Entered CNET Catalog: 04/29/2005
SKU: CARINFINITIM45
Manufacturer: Infiniti
Product summary
The good: Excellent LCD and Birdsview navigation; solid Bluetooth hands-free system; dedicated rear-seat entertainment system; clever backup camera.
The bad: Rear-seat DVD monitor clobbers driver's rear view; no live traffic data in navigation system; proprietary knob and screen interface takes time to master.
The bottom line: The Infiniti M45 takes off with sporty performance but finishes a close second to the Acura RL in cutting-edge tech.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 05/11/2005
Hop into the driver's seat, and your eyes will gravitate toward the dash-mounted, seven-inch LCD. The 2006 Infiniti M45's display quality is smooth and nicely saturated. The onscreen user interface struck us as fairly logical. We didn't have to work as hard to get the menu system as we did with say the Acura RL. And it doesn't hurt that bright-sun visibility of the M45's screen is better than the Lexus GS 430's, for example. Still, like most cars that have a first-generation LCD screen interface driven by a multifunction knob, there's a learning curve. After three days with this car, we still had to poke around the menu system to find controls for navigation, climate settings, and audio.
Of course, one of the main uses for the LCD is the M45's navigation system. The 3D bird's-eye-view map it provides is a great contextual tool. This perspective lets you look down on the roads and see what lies ahead, making geographical relationships clear and alleviating some of the stress of travel. Less delightful are the voice prompts that accompany route guidance. Two slightly different voices speak, one for directional instructions ("turn right") and the other for street names ("Columbus Avenue"). The result is a sort of navigational Martin & Lewis routine, only not funny. The voice that handles street names is decidedly less intelligible than the one that gives directions. We would have preferred if street names were displayed on the dash as text only. If voice prompts are important to you as a guidance aid, then definitely give the M45's navigation system a listen during the test-drive. Also, Infiniti doesn't yet offer NavTraffic, as do Acura and Cadillac, so there's no real-time traffic data.
The M45's voice-recognition system can operate many of the car's cabin functions, including climate, audio, navigation, and communication systems. Perhaps most enjoyable was using it to enter new navigation addresses while on the road, a handy feature that will keep you from having to pull over and stop every time you want to enter or amend a destination--a complaint we had with the Lexus GS 430. The voice recognition was aided by the fact that this is a high-end car with a relatively low interior noise level.
When you put the car in reverse, the backup camera, which is located above the rear license plate, takes over the main LCD. Instead of simply showing you a standard rear view, the M45's system overlays color-keyed marks on the camera's wide-angle image that indicates where the curb is and helps you gauge your distance from the object. There's also a pair of yellow parallax lines that predict where the car will go as you steer backward. And as with just about all backup camera systems we've tested, the M45's adapts well to bright daylight and dim night conditions--chalk one up to the amazing development work done by the digital camera industry over the last few years!
We were impressed by the M45's Bluetooth hands-free system. It gave us no hassles when paired to our Treo 650. Incoming and outgoing calls were seamlessly handed to the hands-free system without any clipped syllables. Callers on the other end reported that the M45's cabin mic quality was about average, but we definitely sounded like we were on a speakerphone. As with all cars incorporating a Bluetooth hands-free system, we recommend that you talk to the service department at the dealership to have them verify compatibility with your particular phone and perhaps even its firmware version.
While calls sounded good, we couldn't say the same for the stereo. Considering the Infiniti M45's $54,000 price tag, we expected more from the Bose audio system included with the Journey package, but it's basic by today's high-end standards: eight speakers driven by 230 watts of power; a six-CD MP3-capable changer that outputs stereo only; and no surround sound. For a richer audio experience, check out the optional $4,250 Premium package that adds 5.1 studio surround-sound audio with DVD-Audio playback and several safety features (see below). We appreciated that Infiniti offers buyers both Sirius and XM radio packages and that station preset lineups can include a mix of AM, FM, and satellite stations side by side.
Rear-seat passengers in our test M45 were treated to a motorized, drop-down eight-inch wide-screen LCD monitor in the headliner. It's a real crowd-pleaser, as your passengers can watch a DVD, the car's navigation screen, or any video portable on this system. You can listen to audio via the included wireless headphones, which sound tinny compared to the car's speakers. And of course, audio portables can be connected via a set of rear-facing aux-in jacks mounted in the armrest console. A big drawback to the rear-seat entertainment system, though, is that its monitor decimates the driver's view to the rear. We would prefer to see Infiniti install the LCD monitors in the back of each front headrest.
For safety, the Infiniti M45 features dual-stage front, side, and curtain air bags, and as we mentioned before, the Premium package adds a couple of safety options, including Intelligent Cruise Control, which uses an array of lasers to measure the distance between you and the car ahead while in cruise control, then automatically adjusts your set speed to maintain distance. There's also Infiniti's unique lane-departure warning system, which tracks the distance between your car and the divider lines. The M45's warranty covers the car bumper to bumper for four years/60,000 miles and the power train for six years/70,000 miles, which is slightly better than average for cars in this class.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12out of 12 user reviews
Best of Breed-Gadgets galore,ample power,stellar looks
Pros: Power, smooth shifting, amazing bose sound system, useful safety gadgets (like lane departure warning), the built in software that integrates all the gadgets is super smart.
Cons: The only thing I can think of is the gas consumption - but it's a V-8. So it's not really a con.
Again, I guess RWD can be a con - ONLY when there is snow. But the rest of the dry days make up for it.
Intelligent key can be a con - when it breaks
out of 12 user reviews
Great Bang for the Buck!
Pros: Comfortable, fast, and smooth
Cons: Lacking essential options
My only criticism is the lack of small options, such as doors locking automatically, windows opening and closing with the remote to mention a couple.
out of 12 user reviews
Not as good as you think!
Pros: Quiet with Decent Mileage
Cons: Balky, too gimmicky
out of 12 user reviews
Awesome car!!!
Pros: Many bells and whistles. Clearly worth the $56K
Cons: Requires premium fuel. Pop-down DVD can restrict view.
The Lexus is good. but the reliability studies (i.e. Consumer Reports) shows this has a higher resale than the Lexus and a better Life Cycle Cost (cost from cradle to crave).
This car was a present to myself on my 55th birthday and I love it and earned it. My question is--if you could afford it WHY wouldn't you buy it?
out of 12 user reviews
Get in, buckle up and hang on.
Pros: Power and interior style
Cons: Minor stuff
I am a quality nut and this car is all that. The fit and finish is flawless and the technology is amazing. I looked at Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Lexus.....and Infiniti is the best choice in my book dollar for dollar.
The styling may not be cutting edge on the outside but that's OK with me. I cart clients around and they will not be put off by a BMW badge or the like.
This car rocks!
out of 12 user reviews
Sensational Machine
Pros: Fabulous interior; faster than competition, less expensive than competition; handles famously; looks great; FAST
Cons: Color choices
out of 12 user reviews
The only consummate example of true sports sedan design genius!
Pros: Absolutely stand alone chasis, engine, and steering performance.
Cons: Interior is still unable to match the level of refinement found in the Lexus - Although Infiniti's user interface show's its classmates how intelligent design is flexible not restrictive(ie: I-Drive)
out of 12 user reviews
Fabulous car
Pros: Price; handling; bose audio
Cons: None so far in 3 months of driving
Bluetooth works flawlessly with my Razr.
Fantastic voice control (of radio, GPS, phone, climate etc).
The Bose surround sound system is just awesome - I have been listening to DVD audios much more than before.
Aux inputs allow me to hook up my ipod directly to the sound system via the apple AV cable and it sounds fantastic. I control the ipod via ijet RF remote - proclipusa is coming out with mounts for M45 and then I will be able to see the track names as well.
The rear camera is great and there is a green zone that directs you to safety.
Navigation system is spot on. I love the fact that it tells you the street name into which you will make a turn.
The adaptive headlights are a real plus and is not just a gizmo, but really helps in safe driving.
AND did I mention - the engine is REALLY powerful.
out of 12 user reviews
Decent car, not the quality of competitors
Pros: Price and technology features
Cons: Tightness of build
After reading your responses I went back again one weekend afternoon and tried the M35 and M45. In order to compare, I also went and drove a BMW 5 and 7 series and then the Acura RL and will say that the BMW still is the most driveable as it wants to go around corners that the other cars fumbled around. I agree with the reliability of MBZ as I have owned one and they really have lost any and all quality in their products. The Infiniti has a lot of cool features like the backup camera, but it doesn't drive like the AWD Acura or BMW.
I know that many had stated I didn't drive the car and all I can say is I drove it then and have given it another try and I still can't recommend it against BMW and/or Acura. Those two competitors just had a better build. As for reliability, we know that Acura is outstanding and I now own a 7 series that has been flawless so I can't agree to those reviews. While the 7 doesn't have the same technology integration, it sure drives nice. While I understand that comparing my 7 to the M is unfair as the 7 is in another price category, I still think the 5 is an much more enjoyable car to drive for a true driving enthusiast.
out of 12 user reviews
Excellent bang for the buck - watch out BMW 5 series and E-class Mercedes
Pros: Looks good, great acceleration, lots of toys available
Cons: Wish the trunk was a little bigger for this class of vehicle
out of 12 user reviews
Awesome car
Pros: Engine and trans smooth as butter. Navigation 5.1suround sound bluetooth
Cons: Can be a bit of a gas hog
out of 12 user reviews
Pretty much perfect
Pros: Appearence, handling, interior, tech toys, sound system (5.1)
Cons: LCD screen does occlude rear window, RWD only in M45
%20-%20Sedans%20-%20CNET%20Archive&srcUrl=http://reviews.cnet.com/sedan/2006-infiniti-m45-4dr/1707-10865_7-31352741.html&x_breadcrumb=10863:10865){kind=small}