All my friends and relatives that have leased all vow never to do it again. For most people, it's hard to stay within the mileage limits because our cities are so sprawled out now. Also, when it comes time to turn in the car, you're looking at major expenses including:

1) Verification that all maintenance has been completed at factory dealership. 30K and 60K maintenance at an Infiniti dealer is insanely expensive. Expect to pay $600-1000.

2) Basically brand new OEM spec tires unless you want to get dinged in wallet. Either way you're screwed. Expect to pay or loose $500-800.

3) Reconditioning the interior. They'll usually require new floor mats too. Expect to pay $300-400 overall.

4) ALL panels must be straight and free of scuffs and damage.

By the time you end your lease, you're looking at at least $1,200 in out of pocket expenses and most people returning higher end cars can expect to shell out about $1,800.

IMO, if you plan on keeping any car (except for a low to midlevel domestic car), leasing is a waste of money. The G35 has excellent resale once the car becomes 2 years or older. The used car market has been in the dump for the last 3 years or so; however, the G35 seems to hold it's own. I'd have no problems getting $22-23K for my 03 G35 sedan in Kansas City. That not bad considering the car sold for around $32K over 3 years ago. If you want to talk about poor resale, go ask someone who was the original owner and recently sold a BMW, Benz, Saab, VW, Jag, or Volvo. Many of thsoe cars shed 50-60% of their value in the first two years. The infamous VW Phaeton typically sold for $68-78K. You can pick them up 1 to 2 year old models for $28-38K. Ouch!

 

hey man it's not the cars fault you didn't research the options it had.

95% of G35's on the road have all the features you asked for. You really have to search for a G's with no sun-roof.

 

im driving the base X loaner w/o the premium package, and let me tell you i would be very upset if my didnt have those options especially when im used to them already haha

shouldve gotten the premium package, your lurking wasnt effective

 

Generally, leasing has a bad rep because if you really wanted to maximize the value of a new vehicle, you would keep it for about 8 years. If you bought the car and financed it, you would have payments for 36-60 months. You could have a payment free car for a good 60 months and thats a lot of cash. On a lease, you get a newer car every 3 years or so but your payments never cease. In the end, you save money buying over leasing if you keep the car for awhile. Now if you switch cars every 3 years, leasing is better.

 

Leasing is also good if you are writing it off which I do. I don't know how it works down there but in Canada I write off 75% of my lease payment to offset my income tax.
Might as well drive in style!

 

I'd love to lease. But I rack up over 25k miles a year.

 

A little OT here. Back in 1998, I worked for a dotcom in Minneapolis. We sold a software/hardware package to dealerships that did various things. Part of the setup of the system included "booking in" all of the dealerships existing used-car inventory. What an eye-opener. The jag dealership downtown was particularly interesting. Jags that stickered in the mid to high 70's new were coming back in on three year trades(not lease returns), and the dealership bought them for high 20's to low 30's.

Imagine depreciating 40 to 50k in just 3 years. I might purchase a jag one day, but not new.

 

Trey, When I bought my '04 G35, I had also shopped a Jaguar X, they had an '03 demo on the lot with 900 miles on it, stickered at $46k, they were selling it for $36k, I was like, damn, depreciation like that sucks, so I went up the street to the Infiniti dealer, LOL! Minneapolis, huh? I worked for a TV station here that has it's root in Minneapolis, KSTP, Hubbard.

 

Actually he stated that he had an Altima in his post. Guessing it was as reliable as a G, since they are based on the same platform, unless he had a lemon.

If you own your own business leasing a car is a great idea for tax purposes. Also, if you tend to get bored with cars and trade them in every 2-3 years leasing isn't a bad option either. If you keep your cars, leasing sux.

Jeff

 

Jeff,
The Altima and G are not the same platform, the Altima is FWD, it's the same platform as the Murano, the G shares the platform with the 350Z.

 

I see I am not the only one that get's annoyed by the altima/G35 comparisons... Two different animals...

 

oh yeah, did i forget to mention my 05 g35sedan 6mt w/ premium A has interior lights that light up when i hit the unlock button on the remote???

 

I would say that the Bose in these cars is mediocre at best, and I'm not an audiophile. Not sure how this works, but the Bose in my 03 Altima sounds MUCH better than the G.

And the HID's do not look bluish in color, they look white as they should. Anything bluer (6000,8000, etc) are not as bright given the same lumen output. I think the HID's in these cars is around 4300, which is about perfect for maximum light. Too many folks on Ebay, etc trying to get people to believe that a higher temperature (Kelvin) light is brighter. It's just the opposite.

 

My lights look bluish when reflected off of the white wall in my garage--I was not referring to how they look when you stare at them

I thought I would educate you on my choice of words. What the hell do you think decent means, umm its not synonymous with spectacular.
Main Entry: decent
Part of Speech: adjective 3
Definition: sufficient
Synonyms: acceptable, adequate, all right, ample, average, comfortable, common, competent, enough, fair, good, mediocre, middling, moderately good, passable, presentable, reasonable, respectable, right, satisfactory, sufficing, tolerable, unexceptional, unimpeachable, unobjectionable

Main Entry: mediocre
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: average


I like my stock bose, its decent--thats my opinion.

Rock on with your Altima Bose

 

Chill, dude. I was simply making a point that with two cars that share many parts, the less expensive one gets the better stereo....doesn't usually work like that.

"My lights look bluish when reflected off of the white wall in my garage--I was not referring to how they look when you stare at them"

I guess my mental telepathy should have known that

And excuse me Mr. Dictionary (Dick, for short), but maybe I should have said the G's stereo is below average for a car in this class. There are countless posts on this if you want other opinions. As factory stereos go, they dropped the ball on this one. IMO, if a four year old Altima sounds better, something was skimped on here. There are many cars in or below the class of the G with much better offerings from the factory?.My other recent cars, a Volvo S60R and my new SRT Charger came with stereo's that are worlds better. And the same can be said for friend's Acuras, Lexus, and Honda's. So I'm actually comparing to other factory systems that I have experience with, not just putting out a blanket statement.