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| 2005 Infiniti Q45 Review | |||
| Whether you're about to spend $40K on a brand new car, or half that on a used car, it is always important to learn as much as you can about the used car. Read these car reviews to learn about all aspects of the vehicle. Each of the usedcar reviews cover interior and exterior features, options, road tests, and more. | |||
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Introduction
| Road Test
| Inside & Out
| Other Thoughts
| Last Word
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| Road Test | |||
Reflecting the breakneck of change within the company, the all-new-for-02 Q45 is Infiniti's oldest design. Addressing one slip-up of the car it succeeded, this third-generation Q45 again lives up to its name now that the engine has been punched back up to 4.5 liters. Even in today's horsepower war, this 340-horse, 333-torque Infiniti outpowers and outgrunts competitors like the Audi A8 (330 HP), BMW 745i (325), Jaguar XJ8 (294), Lexus LS430 (290) and Mercedes S430 (275). Clue: that's all of them. In terms of specific output, it's also more efficient than all save the Audi. Okay guys, this blowing-the-doors-off-all-competitors thing is getting old!When you're fastest in a pack of V8 elitists, no request for speed goes unfulfilled, whether at rest, in the suburbs, or on the freeways. A more aggressive final-drive ratio (as of the 2003 model year) should have the Q45 easily beating Infiniti's 5.9-second 0-60 claim. There's certainly enough torque to snap your head back, but despite those racy TV ads you might have seen, the Q45 is a gentle giant. Its cabin lets in very little roar despite all the underhood fury, and the transmission's kickdown is nearly imperceptible even when you nail the pedal to the floor. How do you like that: a car so well-mannered, it compensates for your uncivil behavior. It likes to keep a calm order to pretty much all the proceedings. The ride is comfortable at absolutely all times and the steering, which retains the road-speed-sensitive variability of all past Q45, is definitely on the light side. That also goes for the gas pedal, contrasting noticeably with the rock-hard pedal in Infiniti's new M. The brakes, likewise, are the opposite of both the M and G35, responding gradually instead of suddenly to your foot's signals. I expected all this to leave me a bored motorist with an aching leg over the course of a week but was proven wrong on both counts. The steering always kept up, and if there's one Infiniti that provokes no complaints about either of its pedals, it's this one. "Intelligent" cruise control maintains a set distance between you and the car ahead. While suppression of road noise falls just short of world-class, the otherwise hushed Q makes a great cruiser. If the Infiniti Q45 is trying to be a Lexus LS430, it's doing a pretty good job. But when you attack a mountain road in a Q45, you'll find yourself surrendering in short order. Taking twists and turns anywhere close to 40 MPH summons a chorus of squeals and skids from the front tires, with the stability control cutting in every few seconds to break your stride. This, by the way, is with the optional 18-inch wheels. When I drove through similar adventures in a 2006 Infiniti M35 Sport, the car just nudged me with "is that all you've got?" while all the Q45 had to say was "HAVE MERCY!" Switching the two-way (or 1.5-way) electronic adjustable suspension from Auto to Sport had no effect on handling or ride through the seat of my pants. Since the Q45 is neither under-tired nor grossly imbalanced, I couldn't help but wonder if the decision to use simple struts for the front suspension had something to do with this. By nature, struts are a cost-cutting compromise with inferior camber control, not conducive to letting tires reach maximum roadholding potential. You also have to wonder if the already-comfortable ride could be made even more exceptional. Infiniti's downmarket M and G cars get multiple links in their suspensions; why not the Q? Bigger question: do the words "cost cutting" belong in association with a $57,000 flagship? There isn't much sport in the transmission, either - what appears to be a manumatic shifter isn't. You can't choose what gear to be in; you can only specify the maximum gear it will shift up to, hence why you can put it in "5" even when stopped. In light of the Q45's alleged performance mission, this was even more disappointing than coming across the same scam in the Toyota Avalon. It also lacks the match-rev downshifting program that has made its way into other Infinitis. At least it doesn't upshift for you in manual mode, and when you let this automatic think for itself, it reeks of the usual genius Nissan programming, which matters more. Here's the bottom line: for all of you fans of the invigorating 90-93 Q45 waiting for the sequel, don't hold your breath. This third-generation model may be the fastest in history, but in every other way it's closer to the second than the first. As far as the Q45 goes, Infiniti stopped chasing BMW a long time ago. |
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