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Steve, Host
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
IMO, you should at least be able to get a couple of thousand below invoice price since these 2003 models are carrying a year's worth of depreciation.
Strategy: fill out the forms online and get several dealers' internet salesmen's name and phone numbers. Call them and they'll give you a price over the phone. Be specific about the car/package you want. Tell them where others are pricewise and they'll beat the price over the phone. Don't go there if they won't commit to a stated dollar price on the phone. Go in to the one dealer who you want to do a deal with and bypass the sales staff and go directly to the fleet department. You won't get turned away; they have quotas to meet. Chances are they'll meet the lowest internet price you can find. Sometimes they'll give you a better deal on a car that's been on their lot more than 60 days. I'd suggest calling an almost-out-of-range dealer (50 or 75 miles); they'll think they have to give you a better deal just so you'll make the trip (they'll know you won't be coming there for service, but it's a chance for them to get a deal they'd never get anyway). You can then use that price for the more local dealers to try and beat. Also: best times to buy are at the end of a month, quarter or year. Everyone's trying to make that bonus/quota.
The lowest priced dealers were Infiniti of Thousand Oaks and Infiniti of Costa Mesa. Both no-pressure, easy to deal with fleet/internet departments. Miller Infiniti was helpful on the phone but at invoice price. All have websites and all are in the LA Area. Good luck.
p.s. I see that I listed 3/28/03 as my purchase date in my original post. D'oh! I bought the car on 3/28/04. I just bought the car last week and love it. Sorry for the confusion. (It is too late for me to edit my original post.)
"My local place has some 2003 FX35's with premium package left. What would be a reasonable price for one of these?"
and
"IMO, you should at least be able to get a couple of thousand below invoice price since these 2003 models are carrying a year's worth of depreciation."
I also found just what I want in an '03 FX35 (AWD, V6 Premium Package, Roof rails & crossbars, splash guards, & cargo area protector) but no longer can find an invoice price. MSRP is $39565.
The dealership that has it is over an hour away, so I'd like to email asking them about a price. Any ideas where I can find an invoice list for a 2003, so I give them an offer?
Thanks in advance! Deanne
http://auto.consumerguide.com/auto/new/reviews/full/index.cfm/id/- - 37329#prices
You can also price it here; click on buy; pick mileage and color (try different combinations)
http://www.edmunds.com/used/2003/infiniti/fx35/100213725/prices.h- tml?tid=edmunds.u.mipmake.pricetable.num1.1.infiniti*
Of course it's pointless unless you can get one for $2500 or so UNDER invoice. I had no luck anywhere locally though. At the prices dealers are asking for left over 2003's here then they're going to have them well into the 2006 model year!
I hear you, wibble. I also tried to see if I can get into a 2003 FX45 and the dealership wanted to sell it at invoice. I told them that they should prepare to keep these vehicles for a long time if they're selling them at those price levels. I understand that they're in business to make money but this is a bit incomprehensible.
Nobody knows the deals that are cut between Manufactuers and Dealers.
They are going for a couple of thousands below invoice in the Chicago/south MI area!
I purchased my FX35 +Touring + mud flaps for $200 over invoice OR $200 under invoice if you include the $400 MA fee.
Up here in the great northwest we only have one dealer in down who obviously have many people by the short and curlies, add some greed on top of this and you have unhappy customers.
My business takes me to the Bay area in California where I worked my deal above which was still $500 under infinity Beaverton after shipping. I had given these guys my bottom line and they refused to budge saying they would be losing money (go figure). I quickly blew the off and made the deal in California where I was in and out of the dealership in 2 hours. I know they made money and I was happy with my cost..so everyone is happy.
So the morale of the story for everyone in the NW is you do have other options and don't let the greed of some dealerships get in the way of a good deal.
Delivery of the car is 1-2 days away, can't wait to get in the car and take it for a real spin !
Thanks again for the all the fantastic comments out there. Edmunds keep up the great work !
Happy motoring.
p.s. when carbuying is concerned, I don't worry about being "fair" to the dealer. They have plenty of ways to make money even if they don't make money on the car itself (such as extended warranty, lojack, warranty repairs, other repairs, etc.)
yep...& well you shouldn't. There are lots of dummies that walk in & pay premium price just because they don't want to deal with the hassle involved in jumping through all the hoops of driving the price down. When I bought my FX45 (last July) there weren't any deals to be had and I've kicked myself ever since for paying the premium (almost 55K for a loaded 45Tech) & not waiting just a little while for the inventories (that were plentifull in the mid-atlantic at the time) to become a burden on the dealers. That said however, there is a certain satisfaction in buying immediately once you decide on the vehicle.
Steve, Host
I LOVED LOVED driving it! What fun & I didn't feel nervous at all (I've always had sports cars & have panic attacks driving SUVs.). The FX felt like a sports car. Fantastic.
I felt SO much better about the whole process having done research. What a difference.
I haven't heard from the dealership about the '03 yet.??
I'd keep pushing for the 36K mark or around invoice.
I'd probably be happy with around 36.2K given your
package. Just tell them you have other offers around 36.2K , be prepared to walk away if they want it in writing that you had it offered elsewhere. I'm sure they will at least match it (especially when you tell them you really do like working with them and not the other lot etc :-)
I'd also blow off any '03 car given the pricing on the '04's at the moment.
I received my car yesterday (black same as you, but with the willow interior and I'm absolutely delighted with it. I was concerned that even without the sports package the ride would be a bit stiff, but coming from a RX300 the is no doubt it is tighter, but nothing that puts me off, yet handles cornering 100x better.
Hang on to your deal until the middle of the week and they will be calling you back.
best of luck!
Exactly, Kenny. More reason to move inventory, which is why it's hard to understand why they won't just sell the 2003s at prices to move. Like you said, go figure.
2004 2WD Touring FX35 with rail crossbar, cargo area protector, splash guards... MSRP $38,215...
INVOICE: $34,857
offered to me today at: $34,550 +tax, title, lic ...
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Last week, I bought a 2WD FX35 with the touring and the tech package (which is so, so cool - worth every penny) and I paid $38,000.
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I also got basic Lojack - lifetime fee (dealer cost $595; they try to sell at $895 but will take $695). Few buy the Lojack with early warning, I'm told.
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Anybody buy an extended warranty on their FX35 or 45???
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The guy who went out of area to buy was smart. Anyone can do that, as all Infiniti dealers have to provide warranty service, regardless of where you buy. Sales tax can be a consideration, though.
Lastly, thanks for your comments, esp. Steve.
SoCalBob
With cars, sales tax is calculated based on where you live, not where you buy the car. If I'm in Oregon and I buy a car in L.A. then I pay 0% sales tax, not 8.25%
SoCalBob
wibble's example was flipped the other way around and wibble's right also, since Oregon has 0% sales tax.
we only have one Infiniti dealer here, the next one is 60 miles away, but they don't have any 03 FX's left.
I am willing to drive 300miles, if you guys from the northeast have seen some 03FX in dealers lot, please tell me the discount and name of the dealership.
Thanks alot.
Here's California's.
Steve, Host
if you live both places and want to eventually register your car in california, you have to wait 90 days from the date you bought it with a used vehicle and and i believe 90 days and 7500 miles on something new. they have a bunch of built in little statutory requirements to discourage out of state buying by california people trying to avoid sales tax.
still the motivation is strong - on a 300k auto like a ferrari you're talking 24k in taxes!
http://www.infinitinorwood.com/home.htm
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
I confirmed prior to my purchase in Califonia
that there would be no sales tax.
Funnily enough when we agreed on the pricing, the sales guy ran the numbers through the computer and the print out automatically had the sales tax shown. It's one thing knowing how much you will save in theory, but seeing it in black and white that I would pay over $3K in taxes if I lived in California and not Oregon, made me feel good about paying the $500 shipping charge :-)
On another note: D in NJ , any deals yet ...we are all rooting for you :-)
I've been dreaming about my new FX every night! I canNOT wait to pick it up. We're completing a refiance (4.75%, btw), so I didn't want to begin the car purchase until it was completed.
Still amazed at having a positive car buying experience. Thanks so much again! I'll be back...
I love how much less stress I'm feeling & yet I still get to buy the car I really want! *lol*
Thanks
Now, you may congratulate me on my Black Obsidian-Graphite Touring 2004 FX35 with Cargo net, Roof Rails, and Splash Guards ($150 over invoice!). She's already on my insurance.
happy, happy, joy, joy!
Steve, Host
Enjoy the ride .... Watch out when you put your foot on the pedal ..it's deceiving as to the speed you are doing.... but you also know the car is just bustin' for you to put the foot to the floor...what a dillema :-)
Unfortunately, it looks like rain today, so I guess I'll just be sitting in the garage playing with buttons.
Does anyone know where to get velvet ropes to use in parking lots? I'm thinking people should stay, oh, five feet back!