Ok, I am currently driving 2002clk55 AMG and my lease is up next month.

I have basically narrowed my search down to three cars. G35 coupe, G35 sedan, and Acura TL.

So here is my problem. Which one do you recommend? ALso, should I try to find a way to hold off until the 05's are out?

I'm really getting torn between performance and luxury (as I stated must be a mid life crisis at 26 LOL). Hell, I can't even decide if I want to go manual or auto

Little help here please.

Also, in the coupe, does the rear seats fold down to give you more truck space?

 

yeah in the coupe the rear seats fold down, keep in mind the trunk itself is small. out of your choices id go with the G coupe, I traded my 99 supercharged Benz for the G.

 

Get the G35 Coupe.

First, if you are getting the 6-speed, the Acura-TL has severe Torque Steer. If you are getting the auto, the TL has had transmission problems in the past and has recently had a recall on the TL transmission (affecting some of the earlier builds). This means that the new tranny could be a duplicate (or at least very similar) to the old tranny because the recall affects both the new and old TL. Also, if you are interested in the auto, the G-auto is totally SUPERIOR to the TL auto in terms of efficiency. The G auto is only about 0.3 seconds slower than the manual version, utilizing its broad torque curve to mitigate the loss of the 6th gear. The tranny is from the Q45 so its proven extremely reliable in handling high horsepower and the manumatic mode can be fully controlled (even in 1st gear unlike the TL tranny).

If you decide on the 6-speed G, the 2005 model will have 295hp instead of the 280hp (for the coupe).

2nd, FWD sucks. There is no way around that fact. It is only good for slippery weather conditions but other than that, it sucks. RWD is much more pleasant to drive.

Take a long test drive in a g-coupe and listen to the sweet exhaust, the passing ability without downshifting, the way it takes curves, and the stopping power of the car...I guarantee the TL PALES in comparison.

Finally, the G-interior isn't as good as the TL however, its not bad to live with. I really don't pay attention to the dash because I literally am trying to find an excuse to speed. The driving dynamics on the car are amazing.

04 Coupe Auto/DG/Prem/Nav/Perf

 

go test drive all 3 of them. I've read some people that love the g35 coupe, but just can't get comfortable in it so they opt for another car (or the sedan). I've never driven the tl so I can't talk much about it, but you may want to decide if you want 4 or 2 doors first. The lose of space in the 2 door may be too much for you (if it's important) so that would narrow your selection a bit.

Nate

 

When i looking to buy my car, i was looking at the same line-up as you. Except for the G35 Sedan. It was between the Coupe and the TL.

My old car was an Acura. Riddled with minor problems here and there. So my next car I was biased and anti-Acura from the start. Still, the TL was a good contendor. The interior rocks. But that's about it.

Two words. Torque Steer. Another two words. It SUCKS! It's also very scary. I had an auto and it still had torque steer. I can't imagine what it would be like with an MT TL. You'll probably see a lot of people hitting the curb as they make turns.

Mid life crisis? HA! I'm 25. It's just begun man.
Get the coupe bro. Get it NOW! BUT, if you can hold out, wait til the end of the year for the new 05 Coupe and get that awesome blue color. YUMMY!!!

Today, I was at our Sales Meeting. And as people walked out after, my car was parked in front. People were circling it in admiration. These are people that own CLK500s, S430s, SL500s, 5-Series, 7-Series.

I pop the trunk and put my jacket in, and they ask "is this yours?" I give them a "you know it." They're like "this is niiiice"

I've never seen a TL owner get this type of response from others. Let alone, get the type of response we get from the G's engine.

To each his own. Screw Honda. Get the 350-GT Skyline.

| 2004 G35 Coupe 6MT | Diamond Graphite/Graphite | Premium Pkg | Navigation | SKYLINE+GT350 emblems | Clear Corners | 35% & 50% Tints

 

i hope you asked the same question on the acura forum so you can get an unbiased opinion.

If you want 2 doors get the G35 coupe....the 05's will be out in a couple months, I'd wait if you can. Personally, i like the looks of the acura TL, but i didn't need a 4 door.

The g35 sedan is also a nice car. You prob can't go wrong with any of em.

03 6MT coupe, red/willow, premium, aero, splash guards, alum pedals, clear corners, limo tint, Phatbox 40g mp3 player

 

Thank you everyone for your reply and yes, I did post the same thing in an acura tl forum.

I test drove the g35 today and looked at the tl again.

I hate the g35 sedan. Don't ask me why, I just do.

I honestly LOVE the way the acura looks inside and out (especially inside). The real turn off for me was the problem with front wheel drive and the "torque steer" as mentioned above.

The G35 coupe was interesting. Without a doubt, it is a better sport driving car. But I was turned off by a few things. 1) The trunk sucks. It is really small and even with the rear seats down, it is not enough. I have never seen a trunk that is so shallow

2) I hate the ****/buttons on the steering wheel. I don't know why but they just really rub me the wrong way.

3) The back seats are way to small. I'm only 5'5 and cannot even sit up.

So now the question is, go with the acura with great looks but bad driving (torque steer) or go with the g35 with better drive but worse interior and horrible trunk/back seats (I'm only 5'5 and I couldn't fit in the back seats

 

I actually just purchased my G35 Coupe, and I was looking at the exact same line up of cars as you, and also I had the same exact complaints on both cars as you do.

I did however, really like one other car that never gets metioned, the Cadillac CTS with the 3.6 engine. I loved this car, the way it drove, the way it looked. The interior was nice, and it had a lot more low end grunt than the TL.

The only reasons why I didn't pick it up is because I've only driven american cars, and I wanted a change.

Have you seen the CTS? its not the normal cadillac...
If you want to enter a price range up, the CTS-V with the LS1 V8, 400 HP would be really interesting...

If not, go with the G35 Coupe. I was really concerned about space, especially coming from my last two cars, except, now that I have my Coupe, I really don't care about the space. I just drove my car 4 hours straight today, it was just as comfortable as my Lincoln Continental.

link91
04 G35 Coupe -- Ivory Pearl
97 Lincoln Continental 4.6 DOHC (retired)
93 Ford Crown Victora, Police Interceptor (retired)

 

I'm 5' 7" and fit in the back seats of my coupe just fine. Nonetheless, the fact is that the G35C is as close to a "true sports car" you'll find in a car with a back seat. Technically, it's a GT car, like 4 seat Ferraris and the like. As such, if the sports car attributes don't rock your world enough to make you forget most everything else, then it might not the be car for you.

Having said that, in my humble opinion the G35C combines sport and luxury in an exemplary way; it can be a stunningly comfortable long distance cruiser. But its outstanding performance *must* trump its lesser practicality in your mind or you will probably be buying the wrong car.

The TL is much more practical, performs well when not pushed too hard, has great features and looks really good. But it isn't anywhere close to a sports car, and the G35C is. *Really* close. That's the key difference. If you love the unique driving experience high that a sports car can give you, get the G coupe. If you don't crave that particular adrenaline rush, it sounds like you might be more of a TL kind of guy.

I don't mean to knock the TL by any means. My brother has one (substantially based on my recommendation, knowing his preferences) and I've driven it many times. It's a terrific, powerful, feature-rich sedan and a superb value.

Best of luck in your choice.

 

Exactly what <font color=red>nate1749</font color=red> said. [img]/w3timages/icons/smile.gif[/img]That's what I would do. BTW, if you think it's tough right now, hehe, wait and see what it's like when you turn 40! [img]/w3timages/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

2003-G35C-5AT Laser Red/Black/Prem/XM/Tint/Chrome 17's/Black Badged

 

Haha, last year I was 28 and bought a crotch rocket for my "mid-life crisis". [img]/w3timages/icons/laugh.gif[/img] Four months later I bought the G35 coupe.[img]/w3timages/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

I like the TL a lot and recommended it to my brother, but it doesn't strike me as something you'd get for a "mid-life crisis". That's something you'd get after you've passed "mid-life" (whenever that may be). I guess the G gets a lot of knocks about its interior, but when I was at an auto show last year and sat in all the cars, I didn't find many cars with interiors I liked better than the G's (TL was one of them though). Heck, the CTS's interior is a joke compared to the G's interior IMHO. As for the G's trunk, yes it's small, but for the type of car it is, it's actually pretty decent. You should check out the trunk size of the 350Z to see the real definition of a small trunk.
I guess the bottomline is that you should get whatever compells you more after you've test driven them. In my case, as soon as I realized that I can afford a G coupe, it was a done deal for me.
Have fun!

<font color=purple>2004 G35 Coupe Diamond Graphite/Graphite 5AT</font color=purple>
Premium, Nav., 18" Wheels, Z-Xtreme Hyper Grounding Cables,
K&N filter, Clear Corners, 350Z Aluminum Pedals,
Sony Ericsson HCB-30

 

How often are you going to be riding in the back seat of your own car? Unless you live where you get alot of snow and the G would be your only vehicle, don't get the Acura! At 5' 5" I don't know how you didn't fit back there. The trunk does kinda stink, but how much stuff do you really need to carry? What do you put in your trunk now?

2003 6MT Black Coupe, Premium Pkg. w/ Aero
20% tint all around, Aluminum Pedals

 

If you're at all concerned about practicality, then I'd get the TL. The G has almost NO SPACE compared to it. You give up a lot when you get the G. The cost of ownership is also higher due to the nature of the tires and the brakes. Also, transporting people in the back seat is a pain because it takes forever to get the seats to move forward.

04 Coupe Auto/DG/Prem/Nav/Perf

 

mid life crisis answer = g35 coupe!

sedans are for old ppl.

 

Exactly what Mooser said, wait and see what it's like when you turn 40. You can't have a midlife crisis at 28. You don't even know what one is. You still have your looks, you can stay up all night, (doing anything) and your parents are usually still in good health. Unfortunately you will find out someday, sorry.

2003 Blk/Blk Premium w/navigation
Tinted Windows (20%)
Chrome Wheels
BRM Catback Exhaust
Injen CAI (blue)
Unorthodox Crank Pulley (blue)
Clear Corners
Grounding Wires (blue)
255/45ZR17's rear