Acura TL vs Infiniti G35
richey02hg
Member Posts: 69
Well these are the two I narrowed it down to so I thought it was worth a discussion.
Based upon the pricing I have seen so far to match what comes standard on the TL you would have to get a G35 Journey with premium package, which comes out to a little over 34k as opposed to 33,625 on the TL. Not a bad alternative in my opinion. My estimation is that the G35 will be priced a little closer to MSRP at the dealers since it had a lot more changes done to it.
However, I have tested the interior of the new G35 yet, but it does look appealing. Its a shame the IS is the size of a Corolla (therefore does not appeal to me at all) or I'd fit it in here too.
Any commments/suggestions regarding the new 07 models from Acura and Infiniti?
edit: can a moderator, please make it so it appears in the infiniti G35 area as well? thanks!
edit #2, wow you guys are fast!
Based upon the pricing I have seen so far to match what comes standard on the TL you would have to get a G35 Journey with premium package, which comes out to a little over 34k as opposed to 33,625 on the TL. Not a bad alternative in my opinion. My estimation is that the G35 will be priced a little closer to MSRP at the dealers since it had a lot more changes done to it.
However, I have tested the interior of the new G35 yet, but it does look appealing. Its a shame the IS is the size of a Corolla (therefore does not appeal to me at all) or I'd fit it in here too.
Any commments/suggestions regarding the new 07 models from Acura and Infiniti?
edit: can a moderator, please make it so it appears in the infiniti G35 area as well? thanks!
edit #2, wow you guys are fast!
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Comments
The IS (Who was once in front) is now out of my view and I'm on the TL/G35x fence.
I like the look of the new G but have major concerns about quality, longevity, and back-end value.
I've seen too many 05-06 G owners who are suing Infiniti due to brakes going every 12K.
I've also seen issues with Bluetooth not working well... but the 07 may be completely different.
I know they cant come out and say they "fixed" the brake issue, since that would mark them responsible for 1,000s of current lawsuits, but I'd like to know they were aware of it and addressed it.
I haven't seen the 07 G in person yet (Dealer is a 12 day hike by alpaca) but I have seen the 07 TL and I'm liking it alot.
Until I see & drive the G in November, I'm leaning toward the TL for early spring, as I know it will last, will hold it's value, and will show minimal issues.
If the '09 TL lives up to it's hype, it'll be a front runner for sure.
I'll take an '07, allow the bugs to get worked out of the '09s and then trade in mid 2010
I'm really glad infiniti gave us this nice choice because otherwise we might be paying top dollar for the 07 TL for awhile
the main thing for me is i'd have to see and feel the new G's interior to see how it compares to the TL, because thats what makes me love the TL so much
Also, I thought brake issues involved only pre-2005 G35's.
I can understand wanting to hold off on a first year model, but the g35 seems a much more compelling package IMHO: RWD, better handling & acceleration, much improved interior (though this is a strong suit for the TL). It seems it has caught up and passed the TL in terms of technology (for now at least).
Obviously styling is subjective and FWD may be better for those in the snowbelt. Also, I imagine better deals will be had on the TL since it has been out for a bit.
Although, I must admit I have quality concerns over the Acura. I currently drive a 2003 TL Type S and have been through 4 transmissions (very bad). I have three friends with the same car, two of which have each put two transmissions into their cars.
I realize that the 2004 TL has not had the same problems, but the Type S is a new engine-transmission pairing so current reliability rankings don't apply directly to the new Type S.
I guess I'll have to buy one to find out... :shades:
Hahahaha! I just happened to be around - don't expect that kind of service all the time! :P
TL Type-S w/nav auto - $38,500 (quote by Dealer)
G35 Sport Loaded auto- $39,700 (actual sticker)
G35 AWD Loaded auto - $38,900 (quote by dealer)
The bottom line is the TL is more for the relaxed older audience, that's not really concerned about performance, but likes having the extra power there or understands the long term value by getting the Type-S now and what it's worth compared to base TL in 5 years. if you appreciate cars but after 6 months it becomes transportation, then this is your car. it's not a performance vehicle, no matter what badge (type-s) you slap on the back. I'm not knocking it, because it's a fantastic car for the money.
The bottom line on the G35 is it is designed for someone who LOVES cars, this is a true sport inspired car that makes no compromises. it has a much stiffer ride (not overly stiff) it's agile, quick in turns, has a small tight steering wheel, it is designed for driving enthusiasts. Do you LOVE your cars are you looking to get thrilled every time you start the car via push button? then this is your car.
To those who LOVE their car, The G35 when put into tiptronic/paddle shifting manual, this car will hold 1st gear to 40 mph (redline) and then KEEP IT THERE! it doesn't throw you into 2nd to save a squirt of gas. at 44MPH you can down to first, and the revmatch taps the gas and pulls you down to 40mph (redline) and KEEPS IT THERE! I've yet to come across a car that does this for under 70K (Audi S8).
In terms of features, the G35 has enough that stand out over the TL, that I've made my decision, here they are: Interior in the G35 is nicer, overall fit and finish is probably equal, but the G35 is tighter/sportier, where the TL feels softer and more relaxed. Push button start, Better voice command then TL, Better navigation (Hard drive based), Better audio system, Music box (9.5G storage), Rear wheel drive, AWD availability, Hands down faster, more powerful, and definitely quicker on it's feet. AND Infiniti offers SIRIUS! and XM (Howard Stern Fan & Concerned in 2 years if both companies merge/buy out, where does that leave the XM only people?)
Major turn off's from TL Type-S: The Rims, God-awful no matter how long you stare at them, they never become acceptable IMO, requires the $1800 upgrade package to look good and that puts you over the G35 in price. Front Wheel Drive, They don't offer SIRIUS Radio.
So My Decision is a Black/Graphite G35 Sport with Premium package, Navigation Package, Technology Package, and the 4 Wheel Active Steering) For a total of $40,900. I'm placing my order today!
Good luck everyone, to sum up, IMO, I started out thinking these cars were "the same" but in the end, they are VERY different cars, when your ready to buy and take both you, I'm sure you'll realize the same thing, The cars are equal, but it comes down to who you are and how you are with your cars. love them or appreciate them?
I have friends with Maximas and Altimas, and they do not show their ages well at all.
I know nothing about Infiniti, and this is why I contionue to research.
I have by no means counted Infiniti out, but I am cautious.
As for G issues, I've only been watching the G35x, as this is what I'd be buying.
There are several people suing Infiniti foir brakes on their 06 G35x, so that issue is by no means resolved.
Being from MA, I really want a car with a balance of luxury and sportiness, but can handle the white stuff in the winter months.
I love the IS250 AWD, but the lack of power has caused me to look elsewhere.
I love the new G, haven't seen it in person yet, but don't want to buy into problems.
I'd have only myself to blame after seeing what people with 05s and 06s have gone through.
The TL Type-S... that will STINK in the snow, but will be good enough with good snows on it.
I love the interior, and being an 06 MDX owner, the Acura gadgets have proven themselves and get a thumbs up from me.
I'll wait until I have time to journey to the far away Infiniti dealership, but I'm very much leaning toward the TL Type-S.
I love the look, the interior gets a 9.5, and having previous experience with Honda and Acura, know it'll last.
With that being said, I just read kring5's post above and I'm right back in the middle of the fence (Ugh)
I have to drive this Infiniti....
My issue is that there's 2 dealers near me, and by near, I mean over 2 hours away.
I'll need to find someplace close for repairs if needed and for servicing, that stinks.
I'd probably be leaning toward the G if the dealer wasn;t so far away
Resale value on the G35 from my research is slightly better then the TL, and will probably go up higher with the interior & power improvments (old interior was turnoff to a lot of people) Total cost of ownership at 5 years and 10 is thousands less for the G35. another point of decision.
BTW. I wanted to add that I was originally including the BMW 330i / 335i in the mix until I fell out of my chair laughing that the 2007 335i is $52,000. I guess it's true what people are saying about BMW's direction. They discourage you from buying their cars by sticker shock, to get you to lease the vehicle because they are doing so well on the 2nd round of leases.. bumping up price but giving you decent lease rates (compared to finance numbers) i.e. $800/mo to finance, $500 to lease).
The BMW is not worth $12K more, no matter what way you look at it. Major turnoff was that they are short about 2-4" inches of rear leg room in real life, don't look at the specs because they are deceiving, the TL and G35 both have real-world 2-3" more of rear leg room when a 6 foot person is comfortable in the drivers seat of all 3 cars.
How's the backseat in terms of adult legroom in the G?
The IS was just awful, the TL is actually very roomy.
I'm not positive, but I felt the G35's front seat had the ability to go back a few extra inches, in the TL with the seat all the way back I could still reach the wheel and pedals just fine with my back in the seat. but in the G35 I
had to lean forward, seems like a little more room if your over 6'.
few more thoughts on G35: the Instrument cluster is beautiful, stunning with the blue eclipse look, and it moves with the position of the steering column, with the column all the way down and into the dash you could still clearly see the whole gauge, with the TL it shaved off the top slightly based on my eye level.
bottom line, TL and G35 are the same in back space, both have plenty of room for the 6' and under people.
I don't plan on buying until Spring and most sales guys become complete jerks once they hear that, so I may wait a short while.
I completely agree about the wheel on the TL.
After some playing with the seat and wheel, I found my perfect happy place, but then the top of the speedometer gauge was clipped from my site... don't like that.
Did you happen to notice the tires?
Michelins, Bridgestones, other?
I researched the 07 G35x on tirerack for OE tires, and they listed mostly snow tires.. so I still have no idea.
That sparks another thing with the TL that was a slight turnoff, the tires were very odd, I'd never heard of the tire name on the wall so not sure who made them and can't recall the name. The odd visual was were the tire meets the rim's; there was this protruding rubber ring that made it look very awkward, like the rims were 215's wide, and the tires were 235's, the tires actually hang over the rim... I noticed that immediately as I was walking to the car, it stands out. Not sure if those were the standard or performance tires on the TL.
It's becoming more common with certain tire sizes.
The base tires are Michelin Pilot MXM4's - come on both the TL and TL Type-S.
The Type-S offers the optional Bridgestone Potenzas for a few hundred more.
I have a question regarding the Sat Radio...
Is it possible to get the car equipped with Sirius Radio and XM Nav Traffic?
If I had to guess, it would be a double whammy... pay for Sirius AND XM, since you need both receivers.
The traffic sounds cool, has anyone see it in action, does it work well?
Going with Sirius over XM looses the traffic, in my case it doesn't matter because 95% of my driving is limited to and from work and weekend drives. Unfortunately for me in CT there's really only 1 way to get anywhere with only 3 highways through the entire state, I don't think traffic works on back roads, it's probably limited to highway and major city downtowns.
Im only comparing MSRP right now because I have not actually gotten quotes yet, and I'm planning to pay only 31.5k before TTL on these cars, but we'll see. I'm not sure where they got the prices (entry level luxury thread) but I used those prices for the G35
However, I will say I might splurge for the Nav system because that real time traffic update sounds really good here in Southern california
The remark about the TL being for a relaxed older audience is obviously ridiculous and is not worth getting into a discussion over.
The fit/finish and interior in the updated G are undoubtedly improved but still ugly in my very subjective opinion. yuck!
The TL delivers "enough" performance for those who stopped driving their cars like it was stolen on a daily basis.
If you're a REAL enthusiast, you'll opt for the true manual tranny, not the paddle-shifters!
As a current alpaca-driver, you obviously value 4 wheel/leg drive, so I think you'd have to go with the G35X!!!! :shades:
If you want a sports sedan, this one is it. RWD is the one key factor that sums it all up. You can floor it and not have to worry about torque steer. Ive driven in a 03 TL-S... and flooring it would get you into a rock-paper-scissors match on whether the grip or the torque would control. In the 03 tl-s, youd have to gently start and once u get some speed then you could floor it so you'd have traction. that car had like 260hp... the new one will have i think 280 and even more ft*lb of torque... Acura is getting close to the undriveable limit for a FWD setup.
The availability of AWD also is a biggie, for those living in slippery climates.
I believe both [G35/TL-S] will have 6spd so that point is moot.
I dunno, with the current TL body style thats been out there for sometime, a TL-S version wont garner many looks, i think the new 07 G35 is the car thats going to keep people intrigued and coming up to you asking what you drive.
o yea, the G35 also has more power under the hood to, which is always a plus.
[my opinion is simply that, an opinion. I dont know anybody with this car or know of people that have the above mentioned brake/transmissions problems ... so im just commenting on available facts and a little experience
If the Auto is as good as it's claiming to be, it's the next best thing.
As for XM vs Sirius, I'd most likely go with the XM install, and then run my portable Sirius tuner.That way, I can have XM traffic... for a highway robbery monthly cost, of course. :mad:
I'm not planning on driving it like I stole it... I save that for the loaners!
I really wanted options only the IS could offer, but the new G is now offering most of them.
I do love the vented seats and wish they were available.
I do agree that the IS is better made, better interior and more reliable. Heck I even think it looks better than the 3er.
The G's body style is just as old as the TL. The exterior mods to the G are as subtle as the ones made to the TL. No major exterior differences that will make people wonder what either car is i.e. compared to the 3er or the IS- completely redesigned exterior wise.
About the G, I think that the exterior is THE-UGLIEST out of them all. I don't really like the new interior ergonomics, though it is a little bit luxurious. I'll tell you more about my driving experience later because it's not out yet, but i do like the 306 hp which is one of the highest in this segment but it has a little low torque than the IS!
The current TL was introduced in Fall 2003 as a 2004 model.
The TL is not as old as the current G35.
...
"The TL is not as old as the current G35."
Uh, that only counts if by "current" you are talking about the 2006 G35.
Still...I LOVE THE THING!!!
Luckily, I'm not buying until late 07, so I have time to explore my options more, but if I was on impulse mode, I might have pulled the trigger today.
I really wanted my daughters to like the new G35 as much as I do, so, after a nice Japanese lunch, I took my youngest daughter to have a look. Understand, she has never been enthusiastic over any car, this includes some relatively expensive, sporty models such as the Acura TL and RL, the Honda 2000, the Lexus, BMW's, whatever.
Well, I couldn't get her out of the thing...this a year before she gets her learner's permit. She just sat and sat and, for the first time, went ga ga over a car. I couldn't believe it!!! She said, "Dad, I want!!!"
I said, "No, it's for me."
"But Daaaaaaaad, I really like it?"
"No!!!"
"Can we at least take a test ride?"
"No, we're not going to waste Jim's (the great salesman - not pushy, informative, patient even though we're not buying until later) time."
Well, if my family likes it so much, it's gotta be. And, my daughter wants the sports model too.
But the driving setups are very different. I'd like to hear more from those who driven these new vehiles.
Regarding the room in the rear, purely based on specs, the G35 is longer, but narrower. Feels roomier in the TL though, most likely due to width?
So no one should expect to just sit in the car at test drive and hold an intuitive conversation with the car, you will need to learn the commands useful to you and then it's smooth as glass.
The Navigation is fantastic on the 07 G35, it's fast and I prefer the hard-drive based which can be updated via firmware and patches instead of having to replace DVD's. I would estimate it to be cheaper in the long run or possible free to update.
The change to all the buttons, switch's and knobs is fantastic, they put a lot of detailed effort into having the right amount of response/feedback on every one.
I just ordered my 07 G35 Sport, as you can see, I have no knocks in this space on the TL, I felt its a wash on both parts when it came to Nav/Blue/Voice technology... now I will add that the G35 goes many steps beyond the TL in overall technology... but that's for another post
That is not correct. I drove a vehicle with the Radar Cruise and Rear view camera... both were fully functional... it's part of the "Technology Package" they are sold as a single integrated package.
Just an inquiry on this point. does the hard-drive based navi allow you to download an update from the web once appropriate transaction is made?
One thing I thought would be nice is for you to have personalized places marks for, say, wifi spots, places where you need to watch out for red light cameras.... Is there anyway possible to embed something like this with G35 navi??
It has a feature that's even better then just an iPod connection, if you have the Navigation package it includes a video connection to watch video's on your Nav screen! but not while your driving
So, the passenger cannot operate it fully and your voice command is shackled.
Why, Infiniti, do you think we are babies?
Oh, better lock the radio too so we can change stations and see what's the dial reading.
So the voice command is semi-useless.
Infiniti, if you are reading this, please change it.
Even though I am probably in the target market for the G, I will get the Acura TL for this reason alone.
Does anyone know why they insist on locking it?
The navigation is fully operational and so is the voice command... what feature did you find wasn't working during driving?
I also had this same concern.
In my MDX, I can set/change/modify any destination, search for anything like restaurants/ATMs/shopping centers, and review/modify/add/delete entries in my address book (phonebook)
Note that I can do all of this, and ALL other Navi functions with either voice command or touch screen interface, while the car is in motion.
Can I do all this in the new G, or is it limited?
I also had the Lexus IS on my list for awhile.
The IS allowed some functionality but not all.
There was a quick hack to get around this in the 06, but they have corrected this in the 07.
Now you have to come to a complete stop to enter addresses and stuff.
I love the freedom in the Acura and hope to see similar in the G.
BTW, I saw 2 new commercials for the G last night.... looks awesome.
Can't wait to see it in person.
Some people have absolutely no use for the Navi and opt not to have it.
I, on the other hand, use mine almost every day.
For me, it is a concern, because it will make the difference of driving my car and using it's options a delight, or a bummer... ya know?
I don't want to pull over to enter a dest, that's all.
Even if there is limitations, there is usually some guy much smarter than me that finds a way around it.
I'm on the IS/TL/G35 fence.
The IS250 lacks power, the IS350 offers only RWD (I drive in NE winters), the TL is FWD and I'm liking the Type-S this year... but how good is a FWD/286 HP sedan gonna be in the snow anyway?
The G35x seems to offer absolutely everything I want and more, and does it for a price that I like.
The Type-S is over-priced for what I'm getting, the G is not.
I'm still in the questions asking phase and plan on an early Spring purchase.