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M45 vs 550
I know, starting this discussion on this forum is asking for it, but I am genuinely curious. Have any of you considered the new M45?
I have and 2007 ED 550i on order (delivery end of May). However, I got really annoyed with the dealer screwing around with me on some details of the deal. I got pissed and started thinking about non-BMW alternatives. I had a look at M45. Bland exterior, but I like the interior better than the BMW's. I could not test drive m45 since they are in short supply, but I drove a non-sport m35 and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the suspension. It's quite tight plus the car offers a bunch of goodies, which are either very expensive or not available on 550.
So, again, has anybody considered m45?
| | Reply » M45 vs 550 |
You should never let a dealer drive you away from the car you want.
The honest truth, i looked at the M45, GS430 and A6 before deciding on the 550. The All those cars had better interior (IMO) than the 550 and all were cheaper!
Basically it came down to personal preference. I came from 2000 S4 to the 2003 M3 and a 2004 S4... I needed a bigger car, and didn't want to lose the feel of driving the car instead of just riding in a car. Though the M45 did provide good performance, i felt (seat of the pant) the 550 gave me more feel.
All i can suggest is drive the car (i'm sure some dealer will have one to drive) and then decide.... if you are like me... you'll probably end up with the 550 as well.
Good Luck.
| | Reply » M45 vs 550 |
I never drove the M45, but I had a 2003.5 G35 coupe 6MT. Infiniti is nowhere as refined as BMW in my book. Maybe the M45 is different, but from my review of articles about it . . .the same issues come up with respect to noise, vibration, and harshness.
Drive them back to back, and ask yourself. After 20,000 miles, which car will you still want to drive?
| | Reply » M45 vs 550 |
I never drove the M45 either. I somehow suspect you like the M45 so I'll play nice.
Based on reviews, its very comparable to the 5er. Great bang for the buck. That said, the exterior is like you said "bland." Actually, unless you get the car in jet black, its pretty bad IMHO. As for the interior, I thought it contrived with the materials quality quite underwhelming. Not that BMW rules here. But, rosewood? I don't trust Infiniti interiors and passed on the G35 years ago due to this. I tried to embrace the brand. I think the 550 has a better interior layout (speaks sport and German), and the M45 dash is simply a disaster for a modern car. I dig I-drive and (I think) get the concept.
As for techie goodies, yes BMW doesn't quite measure up. But having my 550 now for a few months, many options are really window dressing and seldom used. Is that rear DVD screen gonna be used everyday? And, really, don't you find voice activation kind of stupid?? On the other hand, the sports package and V8 are your bread and butter.
I'm biased obviously. But just feel the M45 isn't the right pick, given its weird packaging and zero heritage. If not BMW, I'd recommend the GS430 for pure luxury and refinement. Pretty good. If you want more safety, AWD and the German feel, the A6 4.2 is also a nice choice with arguably the best overall interior. In conclusion, I view the M45 as a Japanese version of a high tech and very refined Chrysler 300. Fast, quirky and not me.
Good luck. A lot of dealers suck, just look right passed em.
CVT Benhogan
| | Reply » M45 vs 550 |
You can't drive your M45 in Europe!!!!! 
| | Reply » M45 vs 550 |
I agree with CVT, being an owner of an Infinity myself, I thought I give them a second chance for my next car since I'm not real happy with mine (very noisy interior, rough ride maybe due to my sports tires).
Test drove M35 and M45, very dissapointed with both in terms of ride quality and handling. M45 had power, but not even close compared to the 550i. Test drove the M45 during a rainy night, made a right turn at an intersection, and the rear wheels lost traction and the car started to slip. I took the turn at around 25Mph. Wind noise was still a problem with the M35 and M45 as it is with my I30t. At around 55 Mph, you will begin to notice it.
On the other hand, the M45 had lots of tech goodies. I really like the backup camera with projected path that adjusts as you turn the steering wheel, and the Nav system and lane departure features are pretty nice too.
IMHO, I would go with the 550i.
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M45 vs 550