JBrady

Just for comparision and for those that don't read the racing forum. I have driven the new Q on a race track and it is VERY nice.

LOTC

yes jbrady that is a nice anterior, but it is also very lexus like.

JBrady

Actually getting out of the Q and into the LS430 I was surprised that I liked the Q better. It may have been the colors as the Q had the color of the above pic and the Lexus a very dark interior. My impression was they are substantially different. Anyone have a similar LS angle photo to post for comparison?

QBranchCars

Here's a LS430 interior shot for comparison;

DROD2045

What does it being a Nissan have to do with anything? Lexus is by Toyota, Infiniti by Nissan, Acura by Honda.

roddls400

I was thinking about the repairs and the the quality of the Nissan compared to the Lexus, you dont see Infinitys going as long as the Lexus without major engine repairs, nobody makes a better motor and drivetrain than Lexus, at least in the LS,this wont mean much if you trade it after 80k or so but if you want to keep a car for 150k plus Nissan is not the one,and yes a Acura is still a Honda. Again just my opinion.

DROD2045

What are you talking about? Nissan makes the best engines in the business. Ask any car nut, meaning not just a Lexus guy or Toyo fan, or engineer. Nissan is thee best engine manufacturer there is today. I dont know where you are getting your info from. And how is a 4.3 liter engine with 290hp and 320lbs of torque better than a 4.5 liter engine with 340hp and 333ft torque?

Look at wards auto. They rate the Nissan VQ to be the best engine (in its class) for how many times in a row? 7 at least. "Quite possibily the best V6 ever." You dont see Toyota with an engine beating the VQ or any manufactuer.

Stephen

Well, I had a Q45 for a full day of driving, and an LS430 for a full day of driving. My final decision is the LS430 over the Q45. Heres why

-The Q45 interior, while unique, is a little too space boyish for me. Plus, there are some cheap plastic parts while the LS430 has no such thing. Everything in the LS430 screams top quality and refinement, while the Q45, while visually appealing, doesnt have the tactile softness and heft. Also, the readouts, displays, and controls on the LS430 are superior. The gauge cluster on the Q45 looks odd and cartoonish, while the LS430's is elegant and easy to read.

-The ride. The Q45 is a more communicative, BMWish type of car. Thats fine if thats what you like, but personally I prefer the extreme quiet and smoothness of the LS430.

-The engine. Yes the Q45 has more power, but the throttle response isnt as quick and accurate, making it feel slower than the LS430 for the type of routine driving I do. My days of driving the car at its limits and full throttle starts are just about done.

-The car. The car just doesnt have that image the Lexus has. When people came into contact with the LS430, they said "Hey Steve, you get a new Lexus?" when they saw the Infiniti, they said "Hey Steve, whats with the new car? What the hell is that anyway?" the car has no instant image to it. That will change with time however if this is to be Nissan/Infiniti's styling theme which it looks like it might be.

-Aging issues. Nissans just plain dont age like Toyotas. My LS400 has 87,000 miles on it, and to look at, sit in, or drive the car you would never know it wasnt brand new. The car is just as smooth and quiet as it was the day I got it, not one rattle. When I pull out on the beltway and lay the throttle to the floor, the RPM needle still slides silently up to the redline, and the power is still smooth and very strong. I may buy this next car out of lease (thought about it with my LS400) and drive it for a while, so i gotta be sure the thing is going to age, and age well. I could probably drive my LS400 for 200,000 miles and never feel like I want a new car. I dont feel that way now after 87K, because its still like driving a new car. I'm heistant to try the Infiniti because of people I know with Nissans that havent aged well.

This has been such a difficult decision to make because all these cars are so fantastic. Its like trying to decide between perfect diamonds. All that said, I would probably try the Q45 if I were 10 years younger or so, just to give it a whirl, because it'd be gone in 3 years.

DROD2045

Ive read that the pedal problem was due to it being a pre poduction model. But its fine. Either car you choose, its a great car. BTW, the only thing i saw cheap on the inteiror of the Q was the glasses holder. Everything else was top notch IMO. Maybe not as squishy, but it felt like felt. The gauges I feel are very sporty looking and are simply cool. I see them as something exciting rather than the boring design that you call elegant.

DROD2045

Also, my moms G20 has aged well. (96)

Stephen

I've driven several, they all have the awkward throttle response. As for the gauges, boring maybe, but clear, precise, classic and easy to read. The Q45's cluster reminds me of the RX300's, muddled with gauges missplaced. As for the quality, its nothing big, its little things. Lack of damping on doors, no struts on the trunk, things like that, while small that nevertheless mean a lot.

Different strokes for different folks I suppose.

JBrady

Stephen, good points. The early Qs definitely had problems. My buddy had the cam chain tensioner fail (without any warning) and the engine grenaded (hole in block). From people I have spoken with his was not an isolated occurance. Trannies were also problems.

Will any of these problems show up in the new Q? Only time will tell. The factory people talking about the special 400hp version did say tranny probs were delaying intro

But, if they can deliver the 400hp model at a low price it sure will be tough to ignore

roddls400

As long as you asked DROD I will tell you where I get my info from, no not from Wards or Motorweek or Car and Driver, or Automobile Mags, I get my info from Two sources. The first one is a organization called IATN this is a international group of Auto service people that is online line, they have 34,835 members and 688,969 years of total experience working on cars, and no you cannot get in it is for members only,my next source is myself, I will never take someone else's opinion on any car, because my experience that no one can judge want a another person likes in a car and different people like different things, I am not one of the sheep that goes along with what other people write about anything, If you have been reading about cars and consider you self a car nut then you would be driving a BMW and would not waste time with any other cars. If I had more time I would post some of the problems with Nissan compared to Lexus but it would get technical .

JBrady

Roddls400, I for one would be very interested in your technical knowledge. A resource like IATN is rare and valuable infor especially for us NON members

Give us some examples.

DROD2045

Stephen:
Doesnt the LS430 use hinges in the trunk as well? No Damping on doors? Missplaced guages? The speedo and RPM are right there in front of you. From my experience, the Q's were easier to read. But youre right, its opinion.

roddls400:
If you dont trust anyone, than why are you trusting your source? But truly, Nissan is regarded as having the best engineers there. Maybe you wont believe other people, but if you ask them, the majority ill tell you.