As the title states I am thinking of selling my '03 SC and leasing an '07 M45s. Lease deal this month is terrific. The GS just doesn't do tit for me, so I may leave the Lexus fold. Any of you have history with Infiniti or the M45 for that matter?
Thanks
JTMav

 

i don't have any history, but the m45 is a nice car. plenty of power and looks pretty good as well. very different from the sc430 of course

what kind of lease deals they have now?

 

I personally am not a big fan.....my uncle bought a fully loaded M45 and he sold it only two months later to get into a pre-owned A8. He hated the car because of the way it drove and the interior was not that user-friendly. I think the exterior styling is gorgeous, but it is only skin deep.

 

Waiting for dseag2 to chime in , he owned 2 SC430's, a M45, & now a M35X & a new G37 coupe . . .

 

The lease deal is money factor 0.00001 with a 61% residual. Couple of grand down and three years 15k/yr. Not bad. 4 yr 60k warranty. I haven't even driven it yet but it does appeal to me. Fairly well equipped, technology is current, power seems good all in all at least worth a look. Let you know how it all turns out. As far as and Euro sedans been there done that and I'm not ready for the headaches.
JTMav

 

wow, that's like no interest at all, pretty nice! don't like the down payment idea much but i guess the money factor is more attractive here

but yeah, one thing i agree with BoostAddct is interior. it's definitely not as good as lexus and especially the sc430 imho

 

I own a 2006 M35 Sport which shares everything but the V8 engine with the M45. I can tell you that there is a huge difference in the drive feel of a regular M, versus the sport model. My wife and I own a SC, which is primarily driven by my wife. She hates the M as she has a hard time with the size of the car. It is a much larger vehicle. She also is not a big fan of the ride. The ride of the M sport is harsh. You feel everything due to the summer tires outfitted on the M sport and the fact that it is a "sports" car. I drove a GS and didn't like the ride. I didn't think it drove as well as the Infiniti. I think the Infiniti has the edge with technology on the M, which has Bluetooth, Nav, Rearview camera, Bose system, Lane departure warning system, adaptive headlights, intelligent cruise control. Too many options to list them all. As for dealing with Infiniti the company, it's tough to compare anything with the level of service, attention, amenities you get with Lexus. From my experience Lexus has the edge hands down with the appearance of the showroom, garage, etc. I haven't encountered any issues with my Infiniti, so I can't speak for dealing with issues. Just routine maintenance. I have been an Infiniti owner for almost 7 years. I previously owned the original G35 Sedan back in 2002. Hope that gives you some input from a person who has owned vehicles from both Infiniti and Lexus. Good luck!

 

Moose66 that's great feedback, I am out to test drive the car this afternoon. The Sport is the only one I am interested in driving. As well as the 45. Thanks for taking the time to chime in.
JTMav

 

The verdict is in and it's Really nice drivers car, but not for me. Went to the Lexus dealer down the street and looked over a couple Black on Black '06 Sc 430s. I think I'm just going to shop for a new or very late model used SC. Black this time. Don't see anything else out there I like as much.
Thanks for all your help, guess I'll hang around with you guys a bit longer

JTMav

 

JTMav,
It is a very different drive if you are comparing the M to the SC. You really have to "drive" the M, whereas you can take it a little easy in the SC. I like the ride of the M, and if I need to drive and not have to work at it as much, I drive the SC. It is an acquired drive to drive the M. In my opinion, you can't go wrong with either. Drive what you are more comfortable with. Now we just have to get Lexus to make a few tweaks to the SC. Like the rearview camera, factory satellite, and keyless ignition. The technology is in the family with other Lexus' and even the Toyota's, just not on this model. Not yet anyway! The black with ecru or camel is a sweet looking ride! Keep us posted!

 

I couldn't agree more. BMW has nothing on that M45. Great drivers car. Taut, quick and well equipped. Having driven the 545 when it first came out this car is superior. They really have caught up. It's just day in day out I like my SC it's my everyday car. My last son started college recently so no need for anything as large as the M. My wife has an 07 es350 so we have a "family" car when we need it. What can I say I the SC is a bit behind techno wise but it's still just a great balance of a ride especially when you trade out the runflats.
JTMav

 

Don't want to disappoint you, so here's my $.02

I would highly recommend the M45S. I had an '06 for approx. 15 months and loved it. It is one of the best all-around cars I've ever owned. Plenty of power, great handling, user-friendly controls, great tech gadgets, attractive inside and out. The Bose 5.1 sound system is great, although it can't match the Mark Levinson in the SC430. With that said, if you like XM or I-pod it is integrated into the M, but you will have to find an aftermarket fix for the SC. My '06 M was also very reliable. It was one of the first new models out and I only had one issue with a dead seat that was fixed overnight by Infiniti. There is a bit more road noise with the Sport than with the non-Sport, so you will have to thoroughly test drive and make your own decision.

If you like the changes in the following thread, you may want to wait until the '08 model comes out in November. The guages will be violet/white rather than the current orange and it will have I-pod playback capability through the nav screen like the new G37...

http://forums2.freshalloy.com/showthread.php?t=173208

Otherwise, you can probably get a great deal on an '07. FYI, I only traded mine because it was financed and I wanted the equity out of it. The fact that I traded it for another M is "enough said". Great car.

The SC430 is a great car too. Totally different. Less sporting, but a "10" when you're driving with the top down.

 

I drove an 06 Infinity M35 Hertz rental car for a little over a week in May this year during a vacation in Massachusettes including about five days on Cape Cod.

While the interior quality was very good, it was not a fun drive and I did not find it to be very comfortable -- I'm only 6' and 170 pounds. I could only call the M's BMW pseudo-I-drive center stack controls rediculous in its non-intuitive operation. What were the designers thinking?

The damned thing rode like a truck even though it had the standard 17" tires and wheels on the non-sport suspension and I set the tires to the recommended pressure with the gauge I always carry with me when I rent cars. I kept wishing for 16" wheels and tires.

The handling was what I would call "darty". I love the responsiveness of 3 and 5 series BMWs but the M35 seemed crude in comparison.

The Honda Accord I rented in Florida last month was far more pleasant than the Infinity M.

The M35 rental we rented had lots of options. The HID lights were decent. The ventilated front seats were ineffective and not very comfortable compared to our LS. I liked the keyless ignition a lot.

After driving the M35, my old 00 LS and my wife's Camry seemed even nicer than I remembered. Leaving the M35 behind was a little like stopping hitting my head with a hammer.

But, again, the quality/workmanship of the M was very good.