I'm getting a new 2011 G37 6 speed Manual sport . It was very hard for my dealer to find one. They found a new one with 189 miles on the odometer.
Is that too much? So hard to find one in a dealer?
What you guys think, Thanks.

Divi

 

That's way more test drives than I'd buy into. Figure each test drive floored it and redlined it to see what the power was like, and worse yet, probably before all the systems were warmed up (not just the engine but the transmission too).

I read somewhere that the average test drive is about 7 miles, so that would make over 2 dozen test drives. The trouble is you just don't know, and you'd definitely not floor it and redline it in the first couple dozen drives if you bought the car right off the truck.

I once bought a vehicle with about 170 miles on it (got a great discount because of that), and starting around the 3 year point I began having all manner of engine and tranny problems. Most of them, they would not cover under warranty because they claimed the issues were due to abuse since there were no common problems with that vehicle that matched the issues this vehicle was having.

So, it's not guaranteed you'll have problems like this, but it's not worth the risk (and "pay me later" costs) in my view. Wait for a car with as few test drives on it as possible.

My local Infiniti dealer told me they are expecting a flood of new inventory in the coming weeks, so the post-quake/tsunami production must be close to getting back on track.

Wait for a car with much fewer test drive miles on it.

 

I don't think 189 miles is a lot and 6M sedans are difficult to find so if you want one with no test drives it will take some patience.

We had to 'order' ours and got lucky that the dealer was getting one very close to our specs. It had a sold tag (and no test drives) before it was even off the truck.

 

That's nothing. See if they can compensate any for it being a 'demo.'
But I wouldn't let that deter me from buying the car I want

 

True enough, but it's not the miles, it's the number of hard test drives that likely represents.

A couple-few hard test drives is not likely to cause any latent damage, but when you get up to the 1-2 dozen test drives...well there IS a reason cars have a break in period of mild driving.

Personally, I'd wait. But it's a crap shoot where you potentially end up with no problems, or you end up paying for damage other people did before you owned the car.

As long as you feel "lucky," go for it.

If you do buy it, definitely plan to send out for a used oil analysis for your first few oil changes. That will potentially give you peace of mind that you'll be OK longer term. I'd probably pull an oil sample (and tranny fluid sample if you can) and send it out the day you take delivery so you have the condition documented before they can claim it was due to your driving.

Nothing sucks more than having your car idle in the dealer shop for extended periods of time. That's something normally reserved for German cars

 

Now that I think about it, there's a very simple way to make this decision:

Let's say hypothetically you bought a G right off the truck with only a couple miles on it.

If, during the first couple dozen drives of your new car around town, you'd floor it and redline it each time, not believing that makes any difference, go for it!

If instead, you'd follow the break in rules with your driving, because you believe there's a reason for them, don't buy it.


That's really what it boils down to.

Everything else is just wishful thinking and speculation that you can't get an answer to.

 

I had the exact same dilemma a few months ago. I can't remember exactly, but my car had almost the same miles on it. I went for it, also due to the limited amount of cars with the options I wanted. It bothered me a little bit, but you really don't know. On the flip side, the car could have been driven from one dealer to the other and be all gentle highway miles.

The other interesting thing is, I recently read an article (there is a thread on here somewhere) were an engine builder damn near proved it was MORE beneficial to drive a car hard it's first few miles to properly contour the cylinder and rings rather than the common "take it easy".

I think I found it - Break In Secrets--How To Break In New Motorcycle and Car Engines For More Power

..they are motorcycle engines, but a 4 stroke is a 4 stroke.

 

I would buy it if they extend the warranty at no cost.

 

Ibanez540r,

The "Motoman method" is really not the same thing we're dealing with in this thread.

There's a big difference between the arbitrary abuse of test drives, and the controlled, deliberate steps used by that method.

The article itself says:
"Notice that this technique isn't "beating" on the engine, but rather taking a purposeful, methodical approach to sealing the rings."

PS this may blow your mind but I'm a fan of the Motoman method. Arbitrary abuse from test drives does not reach the same end.

 

Car was either moved from one dealership to another, or had been loaned out when someone else had their vehicle for service. Likely a couple of test drives as well. If you buy, your warranty will start on that date, both mileage and duration. I would not be overly concerned.

 

I really doubt that all the miles came from test drives (especially since it's a MT). Like the above poster said, it's most likely the car was driven from another dealership. That's what happened for my car (70 miles on the odo when I bought it).

 

it was probably a dealer trade, no way there would be that many miles from a test drive. There is no worry for 189 miles on it, even if driven hard, it will nto make a difference for the longevity of the vehicle. Do make sure though to have a clause that the car must be free from damage.

 

Ask the dealer if it was a dealer trade. If so, then you probably will be fine.

I bought a 2009 G37 Coupe before I got my vert and it had 175 miles on it, mainly from test drives. 2 years later and at 30K miles, the only issue I had was the seat bubble.

You can get a bad car with no miles and a good one with a couple hundred. Check the fluids and the body panels carefully and even get it up on a lift. If it looks good, you are probably going to be fine.

 

Ours had even more (233 miles), it was from Towbin in Las Vegas and they have Prestige on the other side of Vegas. The sales guy that seemed very straightforward said they switch cars between dealers if they're short on a particular color at one lot or certain features and said this car had gone between the lots several times. It's been a great car, never a problem except the sorry Infiniti paint.

I'd say go for it unless there's something bothering you during the test drive or any item that's not factory fresh.

 

I bought mine as a dealer driven demo with almost 6,000 miles on it, and they shaved $4K off the price and it was sold to me as a new car. Sewell Dallas lets their salesmen drive the new cars and they rotate them around. Sure it was risky but I've never had a problem with it and I enjoyed the discount.