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Infiniti M37

187 messages,  Last post on Mar 14, 2013 at 7:46 PM

You are in the Infiniti M37 M56 Forum.

What is this discussion about? Infiniti M37, Sedan

    

Messages Page 6 of 20

#45 of 187 Re: M37 first impressions [ghstudio] by lsmd

Jun 27, 2010 (3:59 pm)

Replying to: ghstudio (Mar 17, 2010 2:39 pm)
I drove the 2011 M37x.What a great car. As much as I love my 2008 M45x, the new one is probably better. Can't wait to drive the M56, a car not made for the world energy crisis.(wife drives Prius, so we average out) I think Infiniti out handles BMW any day. Also drove the 2011 535 BMW---handling was surprisingly terrible---very isolated feel, loosie goosie steering--way worse than Lexus. New Nav on the '11 is much improved, not sure if it still restricts functions when car is in motion. Interior is less angular, exterior lines not as Oriental looking to me. Saw the silver dust paint flakes in the wood---waste of money in my opinion.

#46 of 187 Re: M37 first impressions [lsmd] by m4m

Jun 28, 2010 (5:07 am)

Replying to: lsmd (Jun 27, 2010 3:59 pm)
Had a '11 M37 over the weekend, here is my comment about IPOD/MUSIC:
I love the iPod interface (wired with the USB Port), especially the ability to navigate from the steering wheel and to scroll both slowly and quickly through thousands of tracks right from the steering wheel. (After holding down the steering wheel's menu forward button for a bit, the scrolling gets very fast, showing the first letter of the track as it moves through the alphabet); ALBUM ART WORK (albeit small) and full track and album info are excellent in the audio display mode, AND track info is also shown below the map when in the NAV display; The sixteen speakers on the touring package sound very good and produce tremendous base if desired; Bluetooth Audio works well (but shows no track info with my ipod touch) Ability to switch directly to ipod or bluetooth audio just by saying ipod or bluetooth audio. (Just in case your wondering about the last point, I kept my iphone in my pocket and kept an ipod hooked up to the car.)
This is the best ipod integration I've seen.

#47 of 187 m37 real experience by ghstudio

Jun 28, 2010 (3:46 pm)

Turned in my 08 M35 and picked up 2011 M37 today...both base cars with premium. The m37 is much stiffer.....Transmission is at times smoother, but has trouble finding gear if you are slowing down and then hit the gas. Navigation much improved....ipod interface much much improved...seat actually gets cold..not just cool (yay!). Interior door handles...weird; Doors lock automatically; if you don't wear seatbelt,no annoying beeping. It's a better car...

#48 of 187 Back to Infiniti after all these years... by keithl

Jun 28, 2010 (6:58 pm)

Well I had an I30 then I35, but when the G35 came out I hated the interior and wound up buying Acrua TL last few cars. Well while my 09 Acura TL SH-AWD was an awesome rock solid machine I just never took to the styling or beak. I kept wanting a G, but just never felt it was a good move. Well now the M37 is out and OMG! I drove a Base Premium and was impressed, but coming from my SH-AWD TL felt the ride was too soft for me. Saturday I took out a M37 Sport Touring and WOW!! I finally negotiated a good deal on one today and took it home. Beautiful car, ride is nice, perfromance is excellent! I'll miss my TL, but not likeliy for long...

#49 of 187 iphone 3g and newer don't work with M37/56 by ghstudio

Jun 29, 2010 (9:19 am)

The new interface which uses a USB cable (the one that came with your iphone will charge your iphone), but that's it.
 
Even though this is a 2011 car, it works only with iphones that came out in 2008 or earlier. Grrr!

#50 of 187 Re: iphone 3g and newer don't work with M37/56 [ghstudio] by m4m

Jun 29, 2010 (9:50 am)

Replying to: ghstudio (Jun 29, 2010 9:19 am)
qhstudio
check this link out, looks like there is a software update:
 
http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f1f5d11
 
HTH

#51 of 187 Re: iphone 3g and newer don't work with M37/56 [m4m] by ghstudio

Jul 03, 2010 (4:47 pm)

Replying to: m4m (Jun 29, 2010 9:50 am)
I found it was my iphone....and an obscure problem. I had to delete all networks and then it worked with the M.

#52 of 187 Floor mats by ghstudio

Jul 03, 2010 (5:12 pm)

Has anyone noticed that the Infiniti floor mats wilth the wheat interior on the M37 really don't even come close to matching the carpeting???

#53 of 187 Long post with my M37S review... Part 1 by keithl

Jul 05, 2010 (4:35 am)

OK I have my M37 Sport Touting for a week and 400 miles so I figured I would write my first overall impressions with the car. First it is one sexy machine, the Infiniti
styling is very appealing to me the fluid lines and curves are just very sexy. True the M37 looks like a G37 on steroids, but one thing I have always liked about Infiniti is how most of their vehicles have a strong family resemblance. Coming from Acura TLs last few years Acura is only now realizing they need a brand identity that shows in their cars, of course they elected to use that ugly beak as the identity thus turning off some owners and potential buyers. I just came out of a 09 TL SH-AWD, which aside from its looks was an awesome car, great ride and handling, stuck in the turns and you never felt like you were not in full control. The M37S is clearly targeting the luxury buyer
that wants a sporty ride.
 
Let me start with the exterior. I already mentioned how I love the styling. The bulging shoulder line may be a little over stated for me (a la Maxima) where I prefer the more rounded G37 lines, but I am just being nit picky. The car looks awesome from every angle. The nose fo the car is more aggressive and in your face that the G because the grille is larger, more rectangular and my upright. The Sport grill is midnight chrome with blacked out headlights and a Sport fascia really giving a "I'm here and I mean business" look to it. The side profile is very Infiniti with a fluid flow across the roof line and sweeping down the back window to a signature tail. Again since this car is larger in all dimensions than a G some of the lines are not as fluid (we don't want an oval gen Taurus now do we). The tail forgoes the traditional Infiniti round tail lamp styling for a more rectangular double semi-oval design that I feel fits the flow of the cars larger size better. The Sport 20 inch wheels make this car. The larger split thick forked wheels with short profile tires fit the wheel wells perfectly and add to the look that the sport fascia creates and sets the Sport miles apart form the very basic plain (yet still very attractive) looking base M.
 
On the to the Interior. There have been a few reviews that some of the buttons and switches and door handles feel a little plasticy and cheap. I would have to partially agree. Some of the buttons feel a little light weight and slightly cheap, but have you been in a Genesis where those cheapo buttons really distract form the car. The M door handles should have been metal or at least feel like real metal with some substance, but again this is not as big a distraction as it is a Genesis. The M buttons at least look like they belong in a $50K + car, unlike the Genesis where they look like a cheap after thought. While I did not own a previous gen M I have ridden in them and while the previous M interior was nice, this one is a very sculptured and flowing design. The dash materials are soft well assembled. The M is first a luxury car and the Sport model adds a hint of Sport and in my opinion. I would not call it a true Sports Sedan. The Sport seats are very comfortable but lack any substantial bolstering that would keep you in place for any serious cornering, which is sad because a true Sport seat would allow you to "Drive" the car and feel the handling of the car, not fight gravities effects on your body in
turns. I also find the steering wheel in the Sport a little large in diameter and thin. Take an inch or more off the diameter and thicken the wheel by 50% and you have a real sporty steering wheel. Again it is very clear that Infiniti's design goal was primarily a luxury more upscale goal with sport themes. The cabin is large and inviting and has plenty of room for both front and aft passengers. The quality of the leather is excellent, but for a car touching upward of $60K I felt myself yearning for something a little more sumptuous. Also Infiniti leather is notorious for showing wear and tear more quickly than the competitors and I expect the same from the new M. Sure it feels better than the MB Tex and the vinyl feeling leather in the German cars, but in a $60K car I want leather that will still look reasonably well in 2-3 years. Also the padding on the arm rests could be a tad more softer and more giving as well as the upper doors where many people wind up leaning their elbows. The Deluxe Touring leather is supposed to be a step up, but the Sport Touring is the same as the basic leather. Speaking of the Sport Touring package the $2K premium (on top of the $3650 Sport uplift) basically only buys you the upgraded 5.1 sound system and the "Forest Air" climate control system. I feel that is a far stretch to justify a $2K uplift, but if you are like me and yearn for the best
sound you can get in a car then you may opt for the uplift. Speaking of the sound system, well the Bose system in the Touring package gains you some speakers, 5.1, DVD playback and a larger sub woofer. I have never been a fan of Bose and to me it is one of Infiniti's biggest weaknesses. While it is an acceptable sound system it lacking in many areas. Lows are muddy and undefined and the sound stage in the car feels too flat. and while this is up for debate the forward biased sound stage is more natural it tends to be distracting and takes away form the rear biased lows. Where it does tend to deliver is in the mid to high ranges where the sound is crisp and clean, but again not very rich or full. The car does have a USB port for a IPOD, MP3 player or thumb drive, but the port is in the center console mid way up the front side meaning if you plug in a cable or thumb drive and put stuff in the center console it severely impacts your space and you run the risk of damaging the USB port, very port placement by Infiniti. They should have used a cable instead of a port so you can lay down whatever device you plug in.
 

#54 of 187 Long Post with my M37S Part 2 by keithl

Jul 05, 2010 (4:37 am)

Some notes about the technology. I wish I could have gotten the technology package as it offers some fantastic options to make your drive a safer one. The technology that does exists in the M37 Sport Touring is rather basic. You get your Infiniti navigation system which finally is not totally locked out while moving, but still fairly lame. The nag disclaimer is gone so when you start the car you can use everything without acknowledging that your are a grown adult and responsible for your own actions. Coming form 6 years of Acura navigation and voice activated controls, I can say this, OMG do I miss my Acura Navigation! The Infiniti display is more friendly and can display combinations of things (nav and climate, nav an MPG, radio and MPG, radio and climate, etc) on a split view and the nav can do 2D or bird's eye view. In the end I find the new input controller a nice evolution form the previous arrows only, but it is way too sensitive, barely touch the controller while on the map and it goes flying across the screen regardless of how zoomed in you are. Infiniti's voice activated controls are primitive at best and are in the stone ages for anyone coming form a Honda/Acura system. Another annoyance is that if I adjust my seat or mirrors while driving I can not save them in the memory presets unless the car in in park. Come on Infiniti, if I am on a long drive and finally get my settings perfect I ant to save them then and there, not have to remember an hour later when I pull into a rest stop or loose them if I lock and reopen the car with the remote! And one last minor pet peeve is what is it with the generic day/night home link mirror. Look at any aged Infiniti and you'll seem those home link buttons
worn off. Put the Home link button in the head liner near the map lights, where it belongs instead of making me reach and misalign my mirror all the time.
 
And how about the ride... Well onto what you buy a car for, to drive. Well the Infinit VQ engine is still a magnificent work or engineering. Smooth and silky yet spools up on demand to bring the car to life. The large foot print of the M is not going to have you mistaking it for a BMW 3, but that is not their target audience. They want BMW 5 owners. Having never driven a 5 Series Bimmer I can't tell you if they have hit the mark, but I can tell you the M37 Sport delivers a great balance of smooth driving on decent to good roads yet can maneuver well. The 20 inch wheels and low profile tires make for very responsive steering. What is lacking is a real on center feel and as with many eclectic power steering systems today a real lack of decent road feed back or weight to the steering. The steering feels too over boosted and all speeds, being far to light at low speeds and marginally acceptable at highway speeds. The car has a 4 position control for the selecting the throttle and shift points they should add steering feedback to those settings with standard being less boosted than it is currently, and sport should be very minimal boosting. The Sport package adds Infiniti's 4 wheels active steering which changes the rear wheel angle slightly to provide better stability in hard or sharp corning. I did not push a base car so I can't tell you how different the steering alone improves the dynamic, because the sport suspension and larger wheels alone transform the base car. I will say I can throw the M into turns fairly confidently and if not for the lacking sport seats I would feel even more confident in the cars abilities. The 7 speed auto gets mixed reviews and I know Infiniti has struggled with throttle response and shift points since going fly by wire and introducing the 7 speed auto, but I believe they really have it figured out now. Sure it can use a little tweaking, but if you ever drove the early 2007 G or the first 7 speed auto G's you will appreciate the work their engineers have done for the M. The shifting in the M is smooth and unnoticeably. If
I am not watching the tach I really can't tell when it is shifting. The VQ loves to rev and Infiniti's biggest obstacle prior tot he 7 speed auto was the engines high revs on the highway, well the 7 speed has resolved that issue. At 75MPH the car is only spinning at around 2500 RPM and is quiet. The 20 inch wheels do introduce a bit or road noise at highway speeds and the M could use some more sound deadening materials. Coming form a SH-AWD TL will take a bit of getting used to as that car felt extremely planted on the road and could be whipped into turns effortlessly to the point that the tires would scream for mercy. The M feels a tad more lean into the turns, but much of that I attribute to the lacking Sport seats, put some real seats on this ride and I suspect with the 4 wheel steering and 20 inch tires this baby will stick like glue around sharp turns.
 
Overall impression? Well I would not have gotten the M37 Sport if I didn't think I would love it. Sure my review is a bit harsh in areas, but when you step into a car that can go for well over $60K (and darn close to it well equipped) you expect a lot. After all you are firmly in the company of some very impressive cars (BMw5, MB E, Audi A6, etc). Infiniti's overall fit and finish seems excellent on this car, but I have always thought their cars lacks the thud and tight feel when you close the doors of some of their competitors. The new M does improve greatly the car feels solid and the doors close with a better sense of the car feeling substantial. The M is fairly early in the production cycle so natural fit and finish issues will pop up. I find that under even low moderate bass both front doors in my M seems ot have occasional buzzes. I find that if you are going to put a high end sound system in a vehicle you should have your engineers really test interior tightness under some extreme tests. I found this to be a hug issue with the previous gen TL that Acura finally mostly resolved in the 09+ TL, I never heard a peep out of the interior under any types of music, base or volume, over 17 months and 19K miles. Kudos to Acura engineers, now Infiniti, go steel them and fix your interior. In the end the M37 S is a joy to drive, it is clearly geared toward being a cruiser first and sport sedan second, but will deliver when asked to.

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