mmarshall
11-16-05, 03:02 PM
http://www.infiniti.com/content/0,,cid-123084_sctid-12001,00.html
I have noticed a lot of interest lately in the Infiniti M-Series here on CL.....so I decided to make a representative of the M-Series my latest review and test-drive. A number of you CL people already own or lease M45's so I felt that I didn't need to look at that car in depth....I probably wouldn't be telling you anything you don't already know. The intro-level M35, in many ways, is like its brother G35 but with a somewhat more plush interior, so I didn't feel a need to look at that car in depth either....and many of you here at CL own or lease G35's too.
However, as you know, I have often recommended the G35X for those of you who often drive in slippery conditions.....and I reviewed the then-new Lexus GS300AWD back last spring when it first became available. Since then, the IS250AWD has debuted which competes with the AWD G35X in everything but engine size.....and Infiniti has recently introduced the M35X, which is good competition for the GS300AWD, so I felt it was a no-brainer and chose the M35X for my latest review. in addition, Carlos Ghosn, Renault / Nissan / Infiniti CEO, has been promising better interiors and fit-and-finish for Nissan and infiniti products. Is he levelling with us.....and is the company delivering? Yes.....and no. You will see in a moment.
Model tested: 2006 Infiniti AWD M35X
Base price: $43, 140
Major option: Satellite radio package
MSRP: $46, 930
Powertrain: 3.5L V6, 280 HP, 270 ft. lbs. torque, 5-speed automatic with Sportshift, AWD
PLUSSES: :thumbup:
Powerful, high-torque V6, even with automatic and AWD, negates the need for the heavier and more expensive 4.5L V8.
Superlative Rosewood trim on dash, console, and doors....this truly has to be seen to be believed.
Marvelous, slick-feeling and solid interior hardware...with a couple of exceptions.
Well-designed controls.....again, with one exception.
Seamless AWD system.
True sports-sedan handling.
Well-designed brakes.
MINUSES: :thumbdn:
Lightweight, flimsy hood....I literally could not tell if it was metal or plastic until I checked the specs.
Semi-sealed, semi-buried, oil dipstick..like the BMW 3-series, you cannot just pull it out to check the oil....the electronics do that.
Engine virtually impossible to work on from above.
Econobox-level paint job out of place in a $40,000-plus vehicle.
Awkward, hard-to-use step-on emergency brake with no auto-release.
Funeral-home paint colors, again with one excepton....and too many shades of silver and gray.
Dark interior trim somewhat dull-looking, except for the superb rosewood strips.
Infiniti's " Controller " system not as bad as BMW's I-Drive but still frustrating and overly complex.
The first impression one gets of the car on the outside, from its overall shape and execution, is one of just another more-or-less standard mid-size Nissan / Infiniti product.....there is nothing out-of-the-ordinary which really differentiates this car from most of its corporate brothers.
Upon close inspection of the outside, Ghosn & Co. have a little more homework to do. The first thing that needs attention is the Nissan Sentra-grade paint job that is full of orange peel, lines, and other imperfections and somewhat lacking in gloss. And only one color....Crimson Roulette, roughly similiar to the Lexus Inferno Red, did not look like a funeral-home color, IMO. And can we please have a real hood instead of what feels like a piece of cardboard? The first gust of wind with that thing open will flip it back and tear it right off its hinges.
Open the door, however, and get inside, and..... WOW :eek2: do things change. Here Ghosn and Co. have really delivered on the promise of better fit-and-finish. ALL of the hardware.....even the frustrating Controller....operate with the feel and precision of a Swiss watch. Even Lexus does no better. The real ( not imitation ) Rosewood trim......and LOTS of it, I might add.....is a real treat to the eyes, all over the dash, console, and doors.....and it is beautiful. You can tell it is real wood, not just high-gloss polished stuff that looks and feels like plastic. Well-done, Infiniti. :thumbup: The RWD M35 Sport, in contrast, uses a gray aluminum with a carbon-fiber type grain pattern instead.
The steering column is tilt-and-telescope, BOTH with electric motors. The leather seats have good support and drop low enough for a guy my size to wear a cap without hitting the sunroof.......cars in the last few years have been getting much better at accomodating big guys in sunroof-equipped models. The gauges full-sweep on start-up, have the traditional Infiniti yellow-orange dash lights, and electroluminescent bright-red pointers. And (as always ) you can find that silver Infiniti oval analog clock....one of the company's oldest traditions.
I have never liked I-Drive style controls ( and probably never will ). This one, however, had a superb, slick feel and precision from the silver dash knob, and was somewhat less confusing than the Bangle ones ( the salesman's knowledge and ability to demonstrate it helped a lot ) but, why can't we just have some real knobs and switches? It is so much easier and more foolproof. One good thing that did come with this system, though, was a backup camera, Controller-operated. It not only gave you a view of the rear but by different-color lines and tick marks actually showed you where the rear end would end up at different steering wheel angles. This particular car was not NAV-equipped so I could not sample that function. And the awkward foot-operated emergency brake is somewhat out of place in a sport sedan and requires you to lift your left leg high to step on it....where your knee bangs into things.
On the road, the 3.5L V6 with 280 HP and 270 ft.-lbs. of torque was more than adequate, even with the automatic and the extra weight and drag of AWD. This car will more than get out of its own way...I see no need for the more expensive and thirstier 4.5L V8 unless you just want a drag racer. No problems with the chassis, brakes, or suspension....all well-above average. The steering response on this car is first-rate....you can throw it around corners almost like a Miata, where its AWD helps grip the road like on rails. However, the power steering is a little overboosted for my tastes, does not have particularly good centering, and in general is a couple of notches.....as is everybody else's......behind the class-leading BMW 3-series steering. The ride is best described as firm but not harsh....you can tell it has 45-series tires ( the M35 and M45 Sport both have 40-series). Road and wind noise are minimal.....but the mufflers and exhausts definitely make their presence known when you accelerate.
So.....to sum up........this car, outside, is no match for archrival GS300AWD. Inside, the two cars are just about even....both have outstanding fit-and-finish. The M35X scores points for some of the best wood trim available today and enormously-improved fit-and-finish over the Infinitis of just a couple of years ago. The GS scores points for having an I-Drive / Controller-free interior, slightly better refinement, and a first-rate paint job.
On the road, the GS300AWD is a better cruiser....the M35X a better sports sedan. Both have seamless AWD systems ( yet, ironically, no more seamless than Subaru AWD systems for half the price ). Neither have particularly good tires for winter but the AWD is a definite plus here. Both cost just about the same....the GS can probably be expected to retain its value a little better, but Infinitis are starting to improve in the depreciation category too.
I have noticed a lot of interest lately in the Infiniti M-Series here on CL.....so I decided to make a representative of the M-Series my latest review and test-drive. A number of you CL people already own or lease M45's so I felt that I didn't need to look at that car in depth....I probably wouldn't be telling you anything you don't already know. The intro-level M35, in many ways, is like its brother G35 but with a somewhat more plush interior, so I didn't feel a need to look at that car in depth either....and many of you here at CL own or lease G35's too.
However, as you know, I have often recommended the G35X for those of you who often drive in slippery conditions.....and I reviewed the then-new Lexus GS300AWD back last spring when it first became available. Since then, the IS250AWD has debuted which competes with the AWD G35X in everything but engine size.....and Infiniti has recently introduced the M35X, which is good competition for the GS300AWD, so I felt it was a no-brainer and chose the M35X for my latest review. in addition, Carlos Ghosn, Renault / Nissan / Infiniti CEO, has been promising better interiors and fit-and-finish for Nissan and infiniti products. Is he levelling with us.....and is the company delivering? Yes.....and no. You will see in a moment.
Model tested: 2006 Infiniti AWD M35X
Base price: $43, 140
Major option: Satellite radio package
MSRP: $46, 930
Powertrain: 3.5L V6, 280 HP, 270 ft. lbs. torque, 5-speed automatic with Sportshift, AWD
PLUSSES: :thumbup:
Powerful, high-torque V6, even with automatic and AWD, negates the need for the heavier and more expensive 4.5L V8.
Superlative Rosewood trim on dash, console, and doors....this truly has to be seen to be believed.
Marvelous, slick-feeling and solid interior hardware...with a couple of exceptions.
Well-designed controls.....again, with one exception.
Seamless AWD system.
True sports-sedan handling.
Well-designed brakes.
MINUSES: :thumbdn:
Lightweight, flimsy hood....I literally could not tell if it was metal or plastic until I checked the specs.
Semi-sealed, semi-buried, oil dipstick..like the BMW 3-series, you cannot just pull it out to check the oil....the electronics do that.
Engine virtually impossible to work on from above.
Econobox-level paint job out of place in a $40,000-plus vehicle.
Awkward, hard-to-use step-on emergency brake with no auto-release.
Funeral-home paint colors, again with one excepton....and too many shades of silver and gray.
Dark interior trim somewhat dull-looking, except for the superb rosewood strips.
Infiniti's " Controller " system not as bad as BMW's I-Drive but still frustrating and overly complex.
The first impression one gets of the car on the outside, from its overall shape and execution, is one of just another more-or-less standard mid-size Nissan / Infiniti product.....there is nothing out-of-the-ordinary which really differentiates this car from most of its corporate brothers.
Upon close inspection of the outside, Ghosn & Co. have a little more homework to do. The first thing that needs attention is the Nissan Sentra-grade paint job that is full of orange peel, lines, and other imperfections and somewhat lacking in gloss. And only one color....Crimson Roulette, roughly similiar to the Lexus Inferno Red, did not look like a funeral-home color, IMO. And can we please have a real hood instead of what feels like a piece of cardboard? The first gust of wind with that thing open will flip it back and tear it right off its hinges.
Open the door, however, and get inside, and..... WOW :eek2: do things change. Here Ghosn and Co. have really delivered on the promise of better fit-and-finish. ALL of the hardware.....even the frustrating Controller....operate with the feel and precision of a Swiss watch. Even Lexus does no better. The real ( not imitation ) Rosewood trim......and LOTS of it, I might add.....is a real treat to the eyes, all over the dash, console, and doors.....and it is beautiful. You can tell it is real wood, not just high-gloss polished stuff that looks and feels like plastic. Well-done, Infiniti. :thumbup: The RWD M35 Sport, in contrast, uses a gray aluminum with a carbon-fiber type grain pattern instead.
The steering column is tilt-and-telescope, BOTH with electric motors. The leather seats have good support and drop low enough for a guy my size to wear a cap without hitting the sunroof.......cars in the last few years have been getting much better at accomodating big guys in sunroof-equipped models. The gauges full-sweep on start-up, have the traditional Infiniti yellow-orange dash lights, and electroluminescent bright-red pointers. And (as always ) you can find that silver Infiniti oval analog clock....one of the company's oldest traditions.
I have never liked I-Drive style controls ( and probably never will ). This one, however, had a superb, slick feel and precision from the silver dash knob, and was somewhat less confusing than the Bangle ones ( the salesman's knowledge and ability to demonstrate it helped a lot ) but, why can't we just have some real knobs and switches? It is so much easier and more foolproof. One good thing that did come with this system, though, was a backup camera, Controller-operated. It not only gave you a view of the rear but by different-color lines and tick marks actually showed you where the rear end would end up at different steering wheel angles. This particular car was not NAV-equipped so I could not sample that function. And the awkward foot-operated emergency brake is somewhat out of place in a sport sedan and requires you to lift your left leg high to step on it....where your knee bangs into things.
On the road, the 3.5L V6 with 280 HP and 270 ft.-lbs. of torque was more than adequate, even with the automatic and the extra weight and drag of AWD. This car will more than get out of its own way...I see no need for the more expensive and thirstier 4.5L V8 unless you just want a drag racer. No problems with the chassis, brakes, or suspension....all well-above average. The steering response on this car is first-rate....you can throw it around corners almost like a Miata, where its AWD helps grip the road like on rails. However, the power steering is a little overboosted for my tastes, does not have particularly good centering, and in general is a couple of notches.....as is everybody else's......behind the class-leading BMW 3-series steering. The ride is best described as firm but not harsh....you can tell it has 45-series tires ( the M35 and M45 Sport both have 40-series). Road and wind noise are minimal.....but the mufflers and exhausts definitely make their presence known when you accelerate.
So.....to sum up........this car, outside, is no match for archrival GS300AWD. Inside, the two cars are just about even....both have outstanding fit-and-finish. The M35X scores points for some of the best wood trim available today and enormously-improved fit-and-finish over the Infinitis of just a couple of years ago. The GS scores points for having an I-Drive / Controller-free interior, slightly better refinement, and a first-rate paint job.
On the road, the GS300AWD is a better cruiser....the M35X a better sports sedan. Both have seamless AWD systems ( yet, ironically, no more seamless than Subaru AWD systems for half the price ). Neither have particularly good tires for winter but the AWD is a definite plus here. Both cost just about the same....the GS can probably be expected to retain its value a little better, but Infinitis are starting to improve in the depreciation category too.