G35s, TL-S, IS350? Which as a family DD
G35s, TL-S, IS350? Which as a family DD
Hey guys,
So it's time for me to upgrade to a 4 seater. I've been looking at different cars (used only) and trying to keep my budget under 20k.
I need a fun car for DD that can also safely move the family around. Majority of my time will not be with the family as our other car is a Sonata Hybrid (primary car). I just need more of a fun car too.
I've had a G35 Coupe before and LOVED it. I've had a IS200 before and it was meh. I've had a TL-S before (02) and liked it. Now I'm looking for something that I plan to keep for a bit (5 years or so).
Any thoughts on which would be good? I know that I'm asking this on a G forums but when I originally made my purchase of the G35, I came here to ask and well the advise given was SUPERB and so I would like to ask the members here for that excellent advise again please.
Cars I'm looking at are:
TSX (07 or newer)
TL-S (07)
G35s (07)
IS350 (07)
Priority list: (updated)
20k max budget
4 Seats/Doors
Manual
Styling
Performance
Any other car for thoughts?
So it's time for me to upgrade to a 4 seater. I've been looking at different cars (used only) and trying to keep my budget under 20k.
I need a fun car for DD that can also safely move the family around. Majority of my time will not be with the family as our other car is a Sonata Hybrid (primary car). I just need more of a fun car too.
I've had a G35 Coupe before and LOVED it. I've had a IS200 before and it was meh. I've had a TL-S before (02) and liked it. Now I'm looking for something that I plan to keep for a bit (5 years or so).
Any thoughts on which would be good? I know that I'm asking this on a G forums but when I originally made my purchase of the G35, I came here to ask and well the advise given was SUPERB and so I would like to ask the members here for that excellent advise again please.
Cars I'm looking at are:
TSX (07 or newer)
TL-S (07)
G35s (07)
IS350 (07)
Priority list: (updated)
20k max budget
4 Seats/Doors
Manual
Styling
Performance
Any other car for thoughts?
Last edited by xxx4reggie; Mar 25, 2014 at 04:43 PM.
Run this, you may ended up buying a TL-S ... 
http://www.clublexus.com/forums/car-...racetrack.html
I went through the same thing and it was a relatively easy choice for me.
IS350 is nice, but they are much more expensive for the same model year and mileage. They are more luxury than sports. IIRC, their VDC can't be disabled completely. No 6MT was a big minus as well. And I knew I probably won't be happy with the paddle shift response.
I really like the TL-S, I love the design (inside and out), I have had Honda products with goodl luck, 6MT gets Brembo front caliper, and LSD. But 6MT is not easy to find, and I still prefer to row my own gear.
Then I found my G35s 6MT. It got everything that I wanted, made in Japan reliability, RWD, (V)LSD, 6MT. Here's my $0.02:
Pros:
- great engine and transmission
- front mid engine layout for better balance
- drive good, high reving (kinda @7500k rpm redline)
- the S has good brakes, firmer suspension, I quite enjoy the handling
- the rear door can open up to almost 90 degree
- pretty "good deal" for the features that it has
- I think it looks pretty good.
Cons:
- clutch is inconsistent, the transmission / clutch is a little noisy.
- mpg suffers a little
- can't rotate tires with staggered by tires for the S
- Interior reminds you of a Nissan
- needs a little more headroom, I am 6'1" and my helmet is touch the roof with the seat at the lowest position.
- trunk space and opening is lacking
- some minor design elements is a little annoying (no heated side mirror switch, limites on the CF cards for mp3 is low, AC has to be on in air circulation mode, etc)
http://www.clublexus.com/forums/car-...racetrack.html
I went through the same thing and it was a relatively easy choice for me.
IS350 is nice, but they are much more expensive for the same model year and mileage. They are more luxury than sports. IIRC, their VDC can't be disabled completely. No 6MT was a big minus as well. And I knew I probably won't be happy with the paddle shift response.
I really like the TL-S, I love the design (inside and out), I have had Honda products with goodl luck, 6MT gets Brembo front caliper, and LSD. But 6MT is not easy to find, and I still prefer to row my own gear.
Then I found my G35s 6MT. It got everything that I wanted, made in Japan reliability, RWD, (V)LSD, 6MT. Here's my $0.02:
Pros:
- great engine and transmission
- front mid engine layout for better balance
- drive good, high reving (kinda @7500k rpm redline)
- the S has good brakes, firmer suspension, I quite enjoy the handling
- the rear door can open up to almost 90 degree
- pretty "good deal" for the features that it has
- I think it looks pretty good.
Cons:
- clutch is inconsistent, the transmission / clutch is a little noisy.
- mpg suffers a little
- can't rotate tires with staggered by tires for the S
- Interior reminds you of a Nissan
- needs a little more headroom, I am 6'1" and my helmet is touch the roof with the seat at the lowest position.
- trunk space and opening is lacking
- some minor design elements is a little annoying (no heated side mirror switch, limites on the CF cards for mp3 is low, AC has to be on in air circulation mode, etc)
Run this, you may ended up buying a TL-S ...
http://www.clublexus.com/forums/car-...racetrack.html
I went through the same thing and it was a relatively easy choice for me.
IS350 is nice, but they are much more expensive for the same model year and mileage. They are more luxury than sports. IIRC, their VDC can't be disabled completely. No 6MT was a big minus as well. And I knew I probably won't be happy with the paddle shift response.
I really like the TL-S, I love the design (inside and out), I have had Honda products with goodl luck, 6MT gets Brembo front caliper, and LSD. But 6MT is not easy to find, and I still prefer to row my own gear.
Then I found my G35s 6MT. It got everything that I wanted, made in Japan reliability, RWD, (V)LSD, 6MT. Here's my $0.02:
Pros:
- great engine and transmission
- front mid engine layout for better balance
- drive good, high reving (kinda @7500k rpm redline)
- the S has good brakes, firmer suspension, I quite enjoy the handling
- the rear door can open up to almost 90 degree
- pretty "good deal" for the features that it has
- I think it looks pretty good.
Cons:
- clutch is inconsistent, the transmission / clutch is a little noisy.
- mpg suffers a little
- can't rotate tires with staggered by tires for the S
- Interior reminds you of a Nissan
- needs a little more headroom, I am 6'1" and my helmet is touch the roof with the seat at the lowest position.
- trunk space and opening is lacking
- some minor design elements is a little annoying (no heated side mirror switch, limites on the CF cards for mp3 is low, AC has to be on in air circulation mode, etc)
http://www.clublexus.com/forums/car-...racetrack.html
I went through the same thing and it was a relatively easy choice for me.
IS350 is nice, but they are much more expensive for the same model year and mileage. They are more luxury than sports. IIRC, their VDC can't be disabled completely. No 6MT was a big minus as well. And I knew I probably won't be happy with the paddle shift response.
I really like the TL-S, I love the design (inside and out), I have had Honda products with goodl luck, 6MT gets Brembo front caliper, and LSD. But 6MT is not easy to find, and I still prefer to row my own gear.
Then I found my G35s 6MT. It got everything that I wanted, made in Japan reliability, RWD, (V)LSD, 6MT. Here's my $0.02:
Pros:
- great engine and transmission
- front mid engine layout for better balance
- drive good, high reving (kinda @7500k rpm redline)
- the S has good brakes, firmer suspension, I quite enjoy the handling
- the rear door can open up to almost 90 degree
- pretty "good deal" for the features that it has
- I think it looks pretty good.
Cons:
- clutch is inconsistent, the transmission / clutch is a little noisy.
- mpg suffers a little
- can't rotate tires with staggered by tires for the S
- Interior reminds you of a Nissan
- needs a little more headroom, I am 6'1" and my helmet is touch the roof with the seat at the lowest position.
- trunk space and opening is lacking
- some minor design elements is a little annoying (no heated side mirror switch, limites on the CF cards for mp3 is low, AC has to be on in air circulation mode, etc)
Question for you: between the 07 and 08, any changes for the sedans?
Is the first g37 sedan better?
Thanks!
I thought Tsuchiya was sponsored by Honda (he raced a Honda NSX?), I don't know if that would have anything to outcome of the comparo.
IIRC, '07 and '08 has some minor differences, '08 has:
- revised transmission so its slightly less noisy, slightly better clutch feel (I could be wrong on this)
- different features go with different package. I remember they moved the rear view cam to another package or something like that
- one console LED verses two (somebody said two were too bright for night driving)
- maybe ECU refresh came standard vs. as TSB, I forgot.
maybe more but i don't remember.
G37 is definitely more refined. I drove them back to back (loaner vs my car) and the engine is indeed smoother and more refined on the G37. G37 also have 7-sp auto vs. 5-sp auto on the G35, results in quite an improvement on highway mpg. Some (or all?) G37 also came with rear parking sensors. One major item besides the engine is the brakes for the sports model. G37s comes with fixed calipers made by AKEBONO, vs. the G35s still have sliding calipers. The AKEBONO brakes should perform better on the track where heat is an issue, but I haven't significantly over-heated my sports brakes even in well into 100F degree temp track days. I am tracking with better tires this year, let me how the brakes will hold up.
Overall G37 feels like a little bit more solid. But I think its slightly more heavy as well, 120lb heavier if I recall. Obviously more powerful with the VQ37HR, but the VQ35HR doesn't lack in power so I am not complaining on that. But I do wish for as least the AKEBONO front brakes ...
IIRC, '07 and '08 has some minor differences, '08 has:
- revised transmission so its slightly less noisy, slightly better clutch feel (I could be wrong on this)
- different features go with different package. I remember they moved the rear view cam to another package or something like that
- one console LED verses two (somebody said two were too bright for night driving)
- maybe ECU refresh came standard vs. as TSB, I forgot.
maybe more but i don't remember.
G37 is definitely more refined. I drove them back to back (loaner vs my car) and the engine is indeed smoother and more refined on the G37. G37 also have 7-sp auto vs. 5-sp auto on the G35, results in quite an improvement on highway mpg. Some (or all?) G37 also came with rear parking sensors. One major item besides the engine is the brakes for the sports model. G37s comes with fixed calipers made by AKEBONO, vs. the G35s still have sliding calipers. The AKEBONO brakes should perform better on the track where heat is an issue, but I haven't significantly over-heated my sports brakes even in well into 100F degree temp track days. I am tracking with better tires this year, let me how the brakes will hold up.
Overall G37 feels like a little bit more solid. But I think its slightly more heavy as well, 120lb heavier if I recall. Obviously more powerful with the VQ37HR, but the VQ35HR doesn't lack in power so I am not complaining on that. But I do wish for as least the AKEBONO front brakes ...
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 92
Likes: 11
From: MN
Out of those the IS350 is probably the least practical for a family DD. The rear seat room is very tight and almost useless. I've owned the TL and now have the G35. A friend of mine has an IS. I've also owned a 07 Bmw 328, not on your list but might be worth considering. I have two kids under the age of 4 and will occasionally use my car to transport them to/from daycare,but normally wife uses her Toyota Highlander.
Before I bought my 08 G35xS I drove a 2010 G37xS and the differences between them was minor enough to me that it didn't matter. They both had about 40K miles and I ultimately went with the G35, the less expensive one, and opted for a 100k mile / 5yr extended warranty. I really think all of those cars are fun to drive. But the TL and G are my two favorites. Being able to stop 8 ft shorter or have 0-60 time that's .3 seconds faster at this level are non-issues for me and does nothing in the real-world. Safety, reliability and styling is what matters. The TL gets the nudge for build quality and is in general much easier to work on and mod. But imo the body style on the TL is starting to show it's age and will only continue to get more so as time goes on. It's had a really good run, 10 years now.
The G35 is still a reliable car, one of consumers reports top rated, but in my real-world experience and being members on multiple forums the TL is practically bullet proof. When the biggest complaint is subwoofer rattle on the rear deck that says a lot about how well built the car is. I only got rid of mine because I got in a car accident and couldn't find a decent replacement so I decided to try something different. I've always liked the body lines on the G35/37 and I think the styling will hold up longer than the aging TLS. It also nudges out the TL in crash test safety ratings.
Before I bought my 08 G35xS I drove a 2010 G37xS and the differences between them was minor enough to me that it didn't matter. They both had about 40K miles and I ultimately went with the G35, the less expensive one, and opted for a 100k mile / 5yr extended warranty. I really think all of those cars are fun to drive. But the TL and G are my two favorites. Being able to stop 8 ft shorter or have 0-60 time that's .3 seconds faster at this level are non-issues for me and does nothing in the real-world. Safety, reliability and styling is what matters. The TL gets the nudge for build quality and is in general much easier to work on and mod. But imo the body style on the TL is starting to show it's age and will only continue to get more so as time goes on. It's had a really good run, 10 years now.
The G35 is still a reliable car, one of consumers reports top rated, but in my real-world experience and being members on multiple forums the TL is practically bullet proof. When the biggest complaint is subwoofer rattle on the rear deck that says a lot about how well built the car is. I only got rid of mine because I got in a car accident and couldn't find a decent replacement so I decided to try something different. I've always liked the body lines on the G35/37 and I think the styling will hold up longer than the aging TLS. It also nudges out the TL in crash test safety ratings.
Out of those the IS350 is probably the least practical for a family DD. The rear seat room is very tight and almost useless. I've owned the TL and now have the G35. A friend of mine has an IS. I've also owned a 07 Bmw 328, not on your list but might be worth considering. I have two kids under the age of 4 and will occasionally use my car to transport them to/from daycare,but normally wife uses her Toyota Highlander.
Before I bought my 08 G35xS I drove a 2010 G37xS and the differences between them was minor enough to me that it didn't matter. They both had about 40K miles and I ultimately went with the G35, the less expensive one, and opted for a 100k mile / 5yr extended warranty. I really think all of those cars are fun to drive. But the TL and G are my two favorites. Being able to stop 8 ft shorter or have 0-60 time that's .3 seconds faster at this level are non-issues for me and does nothing in the real-world. Safety, reliability and styling is what matters. The TL gets the nudge for build quality and is in general much easier to work on and mod. But imo the body style on the TL is starting to show it's age and will only continue to get more so as time goes on. It's had a really good run, 10 years now.
The G35 is still a reliable car, one of consumers reports top rated, but in my real-world experience and being members on multiple forums the TL is practically bullet proof. When the biggest complaint is subwoofer rattle on the rear deck that says a lot about how well built the car is. I only got rid of mine because I got in a car accident and couldn't find a decent replacement so I decided to try something different. I've always liked the body lines on the G35/37 and I think the styling will hold up longer than the aging TLS. It also nudges out the TL in crash test safety ratings.
Before I bought my 08 G35xS I drove a 2010 G37xS and the differences between them was minor enough to me that it didn't matter. They both had about 40K miles and I ultimately went with the G35, the less expensive one, and opted for a 100k mile / 5yr extended warranty. I really think all of those cars are fun to drive. But the TL and G are my two favorites. Being able to stop 8 ft shorter or have 0-60 time that's .3 seconds faster at this level are non-issues for me and does nothing in the real-world. Safety, reliability and styling is what matters. The TL gets the nudge for build quality and is in general much easier to work on and mod. But imo the body style on the TL is starting to show it's age and will only continue to get more so as time goes on. It's had a really good run, 10 years now.
The G35 is still a reliable car, one of consumers reports top rated, but in my real-world experience and being members on multiple forums the TL is practically bullet proof. When the biggest complaint is subwoofer rattle on the rear deck that says a lot about how well built the car is. I only got rid of mine because I got in a car accident and couldn't find a decent replacement so I decided to try something different. I've always liked the body lines on the G35/37 and I think the styling will hold up longer than the aging TLS. It also nudges out the TL in crash test safety ratings.
I've been looking online for both the TL-S and the G35s but was wondering what are the prices that I should be seeing for the G35s? the TL-S 6MT is so rare that I honestly don't think I'll find one for cheap.
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Newer TSX by far. Solid car. Solid motor. Has the stupid paddle shifters you want lol plus some sick headlights to boot. Plus the gas mileage with it is gonna be the best outta your list too making it also more practical. My parents got a used 2010 with 40k miles for 17k. Love it.
Maybe look into an accord too.
Maybe look into an accord too.
Not at all. The A4 B7 is the only one that would be a little challenging to find under 20k (thought it can be done). The others are quite easy to find less than 20k.
Registered User
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 7
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I DD an 08 G35S with two car seats in the back and it's outstanding. Just finishing up with a crazy winter and had zero issues.
The other options are all nice but none fit all my criteria (in order of decreasing importance)
- 4 doors
- manual
- RWD
- LSD
The only alternatives for me were CTS, M3, M5
The other options are all nice but none fit all my criteria (in order of decreasing importance)
- 4 doors
- manual
- RWD
- LSD
The only alternatives for me were CTS, M3, M5
Last edited by CMBurns; Mar 21, 2014 at 05:43 PM. Reason: car seats
Hey guys,
Thanks for the suggestions on other cars. I've definitely look at the other cars suggested but some I don't like the styling of (preference of course) and some are extremely difficult to find manual. I've been on the forums like crazy the past few weeks.
The TL-S is in stick is pretty much doesn't exist.
Audi is all autos (that I can find in my price point) but will keep looking
G8, very hard to find manual but will keep looking
I'm not a fan of the VW Phaeton
E39 M5 - love this car but wife and I would like to stay with 07 and higher model
G35s - Yup I like it alot!
Thanks for the suggestions on other cars. I've definitely look at the other cars suggested but some I don't like the styling of (preference of course) and some are extremely difficult to find manual. I've been on the forums like crazy the past few weeks.
The TL-S is in stick is pretty much doesn't exist.
Audi is all autos (that I can find in my price point) but will keep looking
G8, very hard to find manual but will keep looking
I'm not a fan of the VW Phaeton
E39 M5 - love this car but wife and I would like to stay with 07 and higher model
G35s - Yup I like it alot!