many dealers have like 12 AT coupes leftover but look at those coupes carefully, those are usually stripped one... my dealer has 17 AT coupes with only premium package since July... simply bcuz no one wants coupe with just an premium pkg... but they don't have any AT with fully loaded or fully loaded except nav cuz those fully equiped coupes sold like MT... and AT is easier to find ONLY when you lookin for just primium pkg... you will have hard to time finding fully loaded AT coupes just like MT(but not equally hard as MT since nissan makes AT more)...

 

Might I opine? I've noticed that many who purchase a certain model of car are now selling them for reasons other than personal ones (read: financial). I realize I'm about to get totally kicked for this, but a large number of teens who can barely afford a car are purchasing the 6MT coupes just to have them, and seriously underestimating the financial burden of losing the opportunity cost of owning one. Simply put: They can't afford them, but they want them, and in this culture of instant-gratification and debt-mongering, they buy them.

Now, a larger group of middle-aged professionals end up purchasing the 5AT (not my opinion-- just #s from Nissan). The nature of the beast is that these people have carfefully researched a decision that they've most likely made many times before, and thus make one which is logical and affordable.

Many teens operate under the woefully mistaken assumption that buying an MT suddenly makes you a car enthusiast. It is these people, with this flawed logic, that are perfectly incapable of making the financial decision to purchase this as their first car. Hence, the ruck of 6MTs coupes (relative to total sold in US, simple as that) for sale.

This is just my opinion, formed partially after observing flocks of young 6MT drivers fly onto this forum, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, just to have the "I have to sell my car [img]/w3timages/icons/frown.gif[/img]" post two months later. There are obvious exceptions to the rule, as many CAN afford them and made the correct decision, but those are people whom I respect, not pity.

Lest someone not fully grasp this and run with the "You think the 6MT is a stupid purchase??" flag; No, I don't. I think that the majority of those who mistakenly believe that just owning a 6MT makes them an enthusiast (That's like slalom skis making you a world-class skier automatically), also transfer their unintelligible logic patterns to financial decisions, and thus end up hocking the G.

Thoughts?

G

2003.5 Black w/ Willow G35
Premium / Sport / Aero / Winter / Navi / Tint

 

>>"your observation, which i already stated is 'so meaningless in term of statistic due to the sample being too small' what i have said shown in the chart, which is the fact that AT does sell more than MT, period."<<

Who said anything about ATs NOT selling more than MTs? My point was that Nissan's production allocation of ATs to MTs was much too SKEWED towards ATs, not that more than half of G35C were MTs. I frankly don't care if more customers choose ATs over MTs. I'm interested in obtaining MY MT sooner rather than later, and I would have my MT coupe by now if only Nissan didn't underestimate demand for MTs.

>>Secondly, i don't think RX8 and M3 as "pure sporty car".<<

If you don't think any of those cars are sports cars, then you've either never driven them or you're smoking crack.

>>"...none of you arguement will change the fact that "COMPARING 5AT:6MT ratio of the G35C with ALL THE CAR IN U.S. on 90% AT:MT basis doesn't any make sense. What if i said G35C has so little 6MT in comparison with Ferarri and Porsche (At least i am comparing 2dr to 2dr), does this make sense? And that's what i trying to tell you! You have made the WRONG comparison!"<<

Re-read my earlier post or get someone with a better grasp of English to help you interpret what I wrote.

>>Rainmeister, as i already said, this is NOT the first year of G35C, go to your dealership and see if those 5AT stocks you talking about is all 2004!!! which exactly prove my point. This is the second year, and if there is anything that they underestimate should be adjusted in the 2nd year.<<

I had said the coupe had been out for a year. With the '04, that makes it, umh, one, two... SECOND year! You earlier wrote: "This car been around for 2 years or so... Don't worry, they won't be dumb enough to still "underestimate" the ratio in the 3rd year of this car." So in your mind, are they not dumb enough to underestimate for the second year or for the third year?

>>I don't see any of your point, what you really trying to say as opposing to my posts? That your tiny observation in your local dealership which has no significant value in term of statistic? That by counting the inventory of your local dealership you conclude that 6MT is higher in demand? What you have been doing is trying to use a tiny sample and trying to reject the fact.<<

What I have offered is evidence based upon research of dealers within 150 miles of L.A. which lead me to believe the production allocation is currently too heavily biased towards ATs. It may be a small sampling, but you have offered nothing to contradict my conclusion. If you indeed are correct, and a dealer in the U.S. has ample stock of MTs, then we'd like to know where so that we can avoid the wait.

RainMeister
'04 G35C 6MT, brilliant silver, premium, nav

 

>>... a large number of teens who can barely afford a car are purchasing the 6MT coupes just to have them, and seriously underestimating the financial burden of losing the opportunity cost of owning one. Simply put: They can't afford them, but they want them, and in this culture of instant-gratification and debt-mongering, they buy them.<<

There's a similar phenomenon in Japan, where Skyline GTRs costing $50k+ have traditionally been bought by young high school graduates with annual incomes much less than the purchase price of the car. To make the car payments, they live at home, and scrimp or forego on life's necessities such as food and clothing. Their lack of driving experience and youthful exuberance soon result in a totalled and scrapped GTR with many months of car payments left.

RainMeister
'04 G35C 6MT, brilliant silver, premium, nav

 

So by your example, Nissan not only miscalculated the production ratio of ATs to MTs, but they are also making too many G35Cs with the wrong options packages.

RainMeister
'04 G35C 6MT, brilliant silver, premium, nav

 

umm.. no i think like this.. i'll give you a specific numbers...
a dealer got some coupes from japan...
30 coupes total...
21 AT and 9 MT...
out of 21 AT coupes, 10 are the stripped one(only premium pkg)...
9MT sold like hot cakes and same as other 11 fully loaded AT coupes...
gues what they left??
10 useless coupes... and now dealer figured out that no one wants only with premium pkg... from now on that dealer orders good options AT and MT and they will not order stripped AT anymore..as soon as they get those ordered coupes it sold like hot cakes again and those first 10 stripped coupes just stay at the dealer hoping someone to buy it.. but since no one is buying them it will always there and you will think nissan makes those coupes too many... no orders from dealer = no production in the factory...
nissan doesn't make them too many, they made very small quantity(at the beginning thought people want just premium) but it doesn't sell that good and it looks like they made too many while it actually not...

<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small"><EM>Edited by uheenada on 12/06/03 12:21 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

This thread is very lame. First of all, Nissan is sharing the 6 peed gear box with the 350z, therefor, Nissan is having a harder time meeting demand for both cars. The 350z does not have a auto tranny (thank god). 2nd, the G35 is a nice looking car at a nice price (relative to other "luxury sport" cars in its class -- such as the 330ci), so you have many non car enthusiast buying the car and want an automatic because it is more comfortable. These people do not care about the fastest 0-60 times. I for one shopped around at 4 different dealerships until I found a 6MT with all the options I wanted. It took me about a month, but I found one... my G35 6MT + nav arrives next week.

As far as many teens buying a 6MT because they think it'll make them an enthusiast... that is a bunch of horse crap. Have you conducted market surveys of young G35 6MTs owners? All the hot cars have young people clamoring for them. The WRX STi, Mitsu Evo, G35 Coupe, 350z; kids want these cars. When you're young and have your priorities all out of wack (and don't have baggage -- read kids) you may end up purchasing a car you can't afford. You only live once. On my university campus I see plenty of kids with brand new M3s and 911s. Some of the less fortunate souls do not have rich parents and are making the payments themselves. Sometimes they can afford it, sometimes they can't. How is this unusual? It has been happening in this country before the G35 coupe 6MT came out. Hell, there are plenty of you "older" people buying cars, houses, women you can't afford.

Just from my own emperical observation (non scientific), I have noticed that most automatic owners are older than 6MT owners. I was originally going to buy a 350z, but after some extensive test drives, I realized I wanted back seats AND wanted a sports car. The G35 Coupe 6MT fit those requirements.

 

I agree riotgear, I've been looking for a 6MT w/ nav for like 2 months now in my area. Im so pissed because Carmax had one for 31,995 used. 18k miles but I wouldn't have minded at all at that price.. the day I called was the day someone else was picking it up. The G coupe is ideal for young people like me who do not want to buy a sedan because of kids, and while the automatic would be comfortable, I'd much rather have a manual transmission and enjoy the open roads here.

 

I'm sorry, I honestly failed to see where you disproved my theory (not being argumentative--).

It's just an opinion based on my knowledge of A) Those I've met here, B) American culture, C) The upcoming generations, and D) The fact that when I asked my dealer why they had so many used 6MT coupes on the lot all of the sudden, his response was "Kids. They buy the cars and can't even afford the payments".

You told me it was horsecrap, then went on to agree with the statement that it was they who were buying the cars... based on the scientific observations of almost any financial institution, those who are older tend to have higher net worths, credit lines, and maturity. All three are paramount in the ownership of a nice car. The fact that young people are clamoring for the sportiest cars does nothing to prove to any end that they can afford them.

Again, just my opinion... but it wouldn't be my opinion if I thought it were wrong.

G

2003.5 Black w/ Willow G35
Premium / Sport / Aero / Winter / Navi / Tint

 

Geo, all that I am saying is that the phenomenon of very young people buying the 6MT isn't germain to the G35. This happens with all cars. During the internet bubble I saw a large number of very young 20ish people driving GS400s, CLKs, 3-series coupes/sedans, and other cars that they can only afford while living at home with mom and dad.

I am not agreeing with your statement about the majority of 6MT buyers being young people who can not afford them. What I am saying is that the age demographic may be different for the 6MT, for example, at my job, there are 6 G35 coupe owners. The ones who own a 6MT are under 25 (including me), the ones who own a auto are a bit older (30ish). The 6MT owners wanted a Z, but couldn't live with the impracticality of it. So when going from a 350z manual tranny to a G35, most people are naturally going to get a 6MT. Perhaps the demographic is different for automatics because typically those people are comparing the G35 couple to luxury commuter cars, such as: BMW 3-series, Audi A4, etc, and then decided on the G35 because it looks nice. I for one had the 350z, Vette z06, BMW M3, Audi S4, WRX Sti, and a used 996 911 in my sights... I wanted a SPORTS car. Not a luxury car. However, I need the back seats so the G35 was the best of both worlds, but only if I have a manual transmission. Did I mention I race in autocross events? An auto wouldn't work for that.

 

Your words belie your argument-- but I understand what you mean, and I apologize that I was not clear enough. It is perfectly germane, as you yourself later explained, however you are most correct in that it's not entirely unique.

This has always happened, and will always happen. I don't think a majority of the 6MT owners are fiscally irresponsible. Far from it, I just believe that a majority of those who are not as financially stable purchase the 6MT coupe over a 5AT sedan. I hope the delineation is clear...? The age demographic of which you speak is the one least likely, statistically speaking, to be able to make the payments.

G

2003.5 Black w/ Willow G35
Premium / Sport / Aero / Winter / Navi / Tint<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small"><EM>Edited by geobau on 12/07/03 03:46 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

okay, now that we have pounded the life out of that discussion. Geo, what's the difference between a 2003.5 and 2003 model coupe?

 

I belive even I've answered this more than a few times-- The most noticable thing to a couper would be the armrest, though. Other than that, you're looking at standard xenons, minor cosmetic changes, the dropping of TB from their pallet, an extra power outlet, and other little updates that fix minor problems... why do you ask?

G

2003.5 Black w/ Willow G35
Premium / Sport / Aero / Winter / Navi / Tint

 

I'm new to the G35 Coupe... so new that in fact I haven't received mine yet (it is sitting at the port in Los Angeles). I was just wondering what changed... primarily because I read about the tranny issues with the '03s. Thanks.

 

Cool- you'll love it when you get it.

The 'tranny issues' are pretty much overblown here, as there are 7k+ members, only a handful of which have really experienced a problem that wasn't immediately corrected. I myself had one, but only because my tranny fluid hose got pinched in an accident; corrected in about an hour. Hopefully you won't experience anything-- heck, it's better than Acura's tranny history [img]/w3timages/icons/smile.gif[/img]

G

2003.5 Black w/ Willow G35
Premium / Sport / Aero / Winter / Navi / Tint