Infiniti M35/M45 2006+

worldski

The Infiniti M which BTW is the best in it its class can be ranked as the most reliable based on current data obtained and statistical analysis of the engine which is at the heart of its performance. The engine in the M for the V6 is the ubiquitous 3.5 liter Nissan FM platform which has the most Wards 10 best V6 engine awards ever and the V8 engine is also not new having been used in the Q45 and previous M. I look at it this way. If you have a fundamental bias against the M it will be obvious from the nitpicking noticed in the forum arguments. What is clear now is that no car will lead this class of vehicles forever and clearly Infiniti has decided that the driver is the most inportant determinant of how well a vehicle drives and the car revolves around the driver achieving supremacy on the road. The bar has been raised and Infiniti has clearly decided to be a leader in this field. This lead will not be challenged on forums like this but on the road. Consumers have been voting with their checkbooks and will continue to do so.

m_pilot

I'm running my 35x Goodyears at 33 cold. No warnings. Good road feel.

zidecar

In the past on my front wheel/rear wheel cars, I have not rotated the tires. As long as the front/rear alignments hold. I have found it to be more convenient and less of a bite on the pocket book to alternate replacing the front & rear tears as needed based on wear. Of course this has meant continiung to use the same brand of tire.

With the additional complication of having to reset the tire pressure monitors, I'm more inclined to forgo rotating tires and just continue my practice of replacing either front or rear tires on M35x when required.

-- Bill Zide

james27

You can get away with that on a car with drive on one end, but not with all-wheel drive systems. While all will handle the difference in rotation while going around a corner, they will quickly wear out parts in the driveline if there is a constant rotational rate difference between any one end or even a single tire from the others.

jshattner

Thanks youval, you covered pretty much all the bases on this post. I'm actually in Sarasota now and passed by a dealer here where the M45 Sport was in stock, so I got to see the aluminum first-hand and it's very classy. Is your interior in black (graphite) or graphite & stone?

Looks like I may just order one when I return to Montreal later this month.

pearl

Baloney. BMW, which owns the world in LPS handling, offers fold-down rear seats. So does Mercedes, and Cadillac. If you want to tell me that Infiniti did not offer fold down rear seats because their engineers could not figure out how to make their cars handle, while BMW engineers could, then shame on Nissan. Maybe for all-out race track handling you would not want to give up the rear seat structure, but for 99% of all customers YOU WOULD. Offer a sport option which does not include fold down seats for those one percenters who must have the last .01G in handling. This is one area where the Japanese auto makers get an F.

jeffry

Fold-downs are quite useful at times and, yes, BMW offers them as an option. I considered a CPO 540i a year or so ago, took it for a long test drive & found that it had squeaks & rattles from the rear seat, as does my Volvo. The ones I drove w/ fixed seats were solid as a rock. I've fooled around w/ the seat several times on my cars & can get it to stop only temporarily.

Another factor Infiniti might have considered, besides structural rigidity, is that it becomes just one more inventory headache for dealers.

jshattner

Mercedes does not offer fold-downs on any AMG sedans to best of my knowledge and they claim it's because of torsional rigidity. I have an E500 with fold-downs and I can see why the implementation is not solid.

zidecar

Except for starting from stop and up to 12 mph, the 4WD system on the M35x engages only when there is loss of traction on the rear wheels. Under normal driving conditions, I would expect your point regarding a constant rotational difference to be a second order effect........

-- Bill Zide

youval

MIne is actually Stone with graphite. And the exterior color is Millenium Bronze but in the US they call it Umbria Grey. The color combo is actually gorgeous. Alot of people have actually stopped me and given me compliments on the color.
Keep me posted on what your doing id love to know what you chose and if you have any questions or info for that matter let me know... I am new to this car as well and am learning new thigs every day...

sjcbill

As I was shopping I noticed that many of the cars with fold down rear seats have a large frame around the opening limiting the size of the pass through, some more than others. I suspect that this was a compromise between maintaining structural strength and providing the fold down seats. It's also possible that fold down seats would have made the reclining seat option on the M more difficult or impossible. As with many other things, there are design trade offs to consider.

Personally, I would rather have the strong structure and freedom from squeaks and rattles than have the fold down seats in this class and type of car, but I have a minivan for cargo hauling so it's not an issue fur me.

richiet1

My C36 AMG came standard with fold down seats. It is very fast and handles incredibly well. Wish I had the same seats in my M45 Sport!

golfgod2

Can somebody give their opinion? I am considering the M and am wondering if there's a huge difference between the Sport and non-sport. Is the basic M sporty to begin with and a fun ride. Or does the sport package ehance the sportiness factor signifcantly? I have a car now with sport tires and they wear out quick and expensive to replace. I also wouldn't mind saving $3k and possible being able to upgrade to an M45 non-sport...which leads to my next question.... is the performance of the M45 that much better than the 35? Drove a 35 sport and it was very quick, however, curuous about the how much oomph the 45 provides. Thanks!

docnukem

You have to test drive them. Some people think the sport is too rough, while others don't think there's a problem. Others love the extra handling of the rear active steer on the sport. First ask yourself if you need AWD, as that will make your choice simple.

As to the 45 vs 35, everyone says the 45 is silky smooth and that it is the obvious choice once you've compared the two, although the 35 is plenty quick.

Obviously, you have your own budget to contend with, and that may influence your choice.

msu79gt82

Can somebody give their opinion? I am considering the M and am wondering if there's a huge difference between the Sport and non-sport. Is the basic M sporty to begin with and a fun ride. Or does the sport package ehance the sportiness factor signifcantly? I have a car now with sport tires and they wear out quick and expensive to replace.

As has already been stated you need to test drive both (preferrably more than once) and decide for yourself. However, since you asked I'll offer my perspective. I chose the non-sport for several reasons.

1) I traded in an FX35 Sport; I found the FX35 Sport to have too firm a ride for my taste. The M's non-sport 18" wheels offer a plenty sporty ride to me, w/o being excessively harsh. And its a blast to drive

2) I prefer the all-season radials over the summer tires. Also I compared the availabilty of top A/S tires in both the 18" and 19" sizes and the 18" offer a much better selection at a much better price. I wanted to avoid the 19" replacement frequency and costs.

3) Also I prefer the rosewood trim over the aluminum, although I could live with the aluminum if it weren't for the other reasons.

The M35 has plenty of omph for me in a refined yet sporty ride. And the money I saved on the M35 non-sport w/ FSS allowed me to get the Tech Package and the Full Aero Kit. I am very pleased so far. :shades:

pete_l_p

It's very personal of course, so I agree with the advice on the rest drive.

I test drove both, and my wife was irritated with the rougher sport ride, while it was OK with me. I got the M45 premium and I'm thrilled I made that choice.

The highway cruising is an absolute pleasure, and the twisty mountain roads just feel fantastic at all speeds. IMO the NON sport M is the best choice for all but the most hardcore enthusiasts.

I also love the performance and the sound of the m45 vs the m35.

Nonetheless, I don't think you can go wrong with any M. They're absolutely incredible cars.

Pete

nmdriver

Pearl said:
"While we are a ways off yet from the 07 M, it seems from reading this board that MANY people would like to see Infiniti: a) improve gas mileage, b) make the car quieter at highway speeds, c) reduce road noise in general, d) provide a fold-down rear seat option."
With a generous-sized trunk the fold down rear seat is not that important to me. (I suspect that a car is more rigid if it does not have to have this opening.) However, the gas mileage and quietness have been deal-breakers for me.
I have shopped all of the $40K plus cars and have been disappointed with all. The M35x is my clear favorite. I like everything about the car EXCEPT items a, b and c, above. I have driven both M35's and M35x's under a variety of conditions in both CA and NM. The x with its shorter gearing is worse than the RWD 35, but even the standard 35 is significantly noisier and thirstier than my $28,000 Subaru Legacy GT and Outback XT. This is simply not acceptable for a car in this price range. Noisy is not "sporting", it is just tiring. With an "overdrive" sixth gear, and better soundproofing (plus better tires?) I would buy this car in a heartbeat. Without these things, I have decided to give it a pass. I will just keep on driving my less expensive cars.

jrock65

Add 10 way power passenger seat to the list. No excuse for a $50k car not to have this feature, when $30k IS250's have it standard.

I don't see any significant upgrades until the 2008 model year though. I expect both engine upgrades (300+ hp for the V6 and 360+ hp for the V8) and transmission upgrade (6 speed). The main impetus would be to compete with the GS350 and GS460.

golfgod2

Thank you everyone for your feedback. Yes, definitely have to drive them both. I am a pretty harcore enthusiast with a very fun commute everyday, however, I drove my friends 35 sport and thought the ride was noisy and harsh. It sounds like the non-sport is probably plenty sporty and likely fun enough. Plus, the thought of not having to replace the tires as frequently as well as the savings of going non-sport are big bonuses too. I'm afraid to drive the 45 - I have a feeling I will love that V8 but probably can't afford it. Haven't had much V8 experience but drove a friends BMW 6 series and that acceleration was pretty exhilirating. Thanks again for everyone's input.

golfgod2

is there a big difference with the seats between sport and non? The bolstering in my buddy's sport seemed pretty minimal - I was expecting a sportier seat. Hoping the non-sport seats are not too flat. thanks

bw45sport

Add 10 way power passenger seat to the list. No excuse for a $50k car not to have this feature, when $30k IS250's have it standard.

I won't argue that it would be a nice feature to have but feel compelled to respond to one point.

There have been a fair amount of posts that request a feature followed by "I can't believe it isn't on a $50k car". While I would like the feature too, I think you need to remember the features that ARE on this car.

How many other cars at $50k have the features that the M does? How many of you are aware that Mercedes didn't even make a CD player standard on over $50k cars until the last couple of years? The cars in this price range that have intelligent cruise with preview brake loading, lane departure warning, comfort seats, voice activated controls, Bluetooth connectivity, true dvd-audio surround sound, the best rear camera I've seen, either V8 or V6 with AWD, and likely heated reclining seats if you've chosen the M35x are almost non-existent.

I'm not arguing against wish lists but I think we often lose sight of all the tremendous things they offer on this $50k that you won't find elsewhere.

jshattner

No AWD on V8, and list of 35x w/ reclining rears is about $54k, but these are nits - I agree with your post.

blov8r

There have been a fair amount of posts that request a feature followed by "I can't believe it isn't on a $50k car". While I would like the feature too, I think you need to remember the features that ARE on this car.

Your point is well made, but the minor cost of making the passenger seat more comfortable is an inexcusable saving and omission by Infiniti. I'd happily give up the LDW feature for a properly adjustable passenger seat --- probably at the very most a "wash" financially and very possibly less expensive to do right in the first place. I'll give up a bit of convenience for comfort any day. :shades:

pete_l_p

You are 100% on the money.

These are the most comfortable seats I've ever had. And yes, I would always like more adjustments. (Passenger side first please)

But Net, Net, this car is so much more car in so many, many ways, that I could not possibly agree with the "inexcusable at 50k" post.

IMO, the opposite is the case: The German cars are completely inexcusable in comparison to the M. Just my humble, very strongly held opinion.

Pete

jrock65

"I won't argue that it would be a nice feature to have but feel compelled to respond to one point.

There have been a fair amount of posts that request a feature followed by "I can't believe it isn't on a $50k car". While I would like the feature too, I think you need to remember the features that ARE on this car.

How many other cars at $50k have the features that the M does? How many of you are aware that Mercedes didn't even make a CD player standard on over $50k cars until the last couple of years? The cars in this price range that have intelligent cruise with preview brake loading, lane departure warning, comfort seats, voice activated controls, Bluetooth connectivity, true dvd-audio surround sound, the best rear camera I've seen, either V8 or V6 with AWD, and likely heated reclining seats if you've chosen the M35x are almost non-existent."

I agree that the M offers the most amount of tech features in this class, especially for the money, even more so than the RL or the GS. But that's what makes the lack of a 10 way passenger seat even more questionable. The M has all these expensive fancy, shmancy features, but lacks what I view to be a "basic" luxury feature that should have minimal cost to install. Hence my "inexcusable" comment.

BMW with its head stuck in the stone ages and insisting on glovebox or trunk mounted CD changer is even more "inexcusable", when $20k Honda Accords have in dash CD changers standard, but that's for a different thread!

erikdg

Hello everyone. I just started a new M35/M45 Club in Southern California. If you're interested in getting together with other M owners in person you can talk to them, see their cars, discuss mods, Have DIY's etc.

Socal Meet for M35/M45 users Sunday 11/20/05 10:00AM - Long Beach
We're going to meet at the Long Beach Claim Jumper at 6501 E Pacific Coast Hwy Long Beach, CA 90803-4202. please email me to RSVP so we know how many people will be attending.
We will talk about our cars, take pictures and have lunch

for more infomation and to RSVP , please contact me.

garyh1

erikdg, FYI if you want to let people contact you by email, you need to go into your Forum Profile and change the Email Settings to make your email address "public". This doesn't mean it will show on the forum itself (so spammers can't "harvest" it), but it will be available to registered forum members who click on your name in any message you post.

Otherwise, no one can contact you to RSVP!

erikdg

opps. Forgot about that. Thanks. It should be turned on now.

dashooter

My two cents on $50,000 cars. 1. My 35 with Journey and Tech went on lease at $46,700 2. Respectfully guys, just because the Infiniti isn't your perfect seat doesn't mean the car isn't very acceptable. My wife hated every seat in eight Jags. She griped non stop. She loves the Infiniti. No company will ever make a car that every person in the world will consider perfection. And to those who aren't satisfied with the mpg's. My brother bought a Prius. His real world mileage is in the mid thirty's and getting on an onramp with that thing is scary. My car is doing 25 mpg on the road and I drive like an animal. So - at 25 mpg for 15,000 annual, I need 600 gallons. Bro needs 425. On 175 gallons, he saves $435 annual = $1.20 a day. His car cost about the same as mine, had I left a few toys off. If he gets smacked trying to get on the freeway, I don't know if he'll feel that good about the $1.20 thing. And he is still sucking air over all my options. They can put me down for a '08 now.

sea1k

Trying to decide whether or not to go with the aero kit. Any sense for how prevalent an option it is? In trying to sell me a 35 sport/tech/journey, dealer is telling me 75% of buyers have aero added. I usually keep cars for 10 years or more so I will need to like the look for the long term. Thanks!

blov8r

Any sense for how prevalent an option it is? In trying to sell me a 35 sport/tech/journey

That's the exact M I have ... w/ the aero kit. I've only seen one other aero kit here in the Tucson area ... and quite a few sports so I suspect the dealer's trying to up the profit margin on you. I have mixed feelings about it ... from days that it looks more "aggressive" to days I feel it may cheapen the look a little. (More good days than bad, however.) Maybe "cheapen" isn't the right word ... maybe it's simply that it looks a little different from the non-aero and while more distinct, it may lose a little of the distinctness of the M's new body style and identity. As it's available as an add-on, and you're a ten year owner, I'd take delivery without the kit, drive it around a little, see what your feelings are over a few weeks, and add it if you think it's a worthwhile addition to you.

Bart :shades:

carfan6

Just had a close call...just about ran out of gas. The Fuel information screen had registered 19.5 miles per gallon and 20 miles to go before empty. In rush hour traffic it went from 20 to 5 and then 0 in less than a mile and less than 2 minutes. I just made it to the gas station. Anyone have an explanation how it registered 20 miles and then 0 so quickly? It was accurate but there is no way I could have used a gallon of gas in two miles>After I pulled into the gas station I turned off the car. I tried to start it to move closer to the pump but the car would not start. It took 18 gallons but the capacity says 20 gallons. Does the fuel economy screen register 0 even though there are two gallons left?

docnukem

At 19.5 mpg it would have been averaging recent usage. However, since you were then in stop-and-go, it had to re-calculate. For your average driving, you might have made it twenty miles, but not in stop-and-go.

carfan6

Thanks. While you were replying I was adding a couple of other questions. Will it register 0 mile left if there are still 2 gallons left in the tank?

edspider1

I've seen zero miles to go. It still had fuel and I wasn't in a panic. I remember it had over a gallon left, but less than two gallons left when I filled it. I have the AWD so I only get 17 mpg. Seems like most of the RWD 3.5L folks are getting 19. It better snow a lot this year, so I can justify the extra gas!

james27

I don't know specifically about the Infiniti, but some car's computer calculates the "to empty" based on when the low fuel light/indicator comes on, not actual empty. Never trust the indicator that closely - it's close, but not perfect. Also, while the car is new and has fuel filters, it is never a great idea to suck the last fumes out of the bottom of the tank, especially on an older car. You tend to pick up all of the crud and can block the filter quickly creating more problems than saving that few minutes of filling up a little more often. Last, even though the fuel system is basically sealed, it isn't a vacuum - when the tank is low, you've sucked in more air - air that can be laden with moisture in the humidity. On a cold night, that condenses and the build-up can eventually create more problems. The moral is - it is better to not let the tank get that low in the first place for long-term health of the fuel system.

scoop4

Does anyone know if there is a problem using a set of snow tires and wheels from someone like Tirerack on the M without the tire pressure sensor? Does the display give you a constant low tire pressure alarm if you are using tires and wheels without the sensors?

m_pilot

I think you just get asterisks but no low pressure warning. It can't indicate low pressure if it can't determine pressure.

msu79gt82

See my reply in the other thread you posted your question.

sea1k

Thanks for the thoughts, Bart. I think I'm going to try it w/o first.

m35girl

I did run out of gas on the interstate coming home from a long trip at 5am 20 min from home. It was the first time I have ever run out of gas in 15 years and eight cars. I know it was mostly my fault and I should have been watching more closely, but the gripe I have is that the low fuel indicator light is on the bottom of the gas gauge with the same color light as everything else, so it doesn't really draw your attention like my jeep does with a bing and a different color light from the rest of the instrument panel. I managed to pull over but I didnt make it up the ramp all the way, and the policeman drove me to the station to get a gas can then helped me put it in. I didnt fill up all the way then because I was so close to my home station, so I didn't notice if I had to put in a full 20gal. Lesson learned-in the M E means EMPTY

kster

Hi,

I've had my M45 for about a month now with about 700 miles on it. Just yesterday I started to heard this annoying rattle near the moonroof area and figured it was the interior headliner making that sound. I believe some people might have had the same problems when I glanced through the forum a few months ago. Can anyone tell me what experiences they've had fixing this problem?

Thanks

blov8r

Never trust the indicator that closely - it's close, but not perfect.

The only time my low fuel warning light comes on is when I go brain dead and forget to be diligent about refueling.

I've been told by mechanics that dirt and/or water that accumulates in the tank is at the bottom and running too close to empty lets you suck that stuff into the fuel line. Makes sense to me ... but even if it's not true, I don't like to worry and trust a computer that works on averages to tell me when to fill up. From my flying days I recall having to drain water and silt from my fuel lines every day as part of my pre-flight check list. (It was so long ago I've forgotten the actual term for the process.)

Bart :shades:

moman

I've had that problem on my M45 too. It's been both the sunroof and the DVD player. The service dept. has tinkered with both, though they claim they don't hear it as much as I do, and I'm not exactly Lt. Col. Steve Austin, so I don't know WHAT is going on. I saw an Infiniti service bulletin about this very subject, having something to do with tightening the sunroof rails. Try this:
http://www.infinitihelp.com/Infiniti/Bulletins/M/2006/1.htm

BTW, the rattles are the ONLY problems I've had, though they are very annoying, since I find that once I hear them I actually start to LISTEN for them, furthering my aggravation. I'm a little nutso about this, to quote my wife.

docnukem

The rattle I have sounds the same. I have taken it in once and they did something with the rails, but the rattle is still there. I am taking in in tomorrow to have them check it again. I find that if I push up on the headliner between the moonroof and the passenger-side door, I can make it stop.

I will let you know what happens. My wife thinks I'm a little crazy about it, too. And I also have started to listen for it.

kster

Thanks for the response. The rattling is VERY annoying. When I press on it against the top, it stops. I have just decide to pull the headliner back, which also stops the rattling. I also have an appointment tomorrow with the dealer to check out the problem and I will let you guys know what comes out of it.

sjcbill

I you stop to think about it, the system can only estimate how many miles you have left by looking at current driving conditions and average economy. If you transition from freeway driving to stop and go traffic your DTE will change dramatically.

I have a DTE computer in my Chrysler Town and Country. The one time I was low on gas it went to zero three times and then mysteriously jumped back up to 4 or 5 miles each time before finally holding at 0. I still had some gas when I got to a station.

These things can never be 100% accurate because they don't have a built-in crystal ball for determining upcoming driving conditions and can't know how accurate the fuel level indicator may be.

wtkm45

All fuel tanks always drain from the bottom (some minor exceptions, e.g old VW bugs) otherwise how could they get all the fuel out. What sense would it make to put the fuel line anywhere else in the tank. Fuel lines used to have a glass bowl so that you could see water and dirt get trapped on the way to the engine. Modern fuel filters have replaced that "friendly" method. Your mechanic must be from the old VW school so when you'd be running for several years on the upper fuel line and had to switch to the lower "reserve" line the accumulated stuff at the bottom of the tank could cause some difficulty.

The M has progressed a bit from the mid-fifties VWs.

boz94086

I'm noticing some strange things with the memory settings/auto drive positioner in my car. Here is what happens: sometimes, when I unlock the door of my M45 with the door handle request button, I can see the steering wheel/driver's seat move to my programmed position (well, I assume it is my programmed position) and right after that, they go back to the "easy exit/entry" position (wheel all the way up, seat all the way back). Then, when I start the car, the wheel/seat go back to my programmed setting again! I'm really confused. This really happens randomly. Just now I unlocked and locked the car at least 10 times in a row and I did not see it happen... But in the last week it happened maybe 4-5 times. Anyone else noticed this?

docnukem

Question for you: Does it do that when the previous locking sequence used the second key fob with a different memory setting. I have seen my car (seat) do strange things when my wife was the last one to use it with her fob.