Buying a new luxury sedan isn’t easy – not when an entry-level BMW 530i tops $60,000 and even its smaller sibling 330i pushes $50k. But you don’t need a massive budget to get premium power. On the second-hand market, your money stretches infinitely further, and the V8-powered Infiniti M45 is absolute proof of this.
What The M45 Was – And Why Infiniti Built It To Compete With BMW
2003 – 2004 Infiniti M45 exteriorInfiniti
The model on the menu here is the second-generation Infiniti M45, the range-topping version of Infiniti’s mid-size luxury sedan. It was the first M Series from the company since 1992, when it stopped making the first-gen variant that functioned as the brand’s luxury two-door coupe and convertible offering. Infiniti elected to resurrect the nameplate in 2002 as it wanted to take on the competitive mid-size luxury sector, which was populated by machinery like the BMW 5-Series, Lexus GS, and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
Therefore, standing out against these tough rivals wasn’t going to be an easy feat. To try and achieve this, Infiniti developed the M Series range to be on the sportier side of things, but all the while providing enough in the way of comfort to ensure it was competitive against the big hitters. You could choose either the entry-level M35 or top-level M45, the latter of which came with a commanding V8, while the former got a trusty 3.5-liter V6. Select the M45, and you’ll have a five-speed automatic transmission assisting you in wafting along.
The second-gen M Series wasn’t around for very long, since Infiniti elected to grace it with a complete redesign for 2005. That meant the car was only on sale for two model years – 2003 and 2004 – making it quite rare. Despite this, it stands out well as a luxury proposition. Step inside the M45, and you’ll be welcomed by sumptuous leather seats and classy rosewood trim, the former of which is also electrically adjustable. Other standard equipment included dual-zone automatic climate control, a Bose sound system, and an electric sunroof.
Shop around, and you should be able to find examples with some useful extras. These include climate-controlled seats, meaning they’re heated and ventilated, as well as radar-guided cruise control. You also have the option of the Sport version, which comes with extras like the climate-controlled seats and adaptive Xenon headlights as standard. Beyond that, the Sport also comes with stiffer suspension to make the car feel more reactive, as well as agility-enhancing rear-wheel steering.All that equipment sounds impressive – but the real story is what it costs to own one today.
Used M45s Will Leave A Ton Of Money In Your Pocket
2003 – 2004 Infiniti M45 exteriorInfiniti
Aside from getting all this tasty equipment, the second-gen M45 stands out against newer luxury sedans due to how cheaply you can find them on the used market. Since most examples have been used as a luxury car should be over the last 20 years, you’ll find it difficult to find cars with fewer than 50,000 miles on the clock, which is part of the reason the average value for the machine right now sits at just over $7,000.
Higher-mileage examples can be picked up for considerably less, with specimens sporting north of 200,000 miles on the market for under $2,500. Its V8 is pretty reliable, but buying one at this price point will probably be a case of running it until it dies, and hoping you’ll get a decent amount of running out of it before that day comes. The car’s VK45DE V8 is known to exceed 200,000 miles with regular maintenance, so anything beyond that carries some risk.
Realistically, you’ll need to spend its $7k average value to get one that has a fair amount of meat on the bone. That sort of cash will get you a tidy car with between 110,000 and 140,000 miles on the odometer, with the better-specced Sport sitting at the higher end of the mileage range, while standard machines will be found toward the lower number.
If you fancy a lesser-traveled M45, expect to hand over well north of $10k, with a good example being a black 2004 machine being sold through AutoTempest. The very clean car had covered just over 51,000 miles, and eventually attracted a price of $13,995.
But can a 20-year-old V8 sedan actually justify even that modest asking price?
How The FX SUV From The Same Showroom Outsold The M45 Six-To-One
2003 – 2004 Infiniti M45 interiorInfiniti
Of course, due to how small the production window of the second-gen M45 was, you won’t be tripping over used examples wherever you tread. Infiniti ended up selling just 8,067 examples of the M45 during its two years on sale, which was one of the primary reasons it elected to thoroughly revise the model for the 2005 MY. The fact that it failed to stand out against the more obvious options like the 5-Series and GS can take part of the blame, though a lot of its failure can be laid at the door of its FX SUV sibling.
The luxury crossover SUV sector began gathering serious momentum in the early 2000s, and the FX proved immensely more popular from the moment it landed in 2002. Infiniti was delivering around 30,000 examples per year, putting the SUV at around six times the sales of the brand’s mid-size sedan.
Not everything necessarily has to be a collectable, however, and the M45 instead stands out as an unusual sedan that not only drives well, but is comfortable and well-equipped. Lower-mileage cars have been steadily rising in value, though, so there is a chance that securing one now could yield a tidy profit in years to come.
335 hp And A Six-Second 0-60 Time That Doesn’t Sacrifice Highway Comfort
2003 – 2004 Infiniti M45 exteriorInfiniti
Beyond being well-equipped and well-priced as a used specimen, the M45 also provides a solid balance when you get it on the road. Infiniti’s engineers worked hard to ensure it was sporty enough to feel engaging when pushed hard, but also comfortable enough for cruising along the highway. The VK45DE V8’s 340 hp certainly helps get it moving down the road, with 0-60 mph being completed in a swift six seconds flat. At the same time, the naturally aspirated powerplant is very smooth, and doesn’t fire a load of unwanted noise and vibration into the cabin.
The car’s effective sound deadening also helps in this regard. Beyond that, Infiniti’s crack squad of engineers did a great job tuning the car’s front and rear independent suspension setup to provide minimal body roll and a surprising level of agility for something of the M45’s size, a feeling boosted by its responsive steering setup. Opt for the Sport, and these elements are further enhanced by the even stiffer suspension settings and rear-wheel steering feature.
At the same time, the M45 rides smoothly enough to function well as a comfortable cruiser, making it a viable daily driver in more ways than one. Don’t expect it to quite match a 5-Series of the same vintage on a back road, primarily due to its chassis not being on the same level, but the M45 far from embarrasses itself.
The Same V8 Nissan Raced In Super GT – And It’ll Run Past 200,000 Miles With Basic Maintenance
2003 – 2004 Infiniti M45 exteriorInfiniti
Being a big V8 sedan, it’s understandable to have reservations about picking one up at a bargain price. Granted, the 4.5-liter unit isn’t the most frugal power plant on the market, and it’ll cost a fair amount to service given the number of spark plugs and the volume of oil it’ll go through. This is especially true of the early engines found in models like the second-gen M45, as these are vulnerable to higher oil consumption, so this will potentially need to be managed.
The timing chain tensioners are also known to be problematic at higher mileages, so it’s well worth ensuring these have been addressed if you elect to spend money on such an example. For the most part though, the VK45DE has proven an extremely reliable engine over the years, hence why Nissan only finally waved goodbye to the VK family in 2026. In fact, the VK45DE specifically was used by Nissan in its Super GT and LMP2 racing exploits due to how dependable and upgradeable it was.
Anticipate higher running costs due to that thirsty powerplant out front, but find an M45 that has been cherished in the way it deserves, and it’ll prove much more reliable than you might anticipate from an old V8. The crossover SUV sector may have pummeled cars like the M45 from a sales standpoint, but take its initial commercial failure as an opportunity to pick up a rare and unusual sedan that not only drives well, but is comfortable, too.
Sources: Infiniti
