seatback so it doesn't bother me.

 

Couldn't agree more. A "Mary Kay" pink VW New Beetle is a chick car. Everything else is just a good car driven by women.

I can't figure out if it's insecurity or misogyny but it's a tired argument.

 

LOL there's an older (50-ish probably) asian lady who drives a TL-S in my neighborhood.

 

Okay IGTC, I will make sure drive around your neighborhood more often from now ... LOL ...

 

I'm just saying as a matter of observation, heh. I wouldn't mind driving a 3G TL-S at all, because I like the car a lot. I just can't believe someone would care about who drives their cars. I mean, the only thing I'd care about is if there were widespread, proven news reports that up 90% of (insert car) drivers are Nazis or KKK members, which even then is near impossible. I could care less if a stranger thinks I'm a douchebag for driving a certain car, though if I look or act like a douche, that's another thing.

Seriously.... how do you hate the G's interior? Looks are subjective, but I can hardly see how someone could think it's ugly or cheap, unless they drive a Bentley.... or their opinion is clouded by their bias.

 

While we're on the topic of who drives what cars...it's just my observation, but in my area, those in BMWs drive like douchebags, and those in Toyotas drive overly conservative and too slow.

 

except for Prius drivers

 

MODERATOR'S NOTE: The OP was nice enough to provide us with a thoughtful comparison between to great entry level sports sedans based on his experience. So, let's get this thread back on track and not digress (or regress) into a discusion of 'which type of person drives what type of car'. (The latter being a discussion that rarely bears good fruit.)

 

i love the 3rd gen TL / TL-S body style and interior (minus the tape deck), but yearn for RWD.

 

nova_G: Prius drivers are alright, I suppose! :P

I agree, I wish the TL-S came with RWD. Other things I think Honda could have done better is to put in a smaller/thicker steering wheel, and eliminated all of the annoying issues that made me take the car back to the dealer for service (I've took the car in more than 10 times now, since I bought the car, though my acura dealer's exceptional service has made it bearable). And the car can use more storage cubbies, especially one where I can stash my loose change: the coin holder in the armrest compartment is not enough, and it doesn't do anything for my pennies! Other than those, I love my TL. The car's power is more than adequate, styling had me from the day Honda released the 3rd gen TL, I like that it has 4 doors and is roomy, and the driver's seat is very comfortable (I have a lower back pain, and other cars have been an issue for me, but not this car).

I do have to say, though, that the G37 was the one car that really made me ponder about trading my car in...it's a very sexy car!! But for now, I think I'll be keeping the TL-S.

 

Ouch, the FWD was what pushed me in the TL direction away from G35. Sure it handles better, but I live in an area with snow and I am trying to cut down on the phone calls from my wife that start out like this "Uhm, sorry I put your car in the ditch...again"

 

its not about being insecure. When purchasing a car i don't soley base my judgement on as to who drives the car or whether it's common or not. i only mentioned it because its a valid statement. It's true that g35/37 is more common than TL type s. You're make an assumption basing it on one single statement. It was merely an opinion since it pertains to the topic of comparing the G and the TL. Its like me telling you that you're ignorant for admiring the G's interior. That's just your opinion and i have nothing against it. You like what you see. And obviously i see many people driving G37 and i'm just not fond of people driving same cars all around me. That's all. I never used the statement "And the cars tooooo common. You hardly see girls or old folks driving tl-s where else the infiniti G is driven by prety much everyone" as a reason why i had purchased a tl over the G. So please let's not jump to conclusion and assume based on one's mere opinion.

 

Thanks for the feedback...I would like to add;
My comparison is for G37S coupe, not sedan. For your reference, I looked at the G35 (same as G37sedan bodystyle) prior to getting the TLS. As you can see, the TLS won out when compared to G35/G37sedan. In terms of handling between the RWD/FWD. At the end of the day, the difference is negligible for road use. I also had a boxster with 3.4l (911 engine) not too long ago...with this car compared to TLS/G37/IS/etc., I can tell the difference in their handling even in street usage.

 

I agree, they're pretty close in regular driving, enough not to really notice a meaningful difference in performance. It really comes down to preference, and I'm just a coupe guy.

Its only my opinion too. It could be my opinion for thinking you're ignorant for "hating" a car's interior. That's fine with me, I just don't agree with it. Its just that when someone mentions one thing about a car compared to another, usually they're suggesting one aspect is better the other. I usually don't try to assume anything either so sorry if I did.... its just that some things just aren't relevant enough to mention especially in a comparison of two cars