Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
2009 Infiniti M35/M45
HI, I'm new here and I am going to be purchasing a brand new M45 but I want to know, does anyone know what updates will be made for the 2009 M45 and when it will possible go on sale. I have been hearing so many complaints about the gas mileage, and Bose 14 speaker sound system being sorry, how are the rear reclined seats cause I am planning on getting the premium package with RWD. But if they are going to be making changes again for 09" I will wait for that model. I just wish they would make the body kit again and make it a option for the premium to. Thanks for the input God bless.
Tagged:
0
Comments
I'll throw in my 2 cents for you. First, regarding gas mileage, my opinion is that people are making a bigger deal of this than it merits. While Infiniti is on the bottom end mileage wise, if you compare vehicles with similar engines the difference is not as great as some would have you believe. Referencing a post in another area I had previously made .............
Look at the new EPA yearly fuel costs for the cars in the class (15k miles/yr at $3.49/gal) with a 55/45 city/hwy split):
Infiniti M45 ($2911) BMW550 ($2911) Audi A6(4.2) ($2911) M-B E550 ($3078) and Lexus GS460 ($2618)
Infiniti M35 ($2754) BMW535 ($2618) AudiA6 ($2492) M-B E350 ($2754) LexGS350 ($2382) and Cadillac CTS ($2445)
Secondly, the Bose surround sounds perfectly fine with high quality input. My only complaint is that it requires greater volume with lesser quality source material to come close to producing all of the music that the source contains. You should judge this item yourself because this is a very subjective area. Keep in mind also that Bose is a very popular whipping boy for audiophiles. Many times it is deserved but the enmity with which it is delivered causes me to question the objectivity of the reviewer.
Finally, the owner of my local dealership has indicated that the 2009 M's will not be arriving until the fall. This is a couple months later than the previous years M's have hit the lots. Speculation is that the delay is due to the introduction of Infiniti's new 7 speed transmission (scheduled first for the 2009 FX) into the 2009 M. There has also been speculation that the new 5 liter V8 to be introduced in the 2009 FX will also make its way into the 2009 M causing a change in nomenclature from M45 to M50. Neither of these changes has been confirmed to the dealers by Infiniti yet but it would seem a good guess based on the later debut of the 2009 model.
Hope this information is useful to you and I hope that you enjoy your new M as much as I have enjoyed mine the past three years.
I'm now looking to add a multi-channel amplifier and better speakers (at least in the doors) to try to get better fidelity.
Good Luck...
Also is the car real noisey when driving ex. can you hear the road while you are driving cause I had a 2003 nissan Maxima and it had a horrible sound system with no bass what so ever and I would have to turn that sorry radio all the way up just to hear the music over the road noise. God bless.
:mad:
God bless
I'm was planning to sell my 2002 I35 & get an M45X. What's everyone's perspective on whether I should buy the 2008 in June or wait until September for the 2009? With the cost of steel and other raw materials going up so much, I'm assuming the price on the '09's will go up a fair bit.
Any other news re: changes for the '09 model year? I read the postings above.
Thanks much for your comments.
You should also be aware that many report that the bluetooth system is not great...depending on the phone you have. echos, hard to hear, hard for the person at the other end to hear.
EPA Ratings
Lexus GS460 - 16 city 23 highway
Infiniti M45 - 16 city 21 highway
Way better?
Lexus LS460 - 16 city 24 highway
Infiniti M45 - 16 city 21 highway
Infiniti M35 - 16 city 23 highway
Way better? I do most of my driving on the highway, so 14% highway mileage is way better.
The Motor Trend road test of the new FX said 1960 RPM at 60 MPH, which is better than the 2400 currently with the 5 speed.
Absent such improvement, I do not think my next vehicle will be an Infiniti once my current lease is up.
I have looked around. I might actually go for the G35x. Its interior is almost as nice as the M, it's faster, slightly better MPG, sportier feel and slightly cheaper. I never needed the M's size but the last generation G35 had a cheap feeling interior so I went up to the M. This generations G's interior is much better. I seldom have passengers so the size factor isn't a big deal. A shame 2009 M won't have any significant improvement.
Cutting to the chase....I'm down to either leasing another M35 or purchasing a 2009 C350. If I were going to buy an SUV, I'd buy the RX350, lease would be an EX.
BMW's are just overpriced since I live in florida with no hills and no curves. ES350 drives just like a toyota, just quieter. CTS has a very short seat...uncomfortable. GX350..nice car, terrible resale/lease. XF...just beautiful but no deals. E320/350 no voice navigation; audi's just don't excite me. Highest lease price was Murano...go figure...I could drive a 535i for less. Lowest price was the G35...really responsive but seemed like a Maxima/Altima...I don't like when the entire dash moves when you raise/lower the wheel...creates bad reflections on the windshield.
The most impressive cars were the EX which I liked much more than the G35...even though it's slightly less responsive...much nicer interior and great ride...just small. C350 was a great surprise...not the best interior, but fun and better nav than even the M35...purchase price less than M35/lease not as good. But after every test drive, I got back in my M35 and realized that it's really a very spacious, comfortable driving machine....but with less pep than I'd like.
Comparing Infiniti M45 to GS460 (15k/yr, 90% Highway, $4.00/gallon)
Infiniti M45 Annual Cost for fuel - $2,857
Lexus GS460 Annual Cost for fuel - $2,609
$148 dollars per year on a $55,000 car. Again I ask, way better?
Actually I'm not trying to be disagreeable. The only reason I have responded is the use of terminology. I think it is unfair to leave potential buyers of these brands with the impression that one product is "way better" in any area when the facts do not bear it out.
A common theme on these boards is the bemoaning of Infiniti's poor gas mileage. Unfortunately, some of the complaints about the brand's poor performance come from members who were considering purchasing an Infiniti and had no real world or third-party test numbers on which to base their complaint (e.g. - "I was considering an Infiniti xxxx but I've read that the gas mileage is so terrible).
Their impression appears to be based primarily on entries to forums such as these. Because of that, I simply want to provide information to the other forum members that may help in their decision making. Others can look at test data compiled by an independent third-party (the EPA's methodology certainly could be the subject of another discussion) such as that which I posted, and decide whether one engine is "way better" than another as it relates to gas mileage.
Do I think that Infiniti can do things to improve gas mileage in their cars? Absolutely!
Were cost considerations a factor in their decision to continue the use of a 5 speed transmission? Most likely but I think they put a tremendous amount of content in the M for $55,000 so I don't feel that I've been delivered a product that suffers from inadequate engineering.
If you read earlier in this thread you will note that I firmly believe that the 7 speed is likely to end up in the 2009 M. While no one can confirm it yet, when I questioned the owner of the local Infiniti dealership about the possibility of the 7 speed showing up in the M, he agreed that it would be a reasonable scenario as to why the M will be showing up on dealer lots later than previous years. I would think that the current engine mated to a 7 speed would likely deliver highway numbers that would look like the top performers in this class.
One last comment on the engineering of the car. There was a forum member who felt compelled to purchase an M35x when it debuted although he had his heart set on an Audi A6. The magazine reviews and comments from early drivers made the car seem like by far the best choice. After driving the M for a couple months he began to express buyer's remorse and complained about the poor gas mileage of the M and how he wished he had purchased the A6. When I provided him the projected annual fuel expenditures (using MPG differences even greater than the EPA numbers) for the M35x and A6 he conceded that the cost difference was negligible. He then relayed a different concern.
He felt as though the Infiniti was inferior engineering-wise to the Audi because Infiniti continued to use the VQ35 engine in the M while the Audi had a more recently developed engine. He felt, for the money, that Infiniti should provide a newer engine. While it's true that the VQ35 is mostly the same engine developed twelve years ago, I think it is often lost on people that this engine has appeared on Ward's list of 10 Best Engines every year it has been produced. Rather than being a sign that Infiniti is just trying to get by I think this is an example of a pretty amazing engineering and production feat. How many products first produced twelve years ago would continue to make anybody's list of the 10 best today?
While I've been very happy with my Infiniti experience and think that they've made an amazing recovery from the brink of bankruptcy to now attempt to compete with storied marques, I'm not posting to persuade others to change their minds or brands. I'm just attempting to provide a fair view of Infiniti's product. With all the wonderful cars in this segment, it would be difficult for anyone to make a bad choice.
The reason I say this is that there is little that Inifiniti can/will change given a complete redesign for 2010. Some think that the 37/50 engines will find their way into the 09's...with/without CVT 7 speed...but I think it's unlikely that Infiniti will do the tooling to do this given their investment in the 2010 car.
It is possible that they will bring out a 2009.....with no changes at all....just so they have a newer car to sell with better leasing rates because it's an "09" car.
Let's see if I'm right.....
My 2006 M36 lease is up in January. I may call Infiniti and ask if they would give me a lease extension at a reduced rental or they can stick themselves with a gas hog that is worth little at auction. I am under mileage so it really make sense.
In 2000 I rented a diesel Passat in Italy and drove all over at 40+ mpg. Why haven't we rolled out clean diesel here? Coming a a few years I believe. VW in 2009. Even at $5.50 a gallon they make sense.
Hybrids are stupid waste of energy and money. Appeal to dimwit trendy Greenies who don't know a screwdriver from a wrench. They do save money doing downhill and idling. So does turning off the engine, putting the car in neutral or turning off the a/c when driving uphill.
After that hope for hydrogen.
Gas prices may come down short term due to speculators getting squeezed out and Iran sitting on so much low grade crude. Long term price is up up and away.
You're not doing anything wrong. The system HAS lost functionality.
If you'd like to understand why, simply read some of the posts from the very early release of the M. There are many who complained because the voice recognition wasn't perfect (e.g. - it doesn't understand me when I say home, it can't tell the difference between oh and zero, etc.).
While I can appreciate that some may have been aggravated by the lack of perfection I also understood the difficulties of implementing voice recognition. In my opinion, the voice recognition system of the 06 M was remarkable. Was it perfect? No, but it was better than any consumer voice recognition system I'd seen. If you took the time to learn the commands you could do nearly everything you'd want to do without removing a hand from the steering wheel.
Alas, lack of satisfaction from a few has led to loss of functionality for all. All, except for those in Canada who must have been more understanding. Canada, along with the newer markets Infiniti is entering, still receives a voice recognition system similar to the one 2006/7 M owners knew. I, for one, am very sad for the loss.
Also, my lease is up in July, bbut I received an extension until october. Should I exercise the extension and lease an 09, or release an 08 in July?
Lastly, the 08 M's hit the lot in late october, early november last year, so this year is no later than usual.
Or it could just be that the 8-speaker system sounds "good enough." In all honesty, who's in their car long enough for the sound quality to really matter that much? Personally, I'd take the sound of a well tuned exhaust system over any stereo any day of the week.
Lease over January 2009. May consider 2009 FX 7 speed or move to a better gas mileage brand. If the 7-speed is available on the 2009 M or G highway mileage may be much better.
Could use everyones advice....
I'm debating between a M35 and M45. Dealer tells me the M35 actually gets 3 to 4 MPG better than the M45. EPA sticker says its closer to 1 to 2 MPG difference.
Any thoughts on which is closer to reality??
Lol!! I agree with you.
A couple of weeks ago, I realized that almost all the cars get just about as poor mileage as the M. I'm getting 18.1 with my mix of mostly city and some highway. Maybe these cars could get 20 MPG...that's a 10% saving in gas gallons, but most require premium fuel, so there goes the 10%. My M35 runs great on regular gas.
The best part is that with a new M, I get a comfortable, fully adjustable passenger seat.....I like the white dials instead of the orange. Not exactly show stopping changes...the 09 will probably have bigger engine & 7 speed, but if I wait, I may lose the $2000 that makes a 24 mo lease so attractive.
My 2006 lease ends 1/2009. Time will tell.
Today on the radio "Lease an Escalade loaded 699.00 a month no money down" Next month 650.00 a month down down down.
Do not accept them.