[Redbeard]

I test drove two Muranos today, and then told the salesman that my mind was made up, but I wanted to wait until the 2004s came out before I bought. (Actually, my mind has been made up for several months.)

To cut a long story short, 20 minutes later the finance manager offered to sell me the one I wanted (there were 2 on the lot with the exact color and options I want) for $1000 below invoice!!!

He didn't want to run the numbers unless I wanted to close the deal today (which I didn't), so he will probably try to stick me with some additional charges if I say yes.

Arghhhhh!!!! Why are they doing this to me!!!! He said the offer was good till the end of the weekend.

I know there won't be any significant changes in the 2004 SL, but I was hoping to wait anyway. There are often minor bug fixes that aren’t announced, but are nevertheless worth having.

Oh, one other thing. Apparently the vehicle license fee in CA will triple at the end of Sept., so there is another incentive to buy now.

Ohhhh, DECISIONS, DECISIONS!!!!

 

[rtking]

I'd take that if I were you...

Maybe the 2004 MOs will be better. but who knows? Only one thing is for certain... the 2003s have already depreciated a year so if you decided you hated the MO, you would have to sell it for less than a 2004 model year car.

But if you're not going to sell it in the next 3-4 years, you might as well buy it now and take the $1000 discount from invoice. Yeah, you could probably do the same on the 2004s as well... but my guess is that it'll be mid-model-year (around April or May) before you'll see any movement around invoice or below for the 2004 cars...

Bob K.

 

[rainbowfarm]

2003 vs 2004

Redbear: I am in the same mode (and I also have a red beard).

If they drop enough from an '03, I'll take it, but will not get the shiftronic (on all '04 SEs) or electric lumbar (manual lumbar, yes), and the bug fixes.

In my mind, there's a price for the difference, and the price has to be several thousand dollars (I think in terms of discount off of MSRP).

Their offer is good until the end of the weekend because they want the sale during August.

How much off of MSRP is their price?... and what is MSRP for the one you are looking at?

 

[Redbeard]

rainbowfarm,

The MSRP is $33,952, and the Invoice is $30,964. The difference is $2988. Another $1000 for below invoice price, so I am looking at $4000 below MSRP.

Look here

http://www.edmunds.com/new/2003/nissan/murano/100196153/options.html?action=2&tid=edmunds.n.options.ntmv.1.1.Nissan*

for the MSRP and Invoice price.

This is aufully tempting, but I think this deal will still be good at the end of the month.

 

[rainbowfarm]

Redbeard

There is a post around somewhere about MSRP less $5,000 (advertised at a dealer with a lot of stock).

I think there will be more and more deals on '03s, if you can wait long enough (maybe November) and I think that in the US there are more unsold MOs (per capita, or whatever) than in Canada, where they may actually be in short supply.

 

[Redbeard]

rainbowfarm,

Thanks for the heads-up on the pricing. I think I will pass on this one.

The price on 2003s should hit rock bottom soon after the 2004s hit the dealers. If I wait I can look at the 2004s, and still pick up a 2003 if I want to, for an even better price.

The only risk that I am taking is that I might not be able to find the color/options that I want. (FWD SL, Silver/Black, premium, leather, dvc)

I don't know if I have the patience to wait until the price on the 2004s drops to invoice... More power to you if you can!

Now, if that Rockford Fosgate story turns out to be true, that would be worth waiting for! (I'm not a fan of Bose.)

 

[rainbowfarm]

rainbowfarm,

...The only risk that I am taking is that I might not be able to find the color/options that I want. (FWD SL, Silver/Black, premium, leather, dvc)...

I don't know if I have the patience to wait until the price on the 2004s drops to invoice... More power to you if you can!

Now, if that Rockford Fosgate story turns out to be true, that would be worth waiting for! (I'm not a fan of Bose.)

We (who want the item) tend to forget that they just keep making the damn things, and that they need to sell it to us. After all, they made it, and they are stuck with it. And they have to make more once the factory is tooled and running. And they have to sell them.

We just keep getting more and more choices and options.

We (this household here, mine) have a 2nd car, and they are giving me a car until the '04s arrive, so I'm okay on that one. If a great deal comes along on an '03, I'll do it.

I have the '04 literature for Canadian models. No Fosgate option is listed, just like the disappearing cabernet (another rumour) is still there.

 

[Redbeard]

rainbowfarm,

I meant that I might not be able to find a 2003 with the color and options that I want if I wait.

I looked at the price of 3-4-5 year old SUVs, and found that generally speaking, the price difference for cars of different years with the same mileage and similar condition is about $2000 per year.

If this is close to being true for MOs, then from a financial point of view, if you pay more than $2K more for the newer model year you won't be able to recover it if you sell it 4 or 5 years down the road.

Of course this logic ignores the potential advantages (??) of not having the first model year, as well as the appeal of owning the newest model, at least for the first year.

BTW, did the dealer give you a loaner to hold you over until the 2004s arrive? What a sweet deal!!

We also have other vehicles, but the MO will be my daily driver.

 

[rjaustin]

As far as the "bugs", I can't imagine much of a difference between the last of the 03's compared to the first of the 04's. I'm sure they've been addressing these problems all along.

 

[Redbeard]

I agree with you about the bugs.

The type of thing I am more interested in are minor, relatively insignificant design changes that circumvent problem areas altogether, or address complaints of owners.

Things like firmware changes that affect the way the display screen behaves, a color change to the dial gauges, etc.

Some of these things should be obvious from the literature, but other 'invisible' changes might not be known until after the 2004s get into the hands of customers who are familiar with the 2003s.

Are these unknowns worth paying thousands extra for? Probably not. But on the other hand, the longer I postpone buying it, the longer before the new car novelty wears off.

Am I twisted?

 

[hfelknor]

"Am I twisted?"
Yes. LOL!

But there is somethig else going on here I think.
Don't buy the thing untill you are ready.
The money is, in the end, unimportant.
5 years from now you won't even remember what you paid for it.
If you think you will be better off, more "safe", then you should wait.

I thought about it.
But IMO there were no "bugs" that the 03s had, that the 04s will fix.
The rattles dissappeared through the year IMO.
The cupholders will likely still be crappy.
The rear armrest will not be redisigned.
They are not going to change the color of the dashe lights, etc.

They were looking for 30,000 sales.
They had 50,000 last time I looked.
THey ain't gonna change much!

The big change is the "manumatic", which on the CVT will turn out to be an ego thing, IMO.

But having said all that, the 04s might be screwed together a bit better and may well be worth the money. It certainly will be worth the money if you think it is.

Good luck, and I hope you get a good one no matter which way you go!

Homer

 

[MusicMan]

wise words

Those are wise words, my friend.

Not having been able to track down the color/feature combinations I want in an 03, I am happy to wait for the '04's. I am hoping they will be better built and also I want the car with exactly the colors/features I am looking for. That will be far more important to me a few years down the road than the bucks I saved.

Plus I still love driving my Lexus LS400. Being a 92 model, it is a frightful money pit, which is why I need to replace it, but it can wait till November-December!

Plus, I am learning so much here that I will be able to use when I finally purchase one!

 

[rainbowfarm]

rainbowfarm,

I meant that I might not be able to find a 2003 with the color and options that I want if I wait.

Yes, I knew that. They will make more of those same combinations.

I looked at the price of 3-4-5 year old SUVs, and found that generally speaking, the price difference for cars of different years with the same mileage and similar condition is about $2000 per year.!!

If this is close to being true for MOs, then from a financial point of view, if you pay more than $2K more for the newer model year you won't be able to recover it if you sell it 4 or 5 years down the road.

That $2000 thing is interesting. I think that within a few months, you may pay less for an '04. Five years from now, in the used market, an '03 may be regarded as the "buggy first-year model with no shiftronic (the only one with no shiftronic)". Selling off an '03 might be problematic.

BTW, did the dealer give you a loaner to hold you over until the 2004s arrive? What a sweet deal!!

Yes, they did. This sort of puts pressure on me to purchase an '04 shortly after they arrive, or return the loaner. My relationship with the dealer is excellent. I have done professional favours for several of them, and they go out of their way for me, making the actual dollar value/lowest price not the most important factor.

I now have a credit with them from a transaction, with some other possible credits in the works. At some point, I'll just drive off with ma MO and make payments.

We also have other vehicles, but the MO will be my daily driver.

Same here. We just bought a used car for a few reasons. Like the people who find themselves washing and waxing their MO (people who never pampered their cars before), I want to try to keep the mileage down on the MO. We'll use the Olds for local trips (post office, eggs, and frequent trips 3 miles down the road and back). I want to have enough available "lease miles" for a nice road trip. If I have to go into the city, I may take the Olds (keep those city low-lifes away from my baby). Maybe it will just be too hard to not take the MO! I had trouble driving my old Cressida once I had the PF, but then I enjoy driving the Olds more than the PF (I've had it with pushing a box on wheels against the wind and trying to keep it vertical).

 

[copperstreak]

Question

When they start making the 04's do you think they really address a list of issues, or is this just a matter the exact vehicle you would have gotten in the last lot of 03' with the adjustable CVT and the electric lumbar? I know they maintain the right to make changes during the model year, and if they could fix any problems at the moment with firmware, creaks/pops, etc., it would be in Nissan's interest to do that immediately (it is there cost under warranty!) vs. waiting for 04', no?

 

[Mellimel]

WHAT THE???

:3:

I can't believe what happened to me at the dealership yesterday, on Labor day. I went to the West Palm Automall and the guy i had been talking to told me that we will give me a great deal and I won't have to go anywhere else! So after an hour of talking, checking my credit, checking my car, they basically told me to leave!!!
I had been reading the posts on here about how to get a good deal. I have been doing alot of researching.. I brought the consumer reports printout that gives wholesale prices, invoice prices, and MSRP. I went in there thinking i was going to get a good deal!! Basically, they wanted to offer me a Murano for about $2000 over Invoice and then give me only $2500 for my 1995 Special Edition Acura Integra... when i showed them all my stuff, printouts on prices for my car, exact prices for options, wholesale prices, etc. they said "well we are not going to sell you a car today" and said no way about giving me the price I wanted for my car. THEN, the guy went to Carsdirect.com, selected the options i wanted (popular/premium package, leather package, sunroof) and gave me the piece and paper with the price and said see ya later!! I couldn't believe it! They basically threw me out? What the F#$%! I didn't even get to test drive one yet!!! I think I'm going to drive up to Carmax and get a nice Murano for $28,000, granted its a 10 hour drive.. but I feel worth it.. Don't ever to to West Palm Automall!!!

 

[wmole]

My new issue of Road & Track (the one that lists all model year changes and new cars) says only that the Murano "gets an all-new all wheel drive system for '04". What does this mean? What was wrong with the old one?! Anyone hear about this? If it is all new (and hopefully, improved), then maybe it could be a good reason to wait.

 

[rainbowfarm]

Sounds like bad writing

What's all-new is the front-wheel drive in Canada, and the shiftronic