Nissan considered killing off infiniti????

[06M4.5]

Flagship means top of the line for that brand. In that case, the Maxima and the M are the respective flagship sedans. Flagship has nothing to do with the competition. It is given to the car that is the most expensive/luxurious/classiest/or some other name of their product line.

I know what flagship means but thanks for clearing that up for others

But I don't go around telling people I have a flagship car, I tell them I have an M45. It's a really good & reliable car with some nice features. It just doesn't have the expensive or extra luxurious look of other cars.

[Ilya]

I agree. The M is a bargain luxury car which is very nice. That's exactly the same thing I say. Why pay $10-15k (or more) easily for a Lexus, Audi, or BMW when I can get the same amenities just about for much less WITH a VQ engine which I KNOW is pretty strong as far as reliability goes (having owned 3 of them and knowing that it's been on Wards List of Top 10 Engines for like 15 years).

[wingFeather]

I hardly consider anything Lexoyota puts out to be "top of the line"... but maybe I'm biased.

[M4T5]

Flagship means top of the line for that brand. In that case, the Maxima and the M are the respective flagship sedans. Flagship has nothing to do with the competition. It is given to the car that is the most expensive/luxurious/classiest/or some other name of their product line.

Glad my OG's are still around to back me up against these newbies.
They don't seem to get it.

Jim

[M4T5]

I hardly consider anything Lexoyota puts out to be "top of the line"... but maybe I'm biased.

You own a Cube...that says it all...........

[Ilya]

I hardly consider anything Lexoyota puts out to be "top of the line"... but maybe I'm biased.

You need to test drive a newer LS 460L then . Car is pure sex, as they say.

[TDot]

"For the ones bringing up lexus go buy one..."
Why do people say stupid things like that. I'd tell you to go do something, but I'll leave that alone lol.

"Ever heard of a sleeper..?"
It's not sleeping it's in a comma.

"They are re-badged Toyotas and Nissans for goodness sake."
I don't know about that. I've been in a maxima and beyond the interior being a slight downgrade it is the same as the Infiniti to me. I've been in a carolla (i assume that is the tops for toyota) and that is a very different car to the lex....IMO.

"But the irony is that their quality exceeds..."
I don't know about that either, I never had a problem with my Benz. IF it does, it still seriously lacks in performance and features where most of my complaints lie anyway.

" why are we all here posting every day"
Because it's what we can afford and we have nothing else to do lol.

" Gee, let's hope it's >85k; so it'll qualify as a "real" luxury sport sedan..."
That's all IM asking for. Lol

" Trying to spice up the IS350 with that utterly redonkulous Predator-looking chrome grill surround is a desperate, juvenile attempt to catch the eye of the same automotive dimwits"
Fully agree!!!!

" The Q smacked the LS400 around from 1990 to 1995,"
True again...but to champion 5 years vs the last 18 of lexus is pretty desperate smh. Maybe if they made cars like they used to it wouldn't be a discount car now lol.

" Copying other car makers will never make the brand #1"
Couldn't have said it better myself.

" Does it have to be overweight, overpriced and overdone?"
YES!!! Lol

At the end of the day everybody bought this car for one reason or another. I bought it because I love the interior and it's what I could afford at the time. If I could have afforded something similar to the other things I was used to at the time, I would have bought them in a second. Just like many here have stated, "if I could afford". So that's it. What irritates me is when people talk about this car like it's the greatest, or even near greatest, because it simply is not. Once you can say there is something else you would buy if you had the money this car isn't as great as you profess it to be, it's simply the best you could get. And that is how I feel and believe is a fare statement. It's a decent car. Love what you have, but don't put $@!t on a pedestal and give it a ribbon and call it a work of art.

[wingFeather]

Interesting point of view. I do think this is the greatest lux sedan "for me" - does that make more sense?

I drove a bunch of stuff. I came close to buying a Maserati QP, which would have been a stretch financially, but in all honesty I liked the M better. So... I bought another M. Call me crazy :P

[M4T5]

@ TDot - I never once said it was the greatest car. You may not be directing your statement at me. My 07' M45 has 57,000 miles on it and it really hasn't impressed me much at all.
The car has several design issues. The biggest one is the oil consumption. It's been to the dealer several times for this issue. It even blows out blue smoke upon start up at times. It has even had valvetrain rattling upon start up on two occasions. Sounded really bad then just goes away. The dealer has duplicated it the second time and did a fuel system cleaning. Infiniti tech support told the technicians to perform this for a fix. They stated it was probably from dirty valves. Yeah, ok, sure. Did not sound anything like just dirty valves.
The other issue is the tramlining issue. The damn car likes to wonder from side to side at city driving speeds.
At this very moment it is at the dealer to get its 3rd radiator. This is unheard of IMO. They have also replaced the valave covers to 08' design, alternator, AC compressor, electric fan unit, both front interior door panels, the shifter boot, shifter bezel, driver seat lower brackets and evaporator core.
This is a lot of repairs for a car with my mileage. I even had the 30K mile service done to it. Now it's almost time to do the 60K service.
This time I am only going to have them do the power steering flush, transmission flush and rear diff flush. I've done the brake pads/ rotors, brake fluid, belts, air filter and oil changes (Mobil 1 5w-30 Full syn). The only thing I need to do is the in cabin air filters. I believe there are 3.
I cannot speak for the new M in terms of reliability and quality. Though I do not like the look of it compared to my 07. Mine however, I do not and would not recommend to anyone. Too many problems.

Jim

[bejjutsu]

We all have our own definition of best. To many of us, including myself, "best" means "reliable" and "practical."
So, among cars in the class, yes, the M is the best.

If you're more inclined to favor the newest electronics, massive nav screens, real-leather everything, and racecar power, then obviously you favor different things and have the money to do so. Or maybe you put more of your earnings towards your car. Whatever.

I like a nice car that you don't have to worry about too much. So again, this is the best to me.

[Partysan7]

This topic went a little off but still interesting to see owners bashing on Infiniti.
In no way you can compare LS, A8, 7 series ir S class to an M. Those are different category vehicles ( size) Infiniti does not yet offer this class vehicle. If to compare then more appropriate would be GS, A6, 5 series , E class . But why compare?! does someone need to raise self esteem for spending more or being classified as "true" luxury ?! What is luxury and how doesnt a $60K + M ( obvioulsly new not 6 or 7 years old) fit into "luxury" for many members opinion ? Yes, there should be major improvements on brand and vehicles but I still love my M and think its a great car that has unique style with nice interior/exterior and most of all is pretty reliable. Generally Infiniti has a well restpected reputation at least within my family friends co workers etc.

[M4T5]

You haven't been around this car as long as a lot of us here have. You also have no idea about the headaches of owning a 4.5L M.
There are so many cases of oil consumption problems and emitting of blue smoke out the exhaust. Infiniti mostly ignored their customers with this issue stating it has to use more than 1qt of oil every 1,000 miles during a 3,000 mile oil consumption test duration to get an engine replacement. I'm sorry, but that is just ludacris. Mine was burning up to a 1/2 qt every 1,000 miles and Infiniti says that's within specs...........so rediculous.

J

[N8NiTTY]

@tdot... why do people say stupid things? ... its a public forum we all have the right to our own opinions and say what we want.I bought my "m" instead of a GS/550i/A6..Personal Preference ( I test drove the 550i at Turnersville BMW (they have a test track behind the dealership-google it, its nice!))
Also with that being said (In my opinion)You have the most hideous color combination Infiniti makes, A navy blue car with a tan interior...
I am hoping that infiniti makes a better product thats all, I'm looking to upgrade.I not a fan of the current m, I bought a CPO instead of a new one because I'm not a fan of the new shape.

[06M4.5]

It's true and I'll say it again, I love my M45 but IF I had the money I would by a 2010 Lexus LS 460L in a heartbeat. It's just pure luxury, this is what happens as you get old.

So for the near future I'll be enjoying my M45 as much as I can or as long as I'm broke.

and just for the record I like the 06-07 M's the best, I could of had a 08 or 09 but didn't. I'm able to up grade the front bumper but won't. I was just lucky that I was able to pay for my M cash and all my mods are all paid for too.

I like the new M's but the front nose looks to much as the infiniti suv's.

I'm hoping for the best for the new M/Q

[AZhitman]

I'm gonna disagree with whoever said, "It's all we could afford."

That may be the case for you, but not all. I can drive out with any of the cars we've discussed here, cash deal - but sometimes it's pissing money away. $95K for what is essentially a bloated, numb limousine (which I'd still have to drive myself), is not my idea of money well-spent.

The M is an appropriately-priced, well-refined car that does 90%+ of what the more expensive brands will do (better, in some cases)... and it looks great doing it. Granted, the VK has had some issues, but looking at Lexus / BMW's recall history, they're as guilty as anyone. Ask a 2008+ BMW owner how many times they've had to balance their styrofoam wheels (Car & Driver lambasted their long-term tester for eating up / bending wheels) and replace tires due to poor static and road-force balancing.

If I were in the full-size luxury market (I'm not), I'd rather have a pre-owned 2009 M56S (or my personal favorite, an '04 M) than any of the competitors at this point.

[JDMlove]

am sure if Carlos or any senior in Nissan went through this post! They will arrange for an Urgent meeting and change allot of things in the company!! :p

About comparing Lexis with Infiniti, in the GCC where i live. lexus prices are higher than infiniti. before 4 or 5 years you only see 2 or 3 infiniti in the streets. now all young people is going for infiniti because of the performance that is well matched with the price. in Bahrain, u see G35 sedans, and FX more than Lexus IS or RX330..

i consider the change in infiniti in the past few years is a big achievement. give them more time and they will play well in the Market.

[atlM35]

We all have our own preferences. Every car has their quirks.
I, personally, bought the car because I like the styling, techonology, and performance for the price.
It won after owning/test driving Lexus, BMW, and Audi. I'm on my 3rd M and second QX for a good reason... total of 9 Nissan/Infiniti vehicles to date.
Don't get me wrong, now that I'm getting older and the family is growing, I wouldn't mind a Lexus LS, but I still need to enjoy the ride when I'm sitting in the car every day in Atlanta traffic. The M45 does that for me... sure, there's a design flaw and you get the cloud of smoke from the pcv pooling, but I can easily add a little extra oil in between oil changes. The payoff is worth it when that's the worst of my problems with this car.

[AZhitman]

Additionally, the catch can modification (to keep blow-by out of the combustion chamber and thereby eliminate the smoke issue) is well-documented on this site.

[myother45isalesbaer]

My OP. Infiniti had a winner with the Q and the 2003-2004 M's. They gave them up and made alot of other models to compete with the lower end cars. They should have stayed with the high-end luxury models that had the balls to knock off Lexus, BMW, etc. They had the market and blew it.

[wingFeather]

It's just pure luxury, this is what happens as you get old.

I understand. I occasionally long for a Cadillac soft ride, especially with California's terrible road quality. But there would have to be a way to somehow switch back to go-cart handling at the touch of a button!

I like the 06-07 M's the best

AGREED!

...and I'm sorry to learn the the V8's have oil issues. That is a major bummer to deal with for the extra 50 horses.

I can drive out with any of the cars we've discussed here, cash deal - but sometimes it's pissing money away. $95K for what is essentially a bloated, numb limousine (which I'd still have to drive myself), is not my idea of money well-spent.

I'm right there with you. I've owned more expensive and larger cars before, and they just don't seem balanced to me in this stage of my life. Give me a modest size and refinement any day. Perhaps one day I come to like Rolls Royce opulence, but where I'm at in life, it just seems too gaudy. Design is not only the presence of details - but the absence of them too.

[bejjutsu]

the 06M was almost universally reviewed to be the best in its class. I'm assuming many of us bought it then. Case closed?

[AZhitman]

^ Exactly.

In fact, that car is on my radar as a "must own" at some point... My wife doesn't share my lust for the 03-04 M45, so an 06 model might be in the cards.

[N8NiTTY]

whats was so special about the 2006?...

[szh]

I'm gonna disagree with whoever said, "It's all we could afford."

Yup!

Yes, I can buy a Ferrari or Porsche pretty darn easily, but do I want to? Nope, not as a daily (albeit luxury) car that I would mostly use to get to work and back ... usually in stop and go heavy traffic.

So, since 1991, I have owned three Infiniti (all of them the V-8) cars because the price, performance and luxury combination are way fun enough. And the cost to maintain has not been outrageous.

But, I will also note that my wife's 1997 Acura 2.2 CL was, by far, the most reliable car that we have ever owned - the least costly to maintain.

When the time came to replace it a year ago (after 15+ years), she went with another Acura ... this time, she has a 2011 Acura TSX. Not because we could not afford another pricier model/make, but because she loved the fact that her previous Acura lasted so well.

Z

[atlM35]

...and I'm sorry to learn the the V8's have oil issues. That is a major bummer to deal with for the extra 50 horses.

It's the extra 70 ft-lb of torque that makes it worth dealing with for me

whats was so special about the 2006?...

http://www.thecarconnection.com/overvie ... i_m45_2006
http://www.topspeed.com/cars/infiniti/2 ... 13029.html
Basically, 2006 is when the M became very competitive to the rest of the cars in its class and actually out performed in many ways.

[szh]

At the same time, I should also admit that when the time comes to replace my 2003 M45, I am seriously considering the Tesla S as a possibility.

I would like to stay with Infiniti, but the reasons I bought my 2003 have not shown up in their later models. For me, in the 2003, it was the combination of: ultra-unique looks (instantly recognizable on the highway), price-performance ($40k total for a V-8!), reasonable luxury without mushiness (decent handling), etc.

The 2006+ M definitely has better suspension and handling than my Y34, but the external look became too generic and bland for me. Then, when the M45 came out and you couldn't tell it apart externally from the M35 on the highway, I decided that this was not a car that I would be likely to buy. The M56 almost made me change my mind though ...

But, now with the Infiniti Qxx model number change silliness? Hmmm ... I think I will see how the Tesla S does in the next few years with quality control, maintenance, battery longevity, etc. For now, my Y34 does just fine!

Z

[szh]

...and I'm sorry to learn the the V8's have oil issues. That is a major bummer to deal with for the extra 50 horses.

It's the extra 70 ft-lb of torque that makes it worth dealing with for me

Yes, indeed. Along with the complete lack of strain as it gets to those high rpm's ... so much smoother than the V-6.

Z

[bejjutsu]

whats was so special about the 2006?...

In addition to what Atl said, there were something like 2 lemons per 100 cars which is super low, and a very high percentage of "nada" cars, or cars that need almost no unexpected repairs.
A number of features were standard (like today), but the bottom line is, it caused the other companies to play catch due to having a poorer overall product.

The 06 was unfortunately the highest selling M as sales have dropped off on the newer models. Basically, we're judging the car against its model year contemporaries..

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/26/autom ... d=all&_r=0

[bejjutsu]

@SHZ I would VERY seriously consider the Tesla S. Infiniti is great, but how about loyalty to your country?

In addition to incredible power and technology features, storage space and 7 seats (!), it may require no maintenance on the motor at all. Of course, batteries are a concern, but it's remarkable how simple the mechanics of this thing are.

Check out this motortrend video review if you haven't seen it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kCG-WqpVnI

[wingFeather]

Yes, indeed. Along with the complete lack of strain as it gets to those high rpm's ... so much smoother than the V-6.

I love the V6. No strain, and smooth as can be. I especially enjoy the high revving red line... to each his own I guess