M56 vs LS460 - GO!!

Forum for Infiniti M37, M56 M35h Hybrid and Q70 owners.
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AZhitman
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Asking that question here means I'm sure there's some Infiniti bias - but you guys have researched the cars, and I'm guessing a lot of you shopped these two models against each other.

With the following parameters in mind, which car would you choose?
-$10-12k budget
-Under 100k miles
-Unmodified


I've been out of the "big car" market for over a decade, so I've missed most of the news. Share your insights? :dblthumb:


satown210
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That budget and those miles are going to get you a M56 or LS460 with a salvage title and/or one in poor shape.

Frog
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Agreed that price point won’t get u a good car. Most m56 under 100k are still 15k. That’s for a 2011. It will be bad. Either up your $ or find a different car. One repair will Be $ and these care are expensive to fix.

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Dark_Knight
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Having come from an LS460, the cars are not in the same class. The M/Q70 is more comparable to the GS than the LS.

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Ilya
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satown210 wrote:
Tue Jan 01, 2019 10:27 pm
That budget and those miles are going to get you a M56 or LS460 with a salvage title and/or one in poor shape.
Frog wrote:
Tue Jan 01, 2019 10:59 pm
Agreed that price point won’t get u a good car. Most m56 under 100k are still 15k. That’s for a 2011. It will be bad. Either up your $ or find a different car. One repair will Be $ and these care are expensive to fix.
Agreed. You won't fit into that price point until you're at the 150kmi range. My 2011 M56 with 119kmi on it is still north of the budget.
Dark_Knight wrote:
Tue Jan 01, 2019 11:22 pm
Having come from an LS460, the cars are not in the same class. The M/Q70 is more comparable to the GS than the LS.
While technically speaking the M's competitor is the GS, price point wise when I was looking for my Y51, the 7-series and LS were only like 2-3k more. And IMO, standard features and 'bang for buck', the M was a FAR better value than the GS (or BMW 5-series).

That being said, the LS460 is one of my 'attainable' dream cars. I'd make the switch. I can't imagine it would be any less reliable, etc. Both of these cars, if they break, will cost $$$ to fix (as some of us found out by accidentally shorting damn near half the car trying to install LED bulbs in the interior - s*** design by Infiniti to not have circuits protected, etc. = $5k+ bills).

THAT being said, I feel no sense of urgency to replace my car and fully intend to, if it's not cost prohibitive, keep this car well into the 200k and beyond. This V8 is really great and the interior/tech, still, in 2011...well, especially after my GROM installation, is right up there. I used to think that I needed to get a new car every 5 years but now that I'm a bit older and a home owner, if it costs me $3-4k to keep this thing running each year (talking about repairs like sensors, etc.) it's still cheaper than a $500 car payment 12 times a year ($6k total).

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cliffyk
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THe newer Lexus GS models (2017+) all have that silly looking, garish and trendy, ugly as snot, overly "aggressive" "predator" front-end:

Image

This is not an attractive, tastefully and elegantly designed automobile(Bruno Sacco has to be rolling over in his grave):

Image

This is:

Image

Though I am not a fan of the rice-boy inspired home garage "body shop", rattle-can painted, expanded metal from Ace Hardware looking grill; or the trendy and blingy "doodad" louvres over the driving/fog lights...

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Ilya
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IMO the 'magazine' photos of cars always suck...that Q above being a great example. There are some beautiful pictures of very lightly (or stock) Q70's posted in the FB group that look 100% better.

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Dark_Knight
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Ilya wrote:
Wed Jan 02, 2019 5:17 am
While technically speaking the M's competitor is the GS, price point wise when I was looking for my Y51, the 7-series and LS were only like 2-3k more. And IMO, standard features and 'bang for buck', the M was a FAR better value than the GS (or BMW 5-series).
They're similar in price, probably mostly due to the V8 in the M, but you get more bang for your buck with the LS. Once Lexus worked out the flaws with the control arms and melting interior (they currently have a campaign to fix this issue) it's a great car. The Mark Levinson is better than the upgraded Bose (not by much), the fit and finish is better, the car is better engineered. Currently I prefer the Q70 because it's smaller, sportier, newer and it suits me better. When I had the LS I always called it my old man car but I can eventually see myself going back to an LS.

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Debonair
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LS460 started in 2007 with a "facelift" in 2010. In the SF Bay Area market which is probobly higher then most 12K'ish will get you a 07-08 LS460 with 130-150K. And a M56? Good luck finding one around here.

LS460 - 380 very refined HP and a smooth transmission
M56 - 425 agressive HP with a lazy transmission

I miss my M56 but doubt I would get another until they give it a real update. Here is what I had to say on this comparison in Feb 2015.
Debonair wrote:
Sun Feb 08, 2015 10:34 pm
I came from a 02 GS430. I was shopping a for a 2010-12'ish LS460, test drove a few, and really liked them. They ride nice and look great but at the same time they feel very subdued.

Then I found and drove a M56. It's a A very different animal. Powerful and sporty for such a big car, much more alive then the LS. Im sure the 40hp bump is a big part of that. I very briefly considered a newer GS but as nice as they are I really think they need to make a model with performance to match its competitors. The newest models have the same HP ratings as my 13yo GS did.

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I have to agree. There are very few "good" choices that fit your budget.
A 2007 M45 / 47k miles for $14,000 that includes NAV, XM, surround sound, radar cruise, and lane departure. It's but a 40 min drive from my home.
https://www.carmax.com/car/16363416
There are NO LS460s available within your budget that I would consider purchasing. BUT ... If you raise your upper limit to $21k, a plethora of choices are available, including this 2007 LS460 with 55k miles. Truck delivery to my local dealer is an extra $1,100. AND .. this does NOT have that stupid gopping grille!
https://www.carmax.com/car/16021186

Both of these cars are eligible for a warranty that will cover every expensive mechanical or electronic repair for a $50 copay at your local Lexus / Infiniti dealer. The warranty lasts for 5 years or total of 150k miles. That means you drive these until 2024 or an additional 80-90 thousand miles WITH a warranty!

Personally I would have the used Lexus over even a 2019 Q70 as the Q70 has a noisier ride, less comfort, and cheaper interior quality. I would give up the surround camera which is worthless to me. In fact the Lexus has parking sensors which were not even available on Infiniti cars in 2007.

mazz
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in 1990 i was looking for a new car went to a Lexus dealer, couldn't get the time of day from them, and went to Infiniti got treated very well bought a 1990 q45 a 94 and 96 new each time after testing ls400 but not liking it. I bought my daughter a 2000 g30 and myself a infiniti SUV i forgot model # then in 2002 another q45 and 2006 a m35 and a 2008 m35x and now a 2013 m35x
Lexus dealers turned me off and i have been a faithful infiniti customer for a long time. I enjoy the ride in a ls 400 with a friend but never liked driving one. that is my story on Lexus vs Infiniti !

M56boss
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Bought my 2011 Infiniti M56X in jersey for 12.5 cash they wanted 14.5 originally 100k on the dot one owner had the timing chain recall done almost perfect and the dealership fixed the differential before I picked up the car 115k now and a beast like no other.. Mines was officially the probly one of the lowest M56 that your going to find around I jus got lucky as f*** and no issues outside of being an oil burner

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biggie
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As some have mentioned, M56 at that price point is tough with under 100k miles.

Believe mine with 104k is showing as a trade in at $14k or so. That means any dealer is probably still asking $16-17k at least.

Johnny Means
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Your parameters may get you into the ballpark for an M if you're patient and diligent. You can forget about an LS with those numbers. Try calling infiniti dealers. They're not in the business of selling used cars and don't get s*** selling trade-ins at auction or to other dealers.

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AZhitman
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I'm not terribly concerned about maintenance or repairs - Remember, we're all here because I rehabbed a Q45t back in the day. ;)

Tons of good feedback - You guys are a wealth of info! Here's an example of what I have in mind:
https://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/c ... 22424.html

Definitely will have to bump up the budget. Not sure what I was thinking, although there may have been some J&C involved. :)

satown210
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https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sal ... pe=listing

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sal ... pe=listing

that one is above your budget but a good deal, AWD, fully loaded even with Tech package, and 74K

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AZhitman
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Nice!

Won't be buying anything from a "salt" state. If I can't turn a control arm bolt with a hand ratchet, it's poop to me. We're spoiled in AZ. :)

Frog
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Azhitman. Where in Az are u I forgot if I’ve asked this b4. Pm me. East mesa for me

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Ilya
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AZhitman wrote:
Sun Jan 06, 2019 8:12 pm
Nice!

Won't be buying anything from a "salt" state. If I can't turn a control arm bolt with a hand ratchet, it's poop to me. We're spoiled in AZ. :)
You can still use a hand ratchet on my car with lovely NY winters/salt...you just need a 6ft breaker bar attached to it :rotflmao

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AZhitman
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Hahaha!

Let's not forget, I'm also twice your age and half your strength, brotha! :)

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cliffyk
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I have told my sales contact at the Toyota dealer from which i bought my 2012 M37 (I traded a 2009 Tacoma TRD SR5 crew-cab Prerunner) that if he finds a deal on an M56 or a Q70 5.6 "let me know", I don't guaranty anything, but i want to know...

M56boss
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Ilya wrote:
Sun Jan 06, 2019 8:49 pm
AZhitman wrote:
Sun Jan 06, 2019 8:12 pm
Nice!

Won't be buying anything from a "salt" state. If I can't turn a control arm bolt with a hand ratchet, it's poop to me. We're spoiled in AZ. :)
You can still use a hand ratchet on my car with lovely NY winters/salt...you just need a 6ft breaker bar attached to it :rotflmao
Luckily for me there’s no rust and didn’t have any issues with taking things off lol I was assuming it was garaged by the former owner . now my 04 FX35 with 114k yea it definitely shows some New York winters underneath but smooth like butter


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