Larz wrote:msvara, that is brilliant advise!
My M's mileage was in low 60s when I bought it and first thing I did was a visit to my local Infiniti dealer and have the codes run. There were no codes, but my service guy also was able to pull up service records and gave me a list of what had been done by Infiniti (no way to find out what other local shops had done). There was no record of any fluid changes in his system but other maintenance was documented. That gave me a starting point. There are DIYs on the forum with detailed instructions for filter changes, etc and people in here are always ready with advice and experience. Based on your personal budget, you can do them one at a time each month, or each week, etc.
The only other suggestion I would make is to purchase an extended warranty. Things like computer parts, electronic parts, A/C systems, transmissions etc on any car can cost a small fortune to replace and since you plan on 'long-term ownership', it will eventually pay you back. I never recommend added warranties on things like televisions, desktop comps, or appliances because chances are by the time they go titz-up, there is a new model available with more features and at a lower price than the original, but since you will be keeping this car indefinitely, I say a warranty is a great idea.
I researced warranty from a few places when I got my M and ended up getting it through Carmax where I purchased the car. Their top warranty is basically identical to the Infiniti new car warranty minus very few items and the coverage is for 6yrs or 72k miles from the day you activate the warranty. Work can be done anywhere with a $50-100 deductible and the shop is paid immediately via credit card number when they call in the repair. The cost was about $2,000 and as great and dependable as Ms are, there is no way I will not eventually gain that back. The Infiniti dealership was my first choice, but they didn't have a package as comprehensive as the after-market ones at any price. Get one that can be passed on to your son so he has that protection as well.
Thanks for the kind words Larz. I actually have some experience using an extended warranty similar to the one you mentioned. It cost me about $2500 and took me to 140k or 6 years whichever comes first. Typically the car has intervals where parts just break as with any vehicle it's to be expected. Given that the Infiniti M is their flagship sedan and given the initial cost of the car brand new is $60k+ you must be prepared to budget for expensive repairs. Even aftermarket warranties will not touch all repairs.
For example my headlight AFS system for my drivers side began acting up a bit (Shuddering motor or gears while rotating) and the insurance company said they wouldn't cover that repair because lights and the inside components of lights are not covered by the policy I purchased. There are a few other tidbits that you may end up having to fight over but third party warranties are basically an insurance company selling a policy. As with all insurance policies spend the time, list parts of your car that would cost a lot of money and talk to the policy adviser about coverage for these specific items. Some of the smaller items are more nice to have rather than must have such as AFS. That is why having a bit of extra cash for repairs is a good idea and supplements extended warranties. For example, every year I put $2000 aside (~$100 every 2 weeks) in a untouchable savings account for things just like this. If nothing happens that savings account keeps growing. Leave it there and forget about it.
I have a 2006 M35x purchased in 2009 with 60k kms. I now have 167k kms 4 years later and the following has happened which required repairs:
both front wheel bearings had to be replaced
spark plugs and passenger catalytic had to be replaced (This was my fault as I screwed up while changing my own plugs, crossed two cylinder wires)
drivers seat rails had to be replaced
passengers side mirror motor had to be replaced
Throttle body had to be replaced (again my fault, I attempted to use the TB cleaner to clean it myself and messed up the TB motor)
arm rest DVD player had to be replaced
rust and paint repairs in general
replaced tires