DRealist

Hello again everyone. I wasn't sure if I should post this in here or in the general forum, but I have a 98 GS4 with about 110 K on it. My car is in decent shape (paint is good, transmission solenoid is being fixed, new struts, etc.) but I do need a bit more front in work done. I really like my car, but my mechanic has a 07 Infiniti M45 for sale right now with about 106K on it. The car appears to be in very good shape and he is selling it for a very good price. I wanted to see if anyone on here has any experience with the M45 and could shed some light on how it is compared to the gs4? I am debating on selling my car and adding the extra money to get the Infiniti, but I don't want to regret it later on. I would appreciate opinions from you all. Thanks!

1sWt2GS

iTrader: (6)

do you want a newer car overall? 98 to 07 is a huge jump in terms of interior, less wear, etc.

DRealist

I do like that the car is a lot newer, but I am more concerned with the reliability of the car and the fun to drive aspect. I spend hours in my car every week. Just to put it in perspective I bought my Lexus in the very beginning of July with 106K on it and now I have either 110K or 111K.

DRealist

BTW I like your car in the picture. I wish my rear profile was that nice.

raytseng

why don't you just go for a test drive and judge.

DRealist

I drove it, but it was only for a short time. I am wondering how I would feel in it when I am stuck in that Jersey traffic for 2 hours. I also didn't get to open it up on the highway, but from what I have read it is very similar in power to the GS.

Lexusjg1

Check out the Nico forums. You'll find a host of issues and complaints on that model car.

DRealist

Wow really? I had no idea, I thought it was a solid vehicle like most Nissans.

MattyG

I wouldn't go by just what the Nico forums say. Anybody that browses our cars forums would also say that the GS has problems.

I wanted to cross shop the M to other cars when I was looking around, but never really found anything in my area. They're fairly rare.

What does not work for me is the styling... way too much Chevy Impala on that side profile.

On paper the newer Inifiniti isn't that different from even our older GS4. Horsepower, options, performance... pretty similar. Better steering feel if my drive of the lower model G is anything to go by.

But 07 means it's gonna be eight years old pretty soon and who's to say you won't have maintenance bills with it just like your GS? Grass is always greener... etc.

kowala

iTrader: (2)

I'd say stick with the GS, the decision is really personal preference. I can see why having a newer car might be tempting but it's not worth it if you're constantly having to worry about what will give out next. I sold my GS, regretted it and now i'm back in another.

eman88

iTrader: (2)

The Infiniti 4.5 liter motor had a known oil burning problem, it would burn a quart of oil every 1,000 miles and Infiniti recommended checking the oil level every other fuel fill-up(craziness), but I believe it was fixed by the 07 model, just check before you buy

Lexusjg1

I had a M45 before I got rid of it and bought a gs400. The M45 was more sporty and aggressive. But the build quality was very poor. The car had an oil burning issue, the crank shaft sensor would fail and cause the car to not start. The motor for the seat rail would fail common issue on those cars. Air bag ecu going bad. Then just a bunch of small annoying issues. The people on Nico have first hand experience with the car. Thats why I recommend to check it out versus just what I would have to say about the car. Oh and the car only had 73000 miles. I bought my gs400 with 97000 with only minor issues ac servo going bad, brakes needed to be replaced. Stick with your gs400 in my opinion. M45's are not that solid just speaking from my personal experience. Sure the Gs has problems but not on the scale of the M45. Good luck.

MattyG

Well the problem is we're comparing apples to oranges. What year was your M45? Was it one of the early years with problems? I'm more biased towards sporty handling vs luxo-barge.

The GS has the advantage of being in production since the early 90's as the Aristo. But the M and Infiniti will always be the sporty alternative to the Germans.

If I was to tally up all the problems I've had with my GS... catalytic convertors, top end clicking/ticking, front end shake at higher speeds, fuel pump and filter. All cars start stealing dollars from you as they get older.

The GS ages well but it's by no means the only game in town.

SaiyanGS3

iTrader: (8)

Go with the m45. I came from infiniti and I will tell you that car is as reliable as any toyota vehicle. I had the q45. The early model m45's had an oil burning issue due to the Nissan squeezing too much HP out of that motor...wasn't originally design for that. With infiniti, you don't have to worry about your lbj's failing or any of those other issues that plague the 98-00 models. I would def sell your car and get the 07 if the price is right.

lowKut

iTrader: (3)

Anyone knows if this applies to the first gen Infiniti FX35?