The original Q45, introduced late in 1989, was a truly unique luxury car, combining styling with Japanese themes, a top-notch chassis, and a powerful 4.5 liter V8. Unfortunately for Nissan, the great majority of luxury car buyers were looking for something more ordinary. The result: Nissan lost buckets of money on the original Q, even after they added a grille to the outside and wood to the inside for the 1994 model year.

When the time came to replace the original Q, Nissan took the cheap and easy route. For the 1997 model year they simply took a Japanese home market luxury sedan and tuned it a bit for American tastes. Japanese home market luxury cars tend to be very conservatively styled, and the second-generation Q45 was no exception. Result: few people were ever even aware this car existed. It generally sold to people who like to think they’ve found a killer deal, as Infiniti threw in some hefty incentives. At least Nissan didn’t lose much this time around, since they didn’t invest nearly as much in the development and tooling of the car.

Last year Infiniti once again redesigned its flagship. When the company was about to go under a few years ago, it seems that management decided that its strategy of offering blandly-styled cars at cut-rate prices was not working out. The new strategy: eye-catching styling combined with class-leading performance. The third Q marked a return to unique styling for the car. Didn’t matter. The car still sold in very low numbers.

For 2003 Nissan has decided to fill the $15,000 hole in their line-up between what the hot G35 actually sells for and what the Q45 would sell for if people actually wanted it with a $45,000 V8 sedan. Now, the company isn’t loaded with money, so they found a way to do this one cheap. Guess what? That home market luxury sedan that provided the basis for the previous Q45 is back, complete with styling from a couple decades ago. They’re calling it the M45, and aiming it at driving enthusiasts. I figured it was worth a trip around the block.

Styling

The M45 is a boxy sedan with enough rear overhang to stand in for a 1960s Pontiac Tempest. It’s been a while since we’ve seen proportions like these. There’s a reason for that. I imagine they’re hoping that all the sharp edges when combined with the massive 18” alloy wheels will get people thinking this car looks tough. But all I can see are proportions from out of the way back machine. This sort of unintentional retro isn’t cool.

The interior has largely been lifted from the Q45. It’s much more pleasant than the exterior. The materials mostly seem first rate. There is some hard plastic here and there, most notably around the window switches. I didn’t care for the $300 “natural wood trim.” The wood is a bit light a shade for a car with performance pretensions. Solution: save $300 and go with the “smoke wood.” Why is the gray timber cheaper? I haven’t a clue. I think it’s still the real deal. Maybe not. Then again, Nissan charges for plastic wood in an Altima, so things aren’t necessarily rational with them where wood trim is concerned.

Some people won’t care for the intrusiveness of the high-mounted stereo and climate controls. My main problem with these controls is they’re not logically laid out, and many adjustments that should only require one step often require two or even three. This is what the flat panel screen gets me? Infiniti’s response is the optional voice activation for the controls. This works fairly well, but I just don’t get turned on by talking to a car. If you do, then you’re going to want to visit either Jaguar or Infiniti, because they’re the ones currently offering this feature.

A final nit: As in the Q45, the cassette player is located in its own trendy metallic panel in the center of the dash, as if it should be the center of attention, while the CD changer is in the glove compartment. Is it just me, or is something backwards here? Heck, given the exterior styling, I guess I should just be grateful they didn’t stick an 8-track player in the middle of the dash.

Accommodations

The front seats are firm and decently supportive. The side bolsters are too far apart to provide lateral support to anyone without a burly frame. Nothing terribly good or bad here. I can report that the optional climate controlled seats (part of the $2,200 Premium Package) really do cool off your rear. No more scorching leather on a hot day. I forgot to ask if you can program these to come on when you first unlock the car on a hot day. Probably not, but that would be nice.

I actually found the rear seats a much nicer place to be, at least in the outboard positions. The rear seats are softer than the fronts, and cup you much more. They are clearly shaped for two people, with more of a bucket to them than the front seats. The center position is high up, badly contoured, and thinly padded. But then very few sedans do seat three people comfortable in back. The specs suggest a shortage of rear legroom—five full inches less than in the Q—but I found enough. That the seat cushion is mounted well off the floor helps. Good thigh support is always welcome, and when your shins are vertical they don’t need so much room behind the front seat.

Although I found the car roomy enough inside, I do have to wonder how they managed to end up with only 34 inches of rear legroom in a 197-inch long sedan. More of that classic Detroit feeling. Oh yeah, that rear overhang…

I also liked the armrests on the rear doors much better. The door pull is situated at an upward angle well forward on the door, right where a passenger’s hand wants a good grip in case the driver starts driving aggressively. The door pulls on the front doors are the horizontal in the middle of the armrest variety, no good for this role. Many cars have the same door pulls front and rear. Why not this one?

Interior storage is very generous. Sadly, despite the rear overhang the same cannot be said about the trunk. The trunk is certainly average for the class, but could have been much larger—or permitted a more compact derriere—if the fuel tank wasn’t located in the same place as the Q45’s, between the rear seatback and the trunk. The salesman claimed this was for safety reasons, but the tank is plenty safe where it is generally located in luxury sedans, beneath the rear seat. Not a good packaging decision.

On the Road

The M45 has the same 340 horsepower 4.5 liter DOHC V8 found in the Q45. The 2002 Q45 lacked the sort of snap off the line you’d expect with so much power due to tall gearing. For 2003 it will have shorter gearing. The M45 gets this new gearing as well. The M45 at 3850 pounds is actually a bit heavier than the longer and wider Q45 (beats me how they managed this), but with this much power and the revised gearing it scoots. The engine makes great sounds when pushed, too. Even at much less than full throttle, this engine has a satisfying torquiness to it. It's easily the best thing about the car.

The transmission is a manually shiftable five speed auto. I generally left it in D. It worked well there.

Infiniti is pitching this as a driver’s car, much like Lexus does its GS 430. But they kind of did the same thing with the Q last year, and it came up a bit short in the chassis department. It’s the same story here. The M45 rides and handles much like I remember the Q riding and handling when equipped with the Sport Package. Composed in fairly relaxed driving, with moderate lean in turns, but not up to the task when pushed. It’s just a bit soft for getting wild. As in the Q, I felt a bit disconnected from the car. Something I don’t recall from the Q: the chassis isn’t very stable. Turn off the stability control, and it’s remarkably easy to get the M sideways. Solution: do not turn the stability control off. It certainly earned its keep during my test drive. Or simply don’t push the car all that hard. Sure, you can goose it in a straight line all you want. Just don’t hustle down a curvy road. First the huge rear overhang coupled with a relatively short front overhang, powerful engine, and tight interior in a longish body, and now a chassis that prefers to go fast pointed straight. Is this a 1960s muscle car in its next life? Everyone from the 1960s really has gone all yuppie.

Despite the lack of a true performance-tuned suspension, the M’s ride can be a touch busy at times, with even an abrupt reaction to an expansion joint from time to time. Nothing rough, mind you, but any number of luxury sedans these days never put a wrong foot forward. This car, in contrast, rides very smoothly 90% of the time, maybe even more, but just when you’re thinking this is one smooth riding car some bump hits at an angle the suspension doesn’t deal well with.

The interior is always very quiet, even at moderately high speeds. This is a luxury sedan in Japan, after all.

All in all, the M performs very well given what most people will ask of it. Some other cars might handle better when pushed and ride a bit more smoothly, but most people don’t push this sort of car very hard and a very good ride is likely plenty good enough.

Pricing

With the Convenience and Premium Packages and the brown wood, the M45 lists for $46,295. Edmunds suggests no discounts on this car, but I find that highly unlikely. $46,000 seems a bit steep. As much as I appreciated the seat coolers, if I were buying this car I believe I’d personally skip on these packages and save $2,000 by just getting the sunroof alone. I’ve already discussed the optional wood. Then the sticker would read “only” $43,845.

If you, on the other hand, want to spend more money a $2,700 package that requires the others includes a nav system and cruise control that keeps the car a set distance behind the car ahead of you. I’ve driven a Lexus with the latter. Neat stuff.

The 2002 Q45 with Sport Package and heated seats lists for $53,000. I doubt the 2003 will be priced much if any higher. These cars tend to be heavily discounted. High 40s should be doable. If you’re set on that Infiniti 4.5 liter V8, this is the better way to get it.

The closest competitor to the M45 is the Lexus GS 430. That car with 17” alloys lists for $48,615. Edmunds suggests dealers will knock off a few hundred. Still nearly five grand more than the M45. It’s worth the five grand, especially when you consider that the Lexus will hold its value much better if the past is any indication. The Lexus also looks and handles better.

A BMW 540i with heated seats runs about $53,000. Here you’ve got to decide how much the best possible handling at the limit is worth to you. If it’s worth a lot, then you’ll also be spending another $5,000 for the 5’s Sport Package. We’re no longer in the same ballpark.

Ditto a Jaguar S-Type with $2,000 Sport Package, heated seats, and xenon headlamps. It’s also $53,000. Cut the Sport Package, and I think $50,000 should be easily doable, with high 40s very likely. This is a better car than the M, but I’d probably go with the Lexus.

An Audi A6 4.2 runs about the same as the Jag. Worth a look if the styling or all-wheel-drive appeals to you. Like the Jag and Lincoln, it’s not as quick as the others here, but it’s still plenty quick.

Among American cars, the Lincoln LS comes closest. The LS is being revised for 2003, but that car isn’t out until the end of the year. It should continue to cost well under forty after dealer discounts. Maybe even as low as $36,000. If an expensive, good handling rear-wheel-drive V8 sedan is what you’re after, this one should be worth a look based on price alone. I also suspect it will handle quite a bit better than the Infiniti.

France

Some people might be interested to know that Nissan is 44% owned by Renault, which is 26% owned by the French government. As a result, about 11% fo the profits from any Nissan or Infiniti go to the French goverment.

Last Words

I personally could not get past this car’s looks. Add in mediocre handling and a sticker that isn’t as far below the competition as it should be, and this doesn’t seem a viable choice to me. I expect to see the M languishing right next to the Q.
Amount Paid (US$): 46,295
Model and Options: Convenience and Premium Packages, brown wood