2006 INFINITI M45 Review
2006 INFINITI M45 Review
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Used M45 for sale
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Edmunds' Expert Review
by the Edmunds Experts
Pros
- Explosive power from smooth V8, capable handling, plenty of luxury features, excellent transmission.
Cons
- Noisy ride, complicated center stack controls.
What’s new
The M45 is completely redesigned for 2006 and bears no relation to the 2003-2004 M.
Edmunds says
If a torquey V8, superior driving dynamics G35-meets-FX45 styling appeal to you, then the 2006 Infiniti M45 is your car.
Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2006 INFINITI M45 4dr Sedan (4.5L 8cyl 5A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $4.45 per gallon for premium unleaded in Ohio.
Monthly estimates based on costs in Ohio
$305/mo for M45 Base
M45 Base
vs
$181/mo
Avg. Midsize Car
Vehicle overview
The original Infiniti M45 was designed for buyers who wanted something more than a G35, but something less than the flagship Q45. Though a good bargain, the old M45 just didn't have the style, features or interior room to appeal to luxury sedan buyers. It was a fast car, while its handling was firm but certainly not world-class.
After two years of sales, Infiniti pulled the plug and began work on an all-new M sedan. Well worth the wait, the new Infiniti car is a bona fide rear-drive performance sedan, still positioned between the flagship Q45 and the Infiniti G35 sport sedan. Looking much like a grown-up version of the G35, the Infiniti M45 sedan rides on an extended version of the G's rear-drive FM (front midship) platform. Unlike the previous Infiniti M45 sedan, the new M's interior offers dimensions and materials befitting a proper luxury ride. The standard interior is warm and inviting; the seats are firm and supportive; the standard amenities are plenty.
Its 340-hp, 4.5-liter, double-overhead-cam V8 is as good an engine as you'll find in any sedan. It provides plenty of low-end torque, freely revs to its 6,800-rpm redline and it's smooth enough to be in a car that costs twice as much. Power delivery, either out on the highway or off the line, is downright explosive. The responsive five-speed automatic transmission blips the throttle for you when you downshift and matches the engine revs flawlessly. The basic suspension setup is a double-wishbone front, multilink rear affair that, while tuned for compliance, isn't above taking on a stress-relieving two-lane blast into the foothills. The speed-sensitive steering is beautifully weighted, and never overboosted.
The Sport Package firms up the suspension without abandoning ride comfort, and adds Rear Active Steer which prompts the rear tires to emphasize turn-in when entering corners and enhance stability when exiting. Other Sport Package highlights include 19-inch cast-alloy wheels (standard are 18-inchers), climate-controlled front sport seats and aluminum interior trim. While the previous version never felt like a complete package, the new Infiniti M45 makes no excuses for its performance sedan intentions and feels like a hot rod next to the mild-mannered luxury sedans of the world. At the same time, a high level of style and luxury smooth the car's hard edges, and make the 2006 Infiniti M45 a must-drive in the midsize luxury sedan class.
Performance & mpg
The Infiniti M45 features a 4.5-liter V8 that pumps out 335 horsepower and 340 lb-ft of torque. A five-speed automatic with automanual capability and downshift rev matching is standard. At the track, that drivetrain gets the sedan from zero to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds, and through the quarter-mile in 14.4 seconds at 99.6 mph.
Safety
The M45 wears a full set of vented disc brakes, supplemented by ABS and the usual luxury car fare -- Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and BrakeAssist. Infiniti's VDC stability control system is also standard. All Infiniti M45 models also feature front-seat side-impact airbags, front and rear side curtain airbags and active head restraints for the front seats. An available lane departure warning system alerts the driver of unintended lane drifting.
Driving
The V8 engine in the 2006 Infiniti M45 provides gobs of low-end torque and is smooth enough to be in a car that costs twice as much. Power delivery, either out on the highway or off the line, is downright explosive. Braking performance is impressive, and a firmly tuned suspension provides excellent balance in the corners. The tradeoff is steering that can feel a bit raw around town and a suspension that crashes over large road irregularities, especially in the firm Sport model.
Interior
The M45's interior is well appointed and features ultrasoft leather seating and Brazilian Rosewood trim (aluminum on the Sport model). Its firm seats are infinitely adjustable, universally comfortable and heavily bolstered. Overall, the interior of this Infiniti car is well built and attractive, but its decor can be a bit busy.
2006 INFINITI M45 models
The Infiniti M45 sedan is offered in two trim levels, base and Sport. Each one is furnished with leather upholstery, a 10-way adjustable driver seat with memory, one-touch up-and-down power windows, dual-zone automatic climate control, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, heated outside mirrors and wood trim. The Sport includes rear active steering, sport suspension, upgraded wheels, adaptive HID headlamps, aluminum interior trim and climate controlled sport seats. Options include a DVD-based navigation system, voice recognition technology and laser-based intelligent cruise control (when in cruising mode, this system senses vehicles ahead and adjusts your speed to maintain a selected following distance). Among the other extras are climate-controlled seats, adaptive HID headlamps, a lane departure warning system and a 14-speaker Bose Studio Surround sound system with digital 5.1 channel decoding.
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the Used 2006 INFINITI M45.
5 star(81%)
4 star(18%)
3 star(0%)
2 star(1%)
1 star(0%)
91 reviews
Trending topics in reviews
Most helpful consumer reviews
5 out of 5 stars
BMW Handling with Lexus Reliability
J Anthony, 12/08/2015
2006 INFINITI M45 Sport 4dr Sedan (4.5L 8cyl 5A)
This is an amazing sports sedan sleeper. The various car magazine comparisons all rated the Infiniti M45 top of the class in 2006 and 2007. I found this car listed on a Jalopnik review for top used luxury car bargains and boy were they on top of it. The 4.5 V-8 is incredibly smooth and powerful. The best feature of all is that the car drives and handles amazingly! In addition, basic … maintenance items like brakes, wheel bearing hubs and other little issues on a 9 year old car are super easy to fix and parts are very affordable. Many parts have an identical low-priced Nissan part number if you do a little research or lurking around on nicoclub.com I also drive this car year-round and with Michelin X-ice tires it is remarkably sure-footed in the snow and ice. If you've been driving around in a Camry or Accord or Fusion or other plain old 4 door sedan, do yourself a favor and consider what I did. I sold my 2013 Accord through Craigslist and picked up the 2006 Infiniti M45 Sport and had $5,000 left in my pocket. I went from plain old transportation to one of the best used sports sedans this side of a BMW M5 but without the reliability concerns!
5 out of 5 stars
Long term love affair
cammer, 09/14/2011
2006 INFINITI M45 Sport 4dr Sedan (4.5L 8cyl 5A)
Wanted to give a long term persepctive on the M45 (Sport) I have put over trouble free 60k miles on the car. I must say it has surpassed the high expectations I had when I bought it 5 years ago. I had purchased the car after Car & Driver rating it higher than the 5 series. I drove several of the competitors and was sold due to the handling, power, technology, build quality (only Nissan … built in Japan in 06) and vale. It price out 15k less than comparable BMW, lexus & Mercedes. The car continues to deliver all the positive traits to this day!
4 out of 5 stars
Long time running
tom tulip, 04/06/2018
2006 INFINITI M45 Sport 4dr Sedan (4.5L 8cyl 5A)
160,000 miles with only oil changes.
4.88 out of 5 stars
Performance and Value
Howard, 10/16/2008
2006 INFINITI M45 Sport 4dr Sedan (4.5L 8cyl 5A)
I am at the end of my 39 month lease and only have great things to say about this car. The acceleration is intoxicating. The sport package makes this car handle like a sports car. Great turning radius and people all the time comment and ask if the rims are aftermarket. These are the nicest factory 19 inch rims out. Pearl white paint glows and the interior is top notch. The seats in … the sport package give just the right amount of support and navigation system works well. Overall it looks like I will soon be driving another one there is nothing out there I like more and it has had perfect reliability.
2006 M45 Highlights
Base
Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee | $47,150 |
---|---|
Engine Type | Gas |
Combined MPG | 18 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $305/month |
Seating | 5 seats |
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place | 14.9 cu.ft. |
Drivetrain | rear wheel drive |
Warranty | 4 years / 60,000 miles |
Safety
Key safety features on the M45 include:
- Alarm
- Tire Pressure Warning
- Stability Control
IIHS Rating
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.
- Small Overlap Front Driver-Side TestNot Tested
- Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side TestNot Tested
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – OriginalGood
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – OriginalGood
- Side Impact Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Roof Strength TestNot Tested
- Rear Crash Protection / Head RestraintNot Tested
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