I cannot decide on whether or not to go with the Borla TD for my 03 5AT sedan. I've researched and researched, but I still can't seem to get a clear answer. People say the Borla is loud, but it quites down quite a bit as the interior piping becomes coated in exhaust residue. That makes sense. My biggest concerns are resonating and vibration. I'm 31, married, and have a 1 y/o son therefore I don't want an obnoxious exhaust on my G. A little resonating is okay and to be expected, but I don't the kind of resonating that can be clearly heard over my stereo at level 10.

I need some honest answer from you long term Borla owners and any other experience/advice you can give would be great.

My concerns

1) The resonating. Explain it best you can.

2) Vibration. Since the Borla doesn't use the OEM flex section in the Y-pipe section, I'm a bit worried about any vibrations that might pop up due to the increased rigidity of the TD system. I know that on the aftermarket Y-pipe on my Maxima, the manufactuers used shorter than OEM flex sections and this increased vibration through the pedals and shifter. I didn't like that. I want to keep the smoothness of my G.

3) Power. Did you guys notice less lower rpm throttle response? Did you notice a real increase in power (dyno, 1/4 mile)? Did any of you have a Coupe midpipe prior. If so, how did it compare.


Shortly I'll be ordering the MD spacer and possibly the Borla TD or I'll just pickup a used Coupe midpipe.

Thanks for any help.

 

Well Dave I hope you're prepared for a mixed bag of replies in this thread...LOL

First of all I don't quallify as a long term user.
I did however, grow up in the muscle car era & have had my share of preformance exhaust experiences.

FWIW, with my G....
I went to the Borla right away (past shining thru)
I kept it for about 4 months b4 changing to a NFC Y-pipe, coupe midi & HKS muffler.

RESONANCE...
First of all drone to me is not just a loud exhaust at certain RPM...
Drone to me is when the system sets up sympathetic vibration with other components & the air inside the cabin.
I was def getting more vibration of parts(especially plastic bits) & drone noise inside the cabin.
This was from 1800 rpm to about 2200.
Outside of that range the system was SWEET and WOT was amazing.

If I didn't have to deal with a daily commute, I would never have changed it out.
The problem was with the 5AT in auto mde... 1800 -2200 was where it likes to be a lot!
I had lots of complaints from the co-pilot & passengers, especially if it lugged a little.

VIBRATION... was no problem

POWER...
The Borla definitely made more all the way through the entire range than my current set up.
No data to substantiate, but I noticed a definite drop off when I changed.

 

I've only had the Borla for about 20 months.

1. I have a coupe. From what I understand going from stock sedan to Borla is much more of a "volume" increase from the the stock coupe to Borla. Yes, there is somewhat of a drone around 2000 RPM. But, I drive mostly highway miles so I don't notice it much. I've gotten use to it driving to the grocery store.

2) No problems with vibration.

3) It seems to pull better in the high end. I gained only about +8 rwhp on the dyno with the Borla. With a popcharger, z-tube, 3/8" spacer+iso thermal, and Borla I ended up with +18 rwhp.

 

Based on what I've read over time regarding sedan Borla review's, and based on what you want Dave. I would not purchase it. I drove a sedan with the Stillen TD for 20 some miles, I totally get why some owners talk about it resonating. I don't get the owners that say it's a non issue, like it doesn't do what it does noise wise.

No way you can hook up with a borla sedan owner eh Dave?

 

Not in Kansas City. This ain't SoCal

 

I've had the Borla on my sedan for nearly three years. Is that long term enough?

It was one of the first mods I did to my sedan and it remains one of my favorites. It is louder than stock, no question, but it is NOT too loud or annoying. I don't understand the people who talk about "drone". I don't have it. Maybe it's my driving habits as I rarely drive in "D" and opt for manumatic 90% of the time. The sound is amazing at WOT and subtle during normal driving. It's true that the sound mellows after a few months.

There is more vibration and resonance in the cabin, but it does not bother me. I'm 34 and the G is my daily driver. The Borla has passed the GF test and the parents test with flying colors. I have NEVER had a complaint about the exhaust sound. I often find myself driving with the stereo off just so I can enjoy the sounds of my G. I recommend the Borla TD to anyone who will listen.

PS - Recently, I met with another G35driver member and he asked about my exhaust and the "drone". I took him for a ride and I tried to reproduce the "drone" but I was unable to. I drove at various RPMs between 1900-2500 and the "Drone was no where to be found.

 

personally.. i have heard Borla TD in person in a Sedan, and had a stillen TD setup for quite awhile.

a) Sound wise, the Stillen sounds similar to that of Borla at idle and low rpm..however, the Stillen screams like an exotic pass the 4k~5k rpm range.

b) Droning wise, both of them have noticeable interior droning at the 2.4~2.8k rpm range. But i had no problem with it (maybe because i didn't have to commute with my car, i just walk or take public transportation everyday lol...)

c) Built wise, depends on what you want, if u want sth strong and is visually appealing, both of them would be your choices, however, the Borla setup might be harder to install..

d) Vibration wise, i can't comment on the Borla setup, but i had no problem with the stillen.

Moreover, is the Borla TD a tad cheaper than that of Stillen?

Merry xmas everyone

 

Thanks for the response.

Sounds like you and I drive the same. In around the town driving (sub 50mph), I usually leave the car in "4". Leaving it in D seems to lug the car too much. My rpms at a cruise around town hang anywhere from 1800-2200rpms with the TC locked.

Can you describe the vibration? Where it comes from? When?

I don't want the resonance to be bothersome. What's the noise like at a cruise at 40mph? Highway? Can you listen to the stereo at 10 (light music like Coldplay) not have to be listening to the exhaust. I can deal with some drone. I've owned a 94 Z28 with a 3" Flowmaster exhaust and my father had a Tahoe with a Flowmaster. Both systems droned a quite bit from 1800-2300rpms. There was always a constant "whooooooommmmm". But it sounded good. My other option is the Coupe midpipe and even that has been reported to create a bit of drone too.

How do you like the power increase?

Do you have any audio of the exhaust under load?

Sorry for all the questions, but it sounds like you're the one with the most experience with this system.

 

2,400-2,800rpms? I can handle that because I'm rarely driving in that range. On the highway I'm at 2,800rpm at 70mph, but I doubt there's much drone unless engine is under load with the TC unlocked.

Yeah. $750 for the Borla vs $1,100 for the Stealin'.

 

$949 from Grubbs Infiniti in Dallas. For Stillens.

 

I'm usually in "3" around town (sub 50mph).

It's kinda hard to describe, but it's not something that is distracting or overwhelming at all. It doesn't come from one specific spot (like the shifter), rather it's an all over thing. You'll notice it when you first start your car and it's idling, but not so much when driving normally.

It's not bothersome to me. I can listen to music at 10 without interference from the exhaust. Anything below 10 and you start to lose out to the exhaust note.

It's really noticable on the butt dyno when you get over 3k rpm.

I have some video that was shot when I had the Injen CAI and the Borla TD exhaust. Email me at skeletoncru@comcast.net

The other big factors that contributed to my decision to go with the Borla over the Stillen were price and looks. THe Borla was $650 shipped back then and I didn't like the single tip of the Stillen. It looked like a coffee can to me.

 

I have had the Borla on my 04' for about 5 months. It is not loud at all, it sounds awesome IMO. I have had no vibration problems either. I like it way better than the Stillen my friend had.

 

To toss in some non-related information, the coupe mid-pipe does drone from around 1500-2200rpm.

I had my friend in the car and he noticed it immediately. "Wow. Your car is loud." :/

 

Weird, I never noticed it when I had it in.

 

With the middy installed, my brother's '04 6MT Sedan interior sound level is louder, but I did not notice any interior droning per se.