I know I know.. i was so against the new body style of the QX (some may recall my bandwagon rants about how it looks)...

but DAG the technology and interior are just something i cant get out of my head.:rolleyes:

soooo.. im playfully looking at a fully loaded 2012 with all trims.. tech, touring, tire (22s?) AWD/4X4 whatever its called... yeah the whole lot.

i priced a loaded one straight from the website inifinitiusa and its about 71K. i would trade in my 2008 LE 4X2 all trims. no down payment. the armada is in excellent condition in and out (burger? :D) with about 54K on the clock. mods are a magaflow, injen and 24 inch wheels. i do not have the oem wheels nor do i have the stock muff or air box. kelly BB has it for $25K in excellent condition.. which it definitely is.

my question.. what is real world prices for these machines maxed out? i would be looking at november perhaps to do this.

if i dont, ill get a 2012 armada.. so regardless im getting one or the other.. just looking to see what you guys would have to say on real world pricing.

heck is it MORE than 71K? whats the best time of year to grab the 2012? end of year? next year?

im not the sharpest knife in the drawer when it comes to negotiating for these types of things so any opinions appreciated.

I had a new QX as a rental a few months ago when I was in New York state, and I really liked it. But, $70K+ is a bit steep for me. If I'm considering vehicles at that price point, there are a whole lot of other vehicles to consider that I wouldn't consider if I was spending $35 to $45K on an Armada.

Just out of curiosity, if you were thinking about the 2012 armada as a secondary option, why not just keep your current 08'?

When I first saw the new QX I wasn't a fan of the body style either, but I ride past a dealer (2 blocks from home) and the more I see them the more I like them. Good news, my wife likes them too, maybe I'll get to update....eventually, LOL. I took one out and they ride and handle great!

appreciate the commentary.

ive looked at audi, bmw, VW and the QX has been the top in terms of the TECH!!!! my main reason is the tech thats in this sucker. plus im a nissan fan so there! :)

im "eh" on the body style. its new.. i can pass over that.

i was always going to get a 2012 armada anyway. this would have been my last armada.. i would ride it until the wheels fall off. same for the qX. i would get this oen and ride it until it cant be ridden any more. nothing wrong with the 08.. i just had plans on the 12 since i purchased the 08 back in o8. :D

just realized i spelled "serious" wrong in the title.. :rolleyes:

would appreciate any more commentary on the initial questions though.

The best time to negotiate for a new car is at the end of the moth when dealers are trying to make their numbers. To optimize that, after mid December is the best. Nobody is buying vehicles around the Christmas holiday season so hitting sales targets is the hardest.

Spydee, as usual, your spydee sense is appreciated.

Marc your such a sell out!! ... lol... just kidding. I think they really do grow on you, and your right about all they have to offer on the inside!

Just to add on to what spydee mentioned is that you generally will not get the best deal on a new model when they first roll them out. Better to wait and let them cool off then make a play for it. Also do NOT be afraid to shop around and even let them know that you are shopping around. Your biggest advantage is to let them know that you can and will walk away if you don't think you are getting what you want and you will go to someone that WILL give you what you want. That being said you don't have to do it in a mean spirited way and loyalty to a dealership does have some added perks.

good advice. thank you thank you.

yeah im selling out.. :o but dag the tech is a geeks dream..

i made a couple of internet quote e-mails and talked to one guy. the 2012s fully loaded maxed out are not even out yet. there are some 4X2s with limited features. being in the warmer part of the country, not many 4X4s.

i told the guy i was shopping around the dealers. there are a few dealers here.

i figured there wont be any good deals on 2012s. there are some good deals on the 11s though! like in the mid 60s brand new. bah i need an even number year. :)

thanks thus far for the dialog.

Holiday's are the best time because the dealerships are ghost towns. Year end is great too as they want to make their accounting numbers and are looking to move product.

Here's how I shop for a car:

Go to a dealership you would not buy it from, tell them you are ready to buy today and give them the exact list of options
Say "I have to think about it" and go to another dealership. Knock $500 off the price the last one quoted you and see if they will beat it.
Rinse and repeat.
Before you know it you will find what the lowest price that a dealership is willing to sell it for.
Pick one of the low quotes taking into consideration the service department / convienence. It helps to save your favorite dealership for last so you can buy it there


I've gotten some very good deals on vehicles by using this method although it is not for the faint of heart as you may make some enemies :D

Also do your homework on dealer hold back and current incentives.

One other thing is don't let them act like they are doing you a favor by doing the financing through them - that's where they are making most of the money (i.e.: the interest you pay on the loan).

Happy hunting!

ps: your mods are worthless for trade-in / resale value and may actually take money off the value. Undo what you can and sell them separately.

Holiday's are the best time because the dealerships are ghost towns. Year end is great too as they want to make their accounting numbers and are looking to move product.

Here's how I shop for a car:

Go to a dealership you would not buy it from, tell them you are ready to buy today and give them the exact list of options
Say "I have to think about it" and go to another dealership. Knock $500 off the price the last one quoted you and see if they will beat it.
Rinse and repeat.
Before you know it you will find what the lowest price that a dealership is willing to sell it for.
Pick one of the low quotes taking into consideration the service department / convienence. It helps to save your favorite dealership for last so you can buy it there


I've gotten some very good deals on vehicles by using this method although it is not for the faint of heart as you may make some enemies :D

Also do your homework on dealer hold back and current incentives.

One other thing is don't let them act like they are doing you a favor by doing the financing through them - that's where they are making most of the money (i.e.: the interest you pay on the loan).

Happy hunting!

ps: your mods are worthless for trade-in / resale value and may actually take money off the value. Undo what you can and sell them separately.
Good advice...but why waste your time visiting the dealers? You're the buyer...you control the process.

After I finalize exactly what I want, I email the dealers within the radius that I'm willing to travel. I tell them:
1. EXACTLY what I want. No exceptions
2. Email me your best price. I won't be giving you a second chance and won't be dickering on price.
3. Don't call me. If you do, I'm not buying from you.
4. I take the best price and show it to the dealer close to me and get them to match it.

spta,

mods: i know they dont give a rats behind and they may deduct since its custom however ill let them tell me that. mostly everything is reversible.

i also thank you for your points/recommendation. :)

what i have been doing is kinda what keg noted and what i wanted to ask.

i have built the rig from the infiniti site. i know EXACTLY what i want. NO exceptions.

what I have been doing is e-mailing the internet offices and seeing what they say.

the issue i am facing at the moment is the 2012s are not really on the ground and what I am asking for (all bells+whistles PLUS 4X4--rarer in the in the south) is super rare even on the 2011s.

so i have sent messages out. since none of these dealers have these yet they are not flipping to help. im sure they are looking to dump their 2011s... in fact, all of them suggested looking at 2011s.. NO i said. :D i want whats on this build sheet.

so here is my question.

since i know EXACTLY what I want, i just need to take the sheet with the rig built how i want it to the dealers and go from there right? just thro it out to the dealers i want and see the offers?

so lets say i find someone whos price i like. whats next? since it would be more then likely a built to order rig as opposed to one in transit, how long would they take from womb to showroom? :D two months? more?

i want to move on it now. the 08 has 56K on it and i want to trade it in b4 the factory warranty (60K?) wears out.

i dont want to pay MSRP. invoice would be good. the company who employs me is a VPP business with nissan however i dont think the 2012 is eligible at the moment. there is a vpp deal going now which will end at the end of the month and its only for base 2012s.

also i know the end of year is the best but since this would be a 2012 im sure there wont be many GOOD incentives for this model year vs. the 2011s so ive kindagot my mind OK about that.

yes im really not well versed in car negotiating. when i found my 08, it was everything i wanted sans 4X4 (being in the south). i walked in and told them i want it. didnt haggle on price so they probably got a good deal over on me because i really didnt haggle and so forth. plus it was a bad year for the economy in 08 and i think they were happy to sell it.. :D

anyway i apologize for rambling. i really appreciate all the tips.

Good advice...but why waste your time visiting the dealers? You're the buyer...you control the process.

After I finalize exactly what I want, I email the dealers within the radius that I'm willing to travel. I tell them:
1. EXACTLY what I want. No exceptions
2. Email me your best price. I won't be giving you a second chance and won't be dickering on price.
3. Don't call me. If you do, I'm not buying from you.
4. I take the best price and show it to the dealer close to me and get them to match it.

Unfortunately the dealers in long island would rarely give a quote over the phone and none would email. Perhaps they have gotten more tech savvy since 2007? I hate going to the dealers as well. It is such a waste of everyone's time but most sales guys feel they can "close" you if they see you in person. Yea, you're not that good :rolleyes:

spta,

mods: i know they dont give a rats behind and they may deduct since its custom however ill let them tell me that. mostly everything is reversible.

i also thank you for your points/recommendation. :)

what i have been doing is kinda what keg noted and what i wanted to ask.

i have built the rig from the infiniti site. i know EXACTLY what i want. NO exceptions.

what I have been doing is e-mailing the internet offices and seeing what they say.

the issue i am facing at the moment is the 2012s are not really on the ground and what I am asking for (all bells+whistles PLUS 4X4--rarer in the in the south) is super rare even on the 2011s.

so i have sent messages out. since none of these dealers have these yet they are not flipping to help. im sure they are looking to dump their 2011s... in fact, all of them suggested looking at 2011s.. NO i said. :D i want whats on this build sheet.

so here is my question.

since i know EXACTLY what I want, i just need to take the sheet with the rig built how i want it to the dealers and go from there right? just thro it out to the dealers i want and see the offers?

so lets say i find someone whos price i like. whats next? since it would be more then likely a built to order rig as opposed to one in transit, how long would they take from womb to showroom? :D two months? more?

i want to move on it now. the 08 has 56K on it and i want to trade it in b4 the factory warranty (60K?) wears out.

i dont want to pay MSRP. invoice would be good. the company who employs me is a VPP business with nissan however i dont think the 2012 is eligible at the moment. there is a vpp deal going now which will end at the end of the month and its only for base 2012s.

also i know the end of year is the best but since this would be a 2012 im sure there wont be many GOOD incentives for this model year vs. the 2011s so ive kindagot my mind OK about that.

yes im really not well versed in car negotiating. when i found my 08, it was everything i wanted sans 4X4 (being in the south). i walked in and told them i want it. didnt haggle on price so they probably got a good deal over on me because i really didnt haggle and so forth. plus it was a bad year for the economy in 08 and i think they were happy to sell it.. :D

anyway i apologize for rambling. i really appreciate all the tips.

First find out what the invoice price is (should be readily available on the net), subtract any incentives and dealer holdback. That will give you a rough zero profit price. The dealer will want to haggle from msrp down and you from zero profit up. If you make it known you are ready to buy and willing to walk it makes things go smoother. Just realize that they do have to make a profit and they get rewarded for sales volume.

The truck you wan will be most of what they have in the north so they can get it on a swap. My 05 m3 was built to order and I waited several months for it. Never had to do it with a Nissan as most come stripped or fully loaded (I got a LE without sunroof or navi so I was in the middle).

I'm surprised the 12s aren't out - don't they come out in august? If they are not around yet it will be more difficult to negotiate.

Hello marctronixx. Man all I want to say to you is stick with your guns and don't let the sales guys try and make every excuse in the book to sell you something other than what you are wanting in YOUR $70,000 ride; PERIOD. I know about them sales guys and if they dont have a 4x4 in stock, but have a half a dozen 4x2's, them boys are going to push them on you to move their inventory. I had that happen to me from a Fix Or Repair Daily dealership because they couldnt find a 4x4 in state. As my wife and I sat there, everything approved, 1 and a half hours later, being stared at by all of the sales guys and even heard one of them say, "What's he need a 4x4 for anyway?" So we left and bought our 4x4 with everything we wanted in our vehicle elsewhere. Oh and I checked inventory here in Austin and they currently have 19 2011 QX56's on the lot of which 5 are 4x4's. No 2012's just yet. So you know they are probably going to push getting rid of their inventory with 19 on hand!

thanks guys.

SPta,

thank you for your advice. much appreciated. the 12s are hella new and i am asking for the thing fully loaded with all 4 packages PLUS add ons.. so yeah that plus 4X4 is hard to source here in the south. they have tried to sell me an 11.

and FAV above is right, they have many 2011s they want to give away.

i also know that what i am asking for is top of the line flagship and being new model year is also a challenge.

dealer claims to have sourced what i want so we will see when it gets here.

also do dealers prefer you NOT to order a car? why is that so hard? why cant i just walk up and say to a dealer "hey i want to custom build this car here.." i mean i have shown them what i want yet they all try to "find" one already made.. is this just to help them on the deal? i guess they would not get any money for having one custom built vs. just swapping one of theirs for one you want?

also do dealers prefer you NOT to order a car? why is that so hard? why cant i just walk up and say to a dealer "hey i want to custom build this car here.." i mean i have shown them what i want yet they all try to "find" one already made.. is this just to help them on the deal? i guess they would not get any money for having one custom built vs. just swapping one of theirs for one you want?

is not the money issue per se why they are reluctant to custom order you one. They have a slew of inventory sitting at the port waiting to be sold. why would guide you to a custom order one? :) Thats just more work and time like around 2 months for an order car and they want there money now, not in 2 months. but if you want it they can order it and you can wait. ;) if you change your mind you'll just lose your deposit (500) :D

To me it just looks to much like a minivan


Sent from my iPhone using Autoguide

It's a sweeeet smooth ride though. Less room that we currently have but it rides like butta!

I personally love the new Q! Ride quality/technology are superior than the competition!

WELP, im now the owner of a new 2012 QX. black/black mocha burl all packages 4X4 fully loaded. ill miss FATZ.. we had a talk in the lot.. he was good to me...

but maaan what a nice ride the QX is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats!! How soon before the modding begins??

sweet we need pics asap...what kind of deal were you able to talk em down too?

WELP, im now the owner of a new 2012 QX. black/black mocha burl all packages 4X4 fully loaded. ill miss FATZ.. we had a talk in the lot.. he was good to me...

but maaan what a nice ride the QX is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats Marc!

thank you gents.

i apologize for the delay. ive been super busy this weekend.

i am not sure if my deal was good or not. i only dealt with local dealerships.. i didnt want to venture out of Atlanta because i want the service to be with the dealer i purchase from.

all of the dealers (one exception obviously) could not find/source EXACTLY what I wanted. i was adamant about the things i wanted and most of the dealers were trying to "well is this a deal breaker..." and like Family Assault said, dont back down so i didnt. finally and ironically the LAST company i dealt with was the company i wanted to dealer with .. like what was mentioned earlier. start with the worst dealer and work your way up...one dealer did not even respond and another dealer was not hustling to get my business. the others could not source EXACTLY what i wanted. theres like 6 or so infiniti dealers around here.

so the car costs $68K and change. this is with VPP pricing. the car lists 76K on the sticker on the car.

as i mentioned in another thread here, i got all 4 packages with some accessories and the paint and trim i wanted. there is not a lot of info on the 2012 on the internet for this model and i looked all around for prices people were paying.. most were not getting all packages and others were leasing so it was hard to get a good ballpark on the model i wanted to get.

i did see from reading on edmunds and the like that dealers of these models are doing well with sells (2011 model) and nissan were not needing to offer any incentives for the 2012.

im very happy with the purchase and i really didnt haggle much. im a sucker. at the end of the day im just not good at car buying. full disclosure here... i read as much as i could and asked you guys for help which really helped. could i have squeezed out more? perhaps. im just not wired for car purchases. i look at the bottom line and see if it works for me.

as for mods? gee, this sucker is already modded! the power under the hood is really crazy. also the extra 2 gears are definitely noticeable. the RPMS for the usual speed i cruise at was much lower. the all around view camera is nothing short of fascinating. the arrows steer you in the direction you are backing in. all of the tech features are amazing as well. the headlights turn with the steering wheel.. THAT is just nice. im sure its nothing to you infiniti owners and rich folks :D but for this little dude right here, those things are awesome... the 22 inch wheels are really nice.. but bridgestone?? yuck :D

if you have to put air in the tires, the thing will beep and blink at you to let you know when you are at the required psi... just stuff like that. the speedo needles, when you crank it up, quickly make a clockwise revolution before resting to their spots when the car runs.. just little stuff..

apologies for the rambling...

Congrats! i didn't realize there was negotiating room on VPP

A few quick questions for you...what sort of MPG are you getting right out of the gates? I've been reading that many people are only seeing 10-12 for the first couple thousand miles and then it improves.

Also, are you putting gas premium in the truck?

Last and least, do you really need AWD in ATL? :D

HA!

im getting 12.2-12.7 MPG so yea this is about right with all ive seen also. the car had 9 miles on it. it was built in August 2011.

yes sunnoco 93. the dealer had it filled up for me when i showed up sos im burning their gas out so i can use my preferred sunoco.

and NO i dont really need AWD here but ive always believe a SUV/truck should have it and so there. :D

i could have used it last winter! Atlanta was shut down for a few days due to a lot of snow. the armada was 4X2. he made it around town but it was with caution.

the power you will love stator... wow...

Last and least, do you really need AWD in ATL? :D[/QUOTE]

As Subaru has said " It's better have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it":D

Hey Marc you should road trip up here and let me drive your new rig around a bit! :) think of it as a break-in road trip! haha

:D

this car is fun to drive. the distance setting works great in rush hour stop and go traffic. the car will slow down and even stop if you come up against traffic thats stopped on the road. i mean you can just about read a paper while driving. the car will steer you back in your lane if you wander and it will stop if traffic comes . if you use ICC it will slow down and then resume speed relative to the car in front. so if you set cruise to say 55 and you can only safely go 48 because of the car in front (and your setting of the distance betwixt you and the car ahead) then you only go 48.. it speeds up when it has the room to.

the stiffer body and the new system that shifts hydraulic fluid into the shocks REALLY does work. virtually no roll! i learn more about this thing each day as i drive.

the BT streaming and added usb port (upi can use ipod/android/SD card, etc) are MUST HAVES!! got a 16gb card in there now.

its defiantly smaller than Fatz... ooh and the air filtration system REALLY works. this thing KNOWS when odors enter the cabin and can automatically charge the odors with ion to remove the smell. its just amazing. Nissan did good here.

ill shut up.. but man i can go on and on....

i stopped at the Post Office today and just snapped a super quick mobile phone photo of the car.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-JNABt5FiKzU/TozQoB6kYsI/AAAAAAAAAlQ/6UlQzjS_1PI/s400/IMAG0082.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-PbbFFTe_SqE/TozQkcW5ErI/AAAAAAAAAlM/QA9idq4Zrhs/s400/IMAG0081.jpg

it really looks good in person. (i know i know i was dissin' it when it first came out... hey a guy can change his mind yes?)

lol... I think it is because it has such odd lines that we initially do not appriciate the cosmetics. After a while it does start to grow on you and the FEATURES deffinately do detract from this latest version.

Hey marc you never answered my offer to test drive your new rig! lol

uhh... :D ummmm... ahhhhh...... :p

The more I see them the more I like them. I saw a Black one on 26's in Atlantic station, chrome lip, black wheel. It was sittin nice and tall. Congrats, ain't nothing like the new car smell!

lol that's ok Marc... just yankin' your chain... but it deffinately would be a terrific long-range roadtrip test to see how it handled it... lots of different environments between there and here. :)

KOOS, i hear you.. no worries i knew you were teasing... :D a road trip up that way does sound enticing.. would give me a good break in indeed. :P

@ben,

if you are talking about Atlanta GA's Atlanta station, i may have seen the one you mention on the interstate one day. i have only seen 3 or 4 of these cats thus far..

i head to get the windows tinted in the AM.....

i head to get the windows tinted in the AM.....

don't forget the before and after pix

ha.. got them done plus the windshield. since there is a camera (Well there's two up there) there is a transparent "triangle" on windshield.. this seems to be the distance control camera "field of view" . the installer guy noticed it just prior to installing. so keep this in mind when you/if you tint the front.

the AS1 line is a few inches under the camera gear on the window so you can get a nice size tint visor if you so choose.. :D

so the tint has a triangle cut out and it brings attention to the camera.. it looks cool though... :D

sad news is this tint shop no longer does the super dark tint. they used to give you super dark tint up front "under the table" so to speak. well since the last time i was there to tine my 08 , they no longer do the dark tint due to too many idiots who get pulled over and saying "ooh i didnt know it was illegal... " :rolleyes:

so its not as dark as the armada was but this is a classier car so i may let it play. the installer dude does his side hustle and he could make it darker so i have that option.. but i think ill let it play.. the tint looks great and completes the car...

without pics, it really didn't happen!

congrats on the new Rig.....pics of new tint plz

Rob

ok images of the tint.


https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-3C1MuDOrA14/TqMVTjAmCUI/AAAAAAAAAow/gX_X2RepLYk/s640/IMAG0096.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-K46FOQIidV4/TqMVOQXQImI/AAAAAAAAAog/s92aj_hrbNo/s640/IMAG0098.jpg


this photo came out like i was using infrared film.. i think because i was shooting kind of facing the bright sun the camera phone sensor didnt know how to adjust.

on the window, there is a translucent "triangle" that i would guess is the visibility of the camera. i asked the tint guy cut out that triangle. did not want to take any chances since that tint is 5%. the windows are legal at 33% (GA).

the tint on this image does not look this different in contrast from the black thats on the windshield. look at the above photos again..just look at the black paint on the car you can see it also looks funny. kind of purple-ish.

and the AS1 line is actually a bit further down that where the tint stops! the tint guy just kept the tint in line with the other parts on the glass.

the camera cut out looks kinda cool to me. :p

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-yeo2wD2HZjA/TqMVRTPjUJI/AAAAAAAAAoo/xlqivwIqg_Q/s400/IMAG0097.jpg

Looks :temphot:

:o i am humbled spydee.

man i never thought i would end up driving one of these.. i am fortunate and the car is really nice... eating crow is ok.. :o

i set up the xoom using the Torque app to read the ECM so i have real-time stats at my fingertips... im a geek what can i say... :rolleyes:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-u4iSX926D64/TptSl9bD3eI/AAAAAAAAAn8/QxEYFL436eU/s640/IMAG0091.jpg

this photo i took whist driving (this car drives by itself.. if you can just hold on to the steering wheel. it will get you home.. when you move out of the lane it nudges you back.. just hold on and your ok!) is blurry so pardon it...

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-OH9ZkjFBCw8/Tpy8_hrjM_I/AAAAAAAAAoI/MdHd0JTaOus/s640/IMAG0092.jpg

Damn I must admit I too didnt feel the bodystyle but that interior looks sweet....Any more interior shots?


Congrats on the buy!

thank you invanity.

no other photos but they are of course online everywhere... its rather roomy...