Because of dealer's desire to make most profit, almost every G35 coupe available was equipped with the Premium Pkg. When I first tried to order one, several dealers refused to take my order unless I order it with Premium Pkg. What the...? I was very disappointed with how low Infiniti dealers are willing go for merely few hundreds more profit. They are becoming like any other low-end car dealers...pretty sad. For just few hundred extra profit, the dealers are losing a customer like for me...for good. Things like this proves that Infiniti dealers are nothing more than a common Nissan dealer, just pretending to be a upscale one.

And why the heck are they trying to sell the stupid Lojack for $895 on all G35 coupes in their stock? I bet the dealer profit on this thing is over $500 a piece. By insisting on the Lojack, the dealers are basically saying that the standard Infiniti security and anti-theft system are useless stuff. When you ask them about the Infiniti's security system, they all say how great and high-tech they are. But when you refuse the Lojack option, they make you feel uneasy by saying that the car is now vulnerable to burglers. I don't know about you guys, but I don't want to locate my car once it's stolen unless the police can find it within a hour before any kind of damage is done.

It's like forcing customers to buy the stupid $500 paint protection with 5 year warranty. BTW you can do the same paint protection coating by yourself. Are they telling us the Infiniti's premium paint system won't last for even 5 years?! And how many people are actually willing keep their G35 coupe for more than 5 years? Not me, man. In next 5 years, I will be driving a car worth at least 2 or 3 times more, like a Porsche or an AMG.

I'm not saying that all Infiniti dealers are like this. About half the dealers I contacted were very nice and didn't have any low tactics to make extra profit. I think Infiniti is making a great come back from a 10 year long comma. Good for them. I always liked Infiniti better than Lexus. Lexus is becoming so boring and lacking any character while Infiniti is introducing some really hot cars. I heard that Infiniti is seriously considering to bring the next-gen Skyline GTR to states, which could dethrone NSX. Now we are talking....

2003 G35 Coupe
Ivory w/black leather
5 speed auto
Sunroof
Performance wheel pkg

 

Sorry to hear about your bad experiences. Dealing with poor customer service is one of my biggest pet peeves. Glad to see that you still decided to go on ahead and purchase a G35.

[img]/w3timages/icons/cool.gif[/img] Love my Black on Black G35 Coupe! [img]/w3timages/icons/cool.gif[/img]

 

Well... having very, very briefly tried to sell cars, I'm a little sympathetic with them. I mean, a car like this that sells itself at sticker (or more) doesn't come around too often. They have to ride this wave as far as they can before they go back to the teeth-pulling of usual car sales. And the premium package requirement is pretty reasonable, given that most people are buying them that way. If you back out, they know they can sell a G with premium, whereas they're in an inferior position versus other sellers if they expend their allotment of orders on a 'less desireable' car that's not even going to sell for as good a margin.

Not that that means you should allow yourself to get jerked around, but just keep in mind that they know they're going to sell that G whether it's ordered to your tastes or not. They're probably missing sure money by dealing with you, and that particular sales person is probably never going to see you again for the rest of his life regardless (unless it's to complain about the car). There really isn't much in it for them to be nice to you on those points. Best thing to do is politely thank them for their time, then call back on a Wednesday when the lack of people coming in makes them more nervous. If they still say no, tell them they've got your number if they change their mind. Sooner or later someone there is going to have a bad weekend and want to get something on the books.

That said, the sealants and cloth/leather guards are always a rip-off. Never say yes to those. That's the sign of a dealer who's trying to steal your money rather than get the most out of a surprisingly hot product with limited inventory. I'm also skeptical about the value of a LoJack for this car, given the rather ****-retentive ignition system it comes with. Maybe phony valet service rackets are on the rise? My Infiniti salesman never even tried to offer me any of that crap. I gave them my current financing rate and they beat it by 25 points rather than the expected token 10. I showed my appreciation by not raising an eyebrow over the registration and "document handling" fee looking about $20 too heavy. That's worth every penny if I'm spared the other crap.

-Jack

Black obsidian / graphite '03 Coupe premium nav

 

There's a lot to be said for positive word of mouth. Excellent customer service is worth more than the few hundred dollars gained with one sale. In the range of cars we're looking at and buying, most are selling near MSRP. Selling anything via fair, up front negotiating then dropping down the slightest amount to close the deal completes the transaction so the salesman can work with other potential customers and the buyer feels they did well with the positive experience being passed on to friends. Excellent customer service generates business. Smart sales people know this and don't have to 'sell' their product, they have clients coming in looking to buy from them. Their attitude has sold themselves. ...dean

Seattle area