Hello everyone. Its the end of the year and now is the best time to
find deals. I have found one, but I am totally lost because I dont
understand what some of these features mean. Please excuse my
ignorance as I like the i30, but dont understand the diffrences. Maybe some i30 owners can explain or give feedback on the feel. I saw a 2000 i30 silver for a great price, but I always just wanted the regular i30 because I heard it drives better over bumpy roads.

I know the diffrences between the two, but I dont understand what they would mean on the long term. What do they mean when they say sportier suspention? I noticed the i30T has thin tires. Does this mean I will feel the road on bumps and can these thin tires bend the rim? Moreover, will getting a i30T not make it drive nice and smooth over bumps, like a luxury car should do? I am worried if I buy the touring, it wont drive like a luxury car. Why does if have so thin tires? Also, is the suspention more to fix on a touring? I dont understand why infiniti would sacrafice luxury for a sporty feel of all the bumps in the road.

Also, what are these features like traction control and stuff that the i30 has. Is this better for snow? I even asked the dealer, and he said the regular i30 would does drive better over bumpy roads. Here in Ny we have had alot of snow, and its dangerous. Which car would do better in the snow. Also,While the car was in park and I clicked the brake, I held a click. I guess because you cant change gears without your foot on the brake, but does do other i30 owners know what I mean? If not, then something else might be wrong.

I am looking for the model thats going to drive good over bumpy roads. I always felt as a kid when I got in nice cars, noticed you couldnt tell like your driving, more like your floating. I have heard that the i30T is bumpier, but I wanted feedback from owners of the car, and not the dealer. They will tell you anything to sell you a care. Thanks.

 

In all seriousness, if you want something that "floats" over bad road surfaces, then you may want to consider something like an old Cadillac Fleetwood, Lincoln Town Car, Ford Crown Vic, etc. The ride of an I30 or I30T is going to be firm, with the latter being moreso. Traction control can help out on the snow, but it is no substitute for using good sense. Personally I have only driven cars with traction control a few times and it's not a big deal to me. What I think is best on snow is a decent limited slip differential, which I believe the I30T comes with standard. I'm not sure about the I30 however. Infiniti isn't the only manufacturer that has started to focus more on the "sporty" rather than the traditional "luxury" feel of cars. Most everyone has done this, for a good reason. Traditional luxury cars had **** poor handling. That's the trade off. Soft ride=**** poor handling. Good handling=firm ride. Consumers decided they wanted cars that handled better so the older designs fell to the wayside. If bumps really concern you then go with the regular I30, or examine your driving habits. If your car feels like it's shaking itself to pieces, consider slowing down some. I could be wrong but I don't believe there is a significant difference in the cost of repairs.

 

yes but you must understand that most roads are horrible these days. And the rims on the i30t are thin, meaning that the rims could bend going over bumps. I see most people these days swerving out of the way of pot holes because they suck. After driving over pot hole after pot hole toattly messes up your suspension. I hear you feel the road ALOt more on the i30 at high speeds, feeling all the bumps. Also, I hear the i30t is harder to make a u-turn in because of its wide tires. it has a 40 feet u-turn , while the i30 has 35 feet. Why did they make the i30t more money?

there is one thing though, the passanger side back door has scratches on the leather. How much would it cost to fix this? Also, when in park, and pressing the break to take it out of park, do any i30 owners hear a click when pressing the break while in park?

 

I own a 2000 I30 (base model) and I have to say that I think the ride is EXCELLENT. I have not done any suspension mods and I'm still on stock wheels/tires. The ride is firm but not "bumpy" and at high speeds the car seems to level out and ride even better (i.e. freeway driving). But if you are looking for that "floaty" ride then I agree that Cadillac is the way to go (personally I think they are TOO floaty.....it's like being on a rollercoaster As for repairing the leather check this site http://www.infiniti-parts.com/ for a replacement door panel (that is many times the best and most cost effective option). Hope that helps!

 

Why don't you just go drive both of them.

 

I went through a similar dilemma when I bought a 2000 I30 base model a few months ago. Everything about the base model I bought is stock and I don't intend to do any mods except maybe getting a spoiler in the future.

I suppose in the end it will a matter of personal choice, but I chose base model over touring model, though the touring model I found had more features like spoiler and traction control.

Before I made the decision I read and heard similar thing about their rides-I30t is a little firmer. I thought, with 215/55/16 tires it should be firm enough (at least for me). I mean you can't expect a silky ride in general from a car with (I30t's) 225/50/17 tires. Granted that may not be the only factor that determines overall ride feel, but after I started driving my base model I felt that I made a right choice. It's not bumpy or uncomfortable, but it is firm and I like it, especially at highways.

You don't worry about the cost of tires? I did a research before I made my decision and realized that 225/50/17 is usually more expensive and harder to find than 215/55/16. That was my deciding factor, too.

Of couse I don't claim what I said represents majority of base I30 owners at all, just an opinion.....Like I30tMikeD said, driving both and comparing yourself may be the only way to be sure.

 

I30 T has the following that that I30 dosn't

wider tires - 225/50/17 vs 215/55/16 - better grip -
traction control - better traction when wet / snow
limited slip differential - better straight line traction
stiffer shock valving - better handling in corners but harsher ride
rear spoiler - looks
heated seats - comfort

the I30 t is geared towards sporty drivers and is setup for better handling consequently its a bit harsher than the base model.

Why does it cost more ? Simply because it has MORE features - bigger wheels , wider tires, traction control, limited slip etc all cost more money.

In my opinion, having driven both, its better to get the I30t if money is no object - the VSLD and traction control are worth a LOT in bad weather and you can always change to 16 inch rims and the softer/ narrower tires to get the ride comfort back. The shock valving is stiffer but not significantly so. Most of the harshness comes from the rim / tire combination.

Hope this helps

Harry

 

First off i would like to thank everyone who read this and replied.

I see the i30t would be better in the snow. That makes me think, because NY has been hit hard.

what is VSLD?

Also what do you mean by "stiffer" shock valving? What does this do?

the tires on the i30t are what many call "low profile tires". a couple of people I know have low profiles, and they hate going to the city because its filled with pot holes. I just dont want to spend so much money on fixing bent rims.

In conclusion, do you think the tires are what makes the roads more bumpy, and is their a danger in change from 17 inch rims to 16 inch? Will it screw up the suspension? thanks.

 

VSLD is a reference to the type of differential the car has. The differential is what transmits the drive power from the tranmission to the wheels. In a front-wheel drive car, there is what is known as torque-steer. This occurs during acceleration and the steering wheel oscillates from side to side. It happens because of the way the differential acts upon the front wheels. A VSLD, or limited slip differential, is more sophisticated and eliminates this problem (electronically and mechanically) because it allows equal power to each wheel at the same time. That becomes a safety feature because it allows the diver to maintain better control and since it is a feedback system, it's great in ice and snow.

Stiffer shock valving refers to the shock absorbers' internal set-up. Shocks use principles of hydrodynamics...there is actual fluid in the case and it travels through a series of channels and valves to perform their duties. Things like rebound and damping can be controlled by, among other things, adjusting those valves to attain specific characteristics. In the case of the I30t, the valving is structured in such a way so as to allow the suspension to be stiffer and, by extension, more responsive.

Low-profile tires are designed to contribute to handling as opposed to ride comfort. They're called "low-profile" because the sidewall is quite a bit thinner than, say, a standard passenger car tire. The decreased sidewall diminishes tire flex, which is a factor that contributes to poor handling. The trade-off is that the shock absorbing qualities of a thicker sidewall tire are absent. In your case, I would think the smaller diamameter, thicker sidewalls would be a more desirable set-up since larger diameter, low-profile will transmit a lot more terrain information into the cabin. Any jarring force can potentially damage suspension components and more jarring force will be transmitted to those components with low-profile tires. There shouldn't be any problems in changing from 17 to 16 inch wheels.

Another thing to look for are the HID headlights. HID stands for High Intensity Discharge. You've probably seen them on the higher end cars. They cast a bluish light. They're a huge advantage because not only do they put a lot more light on the ground in front of you, but the light is also in the same (or really close) spectrum as sunlight, so it's easier to understand what's being illuminated when you're under way. I don't know if they're available on the I30, but they are standard equipment on the I30t.

 

First off, its an amazing car, I like the green feature on the rear view mirror, nice. That alone sold me. The ride was nice, and I would like it better in the snow, I am sold on the t.

The only thing is, the dealer. These guys have a car sitting there ready to be auctioned. I applied for a loan at eloan.com and got a rate of 4.99 on a 17000 loan. I wanted only 7000 because thats all I needed. It would have cost me $130 a month for 5 years, and simple intrest. They said they dont do eloans, but eloan said any dealer that sells brand name cars like honda, lexus,ect..should. Small dealers usally dont. Anyways he ran my credit, and I got a perfect score, and offered me 7.5% apr, monthly payments would be $235. Then he tired to make me sign their contract.

I have legal backround, and I look young, I guess he mistaked me for a dummy. Anyway, I asked to take to contract home and review it, because he was more interested in selling me his service of a higher APR , then the car. Bottom line is, all eloan does is send a check, it takes a week , quicker if you pay overnight. Anyways, they get their money in the end , because my contract is with elaon, not toyota. But they didnt want to do the eloan. Even all the Infinity dealers here take eloan. Bad business if you ask me. All places I been to take it. Sucks, nice car, but at least I got a free test drive. Thanks for all who have helped. The i30t would be safer in NY snow and has more features. The ride doesnt bother me much. Its firm, how they said it would be. great car though. It has one of the worlds best engines.

 

Sorry you had to go through that. You have to understand if your dealing with a small dealership, you will likely get a load a jizz spewed at you. Most auctioner companies fail to tell consumers that the vehicles they are selling are remanufacture totalled vehicles. Its funny. The same thing that happened to you in N.Y. happened to me at Starr Enterprise here in Bham. These morons thought they were dealing with a twit when I was about to purchase a white 2002 I35 for $24,500 with 40k. I was about to get the car, but the butt pirates tried to give me a probe with a 6.3% apr. NO WAY DOC!

Heres where I got them, I went and found the I35 I have now at the same price from cetifiable lot with only 11K and caught a APR of 4.9% for 5 years. So after fiancing it, I went to pay my friendly STart automotive a little visit and got a good laugh when they saw me ROLLIN'.

 

the thing is, it was a major toyota dealer ship in Wesbury. 4.99 is nice. I guess I just have to look around. Eh, the interior was ripped anyway.

 

Yea they probably were trying to get rid of it after they bought is from an autioneer. Because usually off a trae in the car is in decent shape. Who knows. you can check www.autotrader.com and that website will show you a load of I30s or even I35s in your area.

 

Well, what do you think would be a good price for a silver or grey 2000 i30t with lets say......40-55,000 miles on excelent condition? They are asking 15,900 for most of the time. I check the carfax and all come out clean. They say the internet price is the lowest they go. Whats a good price to get this car for?

 

I got my 2000 I30t with 56,000 miles for $13,900. I went over it with a fine-tooth comb, did a private carfax and it was clean. Super clean, as a matter if fact. It was apparently never owned by an individual but was a lease fleet car. It was beautifully maintained and I feel like I got a sweet deal.

 

Yea thats a very sweet deal.

 

You mean a rental car.....

 

isnt that what a fleet is? When they rent it or use it as a company car? the best person to buy a car from is a little old lady, but then again, they might not know how to maintain it, so maybe not.

 

No. If I had meant a rental car I would've said that. There are distinctions between a rented and a leased vehicle. The difference is that leasing is a long-term arrangement where the leasee is more likely to take good care of the car since they'll have it for a while. Also, leasing companies have the cars in their fleets longer so they're inclined to keep up good maintanence in an effort to attract leasees and minimize trouble with their vehicles. A rented car is short-term where the user usually doesn't care about the car and rental companies have such a high turnover that they just keep the cars running until the next round of cars come through.

 

Thanks, I know the difference between leasing and renting a car. If the car was a lease fleet, then it was sold to an outside company then leased to others. Who knows how many different people "owned" the car from time to time. The car has been driven almost 20K miles a year. It may have been used as a company car that could have been driven for short periods of time by many individuals, who knows? That to me is just like a rental car, ie; car driven by different people who have no stake in how the car is maintained or cared for.

 

It sounds like a good deal to me. I got mine (not a "t" though) a few months ago at $16,900 with 27,000 miles. My nearest Infiniti dealer still sells the same kind with same level of mileage at around $19,500, it was OK for me.

 

Went to carfax.com and looked up what they consider to be a fleet lease. It looks like it is just a little bit different then a lease. An outside company purchases the car and leases it. They don't give much detail besides that, but a car that was a fleet lease may have been owned under the same conditions as a traditional lease.

 

hey what do I look under there? I cant find what I need, or its worded wrong. What is the exact name of the inside leather part of the car? I cant find it anywhere. I could use this to negotate a deal.

 

I went to an infiniti dealership in one of the wealthiest places on NY and sat in the car with the sales rap, turn the key, and the car didnt start...so much for that. I was shocked to say the least. Then I started to realize that one in the lot is nice, its a t, and all it really has is the door panal, but i cant seem to find it on that site.

 

Smart move for walking out of the dealership when the dealer tried to screw you over. They were getting you for more than just and additional 2.5%. A rate increase by 2.5% is not going to raise payment by 100$ every month. In a later post you had said it was a large dealership. They usually operate on the high volume, high pressure sale. These people do not like to let customers leave without taking home a new car. The reason why dealers don't like to deal with places like eloan is because they have arrangements with their own selection of lenders. Their lenders offer them incentives to write loans (the dealership gets a comission from the lender.) They get the comission based on the amount of the loan and they get a higher comission if they stick the customer with a high interest rate. The dealer has more control over your interest rate then they would have you believe. One of my friends bought a brand new Maxima SE back in 99. His credit score was about 750. A score of 720 qualifies you for those special finance rates (0.9, 1.9, etc.) The dealer tried to jerk him around and say that he still didn't qualify at the good rate because his income was too low (BS.) Instead of leaving and going to another dealer he went to the bank and got a loan. He still got a bad rate because at the time banks weren't giving good rates on car loans. But at least the dealer didn't get their comission from writing the loan. But you did the smart thing you walked away from the deal.

 

The auctioneer company in this case is not like ebay. If you notice as time goes on most new car dealers have a large used inventory. They buy most of their used inventory from car auctions that are only open to car dealers. When you trade in your car, odds are 99% it will be sent off to a car wholesaler within a week. The only way they'll keep it is if it's something they can sell. But most of the time they just sell it wholesale. That way they can keep control over their inventory. Those car auction places online like ebay, they sell rebuilt cars. But wholesale auctions are simply a way for the dealers to trade their inventories. For example the local Nissan dealer one day last week had half a dozen late model Infinitis show up on his lot. Now six people in the course of one or two days didn't trade their Infinitis in on new Nissans. What happened was they went to the auction and made a deal with a wholesaler to buy up these cars because they know they can move them. They still look good. They're high end cars. The Nissan techs know how to repair any flaws. Most are still covered by warranty, and you can buy an additional extended warranty that both Nissan and Infiniti will honor. These high end vehicles obviously have lower prices than the new ones, but the prices are also lower than buying a certified pre-owned infiniti. Most used Infiniti cars you'll find on a new car dealer lot, don't qualify as certified pre-owned. In a lot of instances most have had some very minor body damage (a new bumper cover or fender.) The owners didn't maintain them to the religious standards that the dealer expected. But they're still decent cars. That's how that game works.

 

A follow up.

All 2000 i30's with black leather interior were all in bad condition.

1 didnt start, yet the other appeared like someone had died in it, with red marks on the roof, brooken rear view mirror, and bleched black leather on the wheel and passanger seat. and yet a 3rd had ripped leather, drove to one side when you let go of the wheel, and made a loud noise when the breaks were pressed.

My car just came off a lease, has grey leather in amazing condition, outside looks good, runs stright, and has 6 cd changer. All in all I wanted black, but in general its hard to find a car in good condition, i feel that I did my homework.

2000 i30t silver on grey, 47,000 (15,000) a year..about right, and runs great.

Anyone else ever notice about the black leather? For some reason it was cursed. My lexus had black leather, its time for a change anyway.

 

Well here's the problem with lease vehicles. There are two reasons to lease a car. Reason one: you have poor self esteem and cannot bear to be seen in a car more than two or three years old. Number two: your eyes are bigger than your wallet and you want to drive something that you could otherwise not afford. There is a third somewhat legit reason to lease. You need the car for work related things. But most individuals who lease vehicles do so for reasons one and two, which are sort of tied together. But here's what happens. You assume all responsibility for a car you cannot afford because you have to pretend that you're a high rollin pimp or whatever. But then maintenance time comes around and guess what? You can't afford maintenance on your high end vehicle. And who cares, it's not as if you own it right? When the lease comes to an end you'll have all of these excess wear and tear charges on the vehicle to pay. But of course the dealer will waive them if you agree to lease another car. It's like any rental property, why should you care if you don't own it? And that's why a lot of lease vehicles aren't always in the greatest shape. What is truly mind boggling about the concept of a vehicle lease are the people who trade in their old cars that are paid for to lease a vehicle. That would be like having a house that you own and have paid off. Then taking that house and giving it to a person and in exchange they'll let you rent their house. Seems silly doesn't it?

 

Also do not forget that insurance would be set at least 100k per person/300k per accident/50k for property in liability, plus your deductible would probably set no higher than 500 for comprehensive and collision, and if its your one and only car, you might have to get rental reimbursement (unless you live in VA).

 

Thats what I am saying, its a dirty game when it comes to cars. There is also a forth reason to lease a vehicle. (Avoidance of long term upkeeping.)