CurtD
New member
Hello Everyone,
Just wanted to thank everyone in the forum for their posts as I have been reading the forum for a few months now as I decided which kind of Qx56 to get. I thought I would add some value and go over some of the optional "up sells" the dealer offered me after the car was agreed upon.
I have seen a few posts about options on the car so I won't get into that much. For new people the Qx56 comes with a great standard base and you can add...
1. Wheel package - rims go from 20' to 22' and the rims are a bit flashier
2. Theater package - fancy name for DVD's in the back of the head rests, but does add the heated back seats without having to upgrade to the grand touring package.
3. Technology package - includes the sensors for stopping the car when something stops in front of you (i.e. the Volvo commercial from a few years ago), the side blind spot camera, and a few other bells and whistles.
4. Grand Touring Package - The big monster package - Includes some extra lighting in the panels, the wood steering wheel, nicer leather, Bose stereo, air conditioned seats, and a different suspension mode that helps in cornering.
My background
I have 3 kids under the age of 5 and two dogs. I was currently using a 2005 Tundra truck to lug them around.
I ended up with a black on black 2012 Qx56, with just the theater package. I went split bench or bench seating so I can fit 3 car seats across, but if I only had two kids, the captain's chairs would be fine. Here is why...and this just fits for my life style, other people may choice the options they need.
1. The base $58k, adding the theater brings it to around $60-61k. If you add the other packages in you quickly jump to $75-$77k, so watch out.
2. Went with the regular wheels since I valued a softer ride and less road noise then the bigger rims and slicker looking street tires. I have the street tires on a Mercedes AMG I own and they are nice for a high performance sedan or race car, but for a large 8 cylinder SUV, no way. I looked at both tire options for months and I can honestly say that unless you know exactly what to look for , it takes you 10 seconds to figure out which is which by sight alone. Plus, like I said, I have 3 kids, I am not interested in pimped out SUV to take to clubbing. I also looked at pricing and replacement costs on this forum for each set of tires and it is much more % wise for the street tires and rims.
3. Bench 2nd row - needed to put 3 car seats across.
4. Theater package was the only one I needed for the kids and long rides. The bonus was you get heated back seats with that package as well.
5. Black on black..took a wheat or light interior home for a night and dirt showed up like crazy on it..at least I can hide half of it with black on black.
Dealer Up sells to Consider and Not Consider.
Once you pick out your car and agree on a price, the dealer has a list of up sells to consider, I will try to remember them all and list them here, maybe other forum members can chime in on which ones they chose.
1. Extended warranty - For an extra $3500 to $4000 you can extend the vehicle warranty an additional 4 years or 100,000 miles..so a new car would be 8 years and 100k coverage.
2. LoJack - add a Lojack police locator to your car
3. Gap Insurance - Only for a leased car, covers you on gaps in a lease
4. Replacement Key - you can pay $250 or $300 now to replace up two lost keys a year (?) It was something like that, since a new key is $300, it might make sense for some. If you lease a car you have return it with 2 keys, so I guess lease people find this option appealing in some cases.
5. Simonize - coat the interior and exterior with a Simonize layer that keeps stains and dirt from sticking to car.
5. Invisible bra covering - I can't remember the exact name, but they put the thin see through layer of plastic on the bumpers and hoods to keep scratches off.
6. Dent Removal - Buy a package that promises to fix any dents or dings you get with the car
7. Tire and wheel protection - Pay around $500 to $600 now and you can get 5 year replacement on any tire or rim that needs fixing, even if it is your fault. No questions asked.
8. Prepay your scheduled maintenance now. - If you pay $1200 now, you can get your first 4 years of car maintenance at half off. If you go to the dealer for all oil changes and scheduled maintenances in the first 4 years it runs about $2300 they say, so if you want, you can but it all upfront at the time of car purchase for half off.
9. There was another dent removal/car road protection deal as well, but I don't remember the name.
So, I paid for my car out right and here are the options I thought were smart to take, at least in my case.
1. Extend the warranty for as long as you can - I have an AMG Mercedes and when you buy an expensive car like a QX56 or Benz, it is always good to know it is covered. One trip to the dealer after warranty for something someone serious is $2,000 easily. Plus I get piece of mind in that anything that goes wrong from now until 2012 is covered.
2. Tire and wheel package - I hesitated and thought long and hard but went for it. The first thing I asked is "When are tires usually replaced on the QX?". They said around 30,000 to 35,000 miles, well within the first 5 years. I said, "So if I hit a curb or blow out a tire, or drive over a nail, or anything, you guys fix it or replace it" They said Yes. I said "What is to stop me from driving over a box of nails at 30,000 miles and having you guys put 4 new tires on for me?" They said, Nothing, it could happen. With a tire costing $200 plus labor, these seemed like a good deal. Basically, you need to replace one tire or rim in 5 years to make this pay off, and that is not even doing anything like driving over a box of nails. Rims on fancy cars like this are expensive and all you need is one bad pot hole or parking job to make use of this warranty.
3. Simonize - This was the only "protection" package I fell for..I have 3 young kids so basically it is like putting stain resistant treatment on the interiors. Plus, my car is black, tough to keep clean, so I figured it couldn't hurt on the outside. The dealer claimed I never need to wax the car now that is simonized.
4. Prepay Maintenences - I live about 5 minutes from the dealer so this made sense to me. If you don't plan on going to the dealer for stuff, then don't bother. At half price, it is what I would pay at an independent shop but with the dealer perks like parts and a loaner.
I have to admit, I LOVE my new QX! It is luxurious and smooth. I am a Lexus guy at heart but this won me over with the price, looks, and drive. I couldn't be happier with my choice, might even sell my Mercedes AMG now since the QX has great pickup too.
With the options I took, everything with the car is covered until 2020. All services are paid for until 2016. Anything that goes wrong, my fault or not, with a rim or tire in the next 5 years is covered. So I should be putting no money into the car, baring an accident, for 4-5 years minimum.
Only downside, and I saw a few posts about this, gas mileage is tough. I am getting about 11 around town, I haven't yet done highway with it, but you should realize you are buying a large 8 cylinder SUV that seats 7-8, so your gas mileage is going to be not so great. The QX actually gets better gas mileage than both Mercedes GL models and the comparable Lexus. If you are coming from a big Tundra truck it is still an improvement, but if you are coming from a smaller SUV, be prepared.
Anyway, I hoped this helps a bit, tried to talk about something new and contribute to a great forum.
Curt
Just wanted to thank everyone in the forum for their posts as I have been reading the forum for a few months now as I decided which kind of Qx56 to get. I thought I would add some value and go over some of the optional "up sells" the dealer offered me after the car was agreed upon.
I have seen a few posts about options on the car so I won't get into that much. For new people the Qx56 comes with a great standard base and you can add...
1. Wheel package - rims go from 20' to 22' and the rims are a bit flashier
2. Theater package - fancy name for DVD's in the back of the head rests, but does add the heated back seats without having to upgrade to the grand touring package.
3. Technology package - includes the sensors for stopping the car when something stops in front of you (i.e. the Volvo commercial from a few years ago), the side blind spot camera, and a few other bells and whistles.
4. Grand Touring Package - The big monster package - Includes some extra lighting in the panels, the wood steering wheel, nicer leather, Bose stereo, air conditioned seats, and a different suspension mode that helps in cornering.
My background
I have 3 kids under the age of 5 and two dogs. I was currently using a 2005 Tundra truck to lug them around.
I ended up with a black on black 2012 Qx56, with just the theater package. I went split bench or bench seating so I can fit 3 car seats across, but if I only had two kids, the captain's chairs would be fine. Here is why...and this just fits for my life style, other people may choice the options they need.
1. The base $58k, adding the theater brings it to around $60-61k. If you add the other packages in you quickly jump to $75-$77k, so watch out.
2. Went with the regular wheels since I valued a softer ride and less road noise then the bigger rims and slicker looking street tires. I have the street tires on a Mercedes AMG I own and they are nice for a high performance sedan or race car, but for a large 8 cylinder SUV, no way. I looked at both tire options for months and I can honestly say that unless you know exactly what to look for , it takes you 10 seconds to figure out which is which by sight alone. Plus, like I said, I have 3 kids, I am not interested in pimped out SUV to take to clubbing. I also looked at pricing and replacement costs on this forum for each set of tires and it is much more % wise for the street tires and rims.
3. Bench 2nd row - needed to put 3 car seats across.
4. Theater package was the only one I needed for the kids and long rides. The bonus was you get heated back seats with that package as well.
5. Black on black..took a wheat or light interior home for a night and dirt showed up like crazy on it..at least I can hide half of it with black on black.
Dealer Up sells to Consider and Not Consider.
Once you pick out your car and agree on a price, the dealer has a list of up sells to consider, I will try to remember them all and list them here, maybe other forum members can chime in on which ones they chose.
1. Extended warranty - For an extra $3500 to $4000 you can extend the vehicle warranty an additional 4 years or 100,000 miles..so a new car would be 8 years and 100k coverage.
2. LoJack - add a Lojack police locator to your car
3. Gap Insurance - Only for a leased car, covers you on gaps in a lease
4. Replacement Key - you can pay $250 or $300 now to replace up two lost keys a year (?) It was something like that, since a new key is $300, it might make sense for some. If you lease a car you have return it with 2 keys, so I guess lease people find this option appealing in some cases.
5. Simonize - coat the interior and exterior with a Simonize layer that keeps stains and dirt from sticking to car.
5. Invisible bra covering - I can't remember the exact name, but they put the thin see through layer of plastic on the bumpers and hoods to keep scratches off.
6. Dent Removal - Buy a package that promises to fix any dents or dings you get with the car
7. Tire and wheel protection - Pay around $500 to $600 now and you can get 5 year replacement on any tire or rim that needs fixing, even if it is your fault. No questions asked.
8. Prepay your scheduled maintenance now. - If you pay $1200 now, you can get your first 4 years of car maintenance at half off. If you go to the dealer for all oil changes and scheduled maintenances in the first 4 years it runs about $2300 they say, so if you want, you can but it all upfront at the time of car purchase for half off.
9. There was another dent removal/car road protection deal as well, but I don't remember the name.
So, I paid for my car out right and here are the options I thought were smart to take, at least in my case.
1. Extend the warranty for as long as you can - I have an AMG Mercedes and when you buy an expensive car like a QX56 or Benz, it is always good to know it is covered. One trip to the dealer after warranty for something someone serious is $2,000 easily. Plus I get piece of mind in that anything that goes wrong from now until 2012 is covered.
2. Tire and wheel package - I hesitated and thought long and hard but went for it. The first thing I asked is "When are tires usually replaced on the QX?". They said around 30,000 to 35,000 miles, well within the first 5 years. I said, "So if I hit a curb or blow out a tire, or drive over a nail, or anything, you guys fix it or replace it" They said Yes. I said "What is to stop me from driving over a box of nails at 30,000 miles and having you guys put 4 new tires on for me?" They said, Nothing, it could happen. With a tire costing $200 plus labor, these seemed like a good deal. Basically, you need to replace one tire or rim in 5 years to make this pay off, and that is not even doing anything like driving over a box of nails. Rims on fancy cars like this are expensive and all you need is one bad pot hole or parking job to make use of this warranty.
3. Simonize - This was the only "protection" package I fell for..I have 3 young kids so basically it is like putting stain resistant treatment on the interiors. Plus, my car is black, tough to keep clean, so I figured it couldn't hurt on the outside. The dealer claimed I never need to wax the car now that is simonized.
4. Prepay Maintenences - I live about 5 minutes from the dealer so this made sense to me. If you don't plan on going to the dealer for stuff, then don't bother. At half price, it is what I would pay at an independent shop but with the dealer perks like parts and a loaner.
I have to admit, I LOVE my new QX! It is luxurious and smooth. I am a Lexus guy at heart but this won me over with the price, looks, and drive. I couldn't be happier with my choice, might even sell my Mercedes AMG now since the QX has great pickup too.
With the options I took, everything with the car is covered until 2020. All services are paid for until 2016. Anything that goes wrong, my fault or not, with a rim or tire in the next 5 years is covered. So I should be putting no money into the car, baring an accident, for 4-5 years minimum.
Only downside, and I saw a few posts about this, gas mileage is tough. I am getting about 11 around town, I haven't yet done highway with it, but you should realize you are buying a large 8 cylinder SUV that seats 7-8, so your gas mileage is going to be not so great. The QX actually gets better gas mileage than both Mercedes GL models and the comparable Lexus. If you are coming from a big Tundra truck it is still an improvement, but if you are coming from a smaller SUV, be prepared.
Anyway, I hoped this helps a bit, tried to talk about something new and contribute to a great forum.
Curt
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