midknight

There's been a lot of hype about the new Infiniti Q45 - saying they are the BMW's of Japan. Engine specs sounds good, but jeesh it's an ugly car!

Heard it can out perform an SC430 with that 349hp engine! Pretty good for a full size sedan!

Will Lexus respond?

GS4Will

OF course, just give lex folks some time. the 4.3L engine is good for up to 400 ponies, according to toyota enginers.
plus, the q45 does not feel THAT fast even w/all that 340 hps from the auto journals i read.

i love all these competitions..

SQ-LS

I have a friend that is a Infinity mechanic and so far all he been telling me is bad news about the car.
I posted some in the Lexus Lobby forum, but the biggest recall was people not able to fill the gas tank.

Plus, from one magazine showed that with all that HP and torque in the Q45 it still lost to the LS430 in acceleration.
My question is where all that torque and HP go?

DROD2045

That was due to Infiniti not having a production model supplied to the mags. Only pre pro models have been tested. According to MT, Infiniti is staying behind their claim of 0-60 in 5.9 seconds.

JBrady

I drove the new Q on a race track (Texas Motor Speedway) along with several other competitors cars. It didn't feel quick to 60 but felt strong 80-110mph. The LS430 (at the same track) was not quick feeling either. The quickest feeling was the BMW540i without a doubt. The Mercedes E430 was respectible and the Jaguar XJ sedan with its 290hp V8 was respectible and sounded VERY cool.

Infiniti is advertising the new Q with a HEAVY emphasis on FAST. I sincerely hope they come through because it will spur the other makers to make quicker/faster models. If Infiniti delivers an advertised 340hp that performs like 280hp they will likely NEVER recover. Performance is what brought and sold the original Q owners and after the mistake in 97 they are out of chances.

Stephen

Nissan has trouble getting their power to the ground. I looked at them both and to me at least the Q45 dissapoints in what I feel is most important in this class, quality.

DROD2045

What I find wierd is how you are let down by the quality but listen to what Motor Trend says here:

""...Every surface and actuator exudes top-notch quality (similar to the Audi)...""...one of the most comfortably appointed interiors we've recently seen."

I cant find the quote now but they felt only the Audi passed the Q in terms of quality and only by a little.

DROD2045

Stephen

I totally disagree, the Q has a lot of cheap plastics, cheap black plastic GMlooking rearview mirror etc.

I guess they have a different definition of quality, quality to them muct mean lots of shiny stuff. Good ol Motor Twit.

DROD2045

I found the quality to be great

Stephen

The quality is good by most definitions, but its not nearly as "perfect" or as well built as the Lexus.

ST430

I really considered the new Q to the LS430, since it offered all the amenities the LS did, but at a cheaper price with a more sporting flair. The interior is without a doubt fantastic! Very intimate and a great place to cruise and drive all day long. Unfortunately...tHe hideous front end about pukes me all over. It looks like someone's afterthough at the 23rd hour in the design process. The gatling guns are a nice touch, but are too large and evokes more of a defensive position then offensive. Also, the cache of the Infiniti name as compared with a Lexus has no comparison!! WIll Lexus respond? Lexus does not need to respond! See this article below:

Lexus Reports Best-Ever June Sales; Luxury Brand Ahead 17.1 Percent in First Half of 2001

July 3, 2001 -- Torrance, CA -- Posting its 13th consecutive best-ever month, Lexus today reported June sales of 19,117 passenger cars and sport utility vehicles (SUV). For the first half of 2001, Lexus is ahead of last year’s pace by 17.1 percent with 109,742 units sold.

Passenger cars continued to be at the top of consumers’ shopping lists with June Lexus car sales of 11,690 units, up 42.3 percent from June 2000. The LS 430 premium luxury sedan remained at the top of its segment with sales of 2,724, up 213.1 percent, while the SC 430 hardtop convertible continued its hot sales pace with 1,335 units sold. Sales of the ES 300 entry-luxury sedan were up 7.2 percent from last year with sales of 3,445. The GS 300 high performance luxury sedan posted sales of 1,986, an increase of 12.9 percent from last June, while the GS 430 finished the month with sales of 366, down 21.0 percent. The IS 300 sport sedan sales stayed nearly even with sales of 1,833, down a slight 1.1 percent from a year ago.

Year-to-date passenger car sales of 67,439 were up 60.9 percent from the same period last year.

The RX 300 mid-sized luxury SUV posted June sales of 6,666, down 3.0 percent, while the LX 470 premium luxury sedan had sales of 761, down 32.1 percent from last June.

"The first half of 2001 has been good to Lexus as we experience steady growth in a slowing economy," says Denny Clements, Lexus group vice president and general manager. "Our emphasis for the remainder of the year will be to make sure our dealers have the tools and ability to give our customers the high level of service they deserve and have come to expect."

In addition to outstanding new vehicle sales, Lexus also had a record-setting pre-owned month with best-ever June sales of 5,372, up 40.8 percent from last year. Of those sales, 3,100 were Certified Pre-Owned vehicles, which represents a 42.1 percent increase from last year and an all-time best-ever record. Year-to-date total pre-owned sales of 28,183 were up 19.8 percent.

DROD2045

OMFG!!!! ROTFLMAO!!! I cant believe you called the Q bland comparing it to the LS. Wow. You should be a professional. The 0-60 has not been tested yet on production models however. A person has tested it from Freshalloy.com (claiming to of course) said they got it to go 0-60 in 5.8 seconds but well wait until the mags test it. The Q balnd compared to the LS...hahaha. youre funny.

Stephen

Please keep in mind that everyone is entitled to their opinion...

DROD2045

Please dont get me wrong. I really like the LS everyone. But seriously, you (the person saying the Q was bland) are probably the only person in the world that would say the Q is a bland-mobile comparing it to the LS.