The Limos.com Forum Has Moved!!!

Hello All,

Long time reader first time poster! you guys are great, and helped out alot in getting our little co. off the ground

Just wondering what you guys think of the Infinity QX56 as being the 1st SUV of our fleet. We current have a town car, and are looking to add a suv. We would be purchasing a '04 or '05 so there are some good deals out there. They also seem to be more luxiourous and not to much diff in price than the standard burban's, yukon XL etc..

Also, whats ur thoughts on silver/white sedans or suv's, good? bad? personally i think they look classy on the right vehicle. Do clients REALLY want a black vehicle?

any thoughts would be appreciated!

In NY we use suburbans, escalades and navigators. We boooked them neck and with the town car...

quote:

Originally posted by Wade Randolph:
Shawn you should try to pickup a nice, clean used black Suburban.

That is definitely the way to go. YOu can not go wrong with the price. And maybe later down the line, if you want an Escalade all you have to do is Change the nose and taillights. It should cost you only about $5000 to upgrade to Escalade look.

Shawn you should try to pickup a nice, clean used black Suburban. You should be able to find a really clean low mileage one a few years old for under 20K. They are giving these things away now.

People who bok our Suburban often pack it to the gills with luggage. I can't imagine having a smaller SUV in the fleet for SUV purchase #1.

We have an Expedition and I have not regretted the purchase. Have had it for over 2 years now. It is white. Never had a specific request for a black one. This vehicle is the busiest we have. Go with the best deal and do not base it on color unless you are in a huge corporate market. Keep in mind legroom and rear options.

We are thinking of upgrading to an Escalade or Navigator but I want to compare the new model Expedition to these two vehicles and see what the real difference is other then the prestige factor. Maybe a bit smoother ride. My Expedition seems to have a "truck" ride more then a luxury ride. I was also looking at Chrysler Aspen for the cost (Around $35K new) but have heard the legroom is very bad in the back. I have not looked closely at them.

Analyze your market and the available vehicles and you will make a wise decision no matter what you choose. Good Luck!

Jim

Thx everyone! very helpful.

Wade, the expedition EL is actually a great option, however the limited(which comes in leather) is still a little over our budget(about 20Kish)...but i guess we have to take the risk and invest a little more?

quote:

Originally posted by Dean Schuler:
Our experience is that the big SUV's roll seven days a week. I usually have a few rental SUV's on hand to cover overflow. The demand is increasing, not decreasing as the big SUV is the new six passenger limousine in our market.

Dean your right. I also have noticed a huge increased demand for REGULAR SUV's and sedans for weddings on the weekends. Our sedans have been booked all day and night on Saturdays which was not the case a few years ago.

If this is a non stretch - go with black. Stretch - white. I would probably recommend an Escalade. Parts are much cheaper and easier to get. They are more popular. Clients ask for a name like Mercedes or Escalade. Nobody really asks for Infinity unless its a stretch and has all the bells and whistles.

Our experience is that the big SUV's roll seven days a week. I usually have a few rental SUV's on hand to cover overflow. The demand is increasing, not decreasing as the big SUV is the new six passenger limousine in our market.

The Infinity does not have the back room of the Suburban or Yukon XL. Also go with black if you want the vehicle to roll 7 days per week. You can now get a great deal on a Ford Expedition EL used which is a great Livery vehicle.

I agree with Sal, go with a black Suburban. But what do I know? Ask your clients what they would like and go from there.

I prefer black, and have never had a client ask for white over black with the exception of one or two wedding gigs.

I think the larger SUVs are a better buy for livery work, more passenger room, and perhaps just as important, more room for luggage.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I think the QX56 may be a smaller hauler, so to speak.

Welcome to the conversation Shawn!

As far as the type of vehicle, I know some companies use the suburban, escalade, navigator, due to the size inside and seating capacity/luggage room. I don't know much about infiniti though. I know that some SUV's, that don't have the automatic "step-out" make it a little difficult for clients getting in and out, especially for women that are wearing heels. As for the color, I found in different parts of the country, some clients care what color, some don't. In DC, Baltimore area, they do prefer black, in Texas (Houston mainly), I find a lot of companies are using white/cream colored sedans that are on the road constantly. I guess, look around and see what your market area is using/prefers. I would get a black SUV though. If you have a good corporate client that uses you constantly, ask for their input as well. Just tell them you are considering this type of purchase, and would color make a difference, since they will be the ones utlimately using it.