2005 Infiniti Q45 Test Drive

Upping the Q Factor

Infiniti's redesigned flagship is fast, roomy and luxurious. So why isn't it selling better?

Do you know the definition of hooey?

Hooey is nonsense, something absurd. All you have to do is scratch the surface a bit, and you can find hooey. For instance, try this term: objective critic. Sound like an oxymoron to you?

It is.

See, it's hooey to think someone, whose job it is to write reviews, would not have any opinions of his own. So it goes with this car reviewer. I have opinions. I even have proclivities. In fact, one might say it's my job to have them. And so if you want me to like your car -- but it's not the kind of car I tend to like -- well, I'm not going to like it, am I?

Now that we have that straight, let me confess one of my proclivities: I like cars with character.

Even when that character reveals quirks or flaws, I prefer a sedan that is a bit unique looking, an SUV that wears its ruggedness plainly, a car clearly designed from start to finish to work well both inside and out, a pick-up that's smartly designed for utility above all else -- and so on.

That concept, for better or worse, makes me predisposed to cars like the Infiniti G35 Coupe because, although it handles like a Porsche Boxster, it isn't one. It's a bargain as well, which I also like. And it cannot be pigeonholed like a Porsche either, or even like a Lexus. No one should think he knows the guy behind the wheel of this car, because Infiniti -- the upscale brand of Nissan -- is still a sort of stealth badge -- and increasingly it's one with character.

But Infiniti thinks it couldn't have the excellent G35 Coupe without first having the car you see above, the $52,000 Q45. The Q is Infiniti's flagship, and as such, the carmaker feels it's exceedingly important to the brand as a whole. Much like BMW thinks its 7 series is very important, and Mercedes-Benz relies on its S-Class to lend cachet to its pantheon of less-luxe vehicles, Infiniti feels it must have a top-of-the-line car in order to lend credibility to its volume models, the I35 and G35. We're not sure that's correct thinking, however, at least not if the Q is the flagship.

Why? The Q45 has too much character. Wait, didn't I say I liked cars with character? I do, but the Q45, with its odd nose and rounded sides, not to mention its machine-gun, bug-eye HID headlights, appears too strong a flavor for most buyers. Proof: Though completely redone just 18 months ago, the Q45 still slouched through last year, selling only 3,717 units, a fall of 35% from the 2001 figures. Lexus had a down year for its LS430 -- and that car still outsold the Q by an order of 8 to 1. The only flagship luxury sedan that sold as poorly as the Q45 in 2002 was Audi's A8 -- and it's about to be replaced, so at least there's an excuse.

So, what to do when your quirky flagship isn't well loved? Get a makeover. Which Infiniti has done. For 2003 it's made the 340horsepower V-8 even faster, with higher final-drive ratio, refined the look of the grille and headlamps with stronger chrome treatment and are giving away a few goodies, like standard, heated seats and a full-size spare. That won't erase the character flaws, but it might help get the Q up off the mat. Or maybe it won't. But keep reading to find out why it may not matter.