buyer advice 95 Q45t or 93 J30t

[muttley]

Hi All,

First post on the board and would love some advice. Looking to buy either a 93 J30t in excellent condition with 49K miles or a 95 Q45t with 94K in excellent condition. Both machines have all their service records and the Q just got its' 90k dealer service.

Can anyone give me some +/- of each car and what I should look for when purchasing?

Thanks a reformed Alfa owner!! Go Infiniti!

:help

[maxnix]

I would always go for the lower mileage car, all other things being equal. I am sure the price is not equal. Looka t the inside of the oil fill and check things like varnish and the condition of the fluids. Have a final inspection done by a senior Infiniti technician.

[muttley]

ack...forgot...the 93J J30t is $6000 the 95 Q45t is $6200

[AZhitman]

Well, I'm biased... But the 95 Q45, especially the touring edition, is one of the most sought-after Q's... Power, luxury, looks, and relaibility.

Having said that, a 50K J30t would be hard to pass up... I concur with Brian - Have BOTH cars checked by a dealer tech - That's $200 (or less) WELL-SPENT.

No matter which one you choose, you're getting a SPECTACULAR car, AND you'll be a lifelong convert to Infiniti's!!!

Welcome to NICO.

[VimyJ]

Engine:

J: bullet proof and willingQ: very reliable and very powerful

Handling:

J: 93 J30t had the HICAS system. My 95 Jt (no HICAS) handles superblyQ: great from what I hear

Brakes:

J: fantasticQ: undersized

Maintenance and Cost of Operation:

J: cheaper than the Q but not cheap Q: more expensive than the J

Transmission:

J: can be a weak point without proper maintenance.Q: not too many problems.

Fit and Finish:

J & Q: about as good as it gets.

Notes: J is a personal luxury car. Q is a luxury car.

Opinion: If I knew now what I didn't know when I stumbled across the J, I would buy the Q. However, such a low mileage J30t with the HICAS system and it's beautiful unsullied paint job would be very hard to walk away from.

Recommendation:

Buy the J and the Q.

[AZhitman]

LOL @ Mike.

One minor correction - Q transmission has been somewhat problematic - Buy a transmission cooler ($60) and we'll show you how to install.

Brake issues on the Q are easily remedied - but keep in mind she will go through tires and brake pads quicker than the J.

[VimyJ]

"transmission cooler"

That's right! I forgot! All our members here are so hip to "Zen and the Art of Infiniti Maintenance" that Q transmissions haven't really discussed that much for about the last year.

Another plus to owning an Infiniti is NICO.

[maxnix]

Why examintion fo the ATF in particular will help steer you to the car with the lowest probablility of a large outlay to replace a major component soon. But look at all fluids.__________________Brian1995 Q45 & Q45t & 2000 Q45

Discover the power of the button!

[Jeff Williams]

Spend the $12,200.00, then you will be asking yourself every morning:

"Drive the J, or the Q"?

I like the J, but love the Q.

I wouldn't want to own a car, without the automatic telescoping and tilting steering wheel, and power adjustable head rests. I would go for the Q.

Pick the one with the best color combination.

[Q451990]

I wouldn't want to own a car, without the automatic telescoping and tilting steering wheel...

"A luxury once had becomes a necessary" I think I saw that in an Infiniti warranty brochure once.

Gotta say though - I thought it was all overkill at first, but I hate rental cars now, always banging my knees on the steering wheel.

Heath

[PalmerWMD]

I would disagree with described the Q's brakes as undersized.

yes by 2000+ model year standards cars in its class, will have bigger brakes less likely to fade, but by the standards of used cars made in the earl thru mid 90's Q brakes are excellent brakes.

Passengers in my car always make comments like:" those are awsome brakes!"

Fred..

[VimyJ]

I thought there was a bit of a problem with front rotors warping under heavy braking because they are on the smallish side for the weighty Q.

[PalmerWMD]

Yes, they need more frequent turning, but so do BMW brakes.

Fred...

[Jeff Williams]

If the brakes are broken-in properly, 20,000 miles of trouble-free braking is the result, wiht another 10 to 20,000 miles of slight vibration, following a rough vibration that will last as long as you can stand it.

I did the proper break-in on my rotors, and have had perfect performance.

FYI: Once you turn the rotors, for the first 10 stops, do not stop completely. Drive from 40 to 60 MPH, then apply the brakes in an increasingly harder manner, until you are nearly stopped. Do this 10 times in a row. The Last time, you will be on the verge of a total ABS stop. At the end, the brakes should be hot and smelly, but you should have no warpage problems.

[Q45tech]

The J and the 90-96 Q use the same front brakes/rotor/different pad compound. Roughly equal to the lexus LS400 brakes 90-94.

Even the 2000 Pontiac GP has 32.25 mm front rotor vs the Q/J/ 28 mm. 300zxtt had 30 mm thickness but same diameter.

Infiniti didn't upgrade in the mid-late 90's when almost all others did to 32 mm..........Current LS430=32 mm

Must read!!!!!!!!!!!!!!http://members.aol.com/carleyw...2.htm

[Metroyed]

"A luxury once had becomes a necessary" I think I saw that in an Infiniti warranty brochure once.

Gotta say though - I thought it was all overkill at first, but I hate rental cars now, always banging my knees on the steering wheel.

Heath

Just borrowed my dad's Accord(99) for a week while my J was getting the water pump replaced(free of charge btw, it was under warranty). I use to think that my dad's car was the supreme in comfort and speed.

Now all im thinking is "i miss my girl"