I have 21,000 on my M35x. I replaced the original equipment tires with the Avons recommended by TireRack. They were a softer ride and quiet when new, but now, on concrete they are very noisy. Asphalt is better, but still noisier than I would like.
Road noise thru the crappy OEM Goodyears is my only complaint regarding the M35. I too considered replacing them with either the Avons or the Pirellis. Road surface is a huge factor; rough concrete is louder than I'd like - Infiniti should have used better/more sound insulation.
My old job (I changed jobs at the end of the year) required driving over very loud concrete roads, the new job has a quieter route. So I have postponed a tire change decision for now. Nevertheless road noise is one of this car's few (only?) weaknesses.
The fromt cup holder lid sticks sometimes and the dealer (Infiniti of Willow grove PA) ordered a new one last July
Word of caution RE this dealership: Do not let them wash your car! I had my M35x purchased the end of June in for the 7.5K service and other work (leather seats on earlier models have a leather defect above the seat switches, and the leather starts to pull out) and forgot to tell the writer _not_ to wash the car. As I dropped it off the night before, I called the first thing the next AM, and told them in no uncertain terms that I did not want the car washed.
They ruined the paint washing it. It looked as if they used 60 grit sandpaper. Their remidy was to wet sand the car. Nice. It's not bad enough the paint is so thin it jumps off the car with the slightest stone impact. Now there's probably little if any clearcoat left.
So much for the 2 months of washing and building up the Zaino every weekend for the winter
I just picked it up yesterday, and given the rain and wind was not able to check the damage. It's in the garage drying off. Not real happy with the dealer at all.
BTW, they also managed to put holes in the door panel and weather strip on the right side fixing the seat leather. Still waiting for the panel to show up.
I am in the process of ordering an M45 and I am thinking about getting the rear screen from the factory. Does anyone have any experience with it? I am concerned about blocked vision when in use and not in use. Are there any rattling issues?
Really sorry to hear about your bad experience with Infiniti of Willow Grove. I let them wash my M45 Sport one time, when I brought it in to check the cup holder lid and install the missing fuse for Home Link and the analog clock. No scratches, but they did not dry it off properly and water spots remained on the bumpers. Thus, I decided that I will wash it myself going forward. The only other service on my M was an oil change. The Service Dept. Rep. seemed very professional and responsive. I told them not to wash the car but found oily finger prints on the front hood. Maybe I'm being a little too picky, but lack of attention to these small details worries me that other things may be missed that were not obvious. After I read your post, I am worried that if they replace my cupholder lid, this may lead to other problems?? Perhaps I will keep the current lid since it is still functional, just needs to be jiggled sometimes to open/close.
I gave them my comments in a positive/friendly manner and hope they will continue to improve.
I have not had any problems with rattling in my M45 Premium, but the screen does block the rearview mirror when it is used. On good thing is that it rear screen can show the map features as well as DVD's, which passengers think is cool. Overall, though, this is the one option on the M I would have easily done without. I hope an M update relocates the screens to the seatbacks, or maybe the armrest.
I too think the M35 is a GREAT car. I would opt for the NON Sport version, because I believe the handling is still great, and the ride is much better without the sport package. My question is: Would you go with the M35 or M35X? Why? Thank you.
Interesting mix of emotions re: Sport v. base M35. I got the Sport and have days when I'm glad I went the extra mile, and days when I'm not. There are days I think the Sport LOOKS more aggressive and spiffy, and days when I think the spoiler and ground effects make the care look smaller and "cheaper". I'm not looking forward to having to replace the tires, but if I can get 20K out of the 19" Potenza's it won't cost me an extra dime. I live in the desert where traction isn't a huge issue (except during monsoon season).
There are days I find the Sport's interior to be "spartan" and long for the wook look; on other days the sportscar enthusiast in me loves it.
Overall, nine months into it all I have no regrets and have STILL had nothing to have serviced other than oil changes. Great car. Bart
Interestingly, the first 2000 miles I had my M35 I averaged 16.5 mpg in my daily driving routine. From 2000 to 4000 I gradually went up to 17.4, then around 5000 came back to 16.5 +/- 0.1 every tank. Weird. No big deal, but strikes me as odd ...
Agree with rrob, no rattling issues, but does give neck a strain to view screen. Don't have kids but have mother n law and it kept her interest on the way back from Austin on Sunday. Good luck.
I have an M35x since I wanted good control in winter driving conditions. Of course, since I have it now there has been little snow in Minnesota. However, knowing what I know now about putting on snow tires for winter driving conditions I would opt for the M35 rather than the X. The extra weight decreases the mpg in the X. Also I presume the ride would be better in the M35 rather than the X. I don't drive beyond 75mph so I think the M35 would have done fine for me. I'm leasing so I will be looking for a different car at this time next year and I hope it can be an Infiniti. I may go to the M45 if I can get what I want. Peace!
My nod would be to the M35. I drove it and the M35x. The M35 feels like a faster ride, and I liked the dry road handling better, although both are good. The gas mileage is better with the M35, and I am generally in favor of a simpler drive train, unless you need a more complex one. After all of my test drives, which also included an M45 and M45 Sport, I actually went with the M45, but the M35 was a close second and a lot less $$$. Probably would have gotten it from a rational decision, but then, I heard that V8, and the ol' lust factor kicked in!! Good luck, these are all fine cars - rrob
I recognize that one does not buy an M45 if you are concerned about gas mileage. Having stated that, what can I expect to get when mine is delivered. Thanks
My M35X gets 16. I would expect the same from the V8. From prior posts, the normal combined mpg for the base M35 is about 18. I've always seen the V8 or AWD cost you about 2 mpg.
As a frequent reader of this forum and an owner of an M35X, I thought I'd add some thoughts to some long standing discussions.
Gas mileage- I get about 16-17 mpg with my M35X in mixed driving. For me, the extra cost of more tank fill-ups isn't really the main negative of the lowish mileage. It is the hassle of the extra trips to the gas station. The difference between 17 and 20 mpg is about 50 miles of driving per tank of gas. For me, that's two round-trip commutes to work. Finding a gas station and pumping while standing in the cold an extra time or two a week is a hassle.
35X vs. 35- I live in the Northeast where snow each winter is a given. Even if the AWD keeps me on the road just *one* time over 3-5 winters of car ownership, it is worth the extra cost and the downside on performance. Maybe the AWD will help and maybe it won't, but you may never know which time it saved you and your car. It is like buying insurance. You hope you never have to take advantage of it, but you are always glad you have it.
As of today, I just turned 18,000 in approx. 10 months. delivery date was 03-24-05. No problems, rattles or squeaks. Gas mileage in combined hwy., bumper-to-bumper, and city driving is from a low of 16.5MPG to high of 21.4MPG.
The 15,000 mile checkup cost $275.00 and replaced oil/filter, air cleaner, interior air filter, wiperblades, balance & rotate tires.
The only problem I have had is with the seat cooler/warmers that don't cool off or heat up. 3 times at the dealership about the problem. Service Advisor says that they are operating normally. Tech said that he ckeck the seat with a thermal reader that says the temperature on high is at the right degree. Service Advisor said that tech support tells him that the seats do not have a warming element like in my Wife's Audi Allroad, but that Infinity has a metal plate in the seat that warms up and the fan then blows the heat thru the seat. I even told them that if the seat warmer is on when I stop the car to gas up, when I get back in the car, the switch is in the high position, but the indicator light is off and stays off for a while. He said that it normal at this time. BS
These seats never warm or cool down enough. Any one else complaining about the seat warmers???
I've always said this is problematic of seats that heat and cool. All they do it get slightly warm. A heating element is the only way to get that. Lexus has the same problem with their seats. My MPG on 35x is 16-17 which means a lot of fill ups. I was so excited when I took delivery back in June, but now I might chuck it all and get a E-Class. The bluetooth phone works great, but callers don't like it. I'm tired of the "performance tuned exhaust". I don't get a chance to use the radar cruise. I stopped using voice rec. The only thing I would really miss is the backup camera and the outstanding nav screen. I also appreciate the car has had zero problems.
Your comments were interesting. Please see my post #5158 on 12/21/05. It sounds like we're thinking along the same lines. By-the-way, I also have an ES330 and the seat heaters work pretty well, way better than any M version. IMO the M needs another year or two to iron out the kinks. That is assuming the folks at HQ read these boards and care what the customer is saying.
I think the problem is the ventilation. My daughter sits in the back with heated seats and she says they get pretty toasty. They probably have an element rather than a blower and heater. On the upside, you get the cooling in the summer (which I think is more valuable than heating--but my wife would say otherwise). The cooling is definitely noticeable (and it includes the lower back, rather than just the seat cushions). I rarely go beyond the first or second stop. Are there any seats out there that have cooling with something other than a blower and ventilation?
My wife's Sequoia clearly gets warmer than the M. With a blower and perforated seats, the fan is pushing against all my weight (and my weight is closing off most of the perforations).
I have a black M35x with bourbon interior. The interior always gets comments (almost all good, some think it looks a little bit orange). It even grows on me every day, and I loved it since day 1. Granted, the car is only 10 months old, but when I see it in the parking lot next to a black MDX and A6, it seems darker and glossier (and it doesn't get washed every week, either).
I finally traded my Acura for the M35x a couple weeks back. I live in Chicago so while I love the M35 sport's interior accents and summer wheel/tire look, I decided to be practical with a car I can drive in the snow(as I already have a corvette sitting in the garage through the winter months). I want to put the M35/45 sport 19" wheels on my M35x with all season tires and am wondering if anyone has already done this or any thoughts about whether I mess up the all wheel drive system or anything else by doing this? The dealer said no problem, but I don't necessarily think they'd tell me differently as they just want to sell the wheels. (The only other problem is to get the wheels for something less than the ridiculous full retail price that my dealer wants.)
I bought a 2006 Infinity M35x last June. I loved it for about 3 weeks. It has every technology the industry has to offer from adaptive cruise to a rear seat DVD player. It replaced my 2004 Lexus LS. I still have trouble putting my finger on why I so quickly grew to hate it. I suppose the performance tuned exhaust might have been the most notable.
A growing list of small things just started to fester. The heated and cooled seats did very little heating and cooling. The speech rec couldn't understand my "4" or "illinois" so I couldn't use speech for the bluetooth phone or the navigation. The car seemed louder than it should be 60mph. The mpg was a disappointing 16. (My big LS V8 got 19.) The radio presets had an awkward arrangement. I missed rain sensing wipers. The adaptive cruise was nice, but in 6 months I was only able to benefit from it once. The real rosewood looked cheap to me. The trunk was tiny and felt cheap. That buttons on the "ATM" style console would look cheaper and bigger with every passing day.
The M does have some advantages over the E. The backup camera is excellent. The navigation has a big high screen with a gorgeous bird-eye view. The bang for the buck is a lot better and I expect the M is more reliable.
But I'm looking forward to the quieter and more elegant E. I'm looking forward to real heated seats, burlwood, rain sensor and 7 speed tranny. I ordered all the options except the panaromic roof. I'll make do with parktronic and last generation navigation. Little things like the wood steering wheel, power trunk opener and full iPod integration hold more value to me than bluetooth or speech rec.
edspider1, So are you going with the E500 w/ all the options? that's a big swing in $ isn't it? I have been driving that too and thought it's a pretty big diff. I have a 04 LS430 as well. It's funny b/c everytime i test drive, i get back in my car and enjoy the quiet comfort and how she handles the bumps etc. I'm thinking that i'll rarely use the voice rec and the bluetooth and that keyless go is nice, but it's not like putting the key in is a big deal (been doing it for quite some time) and the backup camera and nav seem sweet on the M but i don't use the nav much now (i know where i'm going) and have gotten by w/o the camera. Not sure when i'll watch a movie in my car in the front seet in park, but like the idea that i could i guess. So it's the same deal. Have the LS430, considering the M and the E500 and have been considering the CLS500, but that's even more $. My wife and i drove the E and the M yesterday and we're still on the fence in deciding what's better, having the stuff or having the benz.... So are you talking about the E500 w/ all theoptions except the panoramic? must be a high sticker on that one, no? J
Actually, I'm going with the E350. Sticker comes to 59,600. I didn't want the V8 and the extra gas it would take. I didn't want AWD because it means the 5 speed. But The E500 does have the air suspension which requires the appearance pkg on the E350. I hated the appearance pkg. It blacks out the wood and makes the gauges black on white. Ugly wheels, too. The CLS was too cramped inside for me. I didn't like the tiny doors. But it is a stunning looker. The 2009 E will be some kind of blend between the CLS and the new S.
Because of EOY discounts from MB, I'm paying invoice which makes the E the same price as a list price M Premium. I paid $500 under list for my M. If you like the M in diamond graphite w/ graphite interior - we should talk Mine is 6 months old with 5500 miles.
Hope you enjoy the switch: To each their own. I would comment on a couple of points in your post, just for the record.
The heated and cooled seats did very little heating and cooling.
Personally, I've been very happy with the heating and cooling on the seats. JMHO.
The car seemed louder than it should be at 60mph.
That's definitely NOT the case with the M45 premium, which is quiet as falling snow when cruising, whether at 60 or 90. However, the M35 engine might be louder, and the sport might be as well. I do have a desire to hear some masculine sound from my engine when I floor it, and the absolutely beautiful sound of the M45 in that situation totally satisfies.
The adaptive cruise was nice, but in 6 months I was only able to benefit from it once.
Funny, but I use this feature, and really love it, every day. I'd really hate to lose it.
The real rosewood looked cheap to me.
Of course, this is a very subjective issue. It's very beautiful to me, and to most people who see my car. It's also very much like the matte finish on the very upscale Mercedes CLS-600. But if you don't like a matte finish, you don't like it.
The radio presets had an awkward arrangement.
The radio presets on the M are a terrific design, IMO. Far, far, better than anything else on the road. They're the only presets that allow you to mix your favorite stations, from FM, Sat Radio, and AM, all in the same group of presets. This is a pleasure that I appreciate every every day, non-stop. The mercedes presets on the E or CLS, BTW, will not allow access via the steering wheel controls. This means that when you use the steering wheel controls to change radio stations, you can't have it skip to your next preset. Very painful IMO, and eliminates all benefit from that feature.
full iPod integration hold more value to me than bluetooth or speech rec.
The Mercedes iPod integration is both a blessing and a curse. When your iPod is attached to the mercedes iPod hookup, you can only access songs on playlists. ie, you can't control the ipod directly, and you are locked out of choosing tracks by album or artist. As you can with the M and it's aux input.
It's not my intention to make you wrong, or dissuade you. I'm merely posting my personal take on these issues.
Please take no offense, and do enjoy your mercedes.
No offense taken. Really. I do know most people would prefer the M over the E. Good points, too. Had I chosen the V8, it would indeed be quieter. The V6 RPMs are much higher at cruising speeds. I didn't know about that benz iPod weakness. I might skip that since its a dealer add on anyway and as you suggest I can just use the MB's aux which conveniently located in the glove box. A couple of under 30 friends liked the matte wood finish, but none of my peers did.
I'm just giving back my 2003 E500 for a new M45, but I was curious about your post on E presets. Unless this has changed since the '03, you can specify whether the steering wheel control goes to next preset or seeks next station...
YES - I drove my LS430 for one week in manual and averaged 26 mpg (City and Country). Then I drove the exact same route the following week in automatic an averaged 23 (City and Country).
But get this:- For one whole week driving in manual mode followed by anoter week over the exact same route in automatic mode, I clipped 1.3 hours off the time taken.
So I found:- 1. In manual - better fuel consumption. 2. Quicker. 3. Use the engine to break the car.
Unless this has changed since the '03, you can specify whether the steering wheel control goes to next preset or seeks next station...
I bought a Mercedes CLS manual before making my M45 buying decision. Based on many posts on a mercedes forum, and my reading of that manual, I believe that the newest E-class and CLS-class cars don't have this capability. If you've seen it work with a CLS or a brand new E-class, I'd be happy to be corrected.
Has anyone had any experience dealing with Infiniti Corporate or Consumer Affairs? If so, I would appreciate any comments on the following:
Since purchasing my car in July I have had it in to the dealer seven times to fix things such as broken seat belt adjusters, door panel replacement and DVD/Moonroof/back seat/dashboard rattles. Except for the dashboard, they have not fixed the other rattles in four tries.
Perhaps I should have contacted Consumer Affairs sooner, but they are now involved and want to have a "technician" come and look at it.
This is my fourth Infiniti, dating back to 1993, and we have had no issues so I am at a loss as to what to do. I have had the car into the shop for a total of 14 days and I just want out.
Thanks in advance. If anyone has direct contact info for Infiniti execs pls advise, as they may want to hear about a soon-to-be-former loyal customer having to take a car in eight times for repair.
I haven't had contact with Consumer Affairs but I have been in repeatedly for the moonroof/DVD rattle. (see my other posts). I still have them (the rattles). Sometimes the technician claims he can't even hear it, like I get my kicks going back and forth to the dealership for no reason. Just my luck that the technician I get was valedictorian of his class at Gallaudet University.
I am taking my M35X into the dealer for its 2nd oil change. At the first I asked for the headlights to be adjusted up. On dark roads, the beam is short for my taste. The dealer told me that there is no adjustment on the headlights. He said they are self leveling lights and that if they were raised by turning the wheel the computer would compensate and lower them? I have read that others have successfully raised the beam. To those people I have 2 questions:
1. Does the beam still swivel when turning the wheel?
2. Are you sure that the beam projects farther after the modification? Any negatives?
Can someone please direct me to the link on the how to do this step by step? I don't usually do more then wash and wax!
I have had my M35X since April, and now that winter is here I would like to put a roof rack on for several family trips with skis. Has anyone found a roof rack system approved for the M's? Thule and Yakima don't show anything on their web sites, but they show them for G35, which my wife has. I would rather put it on the M since it has four wheel drive. Anyone put a rack on successfully?
Your dealer is wrong, but he's not the only dealer to make that mistake.
They are totally adjustable and everything works after the adjustment.
Some dealers will adjust them. If you can find a dealer who will do it, you can ask the dealer to raise them 1 or 2 inches (as measured at the location where they typically measure them, some distance away from the car).
Other forums have some pictures and threads covering this (no links allowed here), and many people have adjusted them themselves, all with good effect.
I've raised them myself, and I'm quite happy with them.
If you open the hood, and remove the plastic covers on each side of the engine, (there are clips that release when you pull the covers up) you'll see a large silver cog wheel right up against the headlight casing, on each side. Next to each cog wheel is a hole where you can insert, pointing straight down, a medium to large phillips head screw driver. You'll need to raise both sides, and typically the right side can be a little higher, since it's less prone to blind an oncoming driver. (You're tying to balance your visibility and the effect on other drivers.)
Turning counter clockwise raises the beams. With a magic marker, make a mark on the big cog wheel, and watch it turn (as you watch the headlights raise on a wall about 6 feet away from your car.) Most people need to turn the large cog wheel about 1.25 to 2 full rotations. One person was happy only after 4 complete rotations. Try 1.5 rotations, see how you like it when driving, and go from there.
Note that the high beams go up when the low beams go up, but there's a place with a decent balance. I haven't yet heard of a way to adjust them independently.
Comments
Road noise thru the crappy OEM Goodyears is my only complaint regarding the M35. I too considered replacing them with either the Avons or the Pirellis. Road surface is a huge factor; rough concrete is louder than I'd like - Infiniti should have used better/more sound insulation.
My old job (I changed jobs at the end of the year) required driving over very loud concrete roads, the new job has a quieter route. So I have postponed a tire change decision for now. Nevertheless road noise is one of this car's few (only?) weaknesses.
Word of caution RE this dealership: Do not let
them wash your car! I had my M35x purchased the
end of June in for the 7.5K service and other
work (leather seats on earlier models have a
leather defect above the seat switches, and the
leather starts to pull out) and forgot to tell
the writer _not_ to wash the car. As I dropped
it off the night before, I called the first
thing the next AM, and told them in no
uncertain terms that I did not want the car washed.
They ruined the paint washing it. It looked as
if they used 60 grit sandpaper. Their remidy
was to wet sand the car. Nice. It's not bad
enough the paint is so thin it jumps off the
car with the slightest stone impact. Now there's
probably little if any clearcoat left.
So much for the 2 months of washing and building up
the Zaino every weekend for the winter
I just picked it up yesterday, and given the
rain and wind was not able to check the damage.
It's in the garage drying off. Not real happy
with the dealer at all.
BTW, they also managed to put holes in the door panel
and weather strip on the right side fixing the
seat leather. Still waiting for the panel to show up.
Really sorry to hear about your bad experience with Infiniti of Willow Grove. I let them wash my M45 Sport one time, when I brought it in to check the cup holder lid and install the missing fuse for Home Link and the analog clock. No scratches, but they did not dry it off properly and water spots remained on the bumpers. Thus, I decided that I will wash it myself going forward. The only other service on my M was an oil change. The Service Dept. Rep. seemed very professional and responsive. I told them not to wash the car but found oily finger prints on the front hood. Maybe I'm being a little too picky, but lack of attention to these small details worries me that other things may be missed that were not obvious. After I read your post, I am worried that if they replace my cupholder lid, this may lead to other problems?? Perhaps I will keep the current lid since it is still functional, just needs to be jiggled sometimes to open/close.
I gave them my comments in a positive/friendly manner and hope they will continue to improve.
Overall, though, this is the one option on the M I would have easily done without. I hope an M update relocates the screens to the seatbacks, or maybe the armrest.
rrob
There are days I find the Sport's interior to be "spartan" and long for the wook look; on other days the sportscar enthusiast in me loves it.
Overall, nine months into it all I have no regrets and have STILL had nothing to have serviced other than oil changes. Great car. Bart
Bart :shades:
Don't have kids but have mother n law and it kept her interest on the way back from
Austin on Sunday.
Good luck.
After all of my test drives, which also included an M45 and M45 Sport, I actually went with the M45, but the M35 was a close second and a lot less $$$. Probably would have gotten it from a rational decision, but then, I heard that V8, and the ol' lust factor kicked in!!
Good luck, these are all fine cars - rrob
rrob
Gas mileage- I get about 16-17 mpg with my M35X in mixed driving. For me, the extra cost of more tank fill-ups isn't really the main negative of the lowish mileage. It is the hassle of the extra trips to the gas station. The difference between 17 and 20 mpg is about 50 miles of driving per tank of gas. For me, that's two round-trip commutes to work. Finding a gas station and pumping while standing in the cold an extra time or two a week is a hassle.
35X vs. 35- I live in the Northeast where snow each winter is a given. Even if the AWD keeps me on the road just *one* time over 3-5 winters of car ownership, it is worth the extra cost and the downside on performance. Maybe the AWD will help and maybe it won't, but you may never know which time it saved you and your car. It is like buying insurance. You hope you never have to take advantage of it, but you are always glad you have it.
Jon in Philly
The 15,000 mile checkup cost $275.00 and replaced oil/filter, air cleaner, interior air filter, wiperblades, balance & rotate tires.
The only problem I have had is with the seat cooler/warmers that don't cool off or heat up. 3 times at the dealership about the problem. Service Advisor says that they are operating normally. Tech said that he ckeck the seat with a thermal reader that says the temperature on high is at the right degree. Service Advisor said that tech support tells him that the seats do not have a warming element like in my Wife's Audi Allroad, but that Infinity has a metal plate in the seat that warms up and the fan then blows the heat thru the seat. I even told them that if the seat warmer is on when I stop the car to gas up, when I get back in the car, the switch is in the high position, but the indicator light is off and stays off for a while. He said that it normal at this time. BS
These seats never warm or cool down enough. Any one else complaining about the seat warmers???
My wife's Sequoia clearly gets warmer than the M. With a blower and perforated seats, the fan is pushing against all my weight (and my weight is closing off most of the perforations).
I want to put the M35/45 sport 19" wheels on my M35x with all season tires and am wondering if anyone has already done this or any thoughts about whether I mess up the all wheel drive system or anything else by doing this? The dealer said no problem, but I don't necessarily think they'd tell me differently as they just want to sell the wheels. (The only other problem is to get the wheels for something less than the ridiculous full retail price that my dealer wants.)
I think it's skin was made out of old beer cans!
A growing list of small things just started to fester. The heated and cooled seats did very little heating and cooling. The speech rec couldn't understand my "4" or "illinois" so I couldn't use speech for the bluetooth phone or the navigation. The car seemed louder than it should be 60mph. The mpg was a disappointing 16. (My big LS V8 got 19.) The radio presets had an awkward arrangement. I missed rain sensing wipers. The adaptive cruise was nice, but in 6 months I was only able to benefit from it once. The real rosewood looked cheap to me. The trunk was tiny and felt cheap. That buttons on the "ATM" style console would look cheaper and bigger with every passing day.
The M does have some advantages over the E. The backup camera is excellent. The navigation has a big high screen with a gorgeous bird-eye view. The bang for the buck is a lot better and I expect the M is more reliable.
But I'm looking forward to the quieter and more elegant E. I'm looking forward to real heated seats, burlwood, rain sensor and 7 speed tranny. I ordered all the options except the panaromic roof. I'll make do with parktronic and last generation navigation. Little things like the wood steering wheel, power trunk opener and full iPod integration hold more value to me than bluetooth or speech rec.
So are you going with the E500 w/ all the options? that's a big swing in $ isn't it? I have been driving that too and thought it's a pretty big diff.
I have a 04 LS430 as well. It's funny b/c everytime i test drive, i get back in my car and enjoy the quiet comfort and how she handles the bumps etc.
I'm thinking that i'll rarely use the voice rec and the bluetooth and that keyless go is nice, but it's not like putting the key in is a big deal (been doing it for quite some time) and the backup camera and nav seem sweet on the M but i don't use the nav much now (i know where i'm going) and have gotten by w/o the camera. Not sure when i'll watch a movie in my car in the front seet in park, but like the idea that i could i guess.
So it's the same deal. Have the LS430, considering the M and the E500 and have been considering the CLS500, but that's even more $.
My wife and i drove the E and the M yesterday and we're still on the fence in deciding what's better, having the stuff or having the benz....
So are you talking about the E500 w/ all theoptions except the panoramic? must be a high sticker on that one, no?
J
Because of EOY discounts from MB, I'm paying invoice which makes the E the same price as a list price M Premium. I paid $500 under list for my M. If you like the M in diamond graphite w/ graphite interior - we should talk
The heated and cooled seats did very little heating and cooling.
Personally, I've been very happy with the heating and cooling on the seats. JMHO.
The car seemed louder than it should be at 60mph.
That's definitely NOT the case with the M45 premium, which is quiet as falling snow when cruising, whether at 60 or 90. However, the M35 engine might be louder, and the sport might be as well. I do have a desire to hear some masculine sound from my engine when I floor it, and the absolutely beautiful sound of the M45 in that situation totally satisfies.
The adaptive cruise was nice, but in 6 months I was only able to benefit from it once.
Funny, but I use this feature, and really love it, every day. I'd really hate to lose it.
The real rosewood looked cheap to me.
Of course, this is a very subjective issue. It's very beautiful to me, and to most people who see my car. It's also very much like the matte finish on the very upscale Mercedes CLS-600. But if you don't like a matte finish, you don't like it.
The radio presets had an awkward arrangement.
The radio presets on the M are a terrific design, IMO. Far, far, better than anything else on the road. They're the only presets that allow you to mix your favorite stations, from FM, Sat Radio, and AM, all in the same group of presets. This is a pleasure that I appreciate every every day, non-stop. The mercedes presets on the E or CLS, BTW, will not allow access via the steering wheel controls. This means that when you use the steering wheel controls to change radio stations, you can't have it skip to your next preset. Very painful IMO, and eliminates all benefit from that feature.
full iPod integration hold more value to me than bluetooth or speech rec.
The Mercedes iPod integration is both a blessing and a curse. When your iPod is attached to the mercedes iPod hookup, you can only access songs on playlists. ie, you can't control the ipod directly, and you are locked out of choosing tracks by album or artist. As you can with the M and it's aux input.
It's not my intention to make you wrong, or dissuade you. I'm merely posting my personal take on these issues.
Please take no offense, and do enjoy your mercedes.
Pete
26 mpg (City and Country). Then I drove the exact
same route the following week in automatic an
averaged 23 (City and Country).
But get this:- For one whole week driving in
manual mode followed by anoter week over the
exact same route in automatic mode, I clipped 1.3
hours off the time taken.
So I found:- 1. In manual - better fuel
consumption.
2. Quicker.
3. Use the engine to break the car.
I think it's skin was made out of old beer cans!
He he, since much of it is aluminum to save weight, parts of it may be made of old beer cans.
I bought a Mercedes CLS manual before making my M45 buying decision. Based on many posts on a mercedes forum, and my reading of that manual, I believe that the newest E-class and CLS-class cars don't have this capability. If you've seen it work with a CLS or a brand new E-class, I'd be happy to be corrected.
Pete
Since purchasing my car in July I have had it in to the dealer seven times to fix things such as broken seat belt adjusters, door panel replacement and DVD/Moonroof/back seat/dashboard rattles. Except for the dashboard, they have not fixed the other rattles in four tries.
Perhaps I should have contacted Consumer Affairs sooner, but they are now involved and want to have a "technician" come and look at it.
This is my fourth Infiniti, dating back to 1993, and we have had no issues so I am at a loss as to what to do. I have had the car into the shop for a total of 14 days and I just want out.
Thanks in advance. If anyone has direct contact info for Infiniti execs pls advise, as they may want to hear about a soon-to-be-former loyal customer having to take a car in eight times for repair.
Jim
I have read that others have successfully raised the beam. To those people I have 2 questions:
1. Does the beam still swivel when turning the wheel?
2. Are you sure that the beam projects farther after the modification? Any negatives?
Can someone please direct me to the link on the how to do this step by step? I don't usually do more then wash and wax!
Thanks
They are totally adjustable and everything works after the adjustment.
Some dealers will adjust them. If you can find a dealer who will do it, you can ask the dealer to raise them 1 or 2 inches (as measured at the location where they typically measure them, some distance away from the car).
Other forums have some pictures and threads covering this (no links allowed here), and many people have adjusted them themselves, all with good effect.
I've raised them myself, and I'm quite happy with them.
If you open the hood, and remove the plastic covers on each side of the engine, (there are clips that release when you pull the covers up) you'll see a large silver cog wheel right up against the headlight casing, on each side. Next to each cog wheel is a hole where you can insert, pointing straight down, a medium to large phillips head screw driver. You'll need to raise both sides, and typically the right side can be a little higher, since it's less prone to blind an oncoming driver. (You're tying to balance your visibility and the effect on other drivers.)
Turning counter clockwise raises the beams. With a magic marker, make a mark on the big cog wheel, and watch it turn (as you watch the headlights raise on a wall about 6 feet away from your car.) Most people need to turn the large cog wheel about 1.25 to 2 full rotations. One person was happy only after 4 complete rotations. Try 1.5 rotations, see how you like it when driving, and go from there.
Note that the high beams go up when the low beams go up, but there's a place with a decent balance. I haven't yet heard of a way to adjust them independently.
Pete
Thanks for the Help and advise!
Jeff
Pete
Whatever color my M45 has been one of my favorite auto's. :shades: