2004 Infiniti Fx45 Base Sport Utility 4-door 4.5l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2016 Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400 First Drive

When the original Infiniti Q50 arrived to replace the long-lived G Sedan, our reaction was lukewarm. It lacked poise, refinement, and efficiency, and we hated the Direct Adaptive Steer system. We originally thought of this steer-by-wire system as, "technology for the sake thereof." Infiniti is hoping to address these shortcomings with the 2016 Q50. It gets a new and far improved version of DAS, and a 3.0-liter, twin-turbo V6 sits atop a diversified powertrain family. And at the top of the ladder sits this: the Q50 Red Sport 400. The Red Sport's all-aluminum 3.0-liter V6 pumps out 400 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque, the latter of which can be called upon between 1,600 and 5,200 rpm. That low-end thrust is what's most evident out on the road – everything from standing starts to freeway passes are effortless. It's actually kind of ferocious – the tachometer needle climbs relentlessly, and the engine feels strong and purposeful all the way up to its 7,000-rpm redline. It's a refined and smooth powerplant, too, which is a tremendous improvement over the old 3.7-liter V6. The sensations the revised Direct Adaptive Steer system delivers are comparable to the average, modern, electric power-assisted setup. The bigger accomplishment is Infiniti's second-generation Direct Adaptive Steering system. Owners can choose from three steering weights and three levels of responsiveness, but steering adjustments feel more incremental rather than dramatic, so you won't be jarred if you suddenly switch from an aggressive mode to a more comfortable setup. Computer wizardry still can't match natural feedback, but the sensations the revised Direct Adaptive Steer system delivers are comparable to the average, modern, electric power-assisted setup. Make no mistake, that's a huge improvement and it means DAS performs far better dynamically, especially when you ask for its most aggressive behavior. See the differences between the different modes in the video below. Even half-throttle situations in the standard drive mode required counter-steering. Direct Adaptive Steer feels perfectly fine during everyday driving. We spent about 75 percent of our time testing a DAS-equipped car, but hopped into a non-DAS model a the short, 20-mile drive back to our hotel. DAS felt more stable and easy to track down the road – it didn't require the constant, tiny steering inputs of the traditional system.

Nissan files civil suit against Ghosn, seeking $91 million in damages

TOKYO — Nissan filed a civil suit Wednesday seeking 10 billion yen ($91 million) in damages from the Japanese automaker's former Chairman Carlos Ghosn. Nissan filed the case in Yokohama District Court to recoup some of the monetary damages suffered, it said, “as a result of years of misconduct and fraudulent activity" by Ghosn. The claim was calculated by adding the costs from what Nissan called Ghosn's “corrupt practices,” such as rent for overseas property, use of corporate jets and payments to Ghosn's sister, as well as costs for the internal investigation into Ghosn's alleged wrongdoings. Representatives of Ghosn said in a statement they couldn't comment as they had yet to see the legal documents. “Nissan's maneuvers continue,” they said, while noting Nissan had claimed larger damages before. Ghosn, who led Nissan for two decades and saved it from near-bankruptcy, was arrested in Japan in November 2018, and charged with underreporting his future compensation and breach of trust in diverting Nissan money for personal gain. He was awaiting trial but skipped bail and showed up in Lebanon late last year. Japan has no extradition treaty with Lebanon, and he's unlikely to be arrested. A date had not been set for his trial, and Ghosn has said he was worried his ordeal would never end and he would not get a fair hearing. The bail conditions also barred him from seeing his wife. He has repeatedly lashed out at Japan's judicial system, where the conviction rate is higher than 99%. Japanese authorities recently issued an arrest warrant for Ghosn and three Americans, accused of helping his escape. Separately, they issued an arrest warrant for Ghosn's wife on suspicion of perjury. Ghosn has repeatedly said he is innocent, saying that the promised compensation had never been decided, and all the payments were for legitimate services. Wednesday's lawsuit by Nissan comes on top of the civil case Nissan filed against Ghosn in the British Virgin Islands in August last year. It alleged unauthorized payments, sought to regain a luxury yacht and pursued other damages, according to Nissan. Yokohama-based Nissan, which makes the Z sportscar, Leaf electric car and Infiniti luxury models, is also facing trial in Japan as a company in relation to Ghosn's scandal. It has indicated it will agree to any penalties. Nissan's reputation has been sorely tarnished over the Ghosn fiasco, and its sales have dropped. Nissan reports financial results Thursday.

Edmunds ranks the best used cars for 2013

When people ask us what car we would recommend for them, it's usually not easy to answer. To make a useful recommendation we must consider which of the numerous vehicle segments fits their needs best, and then choose one of the many vehicles offered in each segment. For some people, new cars don't meet their expectations of value, because they lose so much of it the moment they are purchased and driven off the dealer lot. For them, there's always the used-car market, where great deals can be found, but cars' histories of reliability and maintenance records - and perhaps that Certified Pre-Owned warranty - become ever-important factors playing into purchase choice.
To help out, Edmunds has done us the favor of assembling a list of the best used vehicles money can buy, covering model years 2006-2011, according to what it considers the most important criteria when shopping for used autos: reliability, safety, value and availability. That means unreliable, unsafe, super-expensive or limited-edition models don't appear on the list, but instead cars from each segment that are more likely to satisfy the general population.
There are some real goodies on the list, including but not limited to vehicles such as the capable Honda Fit, the cultish Honda Accord coupe (which can be had with a 240-horsepower V6 and a six-speed manual transmission some years), and the powerful Chevrolet Corvette. While Edmunds' choice of the Volvo C70 for best used convertible baffled us at first (not that it's a bad car), it redeemed itself by stating that the Mazda MX-5 still is an unofficial top choice if you don't require more than two seats.