Erik asked me in my Firefox blog if we considered buying a Toyota Prius to replace the Civic Hybrid. Well, not really. The process of considering a replacement for the Civic began a few months back, when I was looking at the new model Civics. They certainly were a good step forward over the previous model in terms of style and luxury. That said, neither hybrid car really lived up to my expectations.
The problem I have with cars is that I am exceedingly fussy. I really appreciate attention to detail in automotive implementation - I think of a car as more than just a transportation device, but as a sanctuary, a place where I can go to think, to get away from it all, to clear my head. As such, I look for a car whose environment surrounds me with things to take me away from it all.
With the G35, even though by 2006's standards its interior seems a little down-market, it was still a notch above most midsize cars. And part of the ambience of the G was the roar of the engine and exhaust as you tore away from a stoplight.
With the M, things are a litlte more civilized. There's the familiar leather (this time on a pale grey stone color) and aluminum accents, but there's also a delicate harmony to the design - the sweep of the dashboard, the warm amber rings of the instrument panel and carefully matched tones on the center console. The car is like a quiet like a vault compared to the G, but it replaces the fury with sophistication.
The sophistication is in part built by a sense of impeccable craftsmanship and attention to detail. Like I said, all of the dash lights are color coordinated to a strain-free orange. At night as you step into the car the door sill has the word "INFINITI" illuminated in a matching color. Similarly, a thin orange strip in the CD loading slot lets you know where to load things peripherally. Surfaces that you touch often on the steering wheel hub are covered in a smooth, satisfying rubberized material. The leather on surfaces like the steering wheel and the shifter are similarly satisfying. The insides of the change holder and door pockets are lined with felt material (although not up to the same grade as Audi's in this regard, it's nice that it's there).
On the technical side the car has all the toys - including laser cruise control to make the system usable in city driving ( even if its following distances are a little conservative by default!) and a rear view monitor to help when parking. The navigation system is one of the best out there, the only flaw being that it cannot be operated while the vehicle is in motion (other than by voice - which is a step above most systems - you can enter arbitrary destinations by voice but sadly not points of interest or intersections, which limits your ability to program the system while moving somewhat). The point of interest database is not as good as Google Local, nor does it perform the useful task of offering reverse POI to phone number (and subsequent call via Bluetooth) that I'd like, but it's one of the most comprehensive systems out there and the UI is getting a lot better (automotive navigation software is notorious for having UI that can only have been devised by people who never use the things)... to top it off the graphics are richly detailed and anti-aliased, a welcome improvement over the system in the G35.
The details continue on the outside - there are slick chrome strips around the windows and along the roof, and the chromed door handles have an inlaid panel matching the color of the car.
Combined with the performance that only a taut rear drive chassis can provide, this is a pretty darned good car, aside from its thirst.
Which brings me to my assessment of other cars. Very few cars that don't have stratospheric price tags come close to this level of refinement, performance and detail. Audi does an excellent job but from what I can tell (never having driven one since the salespeople don't seem to want to give me the time of day), reviewers say it's in place of class leading dynamics. In the hybrid space, only Lexus has dared so far with the GS450h, which might have been a contender had it not been so soggy to drive. You see, this is what irks me. It's not so much about speed, it's about feel - and cars like the GS just don't have it. It's almost like driving a Lincoln.
The only real challenger to the M45 would be the BMW 550i. I drove one a few months back, and it was a truly awesome car to drive. It was about $20k more expensive though. For around the same money as my M I could have gotten a much more economical 530i with about the same spec, although with a navigation system with awful UI, another plastic-fantastic interior and a front end that looks like Dame Edna. I suppose I could have gotten over most these shortcomings if the price weren't roughly the same!
The Prius has going for it its immense practicality. I've always wanted a station wagon, but they don't seem to be the thing anymore - people want these big tippy SUVs. At least Subaru still makes them. My perfect "daily driver" would be a 200-250hp station wagon or liftback, with 30mpg highway, an interior on the level of quality of my M, the same array of features and gadgets, sharp handling, rear drive, and if not quite the same size, at least as large as a G35 sedan/wagon. Why doesn't anyone make this car?
