Hey...I chose the G after a long and hard search. I read lots of owner forums and was just blown away by the quality control issues appearing on lots of Honda/Acura products...the TL, in particular, has many transmission problems and the leather seats sometimes even lose their color and/or sag. I know that those problems may show up only on a small percentage of their cars, but I'd hate to buy one and have it happen to me. I'd feel like the biggest idiot in that case. Some 04 TLs are already on their third tranny...would you like to own that car past the warranty period?

 

To the original poster...don't believe everything you read. The 2nd gen TL (last generation) had horrendous tranny problems with their auto. The new 3rd gen TLs have had very very few transmission problems. Its a great car and you should test drive both. If you want an able cruiser that has more luxury, then the TL is the better car. If you want more of a GT with better handling, the G35 is better.

 

Well I had a 2g CL S and the tranny issues were horrendous. The fix was to retune the ECU, change the shift points, and the 3g has a different torque curve. So acura is not designing its trannys to match the orginal performance of the engine. the max torque is much higher in the range than before. 5000 now vs 3500.

The TL has a entire list of problems maybe overly picky owners? I doubt it. They car is made cheaper than the G in my opinion. How else does it cost less.. Does acura have a more brilliant team? I doubt it. I am not saying throw your money away. I am saying the chances are better with the G that you will have fewer problems.

When you go to the TL forum you hear all kinds of issues. I do not want to spend my time working out the issues on a brand new car!!

 

I personally went with the TL over the g35 for a few reasons.

1.) The interior, I dont care what any '05 owners opinion is but the interior in the G is lackluster in comparison to the TL.
2.) RWD, I already have a Vette, I dont need another RWD car living in Chicago. However if it didnt matter (I.e. living somewhere warm), neither car would have been debated.
3.) Styling. I wasnt considering the coupe (Best looking IMO), so sedan to sedan I think it's a hands down win for the TL A-Spec.

So for me it was about interior and styling. I didnt care about which was slightly faster or better balanced, I wanted the car I thought looked the best and had more interior creature comforts. The TL won.



Edit: I also wanted to add a comment about the "complaints" on the Acura forums.

It seems that there is a ridiculous amount of whining on those forums over wear and tear issues, it's sad.

 

Then what makes you think your opinion matters?

A-Spec adds weight to the car with no HP bump to compensate. I think 5-7K is too much money for brakes and a body kit, but that's just me. A-Spec is overpriced.

Such as? Curious what the TL has that the G doesn't. Aside from Bluetooth that is - which is a PITA to get online and consistently working. MP3? Nope. Reclining rear seats? Nope. Smart Key? Partial. DVD Audio? Great if you have a large DVD Audio collection. Otherwise it's just a nice stereo.

What are the blockbuster features that puts the TL over the top?

 

The funny thing about this thread is that the idiot is defending a car he doesn't even own. whata chump

 

Bluetooth is the by far number one reason. Who told you it's a PITA? It works so easily and nearly flawlessly.

Let's also compare navigation systems, wait you can't, the TL is more user friendly.

And the next creature comfort that spoils you, VOICE COMMAND FOR NEARLY EVERYTHING. No it's not necessary, but than again when is either car necessary?

So to sum it up, between bluetooth, more comfortable seats (IMO), voicecommand, a better stereo, you have a nicer interior. (And I wont even discuss subjective things like interior design and fit and finish.)

This isnt coming from someone who hasnt driven a g35, or spent considerable time in them. I used to own infiniti, every loaner I had was a g35, I test drove the **** out of them as well, and THEY DONT OFFER THE SAME INTERIOR AMENITIES AND THAT IS WHAT I WAS INTERESTED IN.

And as I said before, Speed/RWD didnt matter because I own a Vette. So I dont care if you think A-spec is too expensive because it doesnt offer more HP, it was about the body-kit, suspension, and rims. That's why I did it.


And I might as well add: You ask why opinion should matter when I discredit the '05 owner's opinion's. The reason is simple, I dont think it's subjective that the interior of the TL is nicer, I think that anyone that owns a g35 who argues otherwise is doing it for the sake of argument or for the sake of being a putz.

You wont see me arguing that the TL is a faster car from 0-100, because it's not, regardless of what I think.

 

My previous response to the same question. Updated a bit.

Interior - a lot has been said about the interior of the G, but it is much improved for 05. I still think the interior on the TL is better (in appearance - functionality is subjective), but the G35 has moved uptown from where it was before. Long term use in either car will tell the tale. I don't think interior (wear and tear) will be an issue although the TL has some gripes about 'butt prints' and sagging leather. I liked the stitched seatbacks in the G, I liked the interior color choices in the G (I chose stone - the closest I could get in the TL was Quartz and availablity with my choice of exterior color was very limited). I think the TL gets a narrow win for fit and finish. Overall I think the interior of the TL was better, but the G has come a long way this year. I chose the real aluminum trim and it adds a nice touch. Rattles and other nits/picks will vary from car to car so no need to measure that here. Switch placement and the like is also subjective with each driver so that's hard to compare too.

The G's rear reclining seats were nice. Not because they increase passenger comfort (I carry very few passengers) but because they allow access to the rear shock towers - very nice for adjusting ride stiffness should you choose to add aftermarket shocks. A lot of guys do this..

Performance - for me, the G, no contest. Until the horsepower/torque bump in the G this year, the TL was quicker to 60 (in a manual - dunno about the 5AT). What sold me was how the car felt, and how it sounded. The G didn't push the front end through the corners (driven hard, the TL did), it didn't wheel-hop under acceleration (the TL did over pavement bumps - especially when pushed in the corners), and in the G you don't have to be concerned with torque steer. The G just felt more nimble and buttoned down to me. With VDC disabled I could steer the car with the rear end out if I wanted to - no problems. I don't know what the actual 'numbers' are on the G this year - the magazines haven't run the 05's yet - but the same drivetrain pushes the 500lb heavier M35 to 60 in 6.2.

No matter what the numbers are, the G felt, and sounded faster. The seat-of-the-pants meter pegged higher in the G - no question about it. The TL didn't have a rumble in it's exhaust which I think a sports sedan should have. Not enough to drone or be annoying, but enough to let you know you're moving - especially when you get into it.

Also - the manual shift mode of the G Sedan has to be experienced. The rev-matching downshift feature and near-lagless upshifting are awesome. When you're running in manual mode and downshift as you come to a light, for example, a person on the street wouldn't know you weren't driving a manual. The throttle auto-blips, the tach sweeps up as the engine auto-revs to receive the lower gear, the tranny engages the lower gear and the car behaves just as a manual would, without the clutch of course - AND IT HAPPENS RIGHT NOW. Upshifts give you full control, the only automatic feature of the tranny (in manual mode) is that it will select 1st gear for you when you come to a complete stop. The tranny never thinks it's smarter than you (changing gears without being commanded). TL's manual mode was very vanilla - no soul.

Brakes - the Brembos are gone, the factory brakes are completely new, and they make NO DUST AT ALL. I'm hoping Infiniti has put it's well known brake issues behind it. Guys running the 05s at the track are saying the new brakes are just as effective as the old ones, and the old ones put down some of the best stopping distances of any car at any price. You can get front Brembos on the TL in Aspec form, but at a pretty sizeable cost. A-Spec is $5 to 7K and only adds weight to the car IMO.

Tech bits - Acura has them all, but unfortunately none of the special ones they include really apply to me. I don't use bluetooth. I don't do hands-free cell because I don't use my cell phone behind the wheel - they can leave a message if it's that important. I didn't want NAVI. The DVD audio system is nice if you have a large collection of DVD audio CDs. I don't. What I do have, however, is a HUGE MP3 collection - in the G I can carry 1000~ tunes in the dash. The Bose in the G Sedan is much improved this year - 7 speakers with a sub vice 8 in the TL, and it sounds great to me. The DVD based system in the TL was very nice, but I wanted MP3 and didn't want to have to go aftermarket to get it (I wanted the steering wheel controls to be able to manipulate the MP3s..)

Keyless everything (including ignition) is nice too - just have the fob in your pocket and the whole car is set to your specs. Even the tilt/telescope is memory and powered. When you unlock the car, the wheel and seat move up and back to allow full access. When you turn the start switch (no key required) to accessory, the seat (8 way power) and wheel move to your settings. Each fob carries it's own settings. All 4 windows are one-touch up/down instead of just driver/passenger on TL (nice for getting heat out of the car) and you can lower all 4 with the fob or a bump of the switch. You can also get in the trunk with no key, but the trunk is locked to anyone without the fob.

All of the other bells and whistles (dual zone air, trip meters, lit switches etc) are about equal. Different in form and function maybe, but both cars offer about the same number/type of luxury features.

Exterior Style - This is purely subjective. Everyone has their own taste. I prefer the factory 17" wheels on the G better - TL's were too generic. I may get some aftermarket wheels (volks maybe?) but not until I put some miles on the factory rubber. I prefer the rubber that comes on the G (Eagle RSAs). Not the best, but no issues with flat spotting or road noise either. I prefer the G's stacked headlights - side by sides are everywhere. I like the circular LED tails too - something different. I really like the G's fall-away hood and raised front fenders, and the way the rear of the cabin flows into the side of the car. I liked the floating rear glass. (you have to see this to understand what I mean - no frame around the rear window). Your view is framed between the headlights - much like the view out of a 911 if you've ever sat in one.

I liked the look of the TL, but visually it blended into traffic. Too much of a family resemblance for my taste. To me, from some angles, it looked like a big TSX. With just a quick glance the two are easily mistaken. Put two of the same color side-by-side and you'll get the point.

In some colors the TL looked great (to my eye) but in others it was just too "Honda." I also wasn't crazy about the exhaust treatment out back. I wish the G had split exhausts, (ALA M35/M45) but the twins on the left look good too. To me, the G looked sportier, more poised, more ready-to-go. Wasn't crazy about the side sills on TL, how they worked with the lower part of the doors. From some angles they didn't look finished - if that makes any sense. The G's wheelbase is also 5~ inches longer.

Mods - Possible to do on a TL, much easier to do on the G. With the G, you can take ready-made factory performance bits from the coupe as well as the 350Z. Engine and suspension. The aftermarket is alive with body kits, custom exhausts, brake kits, rotors, intake systems, forced induction - you name it, it's available and not all that expensive when compared to what you will pay for TL mods. You have lots of choices.

For example, you can take the mid-pipe from the coupe and bolt it directly up to the sedan. Quick HP bump, new exhaust note, not much $ spent. Not so much with the TL - even wheels can be a challenge from what I read. I don't necessarily plan to supercharge or turbocharge my G, but if I want to, I have lots of choices. So will the guy I sell this car to when the time comes.

Mileage - Goes to the TL if the numbers they forecast are accurate. In my G I'm not doing bad, I just went over 2800 miles and have averaged 22MPG.

It wasn't an easy choice. The cars have the same purpose (on paper) but have very different flavors behind the wheel. Both are excellent cars and both have their nagging points. I chose the G because it better suits my driving style - more sports than luxury - even though the G carries most of the luxury bits you'll find in the TL.

 

My friend owns a 04 TL. He is selling it for a Lexus. He has had many issues with it and the same ones that people complain about on the forums.

More comfortable seats? The leather on the TL is crap compared to the nicer leather on the G35. Nav is a waste of money IMHO. I didn't get it because of that. Who needs it! I have a map if i don't know where things are.

FYI, Loaner G35s are base models. And usually abused.

FACT: The TL only has 1 feature over the G35. Bluetooth. The G35 has more features than that over the TL. FACT.

 

Footnote -

If I were going to spend $40K on a car (roughly the MSRP of a TL with A-Spec but no NAVI) I'd spend a few more puppies and buy an M35.

Vette aside, RWD in a reasonably powerful sport sedan makes for a better performing car. Say what you want about the torque steer - getting into the gas over uneven pavement around a corner can put the TL into the curb. The bump steer is horrible. I couldn't convince myself to spend the money on a 'sports luxury' car that lacked so badly in the 'sports' department. I don't drive half as hard as most here and the TL was all over the place. The G is point and shoot.

 

You know, what makes you think anyone here gives a damn what your opinion is either? And in respsonse to the interior comp, I owned an '04 prior to my '05, and I would agree the '04 wasn't as nice as the TL, but my '05 is far and away nicer! And as far as ridiculous whining goes, it's everywhere, your post proves that!

 

I didnt realize you guys had voice command for your navigation and for your stereo and for your climate control.

You have one extra feature, your key.


Oh wait your rear seats recline.

You guys just can't handle it apparently. The interior of the g35 is lackluster for the pricing segment. Thankfully the car makes up for it EVERY OTHER AREA. There isnt a car in its segment that out performs its handling and acceleration.

This isnt anything new, so stop getting your thongs in a bunch.

 

You need to pass your crack around to the rest of the forum because that's the only way you win the interior game.

As for the rest of your meaningless banter, tell me this, what was the point of this particular thread? A guy was asking opinions between the cars, so he was getting one.

Move your *** on already.

 

Well since you apparently pay msrp on the cars you buy, I'd have to agree in your case.

However I have this issue about buying an m35 when there is a better motor available. If I were planning on spending 50-60k on a sedan, I wouldnt be looking at Acura or Infiniti, so it doesnt really matter. This was about spending under 40k on a car, and what I wanted was a nicer interior and nice styling and I got it. If I were looking for a coupe the g35 would have won hands down.

 

What is your problem? You come on a G35 forum and badmouth the car, you sir are the one who needs to move on! Have you previously owned a G35? Talk about meaningless banter!