Rating
Quick Summary
Average. A luxurious and well-specified alternative to the Germanic norm, but it's not quite up to stealing many sales just yet.
Road Test
The Infiniti M is almost the ideal choice for buyers looking for the upmarket practicality of an executive saloon that doesn't come with an Audi, BMW or Mercedes badge attached.
However, there are a few things that prevent the M from arriving on UK shores as a complete rival to its Germanic equivalents. For a start Infiniti is sticking with the same engine offering mentality as it has employed elsewhere in its range while it attempts to establish itself as a prestigious brand.
This means that the choice of models is limited to a six cylinder petrol or diesel engine, with no lower powered, ultra frugal alternative. That isn't due on the menu until a petrol electric hybrid arrives in 2011. The oil burner is certainly the more efficient of the current range, and enjoys the reputation of being the first Infiniti with a CO2 rating below 200g/km. Fair enough, but that's a long way off the pace set by BMW et al.
That is not to say the engines aren't good. Both produce a pleasant noise and decent acceleration to 62mph in less than seven seconds. Noise intrusion to the cockpit is kept to a minimum by a host of deadening techniques including a gadget that produces a low-volume noise on a frequency that cancels out the engine note.
Performance is slightly hampered by the automatic gearbox, which is a little sluggish when pulling away so acceleration is not always instantaneous. The comfortable ride and cosseting, electric seats of the M means it is likely to be chosen by those that want a long-distance cruiser rather than a part-time B-road plaything, though.
The amount of electric assistance certainly backs this theory up, too. There is a multi stage blind spot warning system that flashes a light at you, and then brakes the wheels on one side should you start to move over to a lane that is already occupied. There is also a collision mitigation system that recognises when there is a car too close when in front and applies the brakes and beeps at you, and another system that stops you from straying out of a lane on the motorway unintentionally.
All this is helpful if you are receptive to it, but the constant electronic nagging could become annoying after a while.
It is that kind of niggle which prevents the Infiniti M from being a great car, and what stops it from being a top notch alternative to the established giants of the segment is an undeniable lack of competitiveness on the economical front. It's likely that for now the M's superb interior and lusty engines will make it the saloon of choice only for deep pocketed early adopters.
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