Infiniti I35 Prices Paid and Buying Experience

jchan2 · February 2005

Went to take a test drive today. Tested a Diamond Graphite one with a Graphite (Black) interior. Really liked the car, but the dealer said that their sale price ($27,988) was the lowest. I highly doubt that. Hopefully they'll call me back soon, or maybe I'll make an offer. I know for sure that I won't pay anything over $27,000 for an I35.

mrl39 · February 2005

At the end of January I purchased a 2004 I35,from Quirk Infiniti, Boston, MA - Black with Beige interior, Rear Spoiler, Trunk Mat,and Rear Splash Guards. MSRP $31,850. I was able to negotiate a purchase price of $26,000 before title and taxes. I thought this was a good deal. Most dealers are looking to move the 2004 I35's I would think you can do better than $27,000 depending upon the options.

Great car!!

fredvh · February 2005

Does anyone know what kind of manufacturer-to-dealer support there is at this time?

jchan2 · February 2005

In January, it was $2000 Manufacturer-Dealer Cash and the local dealer told me that all incentives for January were carried over for February, so I'm assuming the $2000 still applies.

If the dealer won't budge, I'll go north and find other dealers. Or, I'll drive to the local Lexus dealer, pay more and pick out a 2005 ES330.

rroyce10 · February 2005

.... The final $2,000 incentive was received by the dealers by Jan 1st .. that's why it would be possible to purchase a new 04 for the $26ish range, if that doesn't work for you, perhaps it would be better to move on ....

Terry.

fredvh · February 2005

Is the final $2000 incentive in addition to the previous $2000 manufacturer-to-dealer incentive which brings the total to $4000?

jchan2 · February 2005

no. That's the incentive I was referring to.

jchan2 · February 2005

is being carried over month to month until Infiniti gets rid of all I35s. (I think. Wouldn't that be the sensible thing to do from Infiniti's point of view?)

jchan2 · February 2005

What is the discount on the I35 for Nissan employees? I have a friend who works at Nissan-Smyrna and gave me a copy of his badge to use to get a discount.

jchan2 · February 2005

I ended up buying a base I35 in Brilliant Silver for $25,800, before taxes and other things like that. I didn't use employee pricing, but it'd be the same in the end anyways.

fredvh · February 2005

WOW!! What a great price. How did you get that price? What area of the country are you in? IF I could purchase one for that price I would do it. Was a trade-in involved in this price?

How did the I35 compare to the other vehicles that you test-drove(ES330, etc)?
Please keep us advised as to how the I35 is doing for the next couple of weeks. I would like to know what the RPM is at exactly 70 mph and the kind of mpg that you are getting. My closest dealer is 100 miles away so I cannot just run out and test-drive the car. It is still on my possible list along with the Camry, Accord, TSX, and the Buick LaCrosse.
Were there any other charges, other than taxes, title fees, and license fees, in addition to the price of $25,800?

jchan2 · February 2005

My price wasn't the best. A dealer far, far, far away offered one with the Cold Weather Package for $25,999. (Quirk Infiniti, Braintree MA) But, shipping the car all the way here would end up costing about the same anyways.

And so far the power delivery has been surprisingly smooth. Better so than either the Odyssey or Civic I currently have.

I guess the best way I got my price was by looking up the prices on here, waiting until the end of a month when dealers have quotas to meet, and then offering my price. (I offered $25,500, and we met in the middle at $25,800)

The ES330 didn't offer enough headroom. I was bumping my head (I'm only 5' 8") on the top of the car! But the Lexus dealer salesperson served me better than the Infiniti salesperson. But, I bought from Infiniti in the end due to price.

No trade in was involved. I'm keeping the Civic in case gas prices skyrocket, I'll have eco-friendly transportation.

I'm in Nashville, TN, and bought from Infiniti of Nashville. I got marginal service. When I signed the papers, they just said "You can drive off now" They didn't give me a run down of the features like the Honda dealer did when I bought my Odyssey. And they didn't adjust the clock. (I'm still trying to figure that out) But, in the end, the price was abnormally low.

Hope this helps. The I35 is a very nice car at a great price. I thought it was actually better than the ES330.

jhinsc · February 2005

Sorry to hear about the poor service you got when you completed your purchase. BTW, great price! Try going back to the service dept for the clock. I've always had great service at the 3 dealerships I've used in the past, and they always treated me with respect. My I35 has been at the dealer service since last Friday. Had a bad oxygen sensor replaced, and had them look at a little bubble that developed in the dash. They tried to fix it yesterday, but it didn't look good, so they're replacing the whole dash panel, which won't arrive until tomorrow. Thankfully, I have the free loaner! And since I live 1.5 hours away, they let me keep the loaner until the part arrives and the car is fixed, rather than making me come back a second time.

jchan2 · February 2005

Well, I was respected, but the salesperson spent very little time with me. I spent another 20 minutes for the rest of the night trying to figure out which button activated which feature and stuff like that. I was actually a little surprised at how little time the sales spent with me, considering the fact that at the Honda dealer where I bought my Odyssey the salesperson gave me a full rundown of all the features and showed me all the owners manuals.

I'm missing the Maintenance guide from the I35, so I'll go get that from the dealer when I bring it in for the clock repair.

rroyce10 · February 2005

..... Perhaps I don't agree with the salesmans 3 minute delivery ... but you did get a Great price on the vehicle .. pre-owned 04's with 9/11/15k are getting pretty close to the $26ish figure on the retail side ... enjoy it, it's a nice ride ..........

Terry.

jchan2 · February 2005

The car feels like its worth every penny. Smooth power delivery. Nice ride. Quiet interior (Quieter than my Odyssey) and all for $25,800. Not to mention I get the prestige of driving an Infiniti...

adamo · February 2005

i'm considering buying the i35 tomorrow in portland, me. i got the dealer down to $26983 which includes the cold weather package. think i could do better?

jchan2 · February 2005

Well, I remember somebody posting that they paid $26,500 for one with Cold Weather and Satellite Radio.

Might want to quote me on that. I quoted that poster (I forget his name) and ended up getting the dealer down to the price I paid.

Quirk Infiniti (Braintree MA) has I35s with Cold Weather I think advertised for $25,999. I guess you could mention this fact (printing out a copy of the ad would be a good idea) and see whether they match it or not.

If you do a Google search for "Quirk Infiniti" You'll end up at their dealer website. Look around for its newspaper ads. That's where you'll find the I35 ad.

jchan2 · February 2005

Herb Chambers Infiniti in Boston has an I35 (Brilliant Silver/Willow) listed on eBay with no options. The current bid is around $15,100. I think there's a reserve, but it seems like a good deal to me.

rawdad · March 2005

Well, I just bought a used 2002 I35. Paid 18,800 for it from Ramsey Infiniti in NJ - Dealers in Rochester, NY expect 21k+ for a similar one. Has 16000 miles, winter package, spoiler and a few other options. I have driven it about 600 miles so far and I have the following impressions.
1)Ride is much softer than I expected. I heard a lot of people on this forum and elsewhere say that the ride is too firm. Maybe because my last car was a 99 I30T with the firmer suspension, I am used to having a "rougher" ride. I actually prefer the tighter suspension.
2)The front seat room seems less than my 99 I30. I have the seat all the way back and it still seems cramped. I am 6"1" which isn't that tall. I feel sorry for somebody that is taller
3)The heated seats take quite a long time to warm up
4)Gas mileage has never been a complaint with me in my I30 and so far, it is averaging around 23 to 24 mpg - considering it has 55 hp more than my I30 which got about the same MPG, I have no complaints with the fuel consumption
5)The sunroof glass could use more tinting. Too bright with the sunshade open
6) Interior storage compartments and cupholders are EXCELLENT!
7) Faux wood grain is better than I thought it would be. I don't think it looks too fake and it does seem durable.
8) Acceleration is tremendous! My 99 I30 was fast - very fast - but the I35 is awesome! When you compare to a Lexus ES300, it blows the doors off it. Why the ES300 outsells the comparable infiniti models, I will never know.
9) Xenon's aren't that bright. Disappointing. Maybe I just expected it to be much better - actually, except from the color of the light, it doesn't illuminate the road any better.
10) Appearance: I still think it is one of the better looking cars on the road. For a sedan that can seat 5 (I have 3 kids) this is an awesome vehicle. Sporty, luxurious and yet practicle. I am not one of those minivan or SUV type people. I love a touring sedan but need the practicality of a larger car for hauling the family. This car does it all for me.

That is my top 10. Comments appreciated. I am one very happy Infinit owner!

fredvh · March 2005

Thanks for your informative post. How did you get the mpg? Is this from the driver info center or did you actually figure it out from fill-up to fill-up? Is the 23-24 a mixture of city/hwy or what? What mpg does it get on the hwy?
Do you have the sport package on this I35?
You got a great price!

Kirstie_H · March 2005

Congratulations! Please drop by and talk with other owners in our regular Infiniti I35 discussion, or join the owners club linked at the top of this discussion.

kirstie_h
Roving Host
Host, Future Vehicles & Smart Shopper discussions

jchan2 · March 2005

Your price seems pretty good. The local dealer here wanted $23,000 for a 03' I35 with the Sport/Cold Weather packages. The car had 21,000 miles, so it seems like you got a pretty good deal.

About the appearance, I think that it looks absolutely stunning in the Silver. The beige seems dull and predictable. The car looks better in real life than in the brochures, which made the car look dated. I test drove a Diamond Graphite/Graphite interior back in Feb, and the color combination didn't seem to work as well as the Brilliant Silver/Willow. The Golden Sand/Willow works well also- I haven't seen Midnight Blue, Black Obsidan or Desert Platinum. The Ivory Pearl looks fine, although I don't like white cars.

I'm pretty happy with my I35 also, and at the price I paid it was a real bargain!

rawdad · March 2005

The MPG info I got was from the info ctr near the speedometer. Most of the driving was surburban/country roads. The hwy driving, i haven't figured out yet - but if it is like my '99 model, should have no problem getting very high 20's.
I did not get the sport package - too bad - wish I had it - the stiffer suspension would be better.

rawdad · March 2005

The color I got was listed as "bronze" but it is essentially brown with a light tan or beige interior. The exterior does appear a different shade in certain lighting - it seems to be a lighter brown under artificial light in a parking lot and dark brown at other times. The color is growing on me.

jchan2 · March 2005

Was your color Autumn Bronze? I know for 2002 and 2003 Infiniti sold the I35 in two additional colors- Millenium Jade and Autumn Bronze. (Did they make Autumn Bronze I35s for 2003?)

rawdad · March 2005

I assume that is what it is called: the dealer advertized it as "bronze" but i did notice that other dealers who had that color just called it brown. Anyway, it is growing on me. Never owned a brown car before.

jchan2 · March 2005

It's been a very long time since I've seen a brown car... Maybe the last time I saw a brown car was the last time the UPS truck came by...

I've never owned a silver colored car before, but the silver looks very nice on my I35.

jdden · March 2005

I'm considering the purchase of an '04 I35 demo. How does the fact that it was a demo affect pricing? About 3000 miles on the car.

Kirstie_H · March 2005

The fact that it's an '04 AND it's a demo should significantly lower the price. If you're going to make an offer, think about what offer you'd make if the car had -0- miles on it.

Then, I'd use the charge that leasing companies use as a per mile rate - $0.15/mile - multiplied by 3000 miles = $450. Subtract $450 from your planned offer.

If you can't get at least that discount, then I don't think a demo is worth it. Your call, of course, and others may have different (better!) advice.

kirstie_h
Roving Host
Host, Future Vehicles & Smart Shopper discussions

jchan2 · March 2005

The IRS uses the standard figure of $0.35 per mile for tax purposes, which may seem high but that's the average amount that it costs to run a car, considering depreciation, wear and tear and gasoline charges. That's about $1050 deducted from your planned offer price.

Some dealers still have 2004 models with 0 miles on it and are willing to bargain. What region of the country are you in? Some Boston dealers are still carrying brand new I35s, and Infiniti of Cincinnati still has about 40 of them.

Don't forget that Infiniti is offering $2000 Manufacturer-Dealer Cashback, and the holdback is around $800. Keep that in mind when deciding how much to offer.

And if you qualify, ask for the 1.9/2.9 APR financing. You'll save even more with this option.

jdden · March 2005

First, thanks for the replies.

When determining the offering price would you use the used car value or invoice minus cashback & holdback minus value for mileage (+profit)?

Depending on invoice price they could be fairly close. I'm having trouble finding invoice for an '04 I35. Any suggestions on who still has 04 info available? What is a generally accepted profit?

jhinsc · March 2005

Why not not use the used car value plus the cash back? That should give you the best possible price to negotiate to. You can't use the IRS's .35 per mile because that includes the costs of driving and insurance that you have not paid. I like the idea of .15 per mile though that's typical on leases. I think after all is said and done, $500 profit to the dealer seems fair to me.

jchan2 · March 2005

I think KBB still carries the information- that's where I got the invoice.

Using the used car price is a good idea- since technically the demo could be considered a used car- it doesn't have 0 miles and its a 2004 model. But, it could also be considered new because it has never been titled.

Used I35s are running for close to $26,000 though, and some dealers may be willing to sell a brand new one for less than that.

jdden · March 2005

Edmunds used car price for an 04, 3000 mi, excellent condition, no options, is 23,733. Certified used 25,519.

KBB shows base invoice 28303. 28,303- 860 holdback -2000 mgf cash = 25,443 dealer cost. 25,443- 450 mileage adjustment (3k mi @.15) = 24,993 + 500.00 profit = 25,493.

Either way 25,500 is the number. But this is only 47.00 over dealer cost, do they do this? It appears the loss of value for the mileage eats their profit margin. Do they recieve any other incentives, writeoffs, etc from using the car as a demo?

When does the warranty start on a demo- at sale or when first placed in service?

Thanks again.

fredvh · March 2005

The warranty on a demo, since it is still a "new" car, starts on the day you purchase it. Also, I show the invoice on a base I35 as 28,740 which INCLUDES the 590 shipping. I am not sure where I got this from but I believe it was Edmunds.
IMHO, 25,500 is a fair price. This car is better than your used value because it includes the FULL manufacturer warranty and the perks that go with buying a new car vs. a used one from a private party.

jchan2 · March 2005

sounds like a fair price. Go for it. The warranty is effective starting from the original date of sale, regardless of mileage. So technically I have coverage on my specific I35 until 60,110 miles because when I took delivery of my car, it had 110 miles on it already from many test drives.

I would think that dealers get some sort of incentive for using the car as a demo or service loaner. But service loaners come pre-marked. The window sticker on those will say: **Service Loaner** (I checked the window sticker for the G35 loaner I drove two weeks ago)

Good luck getting your new I35!

cstowe · March 2005

Just worked a deal last week on my new (to me) I35. It is the metalic white (pearl white, diamond white, whatever) with the sport pack, the cold pack, and the sunroof. From what my research tells me the only thing it lacks is the navigation. It has almost 40K on it and I bought it Infiniti Certified from the dealer here in Tulsa, OK for 18,200. The certification process included a new set of brakes and tires!

I love this car and the white is really growing on me quickly. It looks great with the "sport" 8-spoke wheels. I am glad I could find one with the sport package...I can tell a big diff.

jchan2 · March 2005

Congratuations! You'll enjoy your I35 very much.. I know I enjoy mine.

jhinsc · March 2005

I have the same car, same color, w/o the cold pkg or nav. I agree the sport pkg wheels look much better than the standard model. I love washing my car and making it look clean and glossed up. I just turned over 40K, and except for oil changes and a new set of tires, the maintenance costs have been minimal and the car still looks brand new. A few glitches have popped up, the last being the oxygen sensors going out, but they've all been handled without a hiccup from Infiniti service.

fredvh · March 2005

How are you doing on mpg? Have you had any trouble with the I35 yet?

jchan2 · March 2005

The trip computer says I'm averaging about 25 MPG and knowing that it's off by almost 20%, I'm probably getting somewhere around 19-20 MPG. So far no problems, except for the fact that the dealer forgot to give me the owner's portfolio (I got just the owner's manual) when I took delivery. Guess I'll go get the portfolio when I bring it in for its first oil change.

docky · April 2005

Just talked to internet manager at Quirk Infiniti in Braintree, MA. She said they're taking $6K off every new '04 I35, regardless of packages/options. 1.9/2.9% financing expired, though on Mar 31st (now 5-6%).

Quirk has 15 on the lot, ranging from $31,800 to $34,100 stickers. Not sure if the Nav system is worth the extra dough (any thoughts from current owners?).

I think I'll buy. Was looking at 04/05 Maxima, but you almost have to buy the I35 if they'll go to $25K (and not screw me on my X5 trade).

jchan2 · April 2005

sounds about right. The sticker price for my I35 was almost $32,000 but I paid $25,800, about $6,000 off. The 1.9/2.9 APR financing is something I was able to grab.

But the car is a great car and a Maxima/Avalon/ES330 (I considered all 3) all cost more.

About the Navigation System, I really wanted to purchase it but I would have had to fly to Atlanta for the closest I35 with Navigation and I didn't mind but the dealership didn't reply to my e-mail until AFTER I bought my non-Nav I35. He offered cost- $2,000 Below Invoice. At that price, I would have probably paid the extra money for the NAV. (The dealer is Taylor Infiniti, Augusta Georgia)

BTW, I have a PDA with a Bluetooth GPS Navigation system from Hewlett-Packard, so I guess I'm fine. It's a real bargain. You buy the PDA with wireless capabilities ($349) and the Bluetooth receiver ($329, but less on Amazon) You download the maps onto the PDA from your computer. And it works great. Much cheaper than the built in one, more convienient but it's best used if you have a passenger imputting all the data for you.

The I35 is a great car. I love mine. Be sure to check that everything is in order when you take delivery.

jhinsc · April 2005

The nav system in the I35 is CD based, not DVD. You will have multiple CD's, one for each region of the US, versus 1 DVD. If you do long trips, it might be a hassle, and it might be more costly to purchase updates.

cstowe · April 2005

owner's portfolio ?

What is that?

docky · April 2005

Just curious, what do you mean when you say "Be sure to check that everything is in order when you take delivery."???

Also, was $25800 your out the door cost, or were TTL extra? If extra, what did Title/License cost? Any additional fees on top of those?

I'm going to see how close to $25K I can get her this week.

jchan2 · April 2005

$25,800 was before taxes, titles and licensing charges. Tax was around $2,000 (7.5% sales tax in TN) The rest, I forget how much I paid. But I do remember financing 100% of the cost for 36 months at 1.9. The dealer wanted to charge a $242 advertising fee, but it got rolled into the $25,800. So $25,800 included the car and the advertising fee.

When I say "Be sure to check that everything is in order when you take delivery" is that to make sure that you get everything you're supposed to get- the owner's portfolio (a black leather portfolio with your owner's manual and a few other manuals- I only got the owner's manual and it refers to it in there) My clock wasn't working when I took delivery and if I hadn't checked closely I wouldn't have gotten the splash guards either that were supposed to go with the car. They didn't attach the sunroof deflector, but I'm not sure that specific car included that option.

Anywhere between $25,000-$26,200 is a good price for leftover I35s. Add about $1800 (invoice price) for the navigation system.

My local dealer, the dealer I bought from, Infiniti of Nashville, has liquidated the rest of their I35s. They advertised them at $27,988, a rip off since they'd still make $1,000 in pure profit on the deal. And they finally pulled their advertising a few days ago for the I35.

teebone · April 2005

I've been looking around and finally found one place with new leftover 2004 I35s. They do not have the cold weather package or navigation. Asking price is 25,900. Is that reasonable?

jchan2 · April 2005

This is a very reasonable price. Keep in mind though, I paid $100 less and I bought two months ago. Prices should have gone down a little, but if you don't want to bargain, $25,900 is a great price...

Infiniti I35 Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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