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Sedans Acura TSX Acura TSX vs. Infiniti G35
194 messages, Last post on Jul 24, 2009 at 7:54 AM
You are in the Acura TSX Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Replying to: fedlawman (Jun 22, 2009 11:58 am) Yes the TSX is a great car, and yes the G is not the greatest car in the segment at least from a performance perspective, but once you factor everything in, even here at Edmunds they placed it 1st over the 335i, IS350, CTS, C350. Try pitting a TSX against these cars, see what happens.
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Replying to: sjaieve (Jun 22, 2009 1:26 pm) The CTS in that article was down-graded because of its relatively slow performance (0-60 in mid 6's), which, incidently, is around the same performance as the TSX V6. |
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Replying to: sjaieve (Jun 22, 2009 1:26 pm) From a personal perspective, I have driven both the G35 and G37 sedan and here are some of my thoughts: 1. The G35/37 has a powerful drivetrain - no doubt about it. But to my surprise, the G doesn't pull like a freight train like I expected. Torque still feels a little soft at lower RPM's. The BMW twin turbo is far superior in power delivery. The G does a nice job of hiding it's size and weight (it's a big, heavy car), but it definitely isn't as nimble as the smaller TSX. 2. Clutch take-up was too high and sudden which made moving from a stand-still unnecessarily difficult (especially on uphill inclines). Combine the poor clutch with an overly sensitive throttle tip-in (thanks to drive-by-wire), and the G was even difficult to upshift during normal driving. Pedal placement was also not the best for heel-and-toe downshifting, which is moot in the G because the aforementioned clutch/throttle issues made me loath to try it more than a couple of times. I did like the shifter action - short and precise throws with just the right heft. It was more precise and better feeling than the BMW 3-series, but not as slick as the TSX. 3. Interior ergonomics. Sorry, I hate the G37 cockpit. This one is much better than the 1st gen G35, but Infiniti is still behind Lexus, Audi, and Acura in designing a cockpit that's intimate, attractive, and functional. I know this is a personal call and everyone has a different opinion here, but to me, the layout and appearance of that recessed center display area is less organic and distracting - it ruins the otherwise smooth lines of the dashboard. The Infiniti's switchgear is also somewhat lacking in quality feel and precision of action as compared to other cars in this class. This is an area where Honda/Acura shines. Overall, the TSX cabin is light and airy, everything falls perfectly into place, and all the controls have a feel of quality and precision. 4. Exterior looks. I like the looks of the G37 from some angles, but I think it's a little on the boring. I'm afraid it will look dated very quickly like the 1st generation G35 does. 5. Chassis / driveline refinement is another area where the G37 has improved significantly since the first generation G35, but I think they tipped the pendulum a little too far the other way. Where the old car was noisy and harsh, but had razor sharp reflexes, the new car is a little soft and numb. It does have a good ride now however. BMW also went too soft and heavy with the current generation 3 series - as did Acura. I can only imagine what a soft, understeering pig the TSX will be with a big V6 over the front axle. The old 4cylinder TSX was very light on it's humble little feet with quick turn-in and great chassis response - I really liked the 1st generation TSX. Anyway, there you have it - my personal, completely biased opinion of these cars. Personally, I wouldn't choose either one. The G37 isn't fast enough to be thrilling, and it isn't luxurious enough to be coddling - kind of a Jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none if you ask me. For around $35,000, I'd rather own a Genesis on the luxury side or an Evo X on the sport side.
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Replying to: fedlawman (Jun 22, 2009 4:30 pm) I agree that the G looks a little plain, but is that really bad? It's hard to read any article, forum, etc. about the TL without many, many complaints about the ugly front end. The TSX's front end has a similar, if toned-down, appearance. Like the dash appearances this is subjective, maybe Acura's styling works for you. I sure have read a lot of complaints about it though and perhaps the plain styling of the Infiniti is not all that bad. The Acura's styling actually is starting to grow on me a little, but I still hesitate to spend 35 grand on a car and have family and friends tell me it's ugly. The G's throttle does take some getting used to, but after 2 or 3 weeks it was no longer a major issue. I think you hit the nail on the head about it being a jack of all trades and master of none, but again this may be looked at as a good thing. Sure the Evo will outperform it, ever sat in one? It has about as much luxury as a Chevy Chevette. The Genesis is a nice car for sure, but the G will out-accelerate it (even the V8 version by a small margin) and out-corner it. The G is a car that will run neck-and-neck with a Mustang GT and offer a fair amount of luxury for mid-30's in price. There just aren't too many other cars out there that can say that.
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Replying to: drwilsc (Jun 22, 2009 5:38 pm) The old car was simple and elegant, while the new one is needlessly fussy and overstyled (yes, especially the beak). Here is the 2004 TSX which I still consider a benchmark for the class in interior ergonomics, comfort, design, and quality ...  You're right about the excellent qualities of the G and the niche it fills very well between sport and luxury. Truth be told, I've been playing a little Devil's advocate here simply because I don't understand all narrow-minded opinions of the juvenile 0-60 fanboys that worship it. It's really a very poor choice for someone who's looking for a "fast car." It's quick, but it's not fast.
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Replying to: fedlawman (Jun 22, 2009 11:58 am) Have you had a chance to drive "terrific car?" What's about torque steer and FWD? Why 5 speed auto?
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Replying to: fedlawman (Jun 22, 2009 7:33 pm) Glad you came out of the closet on this one, LOL. You seem to be getting your tongue twisted though, on one hand you say the G is a jack of all trades and in the same breath you state some buy the G cos of the 0-60 times only, which is it? and "You're right about the excellent qualities of the G and the niche it fills very well between sport and luxury" that is exactly why we chose it, the 0-60 times is just a bonus:) Oh and on a different note, I used to take the 328i for granted but when you realize that with only 230HP, the car will take on the TSX V6, Cadillac CTS, C350, TL with 305HP, I realized why CD makes a big deal of this car. I have to take my hat off to the engineering that went behind the smooth inline 6 in that car. But for the same price, I am very happy with the "jack of all trades".
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Replying to: fedlawman (Jun 22, 2009 7:33 pm) I, too, am playing devil's advocate. One reason for my original post (#130) was I was looking for someone to tell me why I should get a TSX V6. (another reason was simply to 'wake up' the forum, since it may make for interesting discussion). My lease on my 08 G35 is over in Sept. 2011. That may be bad timing with regard to catching the G at the tail end of its generation cycle, so I would like to be thinking about other choices. I actually think the TSX V6 is a very interesting car. The point about the G's engine being less than refined at high revs is so true, unfortunately. I noticed it immediately the first time I test drove it. It sounded more course than the engine in my previous car, a 2007 Saturn Aura XR. (hey, don't laugh, the General's 3.6 L engine is actually smoother than you might think). |
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Replying to: ingvar (Jun 23, 2009 4:14 am) Yes, I have. I owned a 2004 TSX 6MT. I have also driven a 2009 TSX 6MT and liked it, though not as much as the old one. FWD is a downside, no doubt about it, but for 90% of drivers buying in this segment, I don't think it matters much (I don't think most drivers can tell the difference). Besides, all new cars, whether Acura, Audi, BMW, or Porsche, are set up to push at the limit. To dial understeer out of any new car, you must spend money in the aftermarket. As for torque steer, a well engineered FWD car - especially one with only 200hp, will not have a problem with it. Nobody who has driven the V6 TSX has mentioned torque steer, so I'll assume for now it's a non-issue. 5 speed. 7-speed, DSC, LMNOP - if it has a slushbox, it's just another Buick as far as I'm concerned. |
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Replying to: sjaieve (Jun 23, 2009 1:20 pm) It seems to me that an inordinate number of G owners think their car is the shiznit. I can't begin to count the number of G's that have pulled up next to me at a light and wanted to race me. It's a Jack-of-all-trades in that it does many things well (accelerate, corner, ride, features, etc.), but it isn't the best at anything. In it's class, it's not the fastest, it's not the best handling, it's not the most luxurious or refined, and it's not the prettiest. "I used to take the 328i for granted but when you realize that with only 230HP, the car will take on the TSX V6, Cadillac CTS, C350, TL with 305HP." You are overlooking the real reasons why the 328i can keep up with those other, more powerful cars. It's not the I-6 (which I agree is a fine motor). It's weight (sprung and unsprung), gearing, driveline loss, and torque converters all conspiring to rob these cars of acceleration (and handling). The 305 HP Acura TL-S isn't as quick as the G37 because it has a slushbox and weighs 300 lbs. more. The TSX V6 isn't quicker because of the slushbox and FWD drivetrain (weight transfer at launch lifts the front wheels and limits traction). Again, you should be happy with your G, it's a nice car - if you prefer crude drivetrains, cheap materials, numb steering, and vague clutch/throttle response... 
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