Expensive to Own?
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04-20-2006, 08:37 AM
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04-20-2006, 10:01 AM
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Chesapeake, VA
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In general, if you keep to the stock set-up and take care of the car (mechanical systems), I think that it's a great value compared to other cars in the class. As mentioned by others, it's a he!! of a lot cheaper in maintenance costs than BMWs, Audis, and Benz's (probably closer to Lexus though). The tires and brakes on the 6MT are very expensive to replace, but I think you'll find as the car gets older that general engine maintenance is a lot cheaper than other luxury brands, largely because the car shares so many internals with other Nissan vehicles, especially ones that utilize the VQ engine.
That said, here are the primary factors that will increase your overall cost of ownership:
1. How hard you drive the car - I've seen a bunch of people on this forum complain about how their clutch / brakes / tires wear out so quickly. I have a coupe, my wife had a coupe, and I have a couple friends who own G's (both 5AT and 6MT), and none of us have had the chronic wear problems that others have. Don't beat the car up, and it won't beat your wallet up.
2. How much you mod the car - Good point made by others in this thread - if you're replacing your exhaust / intake / headers / brakes / rims / etc. it's going to get very expensive very fast. You also have to keep in mind that the car wasn't designed with some of these mods in mind, so you may be gaining performance but losing reliability.
3. How obsessed you are with keeping the car's interior and exterior flawless. You can spend a lot of money on paint treatments, waxing equipment, special wheel and tire dressings, paint touch-ups, etc. In general you can wash the car every week or two, wax the car once every 6 months, and after a few years you can have a body shop fix any paint oxidation you might have. The car will still look great (but not flawless) for a lot less money.
Just my two cents.
That said, here are the primary factors that will increase your overall cost of ownership:
1. How hard you drive the car - I've seen a bunch of people on this forum complain about how their clutch / brakes / tires wear out so quickly. I have a coupe, my wife had a coupe, and I have a couple friends who own G's (both 5AT and 6MT), and none of us have had the chronic wear problems that others have. Don't beat the car up, and it won't beat your wallet up.
2. How much you mod the car - Good point made by others in this thread - if you're replacing your exhaust / intake / headers / brakes / rims / etc. it's going to get very expensive very fast. You also have to keep in mind that the car wasn't designed with some of these mods in mind, so you may be gaining performance but losing reliability.
3. How obsessed you are with keeping the car's interior and exterior flawless. You can spend a lot of money on paint treatments, waxing equipment, special wheel and tire dressings, paint touch-ups, etc. In general you can wash the car every week or two, wax the car once every 6 months, and after a few years you can have a body shop fix any paint oxidation you might have. The car will still look great (but not flawless) for a lot less money.
Just my two cents.
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