G50 vs Y33 VIDEOS!

[maxnix]

MB has been declining rapidly since 1995, when they started pushing volume over engineering and quality. A lot of people mocked them when they ran ads for the newest S-class claiming to be the "most revered" -- they're trying to ride a wave that crashed long ago. No one has admired MB since the days of the W124 and W140.

No one with any discernment, anyway. Only fashionista label buyers who do not comprehend the obvious.

[Peterofdevon]

I drove the 03 M last week and was very impressed with its boy racer acceration. Other than that you can keep it. Its so small inside and the driver is squished at the knees. The interior looks totally cheap and does nothing to say "Infinity." I could not test the handling.

The radio was crap next to my 94 too...

No wonder this car was quickly discontinued.

The new one is KILLER!!!! As wes has noted and me as well last year.

Peter

[CrimsonQ]

Everybody needs a group hug!

Were all q45 owners, get along!!

[Jesda]

I loved the 03 M I drove. Lots of power, lots of fun, and great seats. It felt like someone took a standard RWD sedan, and someone stuck a big engine in it -- not a bad thing. I was also dissatisfied with the sound system.

I sat in the new M45 but havent driven it. I thought it was decent but the interior wasn't on par with Lexus. Better than Cadillac in that regard, equal to BMW. The Y50 M looks like a suppository.

[maxnix]

The Y50 M looks like a suppository.

Perhaps, but a very fast acting one, you must admit!

They do look better in the flesh, but they are huge cars compared to G50, FY33, and Y34 with a lot of visual mass above the wheel line/fender crease.

[zinkie13]

The nice little engine sound you hear from the y33 is probably from the addition of the custom CAI that sucks air from right behind the front bumper.

[BlackBirdVQ]

I drove the 03 M last week and was very impressed with its boy racer acceration. Other than that you can keep it. Its so small inside and the driver is squished at the knees. The interior looks totally cheap and does nothing to say "Infinity." I could not test the handling.

The radio was crap next to my 94 too...

No wonder this car was quickly discontinued.

The new one is KILLER!!!! As wes has noted and me as well last year.

Peter

There is a nice black 03 M45 for sale at my Nissan dealer (sitting there for its 5th month now) and I always thought bout buying it to repleace the 91 Legend (mint, freshly rebuilt engine) my fiancee drives, but I don't know how she would cope with RWD and winter. Probably going to get her a new Honda Fit with 5spd through Honda employee purchase program.

I find the G50 interior cramped in the rear, my 01 Maxima has way more room inside than the G50. I find M45 comparable to the G50. Also I find that the 03-04 M45 is a true successor to the G50, in terms of driving experience that is. Both cars are praised for their performance, where the F50.... as my woman puts it "looks like a dying fish from the front". Other people I know of reffer to it as "old peoples car". My womans lil sister even calls my G50 a old people's car.... but I don't take offense.

New M35/M45 do absolutely nothing for me, I find them cheap looking generic sedans that just blend in with the rest of the automotive krap I see on the road these days. Its refreshing to see a old M45 and appreciate its bussiness like look, to the overgrown Maxima on steroids look of the new M.

[Jesda]

Its too bad Nissan didnt stick with the Fuga concept, which had a sharp rear end and a lot of other sharp lines. I guess these days its not an Infiniti unless someone takes an air pump to it and slaps on some Avalon tail lights.

[ddrumman]

New M35/M45 do absolutely nothing for me, I find them cheap looking generic sedans that just blend in with the rest of the automotive krap I see on the road these days. ............ the overgrown Maxima on steroids look of the new M.

I don't know that I can disagree with you. The first time I saw the new M45 was this photo here. I couldn't wait to see it live. But it WAS kind of a let down after I saw it at the dealer's. I love the 05 "sport" model's stance and performance. But as far as design goes I don't find it unique enough.

[Jesda]

.

[elwesso]

I would never buy the M45 for styling! Id buy it for the gasmic interior and the performance..... I like the styling however, i dont care if it looks like an avalon, we'll see whos faster!

[louiegz]

I don't know why some of you guys don't like the new M. I think it's much improved from the first one in every way, but I would admit that the new M looks good only with the sport wheels. You know one car that I'm liking better than the M is the 07 G. I mean look at that arse. Not only that, it's much cheaper.

Probably going to get her a new Honda Fit with 5spd

You know I saw that at the NYIAS and I thought it was a cool little car. I realy liked it. I've been thinking about the Fit as a possible replacement for the Q. I do a lot of city driving and the Q is just big and slugish in the city. You can only realy enjoy the Q on the open road. I go into Manhattan quite a bit and it would be nice to have a car you can slip into a tight parking space. And now with the gas prices, it makes a lot more sence to get a smaller car. Anyway, If I want to go fast, I still have the Bimmer to drive on the weekends, which I like better than the Q anyway.

[BlackBirdVQ]

I don't know that I can disagree with you. The first time I saw the new M45 was this photo here. I couldn't wait to see it live. But it WAS kind of a let down after I saw it at the dealer's. I love the 05 "sport" model's stance and performance. But as far as design goes I don't find it unique enough.

The picture you posted is not a normal M you can buy at the dealer. Its been lowered like ALOT of NMA cars for photo shots etc. Infiniti doesn't know where its heading right now, they do not have a flagship car..... the F50 Q is not even in the same ball game as the LS430, or the new LS460 thats coming out with 380HP. They do not even have a replacement for the F50.... so that leaves the M45 as their top tier vehicle in the line up. G sales have been great for them, but they do not have a good car to compete with the LS. They shouldn't worry bout the Germans, they should worry bout Lexus. Current 7 series is a failure. LS is THE benchmark, go after that and stop trying to imitate BMW. Performance should be their MAIN goal, for crying outloud use the VK56DE from the Titan already modified to make about 450HP in the next gen Qship. They have enough experience making great interiors, but performance has always been lukewarm with all Japanesse luxury brands.

On top of that M resale value will tank slowly, just like Maximas resale value did after they started selling them to Enterprise as rentals. Enterprise has a big lot of rentals behind my work, and they have a few M35s for rent there. I have never seen a Lexus as a rental vehicle- hence why their resale value is so much higher than Nissans. STOP selling cars to rental fleets. I guess the only good benefit would be that it will make a attractive used car purchase, but the 1st owners of the car would most likely never return to a brand that has piss poor resale value, when its time to sell their car.

[Jesda]

Best selling luxury cars of 2005:Lexus RX - 97,001BMW 3-series - 96,358Acura TL - 70,943Infiniti G35 - 62,507Lexus ES - 60,807Cadillac Deville and DTS - 56,458Cadillac CTS - 53,959Acura MDX - 52,426MB C-class - 50,852Cadillac Escalade - 46,813

Totals from only the top ten:Lexus: 157,808Cadillac: 157,230Acura: 126,369BMW: 96,358Infiniti: 62,507MB: 50,852

Absent from the top ten: All flagship sedans, except the DTS.

The luxury market has changed, favoring BMW's way of emphasizing the entry model in large quantities while saving the flagship for existing customers looking to move up. Its not as important anymore to make your best and biggest sedan a top seller.

[elwesso]

The luxury market has changed, favoring BMW's way of emphasizing the entry model in large quantities while saving the flagship for existing customers looking to move up. Its not as important anymore to make your best and biggest sedan a top seller.

I agree with that.. the flagship line of cars are hardly ever the highest selling, unless of course its like one of only a few models (seen with the early years of infiniti before the J came out)... People would rather pay 35k for a halfass luxury car than 70k for the real deal... so long as it looks good.

[DuDro]

I would never buy the M45 for styling! Id buy it for the gasmic interior and the performance..... I like the styling however, i dont care if it looks like an avalon, we'll see whos faster!

I've always thought the new tail lights on 2005 Q45 look like the Avalon....

[ddrumman]

On top of that M resale value will tank slowly, just like Maximas resale value did after they started selling them to Enterprise as rentals. Enterprise has a big lot of rentals behind my work, and they have a few M35s for rent there. I have never seen a Lexus as a rental vehicle- hence why their resale value is so much higher than Nissans. STOP selling cars to rental fleets. I guess the only good benefit would be that it will make a attractive used car purchase, but the 1st owners of the car would most likely never return to a brand that has piss poor resale value, when its time to sell their car.

The G has kept its value quite high.... Everytime I look on ebay the 03 models are still in the high teens low 20s.

This is just 1 examplehttp://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...wItem

[TgduMg]

The picture you posted is not a normal M you can buy at the dealer. Its been lowered like ALOT of NMA cars for photo shots etc.

I do prefer the M Concepts solid center front valance with the floating fog lamps and the uninterrupted way the body side moldings flow into the fender mounted euro style flasher. The tires seem to look beefier as well.



Danisiti 1

[MattB]

They both make some beautiful sounds.

Yes they do. Having never actually driven one myself I was stunned at how good those engines sounded when I pulled up those videos.

[DuDro]

I was very impressed with how close the production model is to the "concept".

I could be mistaken, but I think I've seen some production cars with the "solid center front valence"....Will need to confirm...

[Jesda]

Its not close at all; the emotional conveyance is completely different because none of the details are the same.

The worst thing about the production version is how they ruined the G50-like broad shoulders and gave it a tall side profile instead. Observe the shoulder surface and how it ends in the rear. Note the horrible rounding off and increased height of the trunk area.

Way to suck, Nissan!

[BadQ45t]

Funny but don't you think that Lexus copied the M feel in the new GS series, they look like they took Audi and M style. I never liked the GS look to begin with anyways.

As for "Luxury" car sales, the Lexus RX & ES and the Infiniti G are "Near" luxury, I know the LS outsells nearly all the jumbo 8 cylinder full luxury.

The Infiniti Q is an embarrasment in comparison to the LS. While it is for sure a nice ride, if you're the one that is going to throw down the 50-70k for a car like this, the Q just makes little economic sense.

I have driven an M45 sport and loved it, I'd like that car over my Dad's 05' LS430 any day of the week. While it isn't perfect in looks, it has grown on me, the performance is awesome and the interior very well done.

I rally the cry, Infiniti build a 450hp Q, you might only sell the same small number but at lesat you'll have the trump LS in performance.

[Jesda]

The LS is very nice and very reasonably quick, but the trans is a pile of dung and it looks like a Maytag appliance. Did they steal it from the Buick design studio?

A friend of mine ditched his 04 LS430 and bought a 97 Lincoln Mark VIII. Saved money as well as headaches.

[TgduMg]

I was very impressed with how close the production model is to the "concept".

It's not close at all; the emotional conveyance is completely different because none of the details are the same.

I'm sure that DuDro is referring to the M-Concept. Again except for the different front valance and body side molding/euro marker relationship, production M35/45's didn't stray too much from the concept shown at the 2004 NYIAS.

The M-Concept is toned down quite a bit from the Fuga concept. Though they share similar styling cues they definitely are not carbon copies.

Other than slight trim differences and being a little shorter in length, the production Fuga is basically identical to the American market Y50. The body side moldings (that look chromed) and fender flashers strangely are not on the same plane on the JDM models. Check out the different front valance in the top pic.







Danisiti 1
Modified by TgduMg at 6:25 PM 5/8/2006

[Jesda]

In that case, the M concept sucked hard as well. Nissan SHOULD have changed it, dramatically.