SoL, go talk to an Infiniti salesman and ask them to find out what cars are coming up at auction. It won't cost you anything. Or find one at another Infiniti dealer that's relatively close and see if your local will get it for you. There will be some work and/or driving involved, but it will be worth the extra effort to get exactly what you want.

Brando, good luck with your trip. I had a few G35's on my very short list that were in Dallas, which is a good 1250 miles from me. You won't regret the hassle. BTW, what are you getting?

 

Again, im with buckeye on this one bro. The thing he said about the auction was something that I didnt think about until I had done a bunch of work on my own. Good advice there.

Thanks, the trip shouldnt be too bad. My roommate and I are going to drive it straight through. I dont have any reservations about the hassle at all. I think its well worth the effort considering what Im getting. I found a purdy 07 IP 20k miles, sport package, navi... yadda yadda. Cant wait to bring her home!

 

yeah but like i said what if you get there and it's not what you saw in the pics? ie: poorly maintained and etc. how can you make sure that what you see is what you're getting when you get there?

btw good luck on your trip brandon hope it's everything you thought it would be!

 

Liberty, it won't be like that. Guaranteed. And apologies in advance for the long post.

There are basically 3 types of auctions. A public auction is open to anyone and everyone. You go there and look at what's available and decide what you want to bid on. Hopefully you've taken a mechanic with you to check on the basic stuff. Pros: Cheaper, could find a real steal. Cons: You don't really know what you're getting, could be a real lemon, could be a repo, bad title, etc. No guarantees! This is the kind of auction I think you're talking about.

The next type is a private auction. To go to this you have to have a dealer license. These are generally much better cars. Anyone can buy any make/model of car. I talked with one of my cousins about going this route when I was buying my car (he's a dealer/broker). Pros: Generally better cars, wide selection. Cons: May not have the car you're looking for, prices are higher, have to be a dealer to get in the door. It's possible for a dealer to make one of these a Certified Pre-owned, but they'll have to buy it and hope it passes the process.

The last type I'll call a dealer-only auction. I don't know the exact term, but it's different than a private auction in that it's maker-specific, i.e. Infiniti-only, General Motors-only, etc. Not only are all the vehicles specific to that manufacturer, you have to be a licensed dealer for them to get in the door, i.e. a Toyota dealer can't go to a Honda auction. These are almost always the very best used cars coming on the market. They are either lease turn-ins or trade-ins, have lower miles, and a solid maintenance history. Pros: Top of the line cars, most are guaranteed by the parent company to be Certifiable (will buy back if they fail the Cert process). Cons: They cost more, have to go through a dealer to get one. Another plus, the car doesn't have to be close to you, only the dealership does. They'll deal with transporting it from the auction.

The dealer-only cars are without a doubt the best quality cars in the auction market. If they're not sold there, it's not because they aren't a great car, it may just be that no dealer had a specific need for that make/model at that time, or maybe there were tons of Coupes at that auction and a few didn't get sold. At that point, they'll either be held for the next dealer-only auction (Infiniti has them 3 or 4 times a month) or go to a private auction. Most, if not all, will be purchased there. You're very unlikely to ever find one of these at a public auction and you wouldn't know it if you did.

The cars your Infiniti salesman is going to be talking to you about are all coming from an Infiniti-only dealer auction, i.e top of the line cars. Infiniti guarantees the dealership they can make them Certified Pre-owned (there's a detailed inspection and repair process involved) or they'll buy the car back. The dealership isn't required to make them CPO, but you know the quality is there. This is where you'd be getting your car. There won't be any "don't know what you're getting" problems. You won't get to see it before it's purchased, but you know what you're getting.

You'll talk to the dealer beforehand about the specific items you want on a car and they'll only look for cars you want. Because you want a very specific car and a somewhat rare color (Coupe, Athens Blue), you may have to wait for several auctions before one becomes available. But as I've said, you'll have it for many, many years, so the wait/hassle will be worth it.

The car I got through this process was flawless. The paint was in superb condition, the tires were brand new (although I ended up selling them since they were cheap), the car was perfect. As a CPO should be. I don't regret for one second going this route to buy my car, and I'll do it again in the future.

 

thanks buckeye for the info but the public auction sounds kinda risky like you said. and the other auctions i need to have a dealer license/be a dealer.

also that's not what i was asking. i was asking for the people who are searching for their cars online via cars.com/autotrader.com. you guys who are searching for cars that are like over 200 miles away that requires quite a drive or even a plane trip how do you guys know it's what you see on the ad? what if you get there and it's not well maintained and such? do you just say forget it and drive/fly all the way back? that's what i was wondering. thanks

 

YOU don't have to have a dealer license, just the person who's buying your car. Talking to an Infiniti dealer about their auction won't cost you anything, and you're not committed to anything. You can also go to a non-Infiniti dealer, especially a Nissan dealer, and see what they can do for you at an auction. They're desperate to sell cars, and if they can go buy one for you it's an easy sale.

And the answer to your other question is yes, turn around and go home. You're looking to spend 5 figures on something you'll have for years, so don't sweat a wasted day driving a couple hundred miles. But I wouldn't fly anywhere unless you're pretty certain the car is what they say it is. I was prepared to fly somewhere to buy a Certified Infiniti, so I knew what I would be getting. But I think you can seriously minimize this problem beforehand with the right legwork and the right questions. Run a VIN check on everything you're contemplating. This cannot be optional. Find out if they have service records. If it's at a franchise dealer (Honda, Chevy, Audi, etc.), they have a reputation to uphold, so are less likely to sell a beater. A large non-franchised dealer will be like this too to a lesser extent, but unless they specialize in higher-end cars, I'd avoid them if I were you.

If you're looking at a private party sale, ask how long they've owned it, why they're getting rid of it, what they're buying to replace it, what other cars they own. Where do they live, city, suburbs, small town? Find out how old they are, if they're married, do they have kids. Gotta be subtle about these last ones, but it'll tell you alot about how they drove the car.

The only guarantee you're going to get is if you go through an Infiniti dealership. This is why buying a car basically sucks, especially when you want a very specific car like an AB Coupe.

 

2006, 38K miles, $18.9K, 10 months left on factory warranty, 300 miles away: http://tinyurl.com/r6pkyp
2006, 35K, $20K, under warranty, 170 miles away: http://tinyurl.com/pr89y2
2005, 30K, $20.5K, private party, don't know distance, but less than 300, looks like a nice car: http://tinyurl.com/q7e6vk
2006, 23K, $23.9K, 215 miles away: http://tinyurl.com/rxto5j

 

hm so if i talk with a dealer about buying from an auction i can skip the whole dealership mark up price and all the bs negotiating and whatnot?

and thanks for the links..i'm looking for a 6mt though

 

haha i just called and spoke with the guy about this...someone from g35nyc owned this apparently, and they "built" the car. its "ready for turbo" yet has nothing turbo related on the car, i asked for pics of the stereo and the dealership said they couldnt send them to me. I just want me an AB coupe!

 

this car was from competition infiniti.. needed a new clutch at 12k miles and pressure plate was worn... thats the only history from there


g35nyc doesn't build cars so sorry for the wrong info

 

To answer your "how do you know it is what they say it is..." question. Well, the bottom line is YOU DONT. However, I did choose the oldest Infinity dealership in the country and also the fact that it was specifically an infinity dealership, I figured I was a little safer than going to "Teds autos of Bumblephuck FL..." or whatever.

Aaaaanyway.... well... my trip was an absolute........... SUCCESS! The car was immaculate inside and out. There were a couple rock chips here and there, but considering its an 07, I wasnt too disappointed about those. I'll snap some pics this weekend after it goes and gets some TLC from my detail guy. Not to say it wasnt clean, but in my opinion, saying a car is "clean" is relative. My definition of clean is what the car looks like after my guy gets through with it.

Anyway, yea I couldnt be happier. Good god its a blast to drive. I drove damn near straight through from Scottsdale aaaaaaaallll the way back to Nebraska without switching drivers. I had to take a break once and let my roommate drive right outside of NE, while I snoozed for about an hour, but after that I was right back in the seat.

She gets her super spa treatment this Sat, then next weekend she gets some shades put on her; 5% tint all the way around.

Oh... and while I was down there, I got to check out one of the GT-Rs they were selling to some lucky person. Damn those cars are sick.

 

congrats brandon!!!!
what color/options/miles/price did you get the car for?
how long was your drive? did you drive there and drive back?
when you get pics post some here i'd love to see it!!

again congrats and hopefully i'll be as lucky as you soon

 

Thanks bro!

Lets see... I got an IP, 6mt, 21k miles, and the price is my business (sorry bro, I dont like talking about what I spend on my toys; opens the flood gates for the "you got jipped" or the "you're lying" comments). Lets just say Im happy with what I paid for it as I think it is worth every cent. Oh, and I'll also say I found in on www.cars.com. It has the premium package (bluetooth, heated seats, bose, sun roof... yadda yadda) with Navi as well as the sport package (with those kinda mesh looking 19" wheels; they're dope.. nuff said).

The trip was about 20 hours; a little over 1400 miles. Yes I drove there and back. I was trading in my 08 Scion xb. They gave me what I wanted for my trade and didnt screw me around on anything.

I only have 2 complaints. One... I wanted to get a clear bra installed to protect her from the trip home, but couldnt get it done in advance. Two... the damn seat belt cuts into my neck something fierce and they dont sell something at the dealer to help with this. I dont want a damn F&F super cool red NISMO whatever from Vato Zone either. So, dunno what Im gonna do about that.

Other than that, I love the car to death and I'd be lying if I said I hadnt thought about masturbating all over it at least a dozen or so times. (sorry blue dream if that offends you... lol)

 

wow nice ip is definitely a nice color. how is the bose sound system that comes with the premium package? i heard it sucks..haha and how is the bluetooth?
and the sports package is standard on 6mt from what i understand..
20 hours..that's crazy so 10 there and 10 back? wow i dunno if i could do it! haha
so about the clearbra..since you didn't get it and drove it bare alllll the way back..did you get any rock chips or anything from it? and yeah i heard about the seatbelt problem..

haha anyways post those pics up asap!!

 

I dont know about the bose being crappy, I think it sounds good. But, Im no audiophile either. I may do that 4080 box though, and toss a 10 in the back, but other than that, I dont have any issues with the bose. The bluetooth is really nice. Voice activated controls and stuff is pretty sweet. I gave my gf a call on it and she said I came through clear.

Oh, and yea on that 6mt thing, I just realized that having the 6mt is indicative of having the sport package. Had to do some searching on that though.

And to clarify, the ENTIRE trip there and back was 40 hours. It was 20 down and 20 back. The trip was fun though, and the scenery was great. Colorado, New Mexico, and AZ (coming down 17) had some really awesome scenery to look at. Nebraska however...... was complete shytee... by far the most boring state to drive though.

And yea, I think i did get a few rock chips from the drive, but it couldnt be helped. I'll be getting the clear bra sometime soon though.