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styling is very appealing to me the fluid lines and curves are just very sexy. True the M37 looks like a G37 on steroids, but one thing I have always liked about Infiniti is how most of their vehicles have a strong family resemblance. Coming from Acura TLs last few years Acura is only now realizing they need a brand identity that shows in their cars, of course they elected to use that ugly beak as the identity thus turning off some owners and potential buyers. I just came out of a 09 TL SH-AWD, which aside from its looks was an awesome car, great ride and handling, stuck in the turns and you never felt like you were not in full control. The M37S is clearly targeting the luxury buyer
that wants a sporty ride.
Let me start with the exterior. I already mentioned how I love the styling. The bulging shoulder line may be a little over stated for me (a la Maxima) where I prefer the more rounded G37 lines, but I am just being nit picky. The car looks awesome from every angle. The nose fo the car is more aggressive and in your face that the G because the grille is larger, more rectangular and my upright. The Sport grill is midnight chrome with blacked out headlights and a Sport fascia really giving a "I'm here and I mean business" look to it. The side profile is very Infiniti with a fluid flow across the roof line and sweeping down the back window to a signature tail. Again since this car is larger in all dimensions than a G some of the lines are not as fluid (we don't want an oval gen Taurus now do we). The tail forgoes the traditional Infiniti round tail lamp styling for a more rectangular double semi-oval design that I feel fits the flow of the cars larger size better. The Sport 20 inch wheels make this car. The larger split thick forked wheels with short profile tires fit the wheel wells perfectly and add to the look that the sport fascia creates and sets the Sport miles apart form the very basic plain (yet still very attractive) looking base M.
On the to the Interior. There have been a few reviews that some of the buttons and switches and door handles feel a little plasticy and cheap. I would have to partially agree. Some of the buttons feel a little light weight and slightly cheap, but have you been in a Genesis where those cheapo buttons really distract form the car. The M door handles should have been metal or at least feel like real metal with some substance, but again this is not as big a distraction as it is a Genesis. The M buttons at least look like they belong in a $50K + car, unlike the Genesis where they look like a cheap after thought. While I did not own a previous gen M I have ridden in them and while the previous M interior was nice, this one is a very sculptured and flowing design. The dash materials are soft well assembled. The M is first a luxury car and the Sport model adds a hint of Sport and in my opinion. I would not call it a true Sports Sedan. The Sport seats are very comfortable but lack any substantial bolstering that would keep you in place for any serious cornering, which is sad because a true Sport seat would allow you to "Drive" the car and feel the handling of the car, not fight gravities effects on your body in
turns. I also find the steering wheel in the Sport a little large in diameter and thin. Take an inch or more off the diameter and thicken the wheel by 50% and you have a real sporty steering wheel. Again it is very clear that Infiniti's design goal was primarily a luxury more upscale goal with sport themes. The cabin is large and inviting and has plenty of room for both front and aft passengers. The quality of the leather is excellent, but for a car touching upward of $60K I felt myself yearning for something a little more sumptuous. Also Infiniti leather is notorious for showing wear and tear more quickly than the competitors and I expect the same from the new M. Sure it feels better than the MB Tex and the vinyl feeling leather in the German cars, but in a $60K car I want leather that will still look reasonably well in 2-3 years. Also the padding on the arm rests could be a tad more softer and more giving as well as the upper doors where many people wind up leaning their elbows. The Deluxe Touring leather is supposed to be a step up, but the Sport Touring is the same as the basic leather. Speaking of the Sport Touring package the $2K premium (on top of the $3650 Sport uplift) basically only buys you the upgraded 5.1 sound system and the "Forest Air" climate control system. I feel that is a far stretch to justify a $2K uplift, but if you are like me and yearn for the best
sound you can get in a car then you may opt for the uplift. Speaking of the sound system, well the Bose system in the Touring package gains you some speakers, 5.1, DVD playback and a larger sub woofer. I have never been a fan of Bose and to me it is one of Infiniti's biggest weaknesses. While it is an acceptable sound system it lacking in many areas. Lows are muddy and undefined and the sound stage in the car feels too flat. and while this is up for debate the forward biased sound stage is more natural it tends to be distracting and takes away form the rear biased lows. Where it does tend to deliver is in the mid to high ranges where the sound is crisp and clean, but again not very rich or full. The car does have a USB port for a IPOD, MP3 player or thumb drive, but the port is in the center console mid way up the front side meaning if you plug in a cable or thumb drive and put stuff in the center console it severely impacts your space and you run the risk of damaging the USB port, very port placement by Infiniti. They should have used a cable instead of a port so you can lay down whatever device you plug in.
worn off. Put the Home link button in the head liner near the map lights, where it belongs instead of making me reach and misalign my mirror all the time.
And how about the ride... Well onto what you buy a car for, to drive. Well the Infinit VQ engine is still a magnificent work or engineering. Smooth and silky yet spools up on demand to bring the car to life. The large foot print of the M is not going to have you mistaking it for a BMW 3, but that is not their target audience. They want BMW 5 owners. Having never driven a 5 Series Bimmer I can't tell you if they have hit the mark, but I can tell you the M37 Sport delivers a great balance of smooth driving on decent to good roads yet can maneuver well. The 20 inch wheels and low profile tires make for very responsive steering. What is lacking is a real on center feel and as with many eclectic power steering systems today a real lack of decent road feed back or weight to the steering. The steering feels too over boosted and all speeds, being far to light at low speeds and marginally acceptable at highway speeds. The car has a 4 position control for the selecting the throttle and shift points they should add steering feedback to those settings with standard being less boosted than it is currently, and sport should be very minimal boosting. The Sport package adds Infiniti's 4 wheels active steering which changes the rear wheel angle slightly to provide better stability in hard or sharp corning. I did not push a base car so I can't tell you how different the steering alone improves the dynamic, because the sport suspension and larger wheels alone transform the base car. I will say I can throw the M into turns fairly confidently and if not for the lacking sport seats I would feel even more confident in the cars abilities. The 7 speed auto gets mixed reviews and I know Infiniti has struggled with throttle response and shift points since going fly by wire and introducing the 7 speed auto, but I believe they really have it figured out now. Sure it can use a little tweaking, but if you ever drove the early 2007 G or the first 7 speed auto G's you will appreciate the work their engineers have done for the M. The shifting in the M is smooth and unnoticeably. If
I am not watching the tach I really can't tell when it is shifting. The VQ loves to rev and Infiniti's biggest obstacle prior tot he 7 speed auto was the engines high revs on the highway, well the 7 speed has resolved that issue. At 75MPH the car is only spinning at around 2500 RPM and is quiet. The 20 inch wheels do introduce a bit or road noise at highway speeds and the M could use some more sound deadening materials. Coming form a SH-AWD TL will take a bit of getting used to as that car felt extremely planted on the road and could be whipped into turns effortlessly to the point that the tires would scream for mercy. The M feels a tad more lean into the turns, but much of that I attribute to the lacking Sport seats, put some real seats on this ride and I suspect with the 4 wheel steering and 20 inch tires this baby will stick like glue around sharp turns.
Overall impression? Well I would not have gotten the M37 Sport if I didn't think I would love it. Sure my review is a bit harsh in areas, but when you step into a car that can go for well over $60K (and darn close to it well equipped) you expect a lot. After all you are firmly in the company of some very impressive cars (BMw5, MB E, Audi A6, etc). Infiniti's overall fit and finish seems excellent on this car, but I have always thought their cars lacks the thud and tight feel when you close the doors of some of their competitors. The new M does improve greatly the car feels solid and the doors close with a better sense of the car feeling substantial. The M is fairly early in the production cycle so natural fit and finish issues will pop up. I find that under even low moderate bass both front doors in my M seems ot have occasional buzzes. I find that if you are going to put a high end sound system in a vehicle you should have your engineers really test interior tightness under some extreme tests. I found this to be a hug issue with the previous gen TL that Acura finally mostly resolved in the 09+ TL, I never heard a peep out of the interior under any types of music, base or volume, over 17 months and 19K miles. Kudos to Acura engineers, now Infiniti, go steel them and fix your interior. In the end the M37 S is a joy to drive, it is clearly geared toward being a cruiser first and sport sedan second, but will deliver when asked to.
Let's start with the obvious! They took the compass out of the mirror if you have the navigation system and replaced it with a compass half the size of a dime. Totally worthless. They took out the split, adjustable armrest between the front seats and replaced it with a short, non adjustable one which is very uncomfortable. They took out the extendable double sun visors and replaced those with a cheap sliding visor. While every manufacturer is adding some sort of a side turning signal indicator, Infiniti took theirs out. They moved the tracking headlights into a much higher price group containing many things a lot of people don't want, but added a standard heated steering wheel; just what I need in Florida. They also removed the key fob slot in the dash which doubled as a safety if the key fob battery failed. I don't know what they were thinking there. Lastly, while the navigation system is easier to use, it is several years out of date with roads in my area. While I know where I am going going locally, it leaves me a sense of distrust if I travel out of my area,
2. Where's voice activated "Destination Phone Number"?
3. Still a noisy (wheel noise) car past 40mph...quieter than my '07 M35 at lower speeds.
4. Does not "corner " as well.
5. Should jave at least included BLIS lights as in the Volvo at this price
2021 Genesis G90
After driving the M37 at two different dealerships, I found those comments to be correct. Both test vehicles had orange peel paint (especially the new black color with the java interior), you cannot enter navigation destinations while driving, even if voice command is selected, blue tooth is very hard to understand coming out of the speakers (and I tried two different cell phones, and both had problems), center console is very uncomfortable, ride is extremely harsh and stiff (my back ached after both test drives due to the harshness of the ride and handling and the seat design), etc.
The acceleration was outstanding and trunk capacity most acceptable. However, when I compare the M37 to my Mercedes E350 (2010), the Mercedes is far superior in almost every imaginable way. The only major plus for the M37 is the acceleration.
I found the M37 7 speed transmission to be sluggish and it had difficulty settling in on an appropriate gear as I slowed and/or accelerated.
I am not writing this to tear down the Infiniti and tout the E350 over the M. The Infiniti is, in general, quite a vehicle, however when you compare pricing, the Mercedes out the door cost is almost identical to the M37, both MSRP for about 55K. And, taking that into consideration, my choice is to keep my current vehicle.
2021 Genesis G90
For a little over $10,000 more than our 2006 M-35, Infiniti seems to have engaged in a contest to see how much they could take out of the new car rather than how much they could put in. The first thing I noticed was that the compass was missing from the rearview mirror. The only compass the car has is a very small one (about 45% the size of a dime) on the map page of the navigation system. If any other page is displayed, there is no compass. Even when the compass is displayed it is a major distraction to see and interpret it.
The split front armrest between the driver's and front passenger's seat has also been removed and replaced by a solid one which is not adjustable like the prior model's.
The fully redundant sun visors of the previous model have also been removed and replaced by a Hyundai type sliding visor with no extension.
While everybody is adding some sort of side turning indicator, Infiniti chose to remove it from the new M. They also took out the magnetic induction port for the key fob that allowed the car to be started with a totally dead key fob battery. Now, if the battery fails without warning the only option is to call their toll free number for service.
While they did not totally remove the auto tracking headlights, they did remove them from the Journey package and place them in a way more expensive package.
While Infiniti claims their navigation system is one of the best, it is more than 5 years out of date on several roads in my home area. While that is not critical in local driving, it certainly undermines my confidence in trusting it in areas that are unfamiliar to me. Is it really unreasonable to expect an almost $2000.00 navigation system to be as current as a $200.00 portable system that provides both free updates and free traffic for life? Updates cost as much as a totally new portable system! Updating the Gracenote music box system is an exercise in frustration!
The paint quality is not great and the color choices are even worse. Compared to all my previous Infiniti experiences, this is a total letdown. Had I not relied so heavily on past positive experiences I would never have gotten this vehicle. After 5 Infinit's, thjis may very well be my last.
In regards to the ride quality, it is only harsh if you get the sport package. I found that with the regular suspension it was quite comfortable, maybe not Lexus soft, but on par with the BMW and Audi suspension considering its finally got Michelin OEM tires on there where as the latter two don't.
Not sure what people are complaining about on fit and finish. This interior is the nicest and best Infiniti has ever had and every professional car review I have read thus far on the new M has always praised its fit/finish and interior.
He is another key fact about the intelligent key people should be made aware of. If the battery is dead, there is a push button on the side to release a manual key from the back of it so that you can unlock the doors manually with the key and gain access to the car. As far as I know, there is a slot on the dash you then put the entire intelligent key into that allows the car to sense that the key is there and let you start the engine. This is to prevent you from being stranded if the battery in the key fob goes. I recommend every 2-3 years, going down to you local radio shack, supermarket, etc and just spend the $4 freakin bucks for a new battery for the thing.
I know it sounds like I am defending the M to a T, but it is not as bad as people are making it out to be. It's definitely an improvement over the last gen. It is completely on the level of a 5 Series or E-class, no, but some of these nit picking things could be avoided if people actually read reviews and research the car a little bit better before testing driving it.
For 550, I think you need to go to Bimmerfest to find out what the owner's impression so far.. What I get out of it is not very positive for the new 5 series. Looks like most everyone get grinding noise from the steering wheel.. Previous BMW owner complain mightly about the steering feel (for us new owner, probably not too bad a trade off). And then there are a few scary random check engine light stuff... I think it is one of those car that will do better in the second year..
Other factor is, Infiniti one the ALG highest residual value award for 2011 so depreciation is at a minimum if you go with Infiniti. I say try them out, and if things don't work out, just go back to another make the next time around.
'fix" done by the dealer on my new M37 last week and was pleased to find that the transmission shifting, searching for gear, etc. was much improved. It still does not shift as well as I would expect for a top line car like this but is now acceptable. The service guy said my car was the first to have the upgrade performed at the dealership and he expected a service bulletin to follow shortly.
Is this transmission manufactured by Mercedes? If true, still no excuse since MB should know how to design and mfg a quality auto tranny.
Other than the above issue, no problems and I love the car. So much cool electronic stuff that I am still learning new things. Engine is very strong and gas mileage is good for a car this size. Sharp looking car!!
Everyone is adding side marker/mirror turning signal indicators. Infiniti had them in 2006 and took them out for 2011. The adjustable, split center arm rest between the front seats has been removed and replaced with a single non-adjustable one. The double sun visors with an expansion piece have been removed and replaced with a Hyundai style single sliding adjustment type visor. The key fob holder built into the dash has been removed leaving the only remedy to a dead key fob battery as calling for emergency service. The auto tracking headlights have been moved into the technology package from the Journey package leaving most buyers without them. Lastly, the navigation system is years out of date, missing roads that show on 2003 AAA maps. I've received three seperate offers of updates only to discover that none exist. Each offer has specifically been directed to "Dear 2011 M-37 owner." They've also taken the compass out of the rear view mirror, forcing you to rely on the half the size of a dime compass which only appears when the map function of the navigation system is active.
The car looks beautiful and has a great ride (other than the transmission). This is no way to build a premium car and certainly no way to treat a loyal premium car buyer. This is my fifth and last Infiniti.
I think we should all get together and seriously consider a "class action lawsuit" against infiniti for "false advertising". When I first test drove the car, I noticed some hesitation and they said the computer just needs to get used to my driving style and then after 2000 miles It will all be great!! It was a lie and I recently contacted a lawyer that is having me send him all the service reports I have along with a copy of my lease agreement.
If you're interested in getting involved please let me know...
DOES IT HELP WITH the HESITATION????
Can you please let me know.
thank you.
I also have a noise when i go over bumps i hear a tap / knock sound from the from of the dash like something hitting the window. Has anyone else heard this noise?
I'll be taking it in for a look soon
The transmission in my 2011 M-37 has experienced, at one time or another, every complaint listed in the long string of postings concering transmission issues. As of 6:15 PM on 01/24/2011 my service "advisor" says that the service "manager" cannot locate any service bulletin or advisory concerning this issue.
Can anyone who has had their transmission problems corrected please ask their dealer for the service bulletin number so I can give it to my dealer. I hardly drive this car because I find it so unpleasant to deal with the transmission issues. We tend to defer in favor of our 2006 M-35 which in four years, nine months has not had a single issue.
Thanks for your help.
http://www.edmunds.com/car-maintenance/guide-page.html
to see if anything comes up.
Also try safecar.gov
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I love almost everything about the car except the transmission. As a loaner, the dealer gave me a G37 which shifted much better than my car. Don't know why since the service manager said both cars have the same transmission. Go figure.
But, I am not through with this issue. I plan to continue pressure on the dealer regarding the transmission and maybe they will finally come up with a good answer. If they have to replace the transmission to finally fix the problem, then just do it. It beats tarnishing the image of the brand.
Good luck with the follow up with your dealer. If my dealer could get a new software update yours can also.
Huh? what can the dealer do with this problem after the new transmission fix? It is a design problem and not a defect on a particular transmission.. So if by miracle infiniti willing to pay for a new transmission, you get the same problem again... How does it help?
I'm not sure, I know my 10 Maxima still has the slot in the dash to put the intelligent key if you need too
On another point, they just did a NAV update and we no longer have FM traffic...that button disappeared on the screen and you have to get XM (satellite) to get traffic
My opinion at this point is that there is some sort of design or quality problem which presents itself in many, but not all, of the transmissions. Or, perhaps Infiniti changed the 7 speed on the new M37 for some reason and it has not worked out well. I think that Infiniti probably just hopes it will go away or that we will finally accept that this is "normal" operation. It's not, and something should be done.
Even though my car's transmission has improved with the software update, it is still not where it should be and detracts from the driving experience since I am always evaluating the shifting. I am thinking that we might have been among the unlucky buyers that got one of the "bad" transmission. If you get a fix, please post the information.
Good luck.
Due to the weight difference and performance variences between the G-37 and the M-37 a different program was used in the M-37. Obviously Infiniti thought they had the problem solved with the M and they didn't. There now is a total remapping program available for the M-37 which does satisfy all transmission quirks. I know since I had it done this past Friday and it makes a world of difference. At first my dealer claimed there was no such program though other posts on Edmund's claimed to have received it. I finally called Infiniti Customer Service who also claimed to know of no transmission fixes for the M-37. After much prodding they checked with their engineers who confirmed there was a fix but that they had not issued a "Service Bulletin" yet so dealers could not locate it. Emily, at ext 1547, had to call my dealer and tell them how to download the fix. It took about an hour to install and instantly every quirk vanished like magic.
I am very excited to hear that news! Did it really fix the issue with tranny? I am hoping the issue is resolved with the accelleration issues as well?? I slow down to take a corner, hit the pedal and it hesitates for 2 to 3 seconds. Does the tranny fix address this issue?? Infiniti has given me such a run around. As recent as last week they said they knew of "nothing and no update for the tranny" so I'm hoping I have the same experience as you. I actually have a work order in for this Wednesday and I spoke to Emma at ext 7107 and she knew nothing about it either so she is having the regional quality control person call me wednesday before my appointment. I think I'm gonna call the girl you recommended though, you said "emily at ext 1547" right?? I am hoping she can have the service guy do the same thing as your service guy but mine is a "pompous [non-permissible content removed]" and thinks he already knows everything so I've got a battle ahead I'm sure.
Please let me know if you know the exact name of the software update...thank you sir...
You mention that the tranny is better after the update but still NOT what you would expect. Please tell me the hesitation is better? Also, please tell me that while in "sport mode" it doesn't cruise in 6th gear at 25mph?? I spent 55k on a car that pisses me off every time I drive it....UGH!!
I contacted a consumer affairs attorney and he said that if we can get enough complaints on the tranny together we will have a case. Please let me know how your tranny is acting now January 31st 2011...thank you...
I have played around with the sport mode but don't like how it performs. Rather than "cruse around in 6th gear at 25mph", I find that it likes to keep itself in a lower gear and to require more rpm's to upshift. It's more like stay in 3rd gear at 25mph and refuse to upshift. It would probably be fun on a curvy mountain road but is mostly useless in any kind of normal driving unless you plan to use a lot of throttle and prepare for a speeding ticket. I just keep it in normal mode.
GOOD:
-- The car is beautiful- looks great in both black colors and blue slate
-- The interior on the deluxe touring is really nice- looks great in stone or java, and the silver powder went well with both colors- seats were pretty comfortable
-- The interior on the non-deluxe touring was appropriate for the class- but the deluxe package really seemed to enhance the look a lot
-- The upgraded Bose stereo with the deluxe vs premium (16 speaker vs 10 speaker) was a bit better- but the difference wasn't drastic
-- The car handles the road very well for its size- took it on some sharp twisty roads
-- Acceleration is also quick as expected
BAD:
-- I found the transmission very annoying in normal and sport modes. It would hunt and peck, upshift sharply at times, then downshift very harshly. Honestly, for me it added an unwanted jerkiness to an otherwise comflortable/sporty ride
-- The engine is made to rev high (to 7000 RPMs) as it shifts gears. This created an experience where the engine was loudly revving while the transmission was shifting very abruptly- not luxurious or appropriately sporty in my view
-- I drove two cars and had the same reaction to both.
End of the day, I can see a lot of reasons to get this car- particularly with current lease/buy incentives- but make sure you can tolerate the driving characteristics. Some may enjoy it, but I thought it really detracted from a product that otherwise had a lot going for it, and am not sure I would want it as my daily driver. The salesman said that the transmisison would adapt to the driver eventually, and maybe it would, but I'm not sure I want to take the risk that it doesn't!
Some have posted about a software fix for the transmission- any more experiences with that fix?
The 7 speed automatic transmission has one or more of the following conditions: - DTC P0729, P0732, P0733, P0734, P0735, and/or P1734 stored in the ECM and/or TCM - Excessive engine braking felt after lifting off the accelerator pedal - Hesitation when accelerating from a stop - Harsh downshift from 7th gear during hard acceleration - Excessive vibration during light acceleration.
The software patch made a world of difference in the shifting of my M. Much better shifting in all gears as well as Gas mileage improved!!! I'm happy now and have gained acceptance once again in Infiniti.
HTH
I leased 2011 M37 two weeks ago and realized my transmission has the problem past weekend.
I just stopped by this site to see if there are any case like me, and surprised there are many people have the same problem as me.
I randomly experience hesitation 2-3 sec when I press gas pedal from the slow driving or stop position and upshift aggressively, not proportionally.
It smooth and consistant mostly and I expect this mode should be all the time, but it is not.
It over accelerated and not consistant very randomly.
I will call and talk to my Infiniti service center in Chicago where I used to go, and see what they say.
I just worry what if they say this is the normal operation.
There is a re-mapping of the computer available which was done to my car. This resulted in about a 97% fix. While I can live with this until the end of my lease, after five various Infiniti's I doubt I will stay with the brand. This is just no way to treat the (repeated) purchaser of a $50,000 vehicle. They should be ashamed of themselves releasing a car like this and the subsequent treatment of an obviously loyal customer. By the way, the Navigation system is years out of date. There is a road I drive on twice a week that shows on a 2003 edition AAA map that still shows me driving through an open field. Entrances and exits on Florida's Turnpike as well as speed limits are also years out of date and so far there is no fix for this.