Ralphus

Since it's an Infiniti, do you think the G35 will hold it's value better than the Z?

Zexpolosion

no, look at the historic values of Infiniti products compared to Z cars. In 5 or 6 years the G35 will be going for 10-12 grand, while the Z, may still be in the high teens for a clean example.

afr0puff

iTrader: (1)

As of right now, the resale value is pretty damn good for the G35. A lot of people are seriously considering selling early because of the resale value. And a lot are simply considering upgrading to the 2004 model because they wouldn't lose much.

prisoner

Luxury cars are the fastest to depreciate

ares

iTrader: (2)

the Z will carry a value to the right buyer beyond its true worth. where the G35 is and always will be a "car". someone looking for a clean 350Z may be willing to pay a bit more for it.

not to say itll be a substantial amount, and it may take 6-10years before the price levels off as a enthusiast peice, but just look at the supra, a 1998supra is worth more than it cost at the time in mint condition.

BigTwin

Some would say its because of the endless hype machine surrounding the 2JZGTE but the fact of the matter is the few that are in stock form and good shape are very very rare.

themyst

iTrader: (1)

and the Z will be a dime a dozen. Having traded in a Z, in one year, the Z lost 10k in the first year. Ouch.

Ralphus

Yeah the Z seems to be losing value way faster than the G35.

zeroday

maybe it's because of all the bitching and moaning that goes on in this forum? people come here, look at all the posts from complainers, and decide not to buy...essentially shooting us all in the collective 'foot' when it comes to resale.

themyst

iTrader: (1)

much of that bitching and moaning is 100% accurate. I don't recall anyone complaining about the G35 coupe, only complaints were syncro issues on early build 6MT's (same 350z tranny) and assorted rattles. I actually thought it was somewhat amusing reading the nitpickings of the G35 owners. The G35 Sedan owners were complaining about brake pads that wore out too quickly, but Infiniti is replacing them once as a good-will gesture. Now for the Z? Too many to count, and I've had each and every one of them! The late 03 build and 04 350Z's seem to finally have quality control down. Nissan pretty much told us pre-order guys (My vin# 957) to **** ourselves. It was a shame too... my 350Z with the nismo kit looked better IMO than the G35 coupe. But at least my G35 coupe won't be at the dealership half the time... *knock on wood*

NzZ

I've been reading about the G35 since it was released, looks like it has had about the same probs as the Z, except for feathering. They are both made from the same parts, after all. Also, if you took a $10k hit on a Z, then you must have been in a hurry to get rid of it. After checking out dozens of Zs in houston and virginia beach, the depreciation after one year and 10-12k miles is roughly $5000 (according to KBB a 6spd touring w/10k miles has trade in of $28,785). If you lost $10k you didn't experience poor resale value, you just got a bad deal (or perhaps they gave you a larger discount on the new drive)

Now on G35driver.com, you'll see half a dozen G35cs advertised for $33k...which would make you think they hold their value...but look at how long they stay up there. Bottom line is they sell for about $1500 more than a comparable Z used...but new they also cost about $2-3k more.

Bottom line is NEITHER car has good resale value, which is why buying a low mileage used one is smart. Or just drive the wheels off the thing.

I can definitely understand why you got rid of the lemon though, and no hard feelings about upping to the Z's "older brother" which is an awesome car in its own right. I just had to stand up and tell it like it is.

NzZ

Hank Scorpio

Just felt like repeating this because it's the truth. The Z depreciates no differently than any other car. It's not going to be some super car of the future that will be worth more 5 years from now than it is today. The G35 is basically the same car as the Z with a few extra luxury amenities. They will both depreciate on a similar curve just like every other car out there.

Blaming simple auto depreciation on a web forum is ignoring the fact that 99% of all cars lose their value at a rapid pace the second they are driven out of the lot.

themyst

iTrader: (1)

22k trade-in for a 14-month-old car with 22k miles is pretty reasonable... perhaps your estimations of a 5k loss on 3-6k miles may be true. Keep in mind, if you were to sell it privately for lets say... 25k, I'd have to pay sales tax all over again and deal with the potential bitching and moaning of the buyer. (especially since my car is basically a big red lemon) Now, if I were to get 22k trade-in, have no hassles from the potential buyer, and get my money back in tax savings... is it worth it? Yes! I traded the car in with the nismo kit on... because I felt my stock redline bumper / sideskirts will be worth more, as someone out there will need redline parts when they get into an accident... compounded by the fact my nismo front bumper was cracking and chipping worse than any stock bumper out there.

FYI - KBB and edmunds both grossly overrate the trade-in value of a car. All dealerships use something called the Galvan's guide, which underrates the value of ALL cars in comparison to kbb. Take the trade-in value specified in KBB, knock 2k off that, and you have a good estimation of trade-in value.

edit - If the dealer has a car sitting on its lot that they are dying to move, they will push a little incentive on you to take the car off your hands, but for a new high-demand car (g35c, sti, evo) they probably won't budge. If you're looking to buy a camry, they'll bend over in every direction trying to get the business. Supply and demand.

NzZ

I agree KBB overestimates, but I refuse to believe one can't sell a car to a private party at the KBB trade in price. In fact, I have never gotten below the private party price on the 5+ cars I've sold...and none of them were in true "immaculate" condition.

As for dealing with the bitching of the buyer, I guess I can understand the headaches. Either way, I'm glad you're happy with the G. I just know that if I trade in my Z, I'll expect more (don't know if I'll get it though). :-) As you said it is supply and demand.

Cheers,
NzZ

cwerdna

The sounds like a bunch of BS to me. What do you base that on?

How come in Consumer Reports, BMWs, Mercedes and most Lexuses have good depreciation ratings (as in, low depreciation) and POSes like most American cars and Hyundais do bad?

Also look at the Edmunds top 10 worst and best for residual values if you think CR is BS:
http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/...8/article.html
http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/...0/article.html

Cheever

Based upon absolute dollars, luxury cars (ie. expensive cars) do depreciate the most.

On a percentage basis, it depends on the make and model of the car.


Cheever

themyst

iTrader: (1)

if you're one of the fortunate ones that has a Z with no tire feathering or tranny issues, i don't see why you couldn't sell the car privately. Its just in my case (needed 3rd tranny, tire feathering on stock tires) that i'd have to deal with a whole lot of bitching and a potential buyback if the guy figured out my car had a bad drivetrain. The final blow in my decision to dump the Z was - Needed third tranny, pressure plate, clutch disc, pilot and throwout bearings were shot, and the clutch fork was bent. When the next buyer figures that out, i'd be taking the car back from him for sure. There is always a motive in a person's actions, in this case, i felt it was well-warranted. The Z is a great car, just mine was a lemon basically.