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Infiniti FX45 Infiniti FX35

3411 messages,  Last post on Nov 27, 2012 at 7:15 PM

You are in the Infiniti FX35 FX45 FX50 Forum.

What is this discussion about? Infiniti FX45, Infiniti FX35, Hatchback, Wagon, SUV

Messages Page 43 of 342

#416 of 3411 I was impressed by the test drive.......... by bpraxis

Apr 28, 2003 (9:23 am)

Hello everyone and I hope that you are having a great day. Test driving the new FX35 was very fun and the vehicle felt solid. The exhaust has a very throaty growl and the acceleration is impressive. The closest dealer to me is Scott Infiniti in Lighthouse Point Florida.
 
  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.

#417 of 3411 bpraxis by JBaumgart

Apr 28, 2003 (11:26 am)

There seem to be many good deals out there right now and if there is competition in your area and you are a good negotiator, I would think you could get a price that you could live with. I doubt that your local dealer would take just $1,000 over invoice, however. Many buyers are going through a dealer in the Dallas area (Grubbs Infiniti) which is offering "VPP" pricing through April 30th. See FreshAlloy.com for details - access through the FX45/35 forum.
 
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.

#418 of 3411 Thankyou very much JBaumgart for your imput by bpraxis

Apr 29, 2003 (6:44 am)

Great Feedback and the dealer informed me that I can order the car in June for 2004.
 
  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?

#419 of 3411 bpraxix by JBaumgart

Apr 29, 2003 (7:48 am)

The graphite/black combo is really nice and I probably would have gotten this one if I didn't have it on my last car (Audi allroad). It's a classic look that will not go out of style, plus as I'm sure you realize would be easy to maintain. I don't think I would get a cloth interior in any vehicle that costs this much as I do think it would hurt the resale value. People looking at this class expect leather, plus the leather quality in the FX is very nice. It's also easier to maintain than cloth and with occasional conditioning treatments can stay looking like new for a very long time.
 
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.

#420 of 3411 Cargo Net by clpurnell

Apr 29, 2003 (8:27 am)

Thanks for the help in locating the cargo net. found it yesterday. This car is just amazing I can't stop smiling when I'm in it and I have become the official lunch taxi at work

#421 of 3411 Duh! by bomcq

Apr 30, 2003 (2:59 pm)

I've complained several times about how harsh the ride was with the sport package. I brought my wife's FX35 in for sevicing and complained. Turns out each wheel had about 10lbs extra. No wonder it felt like you were riding on a rock. There's a noticeble difference! It's still stiff, but a lot smoooother! It really changes how you drive.
 
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

#422 of 3411 Sport suspension by slummyj

Apr 30, 2003 (8:05 pm)

I test drove the FX35 with the sport suspension. I didn't think it rode any harder than my VW Passat GLX. I can't figure out why you have to get the sport suspension with certain colors. I like the Graphite or Beryllium with the brick interior. I don't mind the sport suspension, but it seems strange that it is required with these colors. Maybe next year they will change this.

#423 of 3411 Grubbs Infiniti extends VPP until end of May by crikey

May 01, 2003 (6:51 am)

Due to popular demand, per GM. Good deal for those who were not able to avail of the April VPP incentive.

#424 of 3411 VPP and others by clpurnell

May 01, 2003 (7:52 am)

Anybody anywhere near texas and on the fence about getting a FX should contact Grubbs. They are great people.
 
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.

#425 of 3411 clpurnell by crikey

May 01, 2003 (8:04 am)

1) What gas mileage are you getting?
 
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.

Messages Page 43 of 342

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