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Comments
For anyone looking for bluetooth phone compatibility on the M check the infiniti web site, they list all the phones to use + the hookup procedure for each..
Base versions:
M35 ($40,510): Has rosewood, but no climate controlled seats and no xenon swiveling headlights
M35 Sport ($43,310): Has climate controlled seats and xenon swiveling headlights, but has aluminum instead of rosewood
Journey versions (Now the cars have the same equipment except trim):
M35 ($43,260): Rosewood
M35 Sport ($45,010): Aluminum
*Note: You can add rosewood to the Sport model for $600 extra
HOWEVER, there is an issue with the built in phonebook in the Infiniti Bluetooth system. The phonebook only allows up to 13 digits per entry and does NOT allow "pauses". So, if you want to enter a speed dial number that includes a pause and then a subsequent PIN, you're out of luck at least for now. I called Infiniti and a separate Bluetooth vendor they sent me to and neither could help me. The Bluetooth guy said some others have called about it and he would also like to know when Infiniti is going to fix it.
Otherwise, the interface works very well and I have had no other problems in a week of use.
Alan
However, I've worked in advertising for nearly 10 years, mostly all of it dealing with car dealers and I've stolen a few tips; I may be preaching to the choir, but here goes:
- ALWAYS go in with a pre-approved draft from your bank (preferably credit union). It's like cash and will probably give you a better rate than the dealer.
- Go end at the end of the month like acenji recommended, preferably 30-40 minutes before closing. If you can go in on a non-traditional day, like Monday through Thursday when it's slow, that's even better.
- NEVER lease over 42 months. 36-39 is the max, regardless of the deal.
- Ordering from the factory will always save you the most money, since the dealer doesn't have to pay floor interest (this is something I just found out)
I ordered my car off the Internet -- the deal is "the car you get must be an ordered car -- even if (not likely) the car actually is here in inventory." If these cars are based on allocation, like some are, this is a double bonus for the dealer. No floorplanning costs and +1 for allocation. With a pre approved customer, the discounts are much easier to dole out.
Someone, somewhere, or at least it seems that way, can always claim to have gotten a better deal than you -- and I'm not suggesting by using the word claim that they are not telling the whole truth -- and I am also suggesting to go for the "best deal" at the last minute, you can get. But, if you are only interested in the best deal possible, one way to insure that is to custom order your car after you have a "letter of credit" in your pocket. And, a letter from Infiniti or Toyota or Audi or GMAC financial works just fine, thank you.
06 M35x
Tuesday (4/5/05)
M35 - 46 cars
M35 Sports - 122 cars
M35 AWD - 38 cars
M45 - 86 cars
M45 Sports - 134 cars
By comparison same info for last Thursday (3/31/05)
M35 - 49 cars
M35 Sports - 118 cars
M35 AWD - 39 cars
M45 - 81 cars
M45 Sports - 106 cars
What changed over the last 5 days (includes the end of the Infiniti accounting year)
M35 - decreased by 3 cars
M35 Sport - increased by 4 cars
M35 AWD - decreased by 1 car
M45 - increased by 5 cars
M45 Sport - increased by 28 cars!!!!
Obviously some dealers got new cars so I can't really tell how many sold PLUS sometimes dealers don't report sales until a week or so after. I have requested quotes on some listed cars only to have the dealer tell me they had sold it. Even if the car is still in stock often the dealer just responds by trying to set up a test drive - I requested a quote Mr. Dealer not a sales pitch.
Again Infiniti is producing way too many M45s and way too many Sport versions versus Non-Sport versions. Infiniti projected that 70% of their sales would be M35s with about 30% of those AWD. That means for the 426 cars listed there should be 209 M35s, 89 AWD and 128 M45s although I doubt the number of AWD is expected that high in So Cal.
Do you think Infiniti was celebrating their March M sales? I bet it would have been much higher (at least locally) if they shipped over a bunch more M35 Non-Sports IMHO. My unprofessional opinion thinks that the M is not selling as well as dealers and the mother company had hoped. I think the GS has had the same response level also - deals on both should be available now and will only get better.
I was picking his brain about the ins and outs of what the dealers' bottom lines are...what their commissions are, the back-end incentives from both the dealership and corporate, so on and so forth.
He's guestimating, and again this is just ballpark, that the Infiniti Ms are coming with anywhere from $1,500 to $2,500 (and maybe even more depending on the individual dealer incentive) in back end money for the salesman/dealer. This means that even at invoice, the dealer is making $$$. Be that as it may, he sees no reason for any dealer at this time, to cut any significant $$$ off the MSRP....
However, in our short conversation, his advice for getting the best possible deal, like several of you on these boards, was as follows:
Go to the dealer at the end of the month and throw your lowest offer on the table, fully prepared with banker's check and/or financing of your own, ready to go. He said that in his 10 years plus in the biz, the majority of the time, the dealer would take the offer, knowing that he'd still be making a healthy back end figure and ultimately it would boost his monthly number.
I gotta figure it's worth a shot and certainly better than haggle, haggle, haggle, and either settle or walk.
The percentage allocation to the West Coast is much lower. Most of the AWD are being allocated to the Central and Eastern regions.
"My unprofessional opinion thinks that the M is not selling as well as dealers and the mother company had hoped. I think the GS has had the same response level also - deals on both should be available now and will only get better."
I think both company's are happy with the March sales. Initial projections were 2000 per month for the M, and 2800 per month for the GS.
I will have to test drive the M45 Sport again. The first time I couldn't find a comfortable resting place for my left foot. At a different dealership, though. Never felt so much pressure in my life than at that Infiniti place. Whew!
Besides, dealing with 'sales professionals' is fun, especially when you don't need what they have and you know what their limits are.
Worst case scenario: I don't get the car.
Best case: I get it for $1,000 to $1,500 over invoice.
Even if the very best deal I can get was the one I passed on last night ($48,382 pre-tax for M35x, Journey, Tech, Spoiler, Splash Guards) which equalled roughly $2,500 over invoice, that is still better than saying "AWW SHUCKS, MSRP IS WHAT THEY'RE OFFERING SO I GUESS THAT'S WHAT I'LL TAKE."
Until money is no object, I will gladly play the sales game and try to come out on top...maybe it's my competitive nature....maybe I just like to see people - who would gladly fleece me if given the chance - squirm and develop high blood pressure.
I hope that you are correct.
I want (but do not need) an M45 Sport.
- Ray
Biding time . . .
~~~~_/)~~~~
Norm
The rims sound nice, 2 questions:
1) Does this throw the tire pressure monitor out of wack?
2) WHERE ARE THE PICS MAN?!?!?!
You gotta post the pics of the M45sport on 20s. Really.
How do I post a pick on this site, because this is my first time using this site?
I am still waiting on the spoiler though.
What are others seeing out there in promised delivery times if they ordered the car?
Are you getting this information straight from infiniti.com? If so, I'm going to check to see what it gives me for the Chicago area.
Make your e-mail public and I will send you the photos of my M45 on 20's. I will have better photos when it is daylight, but these will do for now. You can e-mail me at jrp52179@hotmail.com for some photos.
Two dealers have told me that 90 days is possible, but that I should gird my loins for 100+ days from THE FIRST OF THE MONTH following the month I ordered.
It blows my mind to think of spending this much money and being even fazed by a 3 to 4 month lead time to have a car made as I want it, in Japan no less, shipped here, prepped and made perfect just for me.
Anticipation is half the fun.
But, I don't like chain restaurants or fast food either (except Morton's of Chicago -- the exception to the "never eat in chain rule" -- well OK it is more of a guideline rather than a hard and fast rule.)
Of course, I could be wrong.
The M45 has won the comparisons with the GS 430, but I believe the M35 would score a significantly larger victory over the GS 300, especially in the performance category. Come on Road and Track, time to step up to the plate. These are the two cars that most people will be buying anyway.
I have limited need for AWD but was wondering what difference the handling characteristics would have and if it would still be fun to drive.
Thanks for your input.
1) What is size and offset of the rim?
2) What is the tire size?
I've been looking for 20" rims/tires for my M35x but non of the "popular" wheel&tire websites have test-fitted the car in order to determine the correct size, offset, etc.
Sorry.
My question is based around a discussion I had with one dealer who indicated that if a matching vehicle was located at another dealer, it would be picked up and driven to that selling dealers lot. This could even involve a several hour "drive" if need be. I'm not sure how the rest of you feel, but I do not want several road miles on a brand new vehicle that could be very aggressive miles at that.
Any input would be appreciated.
I go to several auto plants and they routinely take cars off production line and run them REAL hard for random testing. Something tells me i wouldn't sweat it (mechanically anyway) if I were you. If you start seeing chipped paint, etc. - well that's another story. Just my Opinion.
Aceman
I specifically said, that in no way shape or form would I purchase a demo car, because they are so badly beaten up on by the consumers, staff, and sales personel.
He said that "of course the car will have a few miles on it" because of transport....blah blah blah.
All I know is that the sales "kid" at one of the other dealers I visited felt comfortable enough with me to tell me about his personal experience in the tester (that just the day before his partner/supervisor/whoever) had been trying to sell me.
Suffice it to say that the tester had been put to the extremes in all aspects of high speed driving, cornering, stopping, skidding, etc., etc, etc.
Great car for sure, but I, like you, certainly do not want one that has been abused.
So...I asked my friend of a friend, ex-car-salesman-turned commercial real-estate broker and....
He put it like this: Yes, a dealer might need to have the car you want driven from another lot to his, even if it is a little ways off. That said, you can be DAMN sure that 9 out of 10 times, the guy designated to drive that car is going to beat on it. (Car salesmen apparently have some pent up aggression and love to beat on the cars they bicker, barter, live, and eat by.)
So that leaves you with the option of paying extra freight to have the car trucked in.
The far-off-dealer-scenario aside, as per ex-car salesguy, a brand new car should have anywhere from 6-12 miles on it when you pick it up. Less is certainly possible, but most often not the case, since most inventory lots are a few blocks (and sometimes farther) away from the dealership. Once you start seeing mileage on "brand new cars" getting up into the 20-miles-plus range, buyer beware....this car has, in all likelihood, been violated.
Now, as it turns out, I am buying a car from a dealer 90 miles away who has an Internet sales dept. Even though they have my money, I have never actually been to the dealer. Today they offered to let me take a car "like" I ordered (an M35x) for a test drive anytime I wanted. I am going to do so this weekend.
I will pick up my new car when it arrives in July/August -- whenever in Columbus and drive it to my city, Cincinnati, some 90+ miles to the SW of Columbus.
Your ability to do such things may vary.
The free loaner program on Infinitis is not a dealer program and I am comfortable that this will be extended to me. I even called the local service dept and said, just to test this, "I just moved to your city and I'm wondering . . ." I was assured I would accorded all the normal perks of ownership.
Who knows, if they figure out they're losing sales to the Internet or Costco, maybe they'll get my biz next time -- or maybey I'll go back to Audi.
One step at a time.
My car has a trade-in value of $3,600 according to Kelly Blue Book - they are giving me $4,000 - none of which is being used for a down payment on the lease.
For 36 months, 15K miles (60% residual) a reduced lease rate of 2.10. For 39 months, 15K miles (59% residual) a reduced lease rate of 2.15 (I figured this to be worth about $500 savings over the life of the loan). Still haven't decided how long of a lease to go for. Lease payment of $626.88 for 36 months or $605.25 for 39 months including taxes (7.75%) with nothing down.
It's on the way from Japan, should be here in a week.
Here in Cincinnati a 0 down lease for 12K for 48 months is $499. Journey only M35.
My deal: 39 months, 15K, no down, $677 month (includes tax): M35x journey, tech, spoiler on rear, $50,240; got $2K off.
Your deal seems about $3000 out of pocket too high.
I know this is something that is largely determined by the market but what do the ballpark figures look like?
Residual value after 36 months:
2006 M = 60%
2005 530i = 56%
2005 E320 = 56%
2005 GS300 = 55%
2005 A6 3.2 = 50%
2005 RL = 48%
As you can see, the residuals on the M are class leading, and is a good indication that resale values will be class leading as well.
Lowest MSRP + Class leading resale + Outstanding car = Excellent value
Are all M's at the same 60% residual?
Let me give you an example of two just posted deals - mine and markcincinnati's. My sales tax is 7.75%, LA is 8.25% - I do not know what it is in Cincinnati. A local dealer advertised the exact same $499 rate so I'm betting they used the same calculations.
So let's compare deals
For $50,240 MSRP, invoice price of $45,784 - payed $2,456 over invoice
For $43,660 MSRP, invoice price of $39,986 - payed $2,000 over invoice
I do not know what the other money rate was - mine was 2.15 (or sometimes noted 0.00215) for 39 months, 15K.
I'm guessing the other money rate is better - if it's not known I can figure it out if based on the cap value, residual value, and tax rate. If it's better than mine then I can go back to my dealer and try to match it - I haven't signed anything yet so I can probably get it.
My payments for 39 months total $24,448, mark's total $26,403 - he is paying $1,955 more but then again his car's invoice price is $5,768 more. The 40% depreciated part is $2,307 so he is $352 ahead although this could be due to a better money rate and/or lower taxes. We both paid nothing down which is the preferred method for leasing.
I took delivery on my M45 Sport w/ tech & journey last Friday.
MSRP $56,860
Sell price $54,183 ($2,677 off MSRP)
Term 42 months - 15K miles per year
Money factor 0.00197 (~ 4.72% APR)
I bought down the lease by ~ $4,640 ($5K less tax of 7.75%)
$6,200 d.o.d (included first month, registration and the $*^#$ bank fee of $550)
Monthly payment is $619.00
Again, the thing to look at is money factor and sell price vs. MSRP. If these numbers are reasonable, and you don't get screwed by excessive excess mile charges (see Audi and MB leases - what a joke), then your deal is okay. It's not rocket science.
By the way, this car rocks! The V6 would probably have done me fine, but there's nothing like a V8. Reminds me of the muscle cars I had as a kid - only this one can actually corner!