2004 Infiniti M45
Got it right: Distinctive appearance, powerful engine, Infiniti dealer reputation, pricing
Needs improvement: rear legroom, resale, complicated controls, weight, transmission, large turning radius
In days of yore the Infiniti M45 would be called a sleeper with a 340 horsepower V8 shoehorned into a non-aggressive sedan without any hint of its potential. Unfortunately, Infiniti got the concept right but forgot what every hot rod builder knows, weight kills. They saddled this sophisticated looking sedan with nearly 4000 pounds of bulk killing what might have been a sub 5 second to 60 car for one that is significantly slower. In addition, that burden also hinders handling making this Infiniti largely a highway cruiser. To give you some idea about this weight, the M45 weighs nearly the same as Infiniti's flagship Q45 even though the latter has significantly more interior room, gets better gas mileage, and handles just as well. However, the Q45 costs around ten thousand more so if you don't need the extra room the M would make an excellent choice and you can get 22 mpg on premium if you are gentle.
The Car Family seldom agrees on anything, but not one of us liked the overly complicated center stack controls. They were confusing, requiring you to take your eyes off the road far too long, and we didn't even have the optional GPS which would make it even more sophisticated. And, The Car Family universally felt that the transmission just didn't act like it belonged in a luxury car of this class. It took far too long to kick down, was herky jerky when cold, and irritated all of us.
The ride was nice on the highways, but the body roll on corners was excessive to say the least. Having tested most cars in this price range that call themselves sports sedans, we would not rate this Infiniti highly in terms of cornering. Nonetheless, the Infiniti dealer high quality ratings and the price points for the M Class make it attractive to those who want a luxurious V8 sedan.
Make no mistake about it, this Infiniti is a nice ride and does a good job of combining comfort and performance, but that is the main drawback for us. The compromises made render the M45 neither fast nor overly cushy thus tightening the niche for potential buyers.
Mom's view: The 198-inch wheelbase would make you feel that the M was handy to park, but it wasn't and that bothered me. In fact, the larger Q45 had a tighter turning radius. Go figure. Even the ride had two faces. Over smooth roads the suspension was pleasant, but any irregularities and the M let you know it was not happy and lost its interior quietness. Other areas that were difficult for me to accept were the radio and atmosphere controls that were unnecessarily difficult to monitor and set and the way the transmission worked. When I needed to pass and pressed hard on the accelerator the car would momentarily pause before the transmission decided what gear would be the most appropriate. After that the 333 pounds of torque took over and the M started to show what a V8 can do.