Need current M35/45 owners input and help (long)

[MaxGig]

Gentlemen this is my situation. I've wanted an M45 for yrs but was waiting until I retired from the Army and buy it as my retirement car. Well that was 2yrs ago and still no M45. I've been checking various sites online and have actually found numerous 06-07 M45's with anywhere from 25k to 55k plus miles on them and ranging in price from $23k to $38k dollars as well. I went to the Infiniti dealer here in Huntsville, told them I wanted a used 06 M45 and they tried to sell me an 08 M35 for $37k which was about $12k more than I wanted to spend and it wasn't the car my heart was set on.

Later I had to buy tires for my Maxima and my wifes car a Mazda3, I'm on 245/45/17's and she has 225/50/17's. I quickly spent $1000 bucks on 8 tires. While I was on Tirerack I priced tires for an 07 M45 and the 19in Potenzas cost $281 dollars each which was a shock to me. Don't get me wrong I'm not a cheapskate, I've owned Saabs, Volvos and an old school BMW so I'm used to paying out the nose for dealer repair work, but I haven't had to do that habitually since I bought my first Maxima and got rid of my wifes Volvo S80 T6.

Over the last few days since I was at the dealer I've been thinking; basically what are the most significant differences between the M35 and the M45 other than the obvious v6 to v8? I'm looking to get either an 06 or 07 and it will definitely be the Sport model, I'm not settled on color other than no white, silver or grey and I'm not paying more than $25k for it. Can any of you guys tell me about any maintenace issues/concerns I may need to take into account? Also, my main concern is that I'll baby it so much that I may be tempted to make it my special occasion car and not want to drive it everyday.

Has anyone experienced that, lastly has anyone had routine work done on their M that was not done by the dealer? Sorry for the book but this is a special buy for me and I'm trying to cover all my bases. I will of course test drive both cars but I do value the thought and opinions of the guys who own them now. Thank you for any help you guys can provide.

[grindjv]

I just bought an 07 M35 and all of the dealer service quotes are outrageously high. But, you can do a lot of it yourself and buy the parts off the internet. This is actually the easiest car I have ever changed the oil and filters on. Gas mileage is bad, only about 20 mpg....With that said, the car is the most comfortable and best driving car I have ever had, and I have not regretted my purchase. Look in autotrader.com it will help you find what you are looking for, I had do drive 100 miles to Birmingham to buy mine.....Also if you know Exactly what you want, you may be able to get a dealer to buy at auction for you for auction price plus $500 +/-.

[Huy]

It must be exciting hunting for that special car.$25K for an M45 sport with low mileage/great condition will be a hard find. That is pretty much wholesale price.

Get the color combo that you really want. M45 is worth the extra dollar.Find one that is in really good condition. Exterior/Interior condition will tell you alot about how the previous owner took care of the car.

The market is great for buyers right now, but don't try to save a few grand and buy a possible lemon.

BTW... I'm on my second M45 sport. Has to be Sport and Aero Kit.Happy Hunting.

[antzrus]

I don't get it. The m's just differ w/their engines. Unless you go to the track often, or live near the Bonneville Salt Flats, what good is the difference between the V6 vs the V8? Both engines have more umphft than you can ever fully utilize in your normal driving settings here in the Continental USA.

Other than my baby is a gaz guzzler, I can't see any disadvantages to this machine; quite the contrary. And yes a lot of the tires are expensive. However, I've run w/ContiExtremeContacts ($150 ea) and they are excellent all season tires.

I bought the machine one year ago w/32k mi for $32.5k. Best damn machine I've ever driven, except for my '71 Saab 99E.

Oh yeah, I'm retired US Army; 20 years ago.

[szh]

I don't get it. The m's just differ w/their engines. Unless you go to the track often, or live near the Bonneville Salt Flats, what good is the difference between the V6 vs the V8? Both engines have more umphft than you can ever fully utilize in your normal driving settings here in the Continental USA.

My suggestion would be to comparison drive test them to see why people like the V-8!

The M35 is a perfectly fine car, but the ease with which the M45 engine goes about doing things, without any sense of strain compared to the V-6, makes the difference as to why folks get it instead.

Yes, I would be very happy with either one, but, if I could afford the extra cost (initial and maintenance), I'd buy the M45. At the time I bought mine, there was no choice anyway!

Z

[ghstudio]

No one has commented on 06 vs 07. The biggest difference between the 06 and 07 is the passenger seat. The 06 had very limited adjustment and the seat was uncomfortable to almost all. In 07, Infiniti put in a fully adjustable passenger seat and solved the problem.

The M45 is smoother and faster, just as the BMW 535 is smoother and faster than the 525 or the Lexus GS450 is smoother/faster than the 350. Each person has to decide what their price point is and what it's worth to step up to the more expensive model.

I suspect that you will find the M35 just as driveable in everyday use and an M45.....but if you are set on an M45, then you will always be unhappy with the M35. No one is going to help you with that decision...

[antzrus]

OK, you want the real bottom line? You want the truth? Can you handle the truth? Well, here it is V6 vs V8:

"Whilst part of what we perceive comes through our senses from the object before us, another part (and it may be the larger part) always comes out of our own mind." William James, 1890 The Principles of Psychology.

Here's some more truth for you; read up on "placebo effect."

To begin to understand what the above implies will take you a little bit of time; but it could save you a lot of money, if you invest the time.

Paradoxically, because of the above statement-there really is no "truth."

There now; does that help you w/your decision?