Long post, my review of M37S
07-05-2010, 06:42 AM
#1
Suzuka Master
Thread Starter
Long post, my review of M37S
I have been an Acurazine member for several years and through 6 Acura TLs. I recently switched to an Infiniti M37S, but the lack of decent Infiniti forums and also the great memebership of Acurazine I felt it natural to at least post a review here as well. I will miss my SH-AWD TL, but the M37 is a sweet ride as well. Is the M37 worth $14K more than my SH-AWD is hard to say so soon, time will tell......
OK I have my M37 Sport Touting for a week and 400 miles so I figured I would write my first overall impressions with the car. First it is one sexy machine, the Infiniti styling is very appealing to me the fluid lines and curves are just very sexy. True the M37 looks like a G37 on steroids, but one thing I have always liked about Infiniti is how most of their vehicles have a strong family resemblance. Coming from Acura TLs last few years Acura is only now realizing they need a brand identity that shows in their cars, of course they elected to use that ugly beak as the identity thus turning off some owners and potential buyers. I just came out of a 09 TL SH-AWD, which aside from its looks was an awesome car, great ride and handling, stuck in the turns and you never felt like you were not in full control. The M37S is clearly targeting the luxury buyer that wants a sporty ride.
Let me start with the exterior. I already mentioned how I love the styling. The bulging shoulder line may be a little over stated for me (a la Maxima) where I prefer the more rounded G37 lines, but I am just being nit picky. The car looks awesome from every angle. The nose fo the car is more aggressive and in your face that the G because the grille is larger, more rectangular and my upright. The Sport grill is midnight chrome with blacked out headlights and a Sport fascia really giving a "I'm here and I mean business" look to it. The side profile is very Infiniti with a fluid flow across the roof line and sweeping down the back window to a signature tail. Again since this car is larger in all dimensions than a G some of the lines are not as fluid (we don't want an oval gen Taurus now do we). The tail forgoes the traditional Infiniti round tail lamp styling for a more rectangular double semi-oval design that I feel fits the flow of the cars larger size better. The Sport 20 inch wheels make this car. The larger split thick forked wheels with short profile tires fit the wheel wells perfectly and add to the look that the sport fascia creates and sets the Sport miles apart form the very basic plain (yet still very attractive) looking base M.
On the to the Interior. There have been a few reviews that some of the buttons and switches and door handles feel a little plasticy and cheap. I would have to partially agree. Some of the buttons feel a little light weight and slightly cheap, but have you been in a Genesis where those cheapo buttons really distract form the car. The M door handles should have been metal or at least feel like real metal with some substance, but again this is not as big a distraction as it is a Genesis. The M buttons at least look like they belong in a $50K + car, unlike the Genesis where they look like a cheap after thought. While I did not own a previous gen M I have ridden in them and while the previous M interior was nice, this one is a very sculptured and flowing design. The dash materials are soft well assembled. The M is first a luxury car and the Sport model adds a hint of Sport and in my opinion. I would not call it a true Sports Sedan. The Sport seats are very comfortable but lack any substantial bolstering that would keep you in place for any serious cornering, which is sad because a true Sport seat would allow you to "Drive" the car and feel the handling of the car, not fight gravities effects on your body in turns. I also find the steering wheel in the Sport a little large in diameter and thin. Take an inch or more off the diameter and thicken the wheel by 50% and you have a real sporty steering wheel. Again it is very clear that Infiniti's design goal was primarily a luxury more upscale goal with sport themes. The cabin is large and inviting and has plenty of room for both front and aft passengers. The quality of the leather is excellent, but for a car touching upward of $60K I felt myself yearning for something a little more sumptuous. Also Infiniti leather is notorious for showing wear and tear more quickly than the competitors and I expect the same from the new M. Sure it feels better than the MB Tex and the vinyl feeling leather in the German cars, but in a $60K car I want leather that will still look reasonably well in 2-3 years. Also the padding on the arm rests could be a tad more softer and more giving as well as the upper doors where many people wind up leaning their elbows. The Deluxe Touring leather is supposed to be a step up, but the Sport Touring is the same as the basic leather. Speaking of the Sport Touring package the $2K premium (on top of the $3650 Sport uplift) basically only buys you the upgraded 5.1 sound system and the "Forest Air" climate control system. I feel that is a far stretch to justify a $2K uplift, but if you are like me and yearn for the best sound you can get in a car then you may opt for the uplift. Speaking of the sound system, well the Bose system in the Touring package gains you some speakers, 5.1, DVD playback and a larger sub woofer. I have never been a fan of Bose and to me it is one of Infiniti's biggest weaknesses. While it is an acceptable sound system it lacking in many areas. Lows are muddy and undefined and the sound stage in the car feels too flat. and while this is up for debate the forward biased sound stage is more natural it tends to be distracting and takes away form the rear biased lows. Where it does tend to deliver is in the mid to high ranges where the sound is crisp and clean, but again not very rich or full. The car does have a USB port for a IPOD, MP3 player or thumb drive, but the port is in the center console mid way up the front side meaning if you plug in a cable or thumb drive and put stuff in the center console it severely impacts your space and you run the risk of damaging the USB port, very port placement by Infiniti. They should have used a cable instead of a port so you can lay down whatever device you plug in.
Some notes about the technology. I wish I could have gotten the technology package as it offers some fantastic options to make your drive a safer one. The technology that does exists in the M37 Sport Touring is rather basic. You get your Infiniti navigation system which finally is not totally locked out while moving, but still fairly lame. The nag disclaimer is gone so when you start the car you can use everything without acknowledging that your are a grown adult and responsible for your own actions. Coming form 6 years of Acura navigation and voice activated controls, I can say this, OMG do I miss my Acura Navigation! The Infiniti display is more friendly and can display combinations of things (nav and climate, nav an MPG, radio and MPG, radio and climate, etc) on a split view and the nav can do 2D or bird's eye view. In the end I find the new input controller a nice evolution form the previous arrows only, but it is way too sensitive, barely touch the controller while on the map and it goes flying across the screen regardless of how zoomed in you are. Infiniti's voice activated controls are primitive at best and are in the stone ages for anyone coming form a Honda/Acura system. Another annoyance is that if I adjust my seat or mirrors while driving I can not save them in the memory presets unless the car in in park. Come on Infiniti, if I am on a long drive and finally get my settings perfect I ant to save them then and there, not have to remember an hour later when I pull into a rest stop or loose them if I lock and reopen the car with the remote! And one last minor pet peeve is what is it with the generic day/night home link mirror. Look at any aged Infiniti and you'll seem those home link buttons worn off. Put the Home link button in the head liner near the map lights, where it belongs instead of making me reach and misalign my mirror all the time.
And how about the ride... Well onto what you buy a car for, to drive. Well the Infinit VQ engine is still a magnificent work or engineering. Smooth and silky yet spools up on demand to bring the car to life. The large foot print of the M is not going to have you mistaking it for a BMW 3, but that is not their target audience. They want BMW 5 owners. Having never driven a 5 Series Bimmer I can't tell you if they have hit the mark, but I can tell you the M37 Sport delivers a great balance of smooth driving on decent to good roads yet can maneuver well. The 20 inch wheels and low profile tires make for very responsive steering. What is lacking is a real on center feel and as with many eclectic power steering systems today a real lack of decent road feed back or weight to the steering. The steering feels too over boosted and all speeds, being far to light at low speeds and marginally acceptable at highway speeds. The car has a 4 position control for the selecting the throttle and shift points they should add steering feedback to those settings with standard being less boosted than it is currently, and sport should be very minimal boosting. The Sport package adds Infiniti's 4 wheels active steering which changes the rear wheel angle slightly to provide better stability in hard or sharp corning. I did not push a base car so I can't tell you how different the steering alone improves the dynamic, because the sport suspension and larger wheels alone transform the base car. I will say I can throw the M into turns fairly confidently and if not for the lacking sport seats I would feel even more confident in the cars abilities. The 7 speed auto gets mixed reviews and I know Infiniti has struggled with throttle response and shift points since going fly by wire and introducing the 7 speed auto, but I believe they really have it figured out now. Sure it can use a little tweaking, but if you ever drove the early 2007 G or the first 7 speed auto G's you will appreciate the work their engineers have done for the M. The shifting in the M is smooth and unnoticeably. If I am not watching the tach I really can't tell when it is shifting. The VQ loves to rev and Infiniti's biggest obstacle prior tot he 7 speed auto was the engines high revs on the highway, well the 7 speed has resolved that issue. At 75MPH the car is only spinning at around 2500 RPM and is quiet. The 20 inch wheels do introduce a bit or road noise at highway speeds and the M could use some more sound deadening materials. Coming form a SH-AWD TL will take a bit of getting used to as that car felt extremely planted on the road and could be whipped into turns effortlessly to the point that the tires would scream for mercy. The M feels a tad more lean into the turns, but much of that I attribute to the lacking Sport seats, put some real seats on this ride and I suspect with the 4 wheel steering and 20 inch tires this baby will stick like glue around sharp turns.
Overall impression? Well I would not have gotten the M37 Sport if I didn't think I would love it. Sure my review is a bit harsh in areas, but when you step into a car that can go for well over $60K (and darn close to it well equipped) you expect a lot. After all you are firmly in the company of some very impressive cars (BMw5, MB E, Audi A6, etc). Infiniti's overall fit and finish seems excellent on this car, but I have always thought their cars lacks the thud and tight feel when you close the doors of some of their competitors. The new M does improve greatly the car feels solid and the doors close with a better sense of the car feeling substantial. The M is fairly early in the production cycle so natural fit and finish issues will pop up. I find that under even low moderate bass both front doors in my M seems ot have occasional buzzes. I find that if you are going to put a high end sound system in a vehicle you should have your engineers really test interior tightness under some extreme tests. I found this to be a hug issue with the previous gen TL that Acura finally mostly resolved in the 09+ TL, I never heard a peep out of the interior under any types of music, base or volume, over 17 months and 19K miles. Kudos to Acura engineers, now Infiniti, go steel them and fix your interior. In the end the M37 S is a joy to drive, it is clearly geared toward being a cruiser first and sport sedan second, but will deliver when asked to.
OK I have my M37 Sport Touting for a week and 400 miles so I figured I would write my first overall impressions with the car. First it is one sexy machine, the Infiniti styling is very appealing to me the fluid lines and curves are just very sexy. True the M37 looks like a G37 on steroids, but one thing I have always liked about Infiniti is how most of their vehicles have a strong family resemblance. Coming from Acura TLs last few years Acura is only now realizing they need a brand identity that shows in their cars, of course they elected to use that ugly beak as the identity thus turning off some owners and potential buyers. I just came out of a 09 TL SH-AWD, which aside from its looks was an awesome car, great ride and handling, stuck in the turns and you never felt like you were not in full control. The M37S is clearly targeting the luxury buyer that wants a sporty ride.
Let me start with the exterior. I already mentioned how I love the styling. The bulging shoulder line may be a little over stated for me (a la Maxima) where I prefer the more rounded G37 lines, but I am just being nit picky. The car looks awesome from every angle. The nose fo the car is more aggressive and in your face that the G because the grille is larger, more rectangular and my upright. The Sport grill is midnight chrome with blacked out headlights and a Sport fascia really giving a "I'm here and I mean business" look to it. The side profile is very Infiniti with a fluid flow across the roof line and sweeping down the back window to a signature tail. Again since this car is larger in all dimensions than a G some of the lines are not as fluid (we don't want an oval gen Taurus now do we). The tail forgoes the traditional Infiniti round tail lamp styling for a more rectangular double semi-oval design that I feel fits the flow of the cars larger size better. The Sport 20 inch wheels make this car. The larger split thick forked wheels with short profile tires fit the wheel wells perfectly and add to the look that the sport fascia creates and sets the Sport miles apart form the very basic plain (yet still very attractive) looking base M.
On the to the Interior. There have been a few reviews that some of the buttons and switches and door handles feel a little plasticy and cheap. I would have to partially agree. Some of the buttons feel a little light weight and slightly cheap, but have you been in a Genesis where those cheapo buttons really distract form the car. The M door handles should have been metal or at least feel like real metal with some substance, but again this is not as big a distraction as it is a Genesis. The M buttons at least look like they belong in a $50K + car, unlike the Genesis where they look like a cheap after thought. While I did not own a previous gen M I have ridden in them and while the previous M interior was nice, this one is a very sculptured and flowing design. The dash materials are soft well assembled. The M is first a luxury car and the Sport model adds a hint of Sport and in my opinion. I would not call it a true Sports Sedan. The Sport seats are very comfortable but lack any substantial bolstering that would keep you in place for any serious cornering, which is sad because a true Sport seat would allow you to "Drive" the car and feel the handling of the car, not fight gravities effects on your body in turns. I also find the steering wheel in the Sport a little large in diameter and thin. Take an inch or more off the diameter and thicken the wheel by 50% and you have a real sporty steering wheel. Again it is very clear that Infiniti's design goal was primarily a luxury more upscale goal with sport themes. The cabin is large and inviting and has plenty of room for both front and aft passengers. The quality of the leather is excellent, but for a car touching upward of $60K I felt myself yearning for something a little more sumptuous. Also Infiniti leather is notorious for showing wear and tear more quickly than the competitors and I expect the same from the new M. Sure it feels better than the MB Tex and the vinyl feeling leather in the German cars, but in a $60K car I want leather that will still look reasonably well in 2-3 years. Also the padding on the arm rests could be a tad more softer and more giving as well as the upper doors where many people wind up leaning their elbows. The Deluxe Touring leather is supposed to be a step up, but the Sport Touring is the same as the basic leather. Speaking of the Sport Touring package the $2K premium (on top of the $3650 Sport uplift) basically only buys you the upgraded 5.1 sound system and the "Forest Air" climate control system. I feel that is a far stretch to justify a $2K uplift, but if you are like me and yearn for the best sound you can get in a car then you may opt for the uplift. Speaking of the sound system, well the Bose system in the Touring package gains you some speakers, 5.1, DVD playback and a larger sub woofer. I have never been a fan of Bose and to me it is one of Infiniti's biggest weaknesses. While it is an acceptable sound system it lacking in many areas. Lows are muddy and undefined and the sound stage in the car feels too flat. and while this is up for debate the forward biased sound stage is more natural it tends to be distracting and takes away form the rear biased lows. Where it does tend to deliver is in the mid to high ranges where the sound is crisp and clean, but again not very rich or full. The car does have a USB port for a IPOD, MP3 player or thumb drive, but the port is in the center console mid way up the front side meaning if you plug in a cable or thumb drive and put stuff in the center console it severely impacts your space and you run the risk of damaging the USB port, very port placement by Infiniti. They should have used a cable instead of a port so you can lay down whatever device you plug in.
Some notes about the technology. I wish I could have gotten the technology package as it offers some fantastic options to make your drive a safer one. The technology that does exists in the M37 Sport Touring is rather basic. You get your Infiniti navigation system which finally is not totally locked out while moving, but still fairly lame. The nag disclaimer is gone so when you start the car you can use everything without acknowledging that your are a grown adult and responsible for your own actions. Coming form 6 years of Acura navigation and voice activated controls, I can say this, OMG do I miss my Acura Navigation! The Infiniti display is more friendly and can display combinations of things (nav and climate, nav an MPG, radio and MPG, radio and climate, etc) on a split view and the nav can do 2D or bird's eye view. In the end I find the new input controller a nice evolution form the previous arrows only, but it is way too sensitive, barely touch the controller while on the map and it goes flying across the screen regardless of how zoomed in you are. Infiniti's voice activated controls are primitive at best and are in the stone ages for anyone coming form a Honda/Acura system. Another annoyance is that if I adjust my seat or mirrors while driving I can not save them in the memory presets unless the car in in park. Come on Infiniti, if I am on a long drive and finally get my settings perfect I ant to save them then and there, not have to remember an hour later when I pull into a rest stop or loose them if I lock and reopen the car with the remote! And one last minor pet peeve is what is it with the generic day/night home link mirror. Look at any aged Infiniti and you'll seem those home link buttons worn off. Put the Home link button in the head liner near the map lights, where it belongs instead of making me reach and misalign my mirror all the time.
And how about the ride... Well onto what you buy a car for, to drive. Well the Infinit VQ engine is still a magnificent work or engineering. Smooth and silky yet spools up on demand to bring the car to life. The large foot print of the M is not going to have you mistaking it for a BMW 3, but that is not their target audience. They want BMW 5 owners. Having never driven a 5 Series Bimmer I can't tell you if they have hit the mark, but I can tell you the M37 Sport delivers a great balance of smooth driving on decent to good roads yet can maneuver well. The 20 inch wheels and low profile tires make for very responsive steering. What is lacking is a real on center feel and as with many eclectic power steering systems today a real lack of decent road feed back or weight to the steering. The steering feels too over boosted and all speeds, being far to light at low speeds and marginally acceptable at highway speeds. The car has a 4 position control for the selecting the throttle and shift points they should add steering feedback to those settings with standard being less boosted than it is currently, and sport should be very minimal boosting. The Sport package adds Infiniti's 4 wheels active steering which changes the rear wheel angle slightly to provide better stability in hard or sharp corning. I did not push a base car so I can't tell you how different the steering alone improves the dynamic, because the sport suspension and larger wheels alone transform the base car. I will say I can throw the M into turns fairly confidently and if not for the lacking sport seats I would feel even more confident in the cars abilities. The 7 speed auto gets mixed reviews and I know Infiniti has struggled with throttle response and shift points since going fly by wire and introducing the 7 speed auto, but I believe they really have it figured out now. Sure it can use a little tweaking, but if you ever drove the early 2007 G or the first 7 speed auto G's you will appreciate the work their engineers have done for the M. The shifting in the M is smooth and unnoticeably. If I am not watching the tach I really can't tell when it is shifting. The VQ loves to rev and Infiniti's biggest obstacle prior tot he 7 speed auto was the engines high revs on the highway, well the 7 speed has resolved that issue. At 75MPH the car is only spinning at around 2500 RPM and is quiet. The 20 inch wheels do introduce a bit or road noise at highway speeds and the M could use some more sound deadening materials. Coming form a SH-AWD TL will take a bit of getting used to as that car felt extremely planted on the road and could be whipped into turns effortlessly to the point that the tires would scream for mercy. The M feels a tad more lean into the turns, but much of that I attribute to the lacking Sport seats, put some real seats on this ride and I suspect with the 4 wheel steering and 20 inch tires this baby will stick like glue around sharp turns.
Overall impression? Well I would not have gotten the M37 Sport if I didn't think I would love it. Sure my review is a bit harsh in areas, but when you step into a car that can go for well over $60K (and darn close to it well equipped) you expect a lot. After all you are firmly in the company of some very impressive cars (BMw5, MB E, Audi A6, etc). Infiniti's overall fit and finish seems excellent on this car, but I have always thought their cars lacks the thud and tight feel when you close the doors of some of their competitors. The new M does improve greatly the car feels solid and the doors close with a better sense of the car feeling substantial. The M is fairly early in the production cycle so natural fit and finish issues will pop up. I find that under even low moderate bass both front doors in my M seems ot have occasional buzzes. I find that if you are going to put a high end sound system in a vehicle you should have your engineers really test interior tightness under some extreme tests. I found this to be a hug issue with the previous gen TL that Acura finally mostly resolved in the 09+ TL, I never heard a peep out of the interior under any types of music, base or volume, over 17 months and 19K miles. Kudos to Acura engineers, now Infiniti, go steel them and fix your interior. In the end the M37 S is a joy to drive, it is clearly geared toward being a cruiser first and sport sedan second, but will deliver when asked to.
07-05-2010, 11:23 AM
#5
My first Avatar....
Congrats! 
07-05-2010, 12:21 PM
#6
Senior Moderator
Great write up! The new M is definitely a nice car. Why did you give up your relatively new SH TL?
07-05-2010, 01:05 PM
#7
I feel strongly both ways
I drove the M37 and I have to say I was massively underwhelmed. For such a large car I found the room in the two front seats sorely lacking. And this was with the seats all the way back. And the center console intruded uncomfortably on the driver's right knee. I found the engine way too loud for a car trying to compete with the likes of the 5, E and A6. Interior materials were not as nice or opulent as those in the outgoing M35. The technology was nice, though no better than that in the 4G TL and overall I felt the car looked far too 'oval' -- kind of like the last gen. Taurus or (as you described it) "a G37 on steroids."
Quite frankly I don't see anyone willing to part with this kind of change going for anything other than one of the German mid-sized offerings. Now if it were $10k cheaper, then maybe. As it is, not a chance.
Quite frankly I don't see anyone willing to part with this kind of change going for anything other than one of the German mid-sized offerings. Now if it were $10k cheaper, then maybe. As it is, not a chance.
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07-05-2010, 02:38 PM
#10
Well, it's been a week, so based upon his sig, it's about time for Keith to start thinking about a new car to replace the M37. 
JK, Keith. Congrats on your new ride. I was thinking about looking into an M37 as well, but not sure it's worth that much more than the current snapping turtle TL. But like I said, I haven't even sat in one. Reviews like yours sure help, so it's appreciated.
JK, Keith. Congrats on your new ride. I was thinking about looking into an M37 as well, but not sure it's worth that much more than the current snapping turtle TL. But like I said, I haven't even sat in one. Reviews like yours sure help, so it's appreciated.
07-05-2010, 03:38 PM
#11
Suzuka Master
Thread Starter
Well, it's been a week, so based upon his sig, it's about time for Keith to start thinking about a new car to replace the M37.
JK, Keith. Congrats on your new ride. I was thinking about looking into an M37 as well, but not sure it's worth that much more than the current snapping turtle TL. But like I said, I haven't even sat in one. Reviews like yours sure help, so it's appreciated.
JK, Keith. Congrats on your new ride. I was thinking about looking into an M37 as well, but not sure it's worth that much more than the current snapping turtle TL. But like I said, I haven't even sat in one. Reviews like yours sure help, so it's appreciated.
07-05-2010, 03:42 PM
#12
Suzuka Master
Thread Starter
Ok here are a few pics..
Many more as well as my other past cars at... http://www.pbase.com/kluken/my_cars
Many more as well as my other past cars at... http://www.pbase.com/kluken/my_cars
07-05-2010, 03:43 PM
#13
Moderator
iTrader: (3)
I drove a M37S two nights ago and a M56S a few weeks back and I love them both. Much more refined than the last M. It's a gorgeous car inside and out. Congrats on your purchase 
07-05-2010, 03:45 PM
#14
Suzuka Master
Thread Starter
2012 G37 or 2012 TL Type-S are the current plans... of course not seeing either yet makes it a hard call this early on. Runner ups woudl be a Audi A4 or less likely BMW 528 (don't care for their technology or Nav)
07-05-2010, 03:51 PM
#15
Suzuka Master
Thread Starter
2012 G37 or 2012 TL Type-S are the current plans... of course not seeing either yet makes it a hard call this early on. Runner ups would be a Audi A4 or less likely BMW 528 (don't care for their technology or Nav)
07-05-2010, 05:03 PM
#16
Racer
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The car looks fantastic, with the bulges and curve it's a little busy on the outside, but overall fantastic looking. It does seem to need atleast 20 inch wheels to look nice though, and how's the ride quality in that car?
07-05-2010, 05:50 PM
#18
Senior Moderator
07-05-2010, 06:21 PM
#19
Suzuka Master
Thread Starter
Ride is very nice. The SH-AWD TL was very firm, yet smooth. This car is very smooth yet provides a controlled and firm ride, not as firm as the AWD TL, but the short side wall tires and sport suspension do a good job. The M feels sily smooth on the road. Have not had it on any bad roads, but the bumps I have hit the car soaks up nicely.
07-05-2010, 07:30 PM
#20
Senior Moderator
iTrader: (1)
Nice write up. Congrats again Keith.
07-05-2010, 07:54 PM
#21
Rooting for Acura
iTrader: (1)
Wow. That was a very critical write up. Question. Do you believe that you could have purchased a vehicle that satisfied your criteria for a $60K (or slightly below) purchase? If so, what would it be? And why didn't you consider it instead of the M.
If you purchased the M and thought that, "this is as good as it get's unfortunately", what made you drop that kind of coin on something that you could not "check all the boxes" on?
If you purchased the M and thought that, "this is as good as it get's unfortunately", what made you drop that kind of coin on something that you could not "check all the boxes" on?
07-05-2010, 08:14 PM
#22
Suzuka Master
Thread Starter
Wow. That was a very critical write up. Question. Do you believe that you could have purchased a vehicle that satisfied your criteria for a $60K (or slightly below) purchase? If so, what would it be? And why didn't you consider it instead of the M.
If you purchased the M and thought that, "this is as good as it get's unfortunately", what made you drop that kind of coin on something that you could not "check all the boxes" on?
If you purchased the M and thought that, "this is as good as it get's unfortunately", what made you drop that kind of coin on something that you could not "check all the boxes" on?
Last edited by KeithL; 07-05-2010 at 08:17 PM.
07-05-2010, 08:42 PM
#23
Senior Moderator
That was a terrific review Keith. Thank you.
07-08-2010, 05:18 PM
#24
Senior Moderator
Great review.
If I was in the market for a larger-than-mid-sized luxury vehicle, it would be the M. Forget Lexus (GS) or Acura (RL) at this point. And I'm not too keen on the Germans in the long term ownership perspective.
Then again ... you're talking to someone driving a G37 coupe ...
If I was in the market for a larger-than-mid-sized luxury vehicle, it would be the M. Forget Lexus (GS) or Acura (RL) at this point. And I'm not too keen on the Germans in the long term ownership perspective.
Then again ... you're talking to someone driving a G37 coupe ...
07-08-2010, 11:59 PM
#25
Burning Brakes
07-09-2010, 09:07 AM
#27
Senior Moderator
No one should have to apologize for not being a Hondafanboy. Then again, it could be a commentary regarding Acura's inability to produce a premium sedan as alluring as the Infiniti M.
07-09-2010, 10:38 AM
#28
Great review. We've had our eye on the new M as a replacement for the wife's A6, but I just can't get over the front end and how much it looks like the new Maxima. Too much resemblance IMO. Plus, for those prices, we'll likely stay Audi, or possibly BMW or Mercedes. We will still likely take one for a spin b/c you never know... we may fall in love behind the wheel.
Still, great review
Still, great review
07-09-2010, 01:32 PM
#30
I drive a Subata.
iTrader: (1)
Great write up. Congrats man.
07-09-2010, 01:46 PM
#31
Team Owner
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Interesting write-up Keith. I'm anxious for the review of the next one too!
07-09-2010, 03:23 PM
#32
Senior Moderator
I know I am definitely in the minority here, but I just cannot get over the exterior styling, especially the front end. Just way too many very large bulges and huge schnoz. Sounds like a decent car, though.
I do like your unbiased reviews. Thanks for posting.
And congrats on the new car. It's always fun to try something different.
I do like your unbiased reviews. Thanks for posting.
And congrats on the new car. It's always fun to try something different.
07-09-2010, 06:06 PM
#33
The sizzle in the Steak
^^ You are not alone. It's got a reall odd bulbous look to it.
The interior is quite nice.
The interior is quite nice.
07-09-2010, 11:22 PM
#34
Punk Rocker
I think the M looks way better than the new 535i. I would definitely get an M37S over anything else in this segment (though if I were spending 60-large I'd be going with an E92 M3 or a CTS-V)....
07-10-2010, 06:33 AM
#35
Suzuka Master
Thread Starter
As usual it is a matter of prefernce, you have Acura going "keen edge" design and Infiniti going the opposite way with "fluid" design. I am biased toward the sleeker fluid design, yeah the shoulds on the hood are a bit bulbous, that is why I prefer the G37 shoulder lines better. The edgey design of the CTS appeals to me more that the way Acura pulled it off as I find the CTS design cleaner.
07-10-2010, 06:38 AM
#36
Suzuka Master
Thread Starter
Good theinkg about the M37S is you can get it close to $50K they are moving them far closer to invoice that you would think. I got mine only a few hundred over invoice. So you'll looking at maybe $52K-$53K for a M37 Sport Touring which MSRP is $57K. Problem with Acura here in ATL is they are not begotiating much and especially on the AWD. My buddy wanted a 2010 FWD TL and they asked ridiculous prices at several dealers, he called Infiniti dealer and had a G37 in 15 minutes for about $5K under MSRP. So he would up with a G37 Journey Premium Nav for much less than any Acura dealer wanted for a FWD TL Tech. I think the ATL Acura dealers are dealing with the lower sales volume by holding the price point to make more money per car, but ultimately that hurts them becaue some people will cross shop and price will be a bigger factor.
07-10-2010, 10:45 AM
#37
Senior Moderator
I liked the styling when i saw pictures but then i saw one in person.
I honestly thought it was an SUV at first glance, thats how huge the front is! Will take some time to get use to it.
I honestly thought it was an SUV at first glance, thats how huge the front is! Will take some time to get use to it.
07-10-2010, 12:39 PM
#38
I drive a Subata.
iTrader: (1)
535 >>>>>>> M37S in terms of everything for me.
07-10-2010, 03:28 PM
#39
Suzuka Master
Thread Starter
I think if they woudl have raked it more it woudl look too much like a G and I think they want this car to have a large appearence and the grill make the car have a large presence. Comming frm 6 years of Acura and even Honda have always had low slung/pitched fronts. It used to turn me off becasue I used to think in an accident the car would plow under what ever it hit, the TL has done a better job of that than some of the accords whick looked like train cattle catchers on the front.
07-10-2010, 05:49 PM
#40
Senior Moderator
Comming frm 6 years of Acura and even Honda have always had low slung/pitched fronts. It used to turn me off becasue I used to think in an accident the car would plow under what ever it hit, the TL has done a better job of that than some of the accords whick looked like train cattle catchers on the front.
That was cute.
Guess you would never own a sports car then.
