Buying Sedan, please help me choose one ?
Manual tranny (no NAVi)....Why ?

Thanks !

 

Why even bother to ask that here...

UMM, I have a G35 and love it, but I think you should buy the TL.....

But, if you are asking what is better about the G35.... I can compair the Legacy to the G35 but I know nothing about the TL..

The Legacy is 250HP ( I think) but all wheel drive with a 5 speed..
It gets better gas mileage I think..
But it is cheaply looking on the inside and the one I looked at did not have leather.
Legacy has heater controls, no climate controls.. resale would be less on the Legacy
I think they are closely priced, the one I looked at was $28K so it is a little less...
OF COURSE, All this is IMO....

Legacy is much closer to the G35 then the WRX is, but still way below it in respects to Luxury.. But they are close on performance..

I was torn between the 2, but I wanted power and luxury.. G35 had both, Legacy was just power...

Get the manual, my G35 is more fun then my 97 AUTO Twin Turbo Supra with 450HP at the wheels because of the 6 Speed..

Make sure the Legacy is a manual if you get it, that Turbo spooled slowly on the Auto I tested...

 

You have a classic AWD, FWD, versus RWD dilemma to resolve first. Depending on the climate in your area and your preferences, you decide on this one.

Then you have luxury: TL will coddle you more than the other two. But the G will be a very close second. The Subbie isn't even close.

Then you have warranty/loaner car: The G takes this one.

Handling/Power: Again, depends on how you prefer to lay it down. If you live in Alaska, Subaru all the way. If you live somewhere in between, you're just going to have to decide for yourself. I live in Washington, so 98% of the time we don't have snow, the G wins hands-down. If you're a sucker for torque steer, grab the TL. If you're a sucker for turbo-lag, then grab the Subbie.

Quality/Fit&Finish: The TL is probably the best bet here, but I'll get flak for saying it. The G is darn nice, but the squeaks and rattles can be cumbersome.

Character: Something widely dismissed and rarely spoken of. The G wins hands down. I've owned a lot of cars. The G reminds me of a 4-door version of the 1996 Nissan Z I owned, and loved. The G is also the only car I've purchased that had my neighbors in my driveway looking it over... a lot of admirers. Character goes a long way for some, but has no weight for most. You decide on this one.

 

Legacy GT sedan is less in the luxurious department, but it is also a few thousands dollars cheaper. So if you don't have to have those features, then Legacy is also a good choice. In fact I think all three of them are very hot, although I still think G35 sedan one-up them by being RWD and having a smooth powerful V6 instead of being FWD or having a turbo four cylinder.

 

I'm in the same boat. I currently own a low miles, never been snow drive, '04 WRX STi with mods and am looking to trade it in for an '05 6MT Sedan. I love the power with the STi, but EVERYONE and their sister wants to race you no matter WHERE you go. I'm looking for a car that is more 'fancy' on the inside and has RWD. Sure, AWD is safe but man, once you go RWD you don't want anything but (at least from my point of view). I have a daily driver car for the 'bad' weather up here in NH, but if I didn't I'm sure I'd stick with the STi as a year round car. I guess it all comes down to your preference (AWD, FWD, RWD) and the conditions you'll be driving in. Good luck...

 

Buy the suburu , or maybe the acura b/c as you know we all hate our G.

 

I had an 02 BMW 330i before I got my 05 G35 Sedan Auto. None of my neighbors really said anything about my 330i. The day I brought home the G35 every single one of them came over to me and asked me about it! The neighbors that I have are car guys also. One owns a 97 Porsche Carrera, One owns a German Spec 2002 Mercedes G wagon imported to the states from Germany, Another one owns an 05 330i coupe, and I see the guy with the G wagon driving an 03 M3 some times. The 05 G35 turns heads!

 

If you have the TL in mind and don't know the main reason we bought the G over the TL then i would go for a TL.

 

Here is my take. I am a a new G35 sedan owner, previous car an Acura TL type S. As for the Acura, yes it is front wheel drive but never did I have any problems with it. I had too to make this decision now and went with the G. I can say that if you are picky about noises and squeaks, the G is not the car for you. Yes it is rear wheel drive, if it matters to you, not that it did for me and very comfortable and the power is definately there. The acura as they have said, will pamper you more on the inside then the G, esp. in the sound system. This will blow away the G's sound system. All in all, they are both two great cars, power is there on both, one more then the other. Personally if I had to do it all over again, due to the issues I have had with my G beginning with 1 mile, I would purchase the TL.

 

If you are getting a stick do not get the TL as the torque steer on the stick is unbearable (the torque steer on the auto is not that noticeable). So it is the G vs the Subaru plus 5K or so in your pocket, obviously your call.

 

I bought a used 2005 6 speed G35 with 4100 miles on it for $25,895

I have owned over 35 cars in my life, from 65 corvettes, 97 TT Supra, Legends, GS400s, Dodge Magnum RT, and many many more, and I can honestly say, the G35 is the only car I have ever driven that is a 2 door coupe in with 4 doors... Most cars loose a little being a 4 door family car, but my G35 does not, it handles better than my Supra ever did, though not faster of course, but the fun factor is sooo much more with rear wheel drive over front or AWD....

SO, have
Legancy-- Sport No frills
G35 almost as much sport but lots of frills
TL Even less sport but more frills...

Plus to all your buddies, only one of them is an Infiniti..

 

I live in a house with a few roommates and within the last couple of months we all bought new cars. I bought the G35x, roommate1 bought a legacy gt limited, and roommate2 bought an acura TL. I've driven both of their cars several times and like a member mentioned above... it's all about what you what and where you live.

We live in Massachusetts so snow plays a factor (hence the G35x) but with good snow tires a rwd car can play in the snow too. The following is just our opinions of each other's cars.

Handling: G35x -> GT -> TL
(neither of the other two were that far off)

gas mileage: TL -> GT -> G35x
(The TL is a week old so he hasnt really beat on it yet)

luxury: TL -> G35x -> GT
(I think the TL's interior is amazing)

But it's all a matter of opinion, you should test drive each of them a couple of times before making a choice. The G35 has power and it handles like a dream. the Acura is what you would expect from Honda engineers -- a comfortable ride. the GT is comfortable and has pep but lacks compare to the other two (although it makes up for it in price).

On a side note, roommate1 with the GT has been looking into a "stage1 upgrade" and that's said to increase power a lot by just flashing the ECU (not sure though, his words not mine).

Needless to say I love pulling into my driveway and there's always a constant battle as to who gets to drive when we go out and who's car we should go out in.

(I'll post pictures when I get a chance)

 

I actually came out of a '05 TL w/5K mi on it for a new '05 G35x, and I'll have to admit that I'm not sure if I'm any happier. I'll admit that the G35 handles better and drives better - the transmission is definitely a world better [auto] - but I only have 120 Mi on the G35x and already I'm developing squeaks and rattles that are clearly documented on this forum. I also have a wheel shake and alignment problem that service has tried to fix twice already and is still there. It seems like that I'll be dealing w/every TSB that is listed for the G35 and that is the very reason why I dumped the TL. The amount of rattles in that car [the TL] - over smooth roads mind you - were just overwhelming. Yes I do miss the sound system of the TL, but by simply removing the junk Bose tweeters for Polk's made a world of difference [but still not at good at the ELS system]. There is a saying about Bose systems: If it has no highs and no lows it must be a Bose. How Bose stays in business is beyond me.

Annyhow, in conclusion I cannot speak of the Subaru, but I'm not sure if I'd buy either the TL or the G35 again, and just might give the G35 back if these problems are not fixed ASP - which is too bad for the G35 has so much potential, more so than the TL in my opinion. But the "nickel-and-dime" problems, at least for me are a big turn-off for the amount of $$$ that I spent.

I welcome comments...

 

Personally, I can't stand fwd cars. They are fine for transportation and for those that don't know where the engine is in the car. The Legacy GT appeals to me, however. I was actually checking out the wagon version as a family hauler. On paper, it sounds really good for the money but I never drove one. AWD might be cool but I don't need it since I live in the south. The hp is decent (250) but you have to deal with turbo lag. Since this is a G35 forum and I own one, I of course recommend the G35. It has the performance, handling, and classy looks.