2002 Infiniti Q45

Ever since the Infiniti Q45 was introduced back in the late ‘80s, I have been a fan. Make that, a lonely fan. When the Japanese decided to give the Germans, British and Americans a run for the luxury money back in the late 80s, the Q45 bowed as Nissan’s flagship entry. Simultaneously, Toyota trotted out the Lexus LS400. LS400 sales took off. Q45 sales meandered.

Although the Q45 was clearly the more athletic and always my favorite of the two, the public didn’t agree. They liked the roomy, insulated Lexus that took as much effort out of driving as possible and offered Toyota reliability. You didn’t have to do much except shell out the cash.

The Q45 continued to be a sleeker, slicker sedan, but it couldn’t seem to seize either the luxury barge lovers or the performance aficionados. Its second generation didn’t improve that much, so Nissan realized it had to get down to business. This year, a third generation bears the fruit of that focus.

Without abandoning its initial intent on being a driver’s luxury sedan, significant changes have been made to pull the Q45 more in line with what customers buy in this class. It’s by no means a sellout, but a wise compromise.

The Good News
Becoming more mainstream doesn’t sound like a good thing, but it may be vital in the Q45’s case. Most notably, this new car looks more like the rest of the luxury sedan class with bulkier lines, a bolder front end and more nose-down posture. It’s the same length as the previous Q45, but with a longer wheelbase. Finally, it has the sort of commanding presence prestige buyers like.

Then, there is its power. This Q45 comes with a new 4.5-liter twin cam V-8 that produces 340 horses and 333 foot pounds of torque. That’s 74 more horses than the previous Q and more muscle that Audi A6 4.2, BMW 540i, Jaguar S-Type, Lexus Gs430, Mercedes E430 or Cadillac DTS.

State-of-the-art techno enhancements also make the “wow” list, among them a system that controls cornering with automatic brake, throttle and gear selection and a sophisticated braking system that not only offers anti-lock and assist, but automatic pressure adjustments fore and aft.

Performance wise, I find this rear-drive Q45 to be a lovely medium between the edgier German sports sedans and the totally remote Lexus approach. It’s responsive and connected, yet gentle and ultra-luxurious at the same time.

In keeping with that second note, the interior of the Q45 is beautifully finished and blessed with most every fancy you can imagine. Passengers find comfort at every position, front seat and back, and upscale conveniences abound.

This is simply a lovely sedan.

The Bad News
It’s true confession time: I’m coming out of the closet on these mid-dash 7-inch screen systems that adjust climate, audio, navigation and sometimes other things. The truth is, I despise them.

I understand navigation requires this screen, but I’ve yet to find one of these systems that gives me what I want in audio or climate more easily than a traditional knob-and-button setup.

To further confuse us old folks, Nissan offers a voice-recognition system, much like the new BMW 745i I recently tested. It allows you to tell the climate and audio what to do. Some may see this as a safety measure or as way techno-cool. I think it smacks of gadgets gone amuck.

I might also note that this new Q45 may have more muscle, but not necessarily more hustle. Even with the horsepower advantage, the Q45 didn’t outrun the BMW 540i, Lexus GS430 or Mercedes E430 to 60 mpg in recent independent tests. According to the testers, tall gearing was to blame.

That brings up a point about how much the Q45 really hits its mark as a true sport sedan. It impresses me as more adept at luxury than sport, but with honors for its responsiveness and fun.

Gas mileage
EPA rated at 17 mpg city/25 highway

Price
Manufacturer’s base, $50,500;
Price as tested, $53,675

Is it worth it?
The improvements to this new Q45 weren’t without their price. This is a more expensive car than the previous Q, but it’s also a much better car. Its price still undercuts some of its competition and lines up close to the rest. So, yes, I think it’s worth it.

I am quite taken with this new Q45, not because it’s a great sport sedan or a yummy luxury car, but because it combines some of both in a very compelling way.

My fingers are crossed that this model will finally bring the Q45 the attention it deserves. If not, the buying public is missing a fine luxury/performance sedan at a nice price.

Beth Stein is a life-long car buff and free-lance journalist living in Nashville. She has reviewed new vehicles in print for 12 years as a weekly columnist for Nashville?s daily newspapers and on television for Road Test Magazine and Motor Trend Television. Currently, her reviews appear nationally on Car And Driver Television.