AZhitman wrote:Actually the M is selling for around $42K and a new Q can be had for under $50. And if you consider a 95 Q BRAND NEW in late 94 cost over $50K, how can today's prices be that bad?
I understand your point, although right now you cannot buy a Q for under $50k. Best price I can find is $52,545 at carsdirect.com for the base model, and I would prefer the premium model ($62,145), which is more comparable to my current Q. The stripped M45 is $40,345 but that does not include any options. Adding the wood package (so it least it looks something like my current interior) and the premium package with chrome wheels and a roof (like my Q45 has) brings you up to $44,795. Too much for what it is.
Even the base model Q45 is a full $15,000 more than what I paid for my 1998 Q five years ago, yet per capita incomes or real household incomes have not kept this pace. I was making $50k then and $60k now annually, and I'm one of the lucky ones.
In addition, the residuals have now been lowered on all of the lease deals. I'm paying $660 a month for my Q45 which is fairly cheap for what it is. Today, to lease a Q will run you well into the 900s. I, like many Americans, can't afford that.
These are my points. I'm not singling out Infiniti. ALL CARS ARE INSANELY EXPENSIVE NOW, and it is out of whack with the reality that most Americans are dealing with. Increased unemployment, more layoffs, etc. this is not a good time. Anything decent now is $30,000 or more and that is just too much money for a lot of people. My parent's house in 1974 was only $16,000. Today, cars cost two and three times as much. I remember when a Cadillac was $10,000. Sheesh...not any more.
Maybe I'm just resentful of the fact that I probably will not be able to afford another Q45. For the same price as what I paid for my Q, I will be forced into a G35. Not a bad car but not the same. A step backwards.
--don