Hi guys,

I have spent countless hours researching exhausts. This site has proven to be exceptional at helping, so thanks to all of you.

I was down to the Tanabe Medalions and the Greddy SE exhausts. Liked the Greddy's for performance and the Tanabe's for looks and a less "in your face" look (i.e. no burnt tips) not to mention I liked the tone better. I was really concerned with looking unprofessional, ricey, etc and was really concerned with an exhaust being too loud. I found it really hard to gauge the exhausts from the video clips (all were great btw) but it was hard to get a sense of "relative" volume of the exhaust. So... as promised in another thread, I wanted to give a detailed review and do another video.

Background... I am a 37 year old professional (accountant... no need for jokes ). I don't want my car to come off too loud and obnoxious... that is a BIG deal and was a big factor in my decision. Why does this matter? Well, when I was trying to decide, it is quite possible what a 25 year old considers "quiet" may not be what I consider "quiet" or what a 50 year old would... sets context I guess.

Order/Delivery... ordered from Andy at HPAuto. Absolutely great experience. I spent about 2 hours bugging him on the phone and countless PMs. Ordered and exhaust came as promised, on time and in great shape. Welds look great, quality is perfect.

Sound... LOUD... at first. In reality, too loud for me but I knew it was supposed to settle. After 2 weeks, I can say it is now WAY quieter. I would say on day 1, the exhaust was twice as loud as stock under ANY throttle. Now, I would say 40% to 50% louder than stock. AMAZING tone and throaty quality. EXACTLY how the G37 should have sounded. Drone at first, now none on the highway. Actually, between 1,800 and 2,400 RPMS maybe a "slight" drone in 6th gear. A quick shift to 5th and its gone. I drove an hour on the highway today and nothing...

Conclusion... All in all, I love the exhaust and refined tone (after break-in). I'm still a little iffy on volume but think it is probably exactly loud enough without being too loud. The volume is actually a little louder in the cabin than outside on a relative basis. I was worried it was too loud so I had my father-in-law and brother-in-law drive the car on two separate occasions while I listened on the curb. Both times I found the volume to be really well suited to the car and not too loud. I think the reason the volume sounds louder in-cabin is that it is sooo full of deep, throaty bass, you almost "feel" the sound in the car (if that makes any sense).

The more I drive the car with the Tanabe's, the more I love them and would miss them if taken out. Thanks to Andy at HPAuto and all of those here that posted their videos and opinions.

So, here is the HD video... please ignore my chatting (I was trying to give everyone a reference point for volume) .


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Congrats on the upgrade! It is pretty loud from just a muffler upgrade! Hope it doesn't get too loud in your book (no accountant joke intended haha)

 

Excellent review-

Thanks

 

How long was the delivery time?

 

About 10 business days but that was because it came across the border into Canada and sat in customs for 3 days or so... I hate the customs process.

I should add that EVERYONE who has heard the Tanabes love them in person. From my 30 year old brother-in-law, to a co-worker, to my 61 year old father-in-law. They all agree it sounds perfect for the car and is absolutely not obnoxious outside the car. My wife and mother, on the other hand, think it's too loud... surprise, surprise

 

Now THAT was the Tanabe review video I had wanted to see for a long time. I applaud you for taking the time to record/edit/post. Thanks man!

 

That is one of the most detailed review/video i've seen. You're a great addition to our fourms, thank you!

 

Great review GThal. Makes me want the Tanabes even more now lol.

 

I was happy to do this... I really struggled to make the decision so I was hoping to make it easier for others.

As an add on to the review, I could swear that I feel power gains. It might be only because the car "sounds" faster and therefore it is a placebo thing but the car does "seem" to rev better and pull a little harder. Like I said, probably all in my head.

 

Very nicely done!!!! I see way too many videos where all they do is gun it at every chance. It's nice to see a real world use video for once..... And for those that think reving in park realistically shows how it would sound, completely pointless, the car sounds different underload.

So kudos to you!!! Once again, very nicely done!

 

Nice Video and great sound capture. It's hard to quantitize the true nature and overall impact of this upgrade, however I've prepared the following graph based on my own personal research and data and can best express it as follows. While both are exceptional results, individual tastes and application will have the perspective buyer prefering one over the other.

 

That sound is HOT!

 

thanks for the review.

I thought they were too loud at first but they do settle and tone down a bit.

I love mine.

 

awesome review. Just the sound I'm looking for for my G sedan.

 

They did quiet down a lot. Sometimes, I find they are very quiet, other times, still quite loud. When I start the car in the morning and it gets warmed up, they seem very quiet... sometimes almost too quiet. However, after I drive them hard for a while (1/2 hour or so), they get louder. I noticed this change in volume with the stock exhaust too but the Tanabes exagerate the difference more. They are also noticeably louder when the AC is on which makes sense given the additional load on the engine.

Like I said though, they are louder (on a relative basis) inside the car compared to outside.

All of that said, I absolutely love the sound... my only concern is that they transform the car from a luxury/sport coupe to more of a pure sports coupe from a sound perspective. This is a good thing and a bad thing. When I am playing around in the car (which is most of the time ) I absolutely LOVE the exhaust. But, I do worry that, over time, I might get a little tired of the lack of quiet in the car when I'm just cruising to work in the morning or taking a leisurely drive somewhere (OK, who am I kidding... leisurely drives are reserved for the wife's SUV )

The problem I have now is that if I didn't have the Tanabes on the car, I would miss them 75% of the time but, over the long haul, I would probably get "tired" of the volume 25% of the time. At this point, I would miss the tone and sound much more than wanting a little quiet from time to time. I guess, to make a long story short, they are EXACTLY what they should be... louder than stock, not obnoxious or ricey, amazingly deep and refined tone. It's then up to each person to determine whether the luxury trade off is worth it.

Too bad an exhaust didn't exist where there would be a volume button on the dash ... turn it up when you want it, turn it down when you don't. Now THAT's something I would invest some money in!!