Back From the Brink
06-27-2007, 12:20 PM
#1
Contributors
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: White Plains, NY
Posts: 688
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 2008 550, Carbon Black Metallic, Natural Brown Dakota Leather, Sport Package, Sport Automatic Transmission, Cold Weather Package, Power Rear and Manual Side Sun Shades, etc.
Retired - 2004 545 SMG, Black Sapphire Metallic, Auburn Dakota Leather, Cold Weather and Sports Packages, Power Rear and Manual Side Sun Shades
My lease is up mid September. With the regularly scheduled month long factory closing, I needed to order a replacement now to ensure delivey before my lease expires. So I telephoned my salesman, who I have used for my past 3 BMW's and the last 10 or so years, only to be told he was no longer with the dealership. I got patched through to the Sales Manager, who I have also come to know. He said he would pick another qualified salesperson and have her call me. I got a call a few minutes later. After some brief pleasantries, I explained my situation and asked for a price to lease a new 550. I had it all spec'd out and gave her the details. She plugged in the numbers, based on a 2K discount off of MSRP. I knew I could do better, but this would be close enough for my purposes. The number she came back with was staggering - about $450 per month more than I pay now for my 2004 545 (my monthly lease payments are high becasue I roll everything I can into the monthly payments). I thanked her and told her I would be in on Saturday to go over the numbers further.
So I left work early and went to the Infinit dealer. They had an M45 Sport on the floor, Black with a brown interior. Very nice car. Like most of you, I have read the numerous glowing reviews in the automotive press. Most of the M45's come through with the Technology package, which includes Infiniti's excellent Nav, and a variety of other features, including back up camera and ventilated seats. I got an extensive run through of the features, the kind you typically get when you are picking up a car you have purchased. Technologically, the car is very advanced and in my opinion, superiorto the BMW. It was very late in the day and thus, I could not take it for a test drive. But I did make an appointment for a Saturday morning test drive. I also ran the numbers with the salesman. Equipped better than the BMW I had spec'd, the M45 was still about 40% cheaper.
I arrived Staurday morning anticpating enjoying the test drive and ordering a new Infiniti. Horsepower and torque wise, the M45 compares favorably with the 550. And most reviews report that the handling is excellent. Then the actually test drive. I took a route I drive everyday so that I would have a good comparison. Despite the HP and torque, the M45 felt slow. Maybe it is the transmission, but the car is very unresponsive to pedal input. And maybe I am simply spoiled by 10 years of driving BMW's, but the handling felt very soft and imprecise, with a great deal of body roll when cornering. After avoiding the hard sell by the salesmen, I drove to the BMW dealership.
First was a test drive of the 535. Absolutely wonderful for a 6 cyclinder car, but the power does feel differnt from the 8 and there is still some turbo lag. I would not be disappointed driving the 535, but I prefer the 550. So I sat down with the salesperson and went over the numbers. We changed the price from 2K off of MSRP to 2K over invoice and the monthly price moved accordingly. But the monthly price still seemed too high based on the "purchase" price and monthlys on my current car. Asked her to run the numbers one more time, double checking the money factor and residual. Turns out she had both wrong, as she had been looking at the wrong column in her chart. With the new correct numbers, the monthly came down dramatcally. At this point, the Sales Manager came over to say hello and see how things were going. With the Sales Manager there, I began negotiating for a better price - $1K over invoice. He simply shook his head and said the very best he could do was $1300 over invoice. I told him I would take it. We wrote up the deal and I got my production number. Now the wait begins.
The new ride will bea 550 with Sports Package, Carbon Black with Natural Brown interior, and other assorted options.
So I left work early and went to the Infinit dealer. They had an M45 Sport on the floor, Black with a brown interior. Very nice car. Like most of you, I have read the numerous glowing reviews in the automotive press. Most of the M45's come through with the Technology package, which includes Infiniti's excellent Nav, and a variety of other features, including back up camera and ventilated seats. I got an extensive run through of the features, the kind you typically get when you are picking up a car you have purchased. Technologically, the car is very advanced and in my opinion, superiorto the BMW. It was very late in the day and thus, I could not take it for a test drive. But I did make an appointment for a Saturday morning test drive. I also ran the numbers with the salesman. Equipped better than the BMW I had spec'd, the M45 was still about 40% cheaper.
I arrived Staurday morning anticpating enjoying the test drive and ordering a new Infiniti. Horsepower and torque wise, the M45 compares favorably with the 550. And most reviews report that the handling is excellent. Then the actually test drive. I took a route I drive everyday so that I would have a good comparison. Despite the HP and torque, the M45 felt slow. Maybe it is the transmission, but the car is very unresponsive to pedal input. And maybe I am simply spoiled by 10 years of driving BMW's, but the handling felt very soft and imprecise, with a great deal of body roll when cornering. After avoiding the hard sell by the salesmen, I drove to the BMW dealership.
First was a test drive of the 535. Absolutely wonderful for a 6 cyclinder car, but the power does feel differnt from the 8 and there is still some turbo lag. I would not be disappointed driving the 535, but I prefer the 550. So I sat down with the salesperson and went over the numbers. We changed the price from 2K off of MSRP to 2K over invoice and the monthly price moved accordingly. But the monthly price still seemed too high based on the "purchase" price and monthlys on my current car. Asked her to run the numbers one more time, double checking the money factor and residual. Turns out she had both wrong, as she had been looking at the wrong column in her chart. With the new correct numbers, the monthly came down dramatcally. At this point, the Sales Manager came over to say hello and see how things were going. With the Sales Manager there, I began negotiating for a better price - $1K over invoice. He simply shook his head and said the very best he could do was $1300 over invoice. I told him I would take it. We wrote up the deal and I got my production number. Now the wait begins.
The new ride will bea 550 with Sports Package, Carbon Black with Natural Brown interior, and other assorted options.
06-27-2007, 12:33 PM
#2
Members
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 125
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by robg' post='440519' date='Jun 27 2007, 03:20 PM
My lease is up mid September. With the regularly scheduled month long factory closing, I needed to order a replacement now to ensure delivey before my lease expires. So I telephoned my salesman, who I have used for my past 3 BMW's and the last 10 or so years, only to be told he was no longer with the dealership. I got patched through to the Sales Manager, who I have also come to know. He said he would pick another qualified salesperson and have her call me. I got a call a few minutes later. After some brief pleasantries, I explained my situation and asked for a price to lease a new 550. I had it all spec'd out and gave her the details. She plugged in the numbers, based on a 2K discount off of MSRP. I knew I could do better, but this would be close enough for my purposes. The number she came back with was staggering - about $450 per month more than I pay now for my 2004 545 (my monthly lease payments are high becasue I roll everything I can into the monthly payments). I thanked her and told her I would be in on Saturday to go over the numbers further.
So I left work early and went to the Infinit dealer. They had an M45 Sport on the floor, Black with a brown interior. Very nice car. Like most of you, I have read the numerous glowing reviews in the automotive press. Most of the M45's come through with the Technology package, which includes Infiniti's excellent Nav, and a variety of other features, including back up camera and ventilated seats. I got an extensive run through of the features, the kind you typically get when you are picking up a car you have purchased. Technologically, the car is very advanced and in my opinion, superiorto the BMW. It was very late in the day and thus, I could not take it for a test drive. But I did make an appointment for a Saturday morning test drive. I also ran the numbers with the salesman. Equipped better than the BMW I had spec'd, the M45 was still about 40% cheaper.
I arrived Staurday morning anticpating enjoying the test drive and ordering a new Infiniti. Horsepower and torque wise, the M45 compares favorably with the 550. And most reviews report that the handling is excellent. Then the actually test drive. I took a route I drive everyday so that I would have a good comparison. Despite the HP and torque, the M45 felt slow. Maybe it is the transmission, but the car is very unresponsive to pedal input. And maybe I am simply spoiled by 10 years of driving BMW's, but the handling felt very soft and imprecise, with a great deal of body roll when cornering. After avoiding the hard sell by the salesmen, I drove to the BMW dealership.
First was a test drive of the 535. Absolutely wonderful for a 6 cyclinder car, but the power does feel differnt from the 8 and there is still some turbo lag. I would not be disappointed driving the 535, but I prefer the 550. So I sat down with the salesperson and went over the numbers. We changed the price from 2K off of MSRP to 2K over invoice and the monthly price moved accordingly. But the monthly price still seemed too high based on the "purchase" price and monthlys on my current car. Asked her to run the numbers one more time, double checking the money factor and residual. Turns out she had both wrong, as she had been looking at the wrong column in her chart. With the new correct numbers, the monthly came down dramatcally. At this point, the Sales Manager came over to say hello and see how things were going. With the Sales Manager there, I began negotiating for a better price - $1K over invoice. He simply shook his head and said the very best he could do was $1300 over invoice. I told him I would take it. We wrote up the deal and I got my production number. Now the wait begins.
The new ride will bea 550 with Sports Package, Carbon Black with Natural Brown interior, and other assorted options.
So I left work early and went to the Infinit dealer. They had an M45 Sport on the floor, Black with a brown interior. Very nice car. Like most of you, I have read the numerous glowing reviews in the automotive press. Most of the M45's come through with the Technology package, which includes Infiniti's excellent Nav, and a variety of other features, including back up camera and ventilated seats. I got an extensive run through of the features, the kind you typically get when you are picking up a car you have purchased. Technologically, the car is very advanced and in my opinion, superiorto the BMW. It was very late in the day and thus, I could not take it for a test drive. But I did make an appointment for a Saturday morning test drive. I also ran the numbers with the salesman. Equipped better than the BMW I had spec'd, the M45 was still about 40% cheaper.
I arrived Staurday morning anticpating enjoying the test drive and ordering a new Infiniti. Horsepower and torque wise, the M45 compares favorably with the 550. And most reviews report that the handling is excellent. Then the actually test drive. I took a route I drive everyday so that I would have a good comparison. Despite the HP and torque, the M45 felt slow. Maybe it is the transmission, but the car is very unresponsive to pedal input. And maybe I am simply spoiled by 10 years of driving BMW's, but the handling felt very soft and imprecise, with a great deal of body roll when cornering. After avoiding the hard sell by the salesmen, I drove to the BMW dealership.
First was a test drive of the 535. Absolutely wonderful for a 6 cyclinder car, but the power does feel differnt from the 8 and there is still some turbo lag. I would not be disappointed driving the 535, but I prefer the 550. So I sat down with the salesperson and went over the numbers. We changed the price from 2K off of MSRP to 2K over invoice and the monthly price moved accordingly. But the monthly price still seemed too high based on the "purchase" price and monthlys on my current car. Asked her to run the numbers one more time, double checking the money factor and residual. Turns out she had both wrong, as she had been looking at the wrong column in her chart. With the new correct numbers, the monthly came down dramatcally. At this point, the Sales Manager came over to say hello and see how things were going. With the Sales Manager there, I began negotiating for a better price - $1K over invoice. He simply shook his head and said the very best he could do was $1300 over invoice. I told him I would take it. We wrote up the deal and I got my production number. Now the wait begins.
The new ride will bea 550 with Sports Package, Carbon Black with Natural Brown interior, and other assorted options.
06-27-2007, 01:05 PM
#3
Senior Members
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 724
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 2008 Sapphire Black on Black M5 - loaded sans soft close doors
If Infiniti had produced a Blue or Red M45 with sport in the Midwest area back in late 2005, I would probably be driving an M45. However, I ended up getting the exact car I wanted with only a 6 week wait - albeit at $13K more than the M45. Still I love my car and have no regrets about the decision or the costs.....
06-27-2007, 03:37 PM
#4
Super Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Pittsburgh, PA USA
Posts: 17,310
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
My Ride: G30 M550i
Model Year: 2018
Atta boy Rob! I knew after the test drive the Infinity would snap you back to reality! 
Always, always negotiate a price over invoice -- your $1300 deal is a pretty good one for a 550 -- do you know what money factor they used?
Great choice of car and color as well -- you're gonna love it!!
Always, always negotiate a price over invoice -- your $1300 deal is a pretty good one for a 550 -- do you know what money factor they used?
Great choice of car and color as well -- you're gonna love it!!
06-27-2007, 04:25 PM
#5
Senior Members
Join Date: May 2007
Location: OC / LA
Posts: 498
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 2005 BMW 545i / Black Sapphire Metallic / 6spd. manual / Sports package
The Infiniti M45 is a great car, but the excitement dies on you real fast. IMHO, it's just not a 'fun' car to drive like a BMW. My x-g/f drove a G35 coupe and got sick of it real fast. She then purchased a 335i and loves it. Still calls me once in a while to wax it for a few exchanges 
06-27-2007, 06:07 PM
#6
Contributors
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Los Angeles. CA
Posts: 2,008
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 2004 545i 6 spd Sports Package | NAV | PDC | Logic 7 | BT retrofit | SW V13.3
06-27-2007, 07:03 PM
#7
Senior Members
Originally Posted by Hormazd' post='440629' date='Jun 27 2007, 07:07 PM
Awesome write up!
I drove the first M-45 in CA and just turned the puppy back in a month ago. (2 Year Lease) I've had my 08 550i Sport for about 6 weeks now and I will never drive anything other than a Bimmer ever again.
The M-45 compares in technology only. The drive comparison doesn't even exist. The HP and Torque of the Infiniti while admittedly "good", isn't in the same league as a 550i. The tranny and throttle response of the 550 are light years ahead of any other Japanese luxo sport sedan. It's also better than most MBZ as well. (comparatively priced)
Nice negotiation on your part as well.
So Cal
06-27-2007, 07:39 PM
#8
Contributors
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Riverdale, New York
Posts: 1,417
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 2008 535xi / Platinum Grey / Black leather / Step Auto / Sport / Premium / Cold weather / 18" wheels / Logic 7 / Comfort / ipod / Navigation / Fold Down Rear Seats / Rear Airbags / Sirius SAT / Spoiler / Extended Clear bra / Bluetooth. (Previously owned a 2002 sport 525I Loaded).
On order: 535xi Platnium Grey with Black interior, Step Auto, Sports package, Premium package, Cold weather package, 18" wheels, Logic 7, Comfort access, ipod adapt, Navigation, Sat radio, Rear spoiler, Extended Clear coat bra.
Originally Posted by superhung' post='440598' date='Jun 27 2007, 08:25 PM
The Infiniti M45 is a great car, but the excitement dies on you real fast. IMHO, it's just not a 'fun' car to drive like a BMW. My x-g/f drove a G35 coupe and got sick of it real fast. She then purchased a 335i and loves it. Still calls me once in a while to wax it for a few exchanges
Oh -oh the car got it... 
06-27-2007, 07:47 PM
#9
Senior Members
Join Date: May 2007
Location: OC / LA
Posts: 498
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 2005 BMW 545i / Black Sapphire Metallic / 6spd. manual / Sports package
Originally Posted by slickrick' post='440679' date='Jun 27 2007, 08:39 PM
I'm sorry , wax what? Oh -oh the car got it...
Oh -oh the car got it... 
06-27-2007, 09:04 PM
#10
Members
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Midlands, UK
Posts: 145
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 520d SE
Jet black / anthracite
Advanced air con
Sun protection glass
USB
Style 244 wheels
Asked her to run the numbers one more time, double checking the money factor and residual. Turns out she had both wrong, as she had been looking at the wrong column in her chart. With the new correct numbers, the monthly came down dramatcally.
Congraulations on your new purchase, were you not a bit cheesed that the sales person had got the figures wrong in the first place? At least you founf out what the problem was though and got a good deal. COuldI just check, is the invoice cost the same as the price the dealer pays for the car?
Congraulations on your new purchase, were you not a bit cheesed that the sales person had got the figures wrong in the first place? At least you founf out what the problem was though and got a good deal. COuldI just check, is the invoice cost the same as the price the dealer pays for the car?