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Infiniti Q45

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  • carnaughtcarnaught Member Posts: 3,575
    The '99 "Q" is the old body style but is still a nice car. How does the Caddy drive? If you buy the Caddy, consider getting an extended warranty.
  • atlcarguyatlcarguy Member Posts: 7
    The Caddy drives great, lots of power, just a little sloppy in the curves. It has a great exhaust note under hard acceleration, and it's hard to tell its a front driver behind the wheel. I am aware of the electronic glitches with the caddy but would defiantly get the extended warranty.
  • carnaughtcarnaught Member Posts: 3,575
    You would definitely or "defiantly" get the extended warranty?
  • tmharrelltmharrell Member Posts: 14
    I bought a used Q45 - it had 24000 miles. It now has 59000 miles. No rattles or squeaks, no failures or leaks. Smooth on rough roads, handled better than the two LS400s I drove as comparison. 16-17 mpg in town. Consumer Reports gives Nissan and Infiniti products good reliability ratings - so I did not buy an extended warranty. Also had a Maxima for 60000 miles - sold it to a guy who had three previous Maximas, all purchased with more than 50000 miles. Consumer Reports gives Cadillac bad reliability ratings.
  • atlcarguyatlcarguy Member Posts: 7
    whoops..... definitely not defiantly
  • atlcarguyatlcarguy Member Posts: 7
    I saw a pretty good article on 1997-2001 Q45 on the motor trend web site. I am a little nervous about nissan. I had an older maxima that cost me $6000 on repairs in three years. At one time it sat for 8 months because it needed a tranny and the cheapest price on it was $1900. My dealership experience with nissan was horrible, but then again my GM experience wasn't great either. except for Saturn which was great.
  • flabethflabeth Member Posts: 2
    I am seriously considering buying a 1999 Q45 with about 26,500 miles...price $23,900. Has anyone had experience with that year model and would they recommend it. The price seems good. I'm wondering too what drivers of the Q45 are getting mileage-wise. Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks.
  • fsvfsv Member Posts: 196
    Guys, is it possible to summarize personal experiences on Q45 for this car potential buyers? I am thinking about new M45 but the prices for slightly used Q45 are so sweet - people like me would definitely appreciate information and advise from people who have actually owned the car & love/hate the car.
  • kappaman1kappaman1 Member Posts: 18
    Just recently purchased a '99 Q45 with 45k. I think that you are getting a good deal at that price and for such low mileage. I've been very pleased with the car and think that this is such a great car for the money.
  • flabethflabeth Member Posts: 2
    I did buy the 99 Q45 and have only had it a couple of days. Its a beautiful car and drives great! Thanks for the info.
  • fsvfsv Member Posts: 196
    to 2001 Q45 owners - how is the car so far? I am looking to buy '01 car when the first ones are getting out from 2 year lease, but am afraid to buy the first year of production car - any disturbing things so far? Really appreciate the input. Thanks.
  • wargo1wargo1 Member Posts: 2
    I am considering buying a '94 Q-45 with 95k miles for $5000. My major concern is I have heard from numerous sources that repairs are very expensive. I also own a '97 Crown Victoria. How much more expenses would repairs be, even for such items as brakes, tune up etc...,compared to my crown vic. I love the Q, but don't want to spend the price I am paying for the car in repairs over the next 3years.
  • fsvfsv Member Posts: 196
    My cousin had the car of the same year - was a disaster for him, financially... Infinities are generally of a decent quality, but Q45 with 100K miles could be dangerous for your budget. again, doublecheck on the mileage, unless you are 100% positive; even highway mileage is bad - once I had a job traveling 250 miles roundtrip a day - my Accords shocks died right away - 2- 2.6 hours of 80 miles, with some heavy breaking (for Smokies - thank you Valentine 1) have really killed the car - it started to rattle etc. if anything breaks on the Q, you should consider rarity of the car, it's age, and other things. I've heard, that now you can buy 3 years old maxima for 7-8G's with around 30K miles - sounds like quite a deal, you just need to find a right dealer.
  • kappaman1kappaman1 Member Posts: 18
    I will soon be in the market for tires for a '99 Q. Any ideas? I did take a brief look at Michelin Pilot, but kinda pricey. Is there a site to order accessories for '99 Q.
  • aramusaramus Member Posts: 5
    Does anyone know waht incentives are available on a 2003 Q-45 at this time?
  • wargo1wargo1 Member Posts: 2
    I am still looking for more owners of '94 Q45's that can enlighten me on possible maintenance and repair costs along with what has gone wrong at around 100k miles.
  • kappaman1kappaman1 Member Posts: 18
    Recently bought a 99Q that I'm in the market soon for new tires. I was told about Falcon tires as a possible option. I don't know much about these tires but were priced lower than Bridgestone Potenza. Does anybody have any info on these these tires. Now to give a brief assessment for the Q: the ride is very smooth with good power. I've been very happy with all the features. Dissappointed that the steering wheel control aren't illuminated. It is a good looking car that elicits interesting responses. So far so good.
  • sysadbsysadb Member Posts: 83
    I had a 93 for 6 years that accumulated 85k miles, and I just bought a 90 with 41k miles (a VERY nice one), so I can't speak with too much experience with high milage units. The owner of my old 93 got to about 100k before he totaled it in an accident, but that car was flawless until it died. I never spent anything other than maintenance for that car.

    They do tend to wear front brakes quicker than many other cars; how quick depends on your driving habits, of course. I got about 20-25k on a set of pads.

    I would say there is really nothing on the car that is prone to break, but service is a must. (Make sure the timing belt,transmission fluid, brake fluid, etc. is changed at recommended intervals). Fuel injectors may wear (mine didn't), and a failed active suspension is big $$$'s to fix, so I would avoid that model. (But is is an impressive option nonetheless).

    A potential problem is the Bose stereo. Not sure about a 94, but it may not be available if it breaks. You'll have to find it at a junkyard, or try to get it repaired at a radio shop. Replacing the system is not cheap, since all the speakers have their own amp, and thus have to also be replaced if you use an aftermarket brand. Make sure it works.

    In summary I would suggest that there is no one component that is LIKELY to break, and that the Q is overall a very reliable car, but the reality is that a 100k+ mile car (no matter the make or model) is a risk. Make sure there is a service history.
  • dmitryzdmitryz Member Posts: 14
    My first post here.
    Well, I'm about to sell my 2001 325i[new baby at home and it's just too small a car] and remembering how I always liked the Q45, I checked out eBay and see that 97-99 Q's can be had for a good price, if you do your research, on average the price is $2-4000 less autotrader.com, local classifieds or dealership prices.
    I don't mind buying cross country. A nice break from work going back home. In fact I would love to bring a Southern car to the North-East.:)

    I am not a mechanic, therefore -

    1.What problem areas are there for the 1997-99 Q45?

    2.What mileage car would you suggest to buy to be safe for another 50-70k miles?

    3.Is it possible to purchase warranty for a car that old?

    4.Any and all suggestions welcomed.

    Thanks!
  • fsvfsv Member Posts: 196
    If you have any access to dealers auctions, you'll be able to find a very nice car there now coming out of 3 year leases for under 20G's with 40,000 miles (plus tax,fee,etc) + approx. 1,000 dollars will buy you coverage to 100,000 miles (God forbid anything breaks - parts for this car ARE EXPENSIVE). Still less than 25-28G's dealer will charge you. Warranty on the car is 4 years, so u'll have like 1 year of it, and yes, you can buy warranty - check for example AAA (they are good, but not cheap).

    I am shopping for the same car and this is the venue I go...

    Any other Infiniti, Subaru, Toyota/Lex and Honda/Accura will serve you well (from my own experience).
    In resale Subarus (any; by the way, I might have tip on a brand-new '02 stick Impreza with 0 mileage, standing in a dealership in NJ, which they will sell to you real cheap- just to get rid of it), Acura CL-3.2S and Lexus IS300 are the best bargains. Hondas are expensive, plus, after owning 4 of them, I start finding them being too noisy. Toyotas are plain to expensive for what you get (the only deal might be Solara).
  • dmitryzdmitryz Member Posts: 14
    What a coincidence. I'm in Brooklyn, work on SI coupla days/week[Hylan Blvd]. Some weather we got.

    There are several 2000 Anniv. Ed. Q45s on eBay right now. I checked carfax on several of them and you know what - YOU ARE RIGHT, most of them come off the dealer auctions. They usually go for anywhere from $19,000 to $22,000 on ebay.
    I wonder how much less $ the dealers pay for them before selling on ebay.

    Does anyone have a rough idea how much these 2000 Q45s go for at dealer auctions?
  • fsvfsv Member Posts: 196
    Y2000+30,000 miles/auction=$17.5-18G's. + dealers fee, tax/everything cash right on the auction, as you can imagine. Can referr you to a couple of guys, who'll get you in there, though in Brkl you'll easily find your own way around. Some of 2000 will be anniversary edition - more features, but more money. Don't touch the cars with selectable suspension firmness options - first shocks replacement will bancrupt you.
     Problem is, it might take some time before you find the car you want for these money - they never sold too many Q's in the first place; your insurance in Brkl will be a killer - you DON'T WANT to have only min. liability coverage on this car.
    Did you drive the car of this particular generation? Do you relize it is much more a Buick than a Bimmer?
  • dmitryzdmitryz Member Posts: 14
    "Did you drive the car of this particular generation? Do you relize it is much more a Buick than a Bimmer?"

    I need a touring car. Planning to commute to Westchester for work. I think Q is way more comfortable than the 325i
  • fsvfsv Member Posts: 196
    Hell, it is... I worked in Trumbull, CT - daily 250 miles roundtrip from the place where I live, going with the flow (which was 70-80 mph), can tell you, I hate any cars which don't flow over the road and make any rattling, jarring, wind, tire, you name it noise. Or shake. Or make me feel a bump. But I like precise handling... Touring edition Q though is on the sporty ride side.
    This way now I am looking at lightly used Q or Crown Vic or Impala SS '96. All are roomy, ride is like gliding in the air, all are steal-a-deal.
  • ssykossanssykossan Member Posts: 3
    Hello i'm a 20yr old. my Q45 has 200k miles on it but still runs like new. the guy who sold it to me was like an uncle figure to me and he treated it with a decent care. And plus all the necessary jobs were done including the 200k tune up. i got it for almost free so i don't mind about the year and the mileage but i came hear to learn and get some useful advice on the car. all the infiniti gurus out there please share your comments and some advices on my 200,k infiniti... what kinda of maintainance is required and how i should treat the car. ALso the sunroof is broken and i love to have a sunroof that works. how much would it cost to replace it??? and i also need a new cd player on it but how much should i be looking to
    spend?.... thank you for sharing your knowledge and all advices and comments will be grateful for me to know. please do not make fun of me for having such an old car.....
    thank you!!!!>>>
  • gteach26gteach26 Member Posts: 576
    I saw an '03 Q45 parked at the mall today.. I hardly ever see these cars on the road. I must say the Q looks VERY nice in person. It just so happened to be parked three stalls over from a Lexus LX430 and though I'd never thought I'd say this, the Q looked nicer! Pictures do not do this car justice. Now, I just can't figure out why these Q's aren't more popular. Where I live all you see is Lexus and Acura all over the place.. Infiniti's are much harder to spot. Now that I've seen this Q first hand though I think I've caught the fever!!
  • gteach26gteach26 Member Posts: 576
    Does the new generation Q45 (2002+) have power folding mirrors? I cannot find the answer on the Infiniti site. Thanks!
  • fennfenn Member Posts: 197
    Not power folding. ---manual folding.
  • gteach26gteach26 Member Posts: 576
    It's a minor issue, but I feel the Q should have power folders. For the $$ saved over the LS430 I think most people can live with it though.
  • fennfenn Member Posts: 197
    I have not missed power mirrors. It is not something that I have even thought about..
  • gteach26gteach26 Member Posts: 576
    The only reason I asked is because on the LS430 ultra, you can program the mirrors to fold automatically when you park. I thought it was a nice feature -- but like I said, not a big deal in any case. Thanks!
  • fennfenn Member Posts: 197
    The LS430 Ultra will end up costing several thousands more too.........
  • gteach26gteach26 Member Posts: 576
  • jimxojimxo Member Posts: 423
    It appear it could take a hiatus for a few years?

    http://www.imakenews.com/autospies/e_article000171818.cfm
  • gteach26gteach26 Member Posts: 576
    that they are only selling 100-200 of these cars a month it wouldn't seem to matter much to Infinity either way. It's a shame, because the Q seems like an awesome car, it's just "invisible" compared to others in its class. In fact, guess what's on TV right now -- an LS430 commercial! Spooky.
  • ljflxljflx Member Posts: 4,690
    You don't need to go to a $71k LS430 ultra to get the mirrors to fold. They fold on the $57k premium edition.
  • kappaman1kappaman1 Member Posts: 18
    I recently bought a '99 Q for under 20k. It had less than 46k miles and was just coming off lease. This car is still under manufacturer warranty so this gave some comfort in buying decision. I've been very pleased with the car. Soon I'll be in market for tires and need suggestions on what's available. So far Michelins seem to be tire most recommended.
  • bwiabwia Member Posts: 2,913
    My friend just replaced (at Sears $799) the OEM tires on his '99 Q45t with Yokohama V-rated all season 245-45-R17. They not only look good but the handling was superb though not as smooth as my Toyota Avalon XLS. I would recommend moving up to bigger tires

    Phil
  • merrelmerrel Member Posts: 45
    I bought a new 2002 Q 45 on 7/20/01 and kept it for 30 days. Took one heck of a bath when I dumped it for a Mercedes. Car would not cool off in the cabin on really hot days. Used far too much gas with the monster engine inside. Bad homework on my part. Thank goodness my wife has plenty of money. By the way, just how many new Q's do YOU see on the road these days? Hardly any? Me too.
  • carnaughtcarnaught Member Posts: 3,575
    When test drivng the Q vs. LS430 in mid '01, I too could not get the Q to blow ice cold air. I had the dealer allow me to drive three different Q's, all with same problem. I wrote extensively about this problem on this board back then and it was largely poo pooed by Infiniti loyalists. BTW, there is no such problem with the G35 which I DO own. The a/c on the G is great. In dealing further with the Infiniti dealer with the G, I finally got them to admit there was a lousy a/c unit on the '02 Q. I understand, but don't know first hand, that it is much improved on the '03. I've driven the '03 FX models and the a/c seems adequate but not stellar also.

    (Needless to say I bought the '01 LS 430 instead.)
  • fennfenn Member Posts: 197
    I have never had a problem with my 2002 Q45's a.c. on the hottest of days. This is in my real life experience with a Q45 here in Los Angeles. My car has almost 50,000 miles too.

    I saw this same complaint mentioned here about 18 months ago and I asked my dealer about it, and he said there had been no notable issues with the Q45's air system. So, is my real life experience called "poo-pooing?

    By the way, I have a few issues with my Q45, but the a.c is not one.
  • kappaman1kappaman1 Member Posts: 18
    I just recently bought a '99 Q45, and often have to adjust the air because it is too cold. I think that it is interesting that Merrell got rid of his infiniti because the air didn't get "cold" enough and that the car used to much gas. More interesting is that the Mercedes he bought according to Merrel has constantly squeaking brakes, wipers that are possessed and a radio with problematic illumination. Give me my Q and "cool" air any day!
  • sysadbsysadb Member Posts: 83
    My old Q can produce colder air than my newer 740i, but I believe the system is designed to cool the air ONLY enough to maintain the inside temperature desired. It should blow cold at first (but of course won't be cold for a minute or two), and then only be cool enough to maintain the temp. setting at a low fan speed. Some drivers are used to manual settings in some cars that continuosly blow cold air if it's set that way. To them the air might not seem cold in comparison, but it should be maintaining the interior temp chosen.
  • carnaughtcarnaught Member Posts: 3,575
    Glad you've got good a/c on your Q; that's all I can say :o).
  • sheltonzsheltonz Member Posts: 2
    Let me weigh in here! I drove a Lexus LS400 for 8 years before buying a Q45 as a replacement. Why? Simple. When I went to the Lexus dealer to buy a new one (1998), they had no LS400 in the showroom but assured me they would put me on the waiting list for a full sticker price ($65,000). I had paid $35,000 for my 1991 Lexus so quite a shock. I drove over to the Infiniti dealer and bought a new Q45 (list $54,000) for $40,000 on the spot. I have 46,000 miles on it today and has not been any trouble at all. While Lexus has more prestige, I do not think it is worth the difference in price. I will probably buy another Q45 soon.
  • kappaman1kappaman1 Member Posts: 18
    I've had my Infiniti Q45 for several months and have been totally satisfied. I've received excellent customer service for recent oil change and problem with a seat recliner switch. The customer service at Infiniti of Charlotte was excellent. I think you get so much bang for the buck when you buy an Infiniti. The same thing I think can be said for the I35 vs other comparable models. My Q has been an excellent car that stands out in a crowd.
  • lenscaplenscap Member Posts: 854
    The fact that you bought a new $54,000 1998 Q45 for $40,000 should tell you something. Either the Q45 was overpriced, nobody wanted it, or both. Simple economics.

    Note that doesn't mean it's a bad car (although your generation Q45 was known to have been born out of much cost cutting). Regardless, what Infiniti did by discounting the car so much really hurt their image and resale value. With the new Q45 they are not discounting anywhere near as much (so Infiniti says). As a result sales are simply awful...about 200 units a month. But they're trying to repair a tarnished image and are working toward the long-run so that's okay according to Infiniti.

    On the flip side, why do you think the 1998 LS 400 commanded list price? Because you had a car in great demand. Once again, simple economics.

    By the way, that LS 400 you looked at could not have been $65,000 because even loaded up with nav (the first year of nav) the car was just over $60,000 (unless it had dealer add-ons).
  • bob550kbob550k Member Posts: 148
    I just bought a Navigator and I am retiring the Q. Great car, I kept this Q longer than any daily driver I have ever owned. The customer service has been the best, the car reliable and durable. I bought it used with 22,000 miles on it and kept it for over 4 years and ran it up to 81,000 miles. With a new set of shocks this car would still perform close to new. The heated seats had a mind of their own so they are disconnected, the AC is very good but not as cold as a Cadillac. The Infiniti has been an excellent car, I look forward to owning another in the future.

    I considered and drove an LS400 at the time I bought the Q, and the suspension was mushy, I took a quick look under the back end and I just have to know...Did the Packard Brothers design that rear suspension? OINK! I guess you could say neither Porsche nor Infiniti sell alot of cars, but Lexus and Kia sure do. I guess it all depends on your point of view.
  • lenscaplenscap Member Posts: 854
    Your comparison of car sales does not give an accurate picture. Yes, neither Porsche or Infiniti sell a lot of cars. And Lexus and Kia do (I'm taking your word on Kia since I don't know). But that's comparing apples to oranges.

    Take Porsche. They sell relatively few cars. But the sports car market is small, and that's what they target. In that sports car market, they have a very good share.

    Likewise, when looking at Infiniti, specifically the Q45, you have to look at how their direct competitors are doing. When comparing the Q45 to the other cars in its class it sells poorly.

    Again, I'm not talking at all about what car is good or better. I'm strictly talking how the consumer has responded with his/her purchasing dollars. And when you do that you must compare sales of similar cars. You can't simply make a blanket statement linking Porsche and Infiniti sales...it's irrelevant.

    Oh, by the way, the Lexus LS has always had an independent double wishbone rear suspension, one of the finest suspensions made. Whether it is tuned to your liking, of course, is a totally different story.
  • bob550kbob550k Member Posts: 148
    The sports car market is very large, without looking up production numbers I bet Chevy has sold over 1,000,000 Corvettes. Chevy probably sells more than 10 - 1 over Porsche, it doesn't mean the Porsche is a low demand car, they just don't build a ton of them sort of like Infiniti doesn't over build the Q, I don't think they ever built over 12,000 Q's in one year for world wide consumption. I enjoied the exclusive part of owning the Q.

    Americans like big soft luxury cars, I totally understand why a car like the LS sells so well. It's the same formula that made Cadillac great. Big car, powerfull V8 with a cushy ride. Hopefully Lexus won't follow suit with the complete failure of quality control Cadillac had in the late 70's.

    The Packard Brothers were very advanced in their designs...
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