Start saving for those tires!! 06 M sport package

[D_Nyholm]

I just looked at www.tirerack.com (http://www.tirerack.com) to see what they offer for the stock sizes of a 06 M35/45 sport. Doesn't look so good. They are 245-40-19 and it seems like the OEM tires are $271 each. Then if you want something a little better, you can get S0-3's for $278 each. Keep in mind these are all Summer ONLY tires. If you want All Seasons, there is ONE choice!! Michelin Pilot Sport A/S at a wallet biting $295 each!! This is only tirerack, there may be others out there that fit. I also looked at 255-45-19, 245-45-19 and 265-35-19. Slim pickin's in those sizes as well.

Anyone else look into this yet with better results? Maybe i'll have to forgo the sport package so that I can get my hands on some normal all seasons like the Kumho's I have on the coupe, or some Continental ContiExtremeCOntacts. I guess it is the price to pay to play!! http://forums.freshalloy.com/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[SMac]

I don't think I'm going to be able to get with that new Rosewood trim for Infiniti in '05, and I want the active rear steer. But I don't want the cost of 19" tires, nor summer-only tires. I think I'll try to get a sport model and see if the dealership will just swap the 19's with the 18's on one of their non-sport cars.

Any idea what the specific OEM tires are, not just size, to compare manu spec O.D.?

Obviously, this will have to wait till there are M's on the lot, which is fine, because I won't trade in the G35 for a few more years at least.

But for price comparison, my Pilot Sport A/S 17" for the G35 was $225 a tire at NTB. That the PS A/S 19" is stil under $300 is a bit of a pleasent suprise.

[Pedro45]

Here we go again with Infiniti and the summer tire issue. I dealt with a similar situation when I bought my 2003 G35 Coupe the first month they were out. I opted NOT to get the wheel package even though the 18" wheels were a lot nicer than the 17's. The Reason: They came with summer tires AND there were no all seasons on the market to fit the 18's. I was not in a position to be switching tires from summer to snows, so I decided to go with the standard 17 inch wheels.

Now, the M Sport will present a similar problem. Do I go with the non-sport (don't like the rims) to get all seasons; Do I go with the sport and spend another $1,200 to get all-seasons? Why can't Infiniti offer the all-season option for those who want it on the Sports? I think that is what Lexus does in similar situations (at no extra charge).

Danny, would your dealership swap out the summer 19's for all season 19's if one bought an M Sport from Grubbs? Anybody know a dealer that would?

I know there are some chomping at the bit to tell me about the handling capabilities of summers vs. all seasons. However, I am not interested in taking corners at 70 and hitting the turnpike at 120 mph. We have winters in Philly (not bad ones) and I want all-seasons. Snow tires here is a little overkill.

[Kerr]

I hope that you are kidding. You can plop down or have the ability to make payment on a $60K car and your worried about tires.

buy a used car for winter. plenty of $1,000 rides out there to get you to work and back.

[dfw_danny]

Danny, would your dealership swap out the summer 19's for all season 19's if one bought an M Sport from Grubbs? Anybody know a dealer that would?




No. We don't have any use for used tires.

[D_Nyholm]

I hope that you are kidding. You can plop down or have the ability to make payment on a $60K car and your worried about tires.

buy a used car for winter. plenty of $1,000 rides out there to get you to work and back.



No, i'm not kidding. I am just informing the fellow members that the tires may be an unexpected surprise cost when they wear out at 15K-20K miles. A lot of the G35 coupe owners with the 18" wheels were surprised when they wore out at 15K miles and cost over $1000 to replace with the OEM tires (incredible tires BTW).

[RandyWatson]

A few points
1. Cars are so freaking big and fat and pigish, you have to have big wheels to make the car look appropriate
2. More money for dealers (alignnments, rotations, tire sales etc)
3. More money for tire companies

The fact of the matter is most people are newbs to peformance. And there should be NO SHOCK at the prices for low-profile tires.

[Pedro45]

[QUOTE]
No. We don't have any use for used tires.



Sorry for asking auch a stupid question Danny. I had no idea the tires would be considered used. I'd like to think if I was spending $50,000+ for a car I would get a slightly more constructive "no."

While I am absolutely no car expert or car dealer practices expert, I am an expert in sales and customer service.

[hombogero]

I hope that you are kidding. You can plop down or have the ability to make payment on a $60K car and your worried about tires.

buy a used car for winter. plenty of $1,000 rides out there to get you to work and back.



I agree. When buying a sports sedan, I believe the tire money falls into the "cost of doing business" section. Anyone who has had a sports car in the past, knows the cost of tires. I had an M3 and was lucky to get 15k miles out of 1100 dollar tires.

[340HP]

Why would you want all-season tires on a sports car? It's like putting all-season tires on an Enzo.

Get a small SUV with SNOW tires, if you're concerned.

[rscolemanaz]

Any one stupid enough to buy a car with out checking cost of ownership deserves the misery he/she ends up with. At a minimum I always look at following. Service cost at dealership for each of the service manual listed services. Cost of replacing tires, cost of insurance, and cost of tags.

Next if you buy a sport package you should get sport tires not all season, winter, or skippy do da. Performance tires should come with performance option. Also, if you have the dough for 40,000+ dollar car an extra 1000 to 1750 dollars should not be breaking the bank if it does you probably need to find a cheaper car.

[D_Nyholm]

Hmm, I never knew the M35/45 was a sports car?!?! I thought it was a luxury sedan!!!

I guarantee that 90% of the drivers that opt for the Sports package are going to be VERY surprised when their tires wear out. Just look at the G35 and FX forums. People were screaming bloody murder when their tires wore out at 12-15K!!!

[rscolemanaz]

Like I said stupid people who did not check what they were buying before they bought it. I own G35 today we looked at sport and nonsport I looked at tires for both along with other things I listed. Test drove both cars and decided that sport was only marginally better in handling and then only at extreme limits. I don't live at extreme limits when I drive on road so no sport option. I am looking at replacing the G35 with new M35. I have not driven M35 only M45 sport so until I get chance to run around in M35 and M35 sport I will not be buy. I like you know cost of tires for both models. I hate the look of the non-sport rims. So unless I can can get some better looking aftermarket 18's it's going to be a tough call.

[340HP]

Hmm, I never knew the M35/45 was a sports car?!?! I thought it was a luxury sedan!!!



Sorry man, but if you're getting the SPORTS package, it makes it as sporty as you can get.

Want all-season tires? Get the non-sports version.

[Pedro45]

If you think any of the M's are a "sports car," you are sadly mistaken. It is a sporty car. I would guess 90% of you will be using the car as a daily driver, going to work, coming back from work, picking up groceries, taking the kids to soccer practice. Oh yeah, and going to the race track every other Sunday....come on!

All you 40 year old (I am 42) Mario Andrettis give me a break. If you do plan on taking corners at 60 mph and getting into triple digit mph on a regular basis, then I have little need for your input on most car related matters.

All seasons will not make any of the M's any lesser of a car. The aluminum dash will be just as nice, 19" rims just as impressive, and the ride in MOST cases identical as with summer tires. All because Infiniti labels 2 versions of the M "Sport" does not make them Sports cars. I can hear Ferrari and Porsche forums laughing already.

[RandyWatson]

If you think any of the M's are a "sports car," you are sadly mistaken. It is a sporty car. I would guess 90% of you will be using the car as a daily driver, going to work, coming back from work, picking up groceries, taking the kids to soccer practice. Oh yeah, and going to the race track every other Sunday....come on!

All you 40 year old (I am 42) Mario Andrettis give me a break. If you do plan on taking corners at 60 mph and getting into triple digit mph on a regular basis, then I have little need for your input on most car related matters.

All seasons will not make any of the M's any lesser of a car. The aluminum dash will be just as nice, 19" rims just as impressive, and the ride in MOST cases identical as with summer tires. All because Infiniti labels 2 versions of the M "Sport" does not make them Sports cars. I can hear Ferrari and Porsche forums laughing already.


your post= incredible!! i agree, most won't drive them sporty at all.

[340HP]

If you think any of the M's are a "sports car," you are sadly mistaken. It is a sporty car. I would guess 90% of you will be using the car as a daily driver, going to work, coming back from work, picking up groceries, taking the kids to soccer practice. Oh yeah, and going to the race track every other Sunday....come on!

All you 40 year old (I am 42) Mario Andrettis give me a break. If you do plan on taking corners at 60 mph and getting into triple digit mph on a regular basis, then I have little need for your input on most car related matters.

All seasons will not make any of the M's any lesser of a car. The aluminum dash will be just as nice, 19" rims just as impressive, and the ride in MOST cases identical as with summer tires. All because Infiniti labels 2 versions of the M "Sport" does not make them Sports cars. I can hear Ferrari and Porsche forums laughing already.


your post= incredible!! i agree, most won't drive them sporty at all.



If you drive like an old man, why the hell get the sports package?? Get the regular M45 with the Premium package. Softer suspension. Smaller wheels. More luxury.

You people don't make any sense.

[SMac]

Because Infiniti put the nice options on the sport pacakge. Nicer wheels (sorry, but those 18" rims are a dud, especially for a $50k car), nicer seats, only way to get the stone interior, only way to get the alum trim, only way to get the active rear steering, etc. Not to mention that massive front wheel well gap with the 18's.

It's not a sports car. I'm not buying the sports package to be running slaloms at the track in the summer with a 4000lbs sedan.

[Pedro45]

If you drive like an old man, why the hell get the sports package?? Get the regular M45 with the Premium package. Softer suspension. Smaller wheels. More luxury.

You people don't make any sense.

[/QUOTE]

I have little doubt you don't understand what sense "us people make." My guess is you don't understand much more. Indulge me and tell us how old you are. Pleeeeze tell me you are 25 or younger. Then, your comments will make some sense to me.

If you are in your high 30's or 40's, sorry to rain on your mid-life crisis, but you just aren't buying a "sports car."

[Pedro45]

Because Infiniti put the nice options on the sport pacakge. Nicer wheels (sorry, but those 18" rims are a dud, especially for a $50k car), nicer seats, only way to get the stone interior, only way to get the alum trim, only way to get the active rear steering, etc. Not to mention that massive front wheel well gap with the 18's.

It's not a sports car. I'm not buying the sports package to be running slaloms at the track in the summer with a 4000lbs sedan.



I could not have said it better myself!

[rscolemanaz]

I am 32 the car is for my wife who is 30 I drive a Toyota pickup on daily basis. I live in Arizona so I have no problem with summer only sport tire. I do not agree that ride will not change based on type of tire. The ride, noise level, avalible grip all change every time you change tire heck it can even change if you stay with the same type of tire.
My point is simply this if I buy a sport option I want sport tire Infiniti has answered that with the 19's. Should I as buyer not like that choice I can A.) get non sport option, B.) replace tires myself, C.) see what dealer can do in terms of trade.

Complaining about something after the fact because you did not know what you were getting into is stupid. The nice individual who opened this theard is an informed buyer he/she now has to go through their options and make a decision.

[340HP]

If you drive like an old man, why the hell get the sports package?? Get the regular M45 with the Premium package. Softer suspension. Smaller wheels. More luxury.

You people don't make any sense.



I have little doubt you don't understand what sense "us people make." My guess is you don't understand much more. Indulge me and tell us how old you are. Pleeeeze tell me you are 25 or younger. Then, your comments will make some sense to me.

If you are in your high 30's or 40's, sorry to rain on your mid-life crisis, but you just aren't buying a "sports car."

[/QUOTE]

I'm 17 Pedro. I have no mid-life crisis. I have an FX45 to get me through the snow and a 350Z 6MT to satisfy the Tasmanian Devil in me.

Want the 19" rims and stone interior? Then live with the summer tires. "But I want all-season."

Waaaaaaaaaa, waaaaaaaaaa, waaaaaaaaa.

Change the tires. It's a 60K car. Stop crying.

[Pedro45]

I am 32 the car is for my wife who is 30 I drive a Toyota pickup on daily basis. I live in Arizona so I have no problem with summer only sport tire. I do not agree that ride will not change based on type of tire. The ride, noise level, avalible grip all change every time you change tire heck it can even change if you stay with the same type of tire.
My point is simply this if I buy a sport option I want sport tire Infiniti has answered that with the 19's. Should I as buyer not like that choice I can A.) get non sport option, B.) replace tires myself, C.) see what dealer can do in terms of trade.

Complaining about something after the fact because you did not know what you were getting into is stupid. The nice individual who opened this theard is an informed buyer he/she now has to go through their options and make a decision.



I agree to a point. On the one hand, related to tire life. Complaining about only getting 15-20k on a set of tires does seem ridiculous. However, it is incumbent on the RESPONSIBLE dealer/Salesperson to let the M Sport buyer in a winter climate know that the tires on the car should NOT be driven in the cold or snow, for SAFETY reasons. That is NOT up to the buyer to know. There are plenty of wealthy, smart and successful people who would NOT know there are summer tires on the M Sport cars, or other cars of its kind. Most would not be found on forums like these and it does not make them "stupid."

RSCOLE: Being in AZ you really have no point of reference to understand the tire needs in winter weather climates. Asking Infiniti to offer an all-season option is not "stupid." Other luxury brands do it and it makes some sense. When G35 owners complained of interior material quality was that stupid? It led to much nicer interiors in the 2005 G35's. I think you need to re-focus your use of the very demeaning word. "stupid."

[Ricofx45]

17, huh, you're a funny dude.
I think this goes into the same department as complaining about low MPG or premium gas for a performance car. The tires are limited in that size range, but will eventually have more makes when the demand is there for them. The prices listed above don't seem that far out. It's not a 15" Corolla tire. It's a lower production luxury/sport model. You gotta pay to play, or save more and play it safe with a more common car.

[RandyWatson]

OMG, we are arguing with a 17 year old with more cars than Roger Penske.......

Son, you may read about cars but you don't KNOW about them. Only experience can give you that.

Please don't have us read about another teen wrapped around a tree with his friends...

[My45]

If you are in your high 30's or 40's, sorry to rain on your mid-life crisis, but you just aren't buying a "sports car."



Well I'm in my 30s, and while I realize I'm not buying a sports car, it does drive and handle better than many so called sports cars out there. I'm buying an M45 sport because I need a 4 door and my commute goes through a lot of twisties with a low amount of traffic. After driving both the sport and non-sport, I can say the sport ride is more satisfying to drive agressively. I will be one of those who pushes this car and gets something out of the sport ride and summer tires. Let's not put everyone into the same bucket. If I wanted a plush, boring ride, I would have bought an LS430. I will agree Infiniti should have made all seasons an option on the Sport. If I didn't live in Texas, I probably would have wanted all seasons.

[Pedro45]

If you are in your high 30's or 40's, sorry to rain on your mid-life crisis, but you just aren't buying a "sports car."



Well I'm in my 30s, and while I realize I'm not buying a sports car, it does drive and handle better than many so called sports cars out there. I'm buying an M45 sport because I need a 4 door and my commute goes through a lot of twisties with a low amount of traffic. After driving both the sport and non-sport, I can say the sport ride is more satisfying to drive agressively. I will be one of those who pushes this car and gets something out of the sport ride and summer tires. Let's not put everyone into the same bucket. If I wanted a plush, boring ride, I would have bought an LS430. I will agree Infiniti should have made all seasons an option on the Sport. If I didn't live in Texas, I probably would have wanted all seasons.



I did not mean to offend those in their 30's or 40's. I agree with all you say and my needs are very similar to yours. I recently ruled out the Lexus GS due to the way its manual mode works on the transmission. I almost always am in manual mode and enjoy the M's "fun factor." That being said, I am not concerned with hitting triple digit mph's and breaking land speed records.

The main difference between you and I seems to be our climates.

[340HP]

OMG, we are arguing with a 17 year old with more cars than Roger Penske.......

Son, you may read about cars but you don't KNOW about them. Only experience can give you that.

Please don't have us read about another teen wrapped around a tree with his friends...



I'm 32, it was a pun. Get a grip man.

Speaking of knowing cars.. Since I can remember I've had subscriptions to 5 car magazines and I do religiously read each one cover to cover. Experience? I've worked at a golf course, parking cars, two catering halls driving cars, owned 9 cars to date, and driven everything from a Bentley, Rolls, Ferrari, Viper, Lexus, MB, et. al.

Let's not make this a pissing contest. I might not be Andretti, but I ain't Fred Flinstone.

Cheers man. http://forums.freshalloy.com/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[biggstuu]

If you drive like an old man, why the hell get the sports package?? Get the regular M45 with the Premium package. Softer suspension. Smaller wheels. More luxury.

You people don't make any sense.



I have little doubt you don't understand what sense "us people make." My guess is you don't understand much more. Indulge me and tell us how old you are. Pleeeeze tell me you are 25 or younger. Then, your comments will make some sense to me.

If you are in your high 30's or 40's, sorry to rain on your mid-life crisis, but you just aren't buying a "sports car."



I'm 17 Pedro. I have no mid-life crisis. I have an FX45 to get me through the snow and a 350Z 6MT to satisfy the Tasmanian Devil in me.

Want the 19" rims and stone interior? Then live with the summer tires. "But I want all-season."

Waaaaaaaaaa, waaaaaaaaaa, waaaaaaaaa.

Change the tires. It's a 60K car. Stop crying.

[/QUOTE]

Wow 17 and balling like that? Im 30, with a good job and a mortgage and i have a G35 and a FX and i'll post pics to prove it. i dont believe U, take a pic of all your rides, then we can qualify what youre saying, but til then, youre still just a 17yr old kid disrespecting your elders. http://forums.freshalloy.com/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[_Eric_]

Wow 17 and balling like that? Im 30, with a good job and a mortgage and i have a G35 and a FX and i'll post pics to prove it. i dont believe U, take a pic of all your rides, then we can qualify what youre saying, but til then, youre still just a 17yr old kid disrespecting your elders. http://forums.freshalloy.com/images/graemlins/grin.gif



Check one post up from yours.

[FX35POWER]

i think D Nyholm had a good reason to bring up this subject.
If you cannot relate to it or consider the subject obvious, then dont respond-you should not be critical of members who find it relevant and helpful.
i drive an '03 fx45, live in the ne(philadelphia area) and bought a separate set of 18" rims and better all-season tires.
not everyone is as knowledgeable as some and may not know that a dedicated performance tire is potentially deadly in cold/snowy/icy conditions.
i too have driven many cars in my lifetime and appreciate performance, but i can tell you from my experience that only ONE salesperson was professional enough to clearly state that the tires on the (volvo s60r) were not for winter use. although our 20" tires are classified as all-season, i was disappointed with their ability in snow AND surprisingly to me, when i called infiniti service to discuss the diff lock, they gave me the impression that i SHOULD have different tires than the 20"s. when i told them that i already had changed to 18" all-seasons they agreed with my change.BUT my infiniti salesman NEVER brought this up.
regardless of the cost of the car, the additional/unexpected (to some)expense and possible inconvenience of needing another set of tires or tires+rims would be annoying or impractical.
i agree that it would make alot of sense and i believe that ultimately it would earn infiniti more respect if they offered the owner of the better looking 19" rim on the more desireable sports version an all-season tire OPTION.
although this may compromise the performance of the M35/45 sport some, it may be preferred by many buyers that experience winter driving conditions.

this forum should be used in a constructive way.
those with more knowledge/experience should be helpful...not critical.

chris

[D_Nyholm]

Chris,
Thank you for posting that. That was the whole intent of my post originally. Back when the coupe came out (Oct. '02), MANY of the owners didn't realize that the 18" wheels came with Pilot Sports and were undriveable in the wintertime. They also didn't realize that the tires were over $225 each to replace and they would wear out at 10-15K miles. Not many cars really come with 18" or 19" (or 20" for the FX) wheels in '03, nor the cost required to replace them. I just wanted to inform the other drivers who WEREN'T aware of the cost involved in just driving the car in the wintertime and also just replacing the tires when they wear out in 10K to 15K miles.

Maybe it's time to just keep my thoughts to myself?? http://forums.freshalloy.com/images/graemlins/rolleyes1.gif

[340HP]

Wow 17 and balling like that? Im 30, with a good job and a mortgage and i have a G35 and a FX and i'll post pics to prove it. i dont believe U, take a pic of all your rides, then we can qualify what youre saying, but til then, youre still just a 17yr old kid disrespecting your elders. http://forums.freshalloy.com/images/graemlins/grin.gif



Check one post up from yours.



I'm not 17. I was playin. Check my post above.

And I've posted photos of my rides all over the place.

[biggstuu]

Wow 17 and balling like that? Im 30, with a good job and a mortgage and i have a G35 and a FX and i'll post pics to prove it. i dont believe U, take a pic of all your rides, then we can qualify what youre saying, but til then, youre still just a 17yr old kid disrespecting your elders. http://forums.freshalloy.com/images/graemlins/grin.gif



Check one post up from yours.



I'm not 17. I was playin. Check my post above.

And I've posted photos of my rides all over the place.



relax y'all, it was in good fun, see the http://forums.freshalloy.com/images/graemlins/grin.gif, that normally is meant to display humorous intent, like ha ha just a lil wit, some sarcasm, just jokes.

[RandyWatson]

OMG, we are arguing with a 17 year old with more cars than Roger Penske.......

Son, you may read about cars but you don't KNOW about them. Only experience can give you that.

Please don't have us read about another teen wrapped around a tree with his friends...



I'm 32, it was a pun. Get a grip man.

Speaking of knowing cars.. Since I can remember I've had subscriptions to 5 car magazines and I do religiously read each one cover to cover. Experience? I've worked at a golf course, parking cars, two catering halls driving cars, owned 9 cars to date, and driven everything from a Bentley, Rolls, Ferrari, Viper, Lexus, MB, et. al.

Let's not make this a pissing contest. I might not be Andretti, but I ain't Fred Flinstone.

Cheers man. http://forums.freshalloy.com/images/graemlins/grin.gif



Cheers http://forums.freshalloy.com/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[InfiniD]

Sorry if this is out of place. Just a word to the wise. If your getting a G35 coupe and you live in a snow area, then you want to get the Sport tuned suspension package with the 19" wheels and summer tires. It's the only way to get a limited slip rear differential which is alot more important than the wheels and tires. And of course, you'll want to get snow tires/wheels. I just thought people might want to know this.

[SMac]

And that's one of the things that annoys me about these open diff RWD cars. Who cares what the tires are when the only wheel that's going to spin is the one sitting on the ice or stuck up in the air.

I assume sport or not, the M only has a standard differential?