http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/?p=2778

I've been saying this about Mercs and Audis for a while now And the point about Infinitis, well let's just say I'm glad I didn't buy that G35. Too many stories I have heard about online (forums) and friends getting dicked by the service dept.

 

Interesting about Infiniti. The resale on most of their vehicles (Q45 aside) is quite strong - I'm pretty surprised at their low customer retention.

One thing he didn't address, though - I consider Infiniti much like Acura, in that they're fighting for BMW, Merc, Audi, and Lexus owners. I think Infiniti is a stepping stone to the "bigger" or "better" or "more prestigous" marques, which might be a second reason for low retention. Same goes for Acura, though Acura doesn't have any problem with reliability or lemons in general (except transmissions). Build quality and materials are certainly better than in most Infinitis.

In other words, people buy a $32K G35 or TL because they get all the toys of a $40K BMW (which they can't quite afford). Three years down the road, they can, so they go buy the BMW (or Merc or Audi or Lexus) when their lease is up or they're no longer upside down in their vehicle payments.

 

Audi and VW are sweet. I am glad my sentiments are shared by more then just myself!!

 

How interesting. How did u guys rate your S when the JD Powers letter came in? I pretty much gave it all thumbs up. I didn't rate so highly on my dealership though.