I put a deposit on an SUV, changed my mind and bought a minivan instead...

Started by veeman, May 23, 2022, 10:50:42 PM

veeman

Put a deposit on an Infiniti QX80 (gussied up Nissan Armada).  Had been scouring the autotrader ads for a year looking for a certified used one at a decent price near where I live.  Sold my old car to Carmax and put a deposit on a newer 2018 model at a nearby dealership.  This was on Thursday.  I didn't drive it home because the finance guy at the dealership wasn't in.  Made an appointment for the following Monday to complete the deal and I put a one thousand dollar deposit on the car.

Friday morning started having buyer's remorse.  I love the car but started thinking about cost...Daughter going to be driving in a year or two and might get a 3rd car, gas price, need to replace retaining wall on the house, etc. etc.  Talked to my wife and said, "Maybe we should get a more fuel efficient car..."  Before I finished my sentence she said "yeah..." 

So I looked at the dealer inventory of certified used cars and saw a dark blue QX60.  We had gotten the QX60 as a loaner a few times before and actually really liked it.  Interior seating space in all 3 rows feels just as roomy as the bigger SUV.  It's really a minivan with an SUV look about it.  Whatever.

Called the dealer Friday and asked him to switch the deposit to this car.  He asked me why?  I said because my wife said so.  He said O.K. and then laughed. 

The CVT doesn't bother me, it's plenty fast enough in sport mode, and costed me 17 thousand less than the bigger SUV.  Cheaper to maintain and saves me 2 grand a year in gas money. While driving home from the dealership I was smiling with no buyer's remorse.






FoMoJo

"The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once." ~ Albert Einstein
"As the saying goes, when you mix science and politics, you get politics."

Eye of the Tiger

2008 TUNDRA (Truck Ultra-wideband Never-say-die Daddy Rottweiler Awesome)

veeman


dazzleman

It looks really nice.  I love the color.  I think you were right to get the smaller and more fuel efficient model.  Enough people drive around in those oversized monstrosities.
A good friend will come bail you out of jail...BUT, a true friend will be sitting next to you saying, DAMN...that was fun!

veeman

Quote from: FoMoJo on May 24, 2022, 05:44:11 AM
Good move.  It really doesn't look like a minivan.

It's OK  :lol:  I'm comfortable enough in my masculinity to drive it.  The key was to get my wife to not think it's really a minivan.  Mission accomplished  :lol:

CaminoRacer

2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

veeman

Quote from: dazzleman on May 24, 2022, 09:14:16 AM
It looks really nice.  I love the color.  I think you were right to get the smaller and more fuel efficient model.  Enough people drive around in those oversized monstrosities.

Thanks man!  I like the color a lot too.  I've driven one before as a loaner a few times and really liked the drive.  In "sport" mode it's plenty fast.

It was a last minute panic buy but... my wife wouldn't have been happy in a Hyundai/Kia because of the branding and I wouldn't have scored nearly as good a deal on a Genesis SUV.  Genesis is much better probably luxury wise but the Infiniti interior is actually pretty nice IMHO.  Audi, Mercedes, and BMW are all better but much more expensive and terrible manufacturer extended warranty options.  For Infiniti certified, they offer 96 months from date of manufacture with unlimited miles (bumper to bumper, except wear and tear) for $4500.  That's expensive but much cheaper and for a much longer period of time than what the German luxury brands offer in the U.S. That's also why I didn't buy from Carmax or Carvana.  I wanted a manufacturer sponsored extended warranty which only comes from dealerships.


veeman

Wheels are a bit undersized (18s).  When the tires need replacing I may get 19s.  Current ones are probably more pot hole resistant. 

CaminoRacer

2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

Rich

It's gotta ride nicer than the 80, which is where my preference would be. You dun good
2003 Mazda Miata 5MT; 2005 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport 4AT

veeman

Quote from: CaminoRacer on May 24, 2022, 09:39:43 AM
Can it do burnouts?

I don't know.  If you pedal to the metal, it fake shifts through gears (CVT).

If I put it in neutral, revv up the engine, and then put it in drive maybe it'll do a front wheel burnout. 

veeman

Quote from: Rich on May 24, 2022, 10:03:26 AM
It's gotta ride nicer than the 80, which is where my preference would be. You dun good

Surprisingly on the 22 inch wheels, my former QX56 (now called QX80) still had a pretty good ride.  It had an air suspension so that may have helped although I test drove regular suspension QX80s a while back and they still drive pretty well.

But you're right I'm sure the QX60 has a smoother ride. I don't have enough seat time yet. 

Eye of the Tiger

Quote from: veeman on May 24, 2022, 10:44:47 AM
I don't know.  If you pedal to the metal, it fake shifts through gears (CVT).

If I put it in neutral, revv up the engine, and then put it in drive maybe it'll do a front wheel burnout.

Definitely try that last thing. :lol:
2008 TUNDRA (Truck Ultra-wideband Never-say-die Daddy Rottweiler Awesome)

CaminoRacer

2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

Laconian

Welcome back to the world of the monocoque! Very nice looking SUV.
Kia EV6 GT-Line / MX-5 RF 6MT

AutobahnSHO

Will

veeman

Quote from: Laconian on May 24, 2022, 11:19:27 PM
Welcome back to the world of the monocoque! Very nice looking SUV.

I had to look up "monocoque".  Yes definitely more interior volume per footprint than body on frame.  Nothing like the interior volume of a true minivan but pretty decent room in the third row, although knees up in the chest.  Fine for kids and OK for adults.  Former QX56 had really thick front seats and captain chairs in the 2nd row.  Looked and felt great (literally a living room couch) but did reduce interior useable space.  Still it wasn't cramped inside because the footprint and height of that car was very large. 

This car drives better on local roads.  By no means sporty it's just not as much a land barge. 

Thanks man!


veeman

Quote from: AutobahnSHO on May 25, 2022, 03:04:35 AM
Excellent!! Congrats!

Thanks Will!  Wife already likes it better which is what matters most and I'm cool with the styling and look.  Plus I really like the color and I'm not the type who cares about it "always looking dirty" with dark colors.  When I take the car to the dealer for an oil change they wash it and that's good enough for me.

AutobahnSHO

Will

Lebowski

Looks good but should have just got an Odyssey or Sienna.  Better choice than a QX80 though, those things are hideous I'd rather drive a minivan.   

NomisR

We were looking at these things before we picked up the Pilot before.  The Pilot to me drove better and felt like a better mini van than the QX, roomier and better packaging, while not horrible off the paved road.  My biggest problems with Infiniti is that they're big but they're not really space efficient.  Their cars are not roomy at all for the size.  Had one for a Uber on the way back from the airport, definitely does the job well.

Nice looking car though.

veeman

Quote from: Lebowski on May 29, 2022, 09:56:26 AM
Looks good but should have just got an Odyssey or Sienna.  Better choice than a QX80 though, those things are hideous I'd rather drive a minivan.   

True minivan will always win out for functionality over an SUV.

veeman

Quote from: NomisR on May 29, 2022, 10:41:34 AM
We were looking at these things before we picked up the Pilot before.  The Pilot to me drove better and felt like a better mini van than the QX, roomier and better packaging, while not horrible off the paved road.  My biggest problems with Infiniti is that they're big but they're not really space efficient.  Their cars are not roomy at all for the size.  Had one for a Uber on the way back from the airport, definitely does the job well.

Nice looking car though.

QX60 is actually packaged pretty well, I think, for a soccer mom SUV.  Honda Pilot I think is a bit taller and wider probably.  My former Buick Enclave, very similar in size to a Honda Pilot, drove creamy smooth.  After 5 years of daily usage, the Buick's interior switch gear looked trashed.  The blue for cold and red for hot markings on the seat heater buttons had mostly rubbed off for example.  My former Infiniti QX56 interior switch gear after 9 years still looked new and all the electronics still worked great (seat heaters, etc) unlike the Buicks.  We'll see how the Infiniti QX60 holds up over time.  The new QX60 model which just came out got rid of the CVT transmission for a 9 speed and looks brawnier but I have a 2019 older model.