Infiniti Q45

mvargo1 · May 2001

The new Q has been a hell of a launch so far. The biggest problem is trying to find premium pkg. cars. They are impossible to find and you can't trade for one unless you have one to give back. Some dealers have sold more 2002's in a month than 2001's in six months.

97 and 98 Q's are great cars and can be had at a teriffic price. Only weakness is how much better the 2002 is than the previous generation. 28 definatly sounds a bit strong for a '97.

pga1956 · May 2001

After reading several of your posts over the months, I've finally feel I deserve a Q45.

I'm interested in a 1997 regular black sedan, with 50k that a local Toyota dealer purchased at an Infinite auction several states away. The in is jnkby31a6vm304023. I would very much appreciate any assistance folks could give me as to the service history of the car, in addition to any advice any of you may want to give. The dealer has been paying interest on it since October, and the price has dropped from 25k in Oct, to 19995 today. It has a few scratches, but otherwise seems in good condition. My ax is 515-292-7106. I really appreciate all the knowledge this club provides!

mvargo1 · May 2001

Your local Infiniti dealer should be able to pull up any service records with the VIN number. Give them a call.

Mike

fenn · May 2001

I am just about there on my 2002 Q deal. ......I am being offered within $500 of low book on my '99T Q45 trade, and I am being offered a new car at a significant discount from the window sticker. This seems like a decent deal, especially for a brand new model. I am still sad that I cannot get the Sport Package with the natural wood (I just do not like the smoked wood) so I am just going with the base car. It is a lot of car for $49000! I just hope that they hold their value in the long run!

kappaman1 · May 2001

If you can get a '97 Q for under 20k then take it! You will be hard pressed to get this much of a car for this little of a price.

svinaik · May 2001

Will it be possible to get details on the 2002 pricing you got?.

Thanks

fenn · May 2001

I have not finished the deal yet so I do not want to share exact deal numbers. After I get the car I will share the information

fenn · May 2001

I did it. I am driving my New Q. I got the Sport Package, it also has the sun screen package and full size spare (they all seem to come with these options) Window sticker is $53,225. My deal is probably not a good benchmark for everyone, because I have purchased or leased 5 Infinitis from this same dealer, and I know the ownership. With that said, I will share the deal...... I got my car for about about $50k. I did shop around a bit, and found that most dealers in the area were trying to get close to sticker price, although I think that a $1500 discount off of sticker might be a possible objective of a Q buyer right now. For me, the key to the deal was actually getting full wholesale book for my '99 Q45t. Between the discount and the trade value I simply could not resist.

rjelkhatib · May 2001

DonFenn,

Congrats on the new Q - that is one sharp car.

As for myself, I am considering a 98 Q45T (I think there's not much difference between 98 and 99 Q).

Can you tell me a little about your 99 Q? I am trying to decide between that and a Lexus.

Any comments would be useful.

Thanks.

fenn · May 2001

I really enjoyed my 1999 Q45t. It was a nice trouble free experience. I drove it for about two years(over 46,000 miles) and never did more than change the oil and perform routine maintenance. It was comfortable, responsive and quite luxurious. I know that many people have felt lukewarm about the mid-generation Q's ('97 to '01) but I think that later versions ('99 to '01)with the redone tail lamps and reworked dashboard were improved over the '97's and '98's. The Touring model with the low profile tires and adjustable suspension also handled pretty well. My only major complaint is the trunk, which is quite small.

mevande · May 2001

I have done a lot of research on the new Q ( thanks here to all the posts!) I have read , online Car and Driver ( always a big critic of the Q45 in the past) and I have found nothing but good reviews. The car looks quite nice in person and I was extremly impressed when I test drove one. Wow, it can a sedate sedan, but hit the gas hard and its a rocket. I have a 1996 BMW 740i at the moment that is about to go off warranty. It is a great car and I have enjoyed it. One may ask, why give up the "prestige" of a BMW for a Q which arguably carries less of that attribute than the new Q. But . for me its not about prestige , its about the car itself ( the driving experience, ammenties.....) . Plus I can get a new Q a little below invoice for my company has a "relationship" with Nissan/infiniti and its one of the employee perks. Ironically, the same dealer owns both the BMW and Infiniti dealership in seperate buildings on the same property. I am still trying to decide. Reading your posts here helps and thanks (would welcome anu other insight!)

Mike

fenn · May 2001

I have had my new Q45 for five days....Every time I drive it, I am more impressed with it.

At normal urban driving situations it feels like a silky, quiet luxo cruiser---even with it's sport suspension and 18 inch wheels. But, when you push it, it is just exhilerating! The engine is powerful and smooth. For a big car, it handles well too. I am also impressed by the fit and finish. The materials and details are flawless. As for the seemingly controversial looks, I like them. Most people are impressed with it. I have received much positive comment about the car....and most of the time it is people driving BMW's, Mercedes, and Jags that notice it.

warnerf · May 2001

I recently took my '99 Q over to Infiniti of Mission Viejo (Southern Cal) for some routine maintenance and while I was there I asked one of the sales guys how the new Q was doing. His exact response was "Well, it's not doing as well as Infiniti had hoped." IMHO, that was the understatement of the year. I noticed 3 new Qs at at the front of the dealership, 2 in the show room, and 9 in back!! With the economy and such, they're going to be practically giving this car away pretty soon. It wouldn't at all surprise me if they wind up discounting it as much or more than the previous model. To date I still haven't seen one on the road and I drive the busy Southern California freeways every day. It's a great car as I can test from the California Speedway test drive but that they're already discounting is a big red flag. I don't think Lexus has started discounting the LS430 and it's been out 8 months longer than the Q.

jimxo · May 2001

I love Lexus vehicials, however I drive a 2000 Maxima. I think Nissan is a better value than Toyota. Nissan has high Quality, performance and it cost less per pound.

I think Nissan has come a long way since the slump they were in several years ago. It will take a while for this new Q to get some traction and sell the units it is capable of.

The Lexus line up has the RX300 and the GS300/430. Infinity has the QX4 which I compare to the 4runner and small suv.

The Q and I30 and QX4 will do well, but Infinity needs to catch up with a car like suv and a smaller sedan to compete with the IS300.

I will consider the new Q as my next purchase as well as Lexus.

fenn · May 2001

No question that the 2002 Q45 launch has been a slow starter. The economy, gas prices and Infiniti's lackluster recent history with the Q45 have not helped. At first, I was told that that Infiniti wanted dealers to "hold the line" on the new cars and avoid discounts, but necessity is the mother of invention, and discounts can be had. I think most dealers have at least ten or twelve in stock, and their need to move cars will motivate the market. In fact, had I not gotten a significant discount, along with a healthy trade-in value I would have waited too.

By the way, Lexus dealers also have good inventory of basic LS430's right now. There is also no shortage of 740's and XJ's in dealer lots this week. There are simply not many new buyers in this high-end market segment right now. That makes it even tougher for Infiniti. As good as the new car is, it will be hard for them to get conquest buyers from loyal owners of BMW's, Mercedes, and Lexus. They need new buyers, entering this market segment, who are intrigued by the new car and the value that it represents. There are not very many of them right now! Infiniti cannot avoid making deals if they want to get the car out on the road.

hvan3 · May 2001

In my opinion, the slump in the ecomony should give Infinity Q45 a bigger edge then the BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, and other high end vehicles. A value conscious buyer would prefer a luxury car that gives more bang for the buck (at least in theory). Q45 seems to fit the bill.

Why spend more on LS430 or 740IL when Q45 has all the latest bells and whistles for a whole lot less $$?

In my opinion, I think Lexus vehicles are grossly overpriced compared to their Japanese counterparts.

carnaught · May 2001

Well I looked them over today for quite a while, test drove one with the sports package, and these are some of my impressions. The car's looks are controversial...I like it. It, however, looks like a big Nissan, there's no doubt about it, and the looks are not stellar, if not plain. I thought the car drives tremendously. At first when you hit the gas, the pedal is very soft, made NOT to have jerky jackrabbit starts, but when pushed, there's a nice growl from the engine and it really moves! The fit and finish were good and overall have a nice feel to them. The center dash plastic is very cheap and plain looking and I envision this in future models to be improved with wood or better looking materials. The door panels, specifically the window switches look like they're out of an Altima, very plain and plasticky. When the sunroof is open and you look in from the outside, it is not finished off as well as the competition, nor is the side of the body, lower panels, door handles, etc. The choices of wheels were something I'd expect from an econocar. No, I think they are nicer on the Sentra. There were two final insults that made me exit the dealership abruptly. One was that on the sticker was an add-on, "dealer adjustment" of $2000 above MSRP, and the other was their offer of $6-7000 under Kelly bluebook for my trade. They would be willing to sell me the car without the trade for MSRP; i.e., they would take off their $2000 add-on. By-the-way, this was not for added items like tinted windows, gold package,etc. Thus, they are not discounting these cars one iota, and in my estimation, are making a big mistake. This turned me off big time! I'll let you know if they follow-up on this, but I do not intend on calling them back!

fenn · May 2001

Every one is entitled to an opinion, but I like the fit, finish, and materials in the new Q45. In fact, I find that some of the plastics in my neighbor's new S430 and my father's 2000 XJ8 are more "plasticky" than those used in the new Q45's. The exterior styling may not please all tastes, but I think that the body panel fit, handles, and exterior detailing is quite perfect. The rubber gasketing around all door edges is quite a nice detail. As for your dealer, I cannot comment on the window pricing add ons. In L.A. I know that some of the dealers will offer discounts off of window sticker.....

elgriton · May 2001

one wouldn't utter that about/from the LS 430 interiors.

44264 · May 2001

And their placement of the numerous switches is very user-unfriendly, besides, their ride is way too floaty in my opinion.

I would pick a BMW, Mercedes, Audi over the LS but will have to test drive the Q45..

habitat1 · May 2001

I am a big fan of Nissan/Infinity products. One of daily drivers is a 1995 Nissan Maxima SE with 108,000 miles and it looks and drives like new. I am personally convinced that the Maxima is a flat out better car than anything produced by Toyota or Honda or Acura (my previous cars). However, now that I'm pre-shopping for a late 2001 / early 2002 purchase in the BMW / Mercedes league, I must confess some concern about Infinity's notorious depreciation among some models, notably the old Q and J cars.

As some have suggested, looking solely at price, the new Q45 compares very favorably to BMW or Mercedes. However, unless one commits up front to keeping the car for 10-12+ years, resale value has to be considered. One of my business associates just opted for a E-55, and claims that, in spite of a $72k price tag, it will have cost him less to own than his previous J30 when he sells it in 3-4 years (he liked the J30, it just killed him on resale).

I'll probably go for a 5-series for other reasons (my size preference, crisper handling, manual transmission), but I wonder how many other potential buyers would automatically write off the new Q based upon depreciation fears (especially in a "tighter" economy)?

rjelkhatib · May 2001

habitat1,

I also had the 95 Maxima ES and it was a great car. Great acceleration that left both the Accord and the Camry far in its dust. Not to mention it looks a beck of a lot sexier.

Regarding Infiniti depreciation, you have a good point. I am now looking to buy a used Q45 (1998) and I have seen a lot of great deals. These cars originally sold for almost $50k and just 3 1/2 years later are selling for $23k. Good for me as a used car buyer, bad for the original owner. The same cannot be said for similar class Mercedes or BMW, which retain their value much better.

fenn · May 2001

Actually because of rebates and the soft market that '98 Q45 probably never sold at window sticker. It was probably sold for something in the low $40k's. I bought my '99t (as a new demo with 5k miles) for about 40K and got over 27k as a trade-in valuation about two years later--- after putting over 42,000 miles on it. That was a good ownership experience. Obviously, had I paid window sticker for that car it would not have made as much economic sense. There is no doubt that the previous soft market for Q's made those deals possible. Meanwhile, I hope that things change for the new car.

As much as I love my new Q, I cannot deny that depreciation might be a problem. Of course, I would also like to think that the new car, with its overwhelming content and performance edge, is a great value, and will develop an enthusiastic following. I also got a significant discount and did not start out by paying window sticker or more for mine. I also rationalized that I have a 2002 model that I will drive for 18 months before it takes a model year's depreciation in the Blue Book.

The fact is: the new car really is nice....It is hard to drive one and not appreciate it. One of my car enthusiast pals who owns a few exotics, including a Ferrari Mondial, and drives an M series BMW as his "daily driver", drove my car last night and was blown away. This is not the reaction people got from the last generation of Q45's.....although they are still nice cars and are great used car buys.

pat · June 2001

Hi friends,

Catherine Heins is looking for people to interview who have switched from American to Japanese cars in the past few years-- especially folks who wouldn't have given a Toyota or Honda the time of day in the 1970s.

She's a business reporter at the Yomiuri Shimbun, which is the biggest daily paper in Japan with a circulation of 14 million. They are writing a feature story about Japanese automakers' continuing success in expanding production in the U.S. and snatching market share from the Big Three even on their former home turf of light trucks.

If you fit this description and are willing to be interviewed, please call her directly at 212-582-5827 or e-mail her at catheins@yahoo.com. As always, you can contact me at jfallon@edmunds.com if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Jeannine Fallon
PR Director
Edmunds.com

psteinhoff · June 2001

It seems to me that if depreciation is heavily factored into your vehicle acquisition decision, then you should probably consider leasing. After all, doesn't leasing (closed-end lease) protect you from unfavorable depreciation? You are made aware of the salvage value of the vehicle at the time you sign the lease. If the car is worth significantly more, you can always opt to purchase the vehicle at lease end and then sell it for a profit. On the other hand, if the car is worth significantly less, you can turn in the keys and walk away. I would guess that if you compared the lease cost of a BMW, Mercedes, or Audi to the New Q, that the Infiniti would still be less expensive, particularly when you factor in insurance costs.

smarks195 · June 2001

I have seen many reviews of the new Q45 and most of them hint to having little rear seat leg room compared to the rest of its class (AKA BMW 740i and iL and the mercedes S)I want to what the real leg space is from someone whos been in it.

carnaught · June 2001

I test drove one last weekend extensively, including riding in the back. I'm 6'0, and had no complaints with backseat room. It is more roomy than the previous generations of Q's.

fenn · June 2001

It is improved over the rear room offered by the previous generations of Q's. It may not lead the class in back set space. but it it very competitive with the other cars in it's class.

markher · June 2001

I am considering my 2nd Q. I originally had a 1996 and enjoyed it. I would like to find out what people are quoted and paying for the new Q.

GLeen · June 2001

I tset drove one last week and while it was nice it felt big and there is absolutely no trunk.

fenn · June 2001

Which model did you drive that had "absolutely no trunk"? I own a new 2002 Q45, and it definately features a nice sized trunk. The older Q45 had a really small trunk, but this new version is a big improvement in trunk space.

ripinrocket · June 2001

Not a big difference between 13.7 & 12.6. The old Q45 had 12.6 cubic feet the new one has 13.7 cubic feet.

mvargo1 · June 2001

It is not the Cubic Feet it is how they are used. The trunk space in the new Q is much more usable.

carphart · June 2001

I agree. The new trunk is more usable and feels much larger.

ripinrocket · June 2001

Not what Motor Trend said. Narrow opening ring any bells?

sysadb · June 2001

The recent issue of Motor Trend compared six luxury sedans. They were the Q45, LS430, A8L, S420, Seville STS, and Jag VP (supercharged). The journalists' comments about the Q were very favorable, but they were disappointed by the Q's 0-60 times. Despite the factory claims of 5.9 secs, they were "only" able to manage 6.5. They got another Q and got the same result, so they consulted with Infiniti, who blamed the result on the cars being pre-production models. Infiniti assured them that production models would perform at the expected clip. Hmm..

The Infiniti was given high marks for technological content, and judged competitive in ride and handling vs the others. Two small nits were having the cassette featured on the console instead of the CD changer, and the size of the trunk. The optional stereo got rave reviews, though.

Interestingly, the cars were not ranked against each other, but the seven journalists were asked which they would buy if it were "their money". Four selected the Benz, two the Audi, and one the Lexus. It was a little surprising since the Audi and Benz were not that strongly endorsed throughout the article.

Denny

lsc · June 2001

If Motor Trend - the publication that usually has the lowest 0-60 times among all car magazines - cannot produce 0-60 in 5.9 sec., then I would also think it's a little fishy. I don't know. It seems Nissan's recent HP ratings seem inflated. Case in point, the 2000 Maxima. When Motor Trend compared the Max to the Accord V6 and the Camry V6, they came away with nearly identical 0-60 and 1/4 mile times. A little funny don't you think? It's not like the Maxima weighs any more..and with 30+ hp advantage and torque advantage...you would think that the Max would be at least 1/2 sec faster or so.

Marketing a full size luxury vehicle based on it 0-60 time? I think Nissan/Infiniti should think more luxurious for a lower price and a little more conservative design.

We'll see how the Q does in the long run. But their ideas and their target audience don't seem to agree.

arcoates · June 2001

It could be the transmission, and it isn't geared right for the power. 4.5L is certainly big enough to produce 340hp, so I would think it would be something else, and not inflated numbers.

It's interesting because R&T recorded a 6.5 0-60 too. I think it must be something wrong with the gearing because the LS430 recorded a 6.4 and it weighs more and is a luxury car, not sport luxury.

lsc · June 2001

whatever the case is.. it's pretty embarrassing to say the least to focus your marketing around a car that you claim does 0-60 in 5.9 (Porche Boxster S level) and when the auto magazines get their little paws on the cars the Q only does 6.5. Of course 6.5 still is very fast, but Infiniti is trying to be the leader in performance while providing a very luxurious interior.

It certainly can't claim to be more posh then the Lexus LS430, it's chief rival. But now that tests show that it's slower than the Lexus, which is supposed to be primarily a luxury car.. it's quite embarrasing to say the least. No wonder why the sales numbers are what they are.

Just when you think Infiniti has it all together... another blooper. It's really a shame because the Q45 is a very nice car that's packaged very, very nicely. But like my dad used to say, you better do what you say you can do, or else you lose your credibility.

Well, the new Z is claimed to have 0-60 time under 6 seconds as well...we'll see about that one too.

mvargo1 · June 2001

Interesting thing about the trunk is that it also had the widest opening. Its widest point was wider than any of the others, even though its narrowest point was more narrow.

Road and Track would have tested the same pre-production vehicles that MT did so one would expect the same discrepency in the 0-60 times. Not that it really matters, because no one actually drives their $55,000 car in a way that produces drag race starts.

Infiniti is pushing the performance and handleing of this car because they are getting back to their roots as a performance first luxury second automaker.

sysadb · June 2001

I believe the MT article said that the journalists surmised that the engine management module was the culprit. (after talking with Infiniti). But LSC has a point about bringing the car to market (or providing test units to mags) that do not deliver as promised. And especially in the performance area, where Infiniti has led the public on with anticipation for a no-excuses luxury car with sub six-second 0-60 times. While the car is still very quick, It was touted to be faster, not slower, than the competition. And by competition I mean the LS430.
I really like this car, but couldn't wait for Infiniti to get it to market and bought a competitor. I will say that the trunk is a big improvement over the previous models, but it's still fairly small for that category of car. Like the journalists in MT, I was also enamoured with the voice activation system. It should impress a lot of potential buyers...

Denny

fenn · June 2001

Well, I have a New Q and I like it, but I do not know if it goes from 0-60 in 5.9 seconds or 6.5 seconds. The car still feels fast enough, but I am a bit surprised that the magazine test cars could not perform the way that they advertise......

arcoates · June 2001

sysadb- I don't think you sold yourself short in picking the best in class BMW 7 (in my opinion). It may be the oldest design, but it still performs flawlessly. I don't know how BMW is going to make it even better!~ A.R.

arcoates · June 2001

I would still take the new Q over the LS430. Edmunds has a new article on the LS430 and at the end they quesiton the premium of the LS430 over the new Q which is faster (?), more fun to drive and offers the same amount of luxury~ A.R.

carnaught · June 2001

I test drove it today in the summer (desert) heat. Not only was the air conditioning suboptimal, but it was INADEQUATE. Thought it was the specific car so my wife and I drove two more. ALL had the same problem ! When I confronted the salesman regarding this, he said that Infiniti was "working on" refining the a/c. So, if any of you are contemplating buying one, I'd suggest to try your test drive on a hot day, and see if this presents you with the same conclusion I made... INADEQUATE air on a $50K+ car is UNACCEPTABLE ! This was so much so that the car is out of consideration for us ! BMW, when I got into the car I was trading to drive off, even after my car was sitting out in the heat, it was almost immediately cooler than the cars I was test driving for a longer time period. BEWARE !

mbaudibest1 · June 2001

are you sure about that? no other publication has made any complaints about a poor air conditioning system...BTW i didnt know lexus made a 2002 LS400. can you even buy a 2002?

carnaught · June 2001

mbaudibest: All I know is that the a/c was a "C", barely passable on three out of three new Q's. I don't know why any of the auto magazines haven't made reference to it, but maybe because none were test driven in Arizona. The salesman hinted that he too was aware of it (as per my original post), and it was significant enough to totally nix my interest in buying the car. To any perspective buyer(s), check it out yourself and make your own conclusions !

clif3 · June 2001

FWIW - I had a 92 Q45a (in Florida) and I would give its A/I a "C" also. I loved the a, but the transmission went out at about 90k. I got rid of it due to the high cost of this fix and the potential other high cost repairs (suspension, timing chain, etc.). Overall, it was a great driving car, but repairs were regular and expensive. I have driven the new I, but not enough to get comfortable with it. I liked it alot, but would only lease one due to my past experience. Right now, the dealers around here will not come off the sticker and the lease option is not a very good deal. I will wait to hear about various owner's experiences (and hope they get rid of the smoke dash only option for the sport). For you owners out there, keep us informed about your experiences. Thanks.

esomer_q45 · June 2001

I just picked up a beautiful near perfect 1994 Q45t. The only bad news is its doesn't have a CD changer. Does anyone know what options I have on todays aftermarket? At one time you could get a 10 disk from Sony as well as a 6 disk from clarion. I prefer Sony car auto but I'm open to any options I may have.

carnaught · June 2001

Because of the Infiniti's lousy a/c, I bought the LS430. The "Q" is still a great car, just NOT for Arizona.

Infiniti Q45

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