I have a 2010 G37 with the Premium package Bose audio system and it is jaw-droppingly bad. I couldn't believe how awful it was when I first tried to crank it up, something I forgot to do when I test drove it. I had a loaner once with Nav and the audio was better, but still pretty shabby for a car like this. My '99 Mitusbishi Eclipse GSX had a much better system in it, ironically an Infinity.

Other than that the car is pretty nice, lots of fun to drive. Maybe the 2011 has better audio.

 

Yessir... 6 yrs 80k miles on the first one and 3 months and 4k miles on the 2nd one.

 

I love the 10 speaker Bose system. But then I have Bose for all my other speakers, too. I find that they are love 'em or hate 'em.

I think maybe sound can be compared to taste. We all like different things.

 

They are very good cars. The 2012 TL has some improvements over the previous ones. They are priced kinda similar too ( I think the G might just beat it). Cant go wrong with either. But they are both pretty much at the end of their life cycle.

 

I've had a lot of vehicles over the years (around 30) and have only bought the same brand of car back to back twice and the same actual model only once, and that was a G. If the next generation G keeps the exterior fresh & distinctive but doesn't get too crazy and they improve on the 7AT & Paint I'm going to get a 3rd G in a row. I really liked Acura much more back when they had the NSX, Legends, Integras, Vigors~they really were on a roll back then but seemed to take a few steps back in the excitement catagory the last 10 years.

 

The '11 isn't great. Have had mine for a month, and it's acceptable if you dial the bass all the way up and fade it a tick to the rear. But it's not as good as my '08 Legacy GT, and not nearly as good as my first Subie, an '02 Outback. Of course, that was a 200W McIntosh unit with a powered sub., a one off for the Legacy Outback H6 3.0 VDC sedan.

By the way, the non-Nav "Music Box" is a joke. You actually get only about 800Mb of the 4Gb for music. I just keep a 4Gb mp3 player plugged into the USB in the console. Have about 100 CDs on it, and it shuts off when the car does and starts back where it left off when you go back to it.

Best sound in the car is when you turn off the audio and stand on it. Woohoo.

 

if this helps...
old car-

new car-

And I work for an Acura dealership. So I recomend the G I was considering a TL SH-AWD

 

Had my '06 TL for four years. Bought it new and loved it. Don't like the 4g at all. The MMC '12 is a lot easier on the eyes. ELS was a better sound system unfortunately. Like others, the TL had more room, storage, a bit more comfortable. Materials were a wash.

The G is a lot faster, more fun to drive, MUCH better braking. Fuel economy is about the same as well. Had the G almost a year and still enjoy driving it.

 

Go for the G37. I had a G37S MT6 2008 just rolled my lease into a new 2011. The G is a fine balance of performance and luxury. LOts of power, good handling the 2011 has a lot of subtle refinements. Power is about the same, the engine seems smoother, like infiniti balanced it out. the steering has a much better feel than the 08, my '08 picked up alot of bump steer. Clutch in the 2011 is dramatically improved over the '08, shorter travel, earlier engagement - the chatter everyone complained about is gone. If you are a driver the G is more of a sports car. Navi, Bluetooth, and voice command are the best I've ever seen, they really set the bar in the 2011.

 

Yeah I've tried all that, fiddling with the limited EQ and moving the sound back and front, but it doesn't help much. I've had the car since September but I still can't decide whether the "Driver audio stage" setting makes it better or worse. At this point I'm resigned to having a crap sound system until my next car, whether it be another G or something else.

The "Music Box" isn't very useful either, as you pointed out. My Eclipse had a 10 CD changer, seems strange being stuck with a single CD player. Oh well, live and learn.

 

BLKG37: I felt that way with my 2007 G35X, but with my 2010 G37X with the 7 AT - I can't say the same in the same manner. Yes, I love (well really like) the car overall: the sound system, the Navi, the Ride, The Handling, The Braking, the steering (that was "lightened" up a bit from the 07), BUT the 7 AT with its hesitation & some jerkiness issues for the Sake of Mileage gains, has trimmed my "love " down a few notches. Even in DS modes, the performance has changed....unfortunately. Never drove a 2010 or 2011 TL so I can't make a fair comparison. But that's my 2 cents..

 

Owned an 04 TL at one time....nice car, but lots of rattles and some cheap interior materials; very reliable. I've had my G37X for about 8 months and like it for the most part. Love the power, the handling seems will balanced, and the ride reasonable. The stereo is adequate, but not exceptional. I think its a fairly noisy car; a lot of road noise penetrates the cabin...and the paint quality is sub par. The last 4G TL I drove was a standard model....a little bigger, quieter, and a bit more luxury....not not as powerful and the handling was clearly inferior. You really can't go wrong with either car....both are "near luxury" cars.

 

Lots of great things about the G. Most ppl will list those often.

the bad things:

- Bad paint quality. You NEED a clear bra the day you own it. Cover everything up front.
- Back seats can't be pulled down
- some people have had issues with the transmission being jerky on the lower end, new flash helps solve some of the issues
- The leather seats will crinkle on the sides if you have the sports seats
- For me, it's a gas guzzler, but that might not be a negative given the fun it provides

btw I don't think the 10 spkr setup sucks at all. I'm an audiophile at home and spend a lot of money and time on headphone systems, and when I go in the G I don't feel like the sound is terrible. It gives you what Bose does: loud sound, not great bass or treble, but still fun to listen to.

 

ELS is brilliant...pretty much blows everything else out of the water, but the Bose system is pretty good in the G.

 

It's pretty simple. If you like the exclusivity, style, brand, a driver's car, get the G.

If you need space, a more mainstream car, and a bit better quality, get the TL.

I test drove the TL every time I was looking for a car and every time, I ended up with the G just because I am single so I don't need the space and the G just feels more special to me because of the way how it looks (the wave form hood, the purple ring around the navi ****, the way how it drives), how rare it is relative to Acuras, and the TL honestly just makes me feel like it's another Honda (not that it's a bad thing because I respect Honda and in fact, they're that good that you don't feel you're in another tier up when you're in an Acura). Just my 2 cents.