Prestige cars traditionally offer a lap-of-luxury interior environment. The Q45 cleaves hard and fast to the
traditional approach. What isn't covered in leather is covered in woodgrain. The leather is some of the best in
the business: buttery soft and perfectly stitched. It comes in three tasteful colors, beige, stone beige and black.
Occupants sit relatively low in the car, though not uncomfortably low, providing a sense of security, a feeling
of being surrounded by body structure. The power front seats adjust in 10 directions and have power lumbar supports.
There is a two-position memory for driver entry and exit, an eight-speaker Bose sound system and Homelink, a
transmitter system for opening gates and garage doors.
That $48,890 base price (including destination) brings a vast array of features that are essential in this
class: power tilt/telescope steering, cruise control, speed-sensitive wipers, timed rear window defroster, dual
vanity mirrors, power windows, locks, and trunk and fuel door. Separate climate controls for the rear seats help
ensure passengers in back are comfortable.
The Q45 comes with dual front airbags, side air bags that deploy from the front seats and front seat belt
pre-tensioners. There are pick-resistant door locks. If, somehow, the castle has been breached, the perpetrator
will run up against the Infiniti Personalized Protection System that combines 60,000 possible key codes with a
new, numerically random rolling code generated by the engine's computer each time the ignition is turned off.
A nice touch we liked is the Interior Light Logic feature. It turns the interior lights on very brightly in
the open door for easy entry and exit without blasting the rest of the cabin with intense light. We also liked
the pin light that bathes the center console and front door panels with soft light that makes finding and operating
controls a bit easier.
Performance has always been an Infiniti trait. Throttle response is instant, whether you're moving away from a
stoplight, making a tight freeway merge or passing.
This V8 is among the smoothest and most satisfying around today, easily holding its own with the Lexus and BMW
offerings and perhaps even a touch smoother and quieter than the Mercedes-Benz V8s. The Q45 has always been more
of a driver's car than the LS 400 and that tradition continues. The engine and transmission are connected
electronically so smooth, precise shifts are based on speed and load. On the road, the feeling is of a seamless
flow of power with no hesitation or jerkiness between shifts.
The suspension produces as advertised. The car feels firmly planted--stable as a train in a straight line,
controlled in turns. Whether it's the weight loss over the front wheels, the suspension tune or a combination
of both, the Q45 feels very nimble for a large luxury car. Steering is quick, the suspension is well damped,
but doesn't float. Visibility is good. Overall comfort is good. This car is as much at home lazing around town
as it is devouring miles of interstate. It's a nice place to be.