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I live in central, NY and am looking at buying a G35X, I was quoted a price for a new 05 loaded, minus nav system for a little over 36,000...Does this sound somewhat reasonable to start? Granted it was the first price, no neg went on just an idea price. Just wanted to get some tips and some feedback on the car itself...Also looking at an Audi A4.
When you say loaded , what does that mean ? If its just wood option and sirrus ,mats and guards ....way too high ! If you are looking at spoiler etc its a different story.
By loaded I mean everything except for the DVD Nav package...Has the 18in wheels, no wood, I hate that...Premium Pkg...Sport Tuned Susp...XM...The same car but an 04 they offered 3360.00. They said that was invoice which I doubt. Which makes me wonder also, other than Horsepower, and tail lights, are there any other differences between an 04 and an 05? Sorry so many questions...Fist time on a forum like this
Just picked up my 05 Sedan today with Premium Package and Sirius. It is great! The Lakeshore Slate is one of the new 05 colors. This is just one of the several changes from 04. The hood has been redesigned to look more like the coupe and the interior is much higher quality. None of that aluminum look-alike stick on trim in the 2003-04s. I was looking at a low mileage 2003 but after driving this just one day, I am glad I chose the 05. You should be able to get one regardless of packages, accessories (except for the 6MT) at about $300-500 over invoice. As a former GM driver, the Infiniti purchase and delivery process is definitely a step up. The dealer seems very interested in your satisfaction after the sale, not just moving the car off his lot.
Sounds a bit rich. I got everthing you had in your quote except the wheels and the splash guards, (I could not find a car with splash guards in NJ) with wood for 34250 plus TTL.
Wow, you guys in the rest of the country seem to be getting great deals. I went shopping for a 2005 G35 sedan (auto, prem pkg C) here in Portland, OR, and the dealer quoted me about $1600 ABOVE sticker. Granted they have an advantage since there are only 2 dealerships in the area (one in Portland, one in Seattle). Still, there was no way I was going to pay over $36K. They forced on me the additional $180 wheellocks (worth about $40), $230 window etching (do-it-yourself for about $30 at Target), and $1000 "Northwest Protection Package" of some interior and exterior teflon coating (didn't know Infiniti's came with such crappy factory paint and leather). Apparently they sell all their cars for sticker, the salesman told me. And that was after the 2nd test-drive ("demo" in dealerspeak) of the vehicle at that dealership.
So I decided not to argue and instead bought an Acura. There are a lot of excellent cars on the market, today. The G35 is one of them, but it isn't $4000+ better than the TL I wound up purchasing.
Finally, after weeks of considering what to buy, went on to drive four of my final choices back to back, and took my car-loving inlaws for second opinion. The decision was between SUV and sedan, in each category I narrowed it down to two choices: MDX vs. FX, TL vs. G35x (not a very fair comparison, I understand). Acura dealership happened to be first on our way. Everyone liked MDX but without "I have to have it now" attitude, and everyone was not very impressed with TL: 05 with 3K, it had wrinkled leather, seat stuffing was comming out through perforations in the seats, and it was too soft. Acceleration is great though, and it is spacious and ergonomic. Then we went to the Infiniti dealership. FX won everyone's heart, including my father in-law who absolutely hated it before. G35x has elicited the same enthusiastic reaction. We took turns driving for about 40 min or so, unable to part with it. FX just is great, but we chose G35x for smaller size(easier to park in NYC) and better rear visibility(I work in the city, the car is mostly for my wife who felt uncomfortable backing up in FX). OK, sorry for the long prelude, hope it helps someone who is in the same situation. The car we chose:
G35x lakeshore slate/wheat
Premium package
satellite radio
The dealer showed an invoice price that matched Edmunds info within $100 and asked me to give a fair offer I offered $34,000 and we agreed on 34,200 after about 5 min. Gave a deposit, will pick up the car next week. Overall, very pleasant experience. Dealership is Salerno Duane Infiniti in Denvile, NJ.
Are the $1000 factory-to-dealer rebates for 2004 G35 sedans still available? I can't seem to find any info on 2004's (just 05's), and wasn't sure if that was because there are no incentives, or if 2004 info has just been removed from most websites.
Also, anyone recall what the difference in invoice was between 2004 and 2005 for G35 sedans (automatic)? I have since tossed my "research" from my own car-shopping last month. There's no 2004 pricing info on the edmunds site anymore.
The last I checked, the $1,000 factory-dealer incentives were available on the '04 through the end of January, at least in my zip code. The '04 info seems to have departed the Edmunds site within the last couple of weeks, though. Kirstie, do you know how to get to that info?
I have a bunch of info on invoice prices for the '04 6MT: Base MSRP/Invoice 30050/27646. There was a midyear increase. If you can find one before the increase, MSRP was 200 less, but invoice was 609 less. Also, the delivery increased from 545 to 590 midyear, although not at exactly the same time as the increase in base MSRP.
Other MSRP/Invoice;
Prem (temp spare tire) 3050/2629
Nav 2000/1805
Spoiler 550/474
Full aero 2910/2360
Sirius or XM 400/345
I think the MSRP of the automatic was either 150 or 200 more than the 6MT, but don't recall for sure. Whatever the MSRP price was for the auto, I think the invoice could be calculated using the same percentage as for the 6MT. That would certainly get you very close.
Thanks so much, george7777. My parents (they're in LA) went to the local Infiniti dealer yesterday and were offered an '04 G35 (auto, prem pkg w/full-size spare) for $30K. That sounds like a very good deal--heck, had my local dealer offered me something like that 3 weeks ago, I probably would have taken the G35 over the TL I bought. But my parents only demo'd the 2005 model, so I told them to go back and try out the '04. The HP and trim differences are minor (though noticeable), but the feel of the brakes is quite significant.
You're welcome, plastix. That sounds like a reasonable deal on the automatic, maybe about $1100 under invoice. I don't know whether your parent's are in Los Angeles, Louisiana, or Lower Alabama, but don't know the geographical price differences, anyway. I was offered $1000 under invoice on the 6MT in early December.
You can get to the inventory of any dealership on infiniti.com, and can get the MSRP on the cars there. If you can find an early year car, before the $654 invoice price increase (includes delivery charge) you can get quite a savings if you're dealing from invoice. The dealers I dealt with gave me the actual invoice price of the cars, and they were accurate, according to Edmunds.
My personal preference was for the temporary spare, since it's advertised to give 3.0 cu. ft. more trunk space as I recall. Also, tires are so very reliable these days, and Infiniti has an owner's club thing for four years. You call the toll-free number and they come out, just like AAA. The temp spare is also $150 cheaper MSRP, and $128 cheaper on invoice price.
Also, I chose the '04 over the '05. This was only partly because the 6MTs weren't available. In addition, the wheels are bigger on the '05, making for more expensive tire replacement, and there is about a 5% mileage penalty for the extra horsepower. Some, of course, view both of those things as great advantages. If I had been an automatic kind of guy though, I might have gone for the '05 only for the intelligent key system, which I think is beyond cool. Trouble is, it isn't available with the 6MT.
Finally, be very happy with your TL. I drove one of those a couple of times, and it is a great car. If not for the front-wheel drive and that the trunk needed to be about 2-3"wider to suit a purpose I have, I would have much preferred the TL. It is better in some ways and comparable in most other ways, to the G35.
Ignore the charge and just deal from invoice. I think that is an awfully large amount, but the amount of the charge isn't the point. With the invoice amount available, just deal from that. If it has to be +$1300, then that's the way it is.
The big add-on is just a way to get more money from the folks who still start at the dealer's first offer (which might even be full boat) and work down.
In the end, the price is the price, so don't let the charge get in your way. I think there have been reports here of folks buying automatic '05s for $500-$1000 over invoice, but the 6MT may be different, since it's just becoming available. It DOES pay to shop around. Go to infiniti.com, look at the inventories of various dealers nearby, and contact them to see what you get. I'll bet you can do better than +$1300.
You can name the dealer that is asking for the $597.50 if you like.
The dealer is Infiniti of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, FL. I haggled some more, there are no cars in the region, i am trading in my 03 still on lease at a wash, i won't have to buy tires for the 03, and i'll have a few more ponies. the dealer gets $1,600 over invoice and i am mostly ok with it.
Tampa Infiniti appears to have one 6MT in stock, in the new Lakeshore Slate color. You might check with them. Also, Orlando Infiniti has one in Diamond Graphite, and NO extras. MSRP is only $31k and change. I found Orlando much less willing to deal on an '04 than Tampa, though.
If you can wait a bit, you might have more choices and may get a better deal, but if your lease requires you to do something now, at least you know you'll like the car.
Dealer charges do vary and are probably just additional dealer profit. The Lexus dealer charged $230 for my wife's RX. The first Acura dealer I dealt with only charged $99, but the dealer I purchased from charged $194 but that includes "free" state inspections (read: another tax in Massachusetts, $29/year) for the life of the car.
I never asked what the dealer fees were when I was considering the G35x.
$597.50 seems like a supreme rip-off, however and I'd keep shopping or try to negotiate at least another $600 off the price to make up for it! For ~$600, you could fly up to Boston, buy a G and drive it home and probably still have enough left over for a nice dinner or two!
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
Did anyone buy a 05 G35 sedan with just the sports suspension packages? I dont want the premium pakage that the dealer wants to tag along with the suspension package.
I would appreciate it if any one can tell me about price they got from the dealer.
Silver/Graphite 2004 G35X, premium package, splash guards, trunk mat for $31519, $4551 off sticker. FJ Chicago. This was the best price I got after searching about 6 stores. Also took advantage of the 2.9% 60 month financing from Infiniti (2004's) so I am confident I got a good deal. If you don't think so, please don't tell me. :-) I was going to hold out for a 2005 but they added an extra spoke to the wheels which I don't like as much as the 2004. LOVE IT! See you out there...
I see a lot of people are getting the 05 model for about $500 over the invoice. What kind of saving will it be great enough for you to pick a 04 model over the 05. Is it $500 below invoice, $1000 below, or $1500? Another question is do you guys think this month is a better time to purchase or next month(will next month has better promotion or more inventory or considered as slower month for the dealers)? I heard somewhere timing is everything when purchasing a ne vehicle.
I am shopping for a Mar-Apr purchase and the G35 is in the mix. If I buy a G35, it will be a 2005 6MT. I have been watching dealer inventories through the Infiniti website, and this car which did not exist anywhere in the midwest one month ago is coming into the market strongly now. The initial wave of pent up demand will allow dealers to get MSRP. Many dealers have a lot of '04 stock still on their lots and are discounting heavily (no doubt with Infiniti's support) to move them off the lots. The improvements in the '05 are worth the wait and extra upfront money. Plus, if you factor in a year's depreciation, the price differential doesn't mean much. However, if you plan on owning the car for 10 years (until there is no trade value) the depreciation issue doesn't matter. So, what's your situation? Is it a stretch to get to the buy price of an '05? Buy the '04. Will you only keep the car 3-4 years? Buy the '05. Is it important for you to have the best and latest G? Buy the '05.
I'm in Atlanta and off the bat the Internet sales manager quoted me $500 over invoice for an 05 G35, he offered $1000 under invoice on the 2004, but 05 is much nicer IMO. I told him I would think about since I'm not in any rush, I think I will get him either at invoice or 200 above at max, we have about 4 dealers in the area so I'll work them hard! Only thing he said is the dealer installs XM or Sirius at $600 (instead of factory's $400) because this allows customers to choose between the two, according to him they see very few factory xm/sirius come in, is this true or undercoating?
I only considered the '05 and it was for the following reason...if, in 2008, I decide to sell or trade in my car, I can have a car that is considered to be 3 years old (an 05) versus four years old (an 04). I don't know what the resale difference will be, but you'll probably pay for the savings on an 04 when you sell.
I considered the (6MT) '04 and '05 and went with the '04, for several reasons. The '04 has plenty of power, so the additional horses didn't mean too much to me, except a 5% or so fuel mileage penalty.
The larger wheels on the '05 would mean bigger expense on new tires. The 'extra' depreciation doesn't mean that much to me, since I plan to keep the car a while, and putting the extra couple grand in the bank now will certainly more than make up the difference at trade time. Also, outside the price differential, the '04 was available at 1.9% financing over three years. I put my money in a conservative investment that will yield more than that.
The 6MTs are just barely coming into the dealerships now, in spite of an earlier promise a couple of months ago. The new Intelligent Key isn't available on the 6MT, a feature that may have helped me decide for the '05.
Someone pointed out earlier several reasons for each of the '04 and '05, and I think I have discussed it before, as well. It depends on your own personal priorities.
I am in the final stages of choosing between an Infiniti G35, or a new redesigned Audi A4...Both have many good things and both have a few bad things about them. Obviously I'm choosing between an '04, or an '05. '06 with the new Audi A4...To me it is coming down to price. With stepping on to many feet I was wondering if I could get some prices on what people paid for their G35's along with any and all packages and accesories. I hope to just get some ideas on how to haggle with my dealer. Thank you and i hope to not be too pushy.
Folks here have reported getting prices of $500 over invoice for '05 automatics, and $1000 below invoice on the '04 automatics, with the 6MT being more. Deals on the '04s should be getting a bit better, but there is a factory incentive of $1000 in most parts of the country on the '04s that may expire at the end of the month. Invoice prices are available on Edmunds.com.
After a Porsche, a couple of Volkswagens and a couple of BMWs, I have probably had my lifetime fill of problems, expensive repairs, and dealer arrogance with German cars. My car search this time started with wanting a manual transmission, with criterion number two being that the car must not have a German badge.
Your mileage (and reliability) may vary, but if it's even close on prices and other features, go with the G35. Also, my guess is that the resale value is much better on the G35 than the Audi, so figure that into your pricing as well. Somewhere on the Edmunds site is some data on the overall cost to own, that may give you some projected resale percentages.
I am ready to buy this month, but next month will probably be better. I am just wondering if the incentive for 2004 will be even better next month. I am thinking of keeping this car for a while, so I guess the depreciation will not factor in. I got some numbers over the weekend, 31,500 for 04 G35X and 34,500 for the 05 G35X. That is a good $3000 saving, however, I don't really need the AWD but it will be a good safety feature to have. Or else, I am looking at 05 G35 for 32,500 which is $1000 more than the 04 G35X. Which one do you think is worth my money? After all it is a big expenditure.
From what I have been quoted on '05s and '04's G35x the 31500 and 34500 is a good price. To me the accessories on the '05s are worth it to me for the 3000 more, but not that much...Still 3 grand is 3 grand less I have to pay on. I like power in my car so the more horsepower is nice...Plus the inteligent key is a pretty nice plus. I live in Northern New York so the AWD is a must. Yet I also have a Ford F-250 Pickup Truck and a GMC Envoy which I am selling to my girlfriend. Amazing vehicle but while I am young I want a car. But it makes no sense to me to buy a car for 34000 and only be able to drive it 6 months a year. In the end it has to make sense money wise for you. When I buy I look at three different things in importance first...Money Available...Reliability...and Styling
It is hard to say whether the incentives will be better next month, or even if they will be around. But one thing is for sure: your selection of available '04s diminishes each day. You can check inventories of various dealers near you at infiniti.com.
Here's what I did. I told the salesman and his manager I am debating to buy a TL or G35. And they will tell you that the TL is a FWD and can't be compared to the G35. It's true but you will tell them you don't care about RWD and besides your wife(if you are married) is safer with FWD in the rain and in the snow. Also tell them, you like the interiors of the TL more than the G35 sedan and you are still debating. Plus the TL has the highest resale value in its class.
While negotiating, tell them you can get a TL for $500 above invoice. 9 out 10 times, the Infiniti dealer will work hard to keep you from leaving their dealership to go across the street for a TL testdrive. They offer to sell the car to us at $1000 over invoice during November 2004.
We thanked them for their time and walk out of the dealership. And guess what they stopped us and gave us their best price which was $600 over invoice. Maybe if we try a little harder, we can do $100 to $200 better but $600 over invoice seems like a fair price at that time. And we were happy since they do have the car we want with the right options and color.
Actual negotiation took about 20 minutes. The other 40 minutes were used in finding the right car on the lot and trying to find out what options we want.
Here's the car we got at the end of the November 04.
I live in Georgia and the local dealers are not moving from MSRP. I want to know where I can shop for a price $500 over invoice! ive seen posts stating that purchases have been made with these figures.
You need to shop around a bit. Go to infiniti.com and poke around. You can check inventories of dealers around you and within a cheap plane fare. Contact the dealers. You can do it right from the infiniti site. Tell them you're looking for $500 over invoice and the car you want, and you just might find that a dealer will match it.
Check my posts 1843, 1847, and 1868 for more detail on my experience.
I don't know about Georgia, but I've been to severaldealerships in north NJ, and the negotiations pretty much started by dealers at $500 - $700, quickly converging to the car's invoice. NJ is reachable from georgia, make a deal, take a train on sat morning, come back in a new car ))
went to pepe motors in white plains new york i want all the bells and whistles including navigation he based the car 750 over invoice with a $415. per month including sattelite radio) payment $5000 down he needs to come down at least $300 of base for my business. i think he will. good luck.
Thanks for all the replies. It seems to me majority of people think 05 will be a better choice. I think now I will probably go with 05, especially there are more and more 05 in the inventory. If law of supply and demand applies, 05 is the way to go. Just out of curiosity assume there are only 1 or 2 04 left on the dearler's lot. Do you think one would be able to get an amazing deal on those vehicle because the dealer is trying to move them out of their lot or the law of supply and demand still applies and therefore dealer will not drop the price any further to loose more money.
"Just out of curiosity assume there are only 1 or 2 04 left on the dealer's lot. Do you think one would be able to get an amazing deal on those vehicle because the dealer is trying to move them out of their lot or the law of supply and demand still applies and therefore dealer will not drop the price any further to loose more money. "
The law of supply and demand will always hold, of course. As more folks start thinking like you, that the '05 is the way to go, demand for the remaining '04s will decrease. The supply of '04s will be low, but if you want to deal on an '04, remember that the dealer is losing money while the car sits on the lot. He's also competing with himself and other dealers in the area who are selling the '05s at cheaper prices as inventories build up.
The '04s will have a perceived market value of something less than what the '05s are selling for. That value will be largely independent of what the dealer actually paid for the '04. I say 'largely' instead of 'completely' independent, since invoice prices were published for the '04s, and that does have some effect on the market value you and I may place on the '04.
The short answer is that I'd suspect the '04 pricing will maintain today's relationship with the '05 pricing, or perhaps get slightly better. I see little reason for the pricing on the '04s to get higher in relation to the pricing of the '05s
Im looking to purchase a Infiniti G35 RWD sedan with premium package and navigation system. Does anyone know good Infiniti dealers in the Southern California area? About what should i pay?
I just made a deal today on an 04 G35, base car with leather and sunroof..20,000 miles..I won't buy new..Their asking price was $28,000 and I paid $23,900. I bought it at a place that specializes in rental cars where I bought my last car, a Maxima...I never buy the first day, it makes them more eager and keeps me from emotional buying. For any women out there, I went to one dealership where they quoted me $2000 more than they did my husband the next day, this happened twice, so beware..Good luck!
Dealer is offering a base '05 G35x, lists at $33,160, offer to sell at $31,340. Good deal, very good deal or outstanding deal? I'm new to pricing this car. Thanks.
I see a lot of 04 6MT sedans on t he dealer lots. I know there's a Manufacturer's rebate of $1000. I know that the dealers want to clear all their inventory of all the 04 models.
Is it reasonable to expect to get one of them for $2000 below invoice.
You should be able to get 1500 under invoice, just depends if they need to make their numbers before the end of the month. I would give them your info and tell them to call you when they are ready to do 1500-2000 under.
Comments
Love the car. It is a blast to drive.
So I decided not to argue and instead bought an Acura. There are a lot of excellent cars on the market, today. The G35 is one of them, but it isn't $4000+ better than the TL I wound up purchasing.
G35x lakeshore slate/wheat
Premium package
satellite radio
The dealer showed an invoice price that matched Edmunds info within $100 and asked me to give a fair offer
Also, anyone recall what the difference in invoice was between 2004 and 2005 for G35 sedans (automatic)? I have since tossed my "research" from my own car-shopping last month. There's no 2004 pricing info on the edmunds site anymore.
I have a bunch of info on invoice prices for the '04 6MT: Base MSRP/Invoice 30050/27646. There was a midyear increase. If you can find one before the increase, MSRP was 200 less, but invoice was 609 less. Also, the delivery increased from 545 to 590 midyear, although not at exactly the same time as the increase in base MSRP.
Other MSRP/Invoice;
Prem (temp spare tire) 3050/2629
Nav 2000/1805
Spoiler 550/474
Full aero 2910/2360
Sirius or XM 400/345
I think the MSRP of the automatic was either 150 or 200 more than the 6MT, but don't recall for sure. Whatever the MSRP price was for the auto, I think the invoice could be calculated using the same percentage as for the 6MT. That would certainly get you very close.
You can get to the inventory of any dealership on infiniti.com, and can get the MSRP on the cars there. If you can find an early year car, before the $654 invoice price increase (includes delivery charge) you can get quite a savings if you're dealing from invoice. The dealers I dealt with gave me the actual invoice price of the cars, and they were accurate, according to Edmunds.
My personal preference was for the temporary spare, since it's advertised to give 3.0 cu. ft. more trunk space as I recall. Also, tires are so very reliable these days, and Infiniti has an owner's club thing for four years. You call the toll-free number and they come out, just like AAA. The temp spare is also $150 cheaper MSRP, and $128 cheaper on invoice price.
Also, I chose the '04 over the '05. This was only partly because the 6MTs weren't available. In addition, the wheels are bigger on the '05, making for more expensive tire replacement, and there is about a 5% mileage penalty for the extra horsepower. Some, of course, view both of those things as great advantages. If I had been an automatic kind of guy though, I might have gone for the '05 only for the intelligent key system, which I think is beyond cool. Trouble is, it isn't available with the 6MT.
Finally, be very happy with your TL. I drove one of those a couple of times, and it is a great car. If not for the front-wheel drive and that the trunk needed to be about 2-3"wider to suit a purpose I have, I would have much preferred the TL. It is better in some ways and comparable in most other ways, to the G35.
They got the '04 for that $30K price. They actually preferred the '04 brakes (as I do, too). And it was in the red (sorry, Garnet Fire) they wanted.
I'll tolerate the FWD and auto-slush box in my (wife's) TL. It's a street car, after all. Now I'm off to find a proper track car...
i realize everything is negotiable, but i can't recall if these fees are common place.
this is for an 05 6MT sedan, that is currently at about $1300 over invoice.
The big add-on is just a way to get more money from the folks who still start at the dealer's first offer (which might even be full boat) and work down.
In the end, the price is the price, so don't let the charge get in your way. I think there have been reports here of folks buying automatic '05s for $500-$1000 over invoice, but the 6MT may be different, since it's just becoming available. It DOES pay to shop around. Go to infiniti.com, look at the inventories of various dealers nearby, and contact them to see what you get. I'll bet you can do better than +$1300.
You can name the dealer that is asking for the $597.50 if you like.
Tampa Infiniti appears to have one 6MT in stock, in the new Lakeshore Slate color. You might check with them. Also, Orlando Infiniti has one in Diamond Graphite, and NO extras. MSRP is only $31k and change. I found Orlando much less willing to deal on an '04 than Tampa, though.
If you can wait a bit, you might have more choices and may get a better deal, but if your lease requires you to do something now, at least you know you'll like the car.
I never asked what the dealer fees were when I was considering the G35x.
$597.50 seems like a supreme rip-off, however and I'd keep shopping or try to negotiate at least another $600 off the price to make up for it! For ~$600, you could fly up to Boston, buy a G and drive it home and probably still have enough left over for a nice dinner or two!
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
I would appreciate it if any one can tell me about price they got from the dealer.
The larger wheels on the '05 would mean bigger expense on new tires. The 'extra' depreciation doesn't mean that much to me, since I plan to keep the car a while, and putting the extra couple grand in the bank now will certainly more than make up the difference at trade time. Also, outside the price differential, the '04 was available at 1.9% financing over three years. I put my money in a conservative investment that will yield more than that.
The 6MTs are just barely coming into the dealerships now, in spite of an earlier promise a couple of months ago. The new Intelligent Key isn't available on the 6MT, a feature that may have helped me decide for the '05.
Someone pointed out earlier several reasons for each of the '04 and '05, and I think I have discussed it before, as well. It depends on your own personal priorities.
After a Porsche, a couple of Volkswagens and a couple of BMWs, I have probably had my lifetime fill of problems, expensive repairs, and dealer arrogance with German cars. My car search this time started with wanting a manual transmission, with criterion number two being that the car must not have a German badge.
Your mileage (and reliability) may vary, but if it's even close on prices and other features, go with the G35. Also, my guess is that the resale value is much better on the G35 than the Audi, so figure that into your pricing as well. Somewhere on the Edmunds site is some data on the overall cost to own, that may give you some projected resale percentages.
I posted my deal about a week ago, but since then I changed renegotiated a little, so here are the final details:
2005 G35x lakeshore slate / wheat
(automatic trans, obviously)
premium package
wood trim
Sirius radio
$34,000 + tax/fees
picking it up in about an hour, can't wait to see how it handles in whatever snow we have left on the roads.
I just got my '05 coup for around 1k over invoice. I went to 3 dealers, the other 2 dealers want between 1.5k to 2k over invoice.
It is hard to say whether the incentives will be better next month, or even if they will be around. But one thing is for sure: your selection of available '04s diminishes each day. You can check inventories of various dealers near you at infiniti.com.
Here's what I did. I told the salesman and his manager I am debating to buy a TL or G35. And they will tell you that the TL is a FWD and can't be compared to the G35. It's true but you will tell them you don't care about RWD and besides your wife(if you are married) is safer with FWD in the rain and in the snow. Also tell them, you like the interiors of the TL more than the G35 sedan and you are still debating. Plus the TL has the highest resale value in its class.
While negotiating, tell them you can get a TL for $500 above invoice. 9 out 10 times, the Infiniti dealer will work hard to keep you from leaving their dealership to go across the street for a TL testdrive. They offer to sell the car to us at $1000 over invoice during November 2004.
We thanked them for their time and walk out of the dealership. And guess what they stopped us and gave us their best price which was $600 over invoice. Maybe if we try a little harder, we can do $100 to $200 better but $600 over invoice seems like a fair price at that time. And we were happy since they do have the car we want with the right options and color.
Actual negotiation took about 20 minutes. The other 40 minutes were used in finding the right car on the lot and trying to find out what options we want.
Here's the car we got at the end of the November 04.
05 G35 Sedan
Seregetti Sand
Premium C
$600 over invoice.
Good luck!
007
Check my posts 1843, 1847, and 1868 for more detail on my experience.
The law of supply and demand will always hold, of course. As more folks start thinking like you, that the '05 is the way to go, demand for the remaining '04s will decrease. The supply of '04s will be low, but if you want to deal on an '04, remember that the dealer is losing money while the car sits on the lot. He's also competing with himself and other dealers in the area who are selling the '05s at cheaper prices as inventories build up.
The '04s will have a perceived market value of something less than what the '05s are selling for. That value will be largely independent of what the dealer actually paid for the '04. I say 'largely' instead of 'completely' independent, since invoice prices were published for the '04s, and that does have some effect on the market value you and I may place on the '04.
The short answer is that I'd suspect the '04 pricing will maintain today's relationship with the '05 pricing, or perhaps get slightly better. I see little reason for the pricing on the '04s to get higher in relation to the pricing of the '05s
Is it reasonable to expect to get one of them for $2000 below invoice.