keg1997

Well, with a growing family (a 3YO girl and just had a boy last week), my wife and I knew that the '01 Pathfinder would have to go. We've loved it since it treated us so well for 126K miles, but it was just too small for our current/future needs.



We started shopping late last summer. My wife is a total "girly girl" but she wanted another SUV, just bigger. We don't tow and don't live in a foul weather area (we last got a real snowstorm in 2005) so we really don't 'need' a SUV. I tried to get her to consider a CUV, but she had no interest. I even brought home a MDX and she liked it, but not enough to really consider it. I think her exact comment on that was, "if you like it so much, why don't you buy it for yourself". She is exactly the person that drove the SUV boom....she likes the visibility and the image of the SUV, but does not "need" the capabilities.

We looked at several different things....

Mercedes GL450- We both liked it alot. It drives like the oversized German car that it is. The Navi stunk, but there were many cool features that compensated for that. Mucho dinero (like MSRP over 70K) to get what we wanted. I was also worried about reliability and maintenance costs and it was not quite a big as the other vehicles that we were looking at.

That was an issue b/c we wanted to make sure that we could fit 2 car seats and an adult comfortably in the 2nd row. My parents have a place in Hilton Head and we usually all go down there at least 2x/year. The last trip in the Pathfinder was rough....4 adults plus a toddler

Nissan Armada- We went straight from the Mercedes dealer to the Nissan dealership. Amazingly, my wife liked the Armada more than the GL since it was bigger/taller and felt much like our Pathfinder. We were just wanting a bit more luxury than the Armada offered. Still the new '08 Armada is a huge upgrade over the '04-'07 version, especially the interior.

Chevy Tahoe- Liked it fine, but nothing that made us want to part with our $

GMC Denali- Getting there...better interior than the Tahoe and we liked the Denali look. Hated the lack of a flat folding 3rd row. Loved the growl of the exhaust. My wife was bummed that the white was "flat" and not pearl. Besides the lack of the flat folding 3rd row, a very nice SUV.

Cadillac Escalade- I LOVED the exterior. My wife loved the White Diamond Pearl color. Little bit nicer interior than the Denali but nothing worth the 7-9K extra it costs. We liked how it drove (we would have gotten the 22's) but my wife was not keen on the loud exhaust note. Me...the Jersey boy in me loved it

I kidded around w/the salesperson that the Escalade had the "10K paint job" b/c my wife loved the pearl white enough to go ahead and get it. In the end though, the tight interior (it feels smaller inside than you would think) and the poorly designed 3rd row took it off the list. Still though, everytime I see one, I still get a yearning inside wishing that this fit our needs better b/c I love the exterior....classy, but with an attitude.

Infiniti QX56- Just as I expected, my wife really liked it. It is the uplevel brother of the Armada that she really liked before. It just comes with nicer materials (real wood/aluminum, nicer leather) and has a more luxorious feel to it.

We almost got it back in August, but I wanted to wait to see the new Sequoia, Land Cruiser, and LX570. We looked at those over the Christmas holiday.

Toyota Land Cruiser- Very nice interior- it almost feels like a Lexus. The exterior was blah, but the real problem was that it was not large enough. The 3rd row is tight and it still folds up against the flanks of the vehicle...no fold flat 3rd row. Plus, it is very expensive now...72K sticker for a Toyota! We never even went to look at the Lexus LX570 since it is based on the LC and that was too small for us. Plus I would have choked at paying the 80-90K it would have cost.

Toyota Sequoia- Very nice driving vehicle- probably the nicest powertrain of everything that we drove. It is powerful but does not have the loud/intrusive exhaust that the Denali/Escalade have. The steering is a bit numb for my tastes though. The driver adaptive suspension is actually quite handy and I would have enjoyed that gizmo.

It is huge and has a ton of usable space inside. The 2nd row slides for/aft and the 3rd row has a power recline feature that makes it very comfortable back there...the nicest 3rd row that we sat in. The two issues were the utterly disgusting dash (straight from the Tundra) and the lack of luxury features (no HIDs, outdated Nav, no keyless start, etc.) for the 59K MSRP that Toyota wanted for the Platinum. It just has a very industrial feel to it, not the Lexus-like interior that Toyota claims it to be.

So it was back to the Infiniti. I brought one home for a weekend visit just to be sure that we wanted it. When I returned it to the dealership, we worked out the numbers on the exact vehicle that we wanted that was just being built and would be at the dealership in 2-3 weeks.

We picked it up just over a month ago. An wonderful purchasing experience at Charles Barker Infiniti in Virginia Beach, VA. Like I said before, they moved quickly and effortlessly down to exactly what I wanted to pay (200 over invoice before the 1500 rebate) and never pushed any of the extra warranty or prepaid maintenance stuff on me. They don't even put on those tacky dealership stickers on their vehicles b/c "Mr. Barker does not think that they look good on his vehicles". Just a first class operation

We got a loaded Tuscan White Pearl 4x4 with Wheat interior
We got both available option packages:
DVD Package
Tech Package (includes laser cruise control and front sonar sensors)

In case you can't tell by now, I'm not a huge fan of these boat-like SUVs, but I don't have to drive it everyday. My wife loves it, especially the "toys"- Bluetooth, XM, Hard drive that you can rip your music to, Keyless start, HID headlights, etc. In the end, that is what matters most to me. Those of you who are married, know exactly what I mean. Besides, this just means that I'm that much closer to getting my convertible.

It is a nice truck though...Infiniti did a very nice job on the refresh. The interior is one of the best in the class and it drives very well for the size of it. Motor Trend called the Armada a "560Z" and I tend to agree. It does have a sporty ride to it, but you never feel like you're getting it at the expense of the luxury ride. It feels more expensive than it is and it definitely represents a good value in the class.

I'm pleasantly surprised by the mileage so far. Only 1500 miles in and we're averaging 15 MPG in mixed driving. This compares to the 16/17 that we got in the Pathfinder. Perhaps with a broken-in engine, we might even get closer to the PF's numbers.

Finally, the front end look is growing on me. I, like many others, find the headlights "odd". Interestingly, my wife, who typically has good taste (besides her choice of a spouse ) has always liked it and does not see why people don't like the exterior. I don't get the issues with the C pillar or the side view. I like it...very brutish and "trucky".


Cliff Notes-
- We wanted a new SUV (even though we don't "need" a SUV) for growing family
- We drove lots of new SUVs
- We bought an Infiniti QX56
- We like it....alot.


Pics:

JediMindTricks

congrats!

i've always liked the QX56.

ggesq

iTrader: (1)

Nice- congrats on the new acquisition. That dash definately looks better than its predecessors.

phil2

Nice upgrade....I woulda taken the GL though.

zeroday

nice truck. that thing is huge!

TL CHROMETIDE

I love the QX56. My uncle has one and he let me drive it around. The engine picked up nicely and I felt like I owned the road. It is definitely a top pick if I was choosing a SUV.

cbr04

nice! congrats on the new Q!

Walmart Gangsta

wow..beastly

but your wifey is gonna have to open up the back doors for the kids for a couple of years

SHYUperman

iTrader: (1)

congrats!

HKD LA

Nice ride!!! I would have got rid of the pathfinder too if I had a Tar Heel sticker on it....

nokiaman

Congratulations on the Q. Nice choice on the colour combos as well. Please report back on the gas bills, I wonder how much it costs to fill up something like that.

KCPreki11

That shit's pimp...blacked out and chrome wheels.

sho_nuff1997

iTrader: (2)

congrats! they are very nice.

Acuraluvr

iTrader: (2)

sweet man..... for us, we're in the same boat between the sequoia, q, and escalade

mind telling the sticker?

caligirl2k

Nice ride!!!

S14 n Tsx

congrats!!! enjoy your new ride.

keg1997

Good point, but we open the doors for them anyway...I don't want to give/get any parking lot dings

keg1997

Hey now!
Please tell me that you're not a Dook (sucks) fan

The funny thing on that is that when I sold the PF on Craigslist, the guy who bought it (for full KBB ) kept telling his wife that it was "meant to be" since he was buying it from a fellow Carolina fan. I threw in the hitch cover for him

keg1997

We would have preferred a black interior (or at least darker) w/the kids. Since it was not offered, it was btwn the wheat and a stone (light grey). We both liked the wheat much more. We talked a little bit about getting the beige exterior (Serengeti Sand) since we could get the black interior w/it, but my wife really wanted to get the pearl white. She still reminds me that she wanted the PF in a white color, so I was not going there again

I normally don't do this, but we did get the interior protection package for $500. They apply some snake oil on the seats/carpets, but the real attraction for me was that if any stains/rips/tears won't come off, they replace it for free. I like that kind of insurance with 2 kids, dog, and a light interior.

This sounds terrible, but I have not really been paying attention to the total bill for gas. I've been more focused on the gas mileage and comparing it to the PF. I think that when we first got it, I filled up both the QX (abt 28 gallon tank) and my TSX (both w/premium) and the total bill was $100, of which probably $40 was for the TSX.

keg1997

We were looking at loaded vehicles for all of them
The QX had a sticker of 59, 301 (got it for 53K or so)
The Sequoia's were right there too...58/59K MSRP
The Escalade was higher...67/68K

Which way are you leaning? Have you driven them yet?

keg1997

I cannot even look at the old dash now. I can't believe that Infiniti put that out...although that was back when they tended to cheap out on interiors.

My brother got a loaded '07 Armada LE late last year, but I have not seen it yet. I'm not sure why he got a leftover '07 when he could have gotten the '08 for just a bit more. Plus the new '08's just feel tighter and better assembled than the '04-'07s.

Street Spirit

She needs to strap the kids into carseats and eventually booster seats....So she'd need to be at the back door to strap them in anyway. Although I do hate how Nissan and Infiniti use those types of door handles for the back.

F23A4

I was just checking out the QX at the NYIAS and was pretty impressed with how well Nissan upgraded the interior so that it is not as as the Armada's.

SeCsTaC

This thread deserves the mandatory

INFINITI FTMFW!

Congrats on the purchase

Papa_Sean

so from the pathfinder to a school bus lol Not an SUV fan but the color combo is nice....congratz

agranado

cool... those things are pretty nice.

Why not the GMC acadia? Or is it too small.. cant remember what size specs were on it.. it just had an excellent front and rear end imho.

is300eater

shooter

Wow.. that beast is huge ...

Congrats on the new ride !

keg1997

I tried. My co-worker has a loaded one and I really like it. The wifey thought that it still looked like a minivan....can't say that I agree with that, but...

Acuraluvr

iTrader: (2)

we drove all you stated EXCEPT the q

and ended up getting nothing yet - escalade was great, but the price is 5-7 k overpriced, sequoia was good as well, but imo, overpriced too

in face, we test drove a highlander hybrid today (looked @ lexus too) and the highlander's interior is vastly better imo... w/ smart key, 2 screens, etc

while the sequoia was lacking that and the dash wasnt so pretty compared to the hybrid

they gave the hybrid to us for the night, sticker @ 47999, trading in our old landcrusier

in a year or so, we will be back in the market to trade our suburban in for my mother, probably either the armada, sequoia or Q now that you picked it over the sequoia

btw - motor trend comparison this month

sequoia>armada>expedition>tahoe

Acuraluvr

iTrader: (2)

and edit. 59?!? that is alot better than i would think for the Q

fully loaded? the armada loaded is 52

Walmart Gangsta

a hybrid highlander 47k???

Sarlacc

I had a Expedition and an Armada last Jan when I was in Oregon doing the off road yamaha thang.

Aramada > * in the huge size SUV category...cept maybe the Sequoia which I love but have yet to drive.

Expedition can offroad sure, but it has shit for engine braking, crappy ride, no power.

Armada has great pep, wonderful steering, drop to 3rd and go down an offroad trail at a nice easy pace without having to touch the brakes. Its a little too huge for my personal taste to drive everyday, dash is nice but stretches too far over to the pass. Not good ergo for driving and needing to hit buttons, though most can be done via steering wheel.

I'm sure the QX is great. Enjoy!

keg1997

Yup...our QX was as loaded as you can get and the sticker was $59,301. The spread btwn the QX and the Armada was bigger than the 7K in sticker b/c the Armada had a $4500 rebate on it (and going under invoice) while the QX just had the $1500 rebate. Truly the QX is not worth the 7-10K more than the Armada to most people, but it was to us. We wanted the extra luxury feel of both the vehicle and the dealership experience. Plus we tend to keep our vehicles for 4-6 years so the extra $$$$ that it cost us was well worth with it. We really believe in the old saying, "ya gotta pay to get quality".

I did look quickly at the new HL....very nice interior indeed! Just too small for our needs...but they are much better/sportier looking than the first generation.

EuRTSX

Congrats on your new purchase!

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

Congrats on the new ride. Looks great. Definately a nice upgrade on the Pathfinder.

SakiGT

Shesh. The price must have hella dropped on those trucks. One of my friends got one a few years ago and paid $70k. Could have paid off most of my condo with that. Now theyre going used in my area for $35-40k

Its a nice truck for sure, but man its big.

keg1997

Are you sure on that price? The MSRP has not dropped at all...in fact it was raised $200 on 2/1. Since ours was fresh from the factory, we got hit with that increase.

These things definitely lose some value, but we had to have a 08 b/c of the new interior and the only used ones that I saw were only a couple grand cheaper. Not worth it to me for something that we'll keep for a good while.

gatrhumpy

iTrader: (1)

Are you still going to keep the truck when gas hits $5.00/gal in two years?

keg1997

Uhhh...Yeah
Do you think that we bought this w/out realizing where gas prices were going?