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Sedans Infiniti M35/M45 2008 Infiniti M35
139 messages, Last post on Jul 08, 2009 at 4:29 PM
You are in the Infiniti M35/M45 Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Replying to: pearl (Jul 03, 2007 2:34 am) I certainly would agree that it would be nice if gas mileage were improved across the Infiniti lineup. However, I'm a little at a loss as to why this is such a gigantic problem for everyone. As I have noticed in the various threads, most posting here are very capable of computing actual costs of ownership, leasing, etc. So, if you apply that same mathematical ability to actual fuel costs perhaps you'd stop wringing your hands. 1. Assume that you drive 15,000 miles/year, which is greater than the national average of just less than 12,000 miles. 2. Assume that the Infiniti M45 manages only 16mpg in combined driving. Unless you drive incredibly aggressively or on ultra-short hops with cool down periods in between this should easily be achievable. Even when I make mostly 5 mile in-city drives with long cool down periods between trips I can average 16.5mpg. 3. Compare the above mileage to the car which achieves the best mileage of the bunch, most likely the Audi A6 4.2FSI. Allow us to be generous and give the Audi it's predicted "combined" mileage, 20mpg. 4. Cost to fuel the M45 - 15,000/16 * $4/gal = $3,750/yr. Cost to fuel the A6 - 15,000/20 * $4/gal = $3,000/yr. So, assuming even worst case scenarios for the M45 (short hop all city driving) and using the EPA combined figures for the A6, you find that you'd spend an extra $750/yr for gas on the M45 assuming $4/gal gas. I can guarantee you, at least in my case, the actual spread would be far less than this. Now, let's compare MSRPs of the bunch when similarly equipped. M45 Sport - $56,750, BMW 550i - $71,000, MB E550 - approx $74,000, and Audi A6 4.2FSI - $64,000. With most of you driving your cars 3 years or less, the additional fuel costs would not come close to matching the price difference of the cars. MSRP, as a measure of cost, can often be misleading due to resale values of the cars. The old, poor resale value argument against Infiniti no longer applies when you look at current figures for the M and G especially. The M has held it's value as well as the BMW 5-Series and has actually surpassed the MB E-Class and Audi A6. BMW's routine practice of sub venting leases may bring the actual out of pocket costs over the course of a lease close to the M45 so it might be possible to claim that the thirstiness of the M is detrimental. However, if you look at the EPA estimates for the 550i, they are actually lower than the Infiniti M. As to the matter of high revs and accompanying noise, I've found this to be a concern in the M35 only. Even though the M45 is above 2,000rpm at speeds greater than 60mph, noise is not a factor. The only reason noise is a factor in the M35 is Infiniti's choice to equip the M35 with an aggressive chip set that boosts the exhaust note. I personally would remove that chip set from all M35 models excepting the M35 Sport. I truly believe that more people in the luxury market would seriously consider the M35 if it were quieter. Infiniti has had no problems moving their available M35 inventory without deep discounting or incentives though so perhaps they know better than me. Finally, I would caution against solely focusing on the features of a car that affect you negatively. While you consider Infiniti "arrogant" for not changing the features you have mentioned, how do you feel about their ability to deliver all the features that this car has for anywhere between $6,000 and $17,000 less than their competitors? I'd say they've done quite a good job of delivering this car at it's price point.
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Replying to: blov8r (Jul 03, 2007 5:58 am) 
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Replying to: bw45sport (Jul 03, 2007 11:00 pm) Lots of people were hoping to see some of these improvements for the 08 model year - but Infiniti chose to do nothing in this regard. Whether they are "arrogant" or "foolish" or "have done a good job" is in the eye of the beholder; however, it is hard to see how they will sell more Ms for 08 without having addressed these consistent complaints. |
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Replying to: pearl (Jul 05, 2007 4:38 am) Pearl: The TRUE test of what they have or haven't accomplished is retention of owners who move into their next car as leases on the '06 model expire this year. Repeat business is a better barometer of success or improvement than raw sales numbers, although the raw numbers translate into dollars. But that is short-lived ... if people leave the M badge for Lexus or (perish the thought, BMW or MB) the message will be quite clear that they've shot themselves in the foot AGAIN by not fixing the fixable. Bart 
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Replying to: blov8r (Jul 05, 2007 6:11 am)
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Replying to: whtcts0713 (Jul 05, 2007 9:48 am)
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Replying to: whtcts0713 (Jul 05, 2007 9:48 am) |
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Does anyone know when the release date for the '08 M is?
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Replying to: archaicrelic (Jul 09, 2007 10:38 am) |
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I see in Infiniti's announcement of "major upgrades" of its M sedan a mention of "revised interior and exterior styling," including: - Revised front and rear fascia, headlights, grille, rear decklid and taillight design, rear fender panels, new chrome accents - New wheel designs Since I will be looking at the M45x, I am not in a position of trying to decide whether to get a deal on an '07 or wait for the '08, but I am still quite interested in any style changes. I generally like the look of the M (it doesn't knock me over, but it appears well designed and proportioned), except for the rear taillights. And by rear taillights, I mean in particular the (to me) jarring white gash of the turn signal lights. I would be thrilled if the aesthetics of the rear end were improved. Are there any pictures available yet of the revised design? |
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