| tzeus |
Well after our new arrivals of twins this past June, now a family of 5, we have outgrown the MDX .....yes it's a sad day in deed. I'm seriously looking at the QX56, was wondering if anyone had any positive or negative feed backs.
As well the dealer wants to give us about $25000 four our 2002 MDX/Touring....has anyone gotten or seen/heard of better trade-in? Of course KBB is about $27000 - $28000......
Thanks for the help!
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| eurohazard |
| Here is what I know about the Nissan Armada. The rear defroster doesn't work too well. And the suspension is a little rough. And they say the HVAC fan is loud. The QX56 is virtually the twin to the Armada. Check these things out when you test drive. It may be better in the Infiniti, than in the Nissan, as it should. |
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| scoobs |
| Car and Driver says the QX56 has the same problems that the Armada does re noise, cheap interior, rough ride etc. |
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| Sir P |
Do not know about QX56, but test driving Armada last year was one big disappointment to me. Noise and vibrations level untolerable.
QX56 could be better, I heard they made it more noise proof. Give it a try, go for a test drive in 2005 QX56 when it comes out. Listen carefully to the cabine noises, humms, vibrations, pressure changes. If you do not feel anything, let us know :)
Size-wise Armada and QX56 are HUGE! Room for everything and then some.
MPG is not that great on both of them, plus QX56 requires premium fuel. |
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| scoobs |
To quote Motor Trend's opinion of the QX56:
"Potent and feature-packed, but it's far too unbuttoned for the premium sticker" |
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| tzeus |
Update on the QX56, I test drove the Nissan Armada and I did an extensive test drive of the QX56 (about 3 hours, my neighbor is an Infiniti Dealer!). And there is a slight difference between the Armada and the QX56, but not much. The QX56 is a quieter, tighter, and better handling SUV than the Armada, but not by much. Obviously the QX56 is dressed in a Tuxedo, underneath all Armada.
Armada is very cheap looking inside, a lot of plastic. The leather obviously is very stiff, but it’s expected from Nissan. The QX56 is identical interior, except it’s dressed up, and still “very plastic”. Overall the QX56 didn’t feel very tight inside, meaning the controls, the usage of the buttons, etc. The Navigation system, sucks! The MDX is way better, and even my Alpine Navi I have in my X is better. The rear-view camera is a great feature, especially for the wife that never bothers to look back when going in reverse!
So overall, I think the QX56 is a good choice for lease. I have a feeling trading my MDX in for the QX, that in 3 years I will want to get rid of it….I just have issues with letting go of the X…. |
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| evoge |
quote:
Originally posted by scoobs
"Potent and feature-packed, but it's far too unbuttoned for the premium sticker"
(For some reason I never get tired of watching scoobs' avatar. ) |
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| msu79uh04 |
quote:
Originally posted by tzeus
The Navigation system, sucks! The MDX is way better, and even my Alpine Navi I have in my X is better. The rear-view camera is a great feature, especially for the wife that never bothers to look back when going in reverse!
Having owned an FX35 for all of 5 days now I can say that I like the Infiniti Navi as well as the '04 MDX Navi. Some things I like better, some things are neutral, and some are not as good. On the positive side I like the display and the colors. The optional "Birdseye View" is a nice alternative to the traditional flat map view. The Infiniti system also seems to be more accurate than the MDX; especially regarding entrance/exit ramps and access roads. The MDX rarely gets ramps correct in my area (it will go from reading highway to side street w/o ever recognizing the ramp); the Infiniti gets the same ramps correct. The joystick is easy to use and the screen never has fingerprints on it. I have yet to really program the Infiniti however.
Of course how one uses the Nav will go a long way in determining how one rates a Nav! I for one rarely program it (except on long trips and the few time I do NOT know a location around home. See Poll linked below:
http://www.acuramdx.org/forums/show...?threadid=12533 |
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| boston |
| So many problems with fit and finish on the Nissan. Have you tried the Sequoia? |
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| hockeyplayer |
quote:
Originally posted by evoge
(For some reason I never get tired of watching scoobs' avatar. )
I was going to post that exact same response a couple of days ago:D
As for the comment over the avatar....
:finger: YOURSELF............:p |
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| scoobs |
| Who is messing with my avatar ?? And why is the hockey player stopped at the blueline ?? |
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| tzeus |
Well after a month of contemplating on the QX56, I’ve decided to go for it, picked her up this past Thursday, and I have decided to keep the MDX :yesyes: !! Getting rid of my Nissan Maxima instead....
I’ll post some pics soon.... |
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| MDXinSoCal |
| So how do you feel about your decision to go with the QX56 now that you've had it for almost a month now? One thing to keep an eye on is the braking system. I have a coworker with a Nissan Armada and she had to have the brakes replaced twice (discs and pads). My wife's coworker also has a brand new Armada and had to have the same problem addressed, after only 6 mos! Just thought I'd pass that along since the loaded Armadas they own and QX56 are essentially the same vehicle mechanically. |
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| tzeus |
Thanks for the heads up....and yes the brakes are very weak!
One word: LEASE! Thank God I leased this beast.....
Styling: Appearance, finish, materials:
I personally like the exterior design and look of the QX56. My only compliant is that the quality of the material used and the way it’s built is very cheap. Example the passenger and driver door handles are chrome plated only. Basically the handle underneath is plastic and they have slapped a piece of chrome plate to cover the actual plastic handle. The chrome rims, are an excellent addition to the QX making it more luxurious.
Performance: Acceleration, braking and handling.
Very powerful V8, acceleration. Braking for this beast is inadequate! If I was to keep it I would definitely modify the brakes. Handling, well it’s a big truck, in the beginning I was driving it like the MDX (big mistake), all I can say is thank God for the AWD otherwise I would have flipped over a long time.
Interior: Seats, accessories and comfort.
Seats are not form fitting like the MDX, they are standard big truck seats. The headrests are actual head restraints which I find to be a huge plus. The second row has the option with captain seats or bench. I went with bench since I have 3 little ones. The third row, all I can say is wow, huge difference. Two adults fit in the third row very comfortable, with ample leg room for long trips. Obviously since this is a bigger truck than the MDX….and the main reason I leased it. I needed the additional room wince we now have twins! Behind the third row, well enough room to fit a Double stroller….not a lot of room, but not so bad.
Quality of interior, well, CHEAP! Not as well put together as the MDX. The cheapness sticks out! The plastic used in the interior is obvious, you can tell where the plastic pieces and how they were molded together by that fine thin line that is present by touch only….(if you know what I’m talking about). The controls are very difficult to use. I actually had to open the manual to read, yes the manual! The controls are not easily accessible during driving, the climate controls are very difficult to figure out, you actually need to think before you touch the controls.
Although very well packaged with lots of technology, the navigation system is excellent. The video system is great to have for my 4 year old on long trips.
Memory feature for seats is on the bottom of the driver’s door, with no light. The heated mirrors turn on when you turn on the rear defrost.
Quality: From trouble-free to problematic.
But I can tell in the 3 years that I’m leasing that it will be in the shop often. Already the interior lights are flickering on and off for no reason. Most likely one of the door light buttons in the door well. Need to bring it in.
Recommendation: Should others buy this vehicle?
Buy? No. Lease, yes. If you want to buy, wait until they come out with the 2006, then they will have all the kinks worked out.
Pros: What do you like about this vehicle?
It’s a full size SUV, packed with a lot of luxury features and safety features, and meets my expanded family size requirements. Plus my neighbor is the Infiniti Sales Manager….hint$$$! Actually the QX56 is cheaper to insure than the Nissan Armada by like $50 a year (Gieco). It comes with full airbag curtains around the entire interior. It even has a sonar Cruise Control that senses how close the car in front of you is driving and adjust your speed accordingly. The rear camera is a plus, and the rear sensor alarm, are very cool to have. Oh, the Bose, kicks Ass! And I got it fully loaded; sticker $55K, I got it for $48K!
Cons: What do you dislike about this vehicle?
They rushed this SUV to production, not enough RD was done. The quality of the materials used in the interior are very cheap looking. The climate control needs to be made easier to use while driving. The brakes need to be improved for such a SUV in its size and class. Gas....wow! Very thrusty, average 12 MPG city.
Hopefully I'll post some pics this weekend. |
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| phins2rt |
| Nice write-up tzeus!:29: |
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| MDXinSoCal |
| tzeus, nice work:claphead: Good thing you were able to hold onto the X and only leased the QX! I asked about the brake thing a little more and found out that under normal braking both people started to have excessive brake shimmies (rattles, etc). Probably due to what you said, underpowered brakes for such big rigs. As for quality of materials, Nissan is notorious for saving $$ on the details (especially the interior materials) hoping that people will still buy due to road performance characteristics. I can't say that line of thinking isn't working for them as Infiniti has come back from the dead! I know I almost bought a G35 when they first came out and it wasn't due to how nice the interior was! But in the end, the X won out. Good luck with QX and hopefully the blinking lights are the only thing you'll have to worry about. |
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| WilliamT |
| The Lincoln Navigator would have been a good alternative. The latest models have pretty nice interiors. Personally, after Goshen took over, Nissan/Infiniti has improved significantly in styling and selection, but at the cost of interior quality and reliability. Thats a real shame. |
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