07 M35 with 130kmiles, keep or trade in?? Help!

[MissMuniM35]

New to the Forum,

I have a 2007 M35 with 130k miles on it. I commute over 100 miles daily. I run this car in the ground, and it hasn't given me much trouble... YET!? I have the normal stuff that seems to go on, Steering wheel doesn't lift automatically sometimes, busted out Fog Lights, even the trippy gas pump thing I do regular oil changes, did a 30K service (( planning to do the 100k asap)) and I think I need shocks and struts-rides a little rough. I don't have a lot of money for any MAJOR repairs, I don't have mechanic friends, and I don't work on cars. I love this car, BUT I'm not sure how much more life it has. I am on the fence about trading it in for a 2012 M37 with 40k miles or a 2013 G37x with 30K. Both certified at the dealer with warranties. I feel like I would be getting rid of a Gem though. But I would have something more reliable for all the commuting, with low miles
Do I keep it , and ride till it dies (( 100 MILES DAILY)) how much more life does it have?

thanks for any advice in advance

[Ilya]

Welcome to the forum!

Do you owe anything on the car or do you own it outright?

[BlackCat81]

FWIW, I'm at just under 208k with the most costly repair being the steering rack and shock/strut replacement. It needs a few maintenance things, I need to do the valve cover gaskets and throw a set of spark plugs in it, but otherwise runs flawlessly.

[DS2009m35x]

2009 M35X w 118k. very good maintenance over life of car. Only exception beyond routine that's been done is steering rack. On higher mileage cars (> 100k) I plan on $1k-$1.5k/yr of maintenance/repairs. Some years more some less. If the car is paid for, this is much less expensive than a newer car with higher taxes, depreciation, possibly insurance, etc. In summary this car, when well maintained (like most cars these days) should easily go 200k.
(note: I've gotten >200k on most every car I've had in the last 15-20 years or so. With a family it ends up being cheaper driving yet with the right car can still be fun!).
Hope this helps.

[Larz]

Welcome to NICO !
This is a dilemma that everyone faces unless they trade or sell every few years. All older or high mileage cars will cost lost of dollars to maintain and repair and Infiniti vehicles are not simple machines. In addition to the items that fail from wear, there are electronics which are always very expensive to replace. I look at it this way:
Buying a new car with full factory warranty will be least likely to cost you in repairs, but assuming you finance it, will still cost you between $4000 - $5,000 per year just in payments.
Financing a used car with lower mileage and shorter warranty is an option, but there will be non-warranty repairs in addition to the loan payments. It's more costly to your budget than a new car.
Keeping your high mileage car will definitely cost you in repairs but it costs less than the $20,000 to $25,000 you will spend for a 4-5-year loan.

Some people who keep their high mileage cars open a savings account and deposit the equivalent of a car payment each month. I reckon this serves two purposes: You will find out early on if you could have handled payments on a new loan. It will also keep you from having to go into debt on a credit card for repairs and end up paying 5 times the repair cost in credit card payments.

[EdBwoy]

...
1. I have a 2007 M35 with 130k miles on it. I commute over 100 miles daily...
2. I do regular oil changes,
3. Did a 30K service (( planning to do the 100k asap)) ..

4. I don't have a lot of money for any MAJOR repairs, I don't have mechanic friends, and I don't work on cars...
Do I keep it , and ride till it dies (( 100 MILES DAILY)) how much more life does it have?

..

Here's my $0.02 worth. I'd keep the car. Unless I missed it somewhere, it has had a few invonveniences, but hadn't surprised you or left you stranded. The Nissan 3.5 engines were pretty solid as one can tell how long they kept those in production. Reliable they are.

1. Just by the mileage you cover, I assume you do a lot of highway cruising. 100 miles on the highway leave your engine happier than the same mileage by city driving. Correct me if you operate an m35 taxi though.
2. Regular oil changes are the simplest service you can do to keep your engine running for a long time.
3. The other services as recommended by Infiniti are a good step as well. This is usually supposed to be proactive maintenance. Keep that up

Basically, you have maintained this vehicle well. There is nothing in the recent history that points to trouble.
Are you the original owner?

Larz has shown some quick numbers above as to why it is cheaper to keep old. Heck, even if you had major component failure between now and 200K: say the starter, power steering pump, differential etc failed at 150k and you replaced them, you pretty much hit the reset button on those components and they can take you another 150k. If you replace the engine at 300k, reset again... see where I'm going with this?
[I have to mention that it's not that these components will fail at those mileages on m35s, I am just trying to show an example on asset utilization]
The only reason I am usually pressed to give up a car is if the body rusts to a level I deem unsafe.

I read somewhere in the past, that the best used car is the one you've got.
If you buy this other 40k mile car, yeah, you might have another 100k miles then it's time to trade again, right? That is if the prior maintenance has been kept up with and it doesn't give you trouble before then. I have to acknowledge though, if I drove 100 miles a day to earn a living, then the peace of mind is worth more to me than a few thousand Dollars saved to be in a car i don't trust.

4. See above. If you maybe save half a car payment every month, in a year you'll save enough to cover most events that could happen, although unlikely to happen if you keep up with the maintenance as you have.

However, if you are considering a newer car because you WANT a newer car, definitely go for it. Reward yourself, as there's no way to put a business case around that.

[M35SFIREMEDIC]

I have 139k on my 2008 M35S. I think I might go for 200k. I have no major issues and I have an extended warranty, other than squeaky breaks I love my M. Breaks will be addressed asap!! If it's paid for Keep riding bro!!