So, I drive a lot for work and I've owned a lot of different cars. Honda's, Toyota's, Buick's, Chevies, Suzuki's, Hyundai's..you name it. Old stuff, newer stuff too.

The 1998 Q45t is the first Infiniti or Nissan I've ever owned so i thought I would share my opinion after owning it for nearly 7 months and 25,000 miles.

Quick background: I bought my Q from the second owner who purchased it off-lease in 2002 with 39K on it. Always garaged, always maintained. They are older, affluent, and his wife drove it mostly. So, no need for a "abused car" response.

What I like:

1. The power. I know from lurking that 4.5L owners turn their noses up at these cars because they aren't a...4.5L, but nearly 270hp out of a 4.1L engine is nothing to sneeze at. It's right up there with BMW's and Mercedes' of the era. As far as not being as strong internally...has anyone really even managed to blow a 41L up? If not then that sniping about them is for NOTHING.

2. The reliability. Nothing has broken and my car gets driven hard at times. Front end is tight at 223K miles. Everything inside works fine. When you come from a '99 Regal GS and it's innate GM BS problems, you appreciate that even more.

3. Highway MPG. Gets about 23 mpg even with dead knock sensors. There are plenty of 4 cyl mini trucks and PT cruisers that can barely do that.

4. Paint and body. Holding up great. No clear coat oxidation like plenty of cars at this age.

5. Sound level: Quiet car.

6. Stereo. Original Bose system works great and sounds great.

7. Interior lighting. Very nice.

8. Superb brakes. Cross-drilled front rotors are nice.

What I don't like:

1. Oil consumption. 1 quart every 1000 miles. Going past the valve seals.

2. The ride. Too stiff for luxury car. My '05 Accord rode better.

3. Seats are also too stiff.

4. Interior materials/perception of being a prettied-up Nissan.
Seats are leather on the seating area, vinyl on the side. Door armrests are vinyl, door panels are vinyl and not leather. Woodgrain is fake. Unacceptable for a $52K car. No trip computer of any kind, no instant MPG readout. No cornering lights. Says "nice Maxima" more than Infiniti.

5. City MPG. Goes down in a hurry.

6. Lack of cubbyholes and storage. Again smacks of putting a "Cima that we also use as Police cars" into the role of a top-echelon luxury car, which it does NOT fit into.

7. Irritating, time-consuming and possibly expensive emissions-related maintenance and failures. This stiff is straight from Nissan, nothing to do with being an Infiniti.

So, would I buy one again? Sure, if it was cheap enough and these things were not important. I like my car quite well. Just my personal opinion

Cars keep getting better on the whole.
While your car was and is great, the comparison with what's available now is tough.
Enjoy!

Let me fix that for you. Car keep getting more disposable...

Metal keep getting thinner. More one time use fasteners are used. Parts are made cheaper... Take your choice.

I can't think of too many cars made after 1994 I would want.

Those observations are pretty much in line with most people's thoughts on the Y33. A good car, but Nissan had certainly started some cost cutting measures by the time it was designed. If you look at the relative strength of the yen to the dollar, you'll see it for sure. Remember that this was the same era when Maximas actually showed up with steel wheels and hubcaps for the first time ever. This was the story pretty much from the introduction of the G50's first revision in 1994, and then with the 1996 refresh. At heart these cars are gussied up Nissans - heck, in Japan they are still Nissans. If you think your car has a lack of places to put stuff, take a look at my 1990! Other than one glove compartment, two front door pockets, and the rear arm rest - my stuff is sliding across leather! At least you have a cup holder! It's a real challenge to put all of the windows down and open the sunroof without first stopping and putting all of my stuff in the trunk, so that I don't have to try to keep it from flying away.

Oil consumption on the Y33 is somewhat unusual, but at 233K, it's not totally unexpected. I'd make sure the PCV system is functioning properly. Also - spend the $$$ on new knock sensors and their subharness if you're going to keep the car for a while. It'll improve throttle response and general engine feel substantially. The ECU reverts to a "full protect" fuel map (as if it's hearing spark knock) to protect the engine when it senses that the sensors aren't working.

To speak to the discussion about car quality now vs. then... our 2005 G35 has been pretty much rock solid in 122K miles. Other than maintenance, I've had to replace one wheel bearing (hub), front seat track (warranty thank goodness), tighten something behind the back seat, replace one HID bulb, and just now a radiator. Oh, and constantly replace those damn plastic fasteners that hold the bumper and covers in place. I bought a bag of 50 on ebay just to keep up with them. Cosmetically, the paint is garbage... Build quality isn't as good as the 90's, and I shudder to think what the car would look like at 200K and 20 years in service - but it seems like they've figured out how to make a very reliable car for the early years, without having it hang on too long. The older cars seemed to be glitchy at first, but would last forever after getting the kinks worked out.

Heath

Interesting that you thought the seats were too stiff and the ride was too harsh... That was exactly the OPPOSITE of what I thought when I drove a Y33. The seats are very plush, and way less supportive than the 1st gen, and the thing rides like a boat compared to a 1st gen or any euro luxury car.

Heath is right, the old Q's are very quirky but once they're well sorted they last forever, it's just finding the right person to help you figure out the quirks that's the key. BTW, the 2nd gen Q's are basically the same 0-60, but above that they have NOTHING compared to the first gen!

Oil consumption is pretty common I'd say for any car of that age. I'm sure you could find an example of one that did not consume oil at 225k+, but most any vehicles regardless of make or year will consume oil at that age.

All of that to say, I think the 2nd gen was probably a better seller than the first gen. If they would have put the 1st gen Q engine into the 2nd gen Q body, and used 1st gen Q build quality in the interior, we'd probably have a lot more people that'd prefer that over an LS400. I still like the thought and engineering that went into the 1st gen, it's a shame (or maybe a good thing?) that it didnt catch on.

Infinitiguy19 wrote:Let me fix that for you. Car keep getting more disposable...
Metal keep getting thinner. More one time use fasteners are used. Parts are made cheaper... Take your choice.

I can't think of too many cars made after 1994 I would want.

On the whole, I can't agree with your assertion.
The average age and miles of cars currently registered has never been higher. They are not being "disposed".
This is confirmed by my personal experience too, as I see more cars with 200+K miles on them that ever before.

Great comments guys

I should probably clarify a couple points I made.

I have never been in a 1st gen Q45. I'm old enough to remember when they first came out and thought they looked a bit odd. There is one at that Mad Max junkyard, so I'll fight my way over to it and see if I get a different impression than my car.

The main gripe I have with the seats is that they make my back ache after 3 or 4 hours. I've adjusted them every way from how. My passenger on a recent trip made the same complaint. They make you want hurry up and get out, in my opinion.

I would directly compare the ride to a '98-02 Accord, one of which I had. Well-controlled but you feel every ridge, bump and expansion joint. I think a base Q45 would have a better ride.

On the oil consumption, that's been disappointing. The last few cars I have owned have used oil in various amounts.

1999 Buick Regal GS w/ 75K used a quart every 2000 miles.
2000 Honda Accord w/195k used a quart every 1400 miles
2005 Honda Accord w/ 200K used a quart every 2500 miles
But, the BEST car I have in recent years on a lot of counts including oil use was a 1999 Mazda protege ES. 232K miles and it used a half-quart in 7500 miles. Man that was a great car.

Anyway maybe this thread will help out someone considering a Y33.

Great advice and opinions, i have driven a 95 G50 Q45 and is definitely abit more sporty and had the look for that era, is comfy inside the dash surrounds you as a driver somehow,.
Now the newer model y33 i own a 98 is not as sporty pass 60mph but feels more mature, looks not as sporty but elegant and respectable looks allow it to age well plenty of people i know cant believe is older than 2002 i have modded mine with low suspension and painted inside headlights black and hid, leds.
In japan is very popular with the vip crowd still this day. I do wish it had better mpg and or had came with vg30, 5spd here in US as it did in japan , but hey they are both great cool cars now the 2015 Q50....pretty cool aswell glad nissan revived it

2015 q50 model has nothing to do with the q45 series,it is not a revival of that model......but it is a new version of the entry level old G series Infiniti. Jeez.if an actual forum member cant understand that,no wonder the general population is so confused with infinitis new naming scheme.

The Q50 is based on the Japanese Skyline model which was also marketed in the US as the Infiniti G3x series.



The G50 Q45 was based on a more senior car named the Nissan President. Later the Y33 Q45 was based on the Nissan Cima.

The Nissan President G50 continued production in Japan while the Y33 was imported into the US.

Here's a picture of a 1998 model Nissan President.



The new Nissan S K Y L I N E video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ah2G-n4fvPM