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Acura TSX vs. Infiniti G35
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Comments
Nobody's making you read this!
Any news in this forum, guys? With the new TSX out, has anyone recently chosen one over another after comparing the two?
These days, many people care about fuel mileage, as well as performance. BMW, Honda/Acura, Audi & others appear to be able to address that concern.
Infiniti, not so much.
I have a Pathfinder in the garage downstairs as I write this. It's got the same engine your car has, one very well suited to a truck. I've been driving Nissan engines since '73 & very much enjoy them, but this "my dad can whip your dad" stuff doesn't move the conversation forward in a very productive way, IMNHO.
NO COMPARISON!
Why don't you tell us what you like about your G35 and then we'll go from there.
-Its fast, really really fast
Honda (and Acura) cars possess a refinement and elegance in their ergonomic design, control smoothness, material quality, driveline precision, airy cockpits, etc. that cannot be measured but is certainly superior to most other cars in the category.
When you sit in the TSX, you feel good. The controls are in the perfect place and move with teflon-coated precision. The engine revs like a sewing machine and sounds/feels smooth and turbine-like. The transmission and clutch operate with snick-snick precision - no balkiness in the driveline. The TSX is finishing school polished.
Compared to the TSX, the G35 is a little rough around the edges. It feels more assembled from the parts bin rather than the Gestalt of the TSX. The cockpit is a cacophony of shapes and textures. The driveline is relatively unrefined. Yes it goes fast and turns sharp, but in my opinion, it's not as enjoyable to drive.
All the best with the rest of your miles to 100k
No need to keep your feelings to yourself. I'm sure everyone would be pleased to hear why you prefer the G35 and some of it's qualities that appeal to you.
There are great reasons to choose either one - it's feelings, rather than logic, that lead one to make a choice in this segment.
A new TSX powertrain choice means performance luxury buyers can enjoy a 280 horsepower 3.5L V-6, with sophisticated VTEC® valvetrain control and a dual-stage induction system. For maximum performance and efficiency, the engine will be coupled to Acura's Sequential SportShift automatic transmission, with intelligent features such as Grade Logic Control and Shift Hold Control. If the driver desires, the Sequential SportShift transmission can also be operated manually, via steering-wheel mounted F1®-style paddle shifters.
'10 TSX V6 $34,850
0-60: 6.4
Quarter: 14.7@96
5-speed auto
'09 G37 $33,250
0-60: 5.4
Quarter: 13.7@102.8
7-speed auto
The numbers do not seem to favor the TSX
To get all that, you must order the G37 Journey with Premium Package. MSRP of $36,200 (2009 model).
And you can't put a price on the smooth and refined Acura V6 engine - the Infiniti runs like a Peterbuilt by comparison. :P
Have never had luck with nissan products
I wouldn't drive the TSX or TL unless they're 10K cheaper than the G.
BTW, w/ premium package, you also get Bose, memory seat, heat seat, an power tilt & telescopic steering wheel...not sure if those are included with the base TSX.
That's because you haven't done much research and don't know what you're talking about.
Both are fine cars in their own way. The G is a little quicker and hard-edged, the TSX is a little more refined and polished. Neither can be considered a luxury car or a sports car.
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/112_0906_2010_acura_tsx_v_6/index.htm- l
Then see the ones for the g37 here
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/112_0810_2008_infiniti_g37_sedan_test- /index.html
Generally for every 1 person who liked the TSX, there was probably 10 who hated it. The reverse is true for the G37. As one who drives an 08 G35, moving to the G37 in 2010, I normally like a good fight, this is one I dont even mind losing. Couldnt care less.
Enjoy the TSX. Can I appeal to those who like the g37 to just let this one go and save you strength for worthy contenders like the 328i or the Hyundai Genesis V6 sedan.
I am out.
But nobody can say one car is "better" than the other. If you want a luxurious car that can spit a little fire when you want it to, then the G is a fine choice. There are, however, others who are willing to trade a little vim and vigor for some spit and polish.
The TSX is not as quick or dynamic as the G37, but it is a jewel of a machine.
From your list I need only a heated seats. iPod is a joke and useless for me, I don't speak when I drive, no need for Bluetooth Moonroof is HUGE minus for me, because of less head space. I better pay $500 in order to get it removed:-)
smooth and refined Acura V6 engine
Nice joke. Please, try BMW I6 at list once, you will get an idea about smooth engine. Honda's high revs engines with torque steer far away from "smooth".
Same here. Had 2001 acura tl-s, replaces brake rotors and pads every 30K miles, trans 3 times, leaking sun roof, clock lamp replaced 6 times, rusted exaust. Drop that junk at 50Kmile and switched to Accord....wrapped brake rotors, leaking windshield... Now I'm driving horrible BMW ....with 0 issues. 58Kmiles and counting
You're right. I don't care about the TSX because of the weak engine. The last time I look at all of these cars closely was back in late 2007. I tested drive the TL and the G back in 2005 and I couldn't live with the TL even if I could find one cheaper.
However, you're the person who brought up the lack features on the G. You try to add the premium package to the G to make it equal to the base TSX. So, I think it's fair that I want to know if those 3 features are included in the TSX as well.
Handling: Dont even need to go there, another phrase that comes to mind is
Torque Steer.
There seems to be a lot of talk about bluetooth, moonroof etc, bear in mind that the average buyer of a G spends 36k (MSRP) on this car. This is enough to get the premium package at least. Also note that the G can never be priced like the TSX, the guys at Nissan would be absolutetly NUTS to go that route. These are serious perfomance cars we are talking about, if you want the VQ engine you need at least 29k (the 350Z) and at that price you are getting the base model. You will notice that even an Evo starts at 32k (base), that is just the way cars in the G's league are priced, save for the Genesis Coupe. There is always an exception to the rule
As I noted in post 127, unless you are truly trying to be myopic and not willing to look at big picture, you will also realize that the G drivers are those guys who looked at the 335i (lucky bastards driving those cars:)) but realized that the car is expensive yet the G is very close in performance to this car. So rather than spend 52k, on a fully loaded 335i. you can save +10k on the G. Many G drivers, I included do not even consider FWD cars.
And before someone rants about interior room, bells and whistles, refinement, residual value, reliability I would seriously consider picking up a copy of Consumer Report and see who is placed 1st in the ELLPS category. Consumer report is hardly a performance oriented magazine, but looks more at ownership experience. Do you know which car has a 95% approval rating from its owners.
I am sorry, this is not the right car to pick for a comparison. Have you considered the Maxima, Altima v6, Honda Accord v6, Hyundai Genesis V6 (at least its a RWD), Evo, 328i, A4 2l 4 banger, Camry v6. I think before you can even start dreaming of taking on the G, you should seriously consider these worthy contenders for the TSX. I probably would pick the 328i or the Honda Accord before I can start thinking of the TSX
I didn't get any Hondas in the past b/c I don't like their designs at all. However, the current generation of Hondas are not bad. I might try the Accord to replace the Altima in the near future.
"However, you're the person who brought up the lack features on the G. You try to add the premium package to the G to make it equal to the base TSX."
360w 7-speaker AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio with RDS, XM satellite radio, and iPod integration.
Heated leather seats with 2 driver memory.
Manual tilt & telescoping wheel.
http://www.edmunds.com/new/2010/acura/tsx/101174005/standard.html
I still think the 4 cyl TSX with 6-speed MT is the better car (and it's only $29,000).
Resignation accepted. :P
And just to add to the accolades of the Infiniti G series, JD Powers just released this today, highest ranked initial quality survey. Its an honor to stand next to a Lexus when it comes to quality cos those guys are merciless in that dept. The TSX is so out of its league with the G its not even funny. Believe me, I will be having fun with this thread. :shades:
Entry premium car:
-Highest ranked: Lexus IS
-Runners-up: Cadillac CTS, Infiniti G-Series
The question is - why is it so hard to understand that the TSX is also a terrific car?
Yes the TSX is a great car, and yes the G is not the greatest car in the segment at least from a performance perspective, but once you factor everything in, even here at Edmunds they placed it 1st over the 335i, IS350, CTS, C350. Try pitting a TSX against these cars, see what happens.
The CTS in that article was down-graded because of its relatively slow performance (0-60 in mid 6's), which, incidently, is around the same performance as the TSX V6.
From a personal perspective, I have driven both the G35 and G37 sedan and here are some of my thoughts:
1. The G35/37 has a powerful drivetrain - no doubt about it. But to my surprise, the G doesn't pull like a freight train like I expected. Torque still feels a little soft at lower RPM's. The BMW twin turbo is far superior in power delivery. The G does a nice job of hiding it's size and weight (it's a big, heavy car), but it definitely isn't as nimble as the smaller TSX.
2. Clutch take-up was too high and sudden which made moving from a stand-still unnecessarily difficult (especially on uphill inclines). Combine the poor clutch with an overly sensitive throttle tip-in (thanks to drive-by-wire), and the G was even difficult to upshift during normal driving. Pedal placement was also not the best for heel-and-toe downshifting, which is moot in the G because the aforementioned clutch/throttle issues made me loath to try it more than a couple of times. I did like the shifter action - short and precise throws with just the right heft. It was more precise and better feeling than the BMW 3-series, but not as slick as the TSX.
3. Interior ergonomics. Sorry, I hate the G37 cockpit. This one is much better than the 1st gen G35, but Infiniti is still behind Lexus, Audi, and Acura in designing a cockpit that's intimate, attractive, and functional. I know this is a personal call and everyone has a different opinion here, but to me, the layout and appearance of that recessed center display area is less organic and distracting - it ruins the otherwise smooth lines of the dashboard. The Infiniti's switchgear is also somewhat lacking in quality feel and precision of action as compared to other cars in this class. This is an area where Honda/Acura shines. Overall, the TSX cabin is light and airy, everything falls perfectly into place, and all the controls have a feel of quality and precision.
4. Exterior looks. I like the looks of the G37 from some angles, but I think it's a little on the boring. I'm afraid it will look dated very quickly like the 1st generation G35 does.
5. Chassis / driveline refinement is another area where the G37 has improved significantly since the first generation G35, but I think they tipped the pendulum a little too far the other way. Where the old car was noisy and harsh, but had razor sharp reflexes, the new car is a little soft and numb. It does have a good ride now however. BMW also went too soft and heavy with the current generation 3 series - as did Acura. I can only imagine what a soft, understeering pig the TSX will be with a big V6 over the front axle. The old 4cylinder TSX was very light on it's humble little feet with quick turn-in and great chassis response - I really liked the 1st generation TSX.
Anyway, there you have it - my personal, completely biased opinion of these cars. Personally, I wouldn't choose either one. The G37 isn't fast enough to be thrilling, and it isn't luxurious enough to be coddling - kind of a Jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none if you ask me.
For around $35,000, I'd rather own a Genesis on the luxury side or an Evo X on the sport side.
I agree that the G looks a little plain, but is that really bad? It's hard to read any article, forum, etc. about the TL without many, many complaints about the ugly front end. The TSX's front end has a similar, if toned-down, appearance. Like the dash appearances this is subjective, maybe Acura's styling works for you. I sure have read a lot of complaints about it though and perhaps the plain styling of the Infiniti is not all that bad. The Acura's styling actually is starting to grow on me a little, but I still hesitate to spend 35 grand on a car and have family and friends tell me it's ugly.
The G's throttle does take some getting used to, but after 2 or 3 weeks it was no longer a major issue.
I think you hit the nail on the head about it being a jack of all trades and master of none, but again this may be looked at as a good thing. Sure the Evo will outperform it, ever sat in one? It has about as much luxury as a Chevy Chevette. The Genesis is a nice car for sure, but the G will out-accelerate it (even the V8 version by a small margin) and out-corner it.
The G is a car that will run neck-and-neck with a Mustang GT and offer a fair amount of luxury for mid-30's in price. There just aren't too many other cars out there that can say that.
The old car was simple and elegant, while the new one is needlessly fussy and overstyled (yes, especially the beak).
Here is the 2004 TSX which I still consider a benchmark for the class in interior ergonomics, comfort, design, and quality ...
You're right about the excellent qualities of the G and the niche it fills very well between sport and luxury. Truth be told, I've been playing a little Devil's advocate here simply because I don't understand all narrow-minded opinions of the juvenile 0-60 fanboys that worship it. It's really a very poor choice for someone who's looking for a "fast car." It's quick, but it's not fast.
Have you had a chance to drive "terrific car?" What's about torque steer and FWD? Why 5 speed auto?