I bought my FX35 AWD one year ago and even now, a year later, I still have a grin on my face every day as I walk up and get in. Besides exotic cars, like Ferrari, et. al., this car is the most visually stunning on the road. -- And it's not just me. I'd say, on a daily basis, I catch an average of 3 gawkers, staring at this unique car.
Driving Experience:
I've read a number of FX reviews that suggest the FX's ride is rough. There is no doubt that the FX45 and the FX35 with Sport package are meant to emulate the sport car experience with tight handling. The answer? Get the FX35 without the Sport package and the fancy 20" wheels. I believe my ride is completely comfortable, and quite frankly, believe the 18" wheels are attractive.
I would recommend the Touring and Technology packages for the FX. The Touring package gives you some standard desires, like a sunroof, heated front leather seats, et cetera, and is well worth the cash.
The Tech package gives you some wonderful toys, which are tasty frosting on the cake. First off, the IntelliKey Fob, which will allow you to never need your key again. It senses that the fob is near the car, which will allow unlocking and starting. My wife keeps the spare fob in her purse, meaning she'll never need to hunt for it. No more fumbling to retrieve the fob and hit the button to get in or lock. After a few months, you can't imagine using any other system.
Additionally, the Tech package gives you a rear back-up camera, which takes some time to "trust" as you are so trained to twist your head around scanning the horizon. With the camera and it's precise image, you always know how much room you have behind you.
The Navigation package is also a nice item in the Tech Package. It's great for long trips, or venturing out to local places unknown. It adds a wonderful sense of gee-whiz for any of your lucky passengers.
While the FX45 has the rougher ride (than the 35), it also has the V8 power. I'll say that the FX35's V6, with 280 HP is a screamer itself, and the extra $10k is probably not worth the extra power. I do recommend the AWD system in the FX35 for snowy areas. As I anticipated my first winter, I wondered if snow tires were mandatory. They are not. The AWD system, plus VDC (controls wheel spin on wheels without traction) control the car quite nicely. Mind you, if you drive stupidly in the snow, you can lose control of any car!
The FX35 does not require premium gasoline, although the manual suggests premium gas will yield optimal performance. I can't say that I've noticed that, as I've used both premium and low grade, and have not found a difference in engine performance nor MPG. I average about 18.5 mpg with 60/40 highway/city driving.
To date, I have had the car one year, and have had zero repair issues, besides regular oil changes. And, as a huge bonus, any time you schedule any service, Infiniti will give you a loaner, like a nice G35 for the day. This service is given through Infiniti corporate, and is not dealership specific, as I purchased my FX out-of-state.
Are there things I don't like about this car? Certainly. For example, I do hate that the automatic climate control will always turn the A/C on, even in winter. Also, the fresh air intake is located too close to a hot spot in the engine compartment, so when it's 50-60F outside and you just want some cool, fresh air w/o turning on the A/C (or lowering the window), the cabin vent gives you 70-80F air, which is really irritating.
The seat heaters are underpowered. They get warm, but not very quickly, and not enough. I was in a Cadillac the other day that nearly seared my butt cheeks together on the High seat heater setting. That's what Infiniti needs.
I will also say I'm not a big fan of the Intelligent Cruise Control either .. it's just not the right solution, and there's really no magical engineering that will ever make it smart enough to satisfy me, in any vehicle that has it. When ICC is engaged, a laser determines the distance between you and any car ahead of you. If they slow down, you slow down with them. One example that can never be fixed is this situation: You are in the right lane going 70 and are passed by someone going 80, who then gets into your lane in front of you. If you have regular CC, you stay at 70, which is OK, since the car now in front of you is going faster. If you have ICC, the car will BRAKE, thinking it needs to maintain distance. -- Fortunately, the driver can turn ICC off, and use regular Cruise Control.
One final irritation is the extremely dumb design of the headlight switch. The engineer who created this really should be fired. The rotating switch goes from Off-Auto-Parking-On. I find the Auto setting doesn't turn my lights on early enough at dusk, so I only use ON. At night, when you turn the lights off, you click from On-parking-auto-off, which means your High Intensity Discharge lights go off, then on, then back off again. This cannot be good for the longevity of the expensive bulb inside, besides the incredible stupidity of the design.
That all being said, these negatives are small issues with an otherwise visually stunning, comfortable, powerful, unique, and safe car that puts the SPORT in SUV.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 41000
Condition: New Model Year: 2004 Model and Options: FX35 AWD Touring & Tech
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