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IA Car Consumer Discussions

Re: 09 G37x Sedan Purchase [rhard49]

by fornov on Sat Nov 29 07:19:21 PST 2008

Fair point, although around here, there is no way I could have got an equally equipped 08 model for 34K. It would have probably been something more like 36.5K, or 7K less, which is of course still significant. I do suspect a good portion of the cost difference will be available on resale. Not only is the 08 a year old, but with the new model change, there will probably be an even bigger year-to-year difference between the two models. I know I'm paying a premium for the new model that isn't yet widely available. But the more I thought about my options, the more I realized that this is the car I really wanted, and so I went for it. I can afford it, and it's still less than the other vehicles I was looking at. It wouldn't have been smart money to buy a Grand Cherokee SRT8 either, but it sure would have been fun.

Re: EX-L with RES, AWD [hanzero]

by fornov on Thu Nov 27 04:33:37 PST 2008

I really despise this practice. Even if I don't mention the trade-in, it's usually pretty obvious when my wife and I roll into the dealership with our 3.5 year old SUV, looking at new SUV's. I guess when I call him back, I'll say let's figure out the price on the Pilot first, and then dicuss the trade-in? Is it too late for that, the cat's already out of the bag? Maybe I need to start from scratch with another salesperson? They probably won't do that. Ah, frustrating. One time, I even had a salesman tell me that they could offer another $1000 off on a vehicle if I didn't have a trade-in. If I was trading in my vehicle, then I couldn't get that $1000. He even admitted it was a marketing ploy.

09 G37x Sedan Purchase

by fornov on Wed Nov 26 21:52:53 PST 2008

It only took me about 20 trips to the dealership, but I finally got it done! I agreed to a purchase on a 09 G37x sedan. I have been very frustrated with Infiniti repeatedly moving back the launch date of the G37, now officially in January. I kept going back to the dealer, asking when the 09's would be here, until last week when he told me January. At that time I thought I was done with Infiniti, I was going to get a 335ix or maybe even a Grand Cherokee SRT8 (that would have been a departure from the norm for me!). Well, on my way to the BMW dealer, I stopped at the Infiniti place one last time. I told the salesman who I had been working with what I was thinking. He had a revelation - you see, he tells me, there are all these cars sitting in the ports waiting to be sold. Imagine (or search for the images online) a sea of cars parked in limbo, waiting for all the 08's to get sold before they can move to their respective destinations. He said they recently spec'ed out an 09 M35, and found one in a port that matched the description exactly. They ordered it, and it they were expecting it in about 2 weeks. He thought we might be able to do the same thing for a G, but let's find out first. Of course, it was already 6PM when we were talking, so nothing could happen that night. But we spec'ed out my desired vehicle, and he submitted it the next day. Wouldn't you know it - they found one. He said if I want it, I can get it in about 2 weeks. Well, how about that? Tell Infiniti you're going to buy something faster and more expensive than their product, and they bend a few rules for you... So Tuesday (Nov. 24), I put a $1000 deposit down on a car that isn't available yet, but will be here in two weeks. The specs are black on black G37x sedan, + premium, navi, tech, sport, with illuminated kick plates, splash guards, trunk mat, and trunk cargo net. MSRP = $43,875, my price is $43,700 + TTL. Car is supposed to arrive sometime around Dec. 9. I'm very excited to make this happen. Hopefully everything falls in line the way it's supposed to!

EX-L with RES, AWD

by fornov on Wed Nov 26 21:33:56 PST 2008

Had an offer from a dealer today on the above model - $33,872 + fees. That was the number on the silly red tag on the RVM. I haven't heard what his "fees" are yet, but I suppose they're similar to the ones I've read about on here. They better not be including the destination charge! Anyway, this was his first offer, and the rep and the sales manager even said things like, "If you have something else in mind, let us know." Yeah, I have something else in mind - a lower price! They showed me the 1.9% for 36 months, and the 3.9% for 48 or 60 months. What they wouldn't agree on was discounting the vehicle more if we paid cash instead of financing. I would think they would be interested in a $30K+ check, but apparently not... If I pay cash, do I at least get out of the "bank fee"? Where do I go from here? It seems like they have room to move, based on the first offer, and things they said in our first meeting. I suppose I need to find out how much these fees are going to cost. The other problem I have is that all the dealers around here want to appraise my trade-in before they discuss offers for the vehicle I'm interested in. I want to focus on one thing at a time, but they refuse to do it that way. I know this is a trick they use to make you think you're getting a better deal than you really are, but how do I combat it? This is very frustrating. If anyone has any pointers or tips on this, I would thank you very much for that.

Re: Comparisons [htron]

by fornov on Mon Nov 24 13:10:21 PST 2008

I appreciate the fun factor - I really do. In fact, that is the only reason I'm considering this vehicle in the first place. The problem is that everything else I've driven is pretty fun, too. The 335 is really quick and ready to go at any instant. The G35's I've driven in the past are always the same way, and the G37 will only be better. If I could really have my way, I'd be getting an M3 or a CTS-V, but they don't have AWD. My biggest needs are these (in order): 1. Usable back seat 2. 4WD/AWD (or FWD, but who wants that?) 3. Under $70K Anything that goes against those is a deal breaker. After that, I'm looking at: 4. 4 doors (almost a deal breaker, just depends on how hard it would be for a 2-year-old to climb into the back) 5. User-friendly Nav/sound/MP3/phone If the vehicle still qualifies, I'll move on to the fun factor and "wants," rather than "needs." (As an aside, I'll make the disclaimer that my definition of "needs" is not what I truly need. If I went just with real needs, I'd get a 2004 Corrola.) 6. Driving dynamics (acceleration, handling, braking, driving feel) 7. Mileage 8. Styling 9. Sound system 10. Seating comfort So that's my list. I dove a GC Limited today (5.7L Hemi), just so I could get a feel for the nav, sound, comfort, interior, etc. I have to say that the nav is just OK, rather small screen, not the easiest to use, despite the touch screen, which is a good idea. The sound is also just OK, although I'd expect it to be much better in the SRT. Very comfortable seats and roomy driver cockpit. I don't like the wood grain trim - I assume it's aluminum or something in the SRT? The driving feel was pretty bland. It just felt like an SUV would expect to feel. It was a strong SUV, just not a quick SUV. The suspension was soft like any other SUV. All of these would change in the SRT, I assume. I'm really disappointed I won't be able to drive an SRT before I decide if I want to purchase one. The one SRT within a 200 mile radius is a 2008 model. I haven't seen details on it yet, but the sales manager said it has an MSRP of 48K. What sort of price should I expect to pay for that? I'll ask that question on the "prices paid" thread as well.

Comparisons

by fornov on Sat Nov 22 23:43:00 PST 2008

I've seen this vehicle compared to a wide variety of others, so maybe it shouldn't surprise me that I'm cross-shopping a GC SRT8 with a 335xi, G37x sedan (not out yet), S5/S4, TL SHAWD, and Maxima. I've been expecting to get an AWD sedan, but I've always kind of had my eye on this GC. It really fits in with this crowd better than it does with other SUV's. As others have pointed out on this forum, you shouldn't look at it as an SUV, rather as a sports car with extra storage room. Here are the questions I have: 1. I live in Iowa - we often get a few snowstorms of 3-6 inches throughout the winter, with maybe one big one of up to 12 inches (or maybe not). Then there are many dustings from November to April. The first one happened to be today. I'd love to take one out to test in the snow, but unfortunately, there isn't one in the area - the closest one is about 150 miles away. With this climate, do I need to be worried about the performance of the GC in the snow? 2. Gas mileage - premium gas is $1.89 here today. I don't expect it to stay below $2 for long, in fact it'll probably be back up to $3-4 in another year or two. If I drive 15K miles a year, I'd use about 1150 gallons/year (13MPG), compared to the 680 gallons/year (22MPG) I'd use from one of the other vehicles. At $3/gallon, that's an extra $1400/year on fuel. Plus, there is the embarrassment of using so much fuel, although I think I'll get over that. How do I rationalize owning such an inefficient vehicle? Maybe my next car will have to be a Tesla to make up for it. :) 3. Tech features - how is the Nav system in the GC? Does the Bluetooth work well? Sound system? Hard drive? Sirius? Ease of use of the display for information? Does anyone know how these things compare to the other manufacturers' systems? 4. How hard is it to put a hitch on the back for a bike carrier? I currently have a trunk lid carrier for my '06 TL, but I don't want to use that kind of setup on a GC, nor would it likely even work. A lot of this is just my own ramblings about my thoughts about the new car purchasing process. Obviously, if I could just drive one, I'd be able to answer a lot of these questions for myself. If anyone can help me out here, I would greatly appreciate it.