honest opinions

[jflo63]

i am looking at getting a 2004 m45 black on black with 22k miles asking 22,950. i am 26 about to have my first child in 2 weeks and i am wondering if you all think the m45 is appropriate or should i stick with a 05 g35. my wife thinks the m45 is too "old man" looking. what do you all think.

[CakeDaddy]

Black on Black M! You have great taste my friend. I need to have a word with your wife. The G35 is a practical and safe choice, but...

This car is a looooong way from an old mans car. 333lbs of torque will punish an old man. zerothread/252744

old man cars:

Crown VicsLincoln town CarFord Ltd.Corvettesolder caddilac devilles and sevilles

Modified by CakeDaddy at 8:03 AM 10/11/2007

Modified by CakeDaddy at 8:12 AM 10/11/2007
Modified by CakeDaddy at 8:12 AM 10/11/2007

[szh]

Back in 2003, my wife and I went in to get a G35 as a replacement for my old Q. We saw the 2003 M45 sitting there at the dealer ... and were hooked!

That is why I drive an M45 and not a G35. I have done some longer comparisons of the two cars ...

Of course, it goes without saying that both are good cars - my choice of the M45 was based on the effortless ease with which the V-8 achieves speed. On the G35, it just seems like a bit more of a strain ... even though the HP ratings are close.

Z

[viperatc1]

my wife owns a g35 coupe and when she drives my 03 m45 she seems to forget she owns the g!

[Mark Linkous]

Hello,First off, that is truly a great price on an 04. Needless to say, we will all be somewhat biased on our opinions. I can only say this, I was down to the exact same cars as you mention. I could have gotten a brand new 06 G35 6MT or the 04 M45. They were the exact same price out the door. I really went back and forth. Alot. To me, it was the interior of the G that made me go the other direction. Also, the M, in my opinion, reeks of higher build quality. This was a vehicle concieved (Cedric/Gloria)before Le' Cost Cutter aka Carlos Ghosn. While the G is a fantastic driving car, to me, some of the traditional values of Infiniti were lost in the wash. As for the old man statement, taste is truly subjective. I would recommend looking at some of the killer Obsidian Black M's on this forum. Cake Daddy has an amazing one. Just to name one of many. Adding tint really changes it up too. Furthermore, the 03-04 M45 is a car that to me looks better each day. I know perhaps on a car lot the car does not perhaps knock you or your wife out. But trust me, it really shines on its own. On a aside, the M is a bigger, heavier car which physics dictate would be safer for you and your family. Either way, good luck and congragulations on your new family.Good Luck,M.L

[GNR4ALL]

Firstly, congrads on your soon to be child. Now for your question.In my opinion it all depends on what u do with it (i.e tints, rims etc)I have the black and black with black tints and black on chrome rims, and its far from an old mans car

[jflo63]

well i do agree the g35 is a safe car in the sense of you cant go wrong. I dont kow what it is about the m45, but something draws me to it. I also like the fact that when you get in the car you feel ike you are getting in a luxury car as opposed to the g35, which i feel is a nice car but not truly luxurious. My wife said what ever i want because i am the one driving it, its just a hard decision. my current vehicle is an 03 jeep tj with 33s, so this will be a major change. I am making the switch because i cant think of putting my daughter in the back of my jeep. I just don't want to be you typical dad driving a honda accord. here is the link for the m45 that i am thinking of getting.

http://www.stadiumautotexas.com/inventory.htm this one i can puchase the infinit warrant for 2500 more form my local dealer

the other one i am considering is

http://www.grubbsinfiniti.com/...=true this one at the listed price includes the extended warranty.

[Mark Linkous]

Hello,I suppose a great deal of this comes down to preference. I personally like the Black but not the chrome wheels. Then again, that means it is equipped with the premium package (heated/cooled seats, etc...) Do they both have navigation? If not, go with the one that does since you are planning on getting the Infiniti Elite warranty. Without the Elite part of the warranty, the Nav system is not covered after the manufacturers warranty ends. Great idea and insurance. Heck, the heated/cooled seats might seal the deal for a Texan. The cooled that is. I suppose that might make the white more tempting as well. You certainly would not be the "dad in the Accord". With a total of around 7000 imported, no problem there. If the G stokes your coals, then a great car as well. How about a you tube televised coin toss?Cheers,M.L

[jflo63]

well the black one my good freind test drove for me (because i live about 4.5 hrs away from the vehicle) is sold as of last night. in regards the white, the best he can do are as follows: "The best it is going to get is $26,500+TT&L Elite Wrap Certification, $25,900+TT&L Certified. $25250+TT&L with remaining factory warranty." what do you all think. is this a good deal. supposedly (i need to clarify) but it has new tires on it. how much do tires run in this size. that might also help in my justification of price. I actually like the white one better but i originally set a limit of 25K for the car but i guess it is only 25K for the vehicle alone and then another 1500 for the warranty. what should i do. hold out or go for it. i have only been looking for about 2 weeks at the m45, looking at a new care for about a month. I dont know how many of the 2004s turn up for sale so i am not sure if i should just do it or wait.

[Mark Linkous]

Well for comparisons sake, I purchased my 2004 for $28,000 with C.P.O and the Elite warranty in Feb 2007. It had 29,000 miles and has the premium/luxury packages. I could have purchased an 2003 for @ 23-23 locally but wanted the C.P.O and love the six disc changer being in the dash rather than the glove box.Good Luck,M.L

[vzuptnguyen]

its good your wife thinks its an old man car. thats what makes the car so rare. many people consider it ugly, so no one bought it.

long story short. its unique man, and elegant to say the least

[M45-Zero260]

Greetings, and welcome to the forum!

That is a difficult decision indeed, buy, or wait. My wife and I loved the car since we first laid eyes on it. I would say we looked for almost 5 months before we found the "one"...Black on Black with all options, but it wasn't easy. Well, long story short, we almost fight over who gets to drive it everyday, and have not looked back since. We love our Audi, but there's something about pulling a car out of your garage that no one sees everyday. On the topic of your tires, if it requires new ones, the Michelin's we put on were around $260/each, if that helps you any. Best of luck on your search - or, an easy coin toss on the white one

[sr79labrat]

Congrats on the family! That is awesome!

I am 23 and I love the M45...for multiple reasons as listed above! I also have a BLK on BLK ride. I love it! The only thing I do not like about a black car is keeping it clean and looking good. Dynoed this car makes 288whp which is impressive for a large sedan. You live in TX as far as I could see....which is good because I will say that the M45 is a handful in the winter with packed snow and non-M&S tires. We only get bad snow here single digit days here so I can drive another car. In my opinion the car is very solid and a great value purchase for what you get! I do not think the M45 is an old mans car...more of a refined mans car. haha All of my buddies, family ect say that it looks like James Bond should be driving this car in his next movie. Oh yea...going from 0$ per month to $460 sucks also!!!

Good luck! Kyle

[Andrew224]

I've had my '03 for over 2 years now. I still love driving it as much now as when I first bought it (when I was 26). I've honestly never actually heard anyone accuse it of being an old man’s car. In fact, another co-worker purchased an ’04 M after seeing mine (he’s early 30s) and another friend is interested in finding an ’03-’04 M too (he’s in his late 20s). Most all of my friends (in their 20s to 40s) are impressed with the car. It’s one of those cars that speaks for itself. Like other people have said, you can really change the personality of the car with subtle details.

The materials used and the fit and finish of the interior are going to be hard to beat for the prices that these cars are going for. The G is nice enough, but the interior just doesn't do it for me, it isn't luxurious. And I've never felt that my M is out-classed by anything else on the road.

Definitely go with the Infiniti Elite Extended Warranty. You will not be sorry. (I bought mine after the fact and paid $2,300 (5 year) and I still feel that it was worth it.) By the way, I’ve never been able to stay within my predetermined price range when I’ve gone out looking. I’m always about $3,000 to $4,000 over when it’s all said and done. Besides, $1,500 equates to only about $30 / month stretched over 60 month financing. But than again, that type of thinking is probably why I have a hard time sticking to spending limits!

Another thing you may want to consider is that the child safety seat needs to have enough room to not touch the back of the front seat. So if you have an adult in the passenger seat, they may not have much room left in the G. And totally unrelated but just as important, make sure you contact either your local police or fire dept to find out when / where they do safety seat installs. It should be free and they should show you how to properly install it yourself for future reference. Have it done before your baby is ready to be taken home. I can almost guarantee that a proper install of the safety seat can't be accomplished by reading the directions alone. If you already know this, great! (Sorry to preach)

Ultimately though, it comes down to this… How does it make YOU feel when you’re driving it?

Andrew

[jflo63]

that is excellent advise about the car seat. our auto insurance is through USAA and there big head quaters is here in san antonio and they do the car seat install clinics as well as the hospital that we are delivering at. well there is one other 2004 m45 that i am considering that has 25k miles is diamond exterior and black interior with light wood w/ nav and all the good stuff. they said they could do 23,998 for it. it is not from a infiniti dealer though and will not be certified for have extended warranty. the factory does not expire until 8/2008 so there is plenty of time to by an extended warranty. It is listed to have the rear shade (i don;t know how valuable that is) but is not tinted like the white one so there is some more cash to throw in the mix. The infiniti dealer that has the white one says the tires have about 5k miles on them, i guess that's pretty good since the tires are about 200 a tire correct. However i am used to paying that much for tires cause the last pair i bought were 33" bfg mud terrains for my jeep.

http://www.cars.com/go/search/...=true

or

http://www.cars.com/go/search/...=true

anyways i am greatful for all the great input. Andrew224 is the warranty you purchased the same as the elite wrap given the the CPO?

[Andrew224]

First of all, I gotta give my props to USAA! It is simply the best financial service company I have ever worked with. I have just about every service they offer and I have never had a negative dealing with them. Their customer service is second to none! But enough about USAA...

Anyways, you're right to expect to pay about $200 per tire. My M45 has the original tires on it. With 30,000 miles, they have approx 6/32 of tread left if that means anything to you.

And if the brakes / rotors haven't been done yet, it's probably time for them to get done (generally speaking). My car has just under 30,000 miles and I just had to change my rotors as they were pretty badly warped (and I'm pretty easy on the brakes). So make sure that the brakes are good or get it in writing as to the condition of the brakes.

The only difference between the wrap warranty and the regular one that I got through Nissan / Infiniti is that I'm supposed to pay a $50 service fee every time I bring it in for warranty work (per visit, not per problem) and the wrap warranty is much cheaper when you buy it with the car. I think that is the only difference between the two. I'm fortunate enough that so far, between my two Infinities and 3 visits that fell under the extended warranties, my dealer has never charged me the $50. Just be sure to get the warranty before you roll over 30,000 miles because there is a big price jump after 30K.

If you're in San Antonio, you should look into that new window tint that blocks the heat. It's not as dark as regular tint but somehow the heat is blocked much better and the interior is way cooler after the car has been parked in the sun (as compaired to no tint / traditional tint). My parents have it on their new BMW and they live in Arizona. I have no idea how it works but it really does keep the car cooler. Of course, it doesn't have the same dark look as normal tint. I think it was about $800 extra (dealer install). I really don't have a need for it here in IL, but if I did, I'd get it.

I really think you'll be happy with the M. IMO, if you get a G, you're probably gonna regret it every time you see an M on the street.

Andrew

[szh]

Anyways, you're right to expect to pay about $200 per tire. My M45 has the original tires on it. With 30,000 miles, they have approx 6/32 of tread left if that means anything to you.

Yikes, this is just past the safe life of those tires (I suspect you have Goodyear RS-A) in terms of years, even though the tread is still not that low yet. You should look inside the tread area and see if you have any tiny cracks and hardening in the rubber material. If so, you need to swap those tires out relatively soon - regardless of how much tread you have left. Else, you could be an accident looking for a place to happen!

And if the brakes / rotors haven't been done yet, it's probably time for them to get done (generally speaking). My car has just under 30,000 miles and I just had to change my rotors as they were pretty badly warped (and I'm pretty easy on the brakes). So make sure that the brakes are good or get it in writing as to the condition of the brakes.

In many (not all) cases, rotors should last nearly 60k miles on this car. Far more often than not, the vibration and "warping" shimmies are due to unbalanced wheels and tires. You should be able to go through two sets of pads before you need to change the rotor out.

Hope that helps,

Z

[Andrew224]

I'm looking to replace the tires probably next spring. I currently have Michelin Pilots. I'm only looking at about another month of driving the M before it gets put up for the winter. I see that you're in California; I'm in Northern Illinois. The summers don't nearly as hot here as they might in San Jose. The rubber on my car doesn't take the abuse that it might in climates like yours. My M spends most of its non-driving life in my attached garage where it's out of the elements, so actually the tires are in good condition. I just had all of them off and inspected them for rot because I'm aware that they are approaching the end of their safe life. I just don't want to replace them and then have the car sit on them virtually unused for the next 5 months.

I have a 4 wheel drive QX4 which is going to be taking over as my daily driver in about a month. With the exception of maybe one or two clear days a month in the winter, the M will pretty much stay in the garage until April. I can count the times on my fingers and toes that my M has been out in the snow. And when it is, I always have white knuckles and a pit in my gut. A good winter car, it is not. I have found my QX4 to be virtually unstoppable.

And as far as my rotors go, they had to be replaced. The car shook bad only under braking over 40 mph. Tires were balanced recently without any change in the vibration I felt. So on to the next likely culprit. After taking the front rotors off, I was told by two seperate shops that they would be beyond throw-away tolerances after being cut, which I had a hard time believing as well with only 30K on the car and them never being cut before. The rear ones were probably fine but I swapped them out too so that they would all match. After it was all said and done, the car brakes rock solid now. I wasn't too happy about the short life of the rotors either, but what can you do?

By the way, the front pads were probably at about 50% but since I had the brakes apart, I replaced them with factory replacements so everything is nice and new.

Andrew

[maxnix]

i am looking at getting a 2004 m45 black on black

In SA summers, think microwave. Look into Huper Optik Stark 30 (Mother's has it in SA). You will need it, or rather your newborn will.

[Mark Linkous]

Ditto. I have the Huper 30 as well and it is probably the best money I have spent this year. Florida can be brutal but you from Texas have us beat. Literally raised my climate control 10 degrees after installation.M.L