Featured Question 1

Published 2008/09/112009/08/21 by G

I get good number of emails every week and I sometimes I find that some of the questions need to be shared with the community because they are just very good questions. I want to thank James for his question today because his question has inspired me to create a new segment of “featured questions” for the site. Many Thanks!

James: How is leasing a G37 sport bad right now?

G: The G37 is a worse lease than last month, but it isn’t a horrible lease overall. I will looking into the numbers in a bit.

James: It’s the SAME price as the IS 350 and the 135 and it’s $100 less a month.

G: I wouldn’t consider it fair to compare the IS350 with the G37 since we are talking about a coupe and a sedan. Those shopping for a coupe certainly should pick the G37 over the 135i, while those shopping for a sedan should consider the G35 if the IS350 is not to their liking.

James: 71% for 10k miles, .00179 M, 2300 down with your Excel lease sheet it comes to $400.83 a month with 6.5% taxes.

G: I’m not sure how you came out with those numbers since a MSRP and Cap Cost was not define. But lets take my August numbers and use them as an example.

MSRP 40215
Sale Price 36856

August Numbers
G37 Sport
24 Month – Residual 71% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 61% of MSRP – .00216 Base Rate

September Numbers
G37 Sport
24 Month – Residual 68% of MSRP – .00179 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 61% of MSRP – .00215 Base Rate

Something to note, when you lease for 24 months, the residual is the same on the 10k and the 12k lease. Tarry apparently keeps getting that wrong on Infiniti leases, so make sure to note that. Regardless, let us assume the lease is for 15k miles.

August Monthly Payment is: $470 (plus inception and taxes)
September Monthly Payment is: $511 (plus inception and taxes)

Essentially, you are paying about $41 more from August to September. Now those who leased in July/August were paying about $30 more than the ones who leased in May/June. Essentially, the price went up $70+ per month since June. And I suspect it’s only going to go up until the 09 model is released.

James: That’s a great deal compared to the others above. Can you tell me why you didn’t suggest it?

G: I apologize if I gave the impression that the G37 is a horrible deal compared to other cars of the same price range. My main reason for not suggesting it is because I felt the lease wasn’t as good as it has been in the past few months. Factor in the fact that most people lease the Journey over the Sport and the payments jump that much more due to the lower residual value. The G37 is still one of the best values when it comes to coupes, so if you don’t mind paying a bit more than those who leased a few months ago, then I would suggest doing so before the 09 model rolls into showrooms.

September 2008 Lease Rate for 08 Infiniti G37

Published 2008/09/102009/02/25 by G

My Take: Before we get into the numbers, I’d like to apologize for disappearing these past few days without notice. Had a family medical emergency late Monday, so I had to pack my things and skip town last minute. Things are okay now and I just got back tonight, so I should be able to resume with the site updates and email questions. Thanks for your patience.

Anyway, I did find some rates, so I will be posting them in the coming days, so please bare with me here. First of all, the numbers for G37 look BAD this month. I wouldn’t consider leasing the 08 models at all this year. Your better bet would be to wait for the 09s or just buy/finance an 08 model with their low 0.9% APR for up to 60 months. That results in a much better deal. If you are curious as to what APR a money factor of .00215 is, just multiply the MF by 2400 and that should tell you what kind of APR you are paying for. Not a good deal now, is it?

I’m not going to bother with the estimates since I’m recommending that you don’t lease this car. Buy or wait for the 09s instead, that’s money better spent. If you are still considering a lease of the 08 model, then leave a comment and I will crunch some numbers for you.

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2008 Infiniti G37 Coupe –
24 Month – Residual 70% of MSRP – .00179 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 62% of MSRP – .00215 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 53% of MSRP – .00194 Base Rate
60 Month – Residual 46% of MSRP – .00215 Base Rate

2008 Infiniti G37 Journey Coupe –
24 Month – Residual 67% of MSRP – .00179 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 60% of MSRP – .00215 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 51% of MSRP – .00194 Base Rate
60 Month – Residual 45% of MSRP – .00215 Base Rate

2008 Infiniti G37 Sport Coupe –
24 Month – Residual 68% of MSRP – .00179 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 61% of MSRP – .00215 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00194 Base Rate
60 Month – Residual 45% of MSRP – .00215 Base Rate

Rates provided by Tarry Shebesta from Leasecompare.com

August 2008 Lease Rate for 08/09 Infiniti FX35

Published 2008/08/232009/02/25 by G

My Take: There are some incentives and rebates available on the FX35 right now. You can see the list here The MF and Residual could be better though. A TMV price of $46,749 doesn’t seem to take the incentives into consideration, so it maybe be possible to shave $4000 off the MSRP and the loyalty cash. Definitely wouldn’t hurt to ask. Don’t bother leasing the ’08s, way too expensive.

FX35 2WD Wagon + Premium + Tech
MSRP $47,065
Invoice $43,230
Standard inception fees + tax not included
Residuals posted are for 15K miles/year.

2009 Infiniti FX35 2WD Wagon
24 Month – Residual 61% of MSRP – .00204 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 50% of MSRP – .00204 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 41% of MSRP – .00204 Base Rate
60 Month – Residual 34% of MSRP – .00204 Base Rate

24mo Payment: $752 at invoice, $919 at MSRP
36mo Payment: $683 at invoice, $798 at MSRP

I think if you are able to dip below invoice (say a $1000 or so), the payments should improve dramatically. I still think its a bit too expensive to lease right now, with the MF being around 4.9% APR. With all the low interest financing options floating around, why pay 4.9%? Doesn’t make any sense.

2009 Infiniti FX35 AWD Wagon
24 Month – Residual 62% of MSRP – .00204 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 51% of MSRP – .00204 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 42% of MSRP – .00204 Base Rate
60 Month – Residual 35% of MSRP – .00204 Base Rate

2008 Infiniti FX35 2WD
24 Month – Residual 58% of MSRP – .00260 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 47% of MSRP – .00260 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 39% of MSRP – .00260 Base Rate
60 Month – Residual 33% of MSRP – .00260 Base Rate

2008 Infiniti FX35 AWD
24 Month – Residual 59% of MSRP – .00260 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 49% of MSRP – .00260 Base Rate
48 Month – Residual 40% of MSRP – .00260 Base Rate
60 Month – Residual 33% of MSRP – .00260 Base Rate

Rates provided by Tarry Shebesta from Leasecompare.com

August 2008 Lease Rate for 08 Infiniti EX35

Published 2008/08/132009/02/25 by G

My Take: Good News! Last month’s super low MF for the EX35 stays the same for August. Not to mention 0% financing is available as well. So leasing or buying looks like a great deal right now for the EX35. The rates look so good that I will be estimating payments for all four trims at 24mo and 36mo terms. For those people in Southern California, I can refer you to solid Infiniti sales guy.

2008 Infiniti EX35 2WD
MSRP $32,765
Invoice $30,208
Standard inception fees + tax not included

2008 Infiniti EX35 2WD
24 Month – Residual 66% of MSRP – .00001 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00002 Base Rate

24mo Payment: $358 at invoice, $465 at MSRP
36mo Payment: $349 at invoice, $420 at MSRP

Edmunds TMV indicates about $1800 under invoice, but the lowest quote I’ve personally seen is $200 under invoice for a lease. From what I was told, $1800 under invoice is only attainable if you purchase. In any case, how attractive is this? $349 a month? If you can get that $200 under invoice price at your dealer, that’s another $9 off per month on a 24mo and $7 on a 36mo. You can cut the payments further by going for 12k miles per year. Now the only question is, can you find a base EX35 2WD in your area? They are probably quite rare.

EX35 Journey 2WD + Premium + Tech + Navi Packages
MSRP $42,565
Invoice $38,848
Standard inception fees + tax not included

2008 Infiniti EX35 Journey 2WD
24 Month – Residual 61% of MSRP – .00001 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 51% of MSRP – .00002 Base Rate

24mo Payment: $537 at invoice, $692 at MSRP
36mo Payment: $477 at invoice, $580 at MSRP

The numbers look much higher here due to a few reason; lower residual, high price tag. You can drive down the payments by taking off a few packages, opting for 12k lease and asking for a that $200 under invoice price I was quoted in July. You could be looking at low $400s on the 36mo lease if you can manage that. The Journey 2WD trim should be more abundant than the Base 2WD model. This is probably what I would have gone with hadw aited until August to lease.

2008 Infiniti EX35 AWD
MSRP $34,165
Invoice $31,491
Standard inception fees + tax not included

2008 Infiniti EX35 AWD
24 Month – Residual 67% of MSRP – .00014 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00057 Base Rate

24mo Payment: $366 at invoice, $477 at MSRP
36mo Payment: $372 at invoice, $448 at MSRP

Notice something interesting here. The 24mo/15k lease at invoice is actually cheapest. That’s a good deal if you ask me. If you need AWD, but don’t need all the extras, this is the car to get.

EX35 Journey AWD + Premium + Tech + Navi Packages
MSRP $43,965
Invoice $40,131
Standard inception fees + tax not included

2008 Infiniti EX35 Journey AWD
24 Month – Residual 63% of MSRP – .00014 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00057 Base Rate

24mo Payment: $527 at invoice, $688 at MSRP
36mo Payment: $515 at invoice, $624 at MSRP

Not too bad here. You’re looking at a near-loaded model, so payments aren’t going to be in the high $300s to low $400s. I recommend opting for the 24mo lease if you can get it to be lower than a 36mo lease because at the end of 36 months, your tires will more than likely need to be replaced. Have you ever looked at how much four 17″ or 18″ tires cost recently? Not Cheap.

If you are looking to buy/lease a EX35, now is the time!

* Residuals posted are for 15K miles/year.
** Rates provided by Tarry Shebesta from Leasecompare.com

August 2008 Lease Rate 08 Infiniti M35

Published 2008/08/112009/02/25 by G

My Take: M35’s August rates are the same from July, so if you missed out last month, you still got about three weeks to jump on this. The base model’s super-low .00002 MF is looking like a good deal right now.

M35 Base + Premium + Tech + Sport Packages
MSRP $57,365 ($59,365 – $2000)
Invoice $51,782 ($53,782 – $2000)
Standard inception fees + tax not included

2008 Infiniti M35 Sedan
24 Month – Residual 58% of MSRP – .00002 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 48% of MSRP – .00064 Base Rate

24mo Payment: $725 at invoice, $957 at MSRP
36mo Payment: $698 at invoice, $857 at MSRP

There is a $2000 loyalty cash for leasing ($3000 for purchases). TMV reports $1500 under invoice sale price, which means the car is probably selling for $500 over invoice plus the mfg’s $2000 loyalty cash. Payments drop to $693 if you go to a 36mo/12k lease, or
$677 on a 36mo/10 lease. I know the payments look a bit high, but consider the fact this car has about 14k worth of add-ons. You could opt just the Sports Package and you’ll see your payments drop down into the high $500 territory.

M35 AWD + Premium + Tech
MSRP $57,465 ($59,465 – $2000)
Invoice $51,964 ($53,964 – $2000)
Standard inception fees + tax not included

2008 Infiniti M35 AWD Sedan
24 Month – Residual 59% of MSRP – .00024 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 50% of MSRP – .00099 Base Rate

24mo Payment: $724 at invoice, $955 at MSRP
36mo Payment: $698 at invoice, $857 at MSRP

This is not a typo by the way, the payments are pretty darn close between the Base and AWD, assuming they are equipped the way I specified them. The major difference being the AWD doesn’t have a Sports Package. For those living in more extreme weather, this is probably going to be the better option. Just remember, take a few packages and adjust the mileage allowance a bit and you’re looking at a very attractive lease. Infinitis do come fairly well equipped even without any of the optional packages, so if payments are what matter to you, you may want to look into a base without any options (about $525 a month on a 36mo/12k term)

* Residuals posted are for 15K miles/year. Add 2% to Residual for 12k mi/yr and 3%
for 10k mi/yr on all terms
** Rates provided by Tarry Shebesta from Leasecompare.com

August 2008 Lease Rate for 08 Infiniti G35/G37

Published 2008/08/052008/08/12 by G

My Take: The official word is that the 08 G35 and G37 July rates will carry over to August, possibly into Sept 2. The 09 models will be arriving in September, so G’s in general are no longer in production. The days of getting a G35/G37 for under $400 with no cap reduction are not exactly over. However, selection is limited, so you may not get exactly what you want. Also, keep in mind that Infiniti has introducted 1.9% financing for up to 72 months as well (in addition to their 0.9% for 60 months), in case you wanted to go the purchasing route. Lets play with some numbers, shall we?

G35 Journey + Premium
MSRP $36015
Invoice $33046
Standard inception fees plus tax
Terms in BOLD

G35 24mo Payment: $445 at invoice, $572 at MSRP.
G35 36mo Payment: $429 at invoice, $515 at MSRP.

Not as cheap as it used to be. Using June’s numbers, this same car at invoice would have been $400 on a 24mo/15k lease. To say the July/August aren’t as good is an understatement, but I sense that things could get worse, so leasing the G now may be the best time. The good news is that the G35 can be had below invoice in most areas with fairly good competition. Assuming the following conditions, 36mo/12k, $500 under invoice, your monthly payments can get as good as $395 + tax. Drop to a 10k mile lease and you are looking at $376 + tax.

G37 Sport + Premium
MSRP $40215
Invoice $36856
Standard inception fees plus tax
Terms in BOLD

G37S 24mo Payment: $470 at invoice, $616 at MSRP.
G37S 36mo Payment: $474 at invoice, $793 at MSRP.

The funny thing about the G37 is that it leases better at 24 months. It was the same back in May/June too. I kind of regret not going for the 24mo lease over the 39mo lease come to think of it. Oh well, whatever. The G37 should be attainable at invoice in most areas with high competition. I haven’t heard of many people getting it for under invoice, but lets assume you can get it for $250 under invoice, and change the terms to 24mo/12k (10k is the same residual as 12k on a 24mo lease, so no point doing 10k). The payments should be around $439 + tax. Gone are the days where you could get a well equipped G37 for under $400. Of course, if you don’t mind getting the base model (like I did), you can still get it for $383 +tax per month at invoice for the 24mo/12k term…assuming you can find one.

2008 Infiniti G35 Base Sedan
24 Month – Residual 67% of MSRP – .00103 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00134 Base Rate

2008 Infiniti G35 Journey Sedan
24 Month – Residual 66% of MSRP – .00103 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00134 Base Rate

2008 Infiniti G35 Sport Sedan
24 Month – Residual 66% of MSRP – .00103 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00134 Base Rate

2008 Infiniti G35 X Sedan
24 Month – Residual 68% of MSRP – .00147 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 58% of MSRP – .00167 Base Rate

2008 Infiniti G37 Coupe
24 Month – Residual 73% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 63% of MSRP – .00216 Base Rate

2008 Infiniti G37 Journey Coupe
24 Month – Residual 70% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 60% of MSRP – .00216 Base Rate

2008 Infiniti G37 Sport Coupe
24 Month – Residual 71% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 61% of MSRP – .00216 Base Rate

* Residuals posted are for 15K miles/year. Add 2% to Residual for 12k mi/yr and 3% for 10k mi/yr on all terms
** Rates provided by Tarry Shebesta from Leasecompare.com

July 2008 Lease Rate for 08 Infiniti FX35

Published 2008/07/262008/07/28 by G

My Take: Just when we thought the Lexus’ residuals were low, Infiniti’s FX seems to take it one step lower. Unexpectedly, it doesn’t seem like there is any lease support for these vehicles. Lets see what the numbers look like on a FX35 AWD with Tech, Sport and Towing hitch.

MSRP $48,045
Invoice $43,769
Terms in BOLD, below
Standard inception fees apply, taxes not included.

24 Month Payments: $835 at invoice, $1004 at MSRP
36 Month Payments: $723 at invoice, $852 at MSRP

WOW! this hurts just typing it. The slightly better news is that you can probably get this car for under invoice…how much? Not sure, but Edmunds’ TMV shows around $3200 under invoice (in So Cal). Keep in mind that Edmunds’ TMV varies from zip code to zip code and also takes in consideration purchases, not just leases. Assuming TMV, the payment range is around: $675 for 24 months and $627 for 36 months. That’s much better, but not quite a “deal” since taxes are not included.

2008 Infiniti FX35 2WD
24 Month – Residual 58% of MSRP – .00240 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 47% of MSRP – .00240 Base Rate

2008 Infiniti FX35 AWD
24 Month – Residual 59% of MSRP – .00240 Base Rate
36 Month – Residual 49% of MSRP – .00240 Base Rate