Infiniti M45 Road Test

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.

I was impressed by the Infiniti interior and exterior appearance. They were elegant and understated. But there were other items that bothered me starting with the seat controls that were nearly impossible to reach. They were in the usual position, on the outboard cushion of the seat, but the intrusion of the elbow rest made it very difficult to reach, especially if you were wearing a ring. Luckily for me, my husband did not buy me a large engagement ring so I didn't have to worry about my hand getting caught.

Everywhere you look there is leather upholstery and bird's-eye maple accents. That was the good news. The bad news was that the stereo, climate and trip computer functions are managed by a touch screen system that is quite complicated. There is a way to get around this by ordering the Premium Package that has Infiniti's voice recognition option, but even that takes more time than necessary. Of course, the system is not as complicated as those on the Mercedes and BMW luxury sedans. An interesting extra you can order is the technology package with a DVD-based navigation system, laser-based intelligent cruise control, and a 7-inch LCD that runs nearly $2800 US.

There were plenty of features I enjoyed on the M45 such as a trunk that opens just the right amount and even pulls itself tightly closed. The driver's seat has a 10-way power adjustment and the steering wheel has both power tilt and telescoping features. On the other hand, the passenger seat only has four-way power adjustment.

Safety wise, the M45 has active head restraints to help prevent whiplash if the M45 is rear-ended, antilock brakes, front and side airbags, traction control, depowered airbags, and stability control. The brakes were another story, as I did not like the feel of the brakes. They didn't seem to be serious about stopping until I used significant leg strength to get their attention.

All in all, this Infiniti is a nice car that does not seem to be able to decide if it is luxurious or sporty and ends up being a little of each.

Dad's view: We had the Premium Package and it came with seats that could be heated or cooled by pressing a button next to the center console. Compared to other cars with a similar option, these did not work as well. The seats were fairly comfortable, but not for hard driving due to the lack of enough side bolster to hold you in place on the slippery leather surface. Speaking of which, there is way too much lean in the M45. It is best used as a nice cruising vehicle for those in the front seat. The backseat is quite limited in foot room and the trunk only affords 13.4 cubic feet of room.

The reason anyone would be interested in this car is because of the numbers. You get the highly acclaimed, class leading, V8 engine that uses its 32-valve DOHC and 4.5-liters of displacement to put forth 340 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 333 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm. Putting this performance to the rear wheels is a five-speed automatic with automanual capabilities. If you use the automanual, you can get this heavy car to 60 mph in about six and a half seconds. All of this plus the highly regarded Infiniti service for well under $50,000 US. The downside is that the transmission just does not want to cooperate and downshifts are slow and jolty. So you get what you pay for.

Driving the M is not uncomfortable, but the fully independent front strut/rear multilink suspension simply cannot handle the two tons during quick maneuvers. During bumper-to-bumper excursions the interior controls get frustrating and the quixotic nature of the transmission can make you yearn for the more responsive G35 from Infiniti. This Infiniti would not be my first choice for a sports sedan, but it is priced very well costing considerably less than the competition and provides far more horsepower.

Young out of work male's view: Yep, lost another job when I asked for my paycheck and they said to wait another week. This recovery just hasn't reached the masses yet, if there really is one outside the White House. Anyway, the sound system on the Infiniti was superior, but the reception was not even adequate. The backseat looked fine, but was too small for long distance travel. I liked the way the car rode and there was a certain satisfaction in being able to spend time mastering the numerous features on the GPS and driver computer. The "birds eye" view the GPS offers on the Infiniti is unique and useful. Maybe its my frustration of not being able to find work without leaving my Huntington Beach home that colors my view of the M45, but I didn't get off on it and find it too old for me. I like Infiniti; I just don't like this model.

Family conference: It is all about price. The bang for your buck M45 is much less expensive than the competition and is loaded with standard features. You have some significant trade-offs as the Infiniti struggles for an identify, but the Infiniti dealers are offering some great deals on this model and with some patience you could own one for less than a far less potent competitor would cost.

Got it right: Distinctive appearance, powerful engine, Infiniti dealer reputation, pricing
Needs improvement: rear legroom, resale, complicated controls, weight, transmission, large turning radius

Written by The Car Family