The Nissan Altima coupe is an excellent buy, especially when compared to the far more expensive Infiniti G37 coupe.
But you're
comparing the front-wheel-drive Altima with the expensive rear-drive G37.
That comparison is specious but
not spacious as they're both two-doors.
There's a different
chassis for each, but bear with me when I make a case for the cheaper Altima,
especially when we
factor the deals.
Yes, deals. Speaking of which did you see how Volvo just went into panic-mode and started hurling deals at everything?
Okay, before
we get into Altimas and G37s, we must zero in on Volvo Canada. Volvo Canada's
sales were down an
astounding 54.8 per cent last month. On the year, sales are down 32.3 per
cent. What
a disaster. That signals deals to me.
Volvo clearly needs to turn around this mess. And the tried and true formula
is cash — cash handouts.
This new round of incentives, nation-wide, is called the Volvo Currency Cash
Incentive deal. It sounds like they want you to
pay in small unmarked bills, but really it means Volvo in Canada has finally
begun to address the currency issue.
The loonie took off months ago but for some reason, Volvo Canada took no notice.
In the meantime, sales tanked.
And the president of the Canadian sub was fired. So finally and late, Volvo
is offering thousands -- and I do mean thousands
-- of dollars in savings. Pick a model, Volvo has a fistful of cash.
I cannot fathom why Volvo took
so long to move. Look at the long list of Canadian car companies that have
cut prices and
piled on the incentives — Toyota, Lexus and Audi have taken out full-page
newspaper ads right across the country,
explicitly to tout their price-chopping, low interest rates and cash goodies. Here's a story for you. I interviewed
a former
Volvo owner on this topic yesterday. When the lease on his V70 wagon expired,
he tried to do a new deal. What happened?
He hit a brick wall. The dealer wouldn't deal, wouldn't move even the teeniest
bit on price. No offers of any kind.
What did this former Volvo owner do? Like lots of other former Volvo owners
and leasers, he walked across the street
and bought something else. In this case, a Mercedes-Benz. Bad news. It's easier
to keep a customer than find a new one.
To stop the bleeding, Volvo
Canada is putting up money to level the pricing field versus Volvos in the
U.S. — not to mention
catch up with Lexus, Audi, Mercedes-Benz and others. On top of that, there are so-called "loyalty
bonuses" to help retain
existing customers. This is the sort of
pricing program Volvo's dealers in Canada have been begging for, desperate
for.
You want a V70 wagon? Volvo Canada has $9,000 for you -- a $7,000 Currency
Cash Incentive and a $2,000 loyalty bonus
if you are an existing Volvo owner.
You want an S80 luxury sedan? Grab a $5,000 incentive, plus a $2,500 loyalty
bonus.
The up-to-now over-priced C70 hardtop convertible? There is a $5,500 handout
and a $1,000 loyalty bonus.
Even the all-new and very good XC70 has $3,000 on it, plus a $2,500 loyalty
bonus. The V50 has even
more
-- $3,600 handout plus a $750 loyalty bonus. And low-interest deals too. And the C30 and S40
have up to $1,600 in cash
available, plus up to $1,500 in a loyalty bonus. But enough about Volvo.
We started talking about Nissan's
sibling rivalry — the Altima Coupe versus the Infiniti G37. Let's compare
V-6 to V-6, even
though there is an Altima coupe with a four-banger. The V-6 Altima retails
for $31,398. Now add in $1,500 in a factory-to-dealer
rebate, plus 0.9 per cent financing for up to three years and you've got a
compelling case.
For the G37
coupe. This Infiniti starts at $47,350, but Nissan is tossing in $4,500 in
a factory-to-dealer rebate, plus 2.9 per
cent financing for up to five years.
The 2008 G37was completely reinvented for 2008, replacing the G35, and I like everything Infiniti did.
This car is a legitimate rival
to BMW's 3-Series which got its own 2007-model-year redesign. The G37 is now
rated at
330 horsepower thanks to a new version of Nissan's V-6. That's enough power
to give the G37 the muscle of, well, a muscle car.
And it's gorgeous.
The Altima coupe looks pretty good too and it is much, much less expensive, less thirsty for fuel and overall it is a better value.
And if you're a boy racer, with
the 270-horsepower V-6, the Altima can do 0-100 km/hour in less than six seconds.
That's within a couple of tenths of a second of the G37.
So buy the Altima and you get a sexy car with hot performance, and you'll pocket about 10 grand.
Exactly. Now that's a deal. Too bad Volvo just figured that out.
2008 Nissan Altima Coupe
Vehicle price: C$32,727 (does not include taxes, license or title fees)
Trade ins: 32.2% (does not include lease returns)
Top three trade ins:
Average monthly payments: (includes PST & GST)
