[iNeoXs]

I would like to thank everyone in this forum for helping my family pick the perfect car. We finally picked our JX this Saturday from a dealer in Ohio.

Need & Competition
We were blessed with a baby boy at the end of March this year and since then we had been looking for a SUV for our growing family. Our current rides were 2005 Acura TSX and 2009 BMW 335 coupe.
Initially I was looking at CUVs like Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mercedes GLK but wife wanted to have the option of third-row for any friends/family visiting us. Q7 was way too big, wife doesn’t want X5 since we already have a BMW, and she wanted a different brand. ML though nice doesn’t have third-row option. Volvo XC90 was little outdated and Acura MDX was all plastic inside. So one day by accident I went to the Infiniti website and saw the new JX. I didn’t like the look of JX at first, it looked more like Toyota Venza but JX grew on us. Took a test drive and we both loved JX. It fits our needs perfectly, has the third-row, not too big, not too small and has a lot of new technologies plus being the first model we don’t need to worry about the model change for another seven years.

Car Shopping
Now that we decided on the car we want we started shopping. First stop MotorWerks as I already bought the BWM from them in 2009. They offered $1300 off MSRP but didn’t have the car with the features we wanted. We wanted the JX in white (1st preference) / silver (2nd preference) with black interior and Technology package. I was told that it would be 2-3 months to get the JX I want with custom order. I contacted other local Chicago dealers and no one wants to sell the JX $500 below MSRP. We almost bought a JX from Infiniti of Clarendalehills in white exterior and wheat interior. Wheat interior is nice but not for us, the JX at the dealership was already showing marks on the driver's side door panel and steering wheel. I can't imagine how it would be in the winter with all the snow and muds. We still were thinking of getting it if they could do something on the price but they offered only $2000 off MSRP plus $1000 below for our trade-in car. Infiniti of Hoffman Estates had one car coming in shortly per our requirements. Being tired of all the dealers and waiting for a while I put a deposit on that JX with $500 off MSRP plus 2 years free maintenance. But in the mean time I kept contacted all the Infiniti dealers I could find on the Infiniti website in other states if I could get a better deal - from east coast to west coast. I was OK to ship the car or even fly to other state and drive it back if the price was right. A lot of east coast dealers were giving $2500-3500 off MSRP right way (Pepe Infiniti). Then I got an email response from a dealer in Ohio (Infiniti of Bedford) – JX at invoice. First I thought it must be a typo or just a bait to get me into the dealer’s doorstep but I was wrong. I contacted Infiniti of Hoffman Estate right away to see if they can give me the in-bound car at invoice or at least $500 above invoice (calculating my ticket cost to Ohio, gas price etc.) and the answer was no. So I canceled the order with them right away. Sheehy Infiniti offered $500 above invoice but the drive would have been 14-15 hours. Herb Chambers Infiniti of Westborough‏ quoted $250 off invoice but they are in CT - 18 hours away plus they didn't have the car in-stock. I decided to go with Infiniti of Bedford for the JX at the invoice – that’s $4700 saving. Still it’s a lot of money compared to paying around the MSRP to local dealers. Tickets were $240 for three of us to Cleveland and gas was around $50. This was our first time traveling with the baby.

My sales associate even came to the airport to pick us up in the QX. I sent all the information to the dealer before going so the paperwork didn't take much time. Also, they filled up the gas tank. The dealership was able to finance me the car through Infiniti at 1.84% APR when I mentioned to that I was getting 1.99% APR from PenFed. Finance Manager didn't bug me about buying all the extra options and packages. He was willing to give me the Protection and Maintenance Plan at the same price as Elite Infiniti was quoting but asked me to rather get it from Elite Infiniti as I have to pay 7.5% Ohio tax if I buy through the dealership. Only protection that he refereed was the tire & wheel protection which I got for $584 (including taxes, quote was $689 on the paper) - his cost was $440, and he was straight forward about it. I know some people say it's not really worth it. YMMV. I had the tire & wheel protection plan on the Acura which I used only once to fix a flat tire for $10-15. So it was a waste but on the BMW I got it for $900 and it already paid off. I had 3 run-flat tires plus a wheel/rim replaced for free (saved me over $1500 already). Infiniti of Bedford is owned by Penske Automotive, 2nd largest auto dealership in the world. I am very please with their service. My JX had 34 miles on it, I inquired with both my sales associate and the finance manager. They got the car with 34 miles and didn't have a clue why it had so many miles. I found a QA Inspection note from Infiniti that my car was tested by their QA department but it only states 6 miles on the note. I will check with their QA and corporate dept. for the discrepancy on the mileage later on.

Overall Impression
The free drive was quite and smooth. It's so silent inside that I can barely hear the honk. Our JX came with Bridgestone tires. I experienced the BCI at the dealership, my sales associated volunteered to jump behind the car to show the functionality. DCA and LDP works as mentioned on the highway nicely. When I tried the cruise control at first I thought it wasn't working properly as I set to 70miles but the car went up to only 60miles. Later I found that there is an option right by the cruise control to set the distance from the front car. CVT takes a while to get used to specially coming from BMW. On my 388miles trip from Ohio to Chicago - avg. mpg was 20.5.

As other folks mentioned the underneath the driver's accelerator it seems the work is unfinished with the parts/cables above the carpet. It's not visible from the driver's seat but quite visible if you are sitting on the second row. I haven't tried the DVD, Infiniti Connection (sending maps to car) yet. I was quite impressed with the JX cargo space, I can keep a full size stroller (UppaBaby Vista) in the back with one back seat folded. Luckily I did/don't hear the dash rattle or may be I am not focusing well. But both my wife and I heard the low whoose noise from the back while driving on the highway - not a deal breaker but would be nice to pin-point where it's coming from. If you can't hear either one of these don't try to find it, ignorance is bliss. Once you find a problem your concentration will only be on the problem all the time until it's fixed. I am planning to get the protection plan (for $ 2,895.00) and maintenance plan (Elite 1 for $2,459.00) for 8yrs/120k from Elite Infiniti. I am getting $60 discounts on each plan for buying both at the same time plus I don't have pay any taxes. Even though my wife with drive the JX and we will have less than 10k on the car I am deciding to get the Elite 1 option as anything might change in the next few years in-terms of our driving habit so it's better to be safe and get Elite 1.

I noticed if lock the car using the remote control it locks with a loud honk but if I lock using the door button it's a soft honk/whistle.

Wish list:
1. Shark-fin XM radio antenna
2. Exterior color matched door handle (chrome handle shows fingerprints)
3. Better navigation resolution
4. Auto oil change notification
5. Auto service/maintenance notification
6. Better sound system
7. Navigation direction in the center display next to speedometer
8. Less plastic on the steering wheel, inside door opening handle
9. One touch 3 blink turn signal option
10. Faster ipod interface

If anyone is interested contacting Infiniti of Bedford please PM me, I will give the sales associate and finance manger's contact info. They said they can sell $250 over invoice.

Again, thanks to everyone for chipping in all the comments/concerns/reviews about the JX. We hope to enjoy the car for the next several years.

 

[snopyro]

Great review. We're also looking into the JX for our first child and have purchased the same stroller as you did! Glad to know that it will fit back there. Awesome deal you've found, but since I'm in California, I'm wondering how much it would cost to ship a car cross country or if there are any closer dealerships that offer a similar deal that you've found. If so, please post. Thanks!

 

[iNeoXs]

Shipping to California might be $1000-1500. I was checking the quote for shipping from California to Chicago. I would suggest you go to Infiniti Website, Build your Infiniti, JX and then Change Retailers to local retailers. Contact all the retailers you see in California. You can even check their inventory both in-stock and inbound (though it might be accurate but it helps). Also, you can go to Edmunds.com, build your JX with your requirement, choose all state and see who has your car.

You can try negotiating with local dealers and say that you found another dealer giving you at the invoice price. JX was (still is) a popular car but production picked up meeting demands. All local dealers told us that there is no way we will get JX at the invoice or even below MSRP but they were wrong. Most of the east coast dealers are getting tons of JXs compared local dealers with 3-5 JXs.

Go to truecar.com, it will show you the invoice price, MSRP and true dealer cost of the car. BTW - I paid $300 below the invoice price quoted on the truecar.com listed price since it also lists regional advertising fee of $300 which is not added in the dealer invoice price.

Also, with any dealer ask for the BUILD SHEET of the JX listing the VIN (if available), options included in the car showing both MSRP and Invoice.

Good luck with your hunt.

 

[i<3[ ]]

Congrats and great write-up! There are dealers who are willing to go $500 over invoice so enjoy the haggle...it is not impossible.

I am aware of the $300 advertising fee as well from S. Cali. dealer. Any way to get out of it?

 

[Go_Blue]

Great review. You definitely scored between getting the low sales price and the low-interest loan. Glad to see that selling prices are coming down.

So I'm guessing you don't think the JX is overkill (size-wise) for a couple + baby? We are expecting to start a family soon and looking at this JX. But I wonder if it makes more sense to get a smaller SUV for now (Murano, Q5, RDX, etc) and look at the JX after having a second kid.

 

[i<3[ ]]

^I am coming from a Toyota Venza...it has space, but not enough to accomodate a family and a child's many extra baggage (stroller, bags, toys, etc.) once you start adding it up. The Venza is pretty close in size with the vehicles you mentioned...I recommend getting the JX or any like size vehicle. In my opinion, the compact CUVs/SUVs are for those who just need some extra cargo and a ride that mimics higher/larger vehicles, but doesnt offer the full benefits of the midsize CUVs/SUVs. Oh, and of course their price point. Good luck!

PS. If you want to compare size with a JX, just look at the Toyota Highlander's rolling around to get an idea...very close in dimensions.

 

[iNeoXs]

i<3[ ]
$300 advertising fee was/is not included in the invoice price listed in the build sheet from Infiniti. So it's better to ask the dealer for the build sheet showing both MSRP and invoice price. Then start the negotiation.

Go_Blue
No the JX is not overkill. For some reasons the JX looks smaller than Pathfinder. Even though we won't have much use of the third-row seat having the option available for occasional friends/family visits was one of our major requirements. And sliding second row seat is a big plus in the JX.

 

[ppnrao]

Congratulations on your new JX. Thanks for the details.
Since yesterday I started looking for an SUV, I didn't know regarding JX until one of my friend told me to check this out. I watched some videos, pictures etc. Right now I use 2001 Honda Odyssey, my wife says it's time to update the vehicle. I have two kids (10 and 4). I don't want to go for the Mini Van. Here are my questions:
I would like to know how comfortable is it in the third row?
Did you get a chance to calculate average mileage for city driving?
Which color is your JX?

 

[havegoodgetgive]

You can set reminders for service on your JX. Dealership did it for me but I don't recall how.

 

[iNeoXs]

You can set reminders for service on your JX. Dealership did it for me but I don't recall how.

Yes, I can do that manually but I was looking for automatic service/maintenance reminder based on manufacturer schedule (for oil change, brake pads etc.)

 

[iNeoXs]

Congratulations on your new JX. Thanks for the details.
Since yesterday I started looking for an SUV, I didn't know regarding JX until one of my friend told me to check this out. I watched some videos, pictures etc. Right now I use 2001 Honda Odyssey, my wife says it's time to update the vehicle. I have two kids (10 and 4). I don't want to go for the Mini Van. Here are my questions:
I would like to know how comfortable is it in the third row?
Did you get a chance to calculate average mileage for city driving?
Which color is your JX?

1. I tried out the third row seat during test drive but I have not sat there for long so I can't really comment how comfortable it is. Good thing is that second row seat can be pulled forward (if needed) with people sitting comfortably in the second row for more leg rooms in the third row seat and third row seat can be reclined as well.
2. I haven't checked city mileage yet, mostly drove on the highways avg 20mpg.
3. Our JX is silver exterior with black interior.

 

[i<3[ ]]

^In my opinion, I do not think that will be accurate then cause some peeps dont always take it in exactly on date/mileage as recommended. If automatic, your recommended service time will always be off the mark.

Also, is the advertising fee even mandatory/negotiable if you are paying Invoice Pricing?


Havegoodgetgive: With regards to comfort of the third row, you really need to try it out for yourself due to body size and most importantly...your comfort level.

 

[iNeoXs]

I should say automatic with sensor instead of automatic. BMW has this built-in which shows the services required at certain date/mileage and it also uses the sensors for oil, brake pad, brake fluids. So far it's been pretty accurate.

As for advertising fee, it's not mandatory. I think everything is negotiable except the destination fee and title/registration. You can even negotiate the documentation fees. Some states has max documentation fees fixed and some states don't have any max so the dealer can charge whatever they want.

http://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/what-fees-should-you-pay.html
http://blog.truecar.com/2011/07/26/which-additional-fees-should-i-pay-at-the-dealership-what-is-the-doc-fee/

 

[cfrp]

Congrats on the JX and glad the forum could help. I really do think the JX is a perfect family car. I have no reason to choose any other vehicle.

 

[snopyro]

Great review. You definitely scored between getting the low sales price and the low-interest loan. Glad to see that selling prices are coming down.

So I'm guessing you don't think the JX is overkill (size-wise) for a couple + baby? We are expecting to start a family soon and looking at this JX. But I wonder if it makes more sense to get a smaller SUV for now (Murano, Q5, RDX, etc) and look at the JX after having a second kid.

My wife and I were in the same boat as you with the same mindset. We have kid #1 on the way and thought our 07 Audi A4 avant (wagon) would be big enough. Unless you are a frugality minimalist packer or have a rooftop box, space is quickly eaten up by a rear facing infant seat, stroller, and any other must haves that new parents overpack.

In any case, we thought the Murano or Q5 might hold us off for a few years, but figured it may get tight with a second kid or if grandma tags along. So I started looking at 7 sealers, excluding minivans (although they are practical, not too sexy to look at), and it came down to the MDX, Q7, and JX. Wife is selling her G35 and we liked the Murano features which carried over to the JX. Figured that we should get the 7 sweater up front, rather than buying a 5 sweater with the intention of selling and buying again. (with all the kid costs, we'll probably be penny pinching when kid2 comes long, so bite the bullet now as the last gift to yourselves before the kids suck you dry- in a good way of course)

Only hesitation we have with the JX is that it is the first model year build which usually equates to (lots of) issues. Typically, these cars have the Japanese or Europeans as first year guinea pigs. Guess its our turn...

 

[BobOB]

I would like to thank everyone in this forum for helping my family pick the perfect car. We finally picked our JX this Saturday from a dealer in Ohio.

Need & Competition
We were blessed with a baby boy at the end of March this year and since then we had been looking for a SUV for our growing family. Our current rides were 2005 Acura TSX and 2009 BMW 335 coupe.
Initially I was looking at CUVs like Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mercedes GLK but wife wanted to have the option of third-row for any friends/family visiting us. Q7 was way too big, wife doesn’t want X5 since we already have a BMW, and she wanted a different brand. ML though nice doesn’t have third-row option. Volvo XC90 was little outdated and Acura MDX was all plastic inside. So one day by accident I went to the Infiniti website and saw the new JX. I didn’t like the look of JX at first, it looked more like Toyota Venza but JX grew on us. Took a test drive and we both loved JX. It fits our needs perfectly, has the third-row, not too big, not too small and has a lot of new technologies plus being the first model we don’t need to worry about the model change for another seven years.

Car Shopping
Now that we decided on the car we want we started shopping. First stop MotorWerks as I already bought the BWM from them in 2009. They offered $1300 off MSRP but didn’t have the car with the features we wanted. We wanted the JX in white (1st preference) / silver (2nd preference) with black interior and Technology package. I was told that it would be 2-3 months to get the JX I want with custom order. I contacted other local Chicago dealers and no one wants to sell the JX $500 below MSRP. We almost bought a JX from Infiniti of Clarendalehills in white exterior and wheat interior. Wheat interior is nice but not for us, the JX at the dealership was already showing marks on the driver's side door panel and steering wheel. I can't imagine how it would be in the winter with all the snow and muds. We still were thinking of getting it if they could do something on the price but they offered only $2000 off MSRP plus $1000 below for our trade-in car. Infiniti of Hoffman Estates had one car coming in shortly per our requirements. Being tired of all the dealers and waiting for a while I put a deposit on that JX with $500 off MSRP plus 2 years free maintenance. But in the mean time I kept contacted all the Infiniti dealers I could find on the Infiniti website in other states if I could get a better deal - from east coast to west coast. I was OK to ship the car or even fly to other state and drive it back if the price was right. A lot of east coast dealers were giving $2500-3500 off MSRP right way (Pepe Infiniti). Then I got an email response from a dealer in Ohio (Infiniti of Bedford) – JX at invoice. First I thought it must be a typo or just a bait to get me into the dealer’s doorstep but I was wrong. I contacted Infiniti of Hoffman Estate right away to see if they can give me the in-bound car at invoice or at least $500 above invoice (calculating my ticket cost to Ohio, gas price etc.) and the answer was no. So I canceled the order with them right away. Sheehy Infiniti offered $500 above invoice but the drive would have been 14-15 hours. Herb Chambers Infiniti of Westborough‏ quoted $250 off invoice but they are in CT - 18 hours away plus they didn't have the car in-stock. I decided to go with Infiniti of Bedford for the JX at the invoice – that’s $4700 saving. Still it’s a lot of money compared to paying around the MSRP to local dealers. Tickets were $240 for three of us to Cleveland and gas was around $50. This was our first time traveling with the baby.

My sales associate even came to the airport to pick us up in the QX. I sent all the information to the dealer before going so the paperwork didn't take much time. Also, they filled up the gas tank. The dealership was able to finance me the car through Infiniti at 1.84% APR when I mentioned to that I was getting 1.99% APR from PenFed. Finance Manager didn't bug me about buying all the extra options and packages. He was willing to give me the Protection and Maintenance Plan at the same price as Elite Infiniti was quoting but asked me to rather get it from Elite Infiniti as I have to pay 7.5% Ohio tax if I buy through the dealership. Only protection that he refereed was the tire & wheel protection which I got for $584 (including taxes, quote was $689 on the paper) - his cost was $440, and he was straight forward about it. I know some people say it's not really worth it. YMMV. I had the tire & wheel protection plan on the Acura which I used only once to fix a flat tire for $10-15. So it was a waste but on the BMW I got it for $900 and it already paid off. I had 3 run-flat tires plus a wheel/rim replaced for free (saved me over $1500 already). Infiniti of Bedford is owned by Penske Automotive, 2nd largest auto dealership in the world. I am very please with their service. My JX had 34 miles on it, I inquired with both my sales associate and the finance manager. They got the car with 34 miles and didn't have a clue why it had so many miles. I found a QA Inspection note from Infiniti that my car was tested by their QA department but it only states 6 miles on the note. I will check with their QA and corporate dept. for the discrepancy on the mileage later on.

Overall Impression
The free drive was quite and smooth. It's so silent inside that I can barely hear the honk. Our JX came with Bridgestone tires. I experienced the BCI at the dealership, my sales associated volunteered to jump behind the car to show the functionality. DCA and LDP works as mentioned on the highway nicely. When I tried the cruise control at first I thought it wasn't working properly as I set to 70miles but the car went up to only 60miles. Later I found that there is an option right by the cruise control to set the distance from the front car. CVT takes a while to get used to specially coming from BMW. On my 388miles trip from Ohio to Chicago - avg. mpg was 20.5.

As other folks mentioned the underneath the driver's accelerator it seems the work is unfinished with the parts/cables above the carpet. It's not visible from the driver's seat but quite visible if you are sitting on the second row. I haven't tried the DVD, Infiniti Connection (sending maps to car) yet. I was quite impressed with the JX cargo space, I can keep a full size stroller (UppaBaby Vista) in the back with one back seat folded. Luckily I did/don't hear the dash rattle or may be I am not focusing well. But both my wife and I heard the low whoose noise from the back while driving on the highway - not a deal breaker but would be nice to pin-point where it's coming from. If you can't hear either one of these don't try to find it, ignorance is bliss. Once you find a problem your concentration will only be on the problem all the time until it's fixed. I am planning to get the protection plan (for $ 2,895.00) and maintenance plan (Elite 1 for $2,459.00) for 8yrs/120k from Elite Infiniti. I am getting $60 discounts on each plan for buying both at the same time plus I don't have pay any taxes. Even though my wife with drive the JX and we will have less than 10k on the car I am deciding to get the Elite 1 option as anything might change in the next few years in-terms of our driving habit so it's better to be safe and get Elite 1.

I noticed if lock the car using the remote control it locks with a loud honk but if I lock using the door button it's a soft honk/whistle.

Wish list:
1. Shark-fin XM radio antenna
2. Exterior color matched door handle (chrome handle shows fingerprints)
3. Better navigation resolution
4. Auto oil change notification
5. Auto service/maintenance notification
6. Better sound system
7. Navigation direction in the center display next to speedometer
8. Less plastic on the steering wheel, inside door opening handle
9. One touch 3 blink turn signal option
10. Faster ipod interface

If anyone is interested contacting Infiniti of Bedford please PM me, I will give the sales associate and finance manger's contact info. They said they can sell $250 over invoice.

Again, thanks to everyone for chipping in all the comments/concerns/reviews about the JX. We hope to enjoy the car for the next several years.

We have the fully loaded JX and the sound system upgrade w/15 speakers is incredible (even our 12 year old friend commented on how well it sounded). As for the Nav resolution, ours is sharp, but we did have to go into the settings and dampen down the brightness. From the factory, the screen was washed out a bit. We had the 2010 Armada with a similar Nav, and the one on the JX is so much better and more intuitive. Your mechanical service warnings, such as oil changes can be set I believe in the settings through the Nav menu.

We considered some of the same cars as you and found the JX met our needs the best, and was a better value. I hope you enjoy your JX as much as my wife and I do.

 

[Go_Blue]

My wife and I were in the same boat as you with the same mindset. We have kid #1 on the way and thought our 07 Audi A4 avant (wagon) would be big enough. Unless you are a frugality minimalist packer or have a rooftop box, space is quickly eaten up by a rear facing infant seat, stroller, and any other must haves that new parents overpack.

In any case, we thought the Murano or Q5 might hold us off for a few years, but figured it may get tight with a second kid or if grandma tags along. So I started looking at 7 sealers, excluding minivans (although they are practical, not too sexy to look at), and it came down to the MDX, Q7, and JX. Wife is selling her G35 and we liked the Murano features which carried over to the JX. Figured that we should get the 7 sweater up front, rather than buying a 5 sweater with the intention of selling and buying again. (with all the kid costs, we'll probably be penny pinching when kid2 comes long, so bite the bullet now as the last gift to yourselves before the kids suck you dry- in a good way of course)

Only hesitation we have with the JX is that it is the first model year build which usually equates to (lots of) issues. Typically, these cars have the Japanese or Europeans as first year guinea pigs. Guess its our turn...

Thanks for your feedback. I agree that buying and having to sell later to get a bigger SUV may not be wise. We like to buy and hold for 10 years, so it might be wise to go ahead and get the bigger car right now.

 

[cfrp]

My wife and I were in the same boat as you with the same mindset. We have kid #1 on the way and thought our 07 Audi A4 avant (wagon) would be big enough. Unless you are a frugality minimalist packer or have a rooftop box, space is quickly eaten up by a rear facing infant seat, stroller, and any other must haves that new parents overpack.

In any case, we thought the Murano or Q5 might hold us off for a few years, but figured it may get tight with a second kid or if grandma tags along. So I started looking at 7 sealers, excluding minivans (although they are practical, not too sexy to look at), and it came down to the MDX, Q7, and JX. Wife is selling her G35 and we liked the Murano features which carried over to the JX. Figured that we should get the 7 sweater up front, rather than buying a 5 sweater with the intention of selling and buying again. (with all the kid costs, we'll probably be penny pinching when kid2 comes long, so bite the bullet now as the last gift to yourselves before the kids suck you dry- in a good way of course)

Only hesitation we have with the JX is that it is the first model year build which usually equates to (lots of) issues. Typically, these cars have the Japanese or Europeans as first year guinea pigs. Guess its our turn...

life story right here.

Oh how everything changes once you have little ones running around..