2008 Infiniti M35 First Impressions

[JerrySC]

Well, I've had the M for awhile now and I have enough miles on it to consider it "broken-in" by the owners manual. I have to admit this is the longest break-in period of any new car I've owned including Lexus and Corvette. I don't know the reason for it, but I followed the recommendations strictly. I did extensive research for over 6 months before buying this car and admittedly I wavered between the G sedan and the M right up until the last week. Although I found both cars to solidly meet my expectations, I went for the M for two reasons: one, I lean toward a little more luxury these days and second, and more importantly, the wife was set on the M! I have had two minor problems since delivery; a slight buzz behind the rear view mirror on coarse roads, and a small problem in the battery compartment area. A quick look behind the mirror revealed the plastic cover housing the electronics back there had some play in it. A slight adjustment took care of the problem without a trip to the dealer. In the battery compartment, there was some condensation present because at least one of the battery caps had not been tightened sufficiently. This caused some minor corrosion on the battery hold down bar and nuts. After cleaning the area and tightening the caps, there has been no further problem. The car rides and handles amazingly well for it's size. The road noise that reviewers have mentioned for this model has not been a problem for me. If I was riding in a large barge-o-matic, I might see it as a concern. Curves are something you look forward to. For me, the non-sport suspension provides a "just right" compromise between great handling and a comfortable ride. The stock tires grip well and are speed rated sufficiently. Throttle response is instant. The acceleration is brisk and eager. It is not on par with the M45 but not too far below it. The engine is quiet at idle except for some enjoyable throatiness from the pipes. Passing is a breeze and the buttery smooth transmission does it's job better than any automatic I have ever driven. ( A quick pass of a car on the freeway recently broke 100 before I knew it!) The electronics and creature comforts take awhile to master, but only because there are so many! I haven't found anything missing that I would want. The navigation system quickly becomes second hand. The climate and phone interface operate flawlessly and the information systems offer a great deal of useful information. The exterior styling is eye-catching with excellent fit and finish. The interior of this car with it's stepped down dash, high quality materials, and solid design placed it ahead of the BMW and Lexus for me. All in all I am highly satisfied with the M35 to date. It is the first Infiniti I have owned, but it may not be the last. Key Infiniti, near Hilton Head, SC, made the buying experience a pleasure. It is a shame that all dealers cannot be as polite and responsive as those good folks. Happy motoring to you all.

[mrclean2]

Well said! Your write up should help those possible M buyers cross over.

[striz923]

i did very little research and bought my 06 used on a whim basically. love everythign you wrote about and agree completely. The only "gripe" i have is that there is no Ipod interface. even in '06 Ipods were wildly popular (may have been a cost issue or something)

[stu22]

I am very close to leasing a 2008 M35 with the tech package. I'm very excited but I'm leary if Im getting the best price with all the rebates, etc on the 2008. Do you mind me asking how much you paid for yours and if you think it has good value at that price? I really appreciate the help.

[Pinspector]

I'll answer your question about price first off:I did a lot of research and found an ad that offered $10,000 off MSRP. I went to my local dealer and made him that offer and he took it. That worked out to about 20% off! Made my day!BTW, I bought a 2008 M35 in September! Got the car I wanted, with the equipment I wanted and the color I wanted. Now, if you're planning to lease, I don't know if this type of deal can work....that's up to you.If you have a sufficient supply of credit, this may be an outstanding time to buy.

[palincal]

Upgrading from a Honda Accord I was all set to buy a BMW 530i. I wanted my first luxury car to be a BMW and also wanted to experience the fabled "ultimate driving machine". As soon as I saw the M from inside and test drove it, BMW was out of mind completely. M comes loaded with features and the interiors look vastly more luxurious than a BMW. I love the huge buttons on the dash and the 14-speaker audio system. M always won over the 5-series in any expert reviews I have read so far.

And the best part: living in bay area, every other car is a BMW. Ms are hard to find here.