Test drive Infiniti Q45 1996 - 2000 sedan

The gilded kimono

Which brand comes to mind at the first moment when they ask to name a car of the highest or business class? Of course, Mercedes or BMW, perhaps Cadillac or Volvo. And, far from first of all, we recall the representatives of the Japanese school. There are reasons for this.
 
Among the numerous stereotypes that have developed in our minds for years: the Japanese machine is a small -scale design, albeit high -quality and practical, but in any case, the shirpotrebovskaya and not too memorable. However, since the Asian products, having squeezed local manufacturers, captured the markets of both the old and the New World, the active rejection of the patriotic citizens of oriental technology, it would seem, irrevocably gone the past. The buyer of the car is now guided by common sense and chooses what he likes. But it’s no secret that the consumer who prefers European or American cars pays not only for the thing, but also for the label. It is sometimes more difficult to break through your way to the market than just create a quality product. The Japanese automakers had to go this thorny path, and, finally, by the end of the century the Toyota or Mitsubishi names sounded quite weighty and authoritatively.
And yet ... on the one hand, the higher the class, the more conservative the buyer, and on the other, the secured person recently difficult to emphasize and demonstrate his personality. The world got rich, and not only well -promoted brands came into view of businessmen and politicians.
But closer to the topic. After a difficult choice, we decided to stop your attention at the flagships of Nissan and Honda corporations, who confidently won the upper market segment.
Infiniti Q45T, which is largely similar to the twin brother with the Nissan Cimo right-wing steering wheel, as you know, is intended for the European (including Russian) market. Until recently, a similar situation was formed around Lexus cars created on the basis of representative Toyota specifically for overseas consumer. It seems to me that Infiniti in the near future will be able to squeeze competitors in the Old World on legally. But let's see.
Another test-dweler is the most expensive and prestigious Honda Legend has certification both in the Old World and in North America, there, however, under the name Acura RL.
Without going into the intricacies of marketing policy, we compare these cars in its purest form. For the sake of objectivity, we note that Infiniti is nine centimeters longer and fifty kilograms harder, and the Q45T engine is six hundred cubic meters more than that of Honda. So the difference is half a class. But, recalling the classmates of our heroes, we add that they also have small discrepancies in numbers, while strict classification is more characteristic of small forms.
The beginning of the production of both cars in the current form dates back to 1996, and in general, given the price, we consider their comparison correct.
Appearance
Visually, these two cars are similar and not. Each has a fairly bright, original appearance. Legend has emphasized kinship with the family of smaller cars of this brand. Sometimes even from afar it seems that this is an enlarged Accord. By a number of minor, slightly noticeable signs, it can be determined that Legend is a temperamental front -wheel drive car. He, as it were, declares himself without false modesty: yes, I am the largest representative of Honda cars, proudly bearing the letter N on the radiator grill, and I am ready to defend the honor of the name in a duel with any opponent.
Infiniti, on the contrary, masks its common origin. It’s to blame for the premium to be confused with someone. It is not in my rules that I do not know who. My circle is an aristocratic society, I stop exclusively in the presidential issue and move only the first class. Nissan ... and I recall, this is our distant relatives, but now we have so little in common.
The design of the car is quite expressive, and all the time you catch yourself thinking, who reminds Q45t Cadillac? Jaguar? Or are they reminding him?
Of course, classic features are required to be present in the appearance of a representative car, and therefore the Infiniti Q45T style is strictly wider than that of a competitor. This is a clearly drawn, smoothly curved from the nose to the stern, a large chrome -colored false radiator grille, solid shiny doors, fatty moldings around glasses and rear lights.
Legend design is warmer, democratic. Sports -looking cast discs with the direction of rotation on the sides, a rather flat hood, mudguards in the rear wheeled arches.
In general, the style of our today's participants can be called modern Japanese European in Honda Legend and classic European-American among Infiniti Q45T. We are forced to recognize the last car more expressive.
Interiors
That's where the Japanese succeeded, it is in the decoration of expensive salons. Accurate fitting of parts, beautiful skin, high -quality plastic, convenient adjustments.
Pulling slightly outside the voluminous pen, open the weighty LEGEND driver's door and enter the world of butter of butter. The panel of devices with a heavily tilted console passing into the floor tunnel. Massive chairs with servo drives in all possible planes. Electrically adjustable (both up-down, and back and forth) steering wheel. When turning the key, the mysteriously-death board of the devices immediately flashes with reddish circles of perfectly reading devices, which are perfectly visible through the slot of the steering wheel. The ball of the automatic box selector, although it is not enough and requires a little greater effort than we would like, but is at hand, and, like a Mercedes selector, moves along a zigzag slice.
With the help of two rotating climate control handles, the intensity and temperature of the incoming air are regulated. Strictly under them, a musical system with handles is exactly the same size. This sometimes confuses you will not understand what you adjust, music or air conditioning. In general, the design of the instrument panel deserves an assessment of five plus.
No worse and ergonomics of seats. The front seats by the location relative to the pedals and the steering wheel, as well as the adjustments, allow the driver and passenger to accommodate with maximum comfort. Even the armrest covering the two -section box between the seats has two levels in height without changing the inclination. The only remark to the Klaxon buttons that stick out above the plane of the steering wheel constantly touches them with sharp movements of the steering wheel.
Infiniti salon, if you evaluate it with addiction, is slightly behind. No, do not think about what, the set is the same complete electrification of everything, strict black leather, even more convenient than the Legend steering wheel and a gearbox lever with an ergonomic handle moving in a straight slot in the tunnel. When you are inside, it seems that the motor is turned off at idle speeds is absolute. But to find the perfect location of the chair, when not a single muscle is strained, this is not the geometry, although, of course, this is a question and the controversial, because everyone is difficult in different ways. Nevertheless, do not blame me, our work to capture the nuances. The Q45T instrument shield is noticeably more modest, it is mechanical, including the odometer, and besides, not too expressive. Under the left leg, the scabric pedal is the parking brake at both machines pedal, like Mersedes.
But there is in Infiniti and their baubles. So, for example, the sun visors are double. If you leaned back and turned the outer visor to the side, you will find under it the second one that can be omitted. This is very convenient when driving along a winding road, when the sun blinds either in the forehead or side.
The airbags in Q45T are not two, but four, including the side, which, coupled with a massive body, will surely save the life of riders in a serious clash. It is also convenient for an intra -sulfate mirror with automatic adjustment of dimming, depending on the brightness of the headlights of cars going from behind.
By the convenience of placing a leader on the rear sofa, we could not choose. I don’t want to scold good cars, they really want to like it, but it is clear that they developed both Q45T and Legend hundred percent Japanese, whose growth rarely exceeds 175 cm. Therefore, large -scale individuals will inevitably elapse the back of the head in the roof, plowing to the rear window, and knees with knees In the front row of seats, unless, of course, their inhabitants will kindly move forward, closer to the torpedo. Otherwise, the ergonomics of the location on VIP seats at the height we especially note the wide armrests and convenient head restraints.
On Legend in the center is a locking hatch connecting the luggage interior. Therefore, transportation in a car of long -sized items, for example, skis, will not be problems.
Access to the drives of trunk, as well as to the castles of hoods and hatches of gas tanks, on each of the cars it is arranged so that for the first time you have to be pretty puzzled where that is hidden. This is a typical Japanese feature of a single standard, unfortunately, has not yet been developed. Where they just did not look! And under, and above, and near and on. And so on all the corners and nooks of the great and immense salon. Finally, they figured it out.
The luggage capacity is almost equal in terms of the displacement, but visually Hondovsky, leaving deeper into the salon, seems noticeably more spacious. In forty -fifth, the gas tank limits the length of the trunk, but there is more its height.
Having collected all the pros and unprincipled disadvantages, you will have to victory regarding the ergonomics and style of the interior to award Honda Legend.
On the run
Despite the fundamental difference in the front -wheel drive Honda and the classic rear -wheel drive Infiniti, they behave surprisingly on the road. Thanks to the designers who created multi -link front suspensions, making the front and more feel more, and perfect rear, well tracking the trajectory.
But the fact that in the bend of both the car we have to catch the road upset, we were upset. And, it seems that the blame for this is the comfortable adjustment of the suspension and a cotton water. This is all the more strange that Honda always emphasizes the sports image of its cars, and the letter T, added to Q45, hints at the modification for an active driver.
The unconditional advantages of driving include smoothness. Small joints are swallowed due to rather thick high -profile tires, and large waves due to the progressive stiffness of the springs. Excellent automatic transmissions allow, without hesitation, to go out. Acoustic noises are practically no merit and aerodynamic study and sound insulation of salons. The style of car behavior is more American than European, which implies the presence of the owner, not at the wheel, but in the passenger chair, and rather in front than on a crowded sofa behind.
As a result, we would find it difficult to give an unambiguous answer which of the competitors wins the quality of quality in parameters. But the overall impression was bordering us with a revelation. We concluded that in the class of large cars, the Japanese, when saving in price when buying, provide no less comfort and quality than similar American and even European cars.
Vladimir Smirnov
Photo by Alexander Kolesnichenko
 

A source: Cars