Infiniti I30/I35

djrunner

A TSB has finally been released on the wind noise problem and new parts are required. My car is scheduled to go in May 29 and I'll let everyone know how it goes.

pmd2

Looking for help in deciding which vehicle to purchase. I currently own a 2000 Corvette and 97 Volvo S90. I am looking to replace the S90. I have driven all 3 cars and all are so different. 2002 ES300 will be total new redesign. Should I wait and compare the 2002 ES with the I30 and BMW325i or purchase the I30. I am looking for anyone else who looked at the similar cars and made a recent decision.

pat

That question could make an interesting discussion on our Comparisons - Sedans vs. Sedans board - feel free to follow that link and create it if you'd like to do so.

Pat
Host
Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards

mmcbride1

If you want a good back seat and a great (albeit a little boring) car, get the I30. If you want a smaller, much more fun-to-drive car, get the BMW.

tgif888

If you are waiting for the redesign on the ES300. Why not wait until the release of I35?

The I35 will be available around October with 260hp, standard Xeon headlights, etc. But the I30 now is a good buy, Infiniti is having a factory to dealer incentive $1000. So, you pretty much can buy the car below invoice. I wouldn't say about I35.

BMW 325i is too small, driving experience is excellent but the reliability is terrible. Even though it had all the maintenance schedule included. I still didn't think is worth it.

ES300, luxurious feel, customer service and dealership service is first rated. The new ES300 is also going to have 260 hp and first time it will also a Navigation as an option.

Did you consider the 2002 TL Type S? This car is fun to drive and had teh best value.

Hope this help.

pmd2

Has anyone seen this new Lexus ES300 or IS35? As for the BMW, the cost is much greater than these other 2 and ride not as luxurious. As for the Acura, wasn't impressed with exterior styling. May take another look.

tgif888

Here is the link:

http://www.nissannews.com/infiniti/product/vehicles/i35/photos.html

redskin024

Id wait for the es300 redo before you decide. the current design dates to 1992 and has ZERO headroom in the rear seat... my dad is 5"11 and bald and his head was touching the roof.

83zx

I posted this over on the comparisons (Acura, Infiniti, Lexus) forum but this forum is probably more appropriate.

I keep reading that the going prices are at invoice or less but I've talked to two dealers this week in south Texas and they are only coming off of MSRP about $1,000. This is after acknowledging the $1,000 dealer incentive. They say that they are selling cars and getting those prices. I'm ready to buy for invoice plus $200 because I think it is a fair price. Am I wrong?

cpa4u

I just bought my I30t last weekend here in Kentucky. I fought with the dealer down in Nashville on a similiar car for 2 weeks. The sales manager there kept telling me that there was no $1000 incentive and the best he could do was about $2000 off MSRP. Well, I contacted the dealer in Lexington and ended up with a car stickering at $34,365 for $250 under invoice, which came out to about $4100-4200 off sticker. So, no matter what some dealers say, it is very possible to get this great car UNDER invoice. Just shop around a little.

jahwren

FWIW, I'm currently negotiating with a couple of dealers in SoCal for a fully loaded touring model (ok, sans the cell-phone locator stuff) and so far I've got them down to about $900 below invoice without much trouble. I'm hoping that as the end of the month nears I'll be able to take a little bit of their holdback for myself too.

carnutz2

I own a new 2001 I30L and find the bottom seat cushion very uncomfortable, the contoured shape of it digs into my left thigh. I am not a big or heavy person. Does anyone know if Infiniti sells a seat cover or overlay?

sms1256

Not that it makes any difference at this point, but I just bought a new 2001 I30L with no further options at $26,988, including destination charge. I think the price is OK, but how did I really do???

mhammy84

Test drove a 2001 330 cxi...all wheel drive BMW. To make a long story short, the car was not "more" fun to drive than either my 97 I30t, 00 3.2 TL or 01 3.2 CLS. In fact, I found "fun-factor" of the BMW comparable to the TL/CL. The CL has more power. The I30 is loads of fun as it is. I dont see the hype over BMWs these days when there are cars around that cater to your "fun-factor" needs and are thousands less, and include FAR more equipment. The $45K BMW didnt even come with a 6-disc changer or a DVD-based navigation! again, after an extended test-drive, it didnt impress me, or do anything "unique" compared to whatever I currently drive. just my thoughts...

dianalo

Just bought my 1996 I30t from a private party, and remote doesn't work...seller tells me it just needs a new battery, which I haven't replaced yet. It appears that the car alarm doesn't work either (I can't set it). Is the alarm dependent on the remote? Thanks for the advice!

canadiancl

You should be able to set the alarm by locking the doors with the key, or even using the lock switch on the inside door panel. You won't get the parking light flash indicator if you don't use the remote, but the alarm should set just the same.

mhammy84

to test if your car alarm actually works, just lower you driver side window, shut the car off, and lock all doors with the power lock button. Get out of the car and close the door. Wait for about 30 seconds until the security light begins to slowly flash. then, reach into the car through the window, and unlock the car manually, and open the car door...the alarm should set off at this point. to silence the alarm, unlock the doors with the power lock once again.

tgif888

You are not wrong. Currently, the below selling price is the way to go. I am in S. California. Just bought I30t with every option available, except the heat seat and traction control. Mine comes with the nav. system and sport package. I bought in $600 below invoice and the dealer are willing to throw in wood trim and mug guards for free. Texas is a very unique state to do car dealer business. I had entered in Texas zip code (79821), Cars driect best price is $1000 over inovice. Well, California can can get a $500 below invocie quotation.

So, be patient.

sms1256-Your price is pretty good. It is around $700 below invoice.

dianalo

Thanks for the tips, canadiancl and mhammy. Put in a battery today and after some tweaking the remote seems to be operational. Will test the alarm tho!

laheat

I just purchased the 2001-I-30, Luxury Version w/6-CD changer May 27,'01 in SoCal (San Fernando Valley). For what its worth for those looking & pricing, got it for $30K OUT THE DOOR (tax & plates included), which seems to be in the ballpark of I-Net pricing such as Edmunds, Cars Direct etc. One day is not enough to truly eval car, but I did look at Acura TL-S which is damn fast but quality is SIGNIFICANTLY below that of the I-30 and very "chincy". As soon as you get in the I-30 - WOW!. As far as Beemer - the dealer in my area is an *A.H.* to deal with and they keep playing with their stickers - when I stopped by BMW a few days ago they had removed and re-taped all their stickers back on the windows hmmmm.....

When shopping I would suggest checking www.carbuyingtips.com -- this helped me negotiate BIG time. Good Luck and hope I picked the right car!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

jscatena

I am considering leasing an I30t. Any ideas on what a good 24 or 36 month lease payment might be?

jpscatena@t-one.net

pmd2

Thanks all for your input into the Sedan comparison between the Lexus ES300, BMW 325i and Infinit I30. After driving all a few times and comparing the luxuries, the I30 won out. Purchased a 2001 I30, Titanium Silver with all the bells and whistles for a better deal than I could get for a standard BMW. As for the lexus, to much like a camry. If I had the time, probably would have bought the Lexus with the arrival of the new one expected for September. Lexus was truly comfortable and so quiet; however, engine lacked punch. I also drove the Acura TL. This car simply lacks the interior niceties. It truly was a fun car to drive. I am psyched to pick up the car this weekend.

vtgt

I took my car to another dealer and a service writer rode with me. She told me that the noise level was normal. Where can I find/see the TSB related to the wind noise?

djrunner

I just got back from having the new parts installed. The TSB is ITB01-022. It covers all 2000-01 I30 Models. The parts actually turned out to be foam tape that was place between the overlappint pieces around the rear quarter window.

I had to drive 75 miles home and didn't notice any improvement with the added parts. I believe I would be better off buying the black foam tape and fixing it myself.

Let me know if this helps.

redbaretta

Don't know if you remember but I also complained about this problem last fall/winter. I don't know why but it fixed itself about mid-way through the winter (which was harsh here in NJ). I'm hoping it doesn't return. Maybe your problem will magically go away as well.

peter7777

I was looking at the instrumentation for the I35 and noticed that it has an electroluminescent speedometer and tachometer. Does the I30 have this as well?

peter7777

I've read a lot about the Sirius and XM satellite radios that are going to be offered this fall. Will the Infiniti I30 or I35 have either radio as optional equipment? I noticed that both Sirius and XM will sell adapters for existing radios. Would the steering wheel radio controls on the I30 function to change channels on the satellite band as they do on the AM and FM bands?

redskin024

My father leased his 2000 I30(heated seats, traction) for 36mo/18,000 mi/yr for $0 down and $576 a month. His monthly cost was boosted by the extra mileage and not putting any cash down. hope this helps... we live in Buffalo, NY by the way

bscblue

Hey y'all. I had some questions about a 1997 I30, touring or non-touring.

I wanted to know if there was any little things that commonly go wrong with this car, like any electrical gremlins or major engine trouble that would make repairs expensive.

I'd appreciate any info! Thanx!

pat

Hi friends,

Catherine Heins is looking for people to interview who have switched from American to Japanese cars in the past few years-- especially folks who wouldn't have given a Toyota or Honda the time of day in the 1970s.

She's a business reporter at the Yomiuri Shimbun, which is the biggest daily paper in Japan with a circulation of 14 million. They are writing a feature story about Japanese automakers' continuing success in expanding production in the U.S. and snatching market share from the Big Three even on their former home turf of light trucks.

If you fit this description and are willing to be interviewed, please call her directly at 212-582-5827 or e-mail her at catheins@yahoo.com. As always, you can contact me at jfallon@edmunds.com if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Jeannine Fallon
PR Director
Edmunds.com

canadiancl

I think Maximas and I30s of that vintage had a bit of a problem with O2 sensors having to be replaced. That may be fairly expensive if not covered under warranty. I had, I think, 3 or 4 of them replaced for my '95 Max in the less than 5 years that I had the car. Ask for the service records to see if the car in question has a history of O2 sensors going bad. Others have posted about transmission problems but I never had any problem in that regard.

umpopa

bscblue:
I happened to have the 2000 Consumer Reports April (Auto) magazine on my desk when I read your message, but I have no direct knowledge of the car. Consumer Reports gave all superior ratings to the systems in the 1997 I30, with the exceptions of above-average ratings for Electrical, A/C, Integrity and Hardware. Overall, it has had better-than-average reliability ratings each year it has been out. Hope that's helpful.
-umpopa

mhammy84

Just picked up the car from Rochester's Dorschel Infiniti service dept. they did the full 30K mile service package on there, for 359. I asked to have the roadforce balance done instead of regular to resolve my high speed vibration, and the total came out to 369 instead. I have decided NOT to trade my car out for a 2001 because after the service, the car runs like it did the day we brought it home. Idles very smoothly, even with all accessories running (previously, this was a horrible experience as the car would vibrate at idle). Car has much more pickup, and switches gears during crusing very nicely. The service addressed many concerns I had. I actually WANT to drive my I30t now!

mhammy84

Overall, I had some exceptions with my car from the norm. So far, I have had replaced the following: EGR valve, exhaust manifold, BPT valve, tensioner pulley, window switch trim plates and other small things tweaked/cleaned to restore performance. Looking back, the dealer didnt change out parts for no reason, but looked closely at what really needed to be replaced. The reliability is fairly good in my opinion, but could be much better.

bscblue

Canadian, Popa, Hammy, thank you all! I appreciate that info. I'm kinda torn, ya see. On the one hand, I absolutely love the J30 and am getting in the position where I can have one. When I was younger I just loved the look of the J30 and I really wanted one. he fact that it was discontinued only makes me want one more. The years I was leaning to on the J30 was '95-'96 and maybe '94, definitely a touring model.

Now I know that mayhaps for pratical reasons that maybe an I30 would be more economical. I'm not too unpleased with it's level of interior appointments; I especially would like an I30t. So what do y'all think? What do you recommend, based upon any experiences you may have?

exlegend

What exactly is a "roadforce balance," and what specific work did they do to your I30 at the 30K service?

canadiancl

I never did warm up to the styling of the J30, so my opinion would be biased. I obviously think the I30 or I30t would be a better choice. If your budget allows to buy new, I would wait and go for the 2002 I35.

bscblue

I see. The J30 does have a lot of character, something the I30 didn't really have because it looked like its cousin the Maxima. LOL

I also have another little question. What exactly was the total wattage and number of speakers available in the 97' to 2000 I30 and I30t (if it had a different stereo). Was the Bose system standard on both models?

redskin024

first gen. I30's were '95-'99. second generation is 2000-up.

mhammy>>> so you like your car now?? at least it was fixable. My fathers 2000 already has some rust forming, which i find unbelievable. Luckily its a lease, because id hate to see what it looks like in 7 years or so. the front end chips really easily too.

txcarbuyer

What made you choose the Infiniti I30 (Luxury or Touring) over the Nissan Maxima (SE or GLE)?

Thanks!

canadiancl

The post-'99 I30 looks quite different than its Maxima cousin. The Bose stereo has 200 watts and is standard on both the I30 and I30t. the '96 - '99 I30 had 6 speakers and the post-'99 has 7 speakers.

umpopa

bscblue & txcarbuyer: I bought the Maxima GLE, rather than the I30, having determined that they are essentially the same car except for some trim items and the warranty/loaner car differences. IMHO, the price difference wasn't justifed, particularly because I drive about 25K/year, and even the I30 warranty wouldn't last very long for me.

I couldn't be happier with my car.

mhammy84

bscblue: get an I30...the J30, being discontinued, may run you into some trouble. If you're the type of person who would want to modify the vehicle, you would run into more trouble! however, I would buy a J30 because it has more hp, unique shape (it looks almost NOTHING like its sister car, the Altima of similar years), and also, I am not too much into modifying cars. i would just add a better set of wheels, and the J30 would allow you to replace the normal halogen headlamps with HID headlights (aftermarket) so that you can "update" your vehicle and have a better view of the road at night!

exlegend: its a different type of balance that measures for various tire impurities. the service booklet in your glove box should list all that the 30K service includes.

redskin: Its good that you leased your vehicle...thats a mistake I made with my Infiniti. I now believe that if I was buying a Toyota, I would BUY it, but if I was buying anything else, I would lease it to not have to worry about any of these issues! Our 2000 Camry is still running perfectly and has 12K miles on it already!

bscblue

Thanks, Can, Pop, Ham.

I know the Maxima and the I30 are basically the same. They are too much alike, unlike the Camry and ES300, those two vehicles are a little bit more different. in my opinion.

I'm not a big car modifier, Ham. As long as I was to get the J30 Touring then I wouldn't change anything on it except for adding a bit more wood with an aftermarket wood kit.

The reason why I asked about wattage is because I heard that Bose stereos in J30's sometimes go out. I think the I30's Bose sytem and the one in the J30 are the same size and probably interchangeable. What do you think?

tgif888

The Maxima and the Infiniti I30 is not alike. You might said they all comes from the same manufacture (Nissan). There are only two things that the Nissan Maxima and the I30t is in command. The top hood and the rear windows. This is the only two things that they shares.

The I30 not only offeres longer warranty, the service department is also the best. I had my I30t for 1 month now. This car drives like a dream. There is couple things that the I30t had and the Maxima can't offered. Xenon headlights, Navigation system, rear sunshade, longer warranty, loaner car when your car is in service. And now the I30 is selling below inovice. I think it is a better deal than the Maxima. Not to mention the extra 5hp.

tgif888

I mean common not command.

chloe6

Hi!

I live in NJ and am planning to purchase a new I30 (touring package). I'd like to buy one this week if I can find the color/option combination I want.

Here's my question: I did the "build your own car" thing online and the MSRP came to $ 34,165. The invoice price was $ 30,457. How much should I pay for this car? I see so many messages about cars selling for below invoice, but I really don't know how much to offer the dealer.

If anyone has any advice, I'd really appreciate it. I hate negotiating, so if I know what others have paid for similar cars, I could at least have a price in mind and if the dealer comes close, I'll feel like I'm getting a fair deal.

By the way, the car I "built" online had heated leather seats, the touring sport package, traction control, and painted splash guards.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!

Regards,
Chloe

tgif888

In S. California, people can buy it like $600-$1000 below invocie. Since this is the starting of June. I am not sure is the factory to dealer $1000 incentive is still there. Remember if you get the sport package, the splash guards can only installed onto the rear wheels of the vehicle. I think your combination is not hard to come by. When I bought mine a month ago, I am only interested in I30t with navigation system and sport package. This is a rare combination. Well, I still mange to get a deal $600 below invoice and the dealer will throw in the wood kit for free. With the I35 is going to launch on October. The deal is there.

You might want to try your pirce $500 below invoice and see how it goes. BTW, after you and your dealer agrees on the price of the car, make sure it won't charge any other fees, except the $45 doc. fee, which is standard.

Good luck.

jahwren

Start at http://www.carsdirect.com/ and see what price they will give you. The dealer should be able to beat that, in some cases, they should be able to beat it by quite a lot. If it helps you, print out the page with their prices on it and take it in with you as a starting point for negotiations.

Just double-check the numbers with those from edmunds, carpoint and intellichoice, the invoice price that CarsDirect stated was a few hundred too high. CarsDirect will also indicate if there is a manufacturer to dealer incentive by having a seperate line-item at the top of the 'invoice' saying that the total price indicates a special incentive program and that you must take delivery by a certain date. They won't tell you the value of the incentive though.

A friend of mine waited until the last day of last month, which was also the last day of the quarter, and was able to get the same car as yours, plus navigation for $1100 below invoice. That was about $600 below what the carsdirect price was.

edwardh5

My 99 I 30 pulls right. dealer has looked at it 3 times.
8000 miles First time said tire pressure was off.
12000 miles Second time said they aligned it- warranty.
20000 miles third time they said they aligned it - my cost

Still pulls right slightly. Tires have been rotated in a forward cross pattern 3 times with no change. Car pulls right even in left lane
My other cars do not pull -
Anyone else having this problem? the loaners do not pull.
Dealer had a printout on "road crown", which I thought was odd, as if the printout was to convince you to accept a condition that they can not fix. Is the I30 camber fully adjustable?