Feel like stopping by the dealer for your GT-R?

[DrFabulous]

Better bring $2000.

2009 Nissan GT-R: Bargain Supercar Gets Expensive

Those of you 2009 Nissan GT-R haters out there, you're going to love this one. To the GT-R fanboys, well, sorry, this is going to be hard to make excuses for.

Last week we took our Nissan GT-R to Nissan of Santa Monica for routine service. We knew going in that this was going to be an expensive one. We'd been warned ahead of time that this service was not only an oil change (already expensive on these cars), but also a routine change of the differential and transaxle fluids.

Should be simple, right? Consider this: Automatic Transmission Fluid (GT-R specific) lists for $114.98 per quart. That's not a typo-- maybe an accounting error on Nissan's side, but not a typo. Forget Cristal we're going to start seeing hip-hop videos with rappers pouring this stuff on the ground while throwing dollars in the air. Don't worry, though, we didn't pay that. We got a deal; only $84.24 each. What a bargain.

Once you regain your breath-- lost either by laughing or screaming-- follow the jump for the full break-down of this service.

Now that we've all had a good laugh (or cry), here's the breakdown.

Transmission & Diff fluid change:

8 Quarts (Our car took just under 8. They quote 10 quarts, but the ammount used is rarely, if ever, that high. Honest dealers will tell you what your car took. Dishonest ones can easily charge you for the full 10.) of GT-R Automatic Transmission Fluid @ $86.24/ea: $689.92

3 Quarts of GT-R specific differential oil @ $62.02/ea: $186.06

Labor: $500

Oil Change:

1 Oil Filter: $6.95 (finally, something normal)

6-quarts Mobil 1 Synthetic 0W40 @ 9.38/ea: $56.28

Labor: $150

New Engine Air Filters and in Cabin Microfilter: (We could have saved a few bucks and done this one ourselves, but the car was already in the shop.)

2 engine air filters @ $52.86/ea: $105.72

1 Micro Air filter: $53.38

Labor: $115.00

The remote entry was repaired at no cost.

Our service advisor also noted that our right-rear tire had lost a strip of rubber on the inner edge, metal was showing. We have a set of tires already orderd from Stokes Tire Pros in Santa Monica.

TOTALS

Labor: $817.50

Parts: 1,101.31

Tax: 90.86

Total charge: $2009.67

Days out of service (including estimates for the repair): 4

As easy and fun as this is going to be to skewer in the comments, here's a side challenge (which we've also got posted on a white board in our office): What could possibly be in the GT-R specific oil to make it cost $114 per quart?

Mike Magrath, Vehicle Testing Assistant @ 18,916 miles

[Nick-G]

Wow

[crazypontiac03]

, what a joke. Then again i guess if u have 90K for a Vehicle you can afford a Joke of Maintance.

[Malaclypse]

Someone do a VOA on the GT-R specific fluids please? =p

[GrandAmMe]

sheesh...Its just like someone we know with an older jaguar who got charged just over $2000 for a windshield. Apparently it has some "heating device" Inside it.

[ryanbgb22]

, my friend's dad is up for his first oil change....I think he's been avoiding it for as long as possible haha

[AaronGTR]

Lame... I'll take my Corvette ZR1 instead thanks.


BTW... for what is touted as a "supercar" and a marvel of engineering and technology, doesn't it seem a little retarded to have to change the trans and diff fluid so soon? What, they can't design a trans that works without changing the fluid so often? Some super car... super expensive. I'll bet the 'vette doesn't need that done so often.

[PhantomLover007]

That's crazy. I would have had to have a signature loan to get this done...

[BOOTMASTER]

wow, i want one of those a LOT less now

[plastic_indian]

I seem to recall AutoWeek running a recent blurb about brakes on the spec V version of the car pricing around 45 thousand dollars. I assumed that was a gross typo and searched a GT-R board:

http://www.nagtroc.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=29442

Guess maybe not.

[silverbullet51]

Holy ****! That is just ridiculous. And to think the GT-R was one of my dream cars...not so much now. I'll have to side with Aaron and get the Vette instead. Can't beat good ol' American V8 fun! Although maintainance on the Vette can't be cheap either.

[GregFarz78]

one sided articles FTW!

I like how NONE of these GTR bashing articles compare maintenance costs to other cars in that price range....lets compare it to a BMW, porsche, or ZR1 I bet they are all close to the same maintenance costs. If you can afford a 90k car you can afford the repairs and most owners arent doing their own repairs

[ryanbgb22]

Originally Posted by GregFarz78

one sided articles FTW!

I like how NONE of these GTR bashing articles compare maintenance costs to other cars in that price range....lets compare it to a BMW, porsche, or ZR1 I bet they are all close to the same maintenance costs. If you can afford a 90k car you can afford the repairs and most owners arent doing their own repairs

Werd, and with the gtr you don't have to feel like a ricer driving around a vehicle that comes stock with a window in the hood to show off a plastic engine cover.

[DrFabulous]

Originally Posted by GregFarz78

one sided articles FTW!

I like how NONE of these GTR bashing articles compare maintenance costs to other cars in that price range....lets compare it to a BMW, porsche, or ZR1 I bet they are all close to the same maintenance costs. If you can afford a 90k car you can afford the repairs and most owners arent doing their own repairs

Not saying that it is any different than cars in its class.... just ing at the fact that you would be spending that kind of money in a place that sells $13k cars new

[GregFarz78]

meh chevy sells that aveo that costs what 10k new to the zr1 110k

[Panacea]

Originally Posted by ryanbgb22

Werd, and with the gtr you don't have to feel like a ricer driving around a vehicle that comes stock with a window in the hood to show off a plastic engine cover.

Yeah because a 10 second factory vette w/clear window in the hood is really r!cish.

[cardude007617]

Originally Posted by silverbullet51

Holy ****! That is just ridiculous. And to think the GT-R was one of my dream cars...not so much now. I'll have to side with Aaron and get the Vette instead. Can't beat good ol' American V8 fun! Although maintainance on the Vette can't be cheap either.

it would be a bit less though. most of the parts are just "normal" chevy/GM parts and not imported parts. the vette is actually a pretty simple sports car. and are built to be driven and not repaired or babied with maintenence 24/7

[Panacea]

Originally Posted by cardude007617

it would be a bit less though. most of the parts are just "normal" chevy/GM parts and not imported parts. the vette is actually a pretty simple sports car. and are built to be driven and not repaired or babied with maintenence 24/7

It also depends on which vette we're talking about. ZR-1 or Regular vette? The ZR1's rotors never need to be turned or replaced, and I'm pretty sure they're using standard oils in their vehicles too.

[ryanbgb22]

Originally Posted by Panacea

Yeah because a 10 second factory vette w/clear window in the hood is really r!cish.

I don't give a **** what car its on, a window in the hood is bad, a window in the hood showing a plastic cover is terrible.

[Panacea]

Originally Posted by ryanbgb22

I don't give a **** what car its on, a window in the hood is bad, a window in the hood showing a plastic cover is terrible.

So it's okay for them to do it on mid-engine/rear engine cars, but not on a front engine? ...or is it just the fact that it's American, or a Vette?