Infiniti Q45.(automobile)(Brief Article)(Evaluation)

Staff opinions differed on many facets of our long-term Infiniti Q45. But we started in agreement that we should test the all-new-for-2002 Q and agreed in the end that it's a worthy choice for the executive driver.

We anxiously explored its high-tech gadgets, even talking to the car and hearing it talk back, as in repeating the radio station call numbers we verbally requested. We loved the wonderful-sounding Bose 300-watt stereo, which our audiophiles claim is matched only by Rockford Fosgate setups and topped only by the Mark Levinson sound system. (The sound system included Bose's noise cancellation technology, just like the headsets airplane pilots use.)

Another gizmo we enjoyed was the reversing camera; shift into reverse, the all-controlling dashboard screen shows a video camera's-eye rear view. Lines on the screen show how close you're getting to the barrier you're backing toward. It's better than beepers.

Silky is the best word to describe the Q45's powertrain and ride. The 4.5-liter V8's 340 hp and 333 lb-ft of torque exceed those of German and Japanese luxury car rivals. Fuel mileage contrasted quite a bit in the city vs. the highway. Cold weather and city driving could mean about 14 mpg, but on the highway in temperate weather, you can cruise at 25 to 27 mpg. We averaged about 20 mpg overall, not bad for such a potent engine, but not an appropriate car for a Sierra Club membership decal, either.

The comfortable interior remains surprisingly quiet even during full throttle. The four-wheel independent suspension, with front struts and multilink rear, is tuned more toward luxury than sport. We most often set the adjustable ride to ``sport'' mode. With the ABS and skid control, this rear-driver performed well in the snow. The four-wheel vented disc brakes with electronic brake distribution performed almost Porsche-like, but at only about 27,000 miles on the odo, one staffer noted that the rotors felt like they were warped. It turns out they were, front and rear, and the dealer replaced them under warranty.

A trip to the local Infiniti dealership was sometimes a challenging experience-dealers are independent of the manufacturer, but this one wouldn't enhance your ownership experience. The service department was, at the least, ...