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Comments
Most people buy wheels for looks. They often get the wrong offset and a weaker than stock wheel.
Ride, handling and acceleration suffer.
Look instead for a lightweight, forged wheel with the right offset.This will make for a true performance difference rather than having ribbon tires on heavy oversized chrome wheels.
Pimpmobile wheels impress only those that don't know and don't care about performance. The rest of us just shake our heads and wonder why anyone would spend 6k on going slower.
I picked up my ivory / willow fx45 premium today.
WOOOW - great ride, seat pinning acceleration, Infiniti reliability, and a great dealer experience thanks to the Nissan VPP program.
I got mine for $43,725 w/ Roof rails, mud flaps, wind deflector, and all weather mats.
One of my disappointments is that the vehicle does not come w/ a retractable cargo area cover. Even my 1989 Camaro came w/ the cover??
I'll have to order it
Please give us more info!
I know what you mean about the cargo cover. Canadian-spec FXs have a cargo cover but according to most Canadian owners, it isn't an optimal cover. Rumor has it that Infiniti is re-engineering a new one. It would have been nice if it came free on a $40K+ vehicle
MSRP is $53,490.
I pay $49,005.93.
Lease is 39 months, 15,000 miles a year.
Just first payment. That's all.
Monthly payment is $837.23 including Calif sales tax at 7.75%.
Does that sound high?
Then it's pretty easy to figure out the lease deal.
On a 39-mo Infiniti lease, somebody on this board posted a 52% residual and a money factor of .0020 - which is the same as an interest rate of 4.8% - just multiply the MF X 2400 to get the interest rate.
Let's say that your dealer kept that residual and kept the MF at .002. Your lease would look like this:
$53490 sticker X 48% depreciation = $25675
$25675 / 39 mos = $658 per month
Your cap cost of $49006 + residual of $27815 = $76821 X MF of .002 = $154 per month
$658 + $154 = $812 + 7.75% tax = $875/month
Which is a bit higher than your figure so either the money factor is less than .002 or the residual percent is higher than 52%.
I will tell you that 39-month leases can be a less-than-perfect choice unless there is an incentive like a great money factor, waiver on some of the up-front fees, etc. You live in California so every year on your delivery anniversary date you get to pay your annual DMV license fee - right? So at month #36 you pay for the next 12 months of DMV fee but you'll only have your vehicle for 3 of those months if you return it to Infiniti at end-of-lease-term. And there ain't no refund - but at least you've made the next buyer of the FX a Happy Camper - he/she gets 8-9 months free DMV.
But, with a $40k vehicle, them's small potatoes.
1. How is the ride and acceleration when towing, and
2. How noticable is the hitch receiver when not in use?
Thanks.
"It came down to the RX330 vs. the FX45/FX35. I test-drove the FX. It was amazing! The performance and handling were unbelievable! Not to mention the Intelligent Key feature. Check out (all) the rave reviews.
As soon as the RX330 prototype arrived at the dealership, I beat a path down there to check it out. I liked all the features, told myself the wider D pillar made it look a lot more masculine than the RX300, tried to warm up to the placement of the interior's aluminum trim and faux wood, and figured I could get by with the limited headroom (I'm 5'11).
Then, I had the opportunity to drive an RX330. It left me VERY disappointed. The suspension was definitely softer and it provided a more "luxurious" ride than the Infiniti FX, but the RX's handling was "mushy" and there was a lot of body roll. It felt very underpowered. I guess it's not fair to compare 315 HP to 230 HP, but pricing for the additional thoroughbreds is comparable to the RX. And you can get a (280 HP) V6 FX35 with Technology Package for the same cost as a fully loaded RX. So that's the way I decided to go. I've had the FX for a couple weeks now, and am having a blast!"
Formerly Rx330Guy
"Dear Former...glad you found The Best SUV Ever (For Former).
I just have one question - I'm 6'2" and have a RX300 (with moonroof); I fit just fine in the driver's seat, even with the seat in it's max "lift" position. I sat in a new RX330 at the Auto Show and it had more headroom than our 2001.
You're 5'11" and have no headroom? Wow, must be a pair of really short legs in there somewhere. You know the driver's seat bottom adjusts up and down, right?
Oh - one more item. I'm an ex-Infiniti owner - start preparing for the fact that six months from now, the FXers will be going out the door $100 under invoice and first year's depreciation will be hitting the proverbial 25% fan.
Of course, that's just a guess...based on every model Infiniti has ever sold. I'm sure your mileage will vary."
JeffMust2
Hmmmm. I wonder what JeffMust2 is doing in this forum, with the impending FX depreciation and all! Could he be rethinking his position?
I believe Former RX330Guy said "I could get by with the limited (RX330) headroom." Not "I have no headroom." I have to agree with Former. I felt cramped in the RX's interior.
As for your suggestion that we proud new owners of FX's "Start preparing for the fact that six months from now, the FXers will be going out the door $100 under invoice and first year's depreciation will be hitting the proverbial 25% fan", I think that's highly unlikely Jeff, given that NNA/Infiniti vehicle sales projections have been 85% realized so far. Pretty good considering the state of the economy. Anyway, most of us based our purchase decisions on the simple fact that we love the car. Not what the depreciation may be.
I guess you're just a little sensitive having to drive around in your wife's ubiquitous car. And talk about depreciation, I hope your're in a short term lease, because you're not going to be able to give that thing away otherwise.
Anyway, to each his own. Congratulations to Former RX330Guy on your FX purchase! Enjoy!
Carprep
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And now, back to the subject of the Infiniti FX45 / FX35! ;-)
Revka
Host/Hatchback & Wagons
I am also worried about the resale value on the FX after a bad experience I had with a 1992 Q45.
Part of the problem is the lousy advertising campaign for these vehicles. The public just doesn't see them as desirable as the Lexus or BMW.
I hope Infiniti doesn't start deeply discounting these vehicles. That cheapens the image and people start wondering why they have to give huge discounts to sell vehicles. Porsche keeps their image and resale value by limiting production and keeping new vehicle pricing near MSRP.
See How is the Cayenne selling? and Can you guess which new SUV is stealing sales from the Cayenne?
The guy who covered the NY Auto Show for cars.com already thinks it is:
Is this a Lexus design philosophy for the future? Perhaps the company saw the Infiniti FX45 and got scared it was falling behind.
Full article New Lexus Concept Takes Luxury SUV to Next Level.
Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards
BTW, how much were the mats and did the 2nd row cover the 'hump'?
Husky liners, which I had on my previous Pathfinder, were great also. But, Husky doesn't have them available for the FX yet. I don't even know if they will make them.
Most aftermarket mats usually need to be cut to size.
1) Does the nav system have a touch screen like Lexus, BMW, and many of the other manufacturers?
2) Can DVDs be watched on the front screen when the vehicle is parked?
3) Does the DVD player play DVD Audio discs?
4) Are discs with dolby digital 5.1 or DTS played correctly through all of the speakers (LFE to subs, center channel to center speaker, main and surround tracks correctly to the front and rear speakers)? Basically, does the system of a dd and dts decoder and does it send the discreete audio channels to the correct speakers? I got the strange impression from reading the manual that audio from DVDs could only be heard through the wireless headphones. I must be wrong because this would be just about the stupidest thing a manufacturer could do to a DVD entertainment system.
5) Can DVDs or DVD audio discs be played through the sound system while driving (but of course without video in the font)? I have a rather large collection of DVD concerts that I listen to while driving and although I have no desire to view these discs.
6) Can the system play mp3s files ripped to CDS.
7) Can the system play mp3s ripped onto DVDs(this is becoming very popular in DVD players these days).
Thanks.
http://www.nissan-techinfo.com/infiniti/deptog.asp?dept%5Fid=60
If not go to
http://www.nissan-techinfo.com/infiniti/
and choose publications -->owners manuals at the top, then choose nav, etc., etc.
Pictures here: http://photos.yahoo.com/clpurnell
Sounds like you got a great deal - enjoy!
Just like JBaumgart mentioned, the cargo net is under the floor.
Have fun with your FX!
Exciting visual styling has always been important to me and the FX is fun to look at. I am seriously considering buying this crossover.
Does anyone have an opinion to wait to order a 2004 to not eat the depreciation for 2003 given that we are 4 months for the new 2004 model?
I also understand that Infiniti will be making some nice refinements to the FX for 2004 such as raising the passenger seat with more power controls. And we all know that there are always some bugs to be worked out in the first year, less so on Japanese cars though.
And hopefully better color choices for the interior. How about a nice red metallic for the exterior? Why do we have to order the sport package to get the brick interior?
Does anyone have an opinion on how much we should offer over invoice.
Given Infinities historical steep depreciation my feeling is to not pay over $1000.00 over invoice.
Thanks for your input.
I agree that the passenger seat vertical adjustment would a nice addition, but it wasn't important enough to me to make me want to wait. The depreciation factor is something to consider, however, as we are 5-7 months (?) away from the 2004's availability. This should be taken into account when negotiating the price, and no doubt deals will be harder to come by early in the 2004 year.
While colors are purely a personal choice, there are some pretty interesting combinations available right now. When the 2004 comes out, I'm sure you'll see a few more become available, but I haven't heard any details as to what these might be. The biggest choice in the FX35 is whether or not to get the Sport option - strongly suggest that you drive both before making up your mind on this.
I would go for the 18 inch tires for the more comfortable ride. The 20 inch Sport Package looks great but comfort is more of a priority. A consequence of being more mature, LOL.
My color choice now would probably be Diamond Graphite with black interior. I like the Pearl White but you have to get the willow interior which will be higher maintainance.
Would cloth destroy the resale value of the vehicle?
I have the 20 inch wheels with the Sport suspension, which come "standard" on all of the FX45's, and no doubt about it, the ride is very firm and is not for everybody. Although I like it for its great handling - it's really pretty unbelievable for an SUV-type vehicle - on some road surfaces the ride can be choppy. But on a particular stretch of road close to where I live, where over the winter it deteriorated quite a bit and is now in need of repairs, the ride of the FX is really no worse than what it was in the Audi (which also has a pretty firm ride, but with a shorter wheelbase). But overall I do think most buyers, and I guess you're in this camp, would be happier with the non-sport suspension and 18 inch wheels & tires (similar to a BMW M3 vs regular 3 series car). I will probably invest in another set of wheels for the winter, and will likely go with 18's and dedicated winter tires. It will be interesting to see how this will affect the ride quality in combination with the sport suspension, and how much this affects the handling.
Just curious, how much of a discount would your dealer be willing to give you for a 2004 order vs. buying a car off of the lot right now? If you use the threat of VPP pricing from Grubbs, and seem serious about it, I think now would be an excellent time to buy.
Those that find the ride harsh should check this out. I got the car like this in January, so it must have come this way from the factory.
Also, they said the tow hitch I bought with the car wouldn't be available till July.
Overall the service was very good. Got a i35 loaner.
Bomcq
I have had my fx for about a week and have a couple of questions for those who have had there's longer.
1) What gas mileage are you getting?
2) Are you changing the oil with dino, synthetic or a blend.
I agree with checking tire pressure. I have 2 tires at 33 and 2 at 49psi I need to adjust the high ones down. Once I do this I will report on the ride.
I'm getting about 18mpg city/highway on my FX35 AWD with Prem Pkg. On a day trip to the beach, I got about 22mpg on mostly highway driving. I did manual calculations and compared it to the fuel econ computer. So far, the computer and my calculations were in agreement on only one occasion. The fuel econ computer is always on the lower mileage side of things. Also, I do reset the fuel econ computer everytime I fill up. BTW, I've just gone over 1200 miles.
2) Are you changing the oil with dino, synthetic or a blend.
I have not given this any sort of consideration yet. I'll check what the manual suggests and make my decision at that time.
My tire pressures are currently at 33 psi after having it at 45 psi at delivery. So, yeah, always check your tire pressure.
Have not measured gas mileage yet but I know it's not going to be good as I do a lot of city driving. The good news is that I don't put a lot of miles on (short commute) so it won't make much difference. My previous car (Audi allroad) was no gas milage champ either.
I'm still undecided on whether I'll switch to Mobil 1 after break-in. I've used it for years in my other cars but the owners manual recommends "mineral" oil which I do not understand. What could be the advantages of this other than the fact that it's cheaper? I may keep this car for longer than usual so I'll probably again use the synthetic, but I plan to discuss this with the dealer's service manager when I go in for my first oil change.
I went with dino oil from the Infiniti dealer with my first oil change. I am not completely sold on the benefits vs. cost of synthetic oils. I have never had any kind of mechanical failure in the past related to oil. To each his own. I am debating using the neighborhood quick lube shop for future oil changes, just because it is quicker and cheaper, hopefully they wont break the clips on the engine cover and create a rattle for me. I don't need to devote half a day to an oil change or get a loaner for the day, just to pay more and get the car washed. Oil changes are not rocket science.
It's taller, too.