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Currently have 2000 LX 470 and looking to trade for 2005 QX. LX is great, but not many bells/whistles for $$$. The QX's nav is cool and room is second to none. The fold flat 3rd row is very exciting vs. LX crappy 3rd row. I'm in St.Louis area and Bommarito Infiniti will take care of me if any problems. Question is I want to put 22" rims/tires on it and was hoping any of you guys that have done that can recommend package. I know good when I see it...the dealer's aftermarket wheels are just average. Thanks alot and I'll make I sure I share my experiences.
BTW, I'm getting $500 over invoice on a fully loaded 2005. They have fixed the brake/rotor problem and your service mgr can tell you if you have the new/improved based on build dates. If not, eventually everyone w/ '04 and early '05 models will get retrofitted. God luck and happy motoring!
"The QX56 enters 2006 with several enhancements – most notably the addition of power folding outside mirrors with heat, electrochromic auto-dimming, power adjust and integrated turn signal, 60/40 split for the 3rd row seat, Bluetooth® Hands-Free Phone System and mp3 playback capability are added to the vehicle’s extensive list of standard technology and convenience features."
Michael :shades:
I, too, am trying to justify spending the extra $$$ for the QX over the Armada...or the Acura MDX. I'm not sure if the extra luxury touches warrant spending extra money. I am, however, waiting for the '06 on all the above models.
The QX has a better warranty (4yr/60,000mi) vs. Nissan's 3yr/36,000mi. As told to me by the salesperson at Infinity, the QX has 120 lbs more in sound deadening material so that it is more quiet than the Armada. The QX also has a better looking front end (in my opinion) and has xenon headlights. Of course, you'd be getting Infiniti's customer service.
What other vehicles are you considering?
The main reason why I'm holding off til the '06 QX is because the it has split 3rd row bench seating (which is important to me). And, I'll also be getting a bench 2nd row versus 2 captain's chairs. I configured an '06 QX and it came to $55,712 (incl. destination). I'm hoping the dealer will come down on that since V8s right now are not considered HOT because of gas prices. The Armada (loaded) came to about $47K and I'm sure the '06 MDX will be in the mid- to upper $40K as well.
Are you considering the '05 or '06 Nissan Armadas? I got quotes from dealers on '05 Armadas and without haggling, they offered $41K for a fully loaded LE (MSRP $47K and invoice of $43K).
I'd like to stick with the QX though. Let us know what you think of the interior of the '06 QX when check them out.
I wonder when the DC metro area will be getting their stock of the '06 QX??
keep us posted on your negotiations with the dealer on that '06 QX.
What is the MSRP of the '06 QX that you want? My dealer said that the brake problem was "solved" in March of this year. Does anyone know what Nissan did to resolve the brake problem?
Thanks.
As for the other large SUV choices, here is our take: we looked at the Armada with the thinking that we could save a few $$, but after seeing the cheap interior, we decided no way and didn't even take it for a test drive. The 06 Denali would be a very bad choice since GM will be introducing a brand new, redesigned Denali/Tahoe/Escalade next fall. The big Lexus is a blah looking truck that is way overdue for a redesign. The mid-sized Lexus is a nice truck, but again it's not as big as the QX. The Acura MDX is much smaller than the QX and not as sporty as the X5 or the new Mercedes ML500. The X5 shouldn't be a choice either given the fact that BMW will be introducing a new, redesigned X5 next fall. The new ML500 is very nice, but is much smaller than the QX.
So, we decided to purchase the 05 QX56 and couldn't be happier.
How was the selection of '05s at your dealer? And, were there any '06s in the lot? Did they offer any "special" financing?
Where on the vehicle do you check for it's manufacture date??
Congrats again!
Infiniti website has the MSRP on the '06 QX56. You can build and price an '06 now.
We're in Chicago, so there are still lots of 05's to choose from; however we found that in our area there were only five 2005 QX56's in Silver Indulgence that were manufactured May or later (ours was manufactured in June). I did not see any 06's at any of the dealers we visited, but again, we didn't want to pay the premium for an 06 with "new" features that were meaningless to us. The only way to tell if the truck was manufactured in May or later is to ask the dealers in your area if they have any stock since the date of manufacture is not something that the dealer will include when posting their inventory on their website.
We decided to lease the QX56 given the fact that this truck does not hold its value over time, so I don't know if Infiniti is offering any "special" financing rates. Again, all of the dealers that we spoke with were willing to match our best price, $500 under invoice, which in our minds is truly a great price and would make up for a lack of "special" lease rates. Our residual on the lease was 56% and the money factor was .00209, which comes out to a 5.0% interest rate. The residual is much lower than our BMW lease (higher residual = lower monthly payment), but again this is an Infiniti, not a BMW. At the same time, a 56% residual is not bad when compared to the 48% offered by Range Rover, which we also contemplated buying during this whole search process.
My advice is to utilize Edmunds.com and send out a "price quote request" from this website to all of the dealers in your area. Specifically describe the truck you want - ex. Silver Indulgence with Captain's chairs, DVD, sunroof, willow interior, AND it has to be manufactured after May of 05. The dealers will get back to you with their best price and let you know if they have what you're looking for in stock, but make sure you tell them you definitively want one manufactured after May. If you really want an '06, then I think you will have to wait a few months until all of the remaining 05's have been sold - then, I'm sure the dealers will be willing to "deal" on the 06's.
Good luck!
thanks very much for your insight!
Thank you so much for your insight and attention to detail. However, if my calculator works correctly, I believe that we actually paid $696 under invoice. The invoice price for our 2005 truck - with DVD, Sunroof, Splash guards, trunk mat and including the destination fee is $50,496.
$50,496 - $49,800 = $696
But again, thank you for looking out for us, we appreciate it.
I have a 2000 Range Rover HSE. I have kids & the RR will never offer a 3rd row seat (they say) so it's going and we cannot fit in a new one. The LR3 is nice but small (but damn the 3 sunroofs are cool). So we decided on the QX56. I test drove and it's a horse, kids are happy. Got a quote from CarsDirect. Pasted it below. Wanted to see if there is anything too look out for / anything that I should request / reject. This quote is current as of this posting. Thanks in advance for any thoughts before we buy.
Jon
(BTW -- I am going to put in my own entertainment / gaming system in, extra power outlets, etc. I'll tell you how it goes)
VEHICLE DETAILS
Engine: 5.6L V8 DOHC SMPISTD
Transmission: Electronic 5-Speed Automatic w/Overdrive STD
Tires: P265/70R18 BSWSTD
Wheels: 18 in. Chrome STD
Heated Front Bucket Seats STD
Leather-Appointed Seating Surfaces STD
Radio: Bose AM/FM/6CD In-Dash Audio System STD
3.357 Axle Ratio STD
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating: 7,100 lbs STD
Monotone Paint Application STD
2nd Row Split Bench Seat STD
Power Sliding/Tilt Glass Sunroof $1034
VEHICLE PRICING
CarsDirect.com Price $ 49,805.00
macore install$ 799.00 (some extra wood)
Documentation fee(s) (not gov't. fee)$ 250.00
Taxable Total: $ 50,854.00
8.37% Sales tax $ 4,259.02 (NY Tax Woo Hoo!)
Subtotal with taxes: $ 55,113.02
Registration (title) and license fees†$ 195.00
Additional Official fee: $ 22.75
FINAL PRICE$ 55,330.77
visited Infiniti of Chantilly, VA yesterday to take a closer look at the QX. While they were willing to deal on the '05s (they had about 10 on the lot), they say they wont/cant budge below MSRP on the '06s. I want an '06 but since they wont deal, I may have to wait a while longer until they do. At MSRP, my configured '06 QX56 comes to $55,600. The salesman was very friendly, courteous and very professional..these guys are definitely "a cut above" other dealerships...even other Infiniti dealerships in the area. I sent out quote requests to 3 other dealers in the area and I have not yet received replies from them while I have already received 4 emails from Infiniti of Chantilly. The salesperson says the '06 QX will be in demand when they come out. I can see how that can be especially with a vehicle like the QX but I just dont foresee them flying out the door especially with the gas prices where they are.
Has anyone found a dealer willing to go below MSRP on '06 QXs? Hopefully, when it comes time to buy, the dealer will want to negotiate a price..especially when he/she sees that the QXs arent selling as fast as they anticipated.
I'll report back later.
Actually, the 1500-2000 off MSRP were the offers the dealers gave me without me haggling. I will try and get them to go lower when I'm in the position to buy, ie when I have my financing ready. By the way, Pentagon Federal Credit Union (www.penfed.org) has great rates...4.75% for 60 months. Becoming a member is easy!
Looking for an '06 Black/Graphite QX56 with my specs (2nd row split bench seating/No DVD) is a bit more difficult to find. I found a dealer in PA (I'm in VA) that has every option I want (and a bit more) and that dealer is giving me about $2600 off MSRP. The downside is that the dealer is 2 states away.
Sounds like that dealer you went to has QXs flying off the lot. Kind of hard to believe. Maybe the dealer is trying to make you think that the QX's are "in demand" to try and justify their lack of discounting.
Keep us posted. I will do the same.
QX56s and Armadas produced after May 2005 are free of the brake problem.
for the amount of money these things are selling for ($50K+), you should get exactly what you want! I'm not willing to compromise color or get any unwanted accessory. I've made that clear to the dealers I'm communicating with. One dealer told me that these '06s (because of their newly added amenities) will be in high demand. I myself don't believe that. They won't be in as much demand as, say, the new '06 MDX which I KNOW they won't budge on.
Regarding the Armada, it's nice, but I prefer the bells & whistles that the QX brings as well as the luxury treatment that you get from the dealer. You mentioned Nissan dealers coming down $6500 off MSRP...is that for the '06 models?? That's amazing they would come down that low without haggling.
The Infiniti dealer (Infiniti of Chantilly) closest to me says the best way to get the exact vehicle I want is to "order" it. My only reservation about that is that this particular dealer wants a "non-refundable" $2500 check up front while others are asking for a $500 refundable check. From what I'm told, 1 out of every 18 QX's made are with the 2nd row SPLIT BENCH. But, a split bench is what my wife and I want on this vehicle.
My first choice would be the QX but if I don't get my way, I might just turn to the '06 MDX which, fully loaded, will be about $9K less than the loaded QX. Since I'm the only bread winner, my wife would love for me to go for the less expensive alternative.
The saga continues...stay tuned!
I had thought the QX just might be the SUV for me. Ready to buy either this or the other top three competitors. Luckilly I thought to go to the owner reviews both here and on Yahoo. I was going on the professional reviews and I've paid to get the Edmonds info packs.
I was shocked by the many many horror stories on the QX. What a shame as it really is a great looking vehicle. I was not thrilled at the idea of the Escalade as it is to be replaced with a major upgrade in the spring. The Lexus is dated and overpriced.
I have to now be deeply suspicious of Infinity in general as a company. How could they produce such an expensive SUV that rattles seemingly everywhere .... has the wrong brakes on it and requires numerous services in the first months of ownership? No way I'm going to take this chance. My wife and I are recently retired and this will be our first truly luxury auto purchcase.
Escalade owners are 95 percent positive and most of them rave about them. Many second and third time around Escalade owners even. Guess I'll take the safe road or think more seriously about the Lexus which is consistently at the top of reliability ratings.
Now I know why JD Powers dissed the QX.
As to dealers telling you potential buyers that the 2006s are going to fly off the lots ... I doubt it big time. Pure BS. Unless most purchasers just don't know how to use the internet. My guess is Infinity has drastically cut production.
I've also read the reviews and problems with earlier model QXs. Those problems (specifically the brake problem) you mention lie with QXs made prior to 5/05. So, to anyone looking to buy a QX, read the label on the front door jam to check on the production date.
Lexus is a great choice but, like you said, way too expensive and the look IS dated. But, you can't put a price on the reliability and quality customer service which are top-notch with Lexus!
Good luck with your decision!
I was offered $49K+ at one DC area dealership w/o haggling.
You may have a gotten just a hair more if you'd waited closer to the end of the month.
It seems that I'm working harder than the salesperson that I'm working with in trying to look for the vehicle that has my specs. Almost everyday I check other dealers inventories. I finally found one in a neighboring state (MD) and told my salesperson about it and asked him if they can get that vehicle from that particular dealer. I also gave him an offer and told him that I'm ready to pull the trigger and that my financing was set and ready to go. That was early yesterday and up to now, no reply. You'd think if the guy wanted a sale, he'd keep me up to date or at least tell me it might take a while. I feel like I've done everything on my part...now I'll just wait. If it doesn't happen, then it just wasn't meant to happen this time around. Maybe its fate telling me to look at the less expensive 2006 Acura MDX.
Be SAFE! Avoid the hurricane at all costs!
As far as the hurricane goes, we are about 50 miles inland and were going to leave at 3:00 this morning, but the city is already jammed and you can't get out. My friend spent 4 hours and burnt a 1/4 tank of gas to go 10 miles this morning. I don't want to risk running out of gas since 75% of the gas stations are out of gas. Looks like it is moving more to the east. Only time will tell.
I was hoping to deal with Infiniti of Chantilly (because they were much closer to me and their dealership is new) but they dropped the ball in my opinion. The Internet Sales Manager was very good with emailing in the beginning but all of a sudden dropped off. With each email (at least 8-10 emails), I detailed what I wanted in the vehicle. Then when actually spoke with him, he vaguely knew what I wanted...and it took him forever to call me back. Actually, I talked to him yesterday at 12pm..said he'd get back to me right away, then called me back at 3pm (3 hrs later!)...then he said he had to check on availability and he'd call me right back...and I haven't heard from him since. AND, they offered ONLY $800 the MSRP.
Jim Coleman Infiniti was also good to deal with. But, Rosenthal beat their price by $300. Even though Rosenthal's dealership looks a bit dated and rough around the edges, I received the best price and they were straightforward. Their highly recommended by me.
I'm glad it's over and I finally have my QX56!