2006 Q

[rickymartinakasgk]

I'm looking at a 2006 Q45 Sport. About 30 grand

Got a little info from 'Infiniti help'.

This car was built in 01/2006 and sold 03/06 so warranty is quiet good.

It states that it has Active rear suspension. can someone explain this. Anything like my '91 Q45t. That was a hot one.

[widebodyq]

Its not a real active suspension like your 91 G50 Q. Its more like the car stiffens when you hit a switch on the dash

[elwesso]

Like he said its not the same.. on the F50s the only thing it can do is tighten up the dampers so that its a little stiffer, it cant actually "move" the strut assy like the true active suspension can...

[maxnix]

$30K sounds llike a great price, depending on mileage. Very rare car.

[Jesda]

Gotta love depreciation. Brand new in the showroom, it was obvious why the Q45 ceased to exist not long after the new M came out. But used, there's no question. The 02+ Q is among the best luxury values out there.

[brymax]

I had the pleasure of taking my 02 to Tustin Infiniti this past weekend and was lucky enough to get to talk (Really) with the head mechanic about Q's.Not the service manager. The guy in charge from the back.

He said that the 02 Q's had their fair share of problems and that most of them got worked out by 04. He said, "But let me tell ya, if you can't get your hands on an 06?... That's the model to have!". And he did that kissing the fingers thing the French do about women and good food.

He said the 06 Q is "THE finest car Infiniti has ever made and has yet to be bettered by any other model".

That meant a lot to me, coming from him.

Good luck.

[alexander]

WEll that's good news.I wonder what exactly Infiniti did to upgrade this Q.Maybe more controls on the assembly line or real tough inspections before delivery.I'll check with my 'master' tech out here to see what he says. Probably hard to find someone who has even worked on the '06.

[mhoepfin]

I had the pleasure of taking my 02 to Tustin Infiniti this past weekend and was lucky enough to get to talk (Really) with the head mechanic about Q's.Not the service manager. The guy in charge from the back.

He said that the 02 Q's had their fair share of problems and that most of them got worked out by 04. He said, "But let me tell ya, if you can't get your hands on an 06?... That's the model to have!". And he did that kissing the fingers thing the French do about women and good food.

He said the 06 Q is "THE finest car Infiniti has ever made and has yet to be bettered by any other model".

That meant a lot to me, coming from him.

Good luck.

That's interesting. I've spent time looking at the 06 trying to understand the differences between it and my '02. It's not clear what those differences are...

[alexander]

According to the master tech at the Infiniti in Concord CA,( he been there since 1993,) he says the '06 Q is an '02Q but with the bugs worked out of it, and a little face lift.

[brymax]

That's interesting. I've spent time looking at the 06 trying to understand the differences between it and my '02. It's not clear what those differences are...

The differences, I'm told, are mechanical.

The 06 does not have that common crack in the catalytic that all 02's get.The method of throttle control is different, so I guess the 06 doesn't have the acceleration hesitation issues ours have.The oil burning issue was remedied by 04.Seat belt retractors are different now.

I don't know, I'm not a mechanic, just a dumb electrician. I'm just repeating a list the head mechanic ran through real quick.

But I always trust people that are willing to throw some of their own products under the bus the same time they speak highly of another line.

I have a realtor that constantly tells me the market is thriving and I shouldn't delay in buying because I'm just going to be that much further behind.

The realtor I trust is a guy I know that tells me the market is dying and to hold on for a while. He'll let me know.

They both want to sell me a house, dig?

[mhoepfin]

The differences, I'm told, are mechanical.

The 06 does not have that common crack in the catalytic that all 02's get.The method of throttle control is different, so I guess the 06 doesn't have the acceleration hesitation issues ours have.The oil burning issue was remedied by 04.Seat belt retractors are different now.

Thanks, Brymax. Good to know.

I guess my point of reference is what justify's paying twice as much for an '06 vs. '02?

Some fancy tech or better engine might sway me, but I don't see it with the F50.

[BadQ45t]

If this is a car you want to buy and drive for 10 years, buy it. If this is a 2 year and out, as much as this hurts, go buy a LS 430 or an M45 (if that is big enough). The resales on the Q is gonna suck bad.

[nu2infiniti]

SKG..Did you ever get your 06 ?? I'm in the market for an 05/06 Q and heard similar advice as you.. Is the 06 worth the 8K more than an 05 with similar miles? Anyone else out there with an opinion ???

[Infinitiguy19]

I had the pleasure of taking my 02 to Tustin Infiniti this past weekend and was lucky enough to get to talk (Really) with the head mechanic about Q's.Not the service manager. The guy in charge from the back.

He said that the 02 Q's had their fair share of problems and that most of them got worked out by 04. He said, "But let me tell ya, if you can't get your hands on an 06?... That's the model to have!". And he did that kissing the fingers thing the French do about women and good food.

He said the 06 Q is "THE finest car Infiniti has ever made and has yet to be bettered by any other model".

That meant a lot to me, coming from him.

Good luck.

I think the Italiands do the thing with there fingers.

And he must say that since he's been there since "1993" and not since 1990 to see the 1990 Q45 (fastest if all G50's and with some help MAYBE all Q45's)

And the 1991 Q45 with Active or HICAS that both the best ride at least the Q45a does.

Not to start a fight though.

[Mark Linkous]

Hello,The 2006 Q45 Sport has to be the rarest Q ever. Given the absurdly low sales numbers in 2006, the Sport model is darn near a Unicorn. I love the Enkei O.E.M 19' sport wheels. (look identical to current M45 Sport Wheels). And it does indeed have rear active steering. I believe that it also has the Lane Detection Warning gizmo as well. And Bluetooth.

I realize that 30k is expensive given what models just a few years older are going for. I would still do it. Heck, two years ago, I paid almost the same for my 2004 M45. I just think I would rather spend a few thousand more to get a practically brand new and absurdly rare car. Still for not much more than a loaded Hyundai Santa Fe. Or whatever schwag I cannot believe just how expensive this car is example you would like to use.Cheers,ML

[Bigmike40]

There is a guy at my job who has a 06 Q45 Sport with the 19" rims. The car is nice and very rare. I would pay the money, heck I paid 27K for my 05 with 17K miles on it and it is loaded with every option that came on the car that year. They only sold a little of 1,500 05 Q's here in the states.

I love the looks from other brands, BMW, Lexus, they think the Q45 is a 2008!!

Mike

[xerexabante]

You mean these wheels you like?

[Mark Linkous]

Hello,

Yes I believe those are them. Are they the 19's from a 2006+ M45 Sport or the 19' Q45 Sport wheels? Why I ask is that the offsets are different on the two I believe. I am pretty sure the 2006 M Sport wheels require spacers on my 2004 while the 2006 Q45 wheel is a perfect fit. I believe the F50 and Y34 have the same wheel specs.

When I first got my M, I really wanted those wheels. After learning the 2006 wheels require spacers, I have been looking high and low for the Q Sport wheels. With only approximately 35 sold, it has been similar to a quest for the Grail.Cheers,ML

[xerexabante]

I have some spacers maybe 5mm on the front. I love the look and people still ask me if it is an 08, obvousely they don't know Q's. Also I like it when I get asked "Where did you get the Headlamps?"

[Mark Linkous]

Hello,Those wheels look great on your Q. To me, the Enkei's are an awesome upgrade for 2002-2006 Q's and 2003-2004 M45's. Especially since the wheels meet OEM specs for high speeds, load, etc.. Cheers,Mark

[maxnix]

Yes, but the Enkei are not forged. There are better wheels available.

[Mark Linkous]

Hello,Brian, what wheels would you recommend? I doubt I will ever find the OEM Q45 Sport wheels and will not use spacers which rules out the 2006+ M wheels. My biggest goal would be lower unsprung weight. Cheers,ML

[nu2infiniti]

Hey Mark..I see you own a 04Q .. Tell me if you would buy another 04, or would buy an 05 -06.. I have an opportunity to buy a one owner 04, premium pkg with 17k on it. Desert plat ,latte int, for $24,000..It a trade-in at a dealership (not infiniti) so not certified.. The car was manufactured in nov 03 but was not sold until march 06. Since its already 5 full years old and driven so little, am I looking at a bunch of possible seal and gasket problems. Other than safety and emissions inspections, the only maintainence performed is oil changes and a tire rotation..Have you had any issues with yours (burning oil, transmission, rear end whine etc)..Do you think I'd be better off with an 05 or 06 with twice the miles for a few thousand more ?? Anybody else have an opinion....

[qship96]

$24,000 should get you a clean, one owner, fully documented 2005 Q with a little savvy shopping- go to http://www.cars.com and search, there are alot of overpriced, and a few well priced examples choose from{or to use as negotiating firepower} with a local seller.

Personlly, I like the 05-06 looks better, but if you are going to keep the car longterm, parts availability will be better for the 04 as more were sold.

[maxnix]

From Tire Rack form searching on a 2006 Q45

BBS



Volk (Rays)



or the RE30 (which Tire Rack seems to have dropped but Joe can get!)



OZ Racing



Or even SSR

[Mark Linkous]

Hey Mark..I see you own a 04Q .. Tell me if you would buy another 04, or would buy an 05 -06.. I have an opportunity to buy a one owner 04, premium pkg with 17k on it. Desert plat ,latte int, for $24,000..It a trade-in at a dealership (not infiniti) so not certified.. The car was manufactured in nov 03 but was not sold until march 06. Since its already 5 full years old and driven so little, am I looking at a bunch of possible seal and gasket problems. Other than safety and emissions inspections, the only maintainence performed is oil changes and a tire rotation..Have you had any issues with yours (burning oil, transmission, rear end whine etc)..Do you think I'd be better off with an 05 or 06 with twice the miles for a few thousand more ?? Anybody else have an opinion....

Hello,I actually own a 2004 M45 not a 2004 Q45. That being said, they share the same powertrain, HVAC, Nav controls, and basically the same platform other than the M being a few inches shorter. Kissing cousins if you will. My car is Desert Platinum/Latte however. On the M, it might be the rarest color combo.

Since the car's in service date is 2006, you are under the factory warranty. To say the least, this is huge. For 24 thousand, you are getting a 60 thousand dollar car. Unfortunately, you will have the running costs of a 60 thousand dollar car. My car has been mechanically trouble free. Little to no oil consumption. The TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) has given me a few headaches though. Getting a PPI (pre purchase inspection) at an Infiniti Dealer or independent Infiniti Specialist should be considered mandatory on all cars you are seriously considering.

I do like the post 2005 facelift. The rear end especially. I actually like the 2002-2005 front end better. Also Bluetooth is offered as well if this is important to you post 2005. That being said, I would rather have an older one with less miles and more warranty with a full history. If you can swing it, the 2006 Q45 Sport is the Bee's Knee's in my opinion. The package includes 19" Enkei Wheels, Rear Active Steer, and a sportier suspension. They go for around 30 if you can even find one. 2006 models are exceedingly rare. Sport's that much more so. You would have a practically new car with a good deal of warranty remaining. And, six thousand dollars is not really that much when financed over several years.Good Luck,ML

[Mark Linkous]

Hello,Brian, those are some awesome wheels. Thanks for the recommendations and searching.Cheers,Mark

[maxnix]

The FGY33. Y34, and F50 are very similar platforms. The fender clearances are the main variables.

a +30mm offset on a 9" wide wheel should work on the front. +25mm might bring you in contact with the fender, especially with lowering springs.

Mainly, although I do appreciate craftmanship, I go for light, strong and true. That's why I do not favor solid billet style wheels that look like they belong on a Panzer tank. I disdain heavy, weak wheels, or poorly made ones, some of which are quite expensive.

Most wheels look pretty similar when rolling at 70 mph.

[mcrews]

After owning a 02F50 Sport for the last 2 yrs (bought at 40k for $20K) I have already decided to buy an 05 or 06 as my next car after this one hits 200-225K.

For the money, IMHO, this is the best value out there in topend, performance luxury sedans, FOR THE MONEY.

GEt an extended warrenty to 100k. One electronic componet replacement makes it worth it.

I just drove 1880 miles from Sacramento, Ca to Dallas in 2 1/2 days. Got 22plus mpg, and the car performed beautifully w/134k on it. I did just replace the front a-arms aqnd re-installed the stock front springs. (removed the SWIFT lowering springs).IMHO, for a new model yr/total redesign car, this 02f50 has been better than I had hoped.with this experience under my belt, I really can't wait to get an 05 or 06.Better quality and all the little gizmos that were left off the intro model yr.I am really looking forward to the cooled/heated seats.

[qship96]

Major downside to the 06Q compared to the 05Q is the 06 was not available with the premium package, so you dont get the cooled front seats, reclining rear seats, and all the other goodies that came with the premium package- you do get bigger wheels/tires{wonder if that hurt ride quality?} and the questionable rear-steering feature. I think I would go with the 05 premium package over the decontented 06.