hello all,

I am current owner of 04 TL, and may be in the market for the replacement in the near future. The TL is a great car, but it also has its share of issues like rattles (what car doesn't have rattles?) and flatspotting of crappy Bridgestones and even my new Pirelli Pzero Nero M+S. The '07 G35 seems to fit the bill for its sexy looks, power, performance, and price. Still debating on whether to go the Sport or AWD route, but have a few questions.

1. What tire make and model come on the AWD version?

2. Can the 18" wheel/tire package be added to the AWD version? If so, has anybody asked for high-performance all-season instead of the summer tires?

Thanks in advance, and this is a great site.

 

Before I bought my '07 G35x, the Acura TL Type-S was my dream car. After I test drive the Acura and then the G, I woke up! The G was better in nearly every way (IMHO).

As for your questions:

1. What tire make and model come on the AWD version? Goodyear Eagle RS-A's

2. Can the 18" wheel/tire package be added to the AWD version? If so, has anybody asked for high-performance all-season instead of the summer tires? I'm not sure. I thought I read somewhere here that someone did put larger wheels on an x, but I could not find the thread that mentioned it.

 

one of the problems with the TL is it is front wheel drive, most front wheel drive cars suffer from torque steer, because one of the drive shafts applying power to the ground is longer than the other, this will make the car want to go straight in a sharp turn when you are putting down the power

 

You should not run a staggered set-up on the AWD model, it can lead to problems with the awd system.
You can run 18, or 19s no problem though. I have run 18s on my 05X and plan on running 18s on my 07 X. The main concern is to run the same outside diameter as the original tires front and back.

 

The 06 G35x I just bought (which came from another dealer) came with GY RS-A's but the one I test drove (yes, it was also an 06 G35x) had Bridgestone Turanzas. I was surprised when I took delivery (expecting Turanzas but getting the RS-As) and mentioned this to the salesperson. He told me that they vary tires on the cars. Not sure if this is true and if this is specific to the 06s or not.

 

I have had the 07 for a month now and really the only serious complaint i have are the tires. RSA's are horrible for handling and keeping the car quiet in my opinion. I really wish they would have went with bridgestones. Had much better luck with those on one of my old cars. They were quiet and gripped well, They were better in the winter also. I guess its not to big a deal, ive never had stock car tires last more then 25k anyways.

 

The ratings on Tirerack are slightly better for the RS-As than for the Turanzas but neither are good. At least the RS-As are considered "High Performance All Seasons" (Turanzas are "Standard Touring All Seasons") and I think they will be serviceable, given my wife's driving habits, for all but the winter months when the snow flies. I may get a set of winter tires should she experience difficulty in the snow.

 

I have an 07 X and took the RS/A's off it right away, replacing them with Nokian WR's, I am running the WR's as a snow tire even though they are an all weather tire. I wanted something that offered good traction and handling, something most snow tires can't deliver, besides the WR's out perform 90% of the snow's on the market in winter conditions, so I think I am sacraficing little in terms of winter condition performance. I noticed an improvement right away, the car tracks much straighter now, I can drive with two fingers on the steering wheel, with the RS/A's I found myself correcting none stop. The WR's handle much better, ride smoother and really made the car more of a luxury feeling car. Now only if we would get some snow I could see how the tires and the car will do in winter conditions!

 

I too have been running WRs on my LGT for two winters now (running GY F1 GSD3s in the summer) and they are absolutely terrific. Dry handling is great and only a notch below the F1s. They are terrific in the snow and good in the wet (the F1s are hands down the BEST tire I have ever driven in the wet).

Been thinking of a set for my wife for the G but thought I'd let her test the RS-As. May be a bad idea though...

WRs ftw.