I've been looking at this vehicle to replace my 2000 Nissan Xterra since last year when I went to see the prototype at the NYC Auto Show. I knew I wanted the EX but after seeing the lackluster sales and the concerns about the rear legroom, I kinda dropped it off my purchasing radar. I had considered other vehicles, everything from a G35/37, to a used FX and even an Audi TT.

After work last Friday, I decided to go look at the new FX when I noticed the deals that were going on with the EX and immediately started to fall in love with the car again. I took it for a test drive with a couple of my friends when one of them mentioned to the salesman that he should let me take it for the rest of the weekend. My friends and I were going to the UVA-USC football game (4 hrs. roundtrip) and I figured that the salesman would say no. After talking to the GM, the salesman came back and said that they could let me take it down.

So on Saturday, I drove the EX down to Charlottesville and got a really good feel for it. A little more road noise than I hoped on the concrete highway but once we got to smooth asphalt, the ride was nice and quiet. Power delivery was excellent and I love all of the tech features. Seats were very comfortable, although my friend in the back did comment about the legroom.

After my team got destroyed by the Trojans, we made the trip back. I got to see what it was like driving at night with the adaptive lights. The rolling hills on Virginia Rt. 29 make night driving a little uneasy. The lights definitely had more coverage than the plain halogens on my X but the color of the light emitted took some time getting used to.

I spent some time reading the board to get advice on pricing and I'm glad I did. I went in knowing I wanted to get the invoice price and the 0% and I worked out the deal with the GM essentially in about 5 minutes.

I want to thank all of you who posted on the pricing thread, especially CaribMon71, who actually I met at Passport Infiniti as he was taking delivery of his Dark Currant EX. Your information really helped with my deal!

I also want to thank the guys at Passport for being real helpful and making the whole process as painless as possible.

Mike

Post Title: Re: Proud new owner! (SalsAsianMike)
Posted by: Timmbo at 6:45 PM 9/1/2008

I've already paired my Blackberry and hooked up my iPod. They both work flawlessly together. The tech package is out of this world. I really like it a lot. I had to wait for the Luxe Elite, but it was worth it. I'm already using my coat hanger in the mornings. The wheat is beautiful, but I find myself washing my hands before I get into the car just to keep from darkening up the steering wheel!

Post Title: Re: Proud new owner! (CaribMon71)
Posted by: SalsAsianMike at 8:38 PM 9/3/2008

I see you're already finding your way around DC just fine and in style. Yeah I've been enjoying my new ride as well. My iPhone paired up easily and it's great to have access to my entire CD collection from my iPod.

I've never had a nav system before either and didn't really need one at least locally, having been raised in the DC Metro area practically all my life. But now that I have one, I find it very useful. The other day, it even showed me an alternate route home from my office that I didn't know about.

Now I just need to find a good tint shop to do my windows.

Hope you made it over to Wal-Mart to buy that mattress!



Post Title: Re: Proud new owner! (SalsAsianMike)
Posted by: CaribMon71 at 8:46 PM 9/3/2008

I put in a request for a quote from LA Tint in Alexandria to do an install with a non-metallic, ceramic based tint (Pinnacle Series by FormulaONE). The Infiniti manual warns against using a metallic tint on the rear glass due to the antennas for the radio & nav. I'm going to play it safe and just use the non-metallic all around.

I've read other boards saying that LA Tint does great work but you pay for quality. I've also read recommendations for California Tint in Tysons. They've been around for 20 years so I'd guess they're pretty good. I'll probably get a quote from them as well.

I'm expecting to pay around $350-500. I'll let you know what I find.




Post Title: Re: Proud new owner! (SalsAsianMike)
Posted by: CaribMon71 at 1:21 AM 9/7/2008

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