RXSF

the fact that infiniti uses their M cars as loaners speak volumes. nuff said

Hypnotik

Dealers do have the ability to use loaners aside from their lowest models. FYI. After driving it, now my brother wants to buy one. So was it a bad idea in this case? Nope

Sens4Miles

What should they use as a loaner? a 1996 J30?
I actually think them letting their most expensive car be used as a loaner to be a good thing. I personally am impressed with a company that would let me use a better car as a loaner when I bring my cheaper car in for service

speedflex

And what do you think it says?

Bring your car to the luxury dealership for service. Dealer provides their top level sedan as loaner. Customer thinks one of two things; "man they must be hard up loaning me this" or "I get to drive around in a car which is a clear step up from what I own. This is great! In fact I might trade up."

Stupid dealership.

RXSF

whoa whoa, give me a chance to put on my flame suit.

my point being that if it is their "flagship" such that they put the best materials they could find, best engineering people on it, best tech, then by nature, it would be a very expensive car to build. And because of that, I would think that they wouldnt be using them as loaners based on cost. Since they are using them as loaners, it therefore implies that the cost is not as high as one would think, thereby implying that there materials, engineering, tech is not as great, and therefore, is not a very good "flagship"

put another way, since other makers use lower models as loaners, such as 3 series, C classes, ES/IS/RX models, it implies that the M does not cost any more to produce than those cars

or perhaps Im thinking it all wrong, which I have a feeling most of you would think so

Hypnotik

I agree with this statement. Also, 1 M37 loaner doesnt mean that all loaners are M37's. Most are in fact g37's. Other dealerships, even those that aren't infiniti dealerships use Enterprise rent-a-car for their loaners. It must mean that this specific dealership can afford to use an M as a loaner. I don't think this scenario is too far-fetched

LexFather

Well they only have 2 sedans so while most are the G37 if they need another it HAS to be the M37. Infiniti fleet figures have always been higher than the competition so its not really surprising.

*Batman*

I find the price difference between Infiniti M and BMW 5 to be very small. Works out as 3k when I build to my requirements.

Given this difference I would rather buy BMW, which is why the 5 series outsold the M by 5:1 in November.

RX_330

That's a moot point because loaners are all dealer dependent. Corporate really has no final say on it, just influence. That said, MB dealers have been known to loan out E-Classes along with the usual C, ML, GLK. But some larger dealers have been known to loan out S-Classes.

*Batman*

This flagship argument against using them as loaners is just idiotic. The Collection, a car dealer in Miami, offers the Porsche Panamera 4S and the Cayenne S as part of it's loaner fleet. Does that mean that these $90k cars are cheap cars made by cutting corners? I don't think so - it means they are offering a distinctive customer experience.

The real argument as to why the Infiniti M does not match up to the competition is the same argument I would make against the A6.

The car is made on a cheaper platform. In Infiniti's case, their entire product line is made on the Nissan 370Z platform. They stretched it, the widened it, they did all sorts of things, but this parts bin doesn't have many important luxury car features.

They can stick the gadgets on, but at the end of the day it doesn't have the ride and handling of a real luxury sports sedan. This is where BMW and Mercedes have an edge - active suspension systems, computer controlled noise cancellation algorithms to neutralize bumps, power stabilizer technology. My favorite one of these innovations is Mercedes "Magic Ride Control" which scans the road and anticipates bumps before you hit them.

BMW and Mercedes have learnt to deliver a ride which is both sporty and smooth. With most other car manufacturers, especially Infiniti and Audi, you have to choose between one or the other, but you can't have it all. You can't have a car which offers consummate handling in any situation.

speedflex

Just picking a nit here but there is no such thing as a 370 Z platform and there never has been. They have the FM platform which the Z is built on along with most Infinitis. So the Z shares the same platform with the G and M (in modified form) but the M and G are not based on the Z.

dsnowgs4

Well the New M was very pretty and well made. It did not have ALL the bells and whistles in the loaner car. It had the nav and Tech package but not the package that gives you the forest air setting or the sliver wood trim.

I mean you are talking about the equvalent of Lexus handing out Rx350s and GS350's. I personally have gotten the RX350 and have heard people roling in GS loaners. Both of thoes cars are 50k+out the door in limited trim.

I think you "RXSF" would be right if they were giving out the M56 or the FX56 but they are not. Just like you dont see Lexus giving out the LS600h.

So my feeling is that the M37 is not the Flag Ship.. the M56 with 400+hp is...



The dealer I work with has 28 loaner cars. and each of the 4 Service reps have 1 M37 to loan out. They also have a TON of G37's and FX35s. The dealership will even pull used cars off the lot to give people who are getting their cars serviced.

BTW the guy who owns the Infiniti dealership used to manage (for years) the TOP Lexus dealership here in Colorado. He left and opened up his own store selling Infinitis'. His slogan is "Just Drive it".

Its one of the big reasons I now own an Infiniti. On 2 different occasions Infiniti wanted me to take cars and drive them for a whole day or two and bring it back with no questions asked if I did not like it.

I dont know a Lexus dealership here who would hand you the keys to a RX400h or a GS450h and say take it for the afternoon and let me know what you think.

Its funny because that is how I was sold on my GS400.. The Lexus sales guy handed me and my Dad the keys and we drove the car alone for a few hours and were sold... When I was looking for my car now every GS350 I drove came with an annoying Sales Guy. Who limited our drive to like 10 miles. Maybe they still do and I just did not find that type of sales guy this time around.


Anyway I think its a great way to sell cars..

DustinV

I'm actually American, I just work and live in Germany.

I completely understand what you mean and I understand that my countrymen love easy power and acceleration - I grew up with the same mentality after all.

However, once you experience "the other side of the pond", you'll also begin to understand that luxury doesn't have to be about excess. That's basically what "turned me around" in my automotive beliefs and made me somewhat more conservative in that regard. Would an IS350 be nice? Sure - but an IS250 takes care of my performance needs for example. I'm not the kind of person who performs countless kickdowns per hour to experience acceleration surges anyway. I drive my cars in a relaxed and elegant manor so I don't need an IS350 or even an IS250: an IS220d would be the car for me.

Anyway, a few years ago, I would have thought an C200 CDI, an E230 or my current BMW 118d would have been underpowered and extremely slow. But they're not as slow as they sound. People back home are just spoiled by excessive power. I think I'll leave it at that. Power and performance is all subjective anyway.

1AFCabinUA

1) A6 is using it's own platform developed by Audi, not sure how you could say that with a straight face, because the facts simply don't bow in your favor. Audi doesn't share platforms with their lesser brethren outside of the A1 (Polo), A3 (golf) and Q7 (cayenne/touareg), and even then you'd never know given the extensive differentiation

2) the M platform has half of those active suspension features you mention, including some the Germans don't do like 4 wheel steering. It also has arguably an interior that is at parity with an A6/eclass/5series (class benchmarks).

*Batman*

If they aren't platform sharing with VW why does it come in front wheel drive? Nobody in their right mind would design a platform for a 50k car and make it front wheel drive.