I had to go to another dealer outside of my area when I purchased my 2006 M45 back in March. The dealer here in middle TN wanted $1000 over MSRP. I purchased the car in Chattanooga TN and the dealer sold it to me at close to the VPP price even though Infiniti was not honoring Friends and Family VPP at that time. I would highly recommend the guys in Chattanooga...essentially bought the car over the phone and drove down to pick it up.
On another note, do any of you other fellow owners have issues with the bluetooth reception? When I call people on the phone, they say it sounds very muffled. I have tried to turn the "noise reduction" in the car selections on and off but it doesn't make a difference. I am trying to figure out if it is the car's bluetooth or my Sprint phone. I have the Sprint LG429. Thanks.
Althougth hard to locate, Sprint has had a Bluetooth enabled phone since December of 2004. It is the LG PM325. I bought two at RadioShack for $79 each after the $150 18month service credit from Sprint. They should have them at the sprint stores by now.
With some cars like the new RL you do not get a choice; however others like the M you do. Given that one has a choice, how do you make an informed decision about which format/provider is the best?
You'll get a lot of people telling you one or the other is better, and magazines have come down on both sides as well. For my taste XM is the clear winner.
To make the best choice for your personal taste, go online to each of their sites (www.xmradio.com and www.siriusradio.com), and get a free multi-day trial subscription for both. You'll probably want to browse all of the categories to make sure you get a sense of all the possibilities, and listen for an extended period, to get an idea of the full range and degree of repetition.
If you have some traveling coming up you can also try to get rental car's with each of them. XM is available at Avis, and Sirius at Hertz.
One other thing to note is that the great majority of of all satellite radio listeners are thrilled to have it.
You wuld think, however the G35 did not fo all the well in the rear crash. The M35 is the "big Brother". I just hope he is the bigger, better built brother as well. I plan on using this as a daily driver and a weekend romper (with family). Just would like some reassurance that it is safe.
That is not true. The G35 got "best pick" by the IIHS.
This question has come up several times on this forum and there is a great deal of discussion on it in previous posts. I myself opted to go with Sirius mainly for what seemed to be the larger choices/programming for sports. I did the free online trial for both and also liked Sirius better mainly because I could get Sirius to work and play music on my computer and XM never played the music. I followed all the setup/config instructions, but nothing came through for XM.
My dealer even called me earlier this month to tell me that my same M35x was available with XM instead of Sirius and I eventually decided to keep waiting until June month end for the car the way I ordered it. If it comes at the end of June it will have been about 90 days that I waited for the car. I hope it doesn't become any longer, but we'll wait and see.
The ultimate decision should be based on your listening/music preferences, depth of playlists, offering lineup (sports, music, comedy, etc.). It's apersonal choice, but people seem to be quite polarized between the two choices as to satellite radios, but not for cars. Looks like the M series is a clear choice for many on this board and others. I personally can't wait to take delivery of my car.
Uh.. you need to hit the "rear test" button. The G35 does great in frontal tests. Rear tests, not so great. For what its worth though, the ONLY cars that managed a good rating in rear tests were Volvo and Saab. If there's one thing Sweden knows how to do, its design car seats.
I just spent the last 2 days with my Diamond/Graphite--with Journey & Tech.
I picked the car up in a driving rain and drove about 50 miles. It sticks as good if not better than the all-time quattro. Handles much better than any A6--even with sport.
The technology in the car is awesome. You get everything +.
Picked up a Cingular/Nokia 6230 Bluetooth phone and it works perfectly.
Only two shortcomings. The leather interior and seats--while great--do not compare to the "couch quality" of Audi--and the tires are Goodyear--and MUST be replaced immediately.
I've got a dealer in NJ who is the greatest. They made me a great deal and it was all painless. The lease numbers will change in the new month, but I paid 1st month + incept fees ($550 lease finance fee+ MV and documentation=$1600). I also paid taxes in advance ($1033) and got wheel and tire insurance ($250).
Put up just under $2900 and my lease is 15k 39 mths--$606.50....
I am thrilled with the car and the deal. leave me your email address for the dealer info if desired...
It would be fine if you posted the name of the dealership here. You can include the name of the store and the general location, but no direct contact information or names. (See the Rules of the Road link at the top of the page for full details.)
It wouldn't be a good idea for people to post their email addresses - that opens them up to all kinds of abuse, spam and otherwise.
Getting 16 - 17 mpg with stop-and-go in town driving in a 4000+ pound car with a hot V6 is hardly "dismal" gas mileage. Frankly, it's pretty darned good!
M45 Sport....Does anyone own either of these color combinations, and can you post pictures? Is the black metallic? Or has anyone seen these combinations, and have an opinion? Thanks...
congrats a6 to m35, Yesterday i picked up my Infiniti m35x from my dealer in NY. Unfortunately i'm stuck at work right now and experiencing M withdrawal.
Got blk/blk, premium pkg, spoiler, trunk mats, splash guards for 1725 over invoice at 50908, plus they tinted the windows for no added cost.
Payments are 639.00month/39mo/15k. MF .00209, Residual 64% I paid NY taxes upfront as well as 1st month and acquisition fee +MV. I think i got a good deal.
Thanks to richcream, ivychfu, and everyone on this forum for the constant supply of information that made car buying a whole lot easier.
Sounds like you got a good deal. The dealers must have room to play with the residuals and MF's. I got a simliar deal yesterday (5$ diff mo payment), but the MF was .00195 and resid was 61%, but the dealer said he was only taking 1500 off the MSRP. Can you tell me what NY dealer you went to? (Still trying to make a decision on the M35x or M45 sport) :confuse:
I believe I understood his comment...living in So. Cal my city driving is somewhat open. So I'd suggest there are different types of city driving (and highway driving). For example, you could really be in an urban area and "stop and go" more often, which a higher MPG number would be more commendable. As for highway driving, you could go 60MPH or you could go 80MPH. You'll get different "highway" driving results with each style.
I hate to rain on your parade but the G35 did not do so hot if hit from behind. Look at the tab marked rear. Even of more concern is that the Q45 did not do well in the rear test and thats the "Flagship". I hope someone woke up on the M. I really love the car in every other way. And after an exhaustive search, I decided I like the M35x's $:Car ratio best. I looked at the Volvo S80 AWD Premium, Audi A6 3.2, Acura RL, and the Saab 9-5 Aero. I have owned Saabs, BMW's and Volvo's and my local dealer is tops but I fell in love with the performance and fun to drive factor of the M.
Essentially, I am looking for a car that will protect me and my family in the event to something out of my control. So any weak link is of concern to me. What is scary is the most people are like you and do not look beyond the surface. I was the same way not too long ago. Now with Google I can usually find out anything I want. Although I can seem to find any safety info on the new M.
I would gladly give up my LDW sensor, or my full size spare and 2 or 4 of my speakers for a top score in every type crash test. Infinity will only put their money into safety if we as owners (potential owners) demand it. I left my deposit on a M and the car is due in mid June and I hope I can get some clarity by then. I do love the car, I just don't want to spend this kind of money on a car that is not safe.
I'm starting to get a bit frustrated with my dealer. During the purchase process, i negotiated with my salesman to have Sirius installed free of charge. As is my unfortunate, obsessive custom (by way of example, I'm on my 3rd consecutive test period for a bluetooth-enabled phone), I researched the Sirius v. XM issue thoroughly and determined that I strongly preferred Sirius to XM, mostly for content (national NPR and all college/pro football and hoops games), and the fact that I can stream it through my office computer. I accepted delivery of my M35x nearly 2 months ago here in metro Detroit. The car did not have the Sirius installed as promised. The salesman told me it would be 2-4 weeks. that period came and went and I called for status. The salesman told me that he could install XM right away but that Sirius had not made an antenna housing in Umbria Grey. I told him I'd keep waiting. he gave me some additional conflicting info. I then heard rumor that XM and Nissan signed an exclusive deal.
I would appreciate any input any of you can give me on this issue. What's the real skinny here? Am I out of luck with Sirius? is there any truth to this unavailable equipment business? Anyone have similar experiences in Michigan or elsewhere?
Nissan did sign an exclusive deal with XM. However according to the press release, the exclusivity was only with respect to data delivery. ie, XM's receivers will be used to receive data intended for a variety of services. The first of these services will probably be a real time traffic feed for Nav routing. The deal was signed well before the M shipped, and nothing's been said about Nissan/Infiniti backing away Sirius radios. As I see it, those services will likely be available on future cars but only for customers who choose XM.
While it might make sense for Nissan to lean towards factory installed XM in the future, I don't think the deal has anything to do with Sirius/M availability now. I test drove a demo with Sirius two days ago, and several members of this forum have gotten sirius.
One other issue that complicates things is that with the M (unlike previous infinitis) the antennas are factory installed and were not supposed to be interchangeable. I've heard talk about infiniti loosening up on the interchangeability, but I've yet to hear about it actually happening.
Did you consider getting a black or diamond graphite antenna? If that's the only hangup it might be an easy solution. I've lived with a black XM antenna on my silver Q for 3 years now. The car looks great in general, but the antenna is bigger and not nearly as nice as the one on the M. Also note that the majority of OEM satellite antennas are not yet color matched. You might get an agreement for him to switch it out for free after yours comes in, given that they've already missed their promised date.
Can you please post the details of the tire insurance. Term, whats covered and any deductables? My dealer knows nothing about this product, and I would want it. If you could list the name of the product and phone number of the 3rd party I would greatly appreciate it. perhaps I could buy it directly. I have not taken delivery of the car yet.
#3050 of 3060 Re: Proud new owner [shivan] by lounacl May 29, 2005 (5:19 pm)
Sounds like you got a good deal. The dealers must have room to play with the residuals and MF's. I got a simliar deal yesterday (5$ diff mo payment), but the MF was .00195 and resid was 61%, but the dealer said he was only taking 1500 off the MSRP. Can you tell me what NY dealer you went to? (Still trying to make a decision on the M35x or M45 sport)
How many months was your deal? That effects the MF and residual.
Frankly I just dont put that much weight in those "headrest" scores, I think there's questionable real world value there. Even the vaunted Saab just earned "acceptable" scores, same as the Audi. While Volvo's headrests are great, they certainly arent enough to make want to drive an otherwise dated, boring, unreliable car.
Unfortunately I seldom get on the highway. Yes, it's a waste of a perfectly good car's abilities ... but even in local driving I'm loving everything about this car's road manners. A few annoying "little" things should be improved. The doors should lock when you start driving. The rear doors should unlock when you get out of the car ... a pain to have to triple-push the button to get to something in the back seat. The eyeglass compartment needs insulation ... get's blistering hot on the sunglasses and they can't be worn for a few minutes. There MUST be a way to start the car if the transmitter gets lost. And the passenger's seat needs the same adjustment controls as the driver's seat (the single biggest flaw in such a stunningly good car). None of these (except the passenger seat) is a big deal, but all need to be addressed to elevate this car to "perfect", IMO, and none would add materially to cost ... just to enjoyment and comfort. I'll think of more to nit-pick and will ultimately submit a formal letter to Infiniti.
I feel very strongly about having Sirius as well, to the point of telling a dealer I had seen the stories posted on this board about problems getting it and if he didn't level with me I would take my business elsewhere. His explanation (take it or leave it) was that dealers have had problems in the past with the antennas that the Sirius receivers use. Some of them will intermittently lose the signal for a second from time to time, and he says that dealerships know this and have been shying away from Sirius because customers keep bringing their cars back under warranty wanting it addressed. He "checked with the central office" and said that Infiniti would definitely continue to offer both XM and Sirius, and that new antennas for Sirius would be available but just not right now. I also was told they will not be color matched (not for now anyway).
I wonder if BMW owners have this "drop signal" problem, as they only offer Sirius on their cars. Also, does anyone here have factory installed Sirius, and if so what does the antenna look like? Anything a dealer says has to be taken with a major grain of salt. One thing that is frustrating is the lack of understanding that this is an important issue to some customers. Most dealers (and some on this post) are of the feeling that being so strongly for one satellite carrier or the other is being excessively picky. When you spend 3-4 hours or more a day in your car, however, this can be just as important as anything else. To each his own.
Here is when a drop will happen (I only can speak for the Sirius radio, as it is in my wife's new BMW X3 and I ordered it on my M35X -- not yet here):
If you drive in a location that looses "line of sight" the radio will drop out for about 1 - 2 seconds. Sometimes you can drive 100 miles with no drop outs and sometimes you can drive on a densely shaded secondary street/road and lose the signal every couple of miles. For reasons I cannot explain, we have found ourselves under a bridge for a moment or two and there has been no drop out.
I assume that the Sirius system does have a buffer and that it must be perhpas as much as 5 seconds. That is the only way I can answer the question why we can go under a bridge and not have a drop out, while going down "shady lane" (dense tree and leaf covering) the drop outs are more frequent.
I have directv at my house and right before a heavy rain (but not during the rain, usually) the tv signal will say "searching for signal" -- Sirius says "acquiring" for a couple of seconds.
The overall quality of Sirius (and I assume XM) is great. Sirius announced "traffic" coming soon, FWIW.
We chose Sirius for both cars (although XM was available for the BMW from the dealer, they clearly have a preference for Sirius) -- and love it -- but there is at least some very small concern that since neither XM nor Sirius is making any money (and that XM just raised its prices -- which probably is a good things as it indicates some pricing power) that there may be a roll-up (and would that mean one or the other would cease to work?) :confuse:
By "choppy" I'm not sure if you are referring to vibration. I am told that one of the problems with the newer cars today that have 18 and 19 inch wheels is that they ride alot harder since there is very little sidewall to the tire. I posted shortly after purchasing my M35x that I was experiencing vibration when driving my car on the highway. The dealer said that they would correct the problem but asked that I drive the car at least 500 miles. I did so and took the car in last week. They checked the balance and wheel force variation and ended up replacing both front and real wheels and tires on the right side of the car.
The dealer made good on their promise and the car runs great.
On the subject of drop outs: When I just test drove the demo with sirius, I was definitely bothered by drop outs on tree covered streets where my Q's XM has never had a problem. I've heard of that before and I believe what the dealer is saying about it is legit.
On the Sirius Nav Traffic Sirius will eventually have it but Nissan/Infiniti HAS signed a long term XM deal where they're locked out of using sirius'. I also spoke to a NavTeq marketing exec at the CES show who said that navteq people believed sirius' nav traffic was several years away. Navteq is the partner contracted to supply the traffic data to both sat radio co.s
Your point here is somewhat misleading: BMW has a preference for Sirius because BMW corporate has an exclusive sirius contract in which they are being paid for that preference. Third party XM products (compatible with BMW head units) are being offered by BMW dealers despite the sirius contract. While some infiniti dealers are leaning towards XM because of fewer drop outs and more customer satisfaction, BMW dealers are leaning towards Sirius for contractual reasons. They're not comparable, but IMO, your message implied otherwise.
My BMW doors also don't lock when you start driving. Funny I've rented several small cheap compacts at Budget and sure enough when you close the doors and insert the key, all the doors lock. I'm down to the GS430, M45 non-sport, 545i and 330i. The best lease deals seem to be on the M and 2005 545i. I hope to be driving both this week. Hope the dealer has an M45 non-sport. I got a great deal on an X5 4.4 all ready to go but I am having second thoughts. Even though it's a BMW, it still won't handle like any of those cars I mentioned above. Also, the split rear tailgate seems like more trouble than it is worth.
One possible explanation for this is that, unlike XM, Sirius does not use geo synchronous satellites. Instead they are in a different orbit and vary in position relative to your location. This can cause reception to vary somewhat at any given location. I have an add on Sirius receiver that I move from house to car. For the most part, if you are outdoors and have no major obstructions you should not lose signal. The magnetic base antenna I use on the car tends to drop signal for a couple of seconds under large bridges and sometimes when parked near large buildings or trees. At home I was unable to use the antenna indoors and had to purchase an outdoor antenna for that use. With the outdoor antenna the receiver always shows maximum signal. On the other hand, I was able to enjoy the system in the mountains and in locations around California, Nevada, and, Arizona where little or no other radio was available. Yosemite and Death Valley would be two good examples. Since your car will spend most of its time outdoors you should have only a few interruptions. Don't expect it to work well in parking garages etc. My receiver completely drops signal in my garage until I put the metal garage door down.
One possible explanation for this is that, unlike XM, Sirius does not use geo synchronous satellites. Instead they are in a different orbit and vary in position relative to your location. This can cause reception to vary somewhat at any given location.
That's true. Its also true that those sirius satellites are much higher in the sky, which gives them lower signal strength by the time they reach us. That weaker signal also has a lesser ability to penetrate obstructions.
I probably told the dealer not to program the doors to lock. I don't remember. There was just so much. My head was spinning after the initial presentation. That was back in 2002. You probably get a college credit after today's new car presentations. So the M's cannot be programmmed to lock the doors on starting the car?
That's true. Its also true that those sirius satellites are much higher in the sky, which gives them lower signal strength by the time they reach us. That weaker signal also has a lesser ability to penetrate obstructions.
This is also true but not as bad as it might seem since most of the attenuation occurs in the lower atmosphere.
So the M's cannot be programmmed to lock the doors on starting the car?
Nope! Kind of silly, IMO; it's something they actually had to delete! And as an earlier poster commented, cheap little tin-can cars lock automatically. It's a security issue ... with the nut-cases all around us it's nice to have those doors automatically and mindlessly locked when standing in traffic, etc. I'm willing to bet it comes back ... soon.
The dealer said that they would correct the problem but asked that I drive the car at least 500 miles. I did so and took the car in last week. They checked the balance and wheel force variation and ended up replacing both front and real wheels and tires on the right side of the car.
I believe I responded to your initial posts re: this issue a couple or three weeks ago and commented that you were being handed some line of bull by a dope or a liar. Seems it was more of a dope than anything, and at least they made good on it. If the vibration had gone away you would have caused an abnormal suspension adjustment (darned if I know what it might have been) and permanently damaged the suspension. Whether it would have been a long term issue or not I'm unqualified to comment, but when a car comes with a shake, rattle, or roll that's not built into the design something's wrong and I never take "see if it goes away with time" for an answer.
Yes, the attenuation is greater at lower altitudes, but the signal is inversely proportional to the square of the distance (imagine the surface area of an expanding sphere around the satellite). This can obviously be compensated for with a stronger initial signal. Also, my physics memory may be poor, but I believe that attenuation is more significant with higher frequency/shorter wavelengths--that is, with EM radiation that behaves more like particles and less like waves.
I have XM and have noticed dropout in shady areas and downtown (buildings, you know), as well as under bridges. I assumed this was normal. Do other XM users have the same dropouts? I notice it every 15-30 minutes of driving in suburbia. The signal goes for about 2-3 seconds.
I live in an area with a great number of large overhanging trees, and XM drops out only in one very small spot that is completely covered with dense foliage. As I mentioned in my earlier post, when I test drove an M45 with Sirius the other day, I was surprised to discover dropouts in many more areas in my neighborhood.
If you're getting dropouts in the city, there may be something wrong. XM has a huge number of repeaters covering most cities and, in all of my experience, does extremely well there. Is it possible your car was originally fitted for sirius and still has the sirius antenna? I've hear that a sirius antenna will not receive signals from XM's repeaters (and vice versa).
Scoop4: Thanks for the info. I think that you are right. I am told that the ride is harder because of the nature of the car and the 18" tires. I am sure I can deal with it since I like the car so much. Thanks, again. I'm glad they were able to fix your car and have you enjoying your car like you should. Hawkeye
No, it was an ordered car from Infiniti with the XM antenna/radio. Maybe it's just geographic location for individual users (and related to distance/angle of satellites/signal)
Well, unlike the arrogant BMW, it seems that Infiniti listens to the feedback it gets from its customers. People complained about the cheap interior in the G35 so Infiniti makes sure that the new M gets a great interior. Perhaps they will hear you concerning the front passenger seat and doors that won't lock. So many unhappy BMW customers and just about all the auto rags complain about iDrive so what does one of their chief executives say recently? "iDrive is here to stay."
I did assume that the Sirius preference was motivated by corporate deals, but I don't know what I said that was misleading. We love Sirius. I am concerned that there may be a roll up and that that may mean someone is left holding the short end (but we get Sirius for one year at no charge).
I am a proponent of Sat Radio -- period. I have no experience with XM, only Sirius.
I am not dissing XM, but I am able to compliment Sirius.
I do think we have only scratched the surface of what can be made available.
It was deleted? Does this mean that some clever edmunds poster will figure out how to command the doors to lock when the car is put in gear like every GM car, or at some speed like the BMW?
This is a minor deal, to be sure, but it is often said that the quality of a restaurant can be determined by its soup.
I am concerned that there may be a roll up and that that may mean someone is left holding the short end (but we get Sirius for one year at no charge).
I'm not really concerned about that. XM has said they'll be cash flow break even next year, without need for any more funding. They've been good about their guidance, and I believe them. As for sirius, I'd be concerned as a stockholder, but not as a subscriber. They do have longer to go for break even and greater obligations related to their content deals. But, IMO they'll either get to break even, get the money or someone will buy them at a discount. In either case I'd be very surprised if they just folded shop. IMO there's plenty of room for both of them. Sat Radio is great and, no doubt, demand will continue to grow.
I did assume that the Sirius preference was motivated by corporate deals, but I don't know what I said that was misleading.
Your previous message was in response to another post, which had indicated that some infiniti dealers were leaning towards XM due to some problems with sirius. Your response stated that BMW sold both but preferred sirius. The message seemed to imply a subjective preference and seemed intended to balance the earlier post. Sorry if I misunderstood, but if I was wrong, what was the purpose?
In any case we clearly agree in our enthusiasm for satellite radio, and the M, which IMO carries more weight than our potential disagreements.
Comments
On another note, do any of you other fellow owners have issues with the bluetooth reception? When I call people on the phone, they say it sounds very muffled. I have tried to turn the "noise reduction" in the car selections on and off but it doesn't make a difference. I am trying to figure out if it is the car's bluetooth or my Sprint phone. I have the Sprint LG429. Thanks.
To make the best choice for your personal taste, go online to each of their sites (www.xmradio.com and www.siriusradio.com), and get a free multi-day trial subscription for both. You'll probably want to browse all of the categories to make sure you get a sense of all the possibilities, and listen for an extended period, to get an idea of the full range and degree of repetition.
If you have some traveling coming up you can also try to get rental car's with each of them. XM is available at Avis, and Sirius at Hertz.
One other thing to note is that the great majority of of all satellite radio listeners are thrilled to have it.
Pete
That is not true. The G35 got "best pick" by the IIHS.
http://www.iihs.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/0307.htm
My dealer even called me earlier this month to tell me that my same M35x was available with XM instead of Sirius and I eventually decided to keep waiting until June month end for the car the way I ordered it. If it comes at the end of June it will have been about 90 days that I waited for the car. I hope it doesn't become any longer, but we'll wait and see.
The ultimate decision should be based on your listening/music preferences, depth of playlists, offering lineup (sports, music, comedy, etc.). It's apersonal choice, but people seem to be quite polarized between the two choices as to satellite radios, but not for cars. Looks like the M series is a clear choice for many on this board and others. I personally can't wait to take delivery of my car.
Good luck in your decision!
I picked the car up in a driving rain and drove about 50 miles. It sticks as good if not better than the all-time quattro. Handles much better than any A6--even with sport.
The technology in the car is awesome. You get everything +.
Picked up a Cingular/Nokia 6230 Bluetooth phone and it works perfectly.
Only two shortcomings. The leather interior and seats--while great--do not compare to the "couch quality" of Audi--and the tires are Goodyear--and MUST be replaced immediately.
I've got a dealer in NJ who is the greatest. They made me a great deal and it was all painless. The lease numbers will change in the new month, but I paid 1st month + incept fees ($550 lease finance fee+ MV and documentation=$1600). I also paid taxes in advance ($1033) and got wheel and tire insurance ($250).
Put up just under $2900 and my lease is 15k 39 mths--$606.50....
I am thrilled with the car and the deal. leave me your email address for the dealer info if desired...
It wouldn't be a good idea for people to post their email addresses - that opens them up to all kinds of abuse, spam and otherwise.
Got blk/blk, premium pkg, spoiler, trunk mats, splash guards for 1725 over invoice at 50908, plus they tinted the windows for no added cost.
Payments are 639.00month/39mo/15k. MF .00209, Residual 64% I paid NY taxes upfront as well as 1st month and acquisition fee +MV. I think i got a good deal.
Thanks to richcream, ivychfu, and everyone on this forum for the constant supply of information that made car buying a whole lot easier.
And your point is .....?
Make sense? That's how I read it anyway...
Essentially, I am looking for a car that will protect me and my family in the event to something out of my control. So any weak link is of concern to me. What is scary is the most people are like you and do not look beyond the surface. I was the same way not too long ago. Now with Google I can usually find out anything I want. Although I can seem to find any safety info on the new M.
I would gladly give up my LDW sensor, or my full size spare and 2 or 4 of my speakers for a top score in every type crash test. Infinity will only put their money into safety if we as owners (potential owners) demand it. I left my deposit on a M and the car is due in mid June and I hope I can get some clarity by then. I do love the car, I just don't want to spend this kind of money on a car that is not safe.
We all hate to think about what can happen.
I would appreciate any input any of you can give me on this issue. What's the real skinny here? Am I out of luck with Sirius? is there any truth to this unavailable equipment business? Anyone have similar experiences in Michigan or elsewhere?
Nissan did sign an exclusive deal with XM. However according to the press release, the exclusivity was only with respect to data delivery. ie, XM's receivers will be used to receive data intended for a variety of services. The first of these services will probably be a real time traffic feed for Nav routing. The deal was signed well before the M shipped, and nothing's been said about Nissan/Infiniti backing away Sirius radios. As I see it, those services will likely be available on future cars but only for customers who choose XM.
While it might make sense for Nissan to lean towards factory installed XM in the future, I don't think the deal has anything to do with Sirius/M availability now. I test drove a demo with Sirius two days ago, and several members of this forum have gotten sirius.
One other issue that complicates things is that with the M (unlike previous infinitis) the antennas are factory installed and were not supposed to be interchangeable. I've heard talk about infiniti loosening up on the interchangeability, but I've yet to hear about it actually happening.
Pete
Did you consider getting a black or diamond graphite antenna? If that's the only hangup it might be an easy solution. I've lived with a black XM antenna on my silver Q for 3 years now. The car looks great in general, but the antenna is bigger and not nearly as nice as the one on the M. Also note that the majority of OEM satellite antennas are not yet color matched. You might get an agreement for him to switch it out for free after yours comes in, given that they've already missed their promised date.
Pete
Thanks
Sounds like you got a good deal. The dealers must have room to play with the residuals and MF's. I got a simliar deal yesterday (5$ diff mo payment), but the MF was .00195 and resid was 61%, but the dealer said he was only taking 1500 off the MSRP. Can you tell me what NY dealer you went to? (Still trying to make a decision on the M35x or M45 sport)
How many months was your deal? That effects the MF and residual.
Unfortunately I seldom get on the highway. Yes, it's a waste of a perfectly good car's abilities ... but even in local driving I'm loving everything about this car's road manners. A few annoying "little" things should be improved. The doors should lock when you start driving. The rear doors should unlock when you get out of the car ... a pain to have to triple-push the button to get to something in the back seat. The eyeglass compartment needs insulation ... get's blistering hot on the sunglasses and they can't be worn for a few minutes. There MUST be a way to start the car if the transmitter gets lost. And the passenger's seat needs the same adjustment controls as the driver's seat (the single biggest flaw in such a stunningly good car). None of these (except the passenger seat) is a big deal, but all need to be addressed to elevate this car to "perfect", IMO, and none would add materially to cost ... just to enjoyment and comfort. I'll think of more to nit-pick and will ultimately submit a formal letter to Infiniti.
I wonder if BMW owners have this "drop signal" problem, as they only offer Sirius on their cars. Also, does anyone here have factory installed Sirius, and if so what does the antenna look like? Anything a dealer says has to be taken with a major grain of salt. One thing that is frustrating is the lack of understanding that this is an important issue to some customers. Most dealers (and some on this post) are of the feeling that being so strongly for one satellite carrier or the other is being excessively picky. When you spend 3-4 hours or more a day in your car, however, this can be just as important as anything else. To each his own.
If you drive in a location that looses "line of sight" the radio will drop out for about 1 - 2 seconds. Sometimes you can drive 100 miles with no drop outs and sometimes you can drive on a densely shaded secondary street/road and lose the signal every couple of miles. For reasons I cannot explain, we have found ourselves under a bridge for a moment or two and there has been no drop out.
I assume that the Sirius system does have a buffer and that it must be perhpas as much as 5 seconds. That is the only way I can answer the question why we can go under a bridge and not have a drop out, while going down "shady lane" (dense tree and leaf covering) the drop outs are more frequent.
I have directv at my house and right before a heavy rain (but not during the rain, usually) the tv signal will say "searching for signal" -- Sirius says "acquiring" for a couple of seconds.
The overall quality of Sirius (and I assume XM) is great. Sirius announced "traffic" coming soon, FWIW.
We chose Sirius for both cars (although XM was available for the BMW from the dealer, they clearly have a preference for Sirius) -- and love it -- but there is at least some very small concern that since neither XM nor Sirius is making any money (and that XM just raised its prices -- which probably is a good things as it indicates some pricing power) that there may be a roll-up (and would that mean one or the other would cease to work?) :confuse:
The dealer made good on their promise and the car runs great.
Here is a link on an article that explain wheel force variation and the equipment that corrects that problem. http://www.redwoodgeneral.com/balance.htm
When I just test drove the demo with sirius, I was definitely bothered by drop outs on tree covered streets where my Q's XM has never had a problem. I've heard of that before and I believe what the dealer is saying about it is legit.
On the Sirius Nav Traffic
Sirius will eventually have it but Nissan/Infiniti HAS signed a long term XM deal where they're locked out of using sirius'. I also spoke to a NavTeq marketing exec at the CES show who said that navteq people believed sirius' nav traffic was several years away. Navteq is the partner contracted to supply the traffic data to both sat radio co.s
Pete
Your point here is somewhat misleading: BMW has a preference for Sirius because BMW corporate has an exclusive sirius contract in which they are being paid for that preference. Third party XM products (compatible with BMW head units) are being offered by BMW dealers despite the sirius contract. While some infiniti dealers are leaning towards XM because of fewer drop outs and more customer satisfaction, BMW dealers are leaning towards Sirius for contractual reasons. They're not comparable, but IMO, your message implied otherwise.
Pete
I'm down to the GS430, M45 non-sport, 545i and 330i. The best lease deals seem to be on the M and 2005 545i.
I hope to be driving both this week. Hope the dealer has an M45 non-sport.
I got a great deal on an X5 4.4 all ready to go but I am having second thoughts. Even though it's a BMW, it still won't handle like any of those cars I mentioned above. Also, the split rear tailgate seems like more trouble than it is worth.
That's true. Its also true that those sirius satellites are much higher in the sky, which gives them lower signal strength by the time they reach us. That weaker signal also has a lesser ability to penetrate obstructions.
Pete
So the M's cannot be programmmed to lock the doors on starting the car?
This is also true but not as bad as it might seem since most of the attenuation occurs in the lower atmosphere.
Nope! Kind of silly, IMO; it's something they actually had to delete! And as an earlier poster commented, cheap little tin-can cars lock automatically. It's a security issue ... with the nut-cases all around us it's nice to have those doors automatically and mindlessly locked when standing in traffic, etc. I'm willing to bet it comes back ... soon.
I believe I responded to your initial posts re: this issue a couple or three weeks ago and commented that you were being handed some line of bull by a dope or a liar. Seems it was more of a dope than anything, and at least they made good on it. If the vibration had gone away you would have caused an abnormal suspension adjustment (darned if I know what it might have been) and permanently damaged the suspension. Whether it would have been a long term issue or not I'm unqualified to comment, but when a car comes with a shake, rattle, or roll that's not built into the design something's wrong and I never take "see if it goes away with time" for an answer.
I have XM and have noticed dropout in shady areas and downtown (buildings, you know), as well as under bridges. I assumed this was normal. Do other XM users have the same dropouts? I notice it every 15-30 minutes of driving in suburbia. The signal goes for about 2-3 seconds.
I live in an area with a great number of large overhanging trees, and XM drops out only in one very small spot that is completely covered with dense foliage. As I mentioned in my earlier post, when I test drove an M45 with Sirius the other day, I was surprised to discover dropouts in many more areas in my neighborhood.
If you're getting dropouts in the city, there may be something wrong. XM has a huge number of repeaters covering most cities and, in all of my experience, does extremely well there. Is it possible your car was originally fitted for sirius and still has the sirius antenna? I've hear that a sirius antenna will not receive signals from XM's repeaters (and vice versa).
Pete
So many unhappy BMW customers and just about all the auto rags complain about iDrive so what does one of their chief executives say recently? "iDrive is here to stay."
I am a proponent of Sat Radio -- period. I have no experience with XM, only Sirius.
I am not dissing XM, but I am able to compliment Sirius.
I do think we have only scratched the surface of what can be made available.
This is a minor deal, to be sure, but it is often said that the quality of a restaurant can be determined by its soup.
I'm not really concerned about that. XM has said they'll be cash flow break even next year, without need for any more funding. They've been good about their guidance, and I believe them. As for sirius, I'd be concerned as a stockholder, but not as a subscriber. They do have longer to go for break even and greater obligations related to their content deals. But, IMO they'll either get to break even, get the money or someone will buy them at a discount. In either case I'd be very surprised if they just folded shop. IMO there's plenty of room for both of them. Sat Radio is great and, no doubt, demand will continue to grow.
I did assume that the Sirius preference was motivated by corporate deals, but I don't know what I said that was misleading.
Your previous message was in response to another post, which had indicated that some infiniti dealers were leaning towards XM due to some problems with sirius. Your response stated that BMW sold both but preferred sirius. The message seemed to imply a subjective preference and seemed intended to balance the earlier post. Sorry if I misunderstood, but if I was wrong, what was the purpose?
In any case we clearly agree in our enthusiasm for satellite radio, and the M, which IMO carries more weight than our potential disagreements.
Pete