After much deliberation , and lurking here in this forum for a while, I bought a G35 6MT sedan today. I decided on it after driving the Audi A4 3.0, the Acura TSX, and the 2004 Maxima.

I received a really good deal from Harper Infiniti in Knoxville, Tn. Although it was three hours away, they had the best deal. If you live within range and considering buying a new Infiniti, check them out. They were great. Just a low price on the car,. with no BS.

I had no idea how much I would actually enjoy driving the car. It is a blast. Yes, the clutch is firm, it reminds me of a modified mustang or a race car in fact, it is so firm. Also, I agree the shifter vibrates a bit, but not more than other RWD cars.

It has a sunroof, the aero, and Bose, and the winter package, but no premium. I really like the Goodyear tires that come with the winter (all weather package).

Although the Bose systme doesnt sound that great (too much boom) I like the way the front stage in the car. They definately did a good job setting up the imaging. I think that audomobile desgners nowadays put too much emphasis on the bass response of a car.

Anyways, those are my only complaints. Thanks to all of you who contribute here regulary. You unbiased opinions helped me to decide on the right car.

Mark Grant
grantmt@charter.net

 

Welcome aboard! How was the 2004 Maxima?

 

Welcome!! Hook us up with pix when you get the car. Congrats on the purchase.


It's still a G thang!!

 

How was the TSX compared to the G? I konw its a foolish comparsion.. but is the TSX fast?

Oh yeah.. and welcome to the board.

..pestilence..

 

Welcome.
I saw an '04 Max on the road for the first time this morning. It was getting off the freeway so I couldn't look for too long. What did you think of it?

[b][i]<font color=red>BoneDaddy
2003.5 Garnet Fire, Premium, Aero, Sport

 

The '04 Maxima has 265 HP. How did it compare to the sedan G35?

 

Only one thing it'll have more of than the Sedan= Torque Steer
I had a 2k2 S/E-- nice but nothing like our rear drive G's.
Actually there is one thing I miss from that car--heated Steering Wheel. I really loved it..... JMHO....[img]/w3timages/icons/smile.gif[/img]
<font color=blue> Grantmt: Welcome to our board bro. Congrats on the new ride, and don't forget to post some pics...[img]/w3timages/icons/smile.gif[/img]</font color=blue>
<font color=red>GSM</font color=red><P ID="edit"><FONT class="small"><EM>Edited by gsedanman on 04/05/03 10:51 AM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

The 04' Maxima feels "bigger" than the G35. The transmission on the Maxima didnt feel as solid. In retrospect, it was hard to tell which was quicker. But, the G35 definately has a more "quality" fit and finish. Plus, the front end of the Maxima has the new Nissan grille, which looks like the Murano. From a personal standpoint, I think it looks cheap.
The maxima that I looked at with leather was $28500, which didnt make it a good value when compared to the G35.

 

I have always driven Hondas, so I was excited about the TSX. I was very dissapointed with the 03' accord. I thought that on the sedan the final drive ratio was too high, and it didnt have a D4 position like my wife's TL. It was constantly changing gears. And the accord didnt offer a 6 sp manual. Plus it looks like someone rear ended it and smushed the rear of the car in at the assembly plant.

So, when the TSX arrived, I thought it would be perfect. My local dealer called, and we went for a test drive. The TSX is a hot looking car. Yes it is based on the 03' accord, but it looks way better. However, the interior of the car wasnt what I expected. It has leather, but not on the doors. It was very similar to an altima. After driving a G35, it was a noticeable difference in comfort. The 200 hp 4 cylinder from the RSX is okay, but it was loud and had to be revved hard to get into its power range. No comparison to the tourqe heavy 3.5L in the G35.

I was still interested because I thought if I could get into the car around $25k, it would be a good buy. Nope, because they are "limited in quantity" the dealer wanted the full sticker of $27,000 on the non-navigation model. To me, it just wasnt a good value at that price. I like the 3.5L Altima better and it is availible for less. Plus, for an extra $3k you can get a G35, and there is no comparion between the TSX and the 6MT sedan.

 

Looks like you thoroughly reviewed the pro's and cons of your decision and opted for the best car. Welcome to the forum!


03 G35
02 Sequoia

 

Quote:

"Nope, because they are "limited in quantity" the dealer wanted the full sticker of $27,000 on the non-navigation model."

Yikes $27,000 for a 4 banger. They've got to be kidding! At that price you won't see them on the road for a while until they get discounted to $23,000 and I still wouldn't pay for that much.

 

Okay thats good to konw.. Thanks for the response grantmt.. i always wondered how the tsx was..

..pestilence..

 

Greetings all. I have a question for you guys. I find the comparo Grantmt wrote up very informative, but wouldn't the Acura TL make a more likely competitor to the G35 than the TSX? I would think they seem more similar market segment-wise. But I haven't compared them in detail, myself.

I'm asking because it just so happens my best friend has been considering the TSX, TL, and G35 sedans, among others. He'll probably find this thread of interest.

(BTW, congrats on your purchase, Grantmt! [img]/w3timages/icons/cool.gif[/img])

<font color=blue>2003 G35 Coupe 6MT - diamond graphite / graphite leather - premium - nav</font color=blue>

 

Without a doubt Honda/Acura makes excellent cars, however I traded my 2002TL for my G because I don't trust Honda/Acura right now. My tranny failed, a fairly regular, if not frequent, occurence with this transmission line. Acura handled the issue fairly loosely before admitting they had a problrmatic tranny mated to their V6's. It is for this reason I left the brand. Also, although they extended the tranny warranty to 100K, I drive 36K/yr, so an extended warranty would have done me little good if the tranny problem truly was not resolved.

TSX was not an option; high-revving 4-bangers don't intrigue me, I want torque down low. VTEC is good for the track, not everyday commuting. BTW, I'd get the IS300 before the TL or TSX.




03 G35
02 Sequoia

 

I hadn't heard about the tranny problems on Acuras when I was shopping. I did test drive a TL-S. I've had two Accords (86, 92), so I figured I'd take a looke at the Acura version. I wasn't impressed. For a car with 260hp, it didn't feel like it (the G35, 330i, and S60 T5 all felt quicker). Plus, I didn't like the interior -- it didn't seem to be that much of an upgrade from a Honda, just had leather slapped on. The driver's seat wasn't comfortable to me, either. I would have taken the Volvo over the Acura, it was much nicer. The G35 and 330i were a step above both on the performance scale, though.

The TSX wasn't available at the time, and isn't it smaller than the new Accord? I though it was based on the JDM Accord which is smaller than the US Accord.

2003.5 G35 Sedan Desert Platinum/Graphite Premium/Sport/Aero/Nav/Winter