Review:
I bought a pre-pre-owned Toyota Camry
(1990) that served and still serves me well. Then, I bought an used 2000-I30 this spring (March 2007). Now, we get straight into the
review. Initial impression: it is a well designed car and for people with a good aesthetic sense, it will sure appeal. For me, this car
was almost love at first sight. After 6 months, I should admit that I have mixed feelings about this car.
First, we will get the gripes out of the way. There were several problems
in this model that Infiniti could have easily corrected or least made their
customers aware of. The most notorious one being the stop-and-go gear shift
problems on a hot day. I, like many others thought that I would have to
spend several hundred dollars on the transmission.
Thanks to few knowledgeable people on this and other forums, the problem
was reduced to one of cleaning up a revolution sensor. Infiniti should try
to make its customers know this problem than to milk money out of them for a
transmission system replacement.
Similarly, for a car made by Nissan, the major parts have a flimsy life -
for example, the engine starter. My Camry had the original starter and
alternator for almost 18 years. It still has the original starter. Infiniti
being a luxury class model should be more robust than a Camry. Unfortunately
it is not. The starter on my I30 died today after just 8 years / 82K Miles.
Most certainly FLIMSY for a luxury car. Yet another way that Infiniti
doesn't care about its customers in the long run.
If anything, the attitude of Nissan in these circumstances does not boast
of customer service. I am losing my trust in Nissan as a company because of
this problem. Last, but not least is the quality of the music system. It is
Bose, but one cannot help notice the jarring at higher volumes. Again, small
things like these in a luxury car matter a lot.
Now that the gripes are out of the way, we should appreciate this car for
what it is. The first thing that comes to one's notice in this car is the
quiet quiet interior. It is not just quiet, it is also very roomy. In fact,
one realizes the space inside this car really when they sit in the back
seat. the leg space is really comforting - to say the least. Of course the
leather / full power front seats add the right touch of aesthetics to the
connoissuer. Though the safety features are a standard given, this car does
feel safe to drive in. I personally like the long crash zone in front of the
car (engine) for the safety that it provides in case of an accident.
The next good thing about this car is its engine. It is powerful. Period.
All the power makes this car a dream to drive, especially on highways. Add
to it, the weight and this car hugs the road and still kicks up the
adrenaline, if required. All other nice things about this car have been
discussed in other earlier reviews. So, I stop here.
Finally, this review coming so late (after 7 years of this car being out
of production), it is mostly for ppl who want to buy this as a second hand
one.
In that regard, would I recommend this car to anyone else? Perhaps yes,
perhaps no. If you are enamored by its beauty as I was, make sure to check
certain things before you buy - give the engine a thorough checkup, and ask
if the previous owner had issues. Make sure to check up with his mechanic on
previous service records. It is not a bad car to buy / own - but remember to
keep aside almost 1000 USD for other small repairs that need to be done -
probably the owner is selling them because he/she could not trace the
problem to its roots. Be tech savvy (internet savvy) to scourge the net for
information. If you are ready to do all this - it is a good car to own -
really.
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