I get quite a few perks working here at IGN - most of which the majority of IGN’s game-loving readers don’t care that much about. For example: I find listening to Ford designer Peter Horbury’s insights into luxury car design to be about as entertaining as it gets - but even I will admit that learning why a true luxury saloon’s back seat must sit lower than the driver’s chair doesn’t get the adrenaline pumping quite as much as a round of Halo. But then, I’m more of a car geek than game geek these days…
Though I consider the following to be normal and nothing special, 99 percent of IGN’s readers would kill to be in my shoes solely for the fact that resident hottie/PSP aficionado Jessica Chobot will occasionally strike up a conversation with me. These conversations are rare - especially as she really doesn’t care why true luxury saloons don’t use “stadium seating” - but they do happen. But they aren’t always awesome. Take, for example, the last conversation I had with Ms. Chobot.
Not too long ago, Jessica spied me getting out of one of my many awesome test vehicles - which in this case happened to be a pricey luxury vehicle. But rather than compliment me for driving a car that costs many tens of thousands of dollars, the first thing she says to me is, “So… did you just get done dropping the kids off at the pool or what?”
Being half asleep at the time, I immediately go in to a state of panic - did I unknowingly drop a deuce in my pants? And if so, how come I couldn’t see/feel/smell anything? Before I try to come up with some sort of excuse, Jessica clarifies her statement for me.
“I’m not making a bathroom reference or anything - I’m talking about the car. It’s very ’suburban housewife’.”
As you can guess by the title of this car review, the “suburban housewife” vehicle in question is the Infiniti FX35 - the O.G. shoe-shaped “CUV”. I try to explain that by sheer virtue of the Infiniti badge, the FX35 is “luxurious” and “sporty” and therefore cool. Jessica isn’t having any of it; the FX is still a “mom wagon” in her eyes.
Now I know that I call the majority of CUVs “mom wagons”, but as I don’t ever mention yaoi or Final Fantasy on this Cars site, I can confidently say that “The Baroness” has never read a word I’ve ever written. Still, this little anecdote shows that no matter how hard ad agencies try to push CUVs as being “cool” and/or “manly” - everyone thinks of them as the rides of choice for the suburban soccer mom set. With that in mind, think of the Infiniti FX35 as the mom-wagon of choice for the well-off Orange County housewife set.
Despite the fact that driving an Infiniti FX will never be “cool” in the eyes of the ladies, I still thought I should soldier on with the review. Here’s what I thought of Infiniti’s tall wagon.
Styling
With the glut of car-shaped tall wagons on the road these days, it’s easy to forget that the FX’s shape was nothing short of radical when it first came out. Before the FX, most car-based utility vehicles tried to look like miniature trucks - not the Infiniti. The Japanese luxury wagon opted for a rounded, almost sedan-like shape. I hated the FX when it first came out - it’s the vehicle that prompted me to come up with the phrase “rolling shoe”. But three years on, the FX’s shape has grown on me. My opinion may not matter, but there are a lot of other people that do matter like the way the FX looks - and other manufacturers are capitalizing on that.
Notice how the new Hyundai Santa Fe borrows a lot from the FX’s nose, or how the new Honda CR-V’s scalloped D-pillar looks remarkably similar to that of the FX. Infiniti’s designers must have done something right if other manufacturers are still copying the design almost four years later. Something tells me that the next “big” CUV to hit the scene will borrow a lot from the old Nissan design as well. That said, I still think that the FX looks like a rolling shoe…
Performance
Not only did Infiniti’s FX set the standard when it comes to exterior design, it set the bar when it comes to performance as well. The Infiniti FX rides on Nissan’s FM (front mid-ship) platform - the same platform used for cars like the 350Z and G35 - meaning that the FX is one of the sportiest crossovers around. Surprisingly, the FX has a sports car-like 52:48 front-rear weight distribution and a super-rigid body. The FX may ride high, but it is able to stay flat and maintain its composure in the corners. This is one of the few CUVs I’ve actually felt comfortable and confident while driving. Yeah, the sport-tuned suspension is a little rough for a vehicle in this segment, but it’s about on par for most luxury sport sedans.
As the review vehicle in question is the Infiniti FX35, it comes powered by a 3.5-liter VQ-series V6. While FX’s V6 may not have the Z’s awesome 300-plus horsepower, it still puts out a respectable 275 horsepower and 268 lb.-ft. of torque. All FXs come with a five-speed automatic transmission with a manual shift mode.
275 ponies and 268 torques may be great in a sports car, but they don’t do much for a vehicle in the 4,000-plus pound club. Acceleration in the FX isn’t sloth-like, but damn did I wish for more power. The FX35 doesn’t dawdle off the line, but it sure likes to take its time. Perhaps I was still used to the acceleration of the 350Z I had prior to the FX, but I’d still like to feel more punch. If Infiniti doesn’t change the FX for ‘08, perhaps it could throw in the upgraded VQ35HR.
Comfort and Convenience
While the FX35 may not be the fastest thing on the planet, at least it’s comfortable. Most of the “standard” luxury car options - such as DVD sat nav, heated leather seating surfaces and dual-zone climate control - are all present and accounted for. After spending some time in the latest G35 sedan, it’s surprising to see just how “Nissan” the FX feels. There is a lot of hard, black plastic and the HVAC controls seem a bit convoluted. The plastic I can forgive, but I couldn’t easily adjust the air conditioning/heater as easily as I can in other vehicles. Things aren’t BMW iDrive bad (the Infiniti thankfully still uses standard push buttons to control everything) - but they aren’t as user-friendly as the controls in the ‘07 G sedan. That said, I only had a week in the FX - I’m sure I could get used to things with a few more days/weeks in the vehicle.
While I can go easy on the FX’s controls, I have to dock it a bit for its “convenience factor” - or lack thereof. When this vehicle first came out, Infiniti made a big deal about the FX’s cargo space. Ads for the vehicle showed well-off boomers going out to the country and buying massive antique chests. Seeing the FX’s cargo area in person, I am left wondering just what the FX can hold that a normal sedan can’t. The FX’s cargo floor is rather tall, and I’d go and say that a BMW 3-series coupe has more storage room aft of the rear bench. True, the FX’s cargo space grows a bit when the back seats are folded down, but doesn’t that sort of defeat the point of buying a big utility vehicle? Aren’t utility vehicles supposed to hold four people and a bunch of stuff? I can fit a lot of stuff in the back of my Integra if I fold the back seats down, but you don’t see me saying that the ‘Teg is a practical utility vehicle.
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