Acura or Lexus
- Thread starter George The Curious
- Start date
You should have bought the M56x with the V8 like I did. Outstanding performance and one of the nicest interiors I have seen. This coming from a past owner of Mercedes, Audi, Volvo, etc. And btw I have had nothing but excellent service from Infiniti. The G was a strange option, I would have never considered it.
I've test driven an RDX it's got impressive power and handling. I didn't like the console though, the info screen is too small. I'm a big Acura fan though, I absolutely love the TLX it will most likely be my next car purchase.
For the same level of quality I think Lexus' are overpriced relative to Acura.
For the same level of quality I think Lexus' are overpriced relative to Acura.
Many transmission and infotainment system issues. Curious if there much difference between a 6 speed transmission and a 9 speed? Definite difference between 4 and 6 speed, but thinking it could start to get annoying with all the gear changes. Infotainment has become more complex than a computer. Lots to go wrong in these systems, and too much to figure out in the infotainment systems.
If your M has the 5 speed automatic and not the 7 speed, it would be fine. Excellent even (as were the previous generation G's).
The problem for me was the newly designed and utterly unresponsive 7 speed automatic. If your M is a later model, it has the same POS 7 speed automatic in it that my G has in it. JATCO Part No. 7AT: RE7R01A. The G and the M share both the 3.7 litre motor, and the transmission. The 5.6 is only available on the M.
If you are not experiencing the brutal lag that I'm experiencing, than either you are not as observant when it comes to a car's performance as I am (don't get me wrong, I'm not slagging you, but I've been laying under cars since I was 8 years old and have done full frame off restorations and rebuilt several engines myself and I notice things and feel things that most people would be completely unaware of, or would accept as normal), or, the software (engine and or transmission control software) for the 2 different models is different (based on the fact that you have the 5.6 litre v8 and my car is the 3.7 litre v6). For whatever reason, it could be the control software on my car is such that the lag is occurring. In either case, Infiniti is not about to do anything about it.
I find my car is upshifting too fast. The reason it is upshifting is to save fuel. The all important fuel numbers. A car turning over at 1,000 RPM at city speed (50 to 60 km/hr) is not desirable from a performance and responsive point of view. IMHO, an engine, when cruising, should not drop below 1500 RPM. The Infiniti is programmed to upshift when not under load as quickly as possible in order to save fuel. An engine turning over at 1,000 RPMs does not use as much fuel as an engine turning over at 1,500 RPM. Obviously.
Since most buyers are rather simple, they judge a car's performance on one single thing - 0 to 60. In that respect, the Infiniti is fine. But that's a blowjob. You just sit there and floor the car. The real measure of a car's performance is in its responsiveness in the corners, and how it accelerates when it's already moving. And in this respect, the G fails MISERABLY.
For me, the problem with Lexus is still styling. It's a boring looking car. Proverbial "old man's car". I remember reading that the average age of a Lexus owner is 61. The ES is brutally boring.
Lexus has the oldest average customer of the three leading luxury brands in the U.S., according to Strategic Vision, which annually surveys tens of thousands of car shoppers. The average Lexus buyer is 61, compared with 54 for Mercedes and 49 for BMW.
The current IS draws buyers with an average age of 50, making it particularly critical for the company, Edwards said.
The ISF is sexy, but who is going to drop 85k plus on Jap Scrap? I don't even know if Lexus sells them any more. I read somewhere that Lexus was losing 20k on every single ISF they were selling. (They had discounted them because if they charge 110k, everyone would simply opt for the M3 now wouldn't they, or, if I had the dough, a Jaguar F type (which to me is the car to aspire to)).
As to Acura, I agree with you, they are in a coma. Moribund. They are basically Hondas with a different grills and idiotic looking back ends. The styling is terrible and the car is just a Honda with lip stick on.
tribunus said:
LOLOL, really? Please, don't let the facts get in the way of your story telling.Calgacus said:
December 2015 stats from: http://www.canadianautodealer.ca/2015/12/the-countdown-is-on/
Looks like Lexus and Acura are very close in sales and Infiniti is the significant lagger. Personally I can't go anywhere without seeing a MDX.
There is more to buying g a luxury car than price and prestige. Sometimes, the price is part or all of the prestige. Look at Jaguar cars when they were expensive and unreliable. People still bought them for the exclusivity. There are many types of buyers. Some people want a luxury car to keep for 5-10 years, others will lease and know they will be driving the latest thing out in 36-48 months. Cars have become much more reliable compared to 15-20 years ago. In the luxury end, cars are at the higher end of the reliability scale.
Is it fair to say that Lexus and Acura has many models that are merely re-badged Toyota and Honda cars. I say that this is not accurate. They may be on a modified designs from of an existing model, but they are not built on separate assembly lines. They use many similar components but many exclusive parts as well. Is a Lincoln merely a Ford? A Cadillac merely a Chevrolet, or a Audi Q5 really Porsche Mecan? Each car has its own personality, you get what you pay for. Some people want to impress themselves more than they want to impress the person outside the car. I have driven a rental Camry and driven a Lexus ES in the same day. They are not the same beast. These two cars do not drive the same way. The Lexus ES is a much more comfortable car to drive.
Is it fair to say that Lexus and Acura has many models that are merely re-badged Toyota and Honda cars. I say that this is not accurate. They may be on a modified designs from of an existing model, but they are not built on separate assembly lines. They use many similar components but many exclusive parts as well. Is a Lincoln merely a Ford? A Cadillac merely a Chevrolet, or a Audi Q5 really Porsche Mecan? Each car has its own personality, you get what you pay for. Some people want to impress themselves more than they want to impress the person outside the car. I have driven a rental Camry and driven a Lexus ES in the same day. They are not the same beast. These two cars do not drive the same way. The Lexus ES is a much more comfortable car to drive.
They say it's the CVT in acura causes problems. But RDX are still fitted with traditional 6 speed automatic, so no problem there. Also this video is about new car satisfcation survey - so all are less than 5 years old. it doesn't tell me the long term power train reliability. From what I know Honda engine lasts much longer than Audi
The exact same thing can be said about Infiniti. What manufacturer doesn't share components between their various brands? Regardless, any shared component is "tuned" for the new application. Since Acura outsells Infiniti 2 to 1, most buyers who spend disagree with you.
Infiniti SUVs exteriors reminds me of a over-bloated land barges with tacky chrome bits tacked on. Interiors are beautiful. Only good looking G was the first generation G35 coupes - they were works of automotive art. The modern G37s and all 4 door G are ugly, ugly, ugly.
LOL! What is it with the old-timer posters here on TERB? As is well known in racing circles, mechanics make the worse drivers. Wrench turning is a science. Driving well is an art. BTW, I also am a mechanic. Reality sucks!
Interesting.. Now I may give Subaru another try. They are among the safest cars in crash tests. It's just the cheap interior that turns me off, but I guess it's an acceptable sacrifice given their price points.
Infinity styling has a European influence from their association with Renault. Infinity styling appeals to women in North America. Back 10-15 years ago, Honda cars were mostly driven by people 50-70 in the UK because of their conservative styling. Younger people in Europe want the avant-garde look.
Subaru is a value play. They are almost proud that they sell ugly cars with outdated interiors, but with best in class AWD, highest safety rating, most advanced driver assist technology (eyesight is better than anything on a Lexus or an Audi), a boxer engine (only other vehicle with one is Porche), ground clearance comparable to a jeep, huge storage area and awesome visibility.
It is the best car there is to take your family camping.
But it looks damned ugly and the entertainment system is from twenty years ago. Which is why consumer reports loves Subaru: you get way more for your money than any comparable car, if you ignore every "luxury" features (I put that in quotes because Subaru didn't even try).
My current work driver is an RDX. My thoughts:
- 3.5L engine is incredible. 0-60 in 6.5s and pulls very strongly from any speed. Highway passing power is awesome.
- Gas mileage is very good. Burns 91 premium fuel. I tried 89 octane and I lost about 1 L/100KM in mileage which is ~10% poorer.
- Suspension is too soft/comfortable and handling noticeably suffers as a result. I can't stress this weakness enough. It's great for normal driving, great for bumpy roads, but this car is NOT meant for bumpy ramps or bumpy twisty roads. 4WD system is not Acura's sophisticated SH-AWD, so it doesn't help in turns. My previous SH-AWD RDX handled 250% better.
- Dash has too many poorly positioned buttons. Normally I like buttons, but this car has way too many and you can't really use them by feel, you need to look . The newer models have dual touch screens - I can't comment on those.
- Interior fit and finish is above average. Infiniti and Lexus interiors are nicer.
- Seats are above average although not as good as most other premium brands.
- 4WD system is a re-tuned CR-V system. Good enough for typical road wet snowy conditions. Not useful for anything off-road.
- The window sills are high (like many cars these days) which makes seeing curbs as you maneuver in parking lots difficult. This might sound like a nit, but when you test drive pay attention to this, it's a annoyance.
- Car is 100% reliable. I drive it HARD and it's never caused me the slightest problem. Like all premium brands service is expensive
- IMHO, I find the exterior styling BORING. Nothing sets the car apart. Back-end is a little ugly.
I'd definitely recommend the car and for the price it's a great value compared to most of the other premium brands. Reliable, sporty and quick. Unfortunately a totally uninspiring exterior and gimmicky dash
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Infiniti has not made the G in 3 years. (Just saying.)
Sure, all manufacturers share parts, I get that. But Acura shares cars. The TLX is just an Accord with different badges. Front wheel drive and everything.
Acura sells a LOT of SUVs, usually to affluent soccer moms. But cars? Not so much. The TL used to lead the way for Acura. Now the TLX is 3'rd behind the MDX and the RDX. Since I'm not really into SUV's, I don't really care.
And although Acura may outsell Infiniti in Canada, the reverse is true in the United States and thus as a result, North America.
Again, I personally don't care because I would not buy either an Acura, or an Infiniti.
If I was going to go the Japanese route, the only thing I'd be interested in would be a Lexus GS AWD.
If I was fantasizing about German, it would probably be the S6 for practical driver
Or the Jag F type (for impractical, but fuck I just can't help loving this car).
Nothing on the North American front, though the Mustang is a nice bit of work as is the Challenger Hellcat. But neither could hold a candle to a Jag.
I'm just having fun with you. I actually really respect your opinion and enjoy your stories, but I like poking at you for some reason. 
Me - I'm a Porsche man. 911 Turbo for fun and Macan for daily driver ..... unfortunately only in my dreams. Currently I'm trying to swing an Audi SQ5, but my insurance agent has other opinions, insurance is 2X my work RDX.
I'm also a jag fan. The British know how to design a chassis for looks and performance.
The G was rebranded "Q" when Infiniti wanted to reinnervate their branding. I think the early G coupes are one of the most beautiful "normal priced" cars ever built.
Umm - no. Different engine tuning and internal components . Different transmission. Different brakes, Different suspension tuning and components. Should I go on?
Soccer moms - LOL - nicely done. Almost all manufacturers are seeing an increase of truck/SUV sales over car sales in North America, so your statement is misleading. What is Infiniti doing wrong?
Umm - no. In the US, Acura sales are 30% higher: http://www.autonews.com/section/ussales ...... and thus as a result, North America.
Aren't Lexus for old men ..... old man?
We agree. I like the S5 for sport and S6 for practicality. Most Audi owners I speak to bitch about service costs and insurance rates although they love their cars.
Me - I'm a Porsche man. 911 Turbo for fun and Macan for daily driver ..... unfortunately only in my dreams. Currently I'm trying to swing an Audi SQ5, but my insurance agent has other opinions, insurance is 2X my work RDX.
I'm also a jag fan. The British know how to design a chassis for looks and performance.
