M56 Test Drive by an 2004 M45 Owner

[Larz]

This thread cracks me up. I am also on a couple of other car forums, and its always the same thing when a new generation vehicle comes out. The people that have the old ones hate on the new ones.

I agree to a point. Lots of peeps just do not like change and it takes them time to catch up. I was immediately put off by the new styling, but not because it was new - because it was an intentional shift away from a sport saloon and in the direction of an exectutive saloon. It looks as though half the team wanted an agressive stance, half the team wanted a pentioner's stance, and neither side won - the car ending up not knowing what it's supposed to be. And apparently Infiniti realised their mistake because they have now turned back toward the sport styling (Q models).
What Infinit doesn't get is that the class of car they are up against is Mercedes, Jaguar, and BWM just to name a few. In order to chomp into that market, they have to make a car that is actually qualified to BE in that class. The top three are sport 1st and luxury 2nd. The M is primarily a luxury saloon with HP, but it is not actually sport tuned (even with the little gizmo that points to sport mode), and it has enough pomp and glitz inside that it's more ike a tart's boudoir , or your dad's study instead of an exciting place to be.
Mind you, just about everyone without a motive or a chip against Infiniti has praised this car, but they also report that if Infiniti wants to ask the same the price of those big three, it has to be more exciting to drive, has to have a faster gear box, tighter handling, with more connect to the driver and a llittle less gllitz around the inside. The new M's still sell in England, but mostly as a chaufer's car and in Germany they do not sell at all (maybe 300 in the last 3 years). Here in the states, the M is the type of car suited to peeps who have Cadillacs and Lincolns and are quite pleased to find a powerful luxury sedan with tasteful, high quality interiors instead of the cheap plastics that all American cars are known for.
The current M is still a very fine car, but it attracts a smaller demographic in the states with the sedate, curvy, 'we're not here to cause any trouble' styling. It will be quite interesting to see if the 2016 Q version reaches that elusive combo of sport minded design, refined handling, and driving excitement ... whilst still having enough luxury to round out the package.
That's a hard mark to hit and, so far, Infiniti haven't. And that includes ALL genarations of M's. Infiniti is relatively new at this game. BMW, Merc, and Jag have been doing this for decades and doing it very well. I reckon it's just a matter of time and effort.

[myother45isalesbaer]

Amen in my good friend Larz. Infiniti is charging way too much for a car that should be equal to or better than what Benz, Jag and BMW's are going for. Having owned a few of the later no way is Infiniti putting out a product that even compares. Sad. But you are right on. Infiniti needs to produce a true luxury sports sedan in the class of the later machines. Bring back the Q.

[TDot]

I'm sorry to say, I personally don't think this car will EVER compete, it's a budget luxury brand with poor management, vision, marketing, and development. Audi was down and out until the past few years because of quality control, Jaguar was out for a couple decades because of styling I guess (simply a name from its hay days), and both these brands came back with a vengeance and surpassed this car in recognition, want, and appeal. Hell, give it a few more years I bet Saab will come back and surpass as well. None of these cars even consider infiniti competition or use infiniti in marketing campaigns...not even a blip on their radar. Infiniti says their doing something new, so I'm going to save anymore condemnation until the Q version of the M comes out. That will tell me how serious they are. As of right now, not impressed with anything I've seen infiniti do.

[myother45isalesbaer]

TDot.......could not agree more. You stated it better than I could.

[Larz]

You both are sooooo right. Infiniti clearly isn't quite sure which direction to proceed. They seemed to be on the right track until they dropped the original Q line and tried to make the M series the best of both. Up until the new Q50 came out, it seemed Infiniti was confused. No wonder the current M doesn't 'fit in' anywhere. It isn't a sport saloon or a luxury sedan - but instead a mish mosh combo that doesn't hit the mark for either category.
Now that the new Q50 is out, I'm hoping that it's an indication Infiniti is coming out of their concussed fog and are focused on going after the big 3 (Merc, BM, Jag) with a car that actually qualifies to be in that class. If they apply styling similar to the Q50, and give it the guts it needs to connect closely to the driver with crisp steering and HP that powers smoothly through a fast gear box, they just might turn the corner and make a true sport saloon worthy of attention and, more importantly, worthy of finally being considered a actual sport saloon.

[SmoovC]

Wow, where to even start?! I just may be the lone dissenter in this thread, and possibly the only M56 fan on this forum!

The 2011 M56 is faster, handles better, and stops quicker than either generation of the M45. I think the current M is a natural progression of the line, and has a great pedigree.

The current M56's German competition are the 2011 MB E-550 and the 2011 BMW 550i.

The M56 handles tighter, and shifts quicker than the E-550. The M56 infotainment system is far more intuitive to use, and has better graphics. The MB is the better freeway cruiser, but the M56 will carve up a canyon with much more ease.

The 550i is slower 0 to 60, and actually does not handle as well as the previous generation 5 series. It feels "soft" while cornering. Once again, the infotainment in the M56 is much easier to use. Again, better suited to freeway cruising than carving it up.

By comparison, one could say that while the M56 has better handling, I would say that it does feel "twitchy" and stiffly sprung compared to the MB and the BMW. Is that a bad thing? Depends on your driving style and how you define "refinement".

I have never been a huge fan of turbos; give me a naturally aspirated big cubic inch V8. Gas mileage be damned. You don't buy any of these cars to be a fuel miser.

Value is a subjective. Would I buy any of these three cars new? Hell no! Would I be very wary of buying a used MB or BMW with a fair amount of miles? Hell yes! Would I trust an Infiniti to be more reliable and cheaper to maintain than either German brand? Absolutely.

Do I have more exclusivity in an M56? My experience has been that yes, I do. The brands of preference in my neighborhood are Lexus, MB, and BMW. Oh, and one Tesla S 85. Personally, I like being different, and not following the crowd.

Do I like the styling? I think it dares to be different, and looks aggressive from some angles, and quite docile from others. I am not a "look at me" car owner; I don't need the supposed ego boost that others may crave. In the same way I look at other people; I judge the car on its own merits, not what others say about it, or other's perception of it.

Just my .02, and probably not even worth that much.....

[myother45isalesbaer]

SmoovC......You are not wrong. If you like it, keep it and enjoy it. I agree about the German cars. I just wish Infiniti offered a true luxury sedan. The 56 just does not meet that criteria in many ways. MY OP. Enjoy the 56, its just not doing it for me and some others. Happy motoring.

[CPJ LB]

Interesting discussion on all views...thank you.

just my thoughts/impressions about the current M...and I've had several other German cars to draw comparisons from... The M is a 'nice' sedan that entered the market. It provided a different side of your 'everyday sport luxury' sedan that was out there. It caught the attention of many drivers - some liked it, some didn't. Keep in mind, I have an 06 M35, so engine wise I cannot speak on behalf of the M45/M56, but the body of the car and it's features are somewhat similar.

knowing that the German car competitors have the method of offering different tech packages, sport brakes, suspensions, etc. I honestly feel that the one category that Infiniti NEEDS to take a leap of faith towards is offering a "BEAST Line"!!! In other words, MB has the AMG line for all of it's car line-ups...BMW has it's "M" division, Cadillac has it's "V" line, etc... How about Infiniti M offering a choice to it's loyal buyers a division that suits the cravings of a niche market of sport enthusiasts that demand the best in both performance and luxury!! If one has the financial capability, then let one spend accordingly I can imagine an Infiniti M with an option of a supercharged or turbo 5.6 engine...DAMN! That would be nice!! so now more or less -- we can have our cake and eat it too

I am also waiting to see what the new "M" will offer...if it is something that is just 'ho-hum', I think I'll still keep my 06 M35, but pick up another sedan with either an AMG, M, V to drive on the weekends.