Basically, I knew what I wanted from the Infiniti web site. While the dealer was the one who first clued me in about the M (I had gone there in the early summer to look at the G35x), I did a lot of looking on the web since then and decided that it was the car. I think by September I knew more about it than he did. Believe it or not, but he didn't take a deposit. I think it is because the early demand will exceed supply (like the RL) and he knows he can sell it if I don't take it. I will let you know more when the car arrives. Working with this dealership in the past (although it has been several years), I don't expect a premium added to the MSRP, but I am not expecting a discount (just check the current G35 prices, I think they are only going for a few hundred under MSRP).
I am not so sure about demand for the RL. I live in south florida and have seen only 1 on the road since it has been out. I was at my dealer recently and found the same 9 cars on the lot for the last few weeks. I think alot of people are waiting for the new M and GS. I know I am.
That is true now. In October, I stopped by the Acura dealer to test drive an RL. He had a waiting list a page and a half long for people to buy one. He wasn't going to have a model for test drives for four weeks after the first ones were delivered.
As to seeing them on the road, You have probably passed dozens but just assumed they were Accords (lol) and ignored them. No offense to RL fans out there. I know it is a nice car, and I would probably consider one if the M and GS were not coming out.
I really think the RL would be a long-lasting thing (hit) at 43-44K. 50K is just too much for an V6 Acura when the V8s from Lexus and Infiniti are around the same price.
. . .M cars invoice +$2500. I don't know if this is country wide but in central and sw Ohio this is the deal. My assumption is that the deals could improve or, if the car is hot hot hot, could worsen.
When the car is in the honeymoon period, it certainly will be harder to discount -- why bother?
When the BMW 5, the new Lexus and perhaps the Audi Financial folks wake up, well that would apparently put some pressure on the M's.
I suspect there could be some negative halo effect from the outgoing M45, too. Infiniti seems to be well aware of the need to get cars on the road -- something my long time fave (Audi) does not seem too keen on doing.
I am looking forward to seeing the M, hopefully, unlike the RL, I'll actually get to drive one.
Dont forget the V6 Acura has V6 performance. If the car weighed 500lbs less and could run a 0-60 in under six seconds, Acura might be able to justify their price tag. The E350, GS350 and M35 should all be able to stomp on its acceleration "300hp" or no.
You may be right about october being a hot month. But, I am sure I have seen only one on the road. I think the whole waiting list is a ploy to get list price. As i said the dealer has had the same 9 on his lot for a few weeks. The lack of a v-8 is going to hurt them since others are offering a 6 and 8. Including navigation, xm, and a few other toys has pushed the price a bit high. It seems to me that these items should still be options. Even the LS430 does not include these and over 90% are sold without them. The demand for them is not there yet. Just my opinion.
Just returned from my dealer where I was able to see an M35X Silverstone/Black interior. Unfortunately I was not able to test drive yet as car just came off the truck and was still gift wrapped. I did manage to get inside,start it up and play with some the gadgets. The stereo sounded real nice and the drivers display along with the rear camera were very cool and simple to use.
I had two concerns before I saw the car. A) The leather and The rosewood trim. From pictures recently posted on another site, I was worried that the leather would be like my G35 and from the pictures it looked like the rosewood was over done.
Well the rosewood is very tastefully done and from what I was able to see of the leather, it looked better than 2005 G35. There was plastic over the seats but I managed to rip a lot of it off. I will be able to report more on Monday after I spend some time in the car without all the plastic wrap.
There is one thing that is bothering me. The ceiling, visors and the A-pillar, molding that runs from roof to dash on both sides of the of the windsheild and the B pillar from roof to shoulder level are done in a very light grey and the contrast with the black give the interior a two tone effect that I am really not crazy about.
My G35 and all other Infiniti products are done the same however on my 2003 G35 the grey is darker and blends in well with the black interior.
I am awaiting the arrival of a black with bourbon interior to see if this looks any better, just did not want to get another black car, have had my fill of black. The silverstone exterior is real nice, I think you guys in the states call it Umbria Grey. It does come with bourbon interior but for now I think Bourbon will only be nice on a dark color car and black is the only dark color it comes in. So will have to wait and see.
I may have to live with the two tone.
Another thing, the truck is not as big as one would expect on such a large car. I have been told that December production cars come with a full size spare with mag, however from January production onwards Infiniti is dropping the full size spare and mag in favor of a space saver with no Mag. While this will bring more space to the width and depth of the truck, I prefer having that extra mag in case one gets damaged and could be switched.
I will be driving the car on Monday and will report then
I was able to sit in a new M at the Houston Auto Show. Front seat leg room is marginal for those over 6 feet tall. Some effort with the seat position controls helped, but I expected better.
Had an opportunity to test drive an M35x with all the bells and whistles (DVD, GPS nav, lane departure warning, active cruise, backup camera, etc.) and was favourably impressed.
I currently drive a 2003 RWD G35, and the engine response is very similar. It is smooth and torquey (especially around the 3000-3500 rpm "sweet spot") and didn't seem strained by the added heft of the M35x over the G35. The transmission, however, is much better in the M35x with faster shifts, particularly in the manumatic mode. With automatic throttle blipping and faster shifts, the manumatic shifter now actually becomes more than just a toy -- its actually fun to use.
The seating position was comfortable (I'm 6'3"), and the seat coolers work well. Headroom was plentiful even with the sunroof and with the seat raised up a little bit. The gauges are easy to read and attractive, the GPS was accurate, and the 5.1, 14 speaker sound system was terrific. I like the look of the interior with the Rosewood trim and the fit and finish of the buttons, etc was excellent. Overall it is a much more luxurious place than the G35 (remember my G35 is prior to the 2005 upgrade).
Ride quality was much smoother and more quiet than with the G35, without feeling divorced from the road. Even with 18" wheels I didn't notice any "tramlining" along road imperfections. Handling was solid even on uneven roads. Road conditions were good, so the AWD never really played a role. There were a couple of areas where the roads were covered with water and aggressive acceleration while lane-changing in those areas didn't cause any wheel slippage or even activate the VDC system. Also owning a "4-motion" Passat wagon, I know that the AWD will prove handy in the winter.
The backup camera is terrific, and the side mirrors automatically dip to aid in reversing. The lane departure system works -- whether it will prove to be annoying is an open question, but at least it can be deactivated.
The rear seats are quite comfortable and include warmers and power recline on the tested model. The rear DVD screen is large (8") with 2 headsets and a remote control. The trunk isn't huge, but seems roomy enough, although the opening is tight.
Exterior styling is obviously very subjective. I think the car is attractive (particularly side profile) but somewhat anonymous.
All in all I was impressed. I'd like to test-drive the M45 to see if the added grunt adds much. When compared with the 535 or the A6 3.2, the M35x is substantially cheaper, and has more included luxury features while having similar (or better) specs and road manners.
Nice of you to go to the trouble of becoming a member of Edmunds today so that you can post a review of the M35 for all of us to read, thank you.....
Am curious as to how you found the fit and trim of the interior, such as the quality of the leather as compared to the G. Also what color was the interior on your test car?
I have seen a black interior and found the light grey color of the roof and side pillars to be a poor contrast, am wondering if you have noticed the same?
Just returned from an hour long test drive and am in heaven. Demo that I drove did not have NAV
or DVD, but everything else that is offered on the M35X was there and standard equipment.
The drive and handling was excellent as was the fit and trim. The voice recognition worked very well, I would call out a radio station and the system understood and found the desired station. Wish my cell phone would work as well.
The rear camera was also very interesting in that not only does it perfectly reflect what is behind you, but their is a grid (lines behind your car) that turns and shift as you turn the car. I tried this out next to a cement curb and only used the video display without looking, was able to parallel park only using the display. The lines change colors from green to yellow and then to red as you approach an object. I was very surprised by the picture quality and the way this system operates.
The drive is different from my G35 part of the reason being that this is an awd whereas my G is not. The M35X appears to have a much more solid and tighter drive, very similar to an Audi A6 that I had previously test driven.
I previously posted that I had a problem with the color of the roof and pillar trim against the black leather interior. After spending some time in this car I think I was a little quick to come to this conclusion, it kind of grew on me and I am over any dissatisfaction in this area. I must add that the material of the roof and moldings are of much better quality than those of my G.The material used on the G was more of a felt like material whereas on the M it is more of an embossed fabric feel.
Overall I am very satisfied and will be signing the contract once I decide on the color. In my opinion there is not another vehicle out there that offers the same equipment and driving experience at the same or close to the same price.
I have owned an m45 since it came out in 03 ,am thinking about a new car since i have 31000 mikes on mine now. I'm torn between the new 06 m45 or the new 06 lexus gs 300.
I owned lexus in the past and was happy with it ,but wanted a change in 03. My trouble with the m45 is the ride ,I find mine very stiff and the ride uncomfortable,am wondering is anyone can comment on the new m45 ride at all? Also since I've had my 03 m45 I've had numerous trouble with rattling from inside the cabin,like the center console and especially sunroof. Thanks for your input! David via Chicago
I think you'll really want to give both cars plenty of time behind the wheel. The new M is a MASSIVE improvement over the old one, but if comfort is more important to you than sport, you may want to give the GS a look.
Just a quick update. I just test drove the BMW 530i and Audi A6 3.2 quattro. I think the M35x has them both beat for luxury appointments in the interior, is at least their equal in the drive category, and wins hands down on bang for the buck. BMW is promising an AWD 530xi with the upgraded 3L six by May (more HP and torque), but it will sticker for substantially more than the M35x, and I found the interior of the M35x to be much more inviting. This not to belittle the BMW -- it is a fantastic car to drive and thrash about -- but for me to M35x is the better total package with more interior room and lots of gadgets for less money.
Now another value winner is the 300C hemi AWD but that's another story . . .
I really dont like the new BMW interiors. They all look the same: dark, cold, and uninviting. The A6 is a bit too "computerized" for my tastes, but at least it has a classy look to it. The 5 doesnt even have that.
Thanks lexus guy,I will be testdriving both cars very soon,just hope my m45 03 is holding it's value ,with only 31000 miles I hope to get a good trade in value at least!
Thanks guys,Maybe I'll just hang onto it with a 60 k warranty ,it will be a good car yet for quite a while,just wish I could get that damn sunroof/shade to stop rattling,you'd think after 5 visits to infinity service on the issue someone could have found the cause ,no such luck and 2 sunroof/sunshade replacements later!
I just back from the Phila auto show. Went there specifically to sit in the M35. But wouldn't you know it, it was on a platform with no one allowed to sit in it. I was dissapointed but it looked spectacular. The infiniti girl said no one could sit in it because it was a prototype. BS.One interesting thing she said was that the infiniti dealers will not get their full allocation of M's in 2005 and therefore she believes there will be a long waiting list for these cars. Does anyone have similar info?
The infiniti girl said no one could sit in it because it was a prototype.
I received the same statement at the Austin Auto Show. As for availability, I went into my dealer a couple of weeks ago and put down a deposit for an M45. They have a car coming to me on April 4th. Grubbs in Dallas says they are taking orders now for March delivery, and they also said they just got their 2 demo cars in. I bet in a few days all dealers will have their demo cars so you should be able to get a test drive soon. So far it doesn't seem like it is too hard to get a car, but that may soon change once a few are out on the road and Infiniti does some more marketing.
My dealer is throwing a lauch party next week, and they said they would probably have their demo cars in this week. I should be able to get a test drive in the next few days. I can't wait. I hope I'm not disappointed. I've been waiting a long time for this car.
Went back to the dealer to have a longer look at my soon to be M35. Knowing myself I think this will be a regular occurance over the next 3 weeks until I take delivery.
After I saw thee M45 at the auto show I posted here that these cars were pre-production models and there will be some changes.
The first thing that struck me on stock cars now being delivered to the dealers are the mags. I knew that the M35 would come with 18" instead of 19" that were on the M45 at the show. The problem is that both on the M35 and the M45 that I saw, the mags are pretty ugly. They opted to go with very thick spokes and in my opinion they are not very fitting to this vehicle. I guess that Infiniti did this as they are putting a very masculine emphasis on these cars. From what I understand about automobile manufacturers they tend to leave themselves room on future model years to upgrade things like the mags, witness the huge difference in the mags on the 2005 G35 as compared to the original 2003.
Thankfully they are only mags and I could opt to use the oem mags for winter tires and upgrade to something nicer for the summer on my own. The dealer has nothing to offer me at this time but I probably would not get them from the dealer anyways. Keep in mind the standard mags are the same on the M45 as the M35 however I believe their is an upgrade if you take the sports version of the M45.
Another thing missing is the cool antenna on the roof of the car that is color coded to the color of the car. I have a feeling that one only gets this if one opts for the NAV system, I always thought these antenna's to be very cool and will miss not having one. Also would have liked it so that I would not have an antenna in the window so I could put a really sharp metallic tint on the windows, will now have to go with regular tint as to not screw up radio reception.
Last thing that I noticed was that stock cars come with regular conventional gas and brake peddles whereas at the car show the M45 had these real amazing metal peddles.
Would also be nice if they could have put a half covered wood steering wheel in this car AKA Lexus.
Just returned from my dealer , ok I know I sound compulsive, however I really did have to drop off my G35 for service.
I went through a black M35 with the new bourbon interior. They can name this color anything that they want but in effect it is a dark tan. I have to say it looked really good, a very elegant color, especially against the black interior, however there is a problem. The interior roof and down pillars are the same light grey and from what I have seen it looks like all the cars have the same interior trim color.
So what you have is 4 different colors inside the car.
Bourbon seats, black doors with insert of bourbon leather, rosewood wood and this light grey roof and window trim. While the light grey is a neutral color and I am no interior decorator, there is way to many colors happening inside this car. They should have made the interior roof and trim a lighter shade of the bourbon or something from that family of colors. The seats and black trim give the appearance of dark rich elegance that is just ruined by the introduction of light grey. Ok enough said, this is of course only my opinion.
It will be Silverstone with a black interior for me, signed , sealed and only to be delivered.
Last thing, found out that the roof antenna is for XM radio and here in Canada our government has not seen fit to allow satellite radio, guess we don't pay enough taxes, hence no antenna for Canadian cars.
Probably no wood wheel on the M. You'll notice BMW and Audi dont have them either. Wood wheels look pretty, but they are poor compared to leather when it comes to agressive driving. I think the metal pedals are on aluminum trim cars?
On the subject of steering wheels, I hope Infiniti has improved on the quality, In my G35 on really cold days it takes forever for the steering wheel to warm up, the cabin of the car can be hot and damn steering wheel is freezing cold. I bet that it is steel covered by a thin layer of plastic.
I saw an M45 and pedals were standard not aluminum, perhaps only on sports model?
Just a question. I test drove the M35x yesterday and I believe that heated rear seats and reclining rear seats were not offered on this model. I may be wrong, but if not, where was this info from ?
Premium Package: contents of Journey Package and Technology Package plus Mobile Entertainment System, heated and power reclining rear seats, power rear sunshade and rear passenger H-VAC and audio controls with lockout
What did the salesperson say, exactly?
- Ray
Waiting for the local dealer(s) M45(s) to arrive . . .
M35/45's are already at dealerships for preview and demo drives. I am a manager in an Infiniti Dealership. Drove both vehicles - truly impressive. You really have to drive one to believe it.
M45 loaded (NAV, Studio Surround Sound, etc.) is about 55K. M35 with same options about $48K.
Most dealerships in the country will have an "M" Event on Wednesday or Thursday, February 16/17. They are available for orders now.
As for availability, we are receiving 35 the first month, so they have not cut production to my knowledge, but rather increased it. About 32,000 M45's and M35's are being built, with about 20% M45's.
should be some interesting comments out there in a few weeks.
Gabman, I'm not sure what you are talking about with the antenna, but usually the "shark fin" antenna is for XM or Sirius while the radio and GPS always are embedded into the rear window. That's the way it is at least for most other models...
OK, I have what I am sure is very silly question. But just want to make sure. I assume that the current "preview vehicles" in showrooms now are identical to the production vehicles that will show up in March. I have been following the M45 in reviews and on various bulletin boards and knew that I was interested in replacing my G35 Coupe with it. Well, I went into the dealer, test drove it, and along with all I had already read, that was all I needed. I told them to take it off their test drive circuit and I put down a deposit. I am not allowed to pick up the vehicle until Feb. 28, but it is locked up in their show room. Surely this vehicle is no different than the ones being released in March. I hope I did not jump the gun. Of the two they had - one was the exact color and options that I wanted, and I could not resist.
I too previewed the vehicle last night. I believe that the preview vehicles are one in the same as the released vehicles, just are not immediately available for sale. Feb. 28 seems to be the magic date. My dealer was only approximating the cost of the M's. Do you know the exact price of your vehicle? If so, can you post it with its option? Good luck; beautiful car.
I told them to take it off their test drive circuit and I put down a deposit. I am not allowed to pick up the vehicle until Feb. 28, but it is locked up in their show room. Surely this vehicle is no different than the ones being released in March.
I'm surprised they sold you one of those. Those are supposed to be 'demo' units only that every dealer gets, and are not supposed to be for sale. In the demo car my dealer had, it came with the DVD player in the center console even though that is only supposed to be there if the Mobile Entertainment System or Premium Package is ordered. This vehicle did not have either of those. Also there was a minor problem with the speaker in the car seats where the cover kept popping off. These cars may have been rushed to get them in dealer's hands for the launch events and early demos. I don't even think the dealer is allowed to sell you one of those demo cars, but I could be wrong. You may be in luck though. If they could find a car that was already being built that matched your specifications, you could still get it in early March. I could have had one in early March, but it wasn't exactly what I wanted, and now I have to wait until April 4th for my M45.
The prices in Cincinnapolis are Invoice+$2,500 for the M's. If you configure one out to be $50K, this probably means your cap cost will be about $48K.
If you KNOW the exact car you want I can give you a really close number, since our dealer seems eager to deal. I have never purchased a Japanese Premium car (nor any Japanese car, period, as a matter of fact) so I don't know if this is a good deal or not.
Considering that the Audi dealer only will take off $1000 or so on car over $50K, this seems more agressive. Plus the lease numbers on Infiniti's web site (for other cars, not for the M) seem to be very competitive -- moreso than American and most European cars. Yen vs dollar thing? Beats me.
Where are you getting the invoice+2500 number? Do you know a dealer, and is there more than one dealer in the immediate area (for competition)? I have ordered one without a set price. Obviously if I could save some money by not paying sticker, I'd be happier than I will be anyway when I drive the M35x off the lot.
The preview vehicles in showrooms "ARE NOT FOR SALE"! These vehicles are owned by Nissan-Infiniti. When they will be released to the public for sale is unsure. You can order your own M sedan, but the vehicles in the dealer showrooms are no available and may not be for quite some time.
So the guy who said his M is in the showroom locked up may be misinformed or the dealer told him a fib. They cannot even negotiate or take an order for those cars as the dealer does not have the MSO, and probably won't. He better talk to his dealers again.
The vehicles in showrooms are "production vehicles" which means they are right off the assembly line. As for your M locked up on the showroom floor, I'm surprised your dealer sold you that vehicle as these vehicles are owned by Infiniti/Nissan, not the dealers. The dealer does not have the MSO (need that for titling) and may not have it for quite some time. You can order one now for delievery on February 28th, out of the stock the dealer ordered, but the ones on the showrooms cannot be sold.
You might want to question your dealer about this. I am a manager at an Infinit dealership, and we were told explicitly not to sell them or promise them to anyone. We even had to sign an agreement with Infiniti that we would not sell them. Something smells here, tipyles
Yes the dealer clearly explained to me that the car is not theirs but Infiniti's. That is why I am not allowed to pick the car up until the 28th. On the 28th the vehicle becomes the dealer's vehicle. Since I have only placed a deposit on the vehicle, we have not "closed" the deal by actually filling out all of the paperwork. This is a dealer that I have bought several cars from and a salesman I have dealt with several times before. I doubt very much they are misleading me, and their story does hold water with the facts. As far as price, my dealer was very clear that they will be selling at MSRP. They had two M45 sports on the lot, and the other was being driven constantly. They have already placed a bunch of orders, so they realize they have a hot vehicle. I am surprised that someone stated before they could get one for under MSRP.
I have seen my car on the showroom floor with a SOLD tag in it. I even had a friend drop by as if he were interested in the car and ask if he could get in it and just look around. They told him, No.
I drove a m35 and g35 back to back today in flemington nj. My feelings are as follows
Beautiful car, external lines and looks are great. Inside very nice. I personaly love wood in cars but the rose wood does not do it for me. This is a matter of taste. The tested car was fully loaded. I felt there were way too many buttons on the dash and most are related to the navi. It seems to me that to much importance and space is taken up by this item. The car is very fast, as expected. handles well .
The lane departure thing is absolutely horrible. You will turn it off as soon as you get it. Constantly going off.
Radio was great. seats were good, I felt Acura seats were more comfy in the rl.
Back seat Plenty of room. very comfy even with front seat back.
I then drove the g35 awd. Same incredible pick up, slightly less luxury but very nice. Is the M worth 10k more is up to you. For my tastes the m and g are a little to noisy and I like a smoother ride. Enjoy your test drives.
One dealer in Cincinnati, one in Dayton, one in Columbus. The deals are there to be had at Invoice plus $2,500.
Also similar deals are available on the WWW if you don't mind picking the car up from a dealer that may not be in your own backyard.
Google it, you'll see what I mean.
Infiniti does not seem to be bringing the new M's to market with Audi-like pricing inflexibility. I have NOT yet seen any lease numbers, however, and, that of course could change things.
Those sound like pretty good deals. I grew up in the Dayton, OH area. The good thing about that location is that you do have the Cincinnati and Columbus markets in fairly close proximity. I'm sure that is making them a little more competitive.
Comments
As to seeing them on the road, You have probably passed dozens but just assumed they were Accords (lol) and ignored them. No offense to RL fans out there. I know it is a nice car, and I would probably consider one if the M and GS were not coming out.
M
When the car is in the honeymoon period, it certainly will be harder to discount -- why bother?
When the BMW 5, the new Lexus and perhaps the Audi Financial folks wake up, well that would apparently put some pressure on the M's.
I suspect there could be some negative halo effect from the outgoing M45, too. Infiniti seems to be well aware of the need to get cars on the road -- something my long time fave (Audi) does not seem too keen on doing.
I am looking forward to seeing the M, hopefully, unlike the RL, I'll actually get to drive one.
Interesting. Markup on a M45 Sport looks like just over $4K.
Thanks,
- Ray
Interested in driving an M45 Sport . . .
I had two concerns before I saw the car. A) The leather and
Well the rosewood is very tastefully done and from what I was able to see of the leather, it looked better than 2005 G35. There was plastic over the seats but I managed to rip a lot of it off. I will be able to report more on Monday after I spend some time in the car without all the plastic wrap.
There is one thing that is bothering me. The ceiling, visors and the A-pillar, molding that runs from roof to dash on both sides of the of the windsheild and the B pillar from roof to shoulder level are done in a very light grey and the contrast with the black give the interior a two tone effect that I am really not crazy about.
My G35 and all other Infiniti products are done the same however on my 2003 G35 the grey is darker and blends in well with the black interior.
I am awaiting the arrival of a black with bourbon interior to see if this looks any better, just did not want to get another black car, have had my fill of black. The silverstone exterior is real nice, I think you guys in the states call it Umbria Grey. It does come with bourbon interior but for now I think Bourbon will only be nice on a dark color car and black is the only dark color it comes in. So will have to wait and see.
I may have to live with the two tone.
Another thing, the truck is not as big as one would expect on such a large car. I have been told that December production cars come with a full size spare with mag, however from January production onwards Infiniti is dropping the full size spare and mag in favor of a space saver with no Mag. While this will bring more space to the width and depth of the truck, I prefer having that extra mag in case one gets damaged and could be switched.
I will be driving the car on Monday and will report then
I currently drive a 2003 RWD G35, and the engine response is very similar. It is smooth and torquey (especially around the 3000-3500 rpm "sweet spot") and didn't seem strained by the added heft of the M35x over the G35. The transmission, however, is much better in the M35x with faster shifts, particularly in the manumatic mode. With automatic throttle blipping and faster shifts, the manumatic shifter now actually becomes more than just a toy -- its actually fun to use.
The seating position was comfortable (I'm 6'3"), and the seat coolers work well. Headroom was plentiful even with the sunroof and with the seat raised up a little bit. The gauges are easy to read and attractive, the GPS was accurate, and the 5.1, 14 speaker sound system was terrific. I like the look of the interior with the Rosewood trim and the fit and finish of the buttons, etc was excellent. Overall it is a much more luxurious place than the G35 (remember my G35 is prior to the 2005 upgrade).
Ride quality was much smoother and more quiet than with the G35, without feeling divorced from the road. Even with 18" wheels I didn't notice any "tramlining" along road imperfections. Handling was solid even on uneven roads. Road conditions were good, so the AWD never really played a role. There were a couple of areas where the roads were covered with water and aggressive acceleration while lane-changing in those areas didn't cause any wheel slippage or even activate the VDC system. Also owning a "4-motion" Passat wagon, I know that the AWD will prove handy in the winter.
The backup camera is terrific, and the side mirrors automatically dip to aid in reversing. The lane departure system works -- whether it will prove to be annoying is an open question, but at least it can be deactivated.
The rear seats are quite comfortable and include warmers and power recline on the tested model. The rear DVD screen is large (8") with 2 headsets and a remote control. The trunk isn't huge, but seems roomy enough, although the opening is tight.
Exterior styling is obviously very subjective. I think the car is attractive (particularly side profile) but somewhat anonymous.
All in all I was impressed. I'd like to test-drive the M45 to see if the added grunt adds much. When compared with the 535 or the A6 3.2, the M35x is substantially cheaper, and has more included luxury features while having similar (or better) specs and road manners.
Nice of you to go to the trouble of becoming a member of Edmunds today so that you can post a review of the M35 for all of us to read, thank you.....
Am curious as to how you found the fit and trim of the interior, such as the quality of the leather as compared to the G. Also what color was the interior on your test car?
I have seen a black interior and found the light grey color of the roof and side pillars to be a poor contrast, am wondering if you have noticed the same?
or DVD, but everything else that is offered on the M35X was there and standard equipment.
The drive and handling was excellent as was the fit and trim. The voice recognition worked very well, I would call out a radio station and the system understood and found the desired station. Wish my cell phone would work as well.
The rear camera was also very interesting in that not only does it perfectly reflect what is behind you, but their is a grid (lines behind your car) that turns and shift as you turn the car. I tried this out next to a cement curb and only used the video display without looking, was able to parallel park only using the display. The lines change colors from green to yellow and then to red as you approach an object. I was very surprised by the picture quality and the way this system operates.
The drive is different from my G35 part of the reason being that this is an awd whereas my G is not. The M35X appears to have a much more solid and tighter drive, very similar to an Audi A6 that I had previously test driven.
I previously posted that I had a problem with the color of the roof and pillar trim against the black leather interior. After spending some time in this car I think I was a little quick to come to this conclusion, it kind of grew on me and I am over any dissatisfaction in this area. I must add that the material of the roof and moldings are of much better quality than those of my G.The material used on the G was more of a felt like material whereas on the M it is more of an embossed fabric feel.
Overall I am very satisfied and will be signing the contract once I decide on the color. In my opinion there is not another vehicle out there that offers the same equipment and driving experience at the same or close to the same price.
I have owned an m45 since it came out in 03 ,am thinking about a new car since i have 31000 mikes on mine now. I'm torn between the new 06 m45 or the new 06 lexus gs 300.
I owned lexus in the past and was happy with it ,but wanted a change in 03. My trouble with the m45 is the ride ,I find mine very stiff and the ride uncomfortable,am wondering is anyone can comment on the new m45 ride at all? Also since I've had my 03 m45 I've had numerous trouble with rattling from inside the cabin,like the center console and especially sunroof. Thanks for your input! David via Chicago
Now another value winner is the 300C hemi AWD but that's another story . . .
I received the same statement at the Austin Auto Show. As for availability, I went into my dealer a couple of weeks ago and put down a deposit for an M45. They have a car coming to me on April 4th. Grubbs in Dallas says they are taking orders now for March delivery, and they also said they just got their 2 demo cars in. I bet in a few days all dealers will have their demo cars so you should be able to get a test drive soon. So far it doesn't seem like it is too hard to get a car, but that may soon change once a few are out on the road and Infiniti does some more marketing.
My dealer is throwing a lauch party next week, and they said they would probably have their demo cars in this week. I should be able to get a test drive in the next few days. I can't wait. I hope I'm not disappointed. I've been waiting a long time for this car.
After I saw thee M45 at the auto show I posted here that these cars were pre-production models and there will be some changes.
The first thing that struck me on stock cars now being delivered to the dealers are the mags. I knew that the M35 would come with 18" instead of 19" that were on the M45 at the show. The problem is that both on the M35 and the M45 that I saw, the mags are pretty ugly. They opted to go with very thick spokes and in my opinion they are not very fitting to this vehicle. I guess that Infiniti did this as they are putting a very masculine emphasis on these cars. From what I understand about automobile manufacturers they tend to leave themselves room on future model years to upgrade things like the mags, witness the huge difference in the mags on the 2005 G35 as compared to the original 2003.
Thankfully they are only mags and I could opt to use the oem mags for winter tires and upgrade to something nicer for the summer on my own. The dealer has nothing to offer me at this time but I probably would not get them from the dealer anyways. Keep in mind the standard mags are the same on the M45 as the M35 however I believe their is an upgrade if you take the sports version of the M45.
Another thing missing is the cool antenna on the roof of the car that is color coded to the color of the car. I have a feeling that one only gets this if one opts for the NAV system, I always thought these antenna's to be very cool and will miss not having one. Also would have liked it so that I would not have an antenna in the window so I could put a really sharp metallic tint on the windows, will now have to go with regular tint as to not screw up radio reception.
Last thing that I noticed was that stock cars come with regular conventional gas and brake peddles whereas at the car show the M45 had these real amazing metal peddles.
Would also be nice if they could have put a half covered wood steering wheel in this car AKA Lexus.
That's it for now
I went through a black M35 with the new bourbon interior. They can name this color anything that they want but in effect it is a dark tan. I have to say it looked really good, a very elegant color, especially against the black interior, however there is a problem. The interior roof and down pillars are the same light grey and from what I have seen it looks like all the cars have the same interior trim color.
So what you have is 4 different colors inside the car.
Bourbon seats, black doors with insert of bourbon leather, rosewood wood and this light grey roof and window trim. While the light grey is a neutral color and I am no interior decorator, there is way to many colors happening inside this car. They should have made the interior roof and trim a lighter shade of the bourbon or something from that family of colors. The seats and black trim give the appearance of dark rich elegance that is just ruined by the introduction of light grey. Ok enough said, this is of course only my opinion.
It will be Silverstone with a black interior for me, signed , sealed and only to be delivered.
Last thing, found out that the roof antenna is for XM radio and here in Canada our government has not seen fit to allow satellite radio, guess we don't pay enough taxes, hence no antenna for Canadian cars.
Gabman out.
On the subject of steering wheels, I hope Infiniti has improved on the quality, In my G35 on really cold days it takes forever for the steering wheel to warm up, the cabin of the car can be hot and damn steering wheel is freezing cold. I bet that it is steel covered by a thin layer of plastic.
I saw an M45 and pedals were standard not aluminum, perhaps only on sports model?
Thanks
Premium Package: contents of Journey Package and Technology Package plus Mobile Entertainment System, heated and power reclining rear seats, power rear sunshade and rear passenger H-VAC and audio controls with lockout
What did the salesperson say, exactly?
- Ray
Waiting for the local dealer(s) M45(s) to arrive . . .
M45 loaded (NAV, Studio Surround Sound, etc.) is about 55K. M35 with same options about $48K.
Most dealerships in the country will have an "M" Event on Wednesday or Thursday, February 16/17. They are available for orders now.
As for availability, we are receiving 35 the first month, so they have not cut production to my knowledge, but rather increased it. About 32,000 M45's and M35's are being built, with about 20% M45's.
should be some interesting comments out there in a few weeks.
thanks
Those are the official prices. Is your dealer willing to negotiate under MSRP?
I'm surprised they sold you one of those. Those are supposed to be 'demo' units only that every dealer gets, and are not supposed to be for sale. In the demo car my dealer had, it came with the DVD player in the center console even though that is only supposed to be there if the Mobile Entertainment System or Premium Package is ordered. This vehicle did not have either of those. Also there was a minor problem with the speaker in the car seats where the cover kept popping off. These cars may have been rushed to get them in dealer's hands for the launch events and early demos. I don't even think the dealer is allowed to sell you one of those demo cars, but I could be wrong. You may be in luck though. If they could find a car that was already being built that matched your specifications, you could still get it in early March. I could have had one in early March, but it wasn't exactly what I wanted, and now I have to wait until April 4th for my M45.
If you KNOW the exact car you want I can give you a really close number, since our dealer seems eager to deal. I have never purchased a Japanese Premium car (nor any Japanese car, period, as a matter of fact) so I don't know if this is a good deal or not.
Considering that the Audi dealer only will take off $1000 or so on car over $50K, this seems more agressive. Plus the lease numbers on Infiniti's web site (for other cars, not for the M) seem to be very competitive -- moreso than American and most European cars. Yen vs dollar thing? Beats me.
So the guy who said his M is in the showroom locked up may be misinformed or the dealer told him a fib. They cannot even negotiate or take an order for those cars as the dealer does not have the MSO, and probably won't. He better talk to his dealers again.
You might want to question your dealer about this. I am a manager at an Infinit dealership, and we were told explicitly not to sell them or promise them to anyone. We even had to sign an agreement with Infiniti that we would not sell them. Something smells here, tipyles
I have seen my car on the showroom floor with a SOLD tag in it. I even had a friend drop by as if he were interested in the car and ask if he could get in it and just look around. They told him, No.
Haha, so your friend was sort of a spy?
Beautiful car, external lines and looks are great. Inside very nice. I personaly love wood in cars but the rose wood does not do it for me. This is a matter of taste. The tested car was fully loaded. I felt there were way too many buttons on the dash and most are related to the navi. It seems to me that to much importance and space is taken up by this item. The car is very fast, as expected. handles well .
The lane departure thing is absolutely horrible. You will turn it off as soon as you get it. Constantly going off.
Radio was great. seats were good, I felt Acura seats were more comfy in the rl.
Back seat Plenty of room. very comfy even with front seat back.
I then drove the g35 awd. Same incredible pick up, slightly less luxury but very nice. Is the M worth 10k more is up to you. For my tastes the m and g are a little to noisy and I like a smoother ride. Enjoy your test drives.
Bill
Also similar deals are available on the WWW if you don't mind picking the car up from a dealer that may not be in your own backyard.
Google it, you'll see what I mean.
Infiniti does not seem to be bringing the new M's to market with Audi-like pricing inflexibility. I have NOT yet seen any lease numbers, however, and, that of course could change things.
Those sound like pretty good deals. I grew up in the Dayton, OH area. The good thing about that location is that you do have the Cincinnati and Columbus markets in fairly close proximity. I'm sure that is making them a little more competitive.