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Comments
Emerald Mist
Willow
Premium
Nav
Sport
Aero
Xenon (now included in Premium)
I don't know how hard he really looked, but its so close to delivery now that I don't really care anymore.
Dealer is adding window tint and a handpainted pinstripe with initials (so I had better like the car) and I'm having a hands-free unit installed after I take delivery.
I can't wait to get it on the road.
Have fun with yours, it sounds beautiful (pearl, with dark leather sounds pretty plush looking)
Gary
Sounds like a great car. Looks like you are getting every option available. I am sure you will enjoy it. With my car, my dealer had one coming in (apparently by coincidence)and it had 4 miles on it when I picked it up last night.
nycarbuyer,
I agree with you completely with the ivory/ graphite/wood combo. I think it looks fantastic and it does look much better in person than in the pics. The compromise I had to make was on the wood. I think it adds a really nice touch but would have meant ordering and waiting for 2 months. Couldn't do it :-). Also looks like he was laying it on about the rarity of the combination. In any case, I got pretty much what I wanted except for the wood and I am really enjoying it.
To take this discussion in a slightly different direction, any info on how the car performs in snow/ice? I guess the comments would have to come in from the real early purchasers of the G (March/April). I am in Chicago and RWD performance in snow was one thing that made me hesitate a little before getting the G. BTW, the dealer indicated that a AWD version is expected in September 2003.
I would guess that the car would perform better than most RWD drive cars in the snow, but still not as well as a FWD or AWD car. Of course, it's all guess work at this point.
There are several factors at play with respect to winter traction. The quality of tires is a huge factor. I went with the winter package since I am in NY, and I do a lot of traveling up to Boston. The all season tires should provide decent traction, and I will likely upgrade the rear tires to some ultra winter tire, although I am not sure yet what the available selection is at this tire size.
Another factor is weight distribution on the tires. FWD cars get better traction because with the engine block over the drive wheels, you have all that extra weight pressing down on the drive wheels creating greater pressure and ergo increasing friction. My mother had an old Mazda 929 that couldn't make it uphill in 2 inches of snow because the rear wheels had no weight.
With the 52-48 weight distribution in the G, this problem is minimized, but having 48 on the rear axle of a RWD still isn't the same as having 60 on the front of a FWD car. This is where the Traction control and VDC come into play, and help compensate a little for the deficiency.
Still, a RWD car is a RWD car, and will never be quite on par with an all-wheel or FWD car when it comes to winter traction. But I think it will perform much better than most RWD cars given the refinement of the VDC and related systems. The VDC has already helped me in a few quick starts in some very rainy conditions.
Thanks for the detailed reply on RWD performance. I followed similar logic in finally deciding to get the G and out here in Chicago, hills are quite a rarity :-). All the research I did showed that IF I get good winter tires, it should perform as well as most FWD cars, especially given the positive attributes you already listed. I figured winter tires would be my fallback option if the car did not handle well enough on the all season tires. My guess is that the all seasons should be adequate. Will find out in a couple of months.
Also FYI, the salesguy indicated that the VDC is the same one used on the Q45 and should easily provide the smaller/lower power G with good stability control.
cheerioboy26 , Thanks for the info. It makes sense.
clpurnell, I got a pretty good deal because I went with Nissan's VPP. My employer is a supplier to Nissan. As you stated, deals are hard to come by in the Chicago area. Best of luck with your search.
www.g35accessories.com
choose the 5 piece factory kit. they are the exact same pieces that come on the car when ordered as an option. they're very easy to install. just remove the old shifter and 4 handle panels ( they easily snap off with a screw driver due to notch on the under side).
i too could not get the wood option so i ordered this kit and installed myself in 30 minutes. trust me, if i can do it you can.
here's the kicker. the option price on the wood kit is around 450$, the kit by itself can be ordered for 189$. i assure you it's the same wood pieces as the optioned cars.
stay away from any of the other kits they're not that good. if you buy and want some install instruction let me know at this post.
palmerg; those guys at bmw post are a little sensitive. what can we do to liven it up! just kidding of course.
http://www.rearwheeldrive.org/rwdquiz.html
Regarding VPP, the choice of offering it on any given vehicle is upto the individual dealer. As far as I know, Nissan corporate allows them to offer it on any car. Typically, they don't offer it on the 'hot' vehicles. This week, of the 4 dealers in Chicago, 2 were willing to take VPP. The other 2 refused. Also, FYI, a friend of a friend bought the G with VPP very early (April I think). So dealers may occasionally deal even on the hot cars. My salesman told me that as of now, they don't anticipate offering VPP on the coupe for at least 6 months. I don't remember the formula but the price works out to about 1% under invoice.
To summarize, I think you should be able to get VPP on the sedan if you live in a metro area and you call around. With the coupe, foggetaboutit. :-)
No you aren't dreaming. I read the same post about 3 months ago. I book marked it, but when I went back to get it for you it was gone. I know I didn't delete it. It listed all the options and programing that you needed to do. You may want to check back on the posted here and over in "Problems and Solutions". I hope that helps. Sorry I couldn't give you better advice. Take Care
PS...You may want to post over at www.freshalloy.com. It's a really good site.
In my G, even after the car is fully warm, the engine temperature gauge needle is not horizontal. It is about 5-10 degrees below horizontal. Was just curious if any of you noticed this. Probably not a big deal but I was wondering if this was the 'normal' position for the needle.
Thanks
Bummed in Savannah.
But I do love the G more every time I drive it. This middle aged white guy hasnt had a car like that in a while.
Since windshields get damaged so often, and the cost of replacing one in general is often the same or less then alot of peoples deductible, there is typically a flat fee involved and many insurance companies out here even have permanent contracts with autoglass repair companies.
My 4Runner windshield got shattered by a large rock a few years back... I called my insurance company (State Farm) and they gave me the number for so-ans-so auto glass (can;t remember the name) and to say that I was referred by State Farm.
I called and they got my policy number and name and make and year of the car and the next day (saturday) a mobile windshield repair van came buy and put in a new windshield in about an hour.
Cost to me was $100.00... and the guy said that price was universal for insurance claims with State Farm...
THe only stipulation was that the windshield crack had to be larger than 20" or in some other way be a danger to the driver...
I'm sorry that your experience with your Ins Company was not so good... Are you with one of th larger carriers? I am curious to know if this is just a deal with State Farm...
Faenor/Dane4
So I guess if a guy walks up to my parked car and smashes my windshield with a hammer I am out a grand. Ouch!
I also replaced my G windshield, but I had a $0 deductible for comprehensive so it cost me nothing. I have Nationwide and a $500 deductible on collission, and my agent said my comp. deductible was fairly common.....YMMV, perhpas if you are truly out 1000, you may want to consider changing that for future stuff that may happen (it should cover stuff like getting hit while parked, etc.)
Regardless, this is a comprehensive claim, not collision. Is you deductable for that also 1000?
HiC
Sorry.
Joe W.
My friend had this happen, he got the license number, found the company, told them what happened, and they mailed him a check. No questions asked. I don't think trucking companies want a bad rep for causing damages to windshields (sort of like settling out of court so no one knows it was them that did it).
Good luck and sorry! Same thing happened with my 02 Maxima SE (my fiancee was driving it at the time and I wasn't with her. She neglected to get the license number because she didn't know that was what to do. No more borrowing my Maxima!!). I was lucky because the chip could be filled. All I paid was $35.
Obi
HiC
The repair is so good though, the urgency is off.
Thanks for letting me vent.
Door Lock/Unlock (with single click on keyfob)
Mode 1: Unlock left front door only
Mode 2: Unlock all doors
Anti-lock Out (prevents locking keys in car)
Mode 1: Master door lock switch can activate door locks w/ key in ignition
Mode 2: Master door lock switch cannot activate door locks w/ key in ignition
Dome Lamp Timer
Mode 1: Interior lamp comes on when left front door is unlocked
Mode 2: Interior lamp does not come on when left front door is unlocked
Retained Power (Amount of time windows and sunroof will operate after turning off ignition)
Mode 1: 45 seconds
Mode 2: No delay (Will not operate after ignition key is turned off)
Mode 3: 2 minutes
Auto Light On (headlights turn on as it gets dark)
Mode 1: Factory setting
Mode 2: Lights come on sooner than factory setting
Mode 3: Lights come on later than factor setting
Mode 4: Lights come on later than Mode 3
Head Lamp Battery Saver (applies when headlights left in “on” position, not in “auto.”
Mode 1: Shuts lamps off after 5 minutes
Mode 2: No time delay (headlights turn off immediately)
Headlamp Illumination delay (time headlights remain on after exiting car when headlight is in the “auto” position)
Mode 1: 45 seconds
Mode 2: No Delay (lights turn off immediately)
Mode 3: 30 Seconds
Mode 4: 1 minute
Mode 5: 1 ½ minutes
Mode 6: 2 minutes
Mode 7: 2 ½ minutes
Mode 8: 3 minutes
Hazard and Horn Reminder Mode (key fob allows you to choose between modes 1 & 2, but there are 4 others)
Mode 1 (C Mode): Lock = 2 flash, 1 horn /// Unlock = 1 flash, 0 horn
Mode 2 (S Mode): Lock = 2 flash, 0 horn /// Unlock = 0 flash, 0 horn
Mode 3: Lock = 0 flash, 0 horn /// Unlock = 0 flash, 0 horn
Mode 4: Lock = 2 flash, 0 horn /// Unlock = 1 flash, 0 horn
Mode 5: Lock = 2 flash, 1 horn /// Unlock = 0 flash, 0 horn
Mode 6: Lock = 0 flash, 1 horn /// Unlock = 1 flash, 0 horn
Remote Auto Locking Function Mode (Doors automatically lock after exiting car)
Mode 1: 5 minute delay
Mode 2: Function disabled
Mode 3: 1 minute delay
Remote Panic Alarm Operation Mode (activates when button on keyfob held for approx. __)
Mode 1: .5 seconds
Mode 2: Function disabled
Mode 3: 1.5 seconds
Remote Trunk Open Operation Mode (activates when button on keyfob held for approx. __)
Mode 1: .5 seconds
Mode 2: Function disabled
Mode 3: 1.5 seconds
Remote Power Window Down Operation Mode (activates when button on keyfob held for approx. __)
Mode 1: 3 seconds
Mode 2: Function disabled
Mode 3: 5 seconds
Good Luck!
Bill K.
'03 Emerald Mist, Willow, Premium, Wood, Winter and Xenons.
Thanks for posting the mode list. I have been wanting to get my hands on this info as well. Was curious if I have to get this done at the dealer or can I do it myself? If I have to go to the dealer, are they responsive to requests for change and is there a charge involved?
Thanks,
-Krishna
Paul
I gave him the printed list I copied from the old posting (I think it was on fresh alloy), which seemed to lend some credibility to my request.
When he returned the car, they had checked off all the changes I requested with the exception of the headlight delay. I asked that it be set so that the headlights turned out immediately, regardless of the setting (headlights on - or headlights auto). Did that make sense? Anyway, now the headlights turn out immediately - but only after the key is turned to the "off" position and the door is opened.
So, all in all, they seemed very helpful. I think showing the list probably helped a great deal.
1. Auto lights on. My lights come on even when I pass under a 2-lane overpass at 40mph. Somewhat annoying when driving in the city.
2. Headlight illumination. I'd like the lights to turn off right away upon exiting.
Asked my service manager over the phone and he claimed this cannot be adjusted. In my experience, his first reaction is to say that anything is normal and cannot be fixed unless confronted with evidence to the contrary. A little annoying considering this is my second Infiniti from the dealership in 2 years. But I will take this info with me the next time I stop by and see what happens. Thanks for the feedback.
When we bought our G35 (April), all of the advertising for the G35 said that we would get a loaner car for every service, while under the warranty period. The second oil change was done with a loaner provided by Infiniti of Memphis (I waited on the first).
However, when I called today to schedule an oil change, the service person told me that they no longer provided loaners for oil changes. This is what I "assume" is an "upgrade" to the "customer experience" Infiniti promotes as a reason to buy their vehicles?!?
He said that this was something that was new for the 2003 model year (implying that it was an Infiniti, USA policy) that only major services or warranty work would get loaners. Oil changes were no longer being covered by loaners as oil changes were SO quick (not in my experience, the first oil change took over two hours and I was STILL charged $50).
So I asked if the oil change was still $50 ($49.95) and was told that, no, they had discounted the cost of an oil change to $39.95 (like the $.05 I'm saving from $40 will make me think that there was a major discount). Needless to say, I was ticked.
First, there was what I view as a material change to the conditions of sale that Infiniti committed to when we bought the car (it is my wife's). I can distinctly remember the poster in the dealership that read, "Infiniti will provide a loaner vehicle for services during the 4 year/60,000 mile warranty period." No conditions on what TYPE of service work. (Not to mention the comment by the sales person that it, "did not end after the warranty period, because that is the kind of company that Infiniti is...")
Second, was the insult to my intelligence that, "No, it isn't $40, but $39.95." As mentioned above, like the $.05 makes a difference...
Finally, there is another slap to my intelligence that their cost of a loaner was only $10 (per business day, $210 per month). Wow! I WISH I could get an Infiniti I35 or G35 for only $210 a month! Hogwash!
They are having to pay ~$500/month for those vehicles, just like we do, which means that the cost of the "loaner" was about $25 (probably $30 or more, because of maintenance and depreciation). So I get to "save" $10 so they can stick another $15-20 into their pockets. UGH!
Needless to say, I was rather irate and it caused me to use a word that, until now, my daughter had never heard me use.
Ok, enough of the tirade, but I AM curious if others are seeing this? Is this isolated to Infiniti of Memphis or is this a nationwide policy?
Based on my previous experience, I was planning on settling down and becoming a long-term Infiniti customer. However, this definitely has me rethinking those plans! Arrrgh!
I hope this doesn't indicate a future trend for Infiniti/Nissan.
Scott
PS. What IS IT with so many companies just eliminating service like customer desires and promises (we pay their paychecks) were nothing more than wastepaper? So much for Infiniti's vaunted "Customer Experience". Or, if this is what the customer experience is supposed to be like, then Nissan is looking better and better... at least I don't have as high a set of expectations.
"Every service visit at your Infiniti dealer will be as hassle-free as possible, thanks to experienced technicians and state-of-the-art facilities. When you make an appointment and drop off your Infiniti for warranty service at a participating dealer, a complimentary Infiniti Service Car will* be waiting for you. Our unparalleled service includes returning your Infiniti to you freshly washed as well."
Infiniti Ownership
I would check with the manufacturer and see if that is the official policy. Also, see if you can find anything, in writing, from the dealer relating to loaner cars.
They did so last week when they changed the key fob settings and buffed out a light scratch. In fact, when I signed the purchase docs for the car, they also asked if I would like to have the service charges sent as a bill to my home rather than requiring a charge card.
I hope I'm not hearing changes (for the worse) yet to come, to dealers in my area (Ohio)
Sorta sucks to have such a great car and lousy support from the dealer.