JLim

i thought the G35 sedan came out before the coupe... so if i'm correct, they made the car look better by making it two doors...

MR1

FWIW

Took a buddy on the maiden road trip in my new TL last weekend. Today, a few days after the 400 mile trip, he admitted that perhaps he was to hasty in his decision to get a G35 in a few months. He was really impressed with everything TL. I think we will shortly have another convert.

Like the 6MT/5AT discussion, I think that for most RWD/FWD opinions are based on opinion rather than real world facts. For most people, most of the time the TL is at least equal to the G35 Sedan IMHO.

Repecat

After having tried both the G35 and TL in test runs a week apart, I was still unsure as to which I would get. One Saturday I packed up the wife and she and I drove both cars back to back on the same afternoon. That was the clincher! The TL was smoother, quieter, more luxurious, and a few bucks cheaper than the G35. I still like that orangey-red garish color that Infinity has, though.

tlram

to each his own, but i will tell you my story. g35 and tl were my top 2 choices. i was all set on the g35 (as a wanted a rwd) until i drove both. couldnt stand the interior of g35, and was surprised by the handling & power of the tl.

so tl won out by a few points. if you can tolerate g35's interior (i couldnt), it might be more fun (may be an awd version based on where you are). otherwise, get a tl 6MT like me and you wont be sorry !

03TL-S

just so everyone can see the updated g35 sedan, here are some pics from the website







More pics here

http://www.infiniti.com/content/0,,c...-52054,00.html

da_illist_onE

It's a pretty nice update from the previous model. Too bad it still looks like a frog though...

BTW nice avatar.

F23A4

Looks better with the rear spoiler but, I saw that sport pkg up close and it's def a looker. That said, the majority of the posts here are folks justifying the reason(s) for their purchases.

aloedesign, "loud unpleasant (whiny nissan) sounding engine compared to the -you cant tell youre hauling ass- quietness of the TL."?? Was the car you test drove a flood vehicle or something?

My 02 Maxima is as quiet under WOT as the TL 5AT I test drove AND I have a Cattman Y-pipe. The G35X I drove didnt emit ANY discernable engine noise and was quieter than my Maxima. The G35C I test drove made some noise, courtesy of that performance exhaust.

Whiny engines typically refer to Honda motors (high rpm power curve), not Nissans.

iambgood

- It's true that Ashburn has not seen a lot of bad winter weather (bar a blizzard and an ice storm) but mainly I don't want to get salt, sand, and snow on a new car just yet. That's why I'm waiting till March.

- Between the 2 door vs. the 4 door I could honestly care less, the only thing I would probably get out of getting a 2 door is not being DD for my roomates. If I were to get the G35 it would definitely be the 2 Door Coupe, the 4 door looks like a family car. Yes the TL is 4 door's either way, but it has a sportier look than the 4 door G35.

- So far I have owned a 94 Volvo 850 Turbo Stationwagon (which by the way I regret getting rid of because it hauled ass) and my 2000 Jeep Cherokee (College Car). I have never owned a NEW car before and am tired of the SUV (if you can call a Jeep that), so I want something sporty and quick. Basically I want a car that when I drive it around people we be like, Damn ... that's B.Good's Car. (Go ahead and call me vain)

Anyway, thanks for all the reply's and please keep them coming. I'll keep you posted on the situation.



p.s. - my girlfriend has informed me (why she waited so long I will never know) that her father owns an Acura dealership ... which could sway the decsion a bit.

willz822

Not sure if I like the mismatched front seats of the G35. I like everything to be matched and coordinated.

EZZ

My G-coupe is terrible in the rain and probably a whole lot worse in the snow so you should take that into account if you are planning to have only one car. Most of the comments are pretty accurate so far. The g is noisier, way less attractive in sedan form, worse interior, and the Nav isn't as good. By these criteria, the TL is the superior vehicle and would make an excellent automobile by any standards.

However, I would like to interject my opinion on the G35 coupe's strength. It is a significantly better handler (even better than the A-spec) both in terms of driving feel (or dynamics), and objective test results (TL = 64.x, Aspec slalom = 66.7, G-coupe = 67.8). Coupled with a 52:48 weight balance, the Gcoupe has minimal understeer and a very balanced feel to its chassis. The G's automatic tranny is much more robust because it was designed for a V8 and now has a rev-matchcing downshift ability built into the 2005 models. The VQ is simply a more powerful engine with torque to match the horsepower. The new G35 6-speed will come with 298hp and 19 inch forged rims so the handling advantage will further increase over the TL. Finally, Infiniti service is on average better than Acura service. Infiniti has been #1 in customer service for the last 5 years.

I thought I would try to level the playing field more on the hometown crowd

MR1

All in what you want to do with the car on a regular basis. TL is not the best car ever, just the best for me right now.

avs007

I don't recall if you said you were interested in the 5AT or the 6MT? (Either that, or I didn't look hard enough)...

If you choose the 5AT, you'll find the G35's tranny to be much better than Acura's. Manual Mode, will even hold all gears past red line, unlike the TL's auto 1-2 shift.

To add to the previous posters comment, I remember reading a Car and Driver article where they tested the TL vs G35. The TL with Performance Summer Tires still scored worse on the skidpad than the G35 did with "the most conservative tires of the bunch", wearing 17" all season tires. When they tested the G35 with it's optional Performance Tire/Wheel package, it ripped a 0.94 on the skidpad, compared to 0.91 on all seasons, compared to the TL's 0.90 or 0.89 with the HPT.

FWIW, I have no problems in the rain with my car, but I also have the Perfomance Wheel/Tire package. (I think the stock All Season tires are Eagle-RSA, which I know blow in the rain, as that came stock on my other car) And I think living in the PacificNW, I probably get more rain than most...

Dealer experiences will probably vary by region... As for Portland... Yes, Infiniti's service is light years ahead of both acura dealers. The Acura dealers here refused me a loaner when my wife's TL was in for repairs (which took 3 days). They also refused to do the tranny recall unless we had the recall letter in-hand, despite the fact that we verified several different ways, that the VIN was indeed part of the recall campaign. Then when the car was in for service, they tried voiding the warranty on the tranny, because we "didn't bring it in for service, or for a flushing", because the fluid appeared to be burnt. It wasn't until I yelled, screamed, made a scene, and pointed out the manual doesn't recommend a fluid change until 60,000 miles, and even then it was listed as recommended, not required.

Stuff like this, is why I bought my wife's TL 150 miles out of town...

wavshrdr

One thing I like about the 5AT of the TL is the option to start in 2nd gear on slick roads. I could never get this to work on the G35. It is really hard to compare the G35 coupe vs. the TL but if I had to buy only 1 car and lived where there was bad weather it would be the TL. If only had to take 1 passenger and lived in the sunbelt, I'd buy the G35 coupe.

There is no way I'd ever consider the G35 sedan and the interior just sucks too much and overall I don't think the car is as nice looking as the TL. I love the G35 coupe but hate its interior too. Something about the steering wheel I don't like. The buttons feel crappy. Nav is no comparison to the TL's. In my area the Acura dealers are better than or at least equal too the Infiniti dealers. One thing I absolutely hate and has kept me from buying a G35 everytime I look at them is the very narrow cockpit and having the damn seat controls under my thigh. It feels like the car was built for people of smaller size than most Americans.

iambgood

I go to DC a lot for work and other "activities" so I'm leaning towards the AT ... MT in DC would annoy the living hell out of me.

Quick Question: I don't know if this was posted somewhere along this thread, but does anyone know the weight ratio for the TL??? I know the G35 Coupe has the 50/50 which helps it's handeling, but I wanted to know how the TL compared.

PoochaKannInc

Approximately 60/40 I believe. 60% to the front due to the engine/tranny being in the front.

Definitely not as good as the G numbers.

edit:
Just to be clear the MT is 60/40. The AT is 61/39..
Source: www.acura.com

wavshrdr

Curb Weight
Automatic Transmission / Manual Transmission
3575 lb (1621 kg) / 3482 lb (1580 kg)

w/ optional Acura Navigation System
3582 lb (1625 kg) / 3489 lb (1583 kg)

w/ optional high performance tires
N/A / 3491 lb (1584 kg)

w/ optional Acura Navigation System and high performance tires
N/A / 3498 lb (1587 kg)

Weight Distribution (% front / rear)
Automatic Transmission -- Manual Transmission
61.4/38.6 -- 60.0/40.0

w/ optional Acura Navigation System
61.2/38.8 -- 59.9/40.1

w/ optional high performance tires
N/A -- 60.0/40.0

w/ optional Acura Navigation System and high performance tires
N/A -- 59.8/40.2

midas69

Yea, it's funny, the TL has less leg room and less head room. But because of the narrowness of the cabin, it just feels much larger inside.

avs007

Just depends on what you look for in a seat I guess. Most of my friends tell me the seats in my G35 are the most comfortable seats they've ever sat in. And some of them are fairly wide bodied, and some are quite tall. One of my friends just bought an 05' TL, and he said it would've been awesome if my seats were in his car. He chose the TL, because he thought the G35 Sedan was ugly, and didn't want to buy the coupe. He also said the Sedan's seats aren't as comfortable as the coupes, but I didn't even know they were different.

However, I know a handful of people don't like how my seats hug you, and so don't like the large bolsters and such... Like my dad...

I like the Acura Navigation better as far as user interface goes, but I wish it had Bird's Eye View, as I like how I can "see ahead" and see which route it will take me on, etc.

I chose the G35 because my priorities were different than my wifes. She wanted luxury first, fuel economy second, and could care less about performance. So she got the TL for herself.

I wanted performance first, good looks second, luxury third, and as long as fuel economy was ~ 20mpg I was a happy camper. I was coming from a supercharged V6, so I wanted low-end torque, which is another reason I leaned toward the G35. That and I like 2 doors... I thought the interior was fine, because I was coming from a Pontiac GTP, so the interior of the G seemed rather luxurious in comparison.

Since you are talking about the sedan, I'd go for the TL. For me, I favored the GTO and G35 over the TL if I was looking at coupes... When I briefly considered a 4 door, I favored the TL hands down over the G35 Sedan, CTS, and Pontiac Bonneville GXP.

It doesn't sound like any swaying will change your mind
Unless you really like how the rear seats recline in the G35 sedan

F23A4

...sounds like the short & fat crowd found their ride.

midas69

Actually, I'm tall (6'2") and fat (270lbs.) It wasn't so much the seat for me as it was the entire cabin feel. The G35 just felt claustraphobic. Before driving it, the G35X was the car I wanted the most. After driving it, I would have bought another Maxima first.

wavshrdr

I can't say that I am short and fat as I am more like a linebacker. The G35 has slighly more headroom and legroom but the TL has much more hiproom. The TL has a big advantage in interior volume; 6 cubic feet more and that is significant. It makes the interior feel much more spacious.

In the back the TL has more legroom. As for me the last thing I want is someone setting on top of me while I drive. That is where the extra shoulder room is handy and would be even more desirable with the 6MT versions of the car. When I drove the 6MT version of the G35 coupe and sedan I kept smacking my wife's leg on the 4->5 shift and she didn't like it at all.

PoochaKannInc

I don't know why, but I found that extremely funny.

maddog136

I owned a G35 sedan for 14 months. Performance wise, the engine, brakes and steering beat the TL hands down. But I had to sell this "wonderful" vehicle after being unable to find a comfortable seating position for my 5'-11" frame, my right thigh numbing out from the power seat controls in the right thigh bolster and my right calf always rubbing into the console. Plenty of leg room, but accellerator pedal is positioned too high. Nissan/Infiniti designed and built this car for the Japanese market which is evidenced by climate and audio controls placed on the right side of the center stack for RH drive cars. Also had a bad CD changer replaced 2x, and a sunroof control unit when the roof didn't close properly.

avs007

I don't know what you're smoking, where did this 6 cubic ft figure come from? The G35 actually has MORE interior volume than the TL, (granted you can get a G35 without sunroof). But even sunroof to sunroof, the G35 is short only 2 cubic feet. And the cargo volume of the G35 is greater than the TL by 2.5 cubic feet.

Acura TL Specs
Infiniti G35 Specs

wavshrdr

Here is where I got the info as they compare them side by side. As for your information I don't smoke anything. Here is how they break down the passenger volume:

Passenger Volume (cu ft) TL-98 G35c-92 G35s-92
Side by side comparo TL G35 coupe and sedan

avs007

I would go by what Acura/Infiniti publish. That website you pointed out is completely wrong, and stupid in others.

It says that Infiniti doesn't have a 12 volt battery... But it says the TL doesn't have a battery.

It also says G35 doesn't have 2 front power outlets... Too bad it doesn't mention that it actually has THREE front power outlets.

It also says the G35 sedan doens't have front foglights, only the coupe does, even though bouth do. But it points out the sedan has integrated fog lights... (eh?)

It says G35 sedan doesn't have compass, but points out later it has digital compass, but coupe doesn't... But the coupe DOES have a digital compass.

It also says G35 doesn't have digital clock, but it actually does, if you have the Navi.

It says G35 doesn't have automatic headlights with auto off and time delay... But it actually DOES!

It says G35 coupe doesn't have drive by wire, but it DOES!

It says TL has 2 front and 2 rear cupholders for 4 total, and G35 does not. But later it says G35 has Dual front and Dual rear cupholders, 4 Total, and TL does not.

It also says G35 doesn't have rear storage compartment, but it does... It also says G35 does not have Trip Computer, but it does...

I could go on, but I don't think anyone cares... Oh well.....

D_Nyholm

Just to post another perspective on this. It totally depends on what you are looking to do with the car. I bought the G35 coupe because I wanted a sporty car to autocross and do an occasional track event. The car is a great GT car capable of long trips as well, though only for 2 people and very little luggage. If taking long trips with more than 2 people is something you will need the car to do, don't even look at the G35. If you want to be able to track the car and do something more fun than just drive from point a to b, then go for the TL since it will do all of that and more (great power, decent handling). You have to figure what is good for YOU.

I am looking at a TL now so that I have a car that I can take on long trips with more than just me and my wife, and be extremely comfortable at the same time. I'll keep the G as my car for autocrossing and tracking, and the TL for my cruising car.

Either decision you make will be a good one. Let us know how it works out (since you might get a good discount at Acura, you might want to just go that way since the car is a great deal at MSRP!)

EZZ

Great Post! Very different cars for very different purposes.

wavshrdr

avs007- Just like I should believe Acura when they said that the mirrors had integrated signals. What do you think that these sites dream up these numbers? They get them from usually the manufacturers who sometimes publish info with the disclaimer that specifications are subject to change.

What this site does is try to pull as much info together from what the manufacturer provides them and if you look REALLY closely you will see that the bot they use to pull the info can be confused by how each company phrases something to try and differentiate their product from one another. For example Acura calls the 5AT a Sequential Sportshift while other might call it Tiptronic so it is a matter of semantics.

As for the interior volume I was quoting the Acura website backs up the volume I said and it clearly states EPA passenger volume so that is the "official US size". Unlike Infiniti which doesn't state that it is the EPA passenger volume so they could calculate it differently sort of like amplifier power if you don't use comparable standards how can you compare. So you are welcome to worry about the rest of the link but I looked it over and only quoted what was relevant to the discussion.

You can even take a company like Edmunds and their specs differ from what Infiniti publishes. For example Edmunds has a different length for the G35 than Infiniti does. I personally don't believe too much of what I read in a brochure until I see it for myself. If you want to believe the lies they often say be my guest so I usually look for independent verification of what they might write.

I don't have the time to waste to go look at the EPA site. I have an old G35 brochure from when I first looked at them and it said 95 cubic feet for the Sedan and it doesn't specify with or without roof.

I really don't care as you drive the TL and in the Infiniti and it feels much smaller! I haven't seen anyone argue that point yet. Possibly the only way someone might even try is if they are 6"5" and skinny like a rail. If you have the time to waste of minutia be my guest.

D_Nyholm

Well, I don't know how big you guys are, but I have no problems fitting in the G35 coupe (I am 6'2" and 200 lbs.). The only time I run into a problem is with a helmet on or if I try to fit in the backseat which is only good for someone who is 5'8" or shorter. Leg room in the car is incredible. This is one car that I don't put the seat all the way back when I get in. I usually leave it about 1.5" from the rear stops. The sedan has even more room. I have about 3" of clearance in the front of the sedan with the same amount of legroom. I also don't rake my seat all the way back.

When I test drove the TL, I would say that it was about the same interior size as the G35 sedan. Though the trunk seemed a lot bigger and it seemed that there was more room between the passenger and myself (I would guess it is about 1" wider inside). The rear seats actually seemed to have less legroom and my head hit the ceiling in the rear though it doesn't it in the G35 sedan. Maybe that is why I think the G35 sedan is ugly compared to the TL.

I didn't think this person was looking for a which car is better thread, just a which car is better for ME thread. To each his own. Depends on what you are looking for!

rets

.

iambgood

Nyholm - Couldn't agree more, I posted this thread to get a bunch of opinons from people who have had the same dilemma. When I went to the dealer I just got a bunch of biased answers telling me how great their car was over the other. Granted this is an Acura site, but it seems a lot of people had decided between the two. Thanks again all for the opinions.

Now back to business ... I know the G35 has that thing where if your hand is in the window it won't roll up, but does the TL have this option? And, is it true that you can program the TL's remote to roll down all the windows by holding it down for an amount of time?

I've been reading around in some car magazine's and have heard that the Acura's have been having transmission problems. Fact or BS?

Happy Friday Everyone

Cheers

wavshrdr

TL has pinch protection on the windows. I think most lux or semi-lux cars have that now.

TL remote will roll down the windows.

I personally can't comment on the tranny issues as I haven't owned mine long enough. Almost every car has a weakness so you need to determine if the car you are considering's weakness is enough of a deal-killer that you won't buy it. Transmissions are expensive but the warranty should cover it.

EZZ

The current TL doesn't seem to have tranny problems yet but that is yet to be determined. The previous TLS w/260 hp had a tranny made of glass. Go look at the Acura CL forum which has a much higher number of the S-type model w/260 hp (same tranny). Seems like half their population had trannies that failed A FWD layout will most likely have a weaker auto tranny due to everything being crammed in the front. You have to miniaturize much more than a RWD auto tranny so you lose robustness.

avs007

You should've seen when I went SUV shopping. The Acura dealer told me the MDX was MORE SPORTIER than the Infiniti FX. They even said the FX drives LIKE A TRUCK!

When I was cross shopping the TL and G35, I also stopped by the Lexus dealer. I looked at the GS300. They told me the GS300 was superior because it was "made of stone", and so rattle free and quiet. They said it doesn't "need" more power, because people prefer the quiet cabin over a powerful engine. He asked if I wanted to go on a test drive... I said, "No Thank you"

Nevermind the fact that a few years ago, when I bought my other car, this dealer actually refused to let me test drive a car, because they told me, "We are not in the business of letting high schoolers come in here and joyride in our vehicles." I was so pissed I made a huge scene in the middle of the showroom floor... (I was 24 at the time, and there with my wife, so why he thought I was a highschooler was beyond me)

Has that happened to anyone? (Just curious if anyone got harsh treatment from any dealers)

MADCAT

Well, you have to agree withe dealer. Smart dealers know better than to let people joy ride in their cars, becasue chances are, most people do.

EZZ

Yeah but some salespeople are plain stupid. One guy threw me off the lot because I thought one of their cars were overrated. He even told me to f---- off and insulted me! I had him fired.

When i was younger, people always thought I was much younger than I really was...maybe its hard to tell Asian's actual age? Also made it harder to get taken seriously when shopping cars.

shodog

You have to realize that a substantial amount of the salespeople know less about the car they are selling than you. I have heard some stupid $hit out of the mouths of salespeople. I just take them with a grain of salt

As for test driving a car, I would venture to say that the majority of buyers do go and joy ride cars. but that is the reason for dealerships in the first place. Before we bought our G my wife and I went to test drive a Mitsu EVO 8. after the test drive my wife is like, Ya it's fast but it isn't very nice. so I told the salesman we were going to look around more. He wanted us to go back in to talk to his sales manager to explain the reason why we had just put 6 miles on a new car and weren't going to buy it. I thought WTF? I then proceeded to poitn out all of the miscommings of the car. My wife was totally turned off by the experience.

D_Nyholm

Just to let you know, the G has the anti-pinch and you can also rol lthe windows down with the FOB. You can't roll them back up unless you get a little chip a guy on G35driver.com sells. I think it is only like $50, but it requires taking apart the dome light and wiring some stuff in there. Does the TL roll the windows up for you? That is a pretty cool feature. I did notice a TL A-spec in the parking lot that turned the headlights on when he unlocked it. Is that normal??? It looked pretty cool!!

rontatuaf

Whinny Honda engines???!!! What have you been smoking? Even on competitors forums where flaming Hondas and Acuras is considered a noble career have I ever heard Honda engine sounds as being described as whinny.
Certainly what you meant to say was" the cacaphony of mechanical music generated by tight tolerances, high compression, low restriction inlets and exhausts and the magic of VTEC." Certainly that's what you meant to say.