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Nick is Right! (Reply to this comment)
by emphap
Having owned an FX 45 for over a year, I agree wholeheartedly with Nick1326's comments. This car is an absolute gas to drive. The biggest problem is to avoid the gendarmarie as you will, far to frequently, be driving at speeds that are over the posted limit. It takes curves so well that it is painful to drive slowly. The engine is AWESOME and has great gobs of power and torque. Get one and grin!. I haven't has this much fun in a car since my Lotus.
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Feb 17 '05
7:40 pm PST
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Re: Re: A bit much filler and some minor errors (Reply to this comment)
by mkaresh,  in Cars & Motorsports
No politics or BS here.
Sorry to have confused you in my own review. I never say that the X5's handling is sportier. I do say it feels more nimble, by which I mean it reacts more precisely to small steering inputs and feels lighter on its feet. One reason the X5 feels more nimble is it provides more detailed feedback through the steering wheel. The FX feels more planted and stable, has higher limits, and generally feels like a higher performance vehicle. Although the X5 is no Miata in terms of responsiveness, I would similarly say that a Miata feels more nimble than a Chevrolet Corvette, but wouldn't say it feels sportier.
Thanks for the clarification on pricing. I was looking at sticker prices, which are generally the same throughout the country. It was not clear that you were looking at transaction prices. Edmunds reports little difference in the amount of dealer discounting between Michigan and the NYC area--the discount they report is actually a bit higher in NYC--or between six-cylinder and eight-cylinder models (in all cases the discount is small, only a few hundred dollars), but I have no idea where they get this info or how reliable it is.
As I read your statement, dealers in your area provide much larger discounts on the six-cylinder models. It's still unclear whether you are adjusting for differences in standard equipment between six-cylinder and eight-cylinder models.
Finally, I don't see how it conveys much of anything when you make up names for suspension components or misuse existing terms. Words have fairly set definitions for a reason--so people can communicate.
A "crossmember" is a fixed part of a vehicle's frame or unibody that connects the two sides ("rails" in a frame). For example, a pickup's frame might include five crossmembers. They don't stabilize the vehicle. They do hold it together.
In the comment you state, "A torsion bar would be a structural member which helps stabilize the vehicle." This isn't true either. A torsion bar is a longitudinally-mounted bar used in place of a spring (coil, leaf, etc.) to support the weight of the vehicle and cushion the ride. One is used for each wheel. When the suspension is compressed, a torsion bar is twisted. Its resistance to twisting functions as a spring. Torsion bars cannot be tuned as well as coil springs, among other disadvantages, so they aren't often used in cars these days. (They were used in the VW Beetle and old Chrysler cars.) They are still used in some pickup truck front suspensions.
The bar you are referring to can legitimately be called an anti-roll bar, an anti-sway bar, and a stabilizer bar. It connects wheels on opposite sides of the vehicle, reducing the amount of lean in turns. Just about every vehicle sold today has a front stabilizer bar, and any vehicle with performance pretensions has one in the rear as well. These bars are so common that in my own reviews I'll only comment if one is absent.
By making up a new term for the FX's stabilizer bars, you misleadingly imply that there is something special about them. For those who know something about suspension terms, it also connotes that you don't know what you are talking about, which is a shame because you do provide a number of valuable insights. Overall the content of your review is helpful, but you could provide it in a clearer, more concise manner.
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Jun 16 '03
4:57 am PDT
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Re: A bit much filler and some minor errors (Reply to this comment)
by nick1326
I really don't know where all the politics and BS arose from, particularly in the automotive section -- however I imagine the lack of activity in my account is demonstrative of my distaste for it. Regardless, I've decided to address this comment out of my respect for your past work:
1) First, cross-member stabilization was a term I picked because I didn't feel like sounding brochure-like or being accused of plagiarism. A torsion bar would be a structural member which helps stabilize the vehicle.. Sorry, I didn't think my choice of words was too poor. Furthermore, far more important than semantics is the message behind it -- The chassis performs extremely well in the anti-roll department, and I'm not the only one who seems to think so, though I'm happy to have driven it and written about it very early...before most others had done so.
2) Engine - Aside from the fact that BMW has 2 V8 options, it's important to remember that here at epinions living in different parts of the country means different prices. Here on long island, if you can get into the V8 for 7400 more, the more power to you. Here in greed-land 9500 is more like it, perhaps 10,000 and up if you don't feel like waiting. Across town at Nissan, you are far more likely to get into the FX45 for only about 6500 more than the FX35...I took the price-gouging factor into account in this review because the X5 is severely price gouged here in NYC/LI -- sadly, it appears Nissan dealers are begning to catch on and walk-up FX45 prices too... bummer.
Lastly, the vehicle comes with 20" rims, I didn't think my assessment of its ride characteristics was to mysterious -- the ride is stiff, but not uncomfortable. As I mentioned specifically, Nissan has focused on SPORT more than utility, I figured this, combined with all my other "filler" was self-explanatory enough -- We seem to agree on two critical points; The the FX chassis is clearly related to the 350Z and that this is the sportiest feeling SUV around... Although speaking of mysterious, I'm a little unclear on your assessment of the vehicle overall- on one hand you say it's the sportiest SUV you've yet driven, yet on the other hand you say the X5 is sportier in the handling department... THIS, is a little unclear to me.
Again, I don't know where all the scrutiny has come from, but if my review is only helpful, oh well. Thanks for the input- FYI, I spent many more hours answering personal emails that came from readers of the review than I spent writing the review itself -- I'd like to believe my experience has been very helpful to those people
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Jun 15 '03
1:28 pm PDT
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A bit much filler and some minor errors (Reply to this comment)
by mkaresh, in Cars & Motorsports
This review certainly contains some good information. I am a bit puzzled by your evaluation of the FX45's ride quality. Perhaps you only test drove it on smooth roads. I know that when I test drive vehicles in Virginia (as opposed to Michigan) I find it difficult to evaluate ride quality--everything rides well on smooth roads.
My rating was dragged down by the fairly large number of phrases that don't make sense and a few minor errors.
In the errors category, I'll highlight two. First, there is no such thing as cross-member stabilization. An informed reader might think you don't have a clue what you are talking about when discussing technical details.
Second, once you adjust for differences in standard equipment both Infiniti and BMW charge about the same for a V8 over a V6. Infiniti charges $6,700. BMW charges about $7,400. Both seem excessive to me, but seven grand is simply what luxury brands charge for an extra pair of cylinders these days. With the SRX Cadillac will be joining the club.
This review is well worth cleaning up. Please let me know if you do so.
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Jun 08 '03
5:08 pm PDT
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Re: I Read Every Word Of This Review! (Reply to this comment)
by nick1326
Your daughter will be extremely lucky and VERY HAPPY with this truck... Good luck and happy shopping!
nick
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Apr 16 '03
4:50 am PDT
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I Read Every Word Of This Review! (Reply to this comment)
by ruby950
This is certainly a thorough and well written review! And so perfect for me to have read it today. We are currently looking for a new SUV for our 20 year old daughter. She is now driving a 2001 Infiniti Qx4. Your timing, for me, was great!
My best,
Deborah~
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Apr 16 '03
4:32 am PDT
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