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2006 Infiniti Q45 Review

The flagship of the Infiniti line debuted in 1989, following a revolutionary advertising campaign featuring scenes of rocks, trees and water—but no cars. While the Q45 was sporty and performance-oriented, it boasted the amenities of imported luxury vehicles. As time progressed and sales lagged, the Q45 became more like its competitors. The second generation of the Q45, introduced in 1997, was based on the Asian-marketed Nissan Cima.


The new 2002 Q45 was designed to capture the spirit behind the original 1989 model.

This car is great the best bang for your buck if you are looking for a full size luxury vehicle. Gurantee you will probably not see yourself coming and going!

Ratings Snapshot
2006 Infiniti Q


The Q45 has a smooth, refined V8, but the ride and handling of this big rear-drive sedan are not quite world-class. Rear-seat room is also disappointing. Comprehensive safety equipment is standard. An optional voice-activated system allows the driver to control audio, climate-control, and navigation functions. Mastering this system takes patience and practice. Other options include a rear-view camera system to aid visibility when backing up and distance-sensing cruise control. Overall, the M35/M45 is more well rounded and affordable.

Interior Design and Special Features

Step inside and youre greeted with an exquisite cabin draped in soft leather and wood trim. The electroluminescent gauges are both beautiful to look at and easy to read. Passenger room is ample throughout, and the spectacular Bose stereo fills the cabin with near perfect sound reproduction. High-tech in appearance, the Qs climate and radio controls are needlessly complicated, routed as they are through a joystick-controlled LCD -- good thing voice command comes standard. Trunk capacity (13.7 cubic feet) is a bit meager compared to the competition.

Safety

The Q45 features a myriad of standard safety features, including dual-stage front airbags with seatbelt sensors that help tailor deployment to collision severity. Front-seat occupants get active head restraints and seat-mounted side-impact airbags. Side curtain airbags protect front and rear outboard occupants. Other features include four-wheel antilock disc brakes with BrakeAssist and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), and stability control. Every Q45 comes with Infinitis RearView Monitor, which helps avert parking lot mishaps by projecting the images from a rear-mounted camera to the cars center display screen whenever the transmission is in reverse.

Powertrains and Performance

The rear-drive Q45 is powered by a 4.5-liter V8 that produces 340 hp and 333 lb-ft of torque. This power is routed through a five-speed automatic transmission with a manual-shift mode and downshift rev matching.

Body Styles, Trim Levels and Options

The Q45 sedan is offered in two trim levels, base and Sport. The base Q comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, an adaptive suspension with driver-selectable settings, a powerful set of HID headlights, a DVD-based navigation system, a 10-way power driver seat and eight-way power front-passenger seat, front seat heaters, leather upholstery, genuine wood trim, a sunroof, a voice recognition system for various controls, rain-sensing wipers, a rearview backup camera, a 300-watt Bose stereo, an in-dash CD changer and satellite radio. The Sport adds rear active steer, sport suspension and 19-inch alloy wheels. Available only on the base Q45, the Premium Package provides 18-inch wheels, adaptive cruise control, heated and cooled front seats, power-adjustable and heated rear seats, rear air conditioning controls and a power-operated rear-window shade along with manual shades for the side windows. This package also includes a Lane Departure Warning System (LDW), which works to alert the driver to any unintended movement of the vehicle out of a designated traffic lane.

Driving Impressions

The Qs V8 engine feels strong once it revs up a bit, though it doesnt feel as quick off the line as competitors V8s. As youd expect of a large luxury sedan, the ride is delightfully quiet and comfortable on the highway. The active dampening suspension system provides a nice balance between ride comfort and handling ability, but unless you order the Sport trim dont expect the sharp reflexes of an Audi A8 or BMW 7 Series.

Favorite Features

Power and handling

Overall Review

Again if you are looking for a full size luxury vehicle you cannot pass on the Infiniti Q45. Atleast take it for a spin. It destroys the Lexus LS 430 in performance and will save you thousands of $$$.

MSRP Price $58,100
Invoice Price $53,359