It’s a shame so few people give Infiniti the time of day, since cars like today’s Nice Price or No Dice M45x prove the company has some solid models in its lineup. Let’s decide whether its price warrants further attention.
In the restaurant world, kitchen staff often examine plates returning from the tables to see what was eaten or taken home—and hence liked—and what less-popular food was left behind. A similar bellwether in the used car market is the number of miles driven. A car with lots of miles has most likely been enjoyed and has proven to be reasonably reliable to have made it so far. The 2005 Subaru Outback Limited we looked at yesterday had a lot of miles. It also was a wagon with a five-speed stick so it was pretty cool. All wrapped together and given a $4,500 price tag, that managed a solid 70 percent Nice Price win.
Continuing the theme we established yesterday, today’s 2008 Infiniti M45x comes to us with a heck of a lot of miles, just like the Subaru. Per the description in the ad, those miles total 217,000, although looking at the car in the pictures, you wouldn’t think it had even half that number.
The funny thing about Infinitis is that few people tend not to look at them at all. Nissan’s direct competitor to Toyota’s Lexus, the marque simply hasn’t registered, either with buyers or the overall automotive zeitgeist. Think about it: could you identify the brand’s current lineup and name each model correctly? Yeah, I didn’t think so.
That’s too bad because this generation of M does seem to offer the goods. The car is based on the same platform as the smaller G37 and lumpier FX crossover, and also underpins the contemporary Nissan 370Z. Here, though, it’s given a 335 horsepower VK45DE 4.5-liter V8 and automatic torque-sensing AWD, imbuing the M45x decent shove and solid everyday handling. Befitting its class and position, transmission duties on the car are handled by a standard five-speed automatic.
This one looks pretty posh as well, featuring an elegant black-on-black color scheme accented by understated brightwork on the outside and warm wood in the cabin. Despite the high miles, nothing seems amiss on this car. The bodywork is free of blemishes, and the factory alloys appear to have never met a curb. Even the headlamps are clear and clean, a remarkable feat for a car of this age.
The interior also looks to have held up admirably, showing only minimal wear on the steering wheel and driver’s seat to belie its age and use. And for those who bemoan the modern automotive aesthetic of a buttonless cabin, this Infiniti has got you, fam.
In fact, this car’s cabin looks to have pretty much everything a contemporary driver could want. It even has a sizable infotainment screen in the dash, something almost unheard of in its day. Heck, there are even stereo speakers on the tops of the seat backs!
According to the description, the car also stands up mechanically. It seems that the entire variable cam position system has been overhauled, along with the engine mounts and engine fluids. That all must have cost a pretty penny to have done and allows the seller to tout that the car “needs nothing” and “runs great.”
It has a clean title and while the pictures indicate that someone is unfamiliar with where they go, the car does wear current registration tags. The asking price is $6,900.
What’s your take on this seemingly well-liked Infiniti and that $6,900 price? Does that seem like a deal for a car with so much to offer, even if it’s not exactly the popular choice? Or does that price—and the car—have you saying fuggedaboutit?
You decide!
Los Angeles, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
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