Infiniti Q45 vs. Lexus LS430

[Morpheus XIII]

Originally posted by Chris
The Infinity has an $8000 Premium package, hard to swallow, but I think at this price, it is worth it. If it was standard, and they jacked up the price $6500 (they would save some because they need certain machines, just one assemble line, not seperating them apart according to options), then the car would sell better.

From the looks of it, not many people seem to buy the Premium Package (although I think it is worthwhile). I suppose the reason for this is that Infiniti buyers can be classified into two categories: 1) sports enthusiasts, who tend not to care about additional pampering, 2) smaller budget folk who came to Infiniti in the first place to avoid the sky-high Lexus pricetag. Of course, there is that small group of fiends who are hardcore Nissan lovers (who actually have extra money lying around). These guys have the Premium Package. There is one more group, which Lexus seems to own completely: those who simply have money, and lots of it.

With this and the previously mentioned hypothetical marketing strategy in mind, it seems like Chris's idea might work well since the consumers would see that the Infiniti is better equipped in any option format, and perhaps then some of those cash-friendly Lexus-types would come on over.

...This feels like a Camry/Accord comparison...

[Chris]

Infinity is the same age as lexus, they just botched it at the start. And how old is Nissan/Datsun?? They came here at about the same time.

But people with tons of money seem to be stupid, and not care about the product. They buy the one with the most cachet, and we have already discussed that.

[moe182]

Originally posted by Piston1047
the Q45 is a great looking car it looks twice as good in person, nice wheels , interior and performance. Now the lexus is looking rather small and ugly, it still is good for comfort but in trrms of styling can we say avalon and hubcap look alike rims. I swear when i first saw the car i thought it had hubcaps

Yea, i agree i saw the LS430 in person on the weekend...and i wasnt really impressed by it. And yea i agree with you 100%...i also had to look twice to make sure that it wasnt a hub cap covering a steel wheel, and i also saw the uncany resembelience to the Toyota Avalon (an ugly car if you ask me) So yea, i would pick a Q45 over the Lexus anyday...I sat in one at the car show in Toronto, and the guy at the infinity booth was nice enough to give the car some power so we could try out everything, the sound system, the voice command......it is a very, very nice car. I would prob get that over a S430 or 740i, simply because of the price. But both Infinity and Lexus are in NO WAY close to the big three (BMW, BENZ, JAG) when it comes to flagship sedans. I dont know, i just dont have any respect for car companys that just rip ideas off and "improve em".....I mean what has Lexus made/developed? At least the Q45 has some character....

[gang$tarr]

Originally posted by Piston1047
Now the lexus is looking rather small and ugly

have you ever seen one? they're pretty huge IMO

Originally posted by moe182

But both Infinity and Lexus are in NO WAY close to the big three (BMW, BENZ, JAG) when it comes to flagship sedans. I dont know, i just dont have any respect for car companys that just rip ideas off and "improve em".....I mean what has Lexus made/developed? At least the Q45 has some character....

I think Lexus is right up there with bmw, benz and jag..... it's their prime competitor. and you said that the lexus hasn't made anything, do you know how many features the Lexus LS400 hat before any other luxury car?
and please explain how the Q45 has more character? what has the Q45 made or developed?

i'm not putting you down, i just want to know

[moe182]

Originally posted by gang$tarr


have you ever seen one? they're pretty huge IMO





I think Lexus is right up there with bmw, benz and jag..... it's their prime competitor. and you said that the lexus hasn't made anything, do you know how many features the Lexus LS400 hat before any other luxury car?
and please explain how the Q45 has more character? what has the Q45 made or developed?

i'm not putting you down, i just want to know

No i dont know any of the features that the LS400 had before any other luxury car.......please fill me in, thanks. And the Q45 has more character because there are less of them on the road like ALOT less and its exterior design isnt a generation behind (cover up the front of the LS with your hand, and i see a last generation S class rip, even the old one was an S rip, the new one is just rounded) ANd im not saying that Infinity made/developed anything....but they (nissan) make good cars. But then again i dont consider infinity up there with BMW, BENZ and JAG, and the price of the infinity shows that they dont either. I dont know what it is but there is just something about lexus i dont like. I mean i DO like some of there cars (IS300, GS300/430) but others (LS430, SC430) I have real beef with. To me those two cars are just rips of other companys in both design and tech.

[gang$tarr]

how is an SC430 a rip?

and all cars have lots of similarities, i don't really agree about the S-Class vs. LS430 thing... but that's you opinion
the LS430 has always been said to have more technological features (maybe not anymore but in the early 90s), good reliability and a quiter ride than it's German competitors

[Morpheus XIII]

Originally posted by moe182
...and its exterior design isnt a generation behind (cover up the front of the LS with your hand, and i see a last generation S class rip...

I think the front of the new LS is pretty damn close to the front of the new S-class, as well.

Originally posted by gang$tarr
how is an SC430 a rip?

You should check out front quarter shots of the SC430 side by side with the SLKs. It's uncanny how the headlight and grille designs share the same shape. And of course, both being hardtop convertibles force the rooflines to be similar as well, but you just can't help that.

Check out these two shots:

[Morpheus XIII]

Note the curvatures of both headlights, the similar grilles, and the identical A-pillar. If the SC430 was a roaster instead of a cabriolet, the rear would probably look even more alike:

[gang$tarr]

you can't expect every car to be totally different.... the back of an S-Type jag looks like the back of a Bentley, nobody says oohhh that's a rip. Cause every car has something similar to other cars

and in real life they look totally different except for the grill.... Lexus took the SLK lights and totally improved on them. Just like i think IS300 lights look the same as civic light, lots of lights look really similar. I don't here anybody complaining about that? Plus the SC430 is way more curved, i think it's unfair to say they're copying the SLK

[moe182]

See, i think the major difference is that JAG, BMW, BENZ all have a specific look they associate with ALL there cars. Lexus doesnt. So because of that there is no "Lexus look" and thus no legacy. And i think THATS what i dont like about lexus... I mean you take the entire Benz, Jag or Bmw line and remove all the badges (and assume that the person has never seen any of the cars before) and ill bet that anyone with half a brain will be able to tell which of the cars should be grouped together.....Also to me Lexus is just too new, and just hasnt proven itself as a real luxury company, I mean its gone through what? 2 generations? Benz, Bmw, and Jag all have amazing cars in there history that no one can argue with. Example: 1957 300SL Roadster or Gullwing.... Lexus in my opinion just too new to be playing with the big boys. (at least when it comes to the flagships)

[moe182]

Morpheus XIII, yea yer right......i never noticed that before.......

[gang$tarr]

that's why BMW & Mercedes were so scared of Lexus when the LS400 came out... because it had more features and it had the most quiet ride of any car

I think Lexus proved itself with that car..... I would say Lexus, BMW, Mercedes and Jaguar are the majore luxury competitors
and then Audi and Infiniti are just under (even though the gaps are closing)

and it doesn't matter that lexus is only like 15 years old cause Lexus doesn't make the cars, that's just another name for Toyota... and how old is Toyota?! pretty old, i think. Toyota has proven themselves as a good company, so sayin that lexus is too new to be good isn't true because toyota has almost as much history as the german boys

like me myself, i like BMW better than Lexus.... but lexus is damn close, and i can't lie and say that the LS430 is worse than a 740i...

oldsmobile is around a 100 years old, that doesn't proove anything to me... doesn't mean their car is better than lets say Honda

[fahoumh]

Originally posted by gang$tarr
you can't expect every car to be totally different.... the back of an S-Type jag looks like the back of a Bentley, nobody says oohhh that's a rip. Cause every car has something similar to other cars

actually, the design of the Jaguar S-Type borrows heavily from the Jaguar Mark II, which I think was introduced in 1959...that is to say the designers of the S-Type actually used the Mark II as a reference.

[gang$tarr]

Originally posted by fahoumh


actually, the design of the Jaguar S-Type borrows heavily from the Jaguar Mark II, which I think was introduced in 1959...that is to say the designers of the S-Type actually used the Mark II as a reference.

oh, i didn't know that..... so then just take my second example

[fahoumh]

I have noticed that a lot of Japanese luxury cars have European influenced styling, now more than ever.....but hey, they say imitation is the sincerist form of flattery.