2004 Infiniti Q45 New Car Buyer's Guide

What's New for the 2004 Infiniti Q45?
Small changes improve the 2004 Infiniti Q45, including the addition of a RearView monitor as standard equipment, revised manual shift mode operation for the five-speed automatic transmission resulting in better acceleration, and a new exterior color. Otherwise Infiniti’s flagship sedan is a carryover.

Advantages of the 2004 Infiniti Q45:

• Extremely comfortable seats front and rear
• Silent cabin
• Seamless V8 engine

Objections to the 2004 Infiniti Q45:

• Not quite super luxury; not quite sport luxury – it gets lost in the crowd
• Fussy stereo, climate and navigation system ergonomics

Editor's Advice:
Introduced in 2002, today’s version of the Infiniti Q45 was a huge improvement over the milquetoast edition that could barely convince buyers to forsake the Lincoln Town Car much less a Lexus LS 430. With this modern iteration, Infiniti was swinging for the fences, undercutting the super-luxury players on price but not performance, comfort or opulence. However, despite its 340-horsepower V8 engine, spacious cabin and enough gizmos to satisfy the Sharper Image fiend in all of us, its sales numbers have disappointed Infiniti. Making matters worse, competitors such as the Audi A8, BMW 5- and 7-Series, Jaguar XJ and Lexus LS 430 have all undergone redesigns or significant makeovers in the past two years. Make no mistake, the 2004 Infiniti Q45 is a very good car, but when you’re playing in the big leagues without established brand cachet, you’ve got to be more than just good – you’ve got to be over-the-top, magnificent, brilliant. The 2004 Infiniti Q45 is no automotive incarnation of Albert Einstein.