G35 Sedan vs. '04 Acura TL...Opinions?

Post by **theslik1** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 5:22 am

Greetings to all G35 sedan owners! I'm currently in the market for a new sedan and have narrowed the field to the G35 5AT w/Premium Package & Sport Tuned Suspension vs. the '04 Acura TL 5AT (pretty much loaded as-is). They have similar horsepower although the G has substantially more torque.

I'm looking for experienced, informed opinions on why you would pick either one. I'm well aware of the difference in dynamics between RWD and FWD so no need to go there. I'm looking for likes/dislikes on the G35...which features/options are useful and worth the cost and which aren't.

I'm ready to learn!

Post by **AZhitman** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 5:22 am

There's really no comparison - There's a reason the G35 was Car of the Year and kicked the crap out of BMW in 03 and 04 - Acura did not even place.

Seat of the pants power is night and day. The numbers are meaningless. Drive it and you'll understand.G35 doesn't look like an Accord.

No torque steer.G35 has side impact and side curtain airbags.Seat memory (8-way power heated seats).Rear reclining seats.80 degree opening rear doors.Gauge pod adjusts with tilt steering.Homelink system.Manual shift mode on 5-speed automatic.LED rear taillamps (illuminate .03 second FASTER than conventional bulbs, offering following vehicles a FULL CAR LENGTH advance warning)Active headrests.G35 sedan has the SHORTEST stopping distance EVER tested by a sedan at 111 feet. For comparison, the Corvette Z06 stops in 114 feet. (Try THAT in an Acura...or a BMW... or ANY other car)Vehicle Dynamic Control with g-force meter and yaw/accelerometer, tied into the 4-channel ABS and the engine ECU.Electronic throttle-by-wire (not by cable).Dual-zone climate control.AWD (ATTESA E-TS) available.4-window one-touch express-down and up.Maintenance, trip computer and fuel economy functions in Vehicle information System.Automatic headlights (Xenon HID).6-disc in-dash CD changer.

I could go on, but there's really no reason to - There's no competition for the G.

Post by **GMachine** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 5:22 am

theslik1,

I have driven the new 04 TL, and while it has 10hp more than the G35, it doesn't have as much torque, and with front wheel drive it handles very well and almost no torque steer until you start using that last 1/10th and then you can get into trouble in a corner if you accelerate hard. Besides, you can't do a bueatiful power oversteer in the TL as you can in the G35.Dollar for dollar my G35 5At is a better sports sedan than the 04 TL. The TL is more money and is a softer, more luxury or GT car than the G35. You can also do more mods to the G35 because it will handle mor HP increases than the TL ( better chassis and trannny)My advice is to try both cars and see what your seat and right foot tell you.

Post by **greg_atlanta** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 5:22 am

The TL looks awfully refined for the money.... a lot of new technology, esp. in stereo system. Haven't looked at it yet.... but awfully curious. I bet seats are better and a lot more roomy.

Acuras/Hondas never have torque steer problems. No torque!

Post by **theslik1** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 5:22 am

Thanks for the input so far, guys. Some comments...

The substantial torque advantage of the G35 is readily apparent (I've test driven both cars)...the slight horsepower advantage of the TL comes at the top of the rev range (as with most Hondas), so it really isn't streetable power unless you always "drive it like you stole it" LOL. Which I don't. Honda loves that F1 style power delivery (i.e. S2000). Unfortunately I don't drive the F1 circuit.

Having said that...I'm not buying a car based purely on performance and driving dynamics, otherwise I'd have already bought a G. I've come to the realization that I'm not a road racer and that I'll probably never discover the full capabilities of either car in that regard. So the luxury aspect comes into play...and the TL feels like a more luxurious car as far as interior appointments and NVH control. This is subjective on my part.

Again...thanks for the comments...I'm also curious about your dislikes. Are there any quirks with these cars that annoy you? What little things would you change if you were tasked with improving the G?

Post by **theslik1** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 5:22 am

One more comment...

It's insane how badly the G35 (and the TL) kicks the collective a** of anything else in its class: Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Volvo, or Lexus. The Audi A6 2.7T is WAY overpriced and not as quick as the horsepower would lead you to believe. BMW and Mercedes are basically no-shows in the price/features/reliability/horsepower competition. Volvo is Ford...enough said there. The only Lexus model I would consider, the GS430, is too bloated, too pricey, and doesn't ask enough from its "high performance" V-8 to justify the premium over the GS300, which is woefully underpowered.

By the way, am I alone in thinking that European carmakers have gone significantly downhill in the past decade? Or have the Japanese luxury models simply raised the quality/value bar so high that they can't compete?

Post by **AZhitman** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 5:22 am

Euro-geeks COULD compete, but won't. They feel they don't need to.

Keep in mind that Mercedes-Benz president's comments: "We don't need to improve [this and that] - We have the tri-star emblem, and that's what people look for."

If I could change anything about the G: Stereo controls are not intuitive and don't protrude from the dash sufficiently. A volume KNOB would be nice as opposed to buttons.

Accelerator would be more "linear" - Instead, a slight throttle application often results in "more than slight" acceleration.

Post by **rydwhite** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 5:22 am

I haven't driven a Tl, so I can't compare. I can make some comments as to the G though. I agree with everything hitman said in his first post for good things about the car. Things I would change, the interior plastics need a little work and the titanium finish scratches easily. The stereo controls are not hard to use, but could be improved a bit by knobs and such, same goes for the temperature controls. Otherwise, I find the car almost perfect. I have the coupe which has different seats than the sedan, but I have driven a sedan and it has nice comfortable seats in my opinion.

I think that you should also weigh into your decision the fact that as far as quality goes, Infiniti is one of the best. As far as customer care and service, Infiniti is the best. So, with Infiniti you get the best quality and service. That speaks alot. Good luck with your decision.

Ryan

Post by **szh** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 5:22 am

Just a month or so ago, my wife and I test drove a few cars in the 28k-35k range. Including the Acura and both Lexus models. The G35 was the preferred one, although there were close similarities in all of them. The Lexus ES (not IS) was the most comfortable (from my wife's bumpy highway road aplomb perspective), but the G35 was the best blend of sportiness and comfort. The Acura appeared to be the most done-up inside.

Z

Post by **QX4ME** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 5:22 am

"We have the tri-star emblem, and that's what people look for..." That's probably true. One of my friend bought a Mercedes-Benz SUV, ML320. He said that if he wants a overall good SUV, he'd buy Acura MDX. But he thinks Mercedes-Benz's brand is the best of all. Many people know ML320's reliability is so low that Consumer Report stopped recommending it. It just doesn't make sense that a "best" brand has the lowest reliability. The other friend of mine has a three year old Mercedes-Benz E320 that failed so many times...

Sorry about the off-topic, I just can't hold it.

I didn't test drive G35, only sat inside, looked and touched around. Seems its interior quality is a little lower than most other Infinitis. Test drove 03 TL-S very briefly so only know it's good enough for me, an average driver. But when accelerating it hard, I feel its engine sound was not as smooth as Lexus ES300's and Infinit I35's. TL's interior is a notch below ES300's, but that's 03 TL.

Post by **vq35de** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 5:22 am

the g35 IS a nissan after all. Their goal has been always to get the most performance/reliablity. Comfort, fit and finish are secondary to those.

Quirks with the G (21000 miles now), NVH minor squeaks, bass rattles from music, 6MT tranny is still being perfected, brakes

But with all the above there have been numerous fixes as to be expected from a first model year car. the brake wear is better now, the tranny is better.

I drive my car at 8/10 to 10/10's quite often (daily for short periods of time, handling and acceleration). My tranny had the 5th/6th gear grinds and now has a second gear grind. I have already been thru one tranny, soon to be looked at for the new problems.

IMO these are all minor stuff

Post by **greg_atlanta** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 5:22 am

I sat in the TL and the interior is great. It would be my choice if I was strictly looking for a commuter/roadtrip car.

Post by **PalmerWMD** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 5:22 am

Teh TL may have a prettier interior but the G35's interior is still awfully nice and kinda sporty to boot.

Add to that a MUCH superior drivetrain/braking/handling and its no contest at all.And thats even before you comapre prices.

Fred...

Post by **louiegz** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 5:22 am

I have a freind that just got an 03 TL Type S and its a nice car. I thought it was a little soft. He got a great year end deal. About 30,000 with GPS. But if you want a drivers car, RWD is the way to go. I've never driven a G35 but I have a Q and I just got a BMW 330i for My wife, and they both drive great. I'm assuming that the G35 is like the 330 but more power, and more power is a good thing. The good thing about the TL is good old Honda dependablity. I've heard that the G35 brakes only last about 20000 miles. Any one you choose, you will have a nice car.

Post by **rydwhite** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 5:22 am

The G35 brakes last longer 20,000. It is just that the people who have been posting about brake problems drive the car to its limits and use the brakes hard. If you treat the car right, the brakes will last. I've got 13,000 on mine and my brakes have barely 25% and I still drive the car pretty hard and use the brakes. I should be able to get abour 35,000-40,000 out of the brakes. It just depends on driving habits. The pads are soft, but they are soft on the 330 and almost every other sports car, hence all the brake dust.

Post by **louiegz** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 5:22 am

That may be right, ryd. I cant say about the G35 brakes because I dont own one, but let me tell you about my Q. My 95 Q has 67000 miles and its on it's 3dr set of pads. When it had 17000 miles, there was a vibration in the fronts. When I took it to the dealer, still under warranty. They told me that I had hot spots on the rotor and I needed to resurface. They didn't even want to cover it under warranty. They said it was my fault and made me pay for the resurface. They said that I must have been riding my brakes. What a load of crap. I dont ride my brakes. What I was thinking was of, was the last generation Z from 1990, I think, was suffering from warped rotors. So ever since that, I dont trust Nissan-Infiniti brakes that much. I hope the G35 brakes are good because I'd like to get one when my Q dies or the wife’s 330 is paid for.

Post by **rydwhite** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 5:22 am

Hmmm. I have heard others talk of having bad brakes or warped rotors on the G. I have had absolutely no problem. Mine are actually wearing much better than I expected. I know that many people have been putting ceramic on.

Post by **vq35de** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 5:22 am

replaced my pads at 16000 miles, I swapped to aftermarket pads cause I was sick of the dust. I mic'ed em. Fronts were around 9 mm remaining rears were about 6. Both have to be replaced at 2 mm (fronts start at 11 mm, rears at 8.5 mm)

My rotors were fine at that point too but I had them turned anyways to see what the runout was (measure of warping) Zero runout with a dial indicator.

Post by **rydwhite** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 5:22 am

That sounds about right. They should last awhile. The brake dust is a complaint though. I don't mind the dust. It lets me know that my brakes are working.

Post by **fshrmn** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 5:22 am

My 2 cents is that if you want a softer quieter family type ride, the TL is better.

If you want a sportier, powerful ride that can still haul the family, the G35 is better. (A real driver would get the manual tranny ).

AcuraLexusInfiniti

HondaToyotaNissan

You can't go wrong with any of them as far as I am concerned, I have a 2000 TL in addition to my 03 G35.

Stay away from our American made crud.

Fshrmn

Post by **nogoon** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 5:22 am

the TL is rwd..

Post by **DAEDALUS** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 5:22 am

Not according to Edmunds.http://www.edmunds.com/new/200...cura*

Or Kelly Blue Bookhttp://www.kbb.com/kb/ki.dll/k...rstab

Post by **vq35de** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 5:22 am

I agree, if the TL was RWD, I would be in right now,

however, it ain't, it is wrong wheel drive and I am in the G sedan.

Post by **jjin626** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 5:22 am

TL = fwd, SOHC, Made in USA Engine.G35 = rwd, DOHC, Made in Japan Engine.

TL = got more STUFF (*blue tooth + other stuff)G35 = Woo Wa....

Post by **louiegz** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 5:22 am

I don't think comparing a G35 to a TL is fair because the TL is FWD so the G has the advantage there. The BMW 330 is a more fair comparison. I will say one thing, if the TL was RWD, I'd get that. My wife drives a 330i, I have a buddy that has a 03 TL type S, and about a month ago, I drove a G35x as a loaner when my Q was in the shop. The thing I liked about the TL is that it was the most comfortable. The 330i, i think is the best handling and drivtrain. The G is the best of both worlds. The RWD platform that the TL doesn't have, and more comfort and more bang for the buck that the 330i doesn't have. One day at best, the TL might get AWD, but I'll bet you that the power would be front biased, unlike the G35x witch is esentially a RWD car in dry weather.

Post by **S13CoupeLuvr** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 6:45 pm

Wow, theslik1 is on the ball with his test drives. Both of these automobiles are superior, precision automobiles in their own respect, yet the Nissan has a bit more of a sporty feel to it; that is, one that can be felt on ALL roads, as a daily driver. You see, the Infiniti (V35) makes cruising past the average soccer mom effortless. The Acura requires a little more stop, and trades some control for an advantage in the "feature and ammenity" department. It is still a very solid, respectable, thermally-efficient automobile, but it's no Nissan. Nissan has always put a sporty twist into it's cars while keeping them in their class. Always. They've just finally got their stying in check with North American buyers. Sadly, though, the Japanese car companies are slowly becoming westernized by enlargening their cars and their "cubic inches" simultaneously. McWorld has even gotten to the beloved Skyline GT-R, with it's new enlarged VQ30DE that will become the VQ32DETT V-6 (!) so it will surely sell in the States, and Nissan knows that they can get away with this because loyalists will still enjoy that we finally have the Skyline... and it will still blow the pants off of any American car... ha.

Post by **S13CoupeLuvr** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 6:46 pm

i meant to say "STOMP" up ^ there ^

Post by **MOTOP** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 7:12 pm

theslik1,

How much are you going to drive this car and where?

If not very often and you live in the area with a lot of hills, turns etc. (like SF Bay Area for example) than I'd suggest going with G35. If you spend most of your driving time on flat freeways than TL would definately be more advantageous.

TL gets significantly better gas mileage than G35. 16 average vs 20 average on auto models.

G35 sedan has annoying seat controls that might be of a problem, so go for a long (40+ minutes) testdrive and see if you start feeling discomfort in your right leg.

G35 has better turning radius which could be very important living in the city. I also tend to think that G35 has better driver visibility.

If you do go with with G35 - sport package is a must for the money. Purely because silver console looks better and you get somewhat decent tires and better suspension (about 10% stiffer).

Hope that helps, choice is yours, both cars are fine vehicles - they just cater to slightly different tastes.

All that said if you do decide later on that there's not enough horsepower for you - G35 hands down would be a better platform for modifications.

Post by **MinisterofDOOM** » Wed Oct 13, 2004 12:54 am

From what I have heard about the TL, it doesn't feel like it's making the power Acura says it makes. Also, I have heard a lot of complaining about the TL's torque steer. Something to do with how the front LSD was done aggravates what would already have been (from 270hp) a whole lot of torque steer. I know my dad was considering the TL alongside the new Maxima and he said there was really no comparison. And the G is one up on the Maxima. The rear drive on the G35 is a big plus to me. I am also very familiar with Nissan/Infiniti quality and comfortable with them and know what to expect, so that make a big difference, too. Since I really don't know a lot about Acura from a personal experience standpoint, I don't know that I would buy one. But I would recomend giving them both a test and seeing which one fits you the best. Both cars are very respectable and attractive, and both manufacturers have good reputations for service and reliability, so I don't think you could lose either way.

G35 Sedan vs. '04 Acura TL...Opinions?

G35 Sedan vs. '04 Acura TL...Opinions?

Re: (S13CoupeLuvr)

Re: (MOTOP)

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