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Comments
For all you thinking about this car - negotiate like crazy. Don't just take the dealer's blanket statement that they won't discount the car. If you get that BS just run, don't walk, out and wait a few weeks. Don't drool over the car or tell the salesman how much you like the G35 over the TL-S (or whatever). Get a great deal, then post it. In a major market you will be able to buy this car for 1% over invoice by June. I believe Gabman got his for $900 off sticker,which comes to about 6% over invoice (if I remember his post correctly). The buyers I have talked to in DFW say they received substantial discounts as well.
As far as the Infiniti dealers having their day, well they receive their profits in many ways, the least of which is the amount over invoice for which they sell a car - their is holdback, advertising rebates and the like, used car sales, service, fleet sales, etc. We all work for our money, why shouldn't they.
Remember, an extra $500 (or whatever) in your pocket is that much more gas for fun driving. Why give it to the dealers. Or, go to Ernie, tell him how awesome the car is, give him a check for full MSRP plus "paint protection," the extended warranty, wheel insurance, and all that other crap they sell, and then feel like a fool in three months while Ernie and his friends talk about what a pidgeon you were.
I also thought the TL-S is a little tight in the backseat. My boss bought one 6 months ago, and when we go to lunch, that's where I usually end up sitting. But the reclining seats sound a little goofy. I haven't really had a chance to inspect those up close. I think I read somewhere that they basically have a little flap of leather and some velcro at the top to cover the gap when they're in the upright/forward position. I guess it'll help keep the kids from dropping Barbie down there, but it sounds cheap.
I'm also curious how much you've played with the VDC settings. Is it true you can turn it off? If so, how much difference did you notice, or have you only had it kick in the one time in the snow? Reason I ask, one guy told me that if you really get on the throttle it will kick in and apply brakes to stop wheelspin. I would have thought it would just cut back on the throttle since that's all electronic/drive-by-wire, but I haven't driven the G35 yet.
On the driver seat, could you verify the controls don't leave any room between the seat and the center console? And do you have the entry/exit assist thing? Can it be disabled too? The car I saw had the battery disconnected so none of the interesting stuff was working.
Thanks again,
Scott
Please don't say Passat you are bursting my bubble. By the way where I live dealers are opened until 9 P.M. but get this theya re all closed Saturday and Sunday. This has been a big bone of contention here because as a result most people ( The ones that aren't the boss) are forced to take delivery of their new cars in the evening after they get off of work. Great time not to notice that scratch in your new car eh?
Blueguy: it's about more than mileage, it's about keeping a promise from an idealistic time, know what I mean?
My Miata is fun, and I'll trade it for a newer '99 model in a year or two. Altima's manual tranny is rated higher than the auto, so my guess is the G35 will meet my standard, anyway.
-juice
Seats, much nicer, better quality and much more support than the TL. There is no velcro for reclining seat , as a matter of fact if you are unaware that they recline you would never notice anything different than normal seats. I found the TL driver seat loose, that is to say if the back passenger pushes on it you feel it move.
Gas Cap
Don't see the issue, when you go to fill up you simply press on the right side of the filler door and it opens, I usually do not lock my car when I go to fill up. When you do lock the car everything locks inluding the filler door. Am I missing something? , I did fill up today
You are right about headroom in TL, G35 is much more generous in both front and back seat. My wife hit her head in front seat of TL and is fine in G35. She is 6' and has long legs (Ok no comments)
VDC
Haven't played with enough to comment yet except to sau it works fine, was on ice today and felt it kick in.
Driver seat conttols as well as passenger seat.
They are slightly ressessed so they don't get in the way., however it still being winter here i found that in my winter coat I had to push my jacket aside to see the buttons but then everything is done by touch, you really don't have to look at buttons while you are adjusting seats. Plus once you set memory buttons which by the way are located where buttons are on normal cars, you never have to play with them again.
One thing about the Type S, I found the suspension very hard and every time I went over a bump I felt it thru my body. However I must add that I did not get the sports suspesion in my G35. That along with a spoiler is all I am missing. I can't imagine the sports suspensionbeing any better than the normal one I got. there is something witht heaerodynamics that come witht he suspension, but it was not a priority for me because I loved the feel of the one I test drove so I got it without the $2000,00 option
Hope i answered everything, now I am tired time for a nap before I go home
Building up the "buzz" is a great way to increase sales. But not having any sales collateral ready at time of release not the way to do it.
Just look at Gabman - the first buyer of this car that we all know about. He was dead set on that Cadillac CTS, and when he did not like what he saw, he was about to go buy an Acura TL.
By luck (or destiny?), Gabman happened to visit the G35 forum on Edmunds when he was browsing the TL forums. He was not aware at all that this car would satify his needs - BECAUSE INFINITI NEVER BOTHERED TO ADVERTISE ITS PRODUCT. Is what you mean by "keeping a certain mystery" about the car?!
If that is the case, then Infiniti will never catchup with BMW in terms of sales - no matter how compelling their product. I am no expert, but I know a thing or two about marketing - and releasing ZERO info about the car does not build buzz.
Look at what BMW has done with the new MINI. There were at least two different concepts (that I know of) that BMW emphatically stated would NOT look anything like a future Mini. Then, FOUR years before the Mini even entered production, they showed a close-to-production concept. The media was in a frenzy, and salivating early adopters were plunking down checks before they even knew anything about the final specs. To ensure that the buzz remained at a fever pitch, BMW launched a dedicated web site, sold Mini-related trinkets.
Building buzz to build hype and not releasing any info at all are two very different things. Its the difference between falling in love with an alluring woman, or entering in to an arranged marriage. In the former, you see that alluring woman from afar in a dress, then you get to know her a bit more and see her the next time in a swimsuit, then you get to know her even better and see her in Victoria's Secret, and then finally the union is consumated. In the latter, you have no idea who she may be, until after the wedding and when you see her for the first time.
That's the best analogy I can come up with (and no, I have not had the pleasure of meeting that alluring woman, and nor am I married!)
They need to promote the G35 like they're promoting the new Altima.
And I assume you have not recieved it as yet, have you?
Remember, the objective of marketing is to gain the attention of the consumer, and you say it best -
as far as the G goes it was I that was asleep by not paying attention to what was out there
In my mind, that means that Infiniti failed. Remember, you would be driving an Acura TL if it were not for the fact that Acura-Canada was acting like a prick. To me, that is an egregious failure on the marketing side by Infiniti.
I can understand when a potential customer does not consider a particular car because it does not meet their needs. I am not considering the Audi A4 because I do not want FWD, and am not that crazy about paying extra for AWD. But, I am AWARE of the A4. I know that the product is out there, and is up to me if I choose to reject it.
The problem I have with Infiniti is that that have not done any substantial marketing beyond the bare minimum required/expected.
It stands in sharp contrast to the roll out for the new Altima sedan - which IMHO is a textbook example of conducting an integrated marketing-communications campaign in today's Internet world.
Even look at the Cadillac CTS. They have built up the hype - intro at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours, an advertising campaign featuring Led Zeppelin (not my first choice, but hey, its their money), and product placement in the next Matrix sequel. In contrast, what has Infinti done for the G35 so far - lifted the covers at the various autoshows, issued some press releases?
Infiniti may sell the G35 to some of us who are in the "know," but if they want to sustain those sales over time, they better get off their butts and do some REAL marketing. Otherwise, as some have laready mentioned, the G35 will be selling below invoice in a year's time. BTW, I am waiting for the manual version to arrive.
Now if you will excuse me, I am going to go look for that alluring woman in Victoria's Secret lingere - in my opinion, she is not adequately marketing herself either ;-)
You may be the first, but chances are I will get the better deal a year from now when I buy. The money I save will be spent looking for that woman in a thong.
Infinitis :>(
First and foremost...This car can not be compared to a acura TL...the G35 is a sports car, not a luxury car...plain and simple...it was not what i had expected...the drivers seat does wrap around you...you are glued to that seat...you feel like you are in a cockpit...my left leg struggled to find somewhere comfortable to sit...this baby is fast...it moves out...i didnt check rpm's too much but when using the slap stick i was going 50mph in 2nd gear with the rpm's at 3,000....the cornering of this car is phenomenal....the car i drove was blue...i really liked the blue but i know tha black will be nicer so black it is...i also learned some information on the mysterious aerokit...it isnt cheap but it seems to be the nismo package...it runs anywhere from 2300-2800...the dealer showed me it in his book...you get the larger from air dam bumper, side and rear spoilers, etc...im interested in the different front bumper and thats it...he was going to check on and see if it was possible...the trunk is small...i could get maybe two sets of golf clubs in there...i was not impressed with the bose system...it toook me awhile to get the seat adjusted to where i liked it and the breaking is very sensitive...the car i was in had the plastic dash which to me looked cheap...the seats are not as nice as the I35...the head rests, bests to my knowledge, do not adjust forward and backward...the rear seating was sufficient but not great...the doors do open to about 90 degrees...when you sit in thisd car you really feel like you are getting into a cokpit...this isnt a family sedan...it took me awhile to get used to the car but after awhile i did get comfortable...the exterior is simply stunning...if you ordered blue you will not be dissapointed...the white one on the showroom floor was nice also...the glove box is tiny...i was a little surprised by this car...not dissapointed, just surprised...i expected more of an acura tls type car but this car is purely sport...the luxury is secondary, and it is not as prevelant...fun car, bmw competition...???...performance wise maybe but it doesnt have the whole package yet in my opinion...
Must be something kinky about them Canucks. Kind of like that!!
BTW, don't forget your camera when you return tonight with your wife for some pix of the blue car. Thanks.
not "this vehicle has obviously peeked the interest of many car enthusiasts".
I have to concur with those talking about the lack of marketing on this car. I had been doing research (net, magazines, talking to people) for a few months and was down to the Volvo T5 or the BMW 328 (there was a used M5 in the mix for a time as well, but high miles
At any rate, I'm not certain if I was a dunce or just had incredibly bad luck, but I hadn't heard a PEEP about this car in those few months previous to date that I was looking feverishly for my new ride.
One night I was sitting watching TV and started flipping thru the latest consumer reports on new vehicles that I had stolen from my sister (Sorry Sis
"What the hell is that?" I said to myself with minor curiosity piqued, and immediately read more and went on the net, and only by browsing SPECIFICALLY for info on the Infiniti G35 was I able to find lots of info, mainly from other enthusiasts talking about the car on obscure message boards
In truth, if you go to the official Infiniti website there isn't even an obvious link to the car, just an obscure "Future models" link as if you were going to get a few slides of some concept car years in the future.
Well, I did my own research and in the end I will be getting this car in the ver near future... But I have to emphasize that without my foray into minor larseny (sorry again Sis, will return your Consumer reports soon) The odds were EXTREMELY good I would have gone with either the T5 or the BMW...
I probably would have been very happy with either, but as soon as I found out later about the the G35, I would have had many colorful expletives concerning bang for the buck...
I'm trying not to get overly excited about the vehicle as a residue of that excitement might be sniffed out by the car selling hounds
Regards,
David
It worked, he didn't knock any over. I got behind the wheel after taking quite a while to find a comfortable driving position and proceeded to drive away briskly. This thing hauls [non-permissible content removed], handles extremely BMW like. Lock to lock on the steering wheel is not very much movement at all. I took a banked long sweeping onramp with my foot all the way to the floor and it stuck like glue. On the freeway, passing was no problem at all as it downshifts and picks up speed very fast.
Twisty roads straigten out very well. The steering input is better than BMW's IMO, it's taught enough that a bump in the road will not make you change lanes. The car brakes well yet they seem spongy to me, not BMW like. This is prob. because the pads were not seated.
I am just 6' but weigh 215 lbs. with shorter legs, longer torso and the shoulder room seems lacking even though according to specs. it's more than most. I forgot to mention the size 13 shoes.
The footwell is very small (ala 95 Vette footwell)and my right leg rests on the protrusion before the center console. Also this car was a non sport package and rode firm enough for me with no perceptable body lean.
So did I get out and screw the gas filler? No, but it is fast and still on my short list. I was informed by this person that if you order a full size spare the trunk floor is 2" higher than with the donut. Can anyone confirm this. I was going with FSS because I hate donuts but for the extra room I'll use a donut and not have to buy the winter package here in sunny Calif. (rain tomorrow)
if yes, then ok.
but i doubt it does.
and if it doesn't, then your little story makes NO sense at all.
but my knowledge of the canadian economy is rather limited, so you could be right.
The point is that there is a lot of posting to the effect that dealers are not discounting, and obviously some of it is coming from those in the trade. It appears, at least to me, that the trade is trying like crazy to hype this car to increase the margins. On the other hand, there are dealers discounting this car, even before the cars hit the lots.
I don't have a problem with dealers making a profit, and if you can sell a car for retail, then fine. But, during your stint at an Infiniti retailer, have you ever let a serious and sophisticated customer walk when you were offered 1% over invoice (assume no trade)?
Since the purpose of these boards is to share information for the benefit of the customer, I hate to see anyone duped before they even get to the store. I am convinced that once the inventory sit on the lots for 60 to 90 days, you guys will be selling them for the same discounts that Acura and Lexus, for example, sell their product.
Don't get me wrong, I am all for the G35 and will purchase one (once manual is available) if it performs well compared to the 330i BMW which is my personal choice so far.
What happens when the US dollar weakens vs. the Canadian dollar? (its been that way in the past). That means the G35 (and other goods) will cost more in Canada (for Americans). Do these posters want Infiniti to then increase the US list price to equalize things? Or just continue to screw the Canadians the way some of these people look at things. Fact is, its just the way the rates work out at a given time, Infiniti is not deliberately on purpose gouging US buyers.
The fact is, Infiniti and other businesses price their products in the currencies of the countries they sell their products in, and their only currency concern is the exchange loss relative to their own currency (Yen in this case), and that can be hedged to render it neutral. Multi-country world market pricing has enough complicating factors without being concerned anout the exchange rates between country A and Country B, then between B and C, etc. ad infinitum. Since Nissan does not change their Canadian dollars to US dollars or vice versa before converting them into Yen its completely IRRELEVANT. (sorry-end of rant-didn't mean to ramble on but got carried away)
About 80 posts ago, there was discussion of dealers asking to pull a credit check before allowing a test drive. One response asked, essentially, "What's the big deal with that?"
The problem is that, even though common sense will tell you after observation that most of these inquiries are from different dealers over a couple of days, most credit decisions are based on a credit "score", and the quickest way to lower that score is to have multiple (7 or more, last I checked) inquiries within 6 months. This could mean the difference between approval and denial, or being rated a lower tier credit risk, earning you less than the best rates.
A way around this is to have your bank or credit union give you a prequalification letter before you start shopping. This should allow for only one credit check, by your bank, and eliminate the favorite tool of the salesman, the FOUR SQUARE. (This is where they move you between the price of the car, payment, down payment, and term. The idea is that you have to give up one of them to get what you want). Shop for the price you want, then take care of your financing.
Then I wonder if it would work well with a manual. With a stick, you use the clutch to modulate the power to the wheels on takeoff. Traction control seems more suited to an auto when the computer is controlling the transmission as well. A business asscociate with a BMW 328 manual with traction control has made some unfavorable comments about it on his car.
Has anyone heard more about this or have any opinions?
I'm just wondering what the audience for this car is. If this board is any evidence, the word 'hysteria' comes to mind.
Take care.
Joe W.
Infiniti probably wants to wait until supply builds up a bit before they start the G35 advertising blitz. They don't want to get people all hyped up for a car they can't find at their dealer yet. Give it a month, and you'll probably be complaining about too many G35 ads!
Oh the wood trim! The wood option in this car looks and feels great! It's real and seems to be the same kind of material that goes into Q45. IMO anyone buying this car would be making a big mistake if they don't go for the wood trim. It simply feels a lot classier than the fake titanium accent.
I, on the other hand, will wait a year for better color selection and possible arrival of the CVT. Let's hope.
This is truly a beautiful car. Handles amazingly well. Acceleration is responsive and quick. I took it up to 90 mph in no time at all and it felt like I was driving 50mph. Very tight handling. I found the drivers seat firm yet extremely comfortable and supportive. The arm rests on the door and center console are also nicely placed so you can rest your arms if that is your style of steering. The brakes were equally impressive.
I found the dash to be tastefully appointed and I too liked the wood over the titanium look for it gave it a touch of class. Then again, I fall into the baby boomer category and like that look.
If I have any complaints, they would be the ride, the paint colors and the interior color. The ride is firm (even without sport suspension) as compared to the Mercedes C-320 which is smoother; the paint colors could be more vivid with more interesting choices. I have seen the red and silver so far and they are ok, but compared to the Lexus ES 300 colors of Blue Onyx Pearl and some other colors I am disappointed in the color selection and lastly, the willow interior color is somewhat bland and does not work with all the exterior colors. I would have rather seen grey, black and beige as choices. The willow is kind of cross between grey and beige in my opinion.
However, having said all that, the car is impressive and it remains on my short list as well. Unless you want a luxury car, this is a real contender. I am waiting to drive one with Navigation so I can see how user friendly that system may be.
As an FYI, I checked on the lease rates from all three dealers in the Dallas area. There was mention of 58% residual on 12K miles and a 2.7% interest rate earlier in the discussion. Well, here in Dallas they don't even come close to that. At 15,000 miles you have a 54% residual on 36 months; 53% on 39 months; and 46% on 48 months. The interest rate varies wildly from the 3 dealers. One quoted 6.6%, the other 7.9% and the last dealer quoted 9.84% That seems a little odd to me...
BTW, what is a D.T.E. gauge?
One of the biggest reasons I'm holding off on the purchase is to see if Infiniti comes up with more exotic colors next year. That and the CVT.
The quality of the paint, though, is beyond reproach. It's leaps and bounds beyond the thin coat that Altimas get.
1. With regards to the premium package, the only reason I would really opt for it would be the reclining back seats and the mirror - the rest is fluff in my opinion. So, are the reclining back seats good enough to justify (in large part) the $2000 price? Please don't laugh - rear A/C vents etc is nice, but I'll probably never use them.
2. Someone asked about the front fascia treatment earlier - I looked at a Skyline link posted earlier in this forum and it had the cool front bumper alone - =$972, plus labor I imagine. The car looked like a G35, so I am assuming the parts are compatible (but everyone knows what happens when one assumes anything).
3. Is the trunk really that small? Traveling at Christmas with luggage, presents, and a baby in the near future could be an issue.
4. There are two types of credit checks - hard and soft. Not sure of the differences, but I think that only hard ones show up as a formal inquiry. Not sure which type the dealers run for test drives. I realize this isn't very helpful, so if anyone else is in the know please respond.
Thanks - sorry for all of the questions. Eagerly awaiting the manual for a drive.