DiamondPPF

I’m a small business owner specializing in clear bra paint protection film and I’m interested in purchasing a luxury sedan for my company. Its purpose will be to use as a demonstrator, give people rides and potentially offer to customers as a loaner vehicle if needed.

I’m looking for something that will be safe, reliable and relatively inexpensive to own/maintain. Interior space is a concern since I am 6’3 and I will be transporting customers in this vehicle. AWD is a requirement since I live in New England and customers will be driving this vehicle. And of course price is a major concern. It must be under $20k.

Originally I was looking at the Audi A4 or Mercedes c300, but after driving and researching both I'm not sure either of those are ideal for my business. I had an 03 g35 coupe for four years and I loved it. I drove it across country 3 times and never had any issues with it. Oil changes, brakes and tires was all it ever needed.

That said, I've looked at 12 G37x sedans, 2010-2013, and only 2 were in decent enough shape for me to use. The paint needs to be in good enough shape so I can put paint film on it and showcase my work. The film will only look as good as the paint underneath, so it needs to look good. Most of them had less than 50K miles, but it looks like the front bumpers have been sand blasted! My g35 front bumper was more primer than paint when i sold it, but it had 150,000 miles on it...

I actually found one today that I may buy. It's a 2012 with 41,000 on it. It's silver, clean carfax, but the dealer has repainted the front bumper. The car looks like it's in great shape, doesn't appear to have been in an accident, and since they painted the bumper it's in much better condition than anything else I've seen. They want $20K for it which seems like a great deal compared to everything else I'm seeing.

Based on your experience with the G37 do you think this car is a good match for my company? How is the paint holding up on your bumper? Anything specific to the G37x I should look for when car shopping?

qmantran

Your customers will hate the small leg room in the back seats. The backseats aren't good for adults lol

DiamondPPF

That's another concern I have, but based on my budget I don't think I have much better options. The g37 actually has more rear leg room than any of the German cars I looked at. I looked at the m37 too, but I can't afford it and I actually like the g better.

qmantran

The 4G TL sh-awd has good rear legroom. Same with the new Avalons but they are not AWD

iCrap

iTrader: (8)

I was going to suggest TL as well. I think that's the best thing you'll get for 20k.

DiamondPPF

The TL has less leg and head room for the driver and less head room in the rear.

ShuuraRG

iTrader: (2)

I would recommend the Hyundai Genesis for a company car. It's super roomy and performs quite well!

Rochester

iTrader: (9)

Leg room will be an issue behind a driver who is 6'3", but if the passenger seat is in a normal position, there's plenty of room in back. The back seats in the G Sedan are surprisingly comfortable with regard to personal space. The backrests are at a gentle angle, which contributes to that impression.

OP, sit in the back seat, if you haven't already. Have someone drive you around while you're in the back seat.

DiamondPPF

The first dealer I went to the sales guy helping me was 6'0. I asked him to sit behind me then we switched and I sat in the back. I did have to move the seat up from my normal driving position, but it was still comfortable enough I could drive around like that. Sitting in the back was ok. My knees touch the front seat but I'm not squished in there like I am in most back seats. I'd be ok riding in the back, but wouldn't want to go on a road trip back there. There's definitely more room than my old g35 coupe!

The genisis is a nice car too but I don't think they had awd before 2015 and those cars are too expensive.

Rochester

iTrader: (9)

Also, gas is cheap right now. If it weren't, the G probably wouldn't be a good choice. Mileage really sucks in this car, if that's something that matters to you. It's not as bad as a RX8, for example, but still... you'll probably only average 19 mpg.

DiamondPPF

My g35 got 16-18 on average. The sad truth is that my 05 diesel truck costs less per mile to drive than the premium guzzling g35!

I think my biggest concern is customer perception. This vehicle is going to have my company name on it and will be representing my products and my work. My service isn't cheap because it's extremely high quality. I want people to see this car and think "that's the quality I want." I like the fact that the Infiniti looks and feels like quality. The downside is the higher cost of ownership.

Another factor is that it's not just a company car. I'm going to be driving it a lot, so I want something I enjoy driving.

canucklehead

iTrader: (9)

looking at the op's must-have list, i'd say the G37 checks most of the boxes. relatively trouble free, reasonable maintenance costs, safe, and fun to drive. and with a few minor mods, the fun factor can be improved greatly. and they are priced well to start.

the G37 is not a true luxury vehicle, more on the sport side of the equation, but is does have many luxury-like touches to give people the impression of luxury. also, as others have said, rear seat room is not expansive but it could be enough to meet the needs. just make sure to assess the space if it will work.

of course there are other options, but i'd stay away from sub-$20k German offerings. either the TL or perhaps the Lexus GS or Infiniti M37x, but not the Lexus IS since it is really tight. but a tastfully modified G37 sedan would most likely make a great canvass for your company billboard.

good luck!

edit: i just checked the local listings in Vancouver BC, which will be much higher cost than Anytown USA, and you should be able to get into a '09-'10 GS or '10-'11 M37 for around the $20k mark. might be worth a look. if space and luxury are priorities, the GS or M37 would be near top of the list. a lot of car for the money at that price point.

BigGrizzDipper

I picked up my '12 a year ago with 44k on the odo for $23k, so doesn't sound like a bad deal provided the carfax and maintenance checks out. Put about 12k on it since I got it and while there are some imperfections from rock, if yours has been repainted that would solve the problem. Not sure if it would qualify as pristine, but it's close enough for me and imperfection is limited to the bottom lip of the bumper. I should edit/add while mine isn't a manual, it is an X and is fitted with all the options (fog lamps, wood trim, sunroof, illuminated kick plates, 18" wheels, etc.) Only maintenance items performed are filter changes and oil, as most of the other fluids had been changed right before I bought it. I'm thinking my left bearing is going out, which sounds like it'll be around $600 to fix, but I consider it wear and tear.