We didn't get along with the 2011 Infiniti M37 at first. A harsh ride compromised the feel from the steering, and the programming of the throttle and transmission got on our nerves. But we're all better now.
We introduced ourselves to the new generation of Infiniti M sedan by getting together with first a 2011 Infiniti M37S and later a 2011 Infiniti M56S. We even conducted a comparison test with the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550.
After all, the 2011 Infiniti M is a sport sedan and we are enthusiasts, right? So naturally we wanted the sport version.
When the M sedans showed up with 20-inch wheels filling the wheelwells, we were pleased. The high-performance tires had us smiling and the taut suspension tuning (plus active rear steer) that all comes with the $3,650 Sport package seemed perfect for us.
Sporty these cars were; compliant, not so much. We determined that there was such a thing as too big, too firm and too vigilant. And that is how we found the path to true righteousness with this 2011 Infiniti M37.
Our Goldilocks Moment
We had observed that the ride quality of both the M37S and M56S degraded on less-than-ideal surfaces (of which we have an amount in Los Angeles certified by the federal government as class-leading). The drivetrains were happy to shift up enthusiastically at redline and then downshift quickly with rev-matching throttle blips, and yet they were also cursed by quick, unpredictable throttle engagement from idle and questionable shift schedules in normal, day-to-day conditions.
We wanted to know, were these liabilities exclusive to the Sport package?
"Ah, that's more like it," was our first impression as we drove the 2011 Infiniti M37 away from the curb with a backside already clenched for a flinty suspension and jittery steering, only to be swept away by a more civilized chassis calibration.
No doubt the downsizing of the wheels and upsizing of the sidewalls improved the ride quality of the 2011 Infiniti M. The switch from 20-inch wheels with 40-series tires to 18-inch wheels with 50-series tires reduced impact harshness noticeably. At the same time, the ride didn't grow any quieter, as 70 mph in 7th gear produced 68.6 dBA, only a fraction better than the Sport-style M's 68.7 dBA. Of course, maybe the M37's active noise-cancellation feature (which is standard equipment) makes this a moot point.
Check your back issues of Hot Rod to see just how quick that really is.
Choppy freeways and potholed surface streets are met without a concern for the M37's occupants or their brimming coffee cups. There's still a trace of that typical Infiniti ride that makes the tires feel slightly overinflated, and you have to say that this car does not have the same sophisticated road isolation and buttery steering as a Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Even so, we certainly enjoyed the far more livable setup of the M37 to the M37S.
Do You Lose It at the Track?
Once we went to the test track, the 2011 Infiniti M37 showed us that it had lost the high-performance edge of the M37S, yet it's still respectable by luxury car standards. Some of the variation is attributable to the lack of rear steer, and some is due to the less aggressive rubber that gradually lost bite as the test runs piled on. Where the M37S with its Bridgestone Potenza RE050A summer/performance tires clung to the pavement with 0.86g in lateral force, the M37 with its Michelin Primacy MXM4 all-season tires still posted 0.84g lateral acceleration. Not a huge decline in performance, wouldn't you agree?
The differences were more evident on the slalom course, however. The M37's 63.1-mph effort proves 5.6 mph slower than the M37S, essentially a tie with the Mercedes-Benz E550's 62.8 mph.
It should come as no surprise that there were virtually no differences between the identically powered M37 and M37S in a straight line, right down to the tenth of a second. Both cars run to 60 mph in exactly 5.9 seconds (5.6 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip). The M37S covers the quarter-mile in 14.1 seconds at 99 mph and the M37 runs 14.1 seconds at 99.5 mph. Let's hear it for repeatability, and go check your back issues of Hot Rod to see just how quick this really is.
Perhaps the biggest surprise is that the all-season tires don't adversely affect the 60-0-mph braking distances, because just 1 foot separates the M37S from the M37 with efforts of 114 and 115 feet.
L.A. Driving
After track testing, it was clear to us that in the 2011 Infiniti M37 we had a car just as fast on the drag strip as an M37S and which stops just as well. The M37 also has a noticeably more compliant suspension that produces measurably lower handing limits, but these are within the competitive range for cars like it.
So what's not to like?
Well, the throttle mapping and transmission programming drew either mindful praise or measured scorn depending on who was driving this car and how. Engineers at Infiniti inform us that there are three distinct transmission shift schedules, even within the Normal setting, and as a result it might take some time for the car to, ahem, shift from one schedule to another depending on the way it is driven. Of course the Sport mode is quicker to recognize enthusiasm.
Some on our staff had absolutely no problem gently leaving a stoplight at part throttle, while others said the throttle tip-in was too abrupt. Still others felt the car's standard two-gear kickdown from 7th to 5th while rolling on the throttle at freeway speeds seemed unexpected, while others barely noticed. Such is the plight of those who must program a driveline to suit a multitude of drivers, so perhaps it's understandable that so many cars are now equipped with several choices of driveline attentiveness/aggressiveness available at the twist of a knob.
After driving 1,418 miles, however, we were pleased with our average fuel economy of 22 mpg. Our best tank returned 25 mpg, just 1 mpg shy of the EPA's 26 mpg highway rating. That's pretty remarkable considering most of this fuel-efficiency was achieved while crossing a desert in the wind with the cruise control set to 80 mph and the air-conditioning set to 72 degrees F.
Get Loaded
As far as creature comforts go, this 2011 Infiniti M37 in Malbec Black (a color loved by customers and hated by photographers) has almost every option available minus the aforementioned Sport package. Added to the $47,115 base price were $12,345 in options, including: Deluxe Touring package, Premium package, Technology package, split-spoke 18-inch wheels, illuminated door sills and a carpeted trunk with a first-aid kit. While those first three bundled packages are inarguably exhaustive in the levels of comfort and convenience equipment they provide, they also range in price from $3,000-$3,800, so the total adds up very quickly.
But all that added technology didn't earn widespread admiration either. At a minimum, there were complaints for the lack of parking sonar and a power-down trunk lid. The adaptive cruise control is very conservative and shuts down your speed quickly (don't ask how we know, but the cruise control can only be set to 90 mph max). We hate the lane departure warning system.
Delving deeper, we found the Bluetooth phone compatibility lacks a call-waiting function, and the available voice-activated controls are also too limited when moving, including the lack of voice-activated POI search. All this shows how the legal liability involved with permitting even ordinary levels of driver distraction is affecting the comfort and convenience items that manufacturers are installing in the modern car.
So, with an as-tested total of $59,640, more than one staffer questioned whether this car was worth the money. By our count, there are at least 22 sedans priced between $45,000 and $55,000.
We need look no farther than the 2011 Infiniti lineup for the easiest answer. A 2011 Infiniti M56 starts at $58,415, which has as standard equipment a 420-horsepower V8 as well as the Premium package at no extra cost. Fuel economy is basically the same between the M37 and M56, so the EPA says. More power and a theoretical tie in fuel economy? You see our point.
Learning To Live Without Dubs
Without 20-inch wheels and tires and the aggressive suspension calibration to match, the 2011 Infiniti M37 becomes what we hoped the underappreciated M35 to become as it matured: a comfortable, technologically advanced and sporty sedan for a prudent driver to enjoy every day or for four adults to relax within for a five-hour nonstop drive through the desert.
The vastly improved interior alone surpasses what was previously available or even imagined for the M35. The superior track results and improved fuel economy speak for themselves. The new look is superior in detail to that which preceded it, though it lacks the road presence of the BMW 5 Series, Jaguar XF and Mercedes E-Class.
If the 2011 Infiniti M37 looked like a Maserati Quattroporte or Aston Martin Rapide, we could forgive the minor drivability and electronics complaints. If it drove like the Porsche Panamera, we'd look beyond the uninspired styling.
As it is, however, the 2011 Infiniti M37 is almost just right. It just depends on who's asking and who's answering.
The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.
Add A Comment »
bigmac0 says:
01:37 AM, 09/22/2011
I have purchase the 2011 Infiniti M37S in April 2011 and after 5 months of using the car I can tell you that it's a piece of crap!
I'll be giving you a first-hand detailed review of the car and the "problems" that makes it un-comparable to a German car of the same class. Here are some of the things that Infiniti missed to perfect in the M37S:
1- Front passenger seat rigorously shakes when unoccupied at speeds over 60 Km/hr. This may seem like a minor issue but trust me after a while; it gets to you each time you look at the right side mirror.
2- Cutting air sound at speeds of over 100 Km/hr. At these speeds, you will start hearing the sound of the wind which is pretty loud, coming from a high end luxury sedan.
3- The gear ratio is not as smooth as it should be. The car is sluggish at low speeds and the power exerted by the car does not reflect the push on the accelerator pedal. If you really want to get this car, I recommend you go with 5.6L engine.
4- Car suspension "squeaks" on entry and exit from the car. I have mentioned this issue to the car service centre and they said that the "fault was not found" which is another way of saying there's nothing we can do about it.
5- Ipod integration is not that great. When you choose the songs list from the screen , the name of the songs do not appear.
6- Car phone does not properly integrate with the phone. You have to store each number manually.
The above list may seem insignificant if they were taken individually, but when all of those appear altogether, they will take the joy out of you from owning an expensive luxury sedan.
I hope that you would benefit from this review and prevent you from making the mistake that I did.
dam1003 says:
01:21 PM, 06/09/2010
I just got my 2011 m37x and after being a loyal audi a6 owner, I am pretty sure I will go back to Audi after this lease. I am extremely frustrated with the limited bluetooth phones by verizon that this car supports. I have the most popular curve 8550 blackberry and infinity m37 does not support this device.....that is crazy!!
I called infiniti and they said it is in the test stage and "should work". So thinking my device (which by the way worked amazing in the audi) was defective I called verizon and they sent me a brand new 8550 and yep it still sounds like I am in a trash can submerged in water. Whoever I speak to can not understand a single word I say!!
Thankfully, I still had my ancient blackberry 8330 (not 3G and way dated) and it works fine.
I went onto the infiniti website to the list of phones they support and they only support 2 verizon blackberrys that are still available through verizon.
I suppose I may sound crazy but this could very well be the last time I consider infiniti. Shame on infiniti for selling a "top of the line" automobile with such limited bluetooth compatibility.
BTW, I went to the website for Audi and they support EVERY blackberry device on the market today!!!
You would think the curve, the bold, and the tour would be compatible in a 2011 infinity>>>>NOT ONE IS ONE THE LIST!
charlesb says:
11:01 AM, 05/20/2010
A mere $60,000 for a Nissan? I'm sure the fan boys will be lining up for these...or not.
myob says:
02:44 PM, 05/10/2010
As an owner of 3 previous BMWs, I have to say that while mine were not that bad ( one had many issues, one had a few, the other had none) they are likely not nearly as trouble free as Infinitis. I read all I can find before I buy and I hear far fewer problems with Infiniti, especially the M35/45. Check edmunds and other user reviews, then go to sites like truedelta.com or even consumer reports. My experience with a used Infiniti I've owned backs that up, as it has been trouble free through 40K miles.
When buying you have to decide what you want. Lots of digital goodies and gizmos? A good balance of price, luxury, and performance? Or the ultimate in performance? (or a combination of the above). I personally have little desire for electronic complexity of bluetooth, nav, upgraded stereos, parking systems, etc, hate sunroofs, and would prefer a cheaper, lighter, car than anyone sells today. But others won't touch a car that doesn't have all those features available.
Audis look good, they are luxurious, they perform well. But based on my research I just wouldn't not have time to own one. I'd be headed to the shop too often. And my limited experience with the Audi dealers when shopping set off warning bells. I WANTED to find only a few disaster stories, but unfortunately it was more than that.
Some people don't mind dropping the car off at the dealer and picking up a loaner. They are the types who make business calls constantly whether they are alone or standing at the service bay, so I doubt they care. I find it annoying. So I would prefer a car that is less hassle than one that is the ultimate in every arcane area.
Sounds to me like the new M35/45 is a fine choice IF you like the styling and IF your idea of good enough ride includes a little noise/vibration from time to time.
ne1butu2 says:
06:27 PM, 05/01/2010
This car is going to have problems. I really don't see it resonating with buyers. An A6 looks smarter, an E-Class (like it or not) is more striking, the CTS is more modern, and the 5 Series is the benchmark. The M is just invisible and doesn't have the brand recognition to stick out among the Germans. Personally, I would spend less and get the G.
myob says:
08:38 AM, 05/01/2010
It's mind blowing to me how much ad dollars, personal preferences of reviewers, brand image, and other factors affect the "unbiased" reports on cars.
Few reviews here or elsewhere ever bother to mention reliability. Infiniti has a stellar rep. The German cars, which I prefer, do not.
There are cars that are better on a test drive or at the testing facility. And then there are cars that are better, much, much better, to live with.
If you are a busy person and do not enjoy wasting hours driving to/from your dealership for repairs, you should keep this in mind.
The small differences in track performance from car to car are outweighed by comfort, reliability, resale value, practicality, even things like having enough places to put your cell phone, drinks, etc. These and personal preferences over ride/handlin matter much more than the "princess and the pea" type differentiations made by automotively spoiled journalists who test drive and then put down cars they can't even afford and personally own cars you wouldn't want to be caught dead in.
clarkma5 says:
06:11 PM, 04/29/2010
I miss the matte-finished wood trim from the previous generation M...I hate shiny wood trim, it looks so chintzy, I have no idea why every luxury manufacturer does it that way.
justinlink says:
05:32 PM, 04/29/2010
@1487
sarcasm, dude. i don't think the comment was directed at you. more of a social commentary regarding the necessity of massive rims on a mid-size luxury sedan. s550 this is not . . .
that being said, all the review i've read about the new m seem to attack the aggressiveness of this car. seems a tad ironic, considering that's about the only trait infiniti has to set itself apart from the rest. nevertheless, i can understand the attack considering this car won't be driven by anyone under the age of 60.
icecubefosho says:
04:17 PM, 04/29/2010
A BMW 5 series today is not a "real drivers car". In fact there are hardly any real drivers cars today because people treat cars like appliances.
Even though I've owned two Q45s, and now an Xterra, I'd still take a Jaguar XF over the current M series, unless I can get a strong deal on it a few years used down the road. Then again, I only want a Jaguar XFR, so Infiniti can't compete with that at the moment.
ronyaricarta says:
03:45 PM, 04/29/2010
hispd4fun says:
01:22 PM, 04/29/2010
I dont know how many people here have actually driven these cars on a regular basis test drives dont count. I own a 535xi right now my last car was an A6 3.2 and have plenty of friends that own E550s/350s, M35s, M3s, A4s, RLs, TLs and so on. I have driven all these cars and myslef and my friends all agree that the BMW is best overall all the time. It is a real drivers car it makes you feel safe and in control of what you are doing. I dont buy cars i lease them and at the end of the day if you are going to drive them hard and get the covereage you want BMW is the only way to go.
I totally disagree, test drives do count I mean hell a lease is just an extended test drive but I have personally driven back to back to back with no salesman in the car the Infiniti M37, the BMW 535I, and the AUDI A6 at the end of the day I prefer the Infiniti which I'll purchase shorly after closing on my new house furthermore I've taken the Infiniti and the BMW home overnight and drove it all day it's nice but just now what I prefer. I don't think any of the cars are bad, but I would add that I think Infiniti's are more reliable and to me more fun to drive.