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Last month, we began test driving the '05s. We decided to go up in class and look at the QX56, since I've owned a Q45 for the last 10 years without having one major problem. I personally talked to numerous '05 QX56 owners and none reported any problems.
My wife and I purchased a silver 2005 QX56 4x2 two weeks ago.We love the look, performance and amenities. We've had no issues with it whatsoever and the Infiniti servicing is second to none. I'm hopeful that our QX56 stays issue-free.
The driver's door will not close properly. when closed it will just bounce back. I have been able to close the door by holding the door shut and then activating the lock from the inside. Then I can usually yank the door shut. I then cannot open the vehicle from the inside. Sometimes I can roll down the window and open using outside door handle. Sometimes this does not work and I have to climb over the console and get out from passenger side and yank the door open from the outside.
Of course dealre cannot diagnose and lubricated and adjusted parts. They are ordering what they described an electronic door actuator which is on indefinite backorder.
My concern is that if the weather gets warmer, it may not be an issue when it comes in and I will not know if the issue is resolved until next winter.
Any ideas?
For kids, there are pros and cons. My 4-year-old isn't tall enough to reach the rear door handles so he can no longer open his door by himself. (I had a BMW X5 before this and he could get in without help.) Once the door is open, the climb up is easy for him. The doors open wide so it's easy to put a rear facing baby seat in. And there's actually enough room to put the carrying handle down without hitting the back of the front seat.
We opted for second row captain chairs and removed the center console so it's more van-like inside. That way my 7-year-old can get to the third row by going between the second row seats.
Hope this helps!
Help me decide, as it really was the size/look/and feel I wanted from an SUV. But I am just SICK of the noise and brake problems. If someone could give me great odds that this is resolved, it would ease my mind. Thanks.
HELP SOON PLEASE.
Did anyone else face this decision and choose the Armada? The QX56 may have a better value long term, but then again, it's already technically 1 year old and cost a good $7K More. I plan to get an extended warranty anyway, so the Infiniti Warranty is not a selling point.
I am looking to get the Black Onyx,which with the Chrome Front and Year Bumpers on the Armada, looks pretty striking.
I have 2 Small Boys and a 3rd on the way, so maybe the harder leather in the Armada may be better.
Advice?
Thanks,
Gelo7
"The light comes on when the fuel level in the fuel tank is getting low. Refuel as soon as it is convenient, preferably before the fuel gauge reaches E (Empty). There will be a small reserve of fuel in the tank when the fuel gauge needle
reaches E (Empty)."
Our standard warranties:
4-year/60,000-mile basic coverage under the New Vehicle Limited Warranty
4-year/60,000-mile Federal Emission Defect Limited Warranty
6-year/70,000-mile Limited Powertrain Coverage
7-year/unlimited-mileage Corrosion Coverage
10-year/unlimited-mileage Seat Belt Warranty
I went to the dealer and he gave me a better deal then the armada. I leased the car in 25 minutes the salesman was in shock. I told him to call the other place because it was the same ownership and tel the salesman why he shouldnt be late to work again
I love this car
I didnt look at the lexus because my wife wanted the size of the infinity. She needs 8 passanger car for carpooling
This car is HUGE and TALL.
My wife is 5-1 and she will need a ladder to close it, LOL
thanks.
Infiniti's customer "dis" service people are worthless as well. Silver tongued young ladies that express their regret to all the problems and then tell you there is nothing that they can do, take it back to the dealer. It might as well be a recording. Nissan should take the money they pay these people and use it to bring the 200 engineers back from Japan (again) to finally get these vehicles fixed.
In the last 15 years my family has purchased 10 new vehicles, the "Q" was number 11. We have had everything from Nissan to Ford, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Chevy, and Lexus. This wll be our last Nissan vehicle, that is a promise.
Seat/steering wheel memory, I have started taking great care in NOT bumping the controls when I get in or out but the problem is still there.
Rattles, squeaks, noises.
Intermittent problem with the cruise control not working.
False warnings from the backup sonar.
Poor fit and finish for interior parts. The quality of materials is pretty poor as well.
The overhead assembly fell down before I had owned the "Q" 36 hours. It was been replaced three times before they got it right.
Flaws (grit, sand or ???) in the paint.
Exterior body panels that do not line up properly.
The front suspension has a REAL hard time holding the wheels on the ground on irregular surfaces between about 40 and 70. It can take the steering wheel out of your hand it you do not have a tight grip.
The Continental tires leave a lot to be desired.
I have over 30 digital photos of some of the more visible problems that made it all the way up to VP level at one of Nissan's major parts suppliers. I received several thank you's as they used them to help analyze what went wrong and defend themselves from Nissan's erroneous laying blame on them instead of the VERY poor workmanship (I use the word lightly) at the Canton plant.
We really liked the QX56 -- but I have to be honest -- the horror stories on this board kept us away. We loved the space inside the vehicle -- 2nd row space is incredible. The fold down rear seats, the silky smooth power, great ride. There were a few things we did not like at all -- the door handles are the cheesiest things on the planet. They just didn't communicate "quality" in any sense. If a basic detail like that is so bad -- the things we read on this board are very easy to believe. the location of the digital clock & compass is bizarre. the clock is so cheezy it looks like a 1960's retro clock! The Nav system with the toggle was a real pain in the [non-permissible content removed] to use. Even with all of those little things we didn't like the rest of the vehicle is far ahead and this vehicle has promise if Infiniti can clean these up and deliver reliability. We will take a strong at these again next time we're in the market.
We also looked at the Navigator. The 2005 is a fine vehicle. The only thing I really disliked was the stupid door that opens and closes over the Nav system/radio. What's up with that? I also found the ride to be too soft for me. I want to feel some contact with the road under me and there just wasn't any with the Navigator. The power rear seats and lift gate were sort of cool -- but completely useless for me because we'll never use the 3rd row seats and I'm tall enough that raising/lowering the lift gate is not an issue. Pricing on the Navigator is extremely soft! Dealers were all offering $10-$12k off MSRP in their newspaper ads! Resale value down the road was a real concern.
We never expected to give the Yukon and the Escalade much of a look. We decided we would give them a shot. The base Yukon wasn't interesting at all. The Denali was clearly a big step up. The biggest downside for us is that the 3rd row seats don't fold down -- so we would have to take them out and store them somewhere. These are not moving either and the dealer was frank in telling us that we would get a great deal. A Chevy dealer down the street was advertising brand new Tahoes at 25% off MSRP!
We then went and drove the Escalade. We were quite surprised. It had the most comfortable front seats of all! With enough adjustment settings that it was easy to find just the perfect settings for me. When you're over 6 feet-- that can be a challenge in a lot of vehicles. The ride was clearly superior to the Denali and the Escalade was noticeably quieter than the Denali and somewhat quieter than the Infiniti. We had been driving a Trailblazer and found the similarities comforting. We were used to how the controls worked and they were located where we expected them to be. The touch screen Nav system is easy to use too.
In our final rankings of the Vehicles we ended up with (this is highly personal and subjective) the following:
Cadillac Escalade
Infinity QX56
Lincoln Navigator
GMC Yukon Denali
We also looked at Consumer Reports. The Cadillac isn't covered but it's based on the same platform as the Yukon/Tahoe which is a CR best buy and recent model years are scoring very very well. We felt very comfortable with the quality of the Cadillac. The extra year or 14k of Warranty is also a nice extra over the Denali.
The Infiniti's quality reputation was a deal killer for us. If we hadn't read this board we probably never would have test driven the Escalade or Navigator. Our initial impression was that high!
In the end we (as you probably guessed) moved up from the Trailblazer to the Escalade. We absolutely love it. We got ours with the big 20" wheels & tires -- which look great and makes the vehicle ride higher. The downside of the big tires is extra road noise when we drive on some of the heavily rutted freeways. Moving over and driving in the passing lane generally cures that problem.
Our recommendation is to drive all 4 of these vehicles -- none is far superior to any of the others. Your choice will likely come down to subjective personal criteria and quality reputation. If you're sensitive to price the Denali is a great value right now. Otherwise I think it's a race between the Escalade and the Navigator until Infiniti cleans up its act. The QX56 has a lot of promise.
Peteydog