LexFather

A Car Whose Time Will Never Come.

Detroit. There is one car lost in the euphoria of the miracle resurrection of Nissan, which has been engineered by the latest auto industry star-of-the-moment, Carlos Ghosn. It is also the one car that has not been able to be improved upon or enhanced by yet another rendition of Nissan's rear-wheel-drive "FM" platform. And it is the one car that apparently no amount of money can cajole or pull up by its lapels to the level aspired to by the Nissan brain trust.

And that car is the Infiniti Q45.

The "Q" has been a star-crossed nameplate ever since its disastrous introduction - when it went up against Lexus armed with its infamous "rocks and trees" ad campaign, which defiantly never showed the car. This was back when the two Japanese luxury entries were trying to gain a foothold in the U.S. market. Infiniti's strategy was to position the "Q" as the driver's car of the two dueling nameplates, but that was lost in the fact that no one could see the forest, I mean the car, through the rocks and trees. And we all know how that turned out.

Lexus, the luxury extension of the Toyota product/marketing juggernaut, became one of the most formidable brands in this market, while Infiniti continued to flounder through a series of fits and starts amounting to nothing more than a sequence of marketing mistakes piled on top of bad product decisions (the ungainly previous-generation "Q" looked like a ten-year-old car the moment it was introduced and was so blatantly out of place on the road that it veered dangerously close to achieving "clown car" status), which left the nameplate as a literal afterthought.

Yes, Infiniti has recovered of late through the brilliant massaging of a single basic Nissan platform that has yielded the G35 coupe and sedan - and the distinctive FX35/45 sport utility, but the "Q" continues to be an misfit that steadfastly refuses to capture the luxury car buying public's fancy - no matter what they do to it.

Nissan sold a grand total of 3,717 Q45s last year - and a scintillating tally of just 560 in the first three months of this year. Just for the sake of comparison, Lexus sold 7,877 LS430s in the first three months of this year.

Just as Nissan is touting yet another "freshened" iteration of the "Q", which will be coming in June, I have to ask the toughest question - why? As in why now, or even better - why bother?

If Nissan is serious about having a luxury presence in the U.S. market, then they have to accept the fact that the "Q45" is a tainted nameplate. And no matter how good the specs of the "Q" sound on paper, the car-buying public is conditioned to believe that it's either not worthy of consideration, or worse - it doesn't even show up on their radar screens at all.

I rarely recommend walking away from a nameplate, because it takes so much time to establish a nameplate to begin with, and the costs to seed a new nameplate in this market are staggering (not to mention the level of patience required to see it through).

But in this case, it's clear to me that the Q45 nameplate is beyond resuscitation, and if Nissan ever hopes to gain a real presence in the luxury market in North America, they would be better off just starting over - without the letter "Q."

Thanks for listening, see you next Wednesday.
http://www.autoextremist.com/

squarehat

The current M45 has the same dated lines (long hood/ trunk, short greenhouse) as the late-90s Q45, and isn't selling well, either.

The forthcoming Fuga-based M45 should fare a bit better.

jet864

I don't like the Q. I had a chance to sit in a 99 and comparing that to an LS400 of the same age, it wasn't even a close comparison. The styling was outdated and the overall feel just did not seem natural with the analog clock, weird A/C controls and so on. I didn't get a chance to drive it like I hoped, but I was disappointed to say the least. The new Q seems almost to a joke...well, and invisible joke. I couldn't tell you the last time I saw a Q while I was driving. Its go the right engine, right power layout, comes from what is now the right company, but somehow its not the right car. I agree that it needs to be ditched, but as it is technically the flagship I believe Infiniti would have a hard time doing that.

James

mmarshall

I wouldn't pan the analog clock...that is an Infiniti tradition, and I think it looks pretty nice. Chrysler uses the same thing in the 300 series.
The Q45's problem stems from the fact that it was first introduced and marketed here as a luxury car but in fact was NOT a luxury car...it was a sport sedan that in reality competed with the BMW 7-series more so than with the original Lexus LS400. Customers noticed the lack of wood trim and the firm ride...and said "no, thanks".....and flocked to the LS400 in droves. Then, when Infiniti DID make it a luxury car in the second-generation model, with plenty of wood trim, a softer ride, and a smaller V8, the LS400 had become so entrenched in the marketplace that few customers even noticed the Q any more. Justified or not, the Q has never really recovered from its original mistake....it should have been a REAL luxury car from the beginning. But I am not in favor of its being canned...the LS430 needs a Japanese competitor, even if it is a slow-selling one. Until Acura introduces a full-size, V8 rear-drive sedan, the Q will be the LS430's only real competitor outside Germany.

Technics

I'm sure this will never happen again but this week alone I saw THREE new age Q45's, all different cars and drivers with each........go figure. I love those headlights though.........

jimmit

Hey you snooze you loose. Infinity didnt compare with the LS and they lost out and regaining those customers isnt going to be easy especially since they do no advertising. Usually manufacturers stop advertising a particular model when its selling REALLY well or just before they kill the production. In this case sales are way down and it doesnt seem like the Q is going anywhere but a rebirth would really help out. If they wanted to regain some market share in the flagship sedan market they would completely redesign the Q with styling of a modern flagship sedan and adding all the goodies the LS, S and 7 offer. As is stands now the Q doesnt evoke any emotions or stir up any excitement. Its got no charisma so to speak. Kill the Q and reintroduce a new top of the line flagship and give something people will really want. I cant say much for their designs currently since I think they're horrendous, especially the QX. The only good thing they got going for them is the G coupe. When it comes to flagship sedans the Q isn't whispered let alone mentioned. The BMW line is going down the toilet so maybe they will take over even tho it seems they are following a similar path

D2-AUTOSPORT

The first Q was the best looking one (after the hood/grille/foglight addition in 94). Those cars have great proportions and still look very handsome today. All of the other ones are a yawn IMO, the one that Seize's buddy has looks cool with the slam and 20s, but still not instant love.

I think Infiniti has a good thing going with the G and FX lines, the new QX is the the most homely SUV to roam the streets in a long time!!

nextlevelcoupe

iTrader: (1)

the original q45 was also an absolute beast on the road!!

mmarshall

Well, keep in mind that even though you liked the first Q45, many people didn't...and this was the mistake that the car never really recovered from. Lexus introduced a true luxury car....which is evidently what most people wanted, because the first Q45's plain interior, lack of wood trim, and firm ride turned a lot of people off. The LS400 had the plush interior, super-quiet and super-soft ride that people in that price range wanted.
I'm not knocking you for your opinion....just pointing out that much of the public just didn't follow.
Hey...I've had this happen to me, too. I thought the new 2-seat Thunderbird was gorgeous.....after the first year, though, a lot of people didnt....to the point that the car is being dropped.

D2-AUTOSPORT

yah, good point, i think the original ad campaign for Infiniti (the one with the rocks and trees) was also to blame. Not to mention the God-awful nose before the 94 re-style. I guess by the time they fixed it, it was too late, the damage had been done. Good point though

ligflava

the ad campaign really killed the original q45. i had a second-hand first gen q45 before i bought my gs. i still have the q and it's still a great car to drive. i had the 4-wheel steering model and i think stock for stock, it gives my gs430 a great run for the money. when it came out in 1990 with 278 HP and ~298 lb ft TQ, it was like no other sedan in its time. it sure took me a while to get used to the power esp. in the rain. i was actually sad to see the q deviate from its original goal of a sports sedan. i'm glad infiniti answered back with the g35.

it's a great car, but reliability is dismal. and i think that's where lexus shines. as much fun as the original q is to drive, i've had to spend tons of money on repairs. i believe infiniti has improved its reliability, but in my humble opinion, new infinitis still won't give me the piece of mind of lexus/toyota reliability.

{-.-}

The Q45 & LS are not even close in quality - stylish. I like the Q45 it cost less and fixed up its looks very nice. There are a few I see over here in my area that are sweeeeeeet. Not every one wants a Lexus or can afford one so for those that get the nissan thats cool w/ me. They are very popular as VIP cars.


If they dont sell well maye the price will go waaaaaaaaaay down........... I will buy one then. LOL

BrickHead

If Infiniti drops the Q it will hurt its resale value even more. Then you might get a great deal on an used Q45...like the I35.

mmarshall

NO...reliability on any Infiniti (so far) is far from dismal. Infiniti is the equal of Lexus and Acura when it comes to precision assembly at the factory. Granted, though, the G35 is still new and has not had a true long-term test, and the interior is a little cheap....but every other Infiniti product to date has been extremely reliable...including Q45's. Individual Q's may have had a problem here and there, but the car as a whole has ben exemplary.

LeXuSrAcIn

My sister has a 2nd gen Q45 and I have a 94 LS400. The Infiniti is actually smoother than the Lexus. The seats are better, and of course the stock stereo is in a different class. While talking about repairs... the Infiniti has only needed the front shocks replaced(at 130k miles) While my LS has been horrible in repairs. I have also posted about this and concluded that my car is one in a million. Virtually no other LS owner has had to spend the money I have (over $6200). But in terms of performance and overall feel I believe its unfair to compare a 94 LS400 with a 98 Q45. To me the Q has a more refined feel to it. The only thing I really hate is the dials. They look so plain. I love Lexus dials, specially at night. Performance wise the LS is better at high end. Smoothness goes to Q45. IMO outside styling goes to the Q45 although I prefer the 98 LS looks to a 98 Q. Build quality I say would go to Infiniti because of my LS nightmare. There are plenty of Q45 enthusiasts out there believe it or not. I know quite a few die hard Q fans. If anyones interested in safety, I have actually researched that a 94 LS is safer than a 98 Q!!! That in my opinion is amazing. New Q45 to new LS430 there is NO competition. LS wins hands down. The Q does have 345 hp or so, but the gearing has made the car very slow for that much hp. The G35 has revitalized the whole Nissan line. Other than that all Infinits are struggling. Its not the fact that Infiniti doesnt make good cars, they really do, but the problem is that people compare it with Lexus. And come on... people prefer Lexus more. The Q45 IS cheaper than the LS. But it has horrible resale. Alot of potential buyers check out all the facts before purchasing. If they compare with other Japanese cars, mainly Infiniti, (I dont consider a V6 Acura RL to be luxury) Lexus cleary comes out the winner. Just look at all the Lexus's you see on the streets now. Theyre becoming more common than Hondas. In fact... on my street... there are 11 houses... out of those 11 houses, 10 of them have atleast one Lexus. They are becoming very common. This could appeal to a Q45 buyer. People buy luxury cars for exclusivity. They dont want a car their neighbors have. Only 1 other guy on my street has an Infinit and its a G35. As for Lexus theyre everywhere. Sometimes I feel like im living in a Lexus dealership or something. Fortunately I have the oldest Lexus so none of my other neighbors has a first gen LS. But ppl buy Lexus for a reason... quality (which I have yet to experience ) It all comes down to peoples personal preference. Toyota or Nissan.