2002 Infiniti Q45 Sedan

Problems: The current Q45 is showing its age and falls short of the class leaders in many aspects. Despite an interior and exterior freshening in '99, we've rated it just average in past reviews. Questions: Is the fresh-from-the-ground-up '02 Q45 a better machine? And can it outdo one of the current luxo kings, Lexus' LS 430, at the luxury shuffle? Answers: Most definitely. And maybe.

For starters, the new Q is fitted with more technology than most any vehicle roaming the road today. Its available equipment list reads like a what's what of cutting-edge automotive trickery. The most visible indicators are aggressively large seven-lens high-intensity-discharge headlights, which Infiniti says are 1.7 times brighter than normal non-HID lamps. They're supposedly the brightest ever installed on a passenger car. Structurally, the '02 rides on a 1.6-in.-longer wheelbase and is 40 percent stiffer in torsional rigidity than the current model. Combine this with revised front and all-new rear-suspension setups, a standard Vehicle Dynamic Control system (that automatically applies braking and reduces engine power to maintain stability), and an optional active-damping sport suspension, and you've got a decidedly fast, smooth-riding taut-handling luxo cruiser-all for a base price of $50,500 and a fully loaded cost of $60,000.

We loved the first-generation '90-'96 Q's performance-oriented driving dynamics. Infiniti took its lumps from the automotive press, and some owners, by offering the '97-'01 version with a smaller 4.1L engine good for only 266 hp-this while most in the large luxury game came to play with at least 25 hp more. Those lumps will be gone when the Q45 goes on sale this month, thanks to Infiniti's new 4.5L/340-hp DOHC V-8. You want tech? Infiniti built plenty into this all-new powerplant, not to mention a serious horsepower rating that nearly matches that of the handbuilt V-8s in AMG model Mercedes.

The engine sports titanium valves (a first for a production car, says Infiniti), along with continuously variable valve timing and air-induction systems. The result is genuine seat-of-the-pants torque to the tune of 333 lb-ft and an estimated 0-60 mph in just 5.8 sec. This type of performance represents a huge leap over that offered by the old 4.1L: almost 28 percent more horsepower, 20 percent more torque, and a 2-sec shave off the 0-60-mph time. These figures put the '02 Q45 firmly into the lead in the mass-produced lux car power race, eclipsed only by a few, limited-production European models.

All this power is nice, but without a quiet, comfortable place to enjoy it, it's a waste. Sliding into the simple, yet elegantly crafted interior, you have no idea of all the techno wizardry that awaits. The cabin is wrapped in sumptuous leather and real bird's-eye maple wood trim, available in three color combos. The magic show begins with the center heater/vent/air conditioning/audio/navigation control center. We like it because it's mounted high on the dash, making it easy to see while driving. Each of these systems is controlled by a common set of buttons mounted just under the nav screen. All the chosen settings are displayed on the screen-something we don't often care for, but Infiniti says consumers love. Rear-seat passengers enjoy their own audio/HVAC controls and power seats on cars equipped with the Premium Package option ($8000). If buttons aren't your thing, Infiniti includes a standard voice recognition system so you can control audio, climate, and nav settings-all with a simple spoken command.