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For a car with sport sedan aspirations, the Infiniti Q45 isn't the best influence. Slight change of plans this time: instead of being the Q45's fraternal twin, the M has become the G35's bigger brother. Compared to the last M45, this one's slightly up on wheelbase, way down on length, and with a claimed 1,200% increase in front lateral rigidity, don't expect to bend it with your arms. The switch of platforms also blessed it with a younger set of bones, a better front suspension, and a doubled engine roster.
Ah, engines - this is where Infiniti likes to show off, or haven't you noticed? With both a V8 and a V6, the M line now follows sports sedan status quo. We ordered the new V6-powered M35, as will most customers. If you think you've seen this engine before, you have - it's been in the Pathfinder, Altima, Murano, 350Z, G35, FX35, Maxima, Quest, XTerra, and Frontier, just to name ten. In the M35 it got an adjustment to the tune of 280 horsepower, which has it smoking the V6 versions of the BMW 5-series, Mercedes E-class, Audi A6, Jaguar S-Type, Lincoln LS, Cadillac STS, Lexus GS, and Acura RL, just to name eight. With 0-60 and quarter-mile times of 6.3 and 13.8 seconds, do you really need a V8? The answer is no, but you might be glad to know that the 335-horse M45 outpowers every V8 competitor as well. You may only be king for a day in the horsepower wars, but today is Infiniti's day.
Figures like those might set off your skeptic alarm, since the last M45 was guilty of one-trick-ponyism when it came to acceleration. That's where the new roots come in. Now that the M carries a pair of double wishbones in front, that multilink rear suspension has a more capable partner. The steering is a new engine speed-sensitive (instead of road speed-sensitive) variable assist unit, but enough with the tech talk. As far as 3,880-pound behemoths go, this car handles. It slices its way through turns with an ease and confidence second only to BMW. If Infiniti's lighter steering isn't quite as telepathic, it's just as trusty and fluid (actually, it's electric), and tire grip is in the sedan stratosphere. This ain't a $40,000 Camaro anymore.
Taking some of the credit is our M35's sport package consisting of stiffer shocks, bigger wheels, and - this should take you back - Rear Active Steer (4-wheel steering). Formerly known as "HICAS" during its employment on Touring-edition J30s and Q45s of years past, the M35 Sport's rear wheels steer in the opposite direction of the fronts at low speeds and in the same direction at high speeds (sometimes at low speeds as well) by up to one degree. I couldn't detect its effects but walked away pleased with the immediacy of the handling, which is probably the point.
Responding to criticisms of the last M45's hair-trigger throttle, the gas pedal got firmed up. In fact, it's almost too stiff. Also, the touchiness of the brakes has been reduced from the G35 (but not completely). One thing I liked about older Infinitis was the tendency of their transmissions to hold the higher gear. The new 5-speed auto favors dropping down, but this tranny's still a smarty. In sequential manual mode, the lever-shoving motions are as slick as they come, the computer never shifts without your permission, and it now blips the throttle on downshifts for more excitement and less shift shock. A performance automatic - what'll they think of next? With the swiveling headlights, you can even dash around in the mountains at night. Infiniti was also mindful that some people actually like to drive and included an off switch for the stability control. There's even a lane-departure system that beeps at you if you start drifting into the next lane (promoting good turn-signal habits), but you can turn that off. You can also turn off the 4-wheel steering.
One feature that begs for an off switch was the adaptive logic on the cruise control. When you set your speed higher than the car ahead, it works as an auto-pilot by following at a set distance. But used as normal cruise control, it refuses to let you get within three car lengths even in its most lax setting and brakes frantically if you do. It sometimes slows down needlessly on curvy roads when the car in the next lane momentarily appears in front; ditto for guardrails. What a waste.
Living up to the luxury half of the sport-luxury equation, the M35's silence at idle and grasp on wind noise are up to par, and the engine is just audible enough so you can hear its thrilling song. But when it comes to reacting to the road, the M35 didn't quite learn all of its manners.
Since the obvious culprits were the oversized wheels and the harder suspension that comes with it, I blame the sport package. A car of this weight could easily get by with 17-inch wheels (Q45s once came with 15s, for crying out loud), but Infiniti added a couple digits, leaving the M35 Sport with a somewhat flinty and rumbly ride on its P245/40R19 tires. It's not harsh or anything - it just comes a little closer to Nissan Altima levels than an Infiniti probably should. The standard M models, which still pull a very capable 0.86g in handling tests, no doubt offer the perfect blend of ride and handling.
I'm glad Infiniti gave me the Sport package, because it sure wasn't easy finding things to complain about.
It was smart to use the G35's platform, smarter to abandon its interior. Instead of a plain center stack with tacked-on fake aluminum casing, the M35's dashboard is a cohesive, stylish, and flowing unit. The nav system is the center of attention, not an afterthought that pops out of the radio. The two tiny gloveboxes joined forces to create a big, roomy one. Aluminum and chrome (or wood, if you please) are used in tasteful measures. The gauges are still orange but the lettering has character now, and longtime Infiniti loyalists will jump for joy at the analog clock. The seat controls are no longer randomly on top, but on the sides where they belong. And, miracle of miracles, Infiniti finally took the extra five minutes to orient the radio, climate controls, and shifter to left-hand drive instead of just sticking us with Japan-market controls again. Wow, these guys really are trying. Every witness commented on the "cool" interior almost as much as its "beautiful" outer styling.
Judging by some other automakers, designing the central interface was practically an invitation to destroy the interior. Infiniti passed; this one works. Instead of a wobbly knob that tilts unsurely like a joystick (like the one in the Acura RL), the "Infiniti Controller" is clamped down. Eight solid buttons spaced 45 degrees apart surround an Enter button in the center; the outer rim also rotates if that's your preference. With self-explanatory menus and the big "back" button right by your thumb, it's all so intuitive that I was clicking my way through every menu with iMac-like ease. Within the menus, I found plenty more "off" switches (can you tell I'm loving these?) for stuff I didn't like, such as the luxury car gimmick of rearranging the seat and steering wheels every time you open/close the door. Best of all, this system didn't usurp the radio and air conditioner, which stand alone, away, and unharmed.
The DVD-based navigation system is just as user-friendly; the only thing missing was the option of a QWERTY keyboard layout. It's a little funny how one female voice starts off the instructions while another chimes in to complete the sentence, but both ladies speak clearly, and they also take voice orders from you, boss. You can't input a destination address on the fly, but you're free to do things that take less concentration like choosing a local restaurant from a preselected menu. As for route guidance, the computer knows where it's going and always puts you on a direct path. Sometimes too direct. For anyone familiar with the California city of Irvine, I was once instructed to crash through a concrete wall and take a flying leap off the Jamboree bridge to land a right turn onto Edinger Road. For those with less adventurous leanings, the computer automatically reroutes the way if you disobey.
Infiniti's boatload of luxuries solves problems you didn't even know you had. It starts with smart design, like doors that open almost 90 degrees. Thanks to Intelligent Key, unlocking them only takes pushing a button right where your thumb falls on the handle - a better solution than some systems that try to motion-sense your hand and sometimes don't. With the key still in pocket and a foot on the brake, you start the engine with the push of a button and drive off in a wonderfully comfortable seat with heaters, coolers, and two-position memory. You can make hands-free cell phone calls with Bluetooth, and the rearview backup camera makes driving in reverse a live event.
Music gets sent straight to your ears from seat-mounted speakers, and there's ten more to come in the MP3-capable, WMA-capable, DVD Audio-capable 5.1 digital surround sound system. Meet the new features leader. Still, our 14-speaker test car didn't sound half as good as some stereos with half the speakers; nor can the tuning knob keep up with quick spins of the hand. This long-time partnership with Bose should be rethought. Audiophiles and poets alike would concur: Infiniti should pair up with Infnity.
The roomy rear seat is nearly as comfortable as the fronts - for two. The middle passenger gets stuck dealing with one of the bigger driveline humps I've seen, going all the way up to seat level and measuring nearly a foot across. The center seat is perched higher and forward so no one bumps shoulders, but whoever's there also runs out of headroom earlier. Better solution: make guy #5 go Greyhound so the others can flip down his seat to gain an armrest, console, and cupholders.
Of some significance is the Infiniti M's place near the top in head, leg, and shoulder room for all passengers. In fact, on models without the Premium Package, total interior volume comes to 120.1 cubic feet, qualifying the M as an EPA "large" car in the vein of cars that command tens of thousands more: Lexus LS430, BMW 7-series, Mercedes S-class, etc. First with the G and now with the M, Infiniti has done it again: made a car that sneaks into the next class up.
For all the M's luxuries, it's surprising how many are optional, either as stand-alones or in the three main packages that build successively. First up is the Journey Package, which upgrades with an 8-speaker (up from six) Bose stereo, rearview monitor, HomeLink transceiver, a compass embedded in the rearview mirror, and pre-crash front seatbelts that tighten under panic braking. Also included are the seat heaters/coolers, and xenon lights that swivel in turns, which I mention separately since Sport models already have them. Cost: $2,750 on regular models, $1,700 on Sports.
Next up is the Technology Package (Journey Package required), adding the final-stage stereo mentioned earlier, navigation, Intelligent Cruise Control (intelligent my foot!), brake assist, lane-departure warning system, and either XM or Sirius satellite radio. $4,200 on all.
Finally, the Premium Package (unavailable on Sport models) is for giving back-seat passengers the royal treatment: heated and reclining rear seats, rear climate and audio controls, power rear sunshade, and Infiniti's Mobile Entertainment System (rear-seat DVD on a ceiling-mounted 8-inch screen, composite audio/video inputs, and two wireless headphones). Since this $10,500 package includes the other two, the real cost is $3,550. You can get satellite radio, navigation, or the MES individually for $350, $2,000, and $1,500; other stand-alone options are aesthetic.
In addition to the suspension upgrades, bigger wheels, and 4-wheel steering, Sport models also feature sport seats, sport steering wheel, and aluminum trim and pedals; they run $2,800 more. The $2,500-higher M35x adds all-wheel-drive to the non-Sport M35. Its system sends all power to the back by default and can send as much as half to the front.
If all this sounds like a lot of money, you must not shop in this class often. Fact is, the M35 starts at $40,510 while the equivalent Lexus GS300, Acura RL, BMW 530i, and Mercedes E350 go for $43,550, $49,670, $49,920, and $50,770. Once you account for the fact that the Lincoln LS needs its V8 to run with Infiniti's V6, even that car costs more. With the Journey and Technology packages, the M35 runs a still-reasonable $47,460.
Wait a minute, let's run through that list of merits again. Infiniti's M - 35 or 45 - is both fastest in its class and arguably the most passenger-friendly. After the BMW, it's the second-most rewarding to drive. It offers the choice of rear or all-wheel-drive while most only have one or the other. It has an original, user-friendly interior that wows people as much as the styling, an incredibly intuitive interface, and almost every luxury toy in existence, most of which you can turn off. And after all that, it has the most modest price tag?
Talk about a change of corporate policy. The Infiniti brand is now an overachievers-only circle.
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