1997 Infiniti Q45 Review

Nissan's upscale Infiniti division learned with its first Q45 luxury model that the U.S. luxury crowd likes fairly conventional sedans--without avant garde touches.

For instance, the first Infiniti Q45 luxo four-door model, which debuted in late 1989, took a ``pure'' approach. It had a unique grille-less front end, highly businesslike interior and hard-edged performance, with a firm ride and great high-speed stability.

All that was a mistake in a market that prizes distinctive grilles, such as those from BMW and Mercedes, and demands things like wood-trimmed interiors and softer suspensions. High-speed stability isn't a big deal in this country.

With sales below expectations, Infiniti gave in a few years ago and gave the Q45 a grille, wood trim and a generally softer feel for 1993.

The 1997 model, which is expected to cost about the same as the current, $47,900 Q45, goes even more in the conservative direction. Although slick-looking, the new model is slightly shorter, higher and narrower--and there is nothing very distinctive about its appearance.

The new ``Q'' also has a smaller, less powerful 4.2-liter aluminum double-overhead-camshaft V-8, but the 266-horsepower car is 160 pounds lighter so it's virtually as fast as the current 4.5-liter, 278-horsepower model.

The 0-60 m.p.h. run is fairly quick at 7.6 seconds, and there's plenty of reserve power for emergency situations. More torque at low and mid-range speeds makes the new Q45 feel more responsive than the old one.

Fuel economy remains average, at an estimated 18 m.p.g. in the city and 23 on highways with the four-speed automatic transmission. The automatic shifts smoothly, but a more-versatile five-speed automatic like the one in the rival 1997 Mercedes E420 would be appreciated and likely would add a few more miles per gallon to the highway economy figure.

The new, equipment-loaded Q45 finally has enough room to easily fit four 6-footers, although the trunk is a bit small for the 199.2-inch-long car's size.

Still, the 3,879-pound Q45 stacks up admirably against the coveted, comparably priced E420.

Significantly, the new Q45 feels just as substantial as the E420, with doors that close with the same solid ``thunk.'' It lacks the E420's side air bags, but the nicely designed dashboard contains dual air bags.

The power steering is accurate enough to ``thread a needle,'' while the rather soft suspension provides a butter-smooth ride. The car stops quickly and surely, although the brake pedal feels spongy.

The Mercedes E420 clearly is more comfortable being driven hard. But what will matter more to many U.S. buyers are things such as the new Q45's quieter, more sumptuous interior.

While the Q45 transmission isn't as advanced as the E420's, we're in the United States, where I've found that many luxury car owners don't even know how many cylinders are in their engines.