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But I guess we're at the point in the conversation, where we need to be talking about hypothetically going 120 or more to have to G have any real edge. Like on the Autobahn.
67.7mph slalom numbers are much more impressive IMO.
I hear enough of this bickering on the comparison threads. I do not want to hear it on the car specific thread. I visit the BMW threads to follow BMW specific topics. Likewise, I visit the G35 sedan and coupe threads to follow G35 topics.
If G35 interested buyers and owners want to talk freely about an Automag result, then they should be able to without having to defend their views and opinions from a BMW "fan".
Kdshapiro, have enough respect to let people talk on this thread without having no recourse to respond to your counterpoint comments on THIS thread. I'm sure that the BMW fans would expect the same respect from G35 fans that visited the BMW threads.
Fortunately for all of us that have different opinions, Edmund's provides us with two very active and heated G35 vs. BMW threads. See you there!
Cheers!
Mark
June '03 - G35 Coupe for me
You may notice in the BMW thread comparisions are few and far in-between. Those are left to the appropriate comparision thread.
So let's be fair and let's be consistent.
Cheers!
Mark
June '03 - G35 Coupe for me
It was in a huge parking lot, and nearly 200 yards away, bright red and sparkling, and I could see it from the front 1/4. Well, the sane part of me knew they weren't here yet, not really, but I couldn't think of a similar looking car, from any angle.
As I got even closer it gradually transformed into a Solara. Of all things.
Well, I guess it has to look like something ... but what do you think? Am I a)nuts b)ignorant c)recognizing pretty similar lines? (I put in a and b for you. Flame on.)
Joe W.
Maybe from a long distance (i.e. the old "good from far but far from good" deal).....but when you see more of the G35c you'll understand what I'm talking about. I find the G35c to be a real hot looking car but if you need a practical (read you have wife, kids, etc.) vehicle it probably won't do. I'm still moderately considering the coupe for my next vehicle but will probably end up with the sedan. If I get the coupe it will be because I keep my 96 Grand Cherokee as a secondary vehicle for my "family" needs and the G35c will be my play car during the week.
Cheers!
I wonder if my son can fit in the back comfortable? Thats not gonna stop me.
86
what did you think?
I had to do that. Just wanted to see if anyone was still alive. Let me preface by saying that the coupe I drove had the sedan engine in it (260hp). If I understood the rep, the actual production coupe will spec out at 280 hp, I can't remember what he said for torque. First my nit picking complaints- 1. Anyone 6' or taller will hit the rear glass. 2. Not happy that there is no such thing as a 18" tire that is all season rated. 3. Controls especially the climate could have been better thought out. That's it from the complaint Dept. Now to the good stuff. If you have seen the recent articles, you know the the red coupe looks great, but it looks killer in person. Other than the height issue in the back, there is plenty of room in the back, hell if they are over 6', letum drive their own car. The charcoal interior with the brushed aluminum looked very classy. The fronts seat bottoms were longer than in the sedan and more comfortable, one of the best sport bucket seats I have sat in. The car out goes like a bat out of hell with the 6 speed and handles very well. With the increased torque and HP, it is going to scary. Is it Saab that says" people who test drive a Saab usually buy one"? When the dealers get their first demo coupe in, this will be the case. When I came back from my test drive it was all over for me. There was one red/6 speed with premium due in around mid December that was unaccounted for before my test drive. It now has my name on it. What else can I tell you?
Thanks for your patience.
Joe W.
Went to 3 dealerships in New Jersey area 2 would not go below MSRP and 1 knocked a few dollars off.
How about you "Jaydoll", did you get a good deal?
Steve
I seriously think this paint is as thin as the allowance my wife gives me. Good grief! Just 3 months old, has 7000 miles on it and I have little gray dots all over the front hood and fenders ..even one on the passengers door pillar. Geeez. I don’t tailgate as a habit and I go to great lengths to stay out of the path of trucks spraying up road debris and dirt but nonetheless I have dots all over the front of my pretty red car.
Is it just the red paint or is this common with all the colors? (Silver wouldn’t show if the primer is the same color as my car.)
So what’s up with that?
Roll with 9 visible-to-the-eye primer dots and counting.....
PS Nine doesn't sound like much but it's all I see when I wash the car or walk around the car to admire the fine lines of a well designed machine.
Again, I'm repeating what I've read. None of this is first hand.
I'm thinking it would make sense to simply buy a set of cheap rims in a 17" size and snows, keep them in the garage (if you have a garage) and change them on/off at Thanksgiving or Easter.
Sorry, no other suggestion. But I sure wouldn't want to take delivery of a new sports coupe in February, not even in Philly which is a good 500 miles south of me.
Take care.
Joe W.
First off let me tell you that I completely concur with your thoughts about the coupe coming with summer tread only. Audi was listening to all of the complaints last year regarding the A4/A6s sport package equipped cars that offered a summer tread HP tire. In 03, they now offer a 17" all season high performance tire option. IMHO, for 99% of your driving, a 17" all season HP tire is better for wet traction, will give you a better ride, and will only sacrifice handling at speeds and cornering that most of us shouldn't be attempting. That being said, compared to the sedan, I felt the ride was a bit more stiff but not harsh. S wheel feedback felt good to me, not to light. Keep in mind that I didn't get to take the car on the highway so my impression is based on 60mph and under speeds. Shifter through felt a bit long and clunky 1st to 2nd but I was told that the shifter in the car was not the same one that is going into the production car. I am a big fan of the Nissan 3.5 motor and I feel that this tuning of it works. Get on it in second and third gear and it you plant your head into the headrest. Again as I mentioned in my last post the engine in the prototype I drove was the sedan version (260 hp) not the 280 version that the production models will have.
Hope this answers you questions.
Regarding price, all of the dealers I called are standing by MSRP. So if you are looking for a discount, you picked the wrong car at the wrong time. Furthermore, by the end of this year, expect some major kodos from one of the big player mags which will only serve to increase demand.
Where are most Infiniti's sold though? I'm guessing the snowbelt is not the most popular destination for sports cars/coupes considering porsche and BMW send a disproportionate amount of their cars to CA. I believe the last thing I read of porsche had them sending 50% of the US batch to CA each year. BMW's not quite that high but it's markedly higher than other states per capita.
In any case, you are free to go down (or up) - or + 1" at any time. It only needs rubber to compensate. Most people are interested in performance packages, so they are +1 and that means that they have to put on a tire of nearly equivalent rubber (with a lower aspect) so that the speedometer isn't thrown off too much or, more important, the wheel doesn't rub on the wheel well.
When you go down (in th is case to the 17" wheel), it allows you to put on more rubber (as winter tires tend to have). Not too pretty, certainly, but from snow to spring my own preference is for traction.
But I'd do a search at TireRack.com first, to see if a correct wheel/tire combination is available before you assume it. I haven't looked.
You're right about the most performance cars being shipped to California, blueguy.... ANd believe me, the rest of the country resents it.
Go Bluejays.
Joe W.
They are about the same price with good tread wear and snow traction.
"arii001" if you got the Perilli P7000 supersports, they are about $100 cheaper per tire than Pilot Sports and not as comparable.
Checkout this site: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/uhpas.jsp
Steve
Consumer Reports has done several articles comparing the two options. The general conclusion is that leasing is better for someone who drives their car a "normal" amount, doesn't modify or use their car in unusual ways, maintains the car at the dealer, uusally trades into a new car every 3-5 years, and is interested mainly in the lowest possible montly payment. Buying is better for someone who wants to put high miles on a car, likes to tinker, modify, and drive their car in unusual way, plans to keep their car a long time, and is interested in building equity so they can get out of the monthly car payment routine.
I'll add that you can usually drive a harder bargain when you are buying since there is only one number for the sales person to play with. In leasing, you there is a lot more to monkey with so you have to be more experienced to know the tradeoffs of different leases that might be offered by different dealers. (Since you're probably buying your G35c at MSRP, this may not be much of a factor, but you still should negotiate your lease terms.) I also don't like the "turn in" phase where you are at the mercy of the dealer not to nickle-dime you to death for wear and tear items.
If you have business use of a car, then leasing is much simpler as you can simply detect the lease payment rather than having to do depreciation computations.
All-in-all, I like the KISS approach so I buy. Just less to worry about and I have more control on driving, maintenance, etc. But leasing has its merits for some.
- Mark
lease: there is an archived board here somewhere on "buying for cash" which is, of course, the cheapest way to buy. But in all the mathematics posters went through on that board, it was clear that in general leasing cost more than buying UNLESS you had the cash in the bank and could collect interest on it while you made payments on the car.
Not in your scenario, arii001, but I do have a suggestion. You won't like it, but you can always just move on.
Taking your $10,000 downpayment,w hich is substantial in my book, and your willingness to pay $425/month on a lease (if I understood you), here is how to get away with no interest.
1) Buy a 96 or 97 Acura CL or Accord or whatever with the $10,000 and drive that for three years. You'll be driving a "nice" though uninspired coupe.
2) Put the $425/month in a short term bond fund (currently gaining about 3.5% interest). At the end of three years you'll have something like $15700(not exact) in the bond fund.
3) At the end of the three years buy a used '03 off-lease G with a 100k warranty using your trade, probably about $6000-$7000, and the $15700 from the fund.
4) Continue to make the payments to yourself and, because you'll love the car so much, you'll drive it for 6 or 7 years and have plenty to buy whatever you want at the end.
Just a suggestion. Some of us actually do that, by the way. By the way, if money market interest rates come back, move it into there for safety.
Take care.
Joe W.
Checkout these sites for more info. between the 2
http://www.consumerreports.org/main/detailv2.jsp?CONTENT%3C%3Ecnt_id=113265&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=113261&bmUID=1035055532966
http://www.consumerreports.org/main/detailv2.jsp?CONTENT%3C%3Ecnt_id=113337&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=113261&bmUID=1035055532967
Always remember, live within your budget and not over it.
Steve
1. who drive less than 25,000 miles/year and,
2. like to get a new car every 3 to 4 years,
3. can use leasing as a tax advantage.
Leasing is not for people who drive more than 25,000 miles/year and like to keep their car for many years. The lease for three years than buy scenario is always more expensive, than buying outright.
As one who has been leasing/buying for the last 10 years, leasing works to my advantage because:
1. typically I drive less than 45,000 every three years,
2. I can leverage the tax deduction,
3. I like getting a new car every three years.
The scenario where you buy a car then sell it after three years is much more expensive then leasing it outright for three years, unless the parameters of your particular situation doesn't work out for leasing.
Living in Plano, I've visited both S and C dealerships when I was shopping for a G35. I would be interested which dealership tried to pressure you into a purchase, and which one "recommended" that you come back with your husband. I don't want to give business to people who are idiots and downright rude. If I wanted that attitude, I'd go to BMW on 75, or Acura on Plano Pkwy.
c.
The main reason the MTX is so talked about is that there are so darn few car manufacturers willing to make one. Unless you're a BMW fan (I'm not, too expensive for what you get) the only other options are, basically, econoboxes. Now that there is a viable and affordable alternative to the 330ci WE ARE EXCITED!
Check out Honda's lineup - they have long had MT vehicles for enthusiasts, and not all are econoboxes.
Um, too bad Honda doesn't make any sport coupes or sport sedans. They've got a bunch of FWD Accord-based cars.
But, before commenting upon how much better of a deal an Infiniti is than a BMW, do the same price comparison I would if I were in the market for a sedan right now. Look up European Delivery invoice Pricing (wholesale, NOT retail) at www.eurobuyers.com; add your options, add $1,200 to $1,500 for dealer profit and add $1,000 +/- for a trip to Stuttgart. Compare to the best deal you can get on a comparable Infiniti. The difference between a 330ci and G35 coupe isn't going to be much different. Especially since the G35 will be selling near MSRP for awhile.
ED certainly isn't for everybody, but living in DC, I know of many non-rocket scientists who have saved several thousand. BMW is the ONLY manufacturer that really gives you a deal if you are willing to travel. Mercedes doesn't and the bums at Porsche charge you extra. By the way, M Type X, try reading through a Porsche option list and then BMW will be much easier to figure out.
I own a Honda S2000 and Nissan Maxima, so I'm not a BMW loyalist (yet). I just feel inclined to point out that an MSRP to MSRP comparison isn't what I will be doing if and when my Maxima bites the dust.