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Sedans Infiniti M35/M45 Acura RL vs. Infiniti M35
269 messages, Last post on Nov 30, 2007 at 6:21 PM
You are in the Infiniti M35/M45 Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Replying to: dunde71 (Oct 10, 2006 5:22 pm) |
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Both are great cars. I recently test drove them and here are my impressions: RL had a quieter more luxurious ride and gets better gas mileage. Price is much cheaper for a 2006- some left over- with the same amount of tech goodies as the M. Acura has a better reputation for reliability than Infinity. Wood/leather luxury steering wheel is available on the RL. Best navigation system on the market and real time traffic reports. M has a sportier feel and handles better. Rear camera is the best I've seen-same one that the $130K 7 series BMW uses."Birds eye" feature on navigation is a neat and unique feature. 2007 came out in Spring so the 2008 model may comeout in Spring, 2008- my time frame for getting a new ride. 2007's will be lower priced. DVD video's may be watched through the navigation system when the car is in park. Rear DVD option with rear passenger screen is available. Both cars have AWD,Bluetooth,Homelink, XM, comfy seats, great paint job,good color selection- inside and out. DVD-A surround with good sound system. Can't go wrong with either choice. It depends what features are most important to you. Warning, one of the interior color options for the M is very controversial: Bourban leather. It's a love it or hate it color. I find it to be hideous, but others may love it. The Acura TL comes in a similar color. It's a very orangy color and I test drove it and found the interior combination of the black,orange, tan and gray not complimenting each other very well. |
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Recently almost bought a 2006 RL at $40K but balked at the pathetically low trade offer on my 2004 TL non-navi. Strongly considering 2007 TL for touch-screen navi with real-time traffic; sportier, less $$$. Hanging fire for now. Took another look at last year's Consumer Reports luxury performance sedan issue and their 2006 Buying guide. The 2006 Infiniti M35x merits an unprecedented 97 points against the 2006 RL's lackluster 76. (TL got 90.) Seems to me that consumers on Edmunds.com like RL better (9.7 vs. 9.1) and most folks, like carfan28, conclude that they aren't that different. Subjectively the M strikes me as a little bit unattractive, though not as ugly as the G35 or the BMW 5 series. True Cost to Own is better on the RL. Pricing is trickier on the M because of all the darn options and packages. I hate that--that's why Honda/Acura has gotten 100% of my business for the past several years. A 21-point spread--wow. Is RL really a C+ car and M35x an A+? (Then there's the fun and price-performing 2007 TL to consider.) Help me out here! 
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Replying to: acurat (Dec 06, 2006 4:59 pm) |
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Replying to: acurat (Dec 06, 2006 4:59 pm) Another benefit of the Acura's is their naviagation systems are "on the fly"- you can input while driving. I do like both cars, and I think either is a good pick. Not sure what the 2007 RL's are selling for. I do know that leftover 2006's are still very inexpensive- hovering around $40K in NJ for a non-tech version. Tech version for 2006 is the run flat tires and the Stay in the Lane system. Other version does not have run flats. 2007 RL has a rear camera and MP3 player port built in on all 3 models: There's a non-navagation model without wood trim, a model just like the 2006 regular model, and the fully loaded model with the run flat tires and Stay in the Lane system.
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Replying to: carfan28 (Dec 19, 2006 5:30 pm) Thanks for the thoughtful analysis! Of course I agree with your conclusion. (BTW Stay in the Lane is an Infiniti feature--the Acura has Adaptive Cruise Control and Collision-Mitigation Braking System but no lane-departure warning.) Here's the update: I could resist no longer and pounced on a 2006 RL Tech/CMBS/PAX at $42,475 + TTL here in L.A. a couple of weeks ago. Missed my sweet-but-squeaky 2004 non-navi TL for all of 5 minutes after trading it in. This dealer went $1100 higher on the trade than "my" dealer and gave up their entire holdback on the RL. Never even drove the Infiniti M as I have issues with their styling and did not like their local dealers back when I owned a sluggish 2000 QX4. The M is difficult to discern from the 4-door G from certain angles. There is no mistaking an RL vs. a TL. BTW I have seen only 2 other RLs in those 2 weeks. Exclusivity is a nice thing. Sweeeeet!! 
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Exclusivity is a nice thing? Yes, if you have it! I find it hard to believe that anyone would not buy an M simply because it is similar in appearance to another infinity product. Don't all BMW's and Mercedes' look alike? Isn't it better that all the models within a certain luxury brand look similar, rather than making them look like on of their mainstream products. In my opinion, the reason the RL's sales are hurting is because the TL is more attractive, similar in size, and looks less mainstream than the RL, which has a strong resemblance to the Accord. In that regard, it would have been better for the RL to resemble the TL, giving it the similar Acura family look. I can't understand why Honda would have done something like this. Perhaps this helps the already strong Accord sales. Obviously, the RL sales figures are sluggish - as evidenced by the necessity of deep discounts on the RL - something that you do not generally see on a luxury brand. Now, I wouldn't not buy the RL simply because it resembles the Accord - but I definitely would not call it exclusive. The consumer reports ratings represent an unbiased evaluation which is independent of price. They subject these cars to many tests - simulating a variety of driving conditions and road conditions. This is quite different from an impression one might get from test driving a vehicle for a couple of hours. In my experience they are fairly accurate in their assessment of all products they test. For example, in 2000 I purchased a new Acura TL, despite the fact that CR rated the Lexus ES300 considerably better. After a while I wished that I made a different decision. The TL was a good car, but not a great car. Everything that I grew not to like about the Acura (not obvious in my initial test drive), was shown to be a weakness by CR in their evaluation. Our 1997 Camry (similar to the Lexus ES 300), on the other hand, turned out to be a fantastic car and overall a lot better than the TL. I had also owned a 1995 Maxima and also found it to be a better can than the TL. Both the Nissan and Toyota brands seem to have a better ride quality. For some reason, Honda products have a high frequency "tink" sounds over pot holes, while the Nissan and Toyota products, have a low frequency "thunk" sound - giving them a much more solid feel. According to CR the Infinity M35X has an advantage over the RL in ride, handling, braking, roominess and thus far, reliability. Resale value is also better on the Infinity. I recently test drove the M35X and was really impressed. It is exceptionally roomy in the rear seat for a mid size luxury sedan. The ride is smooth and the handling is great. I don't know how they did it, but it's like having a European sedan and a Jap sedan rolled into one - excellent road feel and creamy ride. The engine is responsive, the braking is sports car like. The quality of interior materials is also impressive in this price range. The whole car is wrapped in leather. All the controls are really easy to use, including the NAV system and the excellent back up camera. I think I might be tempted to listen to CR this time.
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Replying to: acurat (Dec 22, 2006 10:22 am) Exclusive or just plain unpopular? |
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Replying to: ocim (Dec 24, 2006 11:58 am) Ever heard of a self-fulfilling prophecy? Everything they said would annoy, you probably remembered and started looking out for. You also expected them to annoy you. I bet if you had evaluated the cars for yourself you would have had a higher chance of having a different outcome. I think you should start buying cars for you and try as hard as possible not to let others influence you. After all it is you who has to drive the car. Both the Nissan and Toyota brands seem to have a better ride quality. For some reason, Honda products have a high frequency "tink" sounds over pot holes, while the Nissan and Toyota products, have a low frequency "thunk" sound - giving them a much more solid feel. That is because Acura/Honda makes driver's cars. Their cars are made with driving and handling in mind. As such, the ride is not as floaty as you might find in other marques./ This is not uncommon to anyone who has driven European cars of any make. In their older driving culture, the premium is put on the driving experience rather than isolation from the world around you. I hope you find a car to like. The M is a great car. I would try to avoid CR next time and take your time and test-drive the car several times. CR is a poor substitute for proper car testing.  By the way, what do you think about the Lexus GS?  Have you evaluated it in any way? What about the Germans?    What is your take? Are they out of your price range?
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Replying to: readerreader (Dec 29, 2006 5:42 pm) CR’s mission is also to provide an unbiased report. So, I use them as a guide to narrow down my choices. I actually had some issues with my TL before I saw that the same areas were identified as weaknesses by CR. I tend to be sensitive to rattles, squeaks more than the average guy (at least that is what my wife says). The Toyota’s seem to have fewer problems in these areas. Just as a small example, when I turn from the road onto the curb of my driveway, as the front wheels start to climb onto the curb you can hear the twisting noises on the TL. The Camry, on the other hand, even with over 200K is solid as a tank (until its recent demise in an accident). I do think that Honda products are great. I have a 2004 Honda Pilot and I feel it is the best package under 45K. However, it too exhibits those twisting noises. Now, on to your other questions. To date I have test driven the M35x (twice) BMW 530xi, Lexus GS350, Acura RL and just for good measure the Toyota Avalon Limited. Here is my impression of them: The BMW had good handling and ride. However, the car’s acceleration was not as good as the others and it’s not overly roomy for passengers or cargo. The Lexus, much to my surprise, had the worst ride, and it also has cramped quarters and trunk. The engine was quiet and the power was excellent, but the handling was not spectacular. I think the Toyota’s suspension engineers have taken a lot away from ride without gaining much in handling. However, its interior is so much nicer than the rest that it makes you want to ignore everything else. The Acura RL had the quietest engine. It was fairly responsive as well. The handling and ride felt better than the Lexus but not as good as the BMW or Infiniti. Again, as it seems to be the norm here, the car felt a little cramped. The Toyota Avalon is a lot of car for the money. I would probably purchase it if I was looking for a FWD car. It is very roomy, has high quality materials and it seems to be fairly competent in most areas. Not overly exciting to drive and I am not crazy about the exterior styling. However after purchasing my first AWD (Pilot) a couple of years ago, I realized that is the way to go if you live in Western PA. The Infiniti seems to match my needs at this point in my life. Its acceleration, ride, handling, braking, and fit and finish are all very good to excellent. And it is the only car that comes close to the Avalon in size. The only thing that I noticed with the Infiniti (and BMW) is that its engine sounds a little louder than the others here. I hope that this is just the manufacturer’s intention to make the cars sound sporty rather than worse engineering. I have not purchased anything yet. It does not seem like Infiniti here wants to deal much on these cars. Any suggestions?
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