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Infiniti M35/M45 2006+

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Comments

  • pauljpaulj Member Posts: 2
    Aida, we leased an M45 tonight specifically because the lease residual 60% and money rate 0.00193 (or, 4.63%) was so good from Infiniti Leasing in comparison to other vendors, including those who quote on the web. The choice had come down to the Acura RL and Infiniti M35. But the lease deal, not to mention the recent Motor Trend/USA Today reviews and my preference for Infiniti's real rosewood over Acura's plastic in the interior, was what put us over the top. Even though the car was somewhat more expensive, I really felt like we got value for our money because compared to the residual factors showing for 05 Acura's, BMW's, Jags, and Audis, (from 47% up to 58%), the actual lease payment came out almost even. Each point of residual can cost around $25-$30/month in this price range, so even a lower priced car can have trouble competing price wise with one which is projected to hold value better. The "sweet spot" in the lease length curve seemed to be 39 months, so that was what we took.

    Hope this helps, if only as a benchmark of what someone who "fell in love" with the M35 did.
  • sdcalsdcal Member Posts: 16
    Well, I bought an M45 Sport (Diamond Graphite on black with rosewood) today (pick it up tomorrow) and I'm not a boy racer. I just like to feel the road (man racer?). Would have picked up a (slightly used) 911 if I didn't need a back seat for work.

    For me the Sport offered a similar ride as the base model while cruising, but had the tenacity in the corners when called for. Best of both worlds...
  • sdcalsdcal Member Posts: 16
    Okay, here's the lease I just signed (southern California)

    M45 Sport, Tech, Journey, rosewood, mats, splash guards.
    MSRP $56,860
    Cap Cost $54,183 ($2677 off MSRP!)
    42 months, 15K miles/year
    57% residual
    0.00192 money factor (no security deposit)
    Cap reduction of $4,251($6,201 due at drive off)
    Monthly payment of $620

    Seemed reasonable to me. All the numbers jibe with the lease calculators and the $2677 off MSRP was MUCH less than anything anyone else would give me on this car. I thought that the 57% residual was acceptable given the terms and mileage.

    Signed the lease tonight, so it's too late to do anything about it now, but how does this sound to you guys...?
  • oman9oman9 Member Posts: 97
    Congrats on the deal! I can't comment on the quality of the terms, I've never leased a car and am not knowledgeable enough to comment.

    There are some rough roads in So Cal and I would like to hear back from you in a few months regarding how the 40 profile tires handle rougher roads. I read somewhere about a guy having to replace his wheels with some regularity because of rough roads and not enough rubber around the wheels to protect them. Hopefully this will not be the case with your experience....I too would seriously consider an M45 Sport but do not wish to experience a rough ride over less than perfect roads and do not want more road noise because of these wheels/tires.

    Looking forward to your comments and again congrats on what seems to be a great car!
  • johnhwjohnhw Member Posts: 111
    Any acquisition fee on the lease mentioned? I have seen that come up frequently for something about $450 on a lease.
  • sjcbillsjcbill Member Posts: 82
    GS300.
  • markcincinnatimarkcincinnati Member Posts: 5,343
    Today I ordered a new car. And, before I tell you about my car, I should tell you that two weeks ago my wife ordered a new car too. You see, we both currently have 2003 Audi products (she, a 225HP TT coupe; I, an allroad 6spd manual) that we leased one day apart back in third quarter 2002 -- we needed to make some choices no later than April as we virtually always order our cars.

    Back to my order. After my wife and I, since 1977, have had 27 Audis, we were pretty certain we would simply order two new Audis and that would be that. We had warmed up to the new "face" of Audi and had thought 1 new A4 and 1 new A6 would look pretty spiffy in our garage and take us happily forward through the next 3 years.

    We did test drive several Audis (both the new A6's and A4's and even a 2005 S4 once or twice -- we even drove an A8L "just for fun") and truth be told we were favorably impressed by them. Meanwhile, we used this great tool, the Internet, to research and fully vet our impressions. Well my wife's company has a buying program with Volvo, so we dutifully test drove a couple different Volvos -- we liked them, but "they just weren't Audis." So we tested several other cars -- which, by the way, was a first for us since 1988 when we strayed from Audi by purchasing an '88 BMW 325ix. I mean, Mr. Hunt, we have not ever even contemplated NOT having an Audi family product since then -- so these test drives of Volvos, BMWs, Mercedes, Acuras, Chryslers, Cadillacs, VWs, Porsche (Cayenne) and Infinitis were almost akin to blasphemy.

    Then, using the Internet, we began configuring "comparable" cars using the car companies web sites. We configured cars comparing them by price and we also configured cars comparing them by content. A disturbing trend seemed to be emerging: the Audis often had to have lots of options added to them to bring them to comparable content, or the Audis when compared to other European cars often were equal to or lower in MSRP but were very much more expensive when the lease costs per month were requested from the various manufacturer's web site finance calculators.

    Now, normally this would not have bothered us too much, since we have for nearly 30 years thought that Audis were superior to the competition and therefore worth more; and, in years past, it was always our impression (often from reading too many auto enthusiasts magazines) that Audis were the highest value Premium Brand on the planet.

    But something has happened since that happy day in 2002 when we picked up our new Audis -- the competition caught up. Even Audis former "secret weapon" quattro (AWD in generic terms) is now pretty much widely available from Acura, BMW, Cadillac, Chrysler, Infinity, Jaguar, Lexus, Mercedes, VW and Volvo -- to, er, name a few.

    Well, we were certain our loyalty could overcome the competitions advances, too. But, you know what? We kept test driving and test driving and test driving. We got it down to a science. There are a lot of really good cars competing in what used to be a space that, frankly, we thought only Audi occupied. And, the Audi was not as powerful, didn't handle quite as crisply as some of the other competitors and ALWAYS was more expensive. Even your own dealer's sales reps attributed the cost to "rapid depreciation."

    Ouch.

    So it is with some butterflies in my stomach -- at having to write this letter, not for the decision I made -- I am informing you that I ordered a new 2006 Infiniti M35x with Journey & Technology packages and with a body colored rear deck lid spoiler. The car cost $50,240 and I got $2,000 off the sticker. I leased the car for 39 months with no money down and 15,000 miles per year and my payment will be $677 per month including tax.

    Like all humans, I am certainly rationalizing -- but Audi (this time) was outgunned in features, functions, content, driving feel and finally acquisition cost. While maintenance is included with the Audi and NOT with the Infiniti, the Infiniti OUGHT to still require fewer out of pocket dollars at month 39 than the Audi -- and by my calculation the cost differential that favors the Infiniti will be a 4 figure number.

    Now, my wife's choice was to go from a TT (her third in a row) to a brand new, as yet unbuilt BMW X3 with virtually every possible option on it (MSRP ~ $46K ) . Her deal was simple, financially -- she is going from a car that cost $41+K with a $709 per month payment (36 months 15,000 miles per year) to a $46K vehicle with a $581 per month payment (36 months 15,000 miles per year, with no $ down). She loves the way the BMW drives, looks and with "all the toys" is almost overjoyed. The lack of Bluetooth on the new A4, while NOT a deal breaker, was certainly a factor as was the fact that the A4 3.2 could not be had with a stick shift (and at $2,000 less was $103 per month MORE than the BMW!)

    At MSRP, there goes some $96,000+ worth of business to someone else.

    I am sending this to you, Mr. Hunt, rather than the current VP of Audi of America, because I feel that Audi of America as it stands TODAY is your doing -- and this is meant as the highest compliment I can give. You turned Audi of America around, made it what it is today -- the marketing, the programs, even the way the cars were brought to the US over much of the past decade are YOUR doing.

    Perhaps Audi's loss of us as customers is part and parcel of the reorganization of AoA and your move to VWoA -- for, IMHO, you seemed to understand the American market for Premium German Cars better than most.

    I'll keep checking in with you and your products on a regular basis, perhaps we'll be back. See you in three years.

    Good luck.

    Sincerely,

    Mark
  • rayainswrayainsw Member Posts: 3,192
    Mark -

    Congrats.
    Did you actually have an address and send it to Hunt?
    And when is the car due?
    - Ray
    Looking forward to M35 experience posted here . . .
    Watch this space!
    2022 X3 M40i
  • richcreamrichcream Member Posts: 205
    Did you really get the M35x or is this an April Fool's joke?

    Assuming this is true, you said you got it for $2,000 off of sticker at $50,240? or did you mean $50,240 minus $2k = $48,240??

    I'm negotiating with 2 dealers in my area, soon to be 4, and one is starting to crack. He's promising $2,500 over invoice (M35x, Journey, Tech, Spoiler, Splash Guards, invoices for $45,882 as per TMV), but we'll see if his "invoice" quote is realistic.

    I have to get 'em off of MSRP, because I'll kick myself a few months down the road when they start dealing on the M's.

    Congratulations on the M35x, keep us posted on all the pros cons and nuances you encounter.
  • tayl0rdtayl0rd Member Posts: 1,926
    So, does this mean the end to every one of your posts being an epic saga?? :P
  • rayainswrayainsw Member Posts: 3,192
    “Infiniti expects to sell alot of M45s (47.5% of the total).”

    Well, 100% of my family (that would be ME and only ME) would exclusively be interested in an M45 Sport. I am certainly old enough to suggest that I ** OUGHT TO BE ** mature. But then, I still do appreciate performance in many aspects of my daily driver – even though I cannot safely explore the ultimate limits on public roads, and am confined to pretty boring performance parameters often during my commute.

    But I do hope that by the time I am ready to buy, there are enough M45 Sports around on lots to motivate Dealers to be more willing to ‘Deal’.

    - Ray
    We’ll see if waiting turns out to be the right thing to do . . .
    2022 X3 M40i
  • markcincinnatimarkcincinnati Member Posts: 5,343
    *****************************************
    #1593 of 1593 Re: Dear Mr. Hunt (former VP of Audi of America) [richcream] by markcincinnati Apr 01, 2005 (1:10 pm)

    The MSRP total was $50,240.

    The discount was $2,000 off of that figure.

    The "earnest money" to place the order was $1,000.

    The refundable sec dep will be $700.

    The first month's payment will be $677.

    The cash required to drive off the lot will be: ($700+$677) - $1,000 + any license plate fees (I think that will be $50) or $422.

    The car, for this deal to work (I bought it off the Internet), MUST be an ordered car, not one in inventory. The estimate for pickup is "August."

    The color is Liquid Platinum with the Bourbon leather interior, the spoiler is body color too. I asked if I could "BUY" Infiniti winter floor mats (the car comes with carpeted floor mats) the answer was "yes, you can have them at our cost" (and I don't know how much that is, but I am not putting them into the deal anyway.)

    I configured the options as noted before but I think I neglected to say Technology Package with Sirius sat radio.

    And, no, I did not send this literally to Len Hunt, but I did send it to the Director of the Audi Car Club of North America and I posted it here on edmunds.

    And, eventhouththisisAprilfirstthisisNOTanAprilFool'smessage. They have my money -- well, they have my credit card and I got an email congratulating me on my "purchase" and I got an order confirmation faxed to me.

    It is as done as it can be done at this point.

    I bought it from Infinti 4 Less (Colorado) -- I think you can google them.

    I did, twice, actually talk with a human being too -- this was not just all email and web based. They even sent me an "M" brochure.

    That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.
  • markcincinnatimarkcincinnati Member Posts: 5,343
    . . .maybe yes, maybe no.
  • rayainswrayainsw Member Posts: 3,192
    “I ordered a new 2006 Infiniti M35x with Journey & Technology packages and with a body colored rear deck lid spoiler. The car cost $50,240 and I got $2,000 off the sticker. I leased the car for 39 months with no money down and 15,000 miles per year and my payment will be $677 per month including tax. “

    I do have several questions prompted by your final selection:

    1 – I understand your preference (strong enough term?) for a manual trans. How did you come to find the M35’s implementation of a 5 speed ‘Manumatic’ acceptable? I found it (in 3 test drives) to be excellent, and in several respects better than the 6 speed Tip. in an S4 I drove within a half hour of the M45 – but I am curious about your impressions?

    2 – With a purchase from this internet ‘Dealer’, did you investigate service from wherever you plan to bring it? Was that a concern?

    3 – Did you drive an M35x in any sort of “foul weather” in your research? Did the AWD system performance differ in any significant respect from your Audis?

    Best of luck!
    - Ray
    Unsure how this Internet dealer actually works . . .
    2022 X3 M40i
  • markcincinnatimarkcincinnati Member Posts: 5,343
    In order:

    1. I do, still, have a preference for a manual. I guess I could have waited for the new BMW 5 AWD which will, so it is claimed, be offered with a stick or two auto trans options. I don't care for the BMW for a bunch of reasons, even tho I have argued that it was attractively priced from a lease perspective.

    I could not detect nor induce any "lag" in the trans -- unfortunately, the Germans I have driven could be forced to "not downshift" or hesitate (the German auto trans -- and I think European auto trans in general, all seem to rush to upshift and are reluctant to downshift). So despite my pref for manual -- well the Audi was auto, the 300C was auto, the RL was auto -- the Mercedes with 4Matic was auto, and so forth. I found the M35x to be responsive, powerful, quick and smooth. The A6 was smooth -- mostly -- somewhat less powerful (but in fairness the M35x needs to be thought of as "almost" an Audi 4.2 V8) and somewhat less responsive (which is probably due to somewhat lower torque figures). The S4 would be awesome from the acceleration standpoint, but truthfully I was looking for a somewhat larger car, hence my look at mostly cars that were of "similar" size, girth, etc. I played with the manumatic and frankly the auto was good enough to make me sense that I would not use the manumatic much at all.

    2. Service: there are two dealers within reason for me to go to and three if you count the one that will be the place that I pick the car up from. The car was ordered from a Colorado Internet Dealer that owns a dealership in Columbus, Ohio (I am 100 minutes from that dealer here in northern Cincinnati). The "free loaner" car is an Infiniti program, not a dealer program for the "M's" -- the service is pay as you go and the service department at the two "local" dealers take cash, check or credit card and I certainly do not plan to rub my purchase in anyone's face -- I will introduce myself to the service manager and service writers at my local dealership and "pay as I go."

    I travel to Columbus, Ohio with some regularity and could, if I really had to, use the delivering dealership. This is NOT a gray market car -- this is a legitimate purchase from an authorized dealer. I would have gone with the Costco program, but I would have had to drive to Chicago to pick up a Costco car for pretty close to the same price (Chicago is about 5+ hours one way by car.) So I guess that the answer to #2 is yes it was a concern, but I checked the "free loaner" program rules to my satisfaction. The Internet dealer, BTW, is happy to facilitate the purchase with test drives.

    3. No I did not drive the M35x in foul weather, but I did drive the G35x in foul weather and found it to be "just perfect." The two sized Infinitis I drove both had less understeer than my current Audi (and by recollection less than the two new A6's that I took out on 3 different test drives -- not that the Audi A6 is a sloppy handling car by any means).

    The Internet dealer is just another guy who wants to make a buck and has apparently come up with a way to do so via setting up an Internet sales person (name withheld) who monitors what I assume must be a quasi-real e-commerce web site (I assume it just sends emails in response to configs entered on the home web site). This set up provides you with a configurator that shows Invoice Cost and MSRP -- then you just "build" your car, enter your edress and a few moments later you get a return email with a quote for your car. A G35x was "flat Invoice" -- no markup. The other Infinitis each had different cost methods. You can google these Internet dealers.

    After a long long long term relationship with an Audi dealer, and a specific sales rep, my dealer sold his one franchise dealership to a big local mega dealer family. The entire relationship became much more -- er, military and matter of fact. Less passion, even the same sales rep now had "rules" that he was obliged to follow to "meet quota" and so on.

    Things changed both in Audi as a car company and in the dealership. Could I, I would have liked to have purchased from my long term sales rep just because he is such a good guy. He doesn't sell Infinitis. I had not built up any relationship with the local Infiniti sales outlet -- I had, however, visited it, checked it out. I think in one of my "sagas" I recounted my impression of it being akin to a 4 or 5 star hotel lobby with all the trimmings, "may I get you some bottle water or a Starbucks, sir?"

    The remaining dealership, that I know of, that has kept the passion burning is ONE of our two local BMW dealerships -- the one that is owned by a guy -- and that guy prides himself on calling himself "The Service Manager" of our local BMW store. The other BMW store is owned by a mega dealer group -- and while the treatment is still that laid-back premium treatment that all these Premium Dealers seem to have down to a science, even they lack the passion of the dealership owned by "a guy" rather than a corporation.

    Hey, I told you, I'm 53, been buying Audis since 1977 all from the same place practically all from the same sales rep (who has to be in his 70's if not older) -- and I do value the relationship. But, other than the BMW dealer mentioned above, that "feeling" you get when the dealership is owned by 'Bob' or 'Mary' or 'Steve' or 'whoever' has all but vanished here in Cincinnapolis. It certainly is gone from the new Audi store and the treatment I'll get from the Infiniti store service dept, I'll wager, will be just as professional as if I had put money in one of the salesrep's pockets 100 yards up in the front of the building.

    Moreover, the Audi service manager that I had a long term relationship with (spanning some 15 years) is the service manager at one of Infiniti dealerships that I consider local (south Dayton, Ohio).

    Hope this all helps.

    End of saga.

    End of saga.
  • bjbird2bjbird2 Member Posts: 647
    Mark, keep us posted on your experience with your new Infiniti.
    I also have had a love/hate relationship with my German sedan, a Passat. I love the car and the driving dynamics, it's been one of my favorites of the 40+ cars that I've owned.
    However, the reliability and maintainance costs are the Achilles' heal for me, and I'm very hesitant to keep the Passat beyond the warranty, even though I always look forward to driving it.
    I'm also looking at the M35 and G35 coupe as a replacement for the Passat.
    I passed my 1993 Infiniti J30 sedan down to my son two cars ago, and he is still driving it with 140,000 miles, and no major repairs except for routine maintenance, the most expensive being the timing belt. I wish I could say the same for my Passat.
  • rad211rad211 Member Posts: 6
    bjbird2,

    I agree with your post 100%. My 2001 Passat lease is up next month and while the car has never failed to start and has never stranded me, the little things that failed like the homelink , trunk lock, MAF sensor, coil packs, adjustable armrest and cam tensioners along with poor service at VW has caused me to look seriously at the M35 as well as the new BMW 3 series. I know the 3 series is smaller but the fold down rear seats and the rear shade are 2 items I want and are not available in the M35 (rear sunshade is part of a package I don't want).
  • tdomatdoma Member Posts: 48
    Good or bad Infiniti sold 2253 M45/35 in March. I wonder how many G300/430 & RLs were sold during the same time.
  • richcreamrichcream Member Posts: 205
    Funny you should ask...this is from the Luxury Sedan Board, by jrock65:
    - - - - - -
    #1471 of 1475 March 2005 sales in the Luxury Sports Sedan class by jrock65 Apr 01, 2005 (2:27 pm)
    Bookmark | Reply

    March 2005 sales in the Luxury Sports Sedan class

    5 = 3,949
    E = 3,608
    GS = 3,209
    STS = 2,954
    M = 2,253
    A6 = 1,681
    RL = 1,376

    Not surprisingly, the biggest winners were the GS and the M.

    The E was the biggest loser, whose sales went down 27.4% from March 2004 (4,971 units). However, part of the reason for this may be because of cannibalization by the CLS, which sold 1759 units.

    Overall brand (March 2005 vs. March 2004):

    BMW = -11.0%
    MB = +1.9%
    Lexus = -1.9%
    Cadillac = +0.1%
    Infiniti = +5.3%
    Audi = -12.9%
    Acura = +3.6%
    - - - - - -

    Wonder no longer tdoma.
  • carnaughtcarnaught Member Posts: 3,497
    Mark,

    Well I think you will definitely enjoy the M (and your wife the bimmer). Audi lost out big on you, the Audi enthusiast extrordinaire. Unlike you, however, I don't have nearly that strong of brand loyalty and will probably continue to switch brands eventually owning another Audi among others.

    Hope you have many safe miles and continue to share your auto enthusiasm and experience with us.
  • lexusguylexusguy Member Posts: 6,419
    Welcome to our side. Enjoy :)
  • undecided7undecided7 Member Posts: 92
    Mark, great choice!!! I ordered my M35x black on black last weekend and they gave me a 6-8 week delivery estimate. I can't wait and as I read more and more on this board and all the rave reviews on the car, I just hope the car gets here sooner.

    I'll report back once I take delivery and have a chance to "tool around" with it for a while.......

    Good luck with yours as well!!!
  • markcincinnatimarkcincinnati Member Posts: 5,343
    Thanks to you all. Even my wife has stopped giving me grief. She loves the Bourbon color, but that is probably because it is so close to her new Bimmer's "Terracotta."

    I can't wait.
  • cheerioboy26cheerioboy26 Member Posts: 412
    The ratio is very different depending on where you are...it never rains in CA so they say, and only about 10% of the cars are AWD (39/393). Here's the summary of the three DC dealerships this evening:

    M35 - 7
    M35 Sport - 9
    M35 AWD - 49
    M45 - 11
    M45 Sport - 13

    So, over 50% AWD, and only 24% sport.
  • johnhwjohnhw Member Posts: 111
    How much tax is charged on a lease in your state and is it included in the monthly payment or how is it recovered by the state?
  • johnhwjohnhw Member Posts: 111
    It does sound good. One factor that makes state to state comparisons difficult is tax on a lease in your state. do you nkow how much tax is charged on a lease in california and how it is recovered, in monthly payment?
  • drtraveldrtravel Member Posts: 395
    Not sure how you can classify the GS and M as the biggest winners. Everyone knew a new GS was coming a few years ago so their sales were probably way down for the past two years just for that fact alone. Wonder what the GS sales looked like a few years back. The E sales were probably off because the new model was not on sale on March 1 like all the others. One month does not make a trend.

    While I will be buying a new M35 in a few weeks (it's on the boat they tell me) the fact that it was behind the 5, E and GS will be a trend that will be in place for quite awhile (can't defend the STS here). Infiniti just doesn't have the star power of BMW, MB and Lexus. Do I think they make the best product in this category - absolutely - that's why I'm buying one - but image plays a big role for most buyers in this arena. My neighbors will likely be more impressed if I drove up in a BMW, MB or Lexus in comparison with the Infiniti. Sure the M is better and cheaper than either the 5 or E - doesn't matter, they will still readily outsell the M.

    Shallow you say? Just look at all the luxury brands sold. Are "name brand" purses really worth the money. I think not but they sure sell alot of $1,000 purses. Hell my wife has four Louis Vuitton's while I have a K-Mart watch.

    By the way, where did these sales numbers come from
  • fdmilderfdmilder Member Posts: 2
    You and I have identical cars, right down to the color, although I got a 39-month lease. I have noticed the same problem with the bluetooth. I wondered whether it was my phone, but sounds like it isn't. I have discovered that the microphone must be in the vicinity of the rear-view mirror. I tried leaving myself a voicemail on my office phone, announcing where I was speaking from in the car, and talking to the mirror was easily the loudest.

    By the way, I sent Infiniti a few questions about the bluetooth, and got completely unhelpful answers ("Read your owner's manual" and "We don't know anything further about the bluetooth capabilities of the car.")

    It's sad, because the handling of the car is first rate, as are several other aspects. But minor touches in the phone, nav, and the radio seem to have been penny-wise. (E.g., what's up with giving us only ten letters of the artist and song title? If you go to a radio station where they post a phone number, they actually cut off two digits!)

    Still, I love driving my car!
  • lexusguylexusguy Member Posts: 6,419
    Previous versions of the GS were very strong out of the gate as well, only to tank after a few years. It will be interesting to see if Lexus' plans of continual upgrades will be able to keep sales numbers where they are now.
  • statmanstatman Member Posts: 12
    I have been looking at both the GS300AWD, M35AWD and Acura RL for several months now and have test driven each of them (the M35 and RL twice). Here are my comments about each.

    I initially was waiting for the RL to come out and saw some images of it online. I liked the TL but it was a little to plain for me from the outside and I don't like front wheel drive so I was hoping the RL would be a step up. My wife has an MDX (for 4 years) and we really like the Acura nav and overall quality and design. I thought the RL would be the right car for me. When it first came out I rush over to Acura to have a look. I initially liked the interior but the exterior was a real disappointment. The profile is nice but the front grill and headlights really make the car look cheep (my opinion). It just looks too much like an Accord to justify $49K. After a drive in the car I was less impressed. It felt OK and the Nav is great but there seemed to be too much engine noise when accelerating and the seats were not too supportive for this type of car. I also heard about the key draining the battery overnight if it's left in the middle position, which to me is a serious design flaw. The push button design of the Lexus and Infinity is much better. I might have considered an RL for about $38K but it seems way over priced. Time to look for something else.

    Next I drove the Lexus and really enjoyed the ride. Everyone has been called it under powered but there were three people in the car and there seemed to be plenty of power for my driving style. We drove on the interstate and back roads and I was very impressed. My wife commented that she was very comfortable in the back seat and leg room was fine. The interior of the Lexus looked like it's worth $50 grand (with nav) and the wood makes the car look very rich. The nav screen looks so simplified that you can't imagine that it has all the features of the other cars. The passenger side is a little plain but from the drivers perspective it's almost perfect. The ride was exactly what I was looking for. Smooth, quiet and enjoyable. I can talk on my phone without all that road noise and my wife didn't complain that my driving was making her dizzy. I still felt connected with the road and the steering seems perfect. This is a car you can relax and enjoy driving. There are some things that could be improved. It could have a little more headroom and the door panel bumps out a bit and forces you to place your arm lower on the armrest. The back door forces you to duck abit getting in but inside the back seat feels roomy (although not as nice as the M35). Not the best for tall rear passengers for a long ride. The back seats are very comfortable though. I like the exterior of the car as well but I think that the infinity looks a bit richer outside. The Lexus looks sportier to me, especially the profile. The biggest negative on the Lexus to me is that you have to be stopped to program the Nav. Does anyone know a way to disconnect this. I don't see any problem using voice commands or having a passenger program the navi when you are rushing off to your child’s ball games. Other than that I was pretty impressed with the car. According to a recent Toyota sales report, they sold over 2,500 GX300 in March. I read reports that Lexus is going to put a bigger 3.5 engine in the car next year but from all the research I have read, it appears to be the 3.5 hybrid engine. They just redesigned this new 3.0 6 for this car and it doesn't make sense that they will replace it so soon. Plus it's about 25 more HP then the previous car and you will just have to suffer with 21-27 MPG which is much better than the infinity and Acura.

    I stopped at an Infinity dealer after looking at an RL about a month ago and didn't even know about the M. When I sat in it for the first time I felt like I was in an old wooden boat. I didn't like the wood dash at all and all those buttons made the car look a bit cheap to me. Did they have to make them so big? Looks like a kids toy. The steering wheel also looks a little cheep in the light interior color and I didn't like the design of the wheel itself. I walked out of the dealership and wasn't even interested in the car. After reading about the M in the forums and some reviews I went back to take a second look and the dash didn't bother me as much the second time. I like the polish of the exterior although I think the overall shape of the Lexus is nicer. The M has some rich looking headlight and taillights and the chrome trim is nicely done. What I like best about the M over the others is the room inside, especially the back seat. I know the spec say it has similar room to the Lexus but for some reason it feels bigger in the front and back. I like where the nav screen is placed so you can see the road. It's not a touch screen like the Lexus and my Acura MDX, which to me makes it much less intuitive and time consuming to enter text. Spin the wheel and tap a button for each letter. I can live with it but I had that interface with my Mercedes and I like the touch screen much better. You can use the voice commands to program the nav while you are moving which is a big plus over the Lexus. The Navi even tells you the names of the streets when you turn but it has a computerized voice that is a little annoying to hear. You hear a pleasant voice that tells you to turn right at the next intersection and then some computerized muffled voice says the street name. I don't know if you can turn that off but I never got lost in my MDX with Next Right or Second Right (who really cares about the street name anyway). I prefer less talking from the nav myself. My first test drive was at night and I had to turn down all that orange glow from the gages. I like the gages in orange but not the buttons on the dash. Too much orange glow overall in the car. The nav screen looked great and I didn't see any reflections of the screen on the windshield at night like the RL. The dealer took me around some twisting back roads and up some steep hills. The car downshifted on one hill and my head slammed back in the seat. Not very smooth going up hills at all. Lots of power but the wheel felt dead to me. It was tight and even felt a little hard to turn on the back roads, but I didn't feel connected to the road at all and the ride overall was noisy and bumpy (and this was not the sport package). However I felt like there was more room overall and hey, maybe all these buttons are cool. I have to give it some more time. My wife and I went back to the dealer two days later to drive the car on the highway during the day. I wanted her to drive this time to see how she liked it. We went out without the dealer this time to do some highway driving. The first thing you notice is the engine noise and the nice sound of the car shifting through the gears. Sounds like a true sports car, however neither of us really w
  • markcincinnatimarkcincinnati Member Posts: 5,343
    Wahhhh! :cry:
  • apintsapints Member Posts: 18
    Picked up my M35x last week and love it. It is pouring in Philly today and it handled great. Does anyone have a problem listening to a phone call thru the radio speakers (via Bluetooth) and the sound is garbled. It is as if I cannot use it because I cannot understand the person on the other line. Any help?
  • hpowdershpowders Member Posts: 4,330
    "However neither of us really w,,,,,"
    Please finish this excellent comprehensive review if you are still with us. :confuse:
  • lexusguylexusguy Member Posts: 6,419
    Based on the context, I think I can finish that sentence. "Neither of us really want a sports car". Statman, I think the GS is probably your car.

    Hopefully statman will do a pt. 2 though, and this wont be like a "Castle Arrrgghhhhhh" thing.
  • markcincinnatimarkcincinnati Member Posts: 5,343
    Tis but a flesh wound.

    Nee!
  • untrueuntrue Member Posts: 18
    If one car is throwing you back in your seat and another isn't can only mean one thing. One car is accelerating significantly quicker than the other. This can be because of 3 things. Either significantly more torque at low end or mych quicker tranny shifts or better gearing. Don't believer any BS about AWD dulling the effect. Really, what's happening is that AWD sucks another 10-20% of available power and adds at least 120lbs to the weight of the car. The outcome is MUCH slower acceleration given equally powerful engines.

    CZ
  • hpowdershpowders Member Posts: 4,330
    Hope it wasn't "too dark" at the Lexus dealership for statman as another poster claimed as an excuse for not noticing the narrow trunk until after he bought his GS.
  • henrypotterhenrypotter Member Posts: 12
    I just ordered an M35 with the Premium Package from the dealer, who said it'd take 90 days. I've read in other forums that it could come in possibly 6-8 weeks. Which is accurate? The dealer is sticking with the 90 days statement because it is conservative, but is that the most accurate timeframe of when to expect a vehicle?? The car was ordered on 4/1/2005.
  • doctariydoctariy Member Posts: 1
    Im about to get myself a M45 nonsport. black on bourbon, And im getting it with just about everything. But the fact that im payin close to 60 grand and the steering wheel doesnt have any wood in it turns me off. just my opinion but doesnt wood on the steering wheel make the car look so much classier? anyway, does anyone know if i can get the steering wheel modified to have a rosewood finish on it or anyone know about any steering wheel covers that may go nice with the M and not make it look corny?
  • dmcbsa1dmcbsa1 Member Posts: 4
    Just a quick message to thank you guys for confirming my decision!

    In the last 10 years I've owned 3 Lexus GS300's and an Audi A6 2.7T.
    I've always thought of Infinity as a lesser brand that was trying to catch up to the big names. When my lease was up on my latest Lexus I went to see what the new GS300 had to offer. There was some improvements over my 2001 but it basically felt like the same car all over again. When the dealer made a lease offer to me as a repeat customer of a 48 month lease at $997/month with $3,000 down I was extremely disappointed. Basic math tells you they wanted me to pay 100% of the price of the car in the lease and still have a $25,000 residual at the end of the term. No owner loyalty in any way shape or form.

    I looked at the Acura but couldn't get excited enough about the body style to even take a test drive. I had a major depreciation issue on my Audi so it was pretty easy to not take them seriously this time around, but I kept reading the Infiniti reviews and decided I had to give them a chance.

    Long story short I took the car home for the puppy sale overnight test drive and had to have it the next day. Simply amazing technology and more power and road feel than the Lexus. I'm in Colorado so all they sell is the M35X which is a great bonus. I got the Tech package and my only complaint is that they don't make a great selection of audio DVD's to take advantage of the stereo system. I hate to admit that all I'm listening to is the demo disc but the separation is amazing! Hopefully they'll have more discs out soon. The nav system is pretty easy to get up to speed with and the bluetooth with the lane advance system definitely helps those of us who occasionally "multi-task" as we're driving. Apparently we must have a softer market out here as I was able to get $3500 off the sticker price fairly easy, just had to get two dealers fighting for the business. I'm completely happy with the car and looking forward to driving again.

    Great Job Infiniti!
  • jrock65jrock65 Member Posts: 1,371
    Congrats on your M. Regarding the wood, I like the way it looks, but I HATE the way it feels in your hands. Worse than vynil. IMO, there is plenty of wood in the M so that lack of a wood steering wheel doesn't look bad at all.
  • drewsrxdrewsrx Member Posts: 57
    I agree. I like the way that wood steering wheels look, but they feel terrible IMO. I also don't like wooden shift knobs either. I am kind of glad that Infiniti didn't use a wood steering wheel, leather is so much nicer I think. :)
  • lexusguylexusguy Member Posts: 6,419
    A wooden steering wheel would've completely gone against the M's sporting intentions. You wont find one in a 5 series, A6, or E class either. For cars like the GS or S-type, wood is fine, but for the sports sedans, no.
  • carnaughtcarnaught Member Posts: 3,497
    ...start spelling the brand name correctly? Infiniti, not Infinity,
  • marko7marko7 Member Posts: 63
    Do you guys think that the dealear inventories accessible through infiniti.com are updated frequently and thus reliable? I have been monitoring inventories within 50-mile radius of DC for over a week now and see hardly any decrease (short of the one car I wanted for its color/options, of course).

    The dealer I spoke to 3 weeks ago said they had received a large shipment and nothing new would be coming in the next 90 days.
  • lexusguylexusguy Member Posts: 6,419
    Well, its partially Infiniti's own fault for spelling their name goofy in the first place.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    LOL! I was just thinking the same thing.
  • untrueuntrue Member Posts: 18
    One of the reasons I've been buying German cars for along time is that their paint jobs look good even after 10 years. Most japanese car's paint jobs look like crap after 5-6 years ( at least around here in the NE ).I was wondering if you guys know if Infiniti is trying to improve in that dept. My wife's 7 year old Audi A4's paint looks like new with the exception of any nicks and scratches she may have put on it :)
    The car has been parked outdoors though out its 7 year life.
  • cheerioboy26cheerioboy26 Member Posts: 412
    AIUI, here's how the ordering system works. In general, dealers place orders in a 5-day window (approx) in the beginning of the month. So your order should be placed next week (BTW that means if you order on the 20th, you have to wait an extra two weeks for the ordering period.) April orders are for May builds. Since the car is built in Japan, that means delivery late June or sometime in July. You can get an order number from the dealer next week when they place your order. IIRC it is 5 (maybe 6) digits and begins with a letter that changes each month.
  • statmanstatman Member Posts: 12
    Continued from #1614 (sorry)..

    Sounds like a true sports car, however neither of us really wanted to hear the engine noise that loudly in a luxury car. That sound may appeal to some but if I want to talk on the bluetooth phone I am sure the person on the other end will hear the car noise. I also have heard reports that the bluetooth mic is not clear but I have not tested it myself. The other thing that we both really noticed is that you feel every pebble on the road. On some slightly rough road surfaces my feet were vibrating on the floor (front passenger) and the car banged pretty hard on some bigger bumps. On smooth surfaces the car felt fine but there was plenty of road, tire and wind noise to be heard. I am sure the car would be awesome to drive on a nice twisty freshly paved back road but in the real world, everyday driving I would not like this car. Nice looks, nice room, nice color choices and features like Laser cruse control but not the type of ride I would want 90% of the time I am in the car. If Infinity made an adjustable suspension like the Lexus GS430 it would probably appeal to more types of drivers including us. We'll have to pass on the M right now.

    Looks like I will get a Lexus GS because it has best ride for us and I also appreciate Lexus (Toyota's) new car reliability record. Top three according to Consumer Reports are Scion, Lexus, Toyota (all Toyota companies). Infinity is number 8 and Nissan is 19th. Out of the top 15 cars consumer reports rated in reliability, Toyota had 12 of them. Of the top 10 cars 2 are Lexus, 1 Toyota, 3 Honda, 1 Acura. (no Infinities or Nissan's in the top 10). With all the electronics in these cars, reliability will be a serious issue. Although there are no crash test scores my guess is that the Lexus be better due to more air bags ( GS has knee air bags). I wish I had crash test data before I make my final decision. Does anyone know when these cars will be tested?

    BTW: I also looked at the 5 series and A6 and felt the Lexus and Infinity were much better cars overall. Can't get into the 5 series looks at all (inside or out) and forget about IDrive. Motor Trend also ruled them out for me in their March 2005 report. BMW 530i only 225 hp (Lexus has 245, that's got to be enough)
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