I know this is a G35 forum so I expect bias toward the G35, but I still want some advice. I have owned 4 3G TL sedans, 04, 06 07 and then an 08 Type-S. I have loved them all, the Type-S is awesome. I was offered a good deal on my Type-S today and always wondered about owning a G35. Also in a few months my TL-S will be "old body style" and thus probably not as desirable for resale. The only things that bothered me about the TL was the fading dash issue, the few squeaks and rattles that Hondas are known for and the fairly obvisou "built in USA" fit and finish assembly. The TL has a bigger clearer NAV display and ergonimcs that are real good, easpcially the Type-S seats. The G35 I am looking at is an 08 Journey with Premium and Nav. The Navi is nice, but smaller and not as crisp as the TL. Like the music box idea and the ride is not a ssporty as the TL-S. The car is clearly smaller in all dimensiotns including the tigher back seat (what do I care I am never back there ) and smaller much less usable truck. Anyone else come form a 3G TL or TL-S care to chare their thoughts? Anyone regretting getting a G35 sedan over say a TL? My current offer is $500 over invoice for a 08 G35 Sedan Journey Premium with Navi. Any advice or thoughts form current owners woudl be usefull? Have you felt the smaller G35 to be an impact? Also from what I can tell the G35 depreciates quicker than a TL.

 

I don't know much, but I'll give you my opinion. I just bought an '08 Journey w/ Premium for my wife a few weeks ago, replacing her '04 TL, I mean, Accord. We drove the G35, then went and drove the TL, and it wasn't even close - the G blows it away. The engine, luxury, feel, fit and finish, etc. The TL felt like a Honda Accord, and damn near looked like one inside - my wife had the '04 and I have an '06 Pilot and the TL was just a slightly upscale version of those in the cockpit. Seriously, that was the immediate impression.

And to compare against the TL-S, you 'ought to look at a G35 Sport.

 

The TL is a Honda Accord.

The closest car to a G35 is a 350z.

 

Drive 'em both. The decision was easy for me after I took the G35x out for a bit.

 

get a G35S if you want something sporty, not saying the journey aint sporty but its just a matter of whats sportier . Seriously, in Vancouver everybody has a TL, they're nice looking but to common. I'd so go for a G, and stick out. Plus the G sounds nicer

 

Any G35 is sportier than a TL in my opinion. The G35 is rear wheel drive while the TL is FWD. The TL can't really be compared to rear wheel cars like the G35, IS350 or 335I. I liken the TL to of course the accord but also to other FWD cars like the Altima, Camry, etc... The only thing it has on cars like that is a better interior... The rear seat of the TL does have more room because it is FWD.

 

test drive all your choices thoroughly, some people prefer the TL over G, which is understandable, it's a nice car, nice ergonomics, not everyone cares about having a sports oriented car (basically not fwd), and the TL does get better mileage

that being said, i'm biased, G all the way babeeee,, especially the 'S', get the sports package to have a more sporty version of the car

 

I know this is dumb, and I know you don't buy a G35 for fuel economy, but I see all these people getting 16-18 MPG and it just seems a bit low, my base TL I used to average 22.4 and my Type-S is 21.8 so we're talking a several hundred a year extra, not a huge amount, but with tight times and increasing fuel prices, just makes me wonder. I assume the G just revs higher all the time, becasue the 3.5 in the Type-S is fairly spirited, but in 5th gear reves fairly low, I think maybe at 70MPH the car is doing 3000 RPM if that and on the highway I get 27MPG. And I know most think the TL is an Accord and it is based on it, but it is a damn nice car and I woudl love to drive RWD over FWD.

 

I had a 2 3G TL's--an 04 5AT for my wife, and an 06 6MT w/Nav for me. I traded my 06 TL for an 08 G35x with Prem, Nav, and Tech. No regrets whatsoever. I liked my TLs, but they are not nearly as substantial as the 07 and 08 G35s.

My G35 feels much more like a German sports sedan. With the packages I have, it is more luxurious. It is an amazing, all-around balanced vehicle.

I did prefer the Nav in the 06 TL because it is simpler to use. But the G's Nav seems more capable, even with its smaller screen. It just has a longer learning curve than the TL's.

I'm constantly being delighted by how well various features work on the G. For example, the auto climate control seems to work much better, even though it doesn't automatically increase cooling on the hot side of the car, like the auto climate control does in Nav-equipped TLs.

Before buying my wife the 04 TL, I test drove an 04 G35. I liked that car's performance, but the interior was no where nearly as nice as the TL's. I like the interior of the new gen G better than the current TL's though. It feels more refined and has more features that I enjoy.

One other thing: My 06 6MT TL was quick--I'd often catch rubber in second, unintentionally, of course. But its handling was not as good as my G35x, nor was its ride. And the G is a bit quicker and has more torque available throughout the range.

All-in-all, no contest so far as I'm concerned.

--Rich

 

G all the way for me...

 

A bit off convo pattern.... YOU SHOULD GET INVOICE LESS 500... since that is the incentive being offered... I have seen people get that all over.

 

Have you test-driven the G Sport?
Its more comparable to the TL-S.
The look and feel of the car is readily apparent.
The TL looks a bit dated.
The G draws attention.
The G's lines and proportions are sexy and smooth.
The balance of power and luxury is extremely satisfying.


Its true that the TL offers better gas mileage.
You'll be lucky to break 20 mpg on average with the G.
But the performance and feel of the VQ engine is undeniable.
My last car was a TL, and my previous car was a CL type S.
The G revs high especially cruising on the freeway.
But the result is instant torque and passing ability.
And for me, that small tradeoff in fuel economy is well worth the performance.

As for depreciation, the G holds its value very well, especially if you own basic colors that appeal to a wider variety of buyers.
When I owned my Acuras, I would always notice rows and rows of available TL's just sitting on the lot.
Even the pre-owned section were plentiful, and you could have your pick of the litter if you were in the market.
Maybe because they made so many or maybe because of the fierce competition in the sport sedan segment.
You're finding yourself in the same position as many others.
While the TL offers a nice product with value options, there are many other choices out there for the consumer.

Its a great time to buy.
Many car manufacturers realize that the unfavorable economy will translate into lower sales.
Dealers will fight for your business.
Don't be afraid to haggle.
And try to get the most from your trade-in.
This reduces the amount of sales tax you will pay on your new purchase.

 

Yeah I know, I'm leaning hard to the G especially since I just got an offer to buy a new 08 G35 Joourney Premium Navi for $1000 under invoice or $33,363 + tax, tag title, etc.

 

A couple of things to consider:

1. If you use an iPod, the 08 G35's iPod integration is one of, if not, the best in the industry.

2. I didn't have a TL, but I did have a TSX and test drove the TL a few times. IMO, the quality and feel of materials in the G35 is better than the TL. You can definitely tell the G35 is built in Japan.

3. Even though $1000 below invoice is great, the 09 G35 will probably have a 7 speed automatic which may help out on the fuel mileage. It will also likely inherit the 3.7L engine from the G37 coupe. This is based on the fact that Infiniti has already announced this exact car in Europe (G37 sedan w/ 3.7L motor and 7 speed auto transmission).

So, personally, if I were thinking about getting a G35 now, I would wait - even if I couldn't get as good of a deal later on the 09 and even if my TL-S depreciated further next year.

 

Not sure I want to or can wait. As for G37 Sedan, the 7 speed auto would be welcome as probably the move to 6 CD in dash player, but honestly 330HP is not a big deal, honestly for me the 306 is more than enough. I feel a big part of the G fuel usage is due to their keeping the revs much higher than competitors. At any comparable speed I find my TL-S revs about 400+ RPM lower than a G. At 50-55MPH my TL-S revs at aroun 1500-1800 RPM the G is well over 2000RPM closer to 2400.