New Car Advice: Stay Q70 or go audi or caddy?

[jjcuff1]

Not a flame war I know that on a Nissan forum we will 99% always say Nissan, but compared to most other forums this has been one of the most fair sites I have used for years so I know I will get some good opinions.

I have owned 2 Nissan now. My current 1 is a M35 2007 with 105k. I loved it when I bought it and still do. There are a few things that have irked me that cause me to spend my hard money elsewhere. Some of it is typical for any aging car but others I expected more from reliability for Japanese car. So if I want a little bit of risk, which I will get anyway from nissan, I might as well look at better options.
My M35 bought used in 2010 at 35k. was clean in and out. Rear spoiler and front bumper paint peeled off in 2 years. So short of blending front bumper and other paint and dings I sort of lost interest in detailing her as much. I can repaint but I still am paying for another year. The technology is impossible to upgrade, granted all cars have this problem now, so with that said I want to focus on making sure next car has great Bluetooth, stereo sound, streaming options and interface. My M35 Bluetooth fried within first year, crackles feedback etc. I had it replaced (mic) but no luck I gave up on it and use a 3rd party jabra. The stereo sucked day 1 so I upgraded with matched ohm speakers and alpine amps and DSP unit. Horrible story shorts, ground loops, feedback, speakers cutting out randomly. Just went back to stock. sounds crappy but at least it turns on 99% of the time. My tire sensors have been replaced 2x with no luck still randomly shut off, and radiator blew and left me stuck at 100k miles a month after 100k service for $2k.

So the techs are a gripe, it is old and i know it didn't have streaming back then. I loved the power, still do, the reliability things has me upset I was hoping trouble free drive for 150k. The gas mpg I knew it going in but now it is not fast by any means like it was 4 years ago and I only get 17 mpg on best day maybe 19 on long long road trips. I average 17 at best. And I am missing the back seat not folding down like most other cars to lay a bike in, and the trunk opening will not fit a normal roll around cooler like a igloo with a handle it wont clear the opening although it will sit inside the trunk physically (if you unscrew the lid.)

So all that said I still love the infiniti, some are me being nit picky and wanting more out of a newer car and I want to look at new infiniti and get those that have looked, switched. I have driven the loaner g37 and q50 a lot this past year and I do not care for it. It is super fast but twitchy nature I like the cam profile and torque of the older cars. Also I need some space and the back seat is unusable other then for kids.The q50 tech is really cool but also looks so cheap, like a cheap android ipad or something. And in the g's the bluetooth was horrible like my M I am concerned any car other then the q50 will have same bluetooth and stereo issues. so my wants/needs below here is what I am looking for.

Style/Type: I have convinced myself I can do a CUV/SUV if gas mpg is decent, AKA more then 17 lol, and I get benefit of trunk space which I will use as long as the back seats are almost as roomy as the M35. I know the M35 has to be the biggest out there for many SUV or cars. The new Q70 looks so girly outside curves and fat butt. If it went with sporty look I would do immediate trade up and the q50 is too small. I always liked audi and I am fond of the new Q5 and A6 and A7. For price a year old Q5 or A6 is doable maybe a A7. The new SQ5 looks awesome. I never considered the Infinit SUV until now so I will have to look at the QX50 and QX70 (the QX60 is sweet but a minivan IMHO)

Engine: The Infiniti has lots of options as long as its a 3.7l v6 and poor gas mpg from what I have seen. My loaners never topped 19mpg for me what about SUV? I like the Audi 2.0 and 3.0 that both are well into the 20s with just as much power. Wonder how the q5/A6 2.0 vs the 3.7 for daily use. it has same performance numbers almost. They A6 3.0T beats the 5.6 as far as performance and the Q5 3.0 is pretty close to the 5.6. I will look at the caddy to teh SRX and CTS but I fear the chevy brand and like lexus will look dated in 12 months when they change the style drastically.

Tech/Interior: This is hard one cause I love the inside of Q70 for looks style materials, even though the tech looks dated it still looks good. The Audi screams german and even nice material but still sterile i have to spend more time with it to tell. But How is the tech in the newer Qs? Bluetooth streaming, apps, phone quality, interface. The M35 has the best have interface ever but the screen is getting old and small. Also I am leary of touch screens. I rather have button controls so I dont have to lean over and fiddle with menus while driving.

So I am looking at the Q70 if the MPG improves and the back seats fold down now? any feedback or the Audi A6 or CTS
I will look at the QX70 and the QX50 but I want to have some decent rear seat space for 2 adults most the time. Occasionally 3 kids, even 4 squeezed in for 5 minute trips. The M35 did fine here. WIth 20+mpg. I am considering the Q5, SRX or possibly look at Lexus NX. The Q5 looks like really nice and has great inerior optiosn too with sport line or SQ5. Anyone drive one of these against a QX70?

[Ilya]

My M35 bought used in 2010 at 35k. was clean in and out. Rear spoiler and front bumper paint peeled off in 2 years. So short of blending front bumper and other paint and dings I sort of lost interest in detailing her as much. I can repaint but I still am paying for another year. The technology is impossible to upgrade, granted all cars have this problem now, so with that said I want to focus on making sure next car has great Bluetooth, stereo sound, streaming options and interface. My M35 Bluetooth fried within first year, crackles feedback etc. I had it replaced (mic) but no luck I gave up on it and use a 3rd party jabra. The stereo sucked day 1 so I upgraded with matched ohm speakers and alpine amps and DSP unit. Horrible story shorts, ground loops, feedback, speakers cutting out randomly. Just went back to stock. sounds crappy but at least it turns on 99% of the time. My tire sensors have been replaced 2x with no luck still randomly shut off, and radiator blew and left me stuck at 100k miles a month after 100k service for $2k.

Honestly, sounds like you just got a bad car. I had a 2007 (before my current 2011) for 4.5 years. It was purchased in May 2010 off lease. I didn't have a SINGLE issue with it other than the seat track (EDIT: The other issues I had with it were due to something I did - like taking a jump at 30mph lol). My paint also peeled in the front, but that's because I found out later the car was hit and not properly painted (dealer hid that from me). Bluetooth always worked, and after I had the dealer (per TSB) move the MIC, it worked even better. No issues with TPS sensors, or the stereo (I added the USA Spec. PA15-NIS to the system), etc.

As for radiator, etc...how are you with maintenance? I'm anal about it and change fluids before they need to be changed (if coolant lasts 50k, for example, I change it at 35-40k). To me it was either damaged by a rock or something...or it corroded.

Style/Type: I have convinced myself I can do a CUV/SUV if gas mpg is decent, AKA more then 17 lol, and I get benefit of trunk space which I will use as long as the back seats are almost as roomy as the M35. I know the M35 has to be the biggest out there for many SUV or cars. The new Q70 looks so girly outside curves and fat butt. If it went with sporty look I would do immediate trade up and the q50 is too small. I always liked audi and I am fond of the new Q5 and A6 and A7. For price a year old Q5 or A6 is doable maybe a A7. The new SQ5 looks awesome. I never considered the Infinit SUV until now so I will have to look at the QX50 and QX70 (the QX60 is sweet but a minivan IMHO)

Style is preference. I personally love how Infiniti's look...but if I had the money, I'd have bought a Lexus LS460 as opposed to my M56x.

Engine: The Infiniti has lots of options as long as its a 3.7l v6 and poor gas mpg from what I have seen. My loaners never topped 19mpg for me what about SUV? I like the Audi 2.0 and 3.0 that both are well into the 20s with just as much power. Wonder how the q5/A6 2.0 vs the 3.7 for daily use. it has same performance numbers almost. They A6 3.0T beats the 5.6 as far as performance and the Q5 3.0 is pretty close to the 5.6. I will look at the caddy to teh SRX and CTS but I fear the chevy brand and like lexus will look dated in 12 months when they change the style drastically.

As for MPG, this again (similar to the radiator) comes back to maintenance, etc. Tire pressure? Clean fuel system? In the winter I get 16-17 but in the summer I get 19-20. That's with aggressive driving and mixed city/hwy. If I do a 100% highway trip I get 23-24 without issue.

As for the performance/power...this I don't understand. There is no way that a 3.0T Audi can even remotely hang with my M56x. Why? Both cars are 4000lb+, but one has 420hp and the other has 310. I will walk that 3.0T off the line and it'll NEVER catch up. Same with the 2.0T and the M37...both are ~3900lb, one has 330hp and the other 220hp. It's mathematically impossible for the Audi's to keep up. MPG wise, there is a difference of 2-3 MPG between the cars. Personally nothing to write home about.

Tech/Interior: This is hard one cause I love the inside of Q70 for looks style materials, even though the tech looks dated it still looks good. The Audi screams german and even nice material but still sterile i have to spend more time with it to tell. But How is the tech in the newer Qs? Bluetooth streaming, apps, phone quality, interface. The M35 has the best have interface ever but the screen is getting old and small. Also I am leary of touch screens. I rather have button controls so I dont have to lean over and fiddle with menus while driving.

I don't really stream via bluetooth, but the times I have, it's worked great. I can even pause/start the strack from the AV console as opposed to my phone. Can't change tracks though. But I have a 2011, it's possible this has been updated/refined in the newer ones.

====================

As someone who, I think, is very much into cars, if money wasn't a big deal, here is my ranking of manufacturers I'd buy cars from:

Lexus (LS 460L is my most favorite car - test drove a 2014 before I got my M56x and it's just )
Infiniti (this is my 2nd Infiniti, and my four Nissan product. I may be a bit biased)
Audi (I do like the A8's)
Acura (Not a bad product, bang for the buck, and Honda reliability for the most part)
BMW (7-series is nice, but unless it has an ///M badge, the competitors are better)
Mercedes (consistently rated low by Top Gear on reliability, etc. Also, interiors look like ****)

Granted one model (such as the Alpine B7 BMW) would go higher than a comparable model from another manufacturer...but at a general level (meaning looking at all lines of cars), that's my personal order.

I have heard and generally agree with the sentiment that German cars are great to own....while they are under warranty. If you keep your cars past warranty, get a Japanese car. Obviously, each individual car varies from the next (such as my old 2007 and your car)...but that's the general rule of thumb.

[Larz]

I had an 07 M35 with nearly 100,000 miles. The only expense I had (aside from maintenance) was a starter that went titz-up in the last few weeks before it was totaled by a drunk driver. I first looked for another M35 because I prefer it to the newer generation body style.
While trying to find another 35, I also checked out Jag and Audi. Mercedes and BMW are just not as reliable as Infiniti so I didn't even consider them.
The only Audi I considered was the A6 prestige plus, but even with that trim level, you have to pay extra for radar cruise and lane avoidance. And the NAV screen pops up - not even close to matching the rest of the interior design and feel. Also to get the amazing stereo from B&O you have to pay an additional $6,000? My fav Audi, though is the A7 but then you are well past $80,000 by the time you match a fully equipped Infiniti M.
As for the SUV,s you cannot compare a sedan to an SUV. I will say, however, that I love their SUVs and they are clearly better in every way than Infiniti.
I was ready to buy a Jag-L model when I found my current 09 M35 with about 30,000 miles and I don't regret buying the M in any way. This model even has the temp controlled, reclining rear seats, rear sunshade, and 5.1 theater system. Also an active lane departure system in addition to the worthless 'beeping' alarm.
If you can wait till the 2016s come out, the Q70 is supposed to have a complete make over and I'm hoping a different interior design as well - it still has the M35/37 interior and has not kept up with new trends or technology features.

[jjcuff1]

Thanks for the input. I agree with all of your car choices. To answer the questions about the M35:
I do maintenance regularly. I actually stopped going to local shops where I would walk thru the car and talk to mechanic and at 80k started going to infiniti for full inspection and did what they told me. Ever since then I had nothing but CEL usually a week after service then some repair. Like you said I got a lemon, The paint was repaired liek you said. I changed the oil every 3-5k, 3 sets of tires brakes several times and those all work well no issues. Stereo might have been busted from prior damage unknown to me. Hence I like infiniti still and and I still feel like it is a solid well built reliable sports sedan.

I did the fuel system cleaning and keep tires at 36psi and at 60-70% city I get 17.4 mpg at best. I get around 280-310 mpg per tank typically since day one no change sin my driving habits. I did have the Throttle recall fixed and I noticed I had spikes in the feedback via the fuel mpg chart it would spike up/down whole driving and have to really lay on the gas to get it to maintain speed and that's when I drop from 20-17 if I stay in cruise I sit at 19-20. But I never get to cruise.

Perfroamce wise I was surprised by the 3.0T I drove in one and it is a rocket. The quattro and low torque si the key. Literally stand on the gas from a stop and no tirer squeal just 300+ft-lbs and 8 gears and you are doing 0-60 4.7 and 13.5-13.7 1/4miles. I know with just a $400 chip it is a 4.4 and 12.8@106mph car!!!! That is faster then a new stang gt.!!!

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sed ... rst_drive/

Look around all results and articles say the speeds are true. It is a v8 alternative with 22mpg. So that to me is appealing but again it is still a V8 price tag.

I do like the interior on the Q70 and the technology I think will be much better as you said. I am tossed between Q70,QX70 vs Audi Q5/A6

I think I am leaning towards teh CUV if it meets the back seat test since they are cheaper with same mpg. And the Q5 seems to have great performance especially with SQ5. Wondering how it compares to the QX70.

Price wise a year old Q70 or QX70 can be had in the low 30s easy which is really attractive. But not if it is 17-19 mpg and for the sedan if the back seat can fold down? I was told by infiniti the new Q70 have a full seat fold option? In teh Audi only the 2.0T A6 and Q5 are in the high 30s used and I think unless super nicer inside I will miss the power of the v6. The 3.0T are the key but I think 30-40 range used unless I go to 2013 or wait a few months till16 come out.


Not sure if 16 Q70 will be different that what they did this year with the Q70L?

[Double E]

Having driven may of the Infiniti brand and now driving the CTS-V and the M45 regularly, I'd say not to get the caddy specifically because of what you are placing need on. (First, we arte ONLY talking about the V, right?) For interior room, fuel mileage and trunk access and height clearance, it's probably not a good option.

I say fuel mileage because in the V, I get no better than 16.3 and on highway trips, I might see 20 if I'm behaving. (For reference, I own a V8 Jeep that I can get 22.6 MPG with on the highway and it has nearly 200K miles so you know it is also well maintained.)

I say inter room because it is a small interior. Seats are awesome ( I have the Recaro package) and they feel great for driver & passenger but for back seat occupants, I would not want to be back there for a long trip. The back seats do not fold down, but there is a pass through in the middle arm rest.

I say trunk height because I doubt the cooler will go in there unless you do a simple mod: The V has staggered wheels so there is no spare tire in the car. Instead, under the trunk carpet is a tire inflator module that contains a compressor and a fixaflat gel all in one unit, powered by the cig lighter. The unit is small enough that you could pull it from the space and put in the cooler and still keep the inflate in the trunk.

Power and aftermarket support are the V strong points and they both incredibly strong points.

[jjcuff1]

2XE:
Yes the CTS. Not sure if I would get a V but the CTS 3.6 is same size car? So I assume space rule still applies and it would rule it out. The Front Interior is awesome and I assume you have the custom LED dash too like the vette? That is great.

What gas MPG do you get on the M45? I wonder with new Q70 7 speed how much better the v8 option is for gas mpg. Aftermarket for V is basically like a vette right? Tons of stuff? The 5.6 has very little support for tunes or exhaust maybe but that's it right? I will not be modding anything other then exhaust, rims and maybe a chip with either audi or Q

[Double E]

I would not consider the Caddy in anything but the V since you're considering other V8 configurations. Yes same size vehicle.
(It's out either way though.)
My M will get 20 all day long around town....if I'm easy on it all the time. I can squeeze out 23.5 to 24 if I'm grand dad on the highway.

For aftermarket, on the 4.5 I cannot comment as the "Y34" version of the M I have is essentially a limited production version that has little to no aftermarket options.
Newer M45 owners will need to speak up.

[jjcuff1]

Not V8 but V8 alternative V6 FI.
I might look at Q70 V8 since my experience is the 3.7 MPG is the same as their V8.

Maybe I have a lemon V6. Maybe PO chipped it, not sure. I have babied the throttle for whole tanks as experiment, painful ones, and have seen 18s for 3/4 of the tank but for that last 1/4 tank I loosen up bam I am at 16.9-17.4 all day long never changes. Even on hiway. I can average 19 maybe even 21 for 200 miles on a tank but my last 100 miles bring it down to 17 again.

I do not get more then 310 to a tank. I think big killer is the 5 speed transmission it is a dog. The engine is a beast feels like a v8 all the time and sounds great. I wonder if the 3.7 7 spd makes a difference on the Q70. My experience has been I am good for 2 mpg over the city rating on average in most cars I drive.

[Ilya]

Yeah the 5spd is one thing I don't miss about my 2007. The 7AT on my 2011 is NICE.

At 80mph, in 5th, I was doing almost 4K RPM (!). In 7th, at 80mph, I'm doing like 2200. Huge difference. I know why they did it on the 5AT (instant passing power)...but still. Bad tradeoff. I'd rather downshift a few gears than not have economy on the highway.

[jjcuff1]

I think that is main difference between the older 3.7/3.5 and the new 3.7. Sure it has more HP but that is all paper tiger stuff to me. They just changed the cam and intake but you trade HP for torque to sell cars end of the day it is a NA v6 and anything over 300Hp although impressive is all just marketing and it is tapped out meaning you just have to ring it out which personally I don't like as much as the older cam torque biased engines. They launch better feel smoother but because of gearing peter out quicker and fall flat.

My old M35 with just a nice 7 speed would gain 3-4mpg probably lol and hang with the same 330 hp M because it could launch harder with more torque down low