Yesterday, my son asked to hear a certain song from the connected iPod. "Just say it out loud like in that other car" he said. Good one son, this car doesn't have that feature (Ford's Sync). "But it can start by itself without having to get in for when it's hot right?" Nope, can do that either. "So this car is less expensive than the cars that do those other things, right?" Hmmm, my 6 year old son may be onto something, What do you think, isn't it odd that a Ford or Chevy has better, more useful tech features at a much lower price?
Got to love the 21-inch tires on our FX50 AWD, right? The 265/45R21 Bridgestone Duelers help the FX deliver on its hot-rod promise, something to give it the wild look that everyone always liked about the 2002 BMW X5 4.6is. Makes the FX look like a lunar rover powered by a NASCAR engine. Which is a worthwhile thing, actually.
Trouble is, when you're driving along, these tires boom like four big drums against every seam in the road. It'll drive you crazy on any stretch of concrete slabs. And not just like a drum, because they really are drums, resounding with every impact. Sounds like someone slapping a truck inner tube with a stick. Not that there are so many truck inner tubes around anymore, nor kids to play with them in backyard swimming pools.
Good thing the Infiniti FX50 has a good audio system to keep you from noticing. But this is a thing at Nissan, a tendency to let some egregious flaw make it through into production as long as the behavior is masked by something else. Like the weak fresh-air intake into the FX50 because it's assumed the air-conditioning will be running the whole time anyway.
Below are the fuel economy numbers for June 2009. We've listed the best, worst and overall average tanks.
As always, we were missing a few cars that were out of town or unavailable at the time of this writing. I'll continue to add them as they come in and let you know in the comments.
Car
Best
Worst
Average
2009 Audi A4 Avant
26.8
17.5
21.9
2009 Audi S5
22.3
11.3
18.0
2008 BMW 135i
27.7
13.9
19.8
2009 BMW 750i
21.8
12.4
17.9
2002 BMW M3
23.5
12.3
17.5
2009 BMW M3
20.5
12.7
16.1
2009 Ford Flex Limited
26.7
13.7
19.2
2008 Ford Focus SES
40.6
16.6
26.7
2007 Honda Civic GX
47.3
12.7
31.6
2009 Honda Fit Sport
39.0
24.9
31.0
2009 Hyundai Genesis
24.4
14.3
20.4
2009 Infiniti FX50
21.8
10.7
16.9
2009 Mazda 6
29.3
19.4
23.5
2008 Mitsubishi Evo X GSR
22.6
11.0
17.0
2009 Nissan 370Z
24.4
13.7
17.9
2009 Nissan GT-R
21.8
11.5
16.4
2008 Smart Fortwo Passion
43.4
23.5
33.6
2009 Suzuki SX4
28.3
18.6
22.5
2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI
43.0
28.0
34.6
After the jump you can see the list sorted by best average MPG.
The FX50's base price is just under $60,000. That's not cheap but check out the standard audio package - It's a Bose system with Bose speakers good for 300 watts driving 11 speakers. There's also a built in hard drive, a memory card slot and one of the best iPod specific interfaces available. The result is deep bass and excellent separation. Audiophiles will approve. What do you think, is a great stereo a must at this price or am I missing the point of the FX50?
We just picked up the FX50 from Cerritos Infiniti - total cost $215.60. Not Cheap. Here's how it breaks down: $120 for labor, $87.51 for parts and of course California sales tax. This service interval required replacing the cabin air filter and that part alone cost us about $67.00. We also found out that low brake fluid was causing the VDC and RAS lights to come on randomly. Our advisor says that the problem should be fixed. Also, a recall fix was made to the power adjustable steering column - no charge of course. To the credit of Cerritos Infiniti, they told us about the recall and not the other way around.
Finally, we learned that our brake pads are at 50% meaning we've used up half their life in just 15,000 miles. Cerritos Infiniti gave us prompt, efficient service but for the money we'd expect nothing less.
We just dropped of the FX50 at Cerritos Infiniti in Cerritos, Calif. It's due for a 15,000 mile service plus we had been having issues with VDC and RAS warning lights coming on for (seemingly) no good reason. Once we got there, our service advisor told us there's also a recall on the steering column motor so that should be fixed as well. We'll let you know what happens and how much cash we're out.
The other day I was in our long-term 2009 Infiniti FX50 and had a few minutes to kill while the wife ran into a store. To kill time I started pushing buttons. Soon I stumbled upon a second fuel range readout over on the FX's nav screen, but notice it says there's 90 miles worth of fuel in the tank, while the range readout on the instrument panel says 91.
We cracked 15,000 miles on our Infiniti FX50. To date we've spent just $120 to keep it on the road (for the 7,500-mile service). But now its time to address the 15k service and those warning lights. An appointment is scheduled for this week.
Mike Schmidt, Vehicle Testing Manager @ 15,000 miles
On Friday I went hunting for the Flex keys only to find them in Brian Moody's right front pocket.
"Brian, I need the Flex for the weekend," I said trying not to look desperate. "Got something to haul."
"Sorry guy," Brian said tightly clutching the keys through the stonewashed denim of his Levi's. "I got a bunch of kids to haul around. Some event at my kid's school. Why don't you take the Infiniti?"
I had thought of that. But our long-term Infiniti FX50 is so small inside I figured the large print I had made to hang in my garage wouldn't fit. "Too small," I said. "The picture is 36x48."
Remember last week I posted about the three warning lights firing up on our long-term 2009 Infiniti FX50? Then, the very next day, Al Austria posted that the lights had gone out.
Well, theeeeeyyyyyy'rrrrrrrre baaaaaaack.
Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief @ 14,821 miles
It has been noted numerous times in the long-term blog how our Infiniti FX50 has a firm, some say harsh, ride. It's not too bad for me. But what is odd is that it has a sport suspension switch that degrades the ride quality even further. The only other setting is Auto.
I drove down to San Diego a while back and tried the sport setting on some relatively smooth sections of the 5 and 405. That lasted for about 30 seconds: it was too harsh.
I'm surprised that Infiniti instead did not include a comfort setting; that would be a welcome addition.
BTW, when I drove it last night, the warning telltale lights that Lord Vader noticed no longer appeared. Typical electronics fix? -- power down / power up? We'll keep on eye on it.
Albert Austria, Sr Vehicle Evaluation Engineer @ 14,630 miles
Driving to work this morning in our long-term 2009 Infiniti FX50 was uneventful. That is if you consider three warning lights coming on at once uneventful.
As you can see idiot lights lit for the traction control, the stability control and the Rear Active Steer systems. The car still drives fine, but obviously something has gone haywire. Something electronic no doubt.
Notice the car is just a few hundred miles shy of its 15,000 mile service so we'll just take it in early and get it all checked out.
Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief @ 14,611 miles
I know a lot of folks aren't really that into the looks of our FX. It's got big ol' wagon wheel sized rims, a funky face reminiscent of a catfish, bad visibility and terrible gas mileage. But I think for a lot of folks that's the point.
Well, maybe not for the terrible gas mileage, but the power and grunt you get out of that engine is worth it. That's is if you don't mind paying for it. I know I greatly appreciated it for the old Interstate 110 full stop highway entrances when there is a lot of fast moving traffic. An open space, a mash of the pedal and this thing roars to life.
It's luxury interior appointments let you know you're riding in style. You think it's got an ugly face? The Susan Boyle of the automotive world? It doesn't look like much else out there and that's a good thing in the Civic, Prius, and Camry crowded highways of Los Angeles.
I'm giving our FX50 two big thumbs up. Yay! for fuggly!
In the latest installment of the Twilight Desk, we have a belated report of service we had done on our 2009 Infiniti FX50 at just over 7,500 miles, mere days before Erin took the FX50 S to Napa (where I took this picture).
We had the service done at Nissan of Santa Monica-- Infiniti of Santa Monica was on the verge of closing down at the time, they're closed now-- and there was no wait for an appointment.
The 7,500 mile service totaled $122.67 with tax and that included an oil change (10W30), tire rotation, visual inspections, fluids and torquing of all suspension components. The next service is due at 15,000 miles and we're already knocking on that door. Promise to get that one up in a more timely manner.
Here are the fuel economy numbers for 2009. We've listed the best, worst and overall average tanks.
As always, we were missing a few cars that were out of town or unavailable at the time of this writing. I'll add them as they come in and I'll let you know in the comments.
Car
Best
Worst
Average
2009 Audi A4 Avant
26.8
17.5
22.0
2009 Audi S5
22.3
11.8
18.0
2009 BMW 750i
21.8
12.4
18.2
2002 BMW M3
23.5
12.3
17.5
2009 BMW M3
18.8
9.6
15.4
2008 Cadillac CTS
32.5
9.9
19.3
2009 Dodge Challenger R/T
22.3
10.3
16.0
2009 Ford Flex Limited
26.7
13.7
19.4
2008 Ford Focus SES
40.6
16.6
26.7
2007 Honda Civic GX
47.3
12.7
31.7
2009 Honda Fit Sport
39.0
26.0
31.5
2009 Hyundai Genesis
24.8
15.5
20.7
2009 Infiniti FX50
21.8
10.7
17.0
2009 Mazda 6
29.1
19.4
23.3
2008 Mitsubishi Evo X MR
27.2
11.7
17.3
2009 Nissan 370Z
24.4
13.7
18.2
2009 Nissan GT-R
21.8
11.5
16.5
2008 Pontiac G8 GT
24.0
12.0
17.5
2008 Smart Fortwo Passion
43.4
23.5
33.4
2009 Suzuki SX4
28.3
18.6
22.6
2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI
43.0
28.7
35.0
After the jump you can see the list sorted by best average MPG.
I have to admit, there is not much I like about the Infiniti FX50. This is certainly not the opinion of the rest of our staff. So, bear with me while I explain some of my reasons.
Normally, I like big powerful V8 vehicles, but the FX50 just seems so silly to me. The loooong front nose sticks out like Pinocchio's. There was an FX35, which looked like a dwarf next to my FX50, parked on the corner of my street, right on the corner, actually sitting illegally on the turn. I couldn't see around it as I was trying to cross the intersection. I was inching out and ended up with the big Cyrano nose sticking out so far I might as well have just blown across the intersection before I could actually see.
I also have a hard time judging where I am in a lane. That big nose distorts my view. Looking in my side mirrors I can tell I have a tendency to drive it too far to the right of the lane. So I have to keep compensating.
There is no button on the key fob to pop the back hatch. Vexing. I took The FX50 to the supermarket and there was hardly any room to put grocery bags. I didn't want to fold down the seats just to load groceries, so I put some stuff on the back seat.
I did find something pretty spiffy though: the Around View parking monitoring system. Because of its odd shape, the FX50 sorely needs this. It not only gives a view behind the vehicle, it gives you a top view of the surrounding area. Very cool. Here's a little video to show you Around View in action:
I used the 2009 Infiniti FX50 this weekend to pick up a load of crap, uh, compost from the local nursery. Ten bags fit snuggly in the FX's 24.8 cubic feet with the second-row seatback still in the upright position.
Could've put the seatback down to expand the cargo area, but I thought it best to protect the plants I bought from being mowed down by sliding bags of manure.
As stated in past posts, the FX50 doesn't offer the smoothest ride around town.
Would I buy one? It's a question I ask myself whenever I slide behind the wheel of a car. Would I drop my hard earned money on one of these? Would I want to own it? Drive it for years? Look at it in my driveway? Tell people it's mine?
It's also the question you the reader ask me the most. So I've decided to go through all the cars we now have in our fleet and decide whether or not I would buy one. I also included a few recently departed vehicles. Seems appropriate since they just left us.
Okay, so "cliff diving" is a bit melodramatic, but there's no doubt the advanced parking cameras on the FX50 allow me to maximize my home parking space, despite the close proximity to a sheer drop-off.
Just over a year ago I replaced a useless dirt mound (surrounded by a low brick wall) with paving stones on the border of my traditional driveway. The idea was to create another off-street parking space in front of my house (for car guys, there's no such thing as "too much vehicle space").
The plan worked, but the layout (and elevation) of my house means this extra parking space is a couple feet above my neighbor's yard. And while technically wide enough for a car between the house and the drop-off, there's no denying the apprehension I feel when parking a large vehicle over there -- except for the FX50.
With those cameras fired up I have an exact idea of just how close I am to the "drop-zone" (to the right of the vehicle in the above shot). I can snug the FX right up against my house with accurate and equal spacing on both sides to allow for passenger entry/exit.
Sweet!
Karl Brauer, Edmunds.com Editor in Chief @ 13,680 miles.
1) The FX has been dead reliable. After more than 13,000 miles in just six months it has needed no repairs or unscheduled service. Zero.
2) It's fast. It's fun blowing off BMW 550i pilots in my SUV.
3) Its nav/sound system interface looks complex, but it's actually very easy to use.
4) The Around View Monitor is fantastic. Every car should have one. The other day it saved me from backing into one of these short poles in a tight bank parking lot.
5) This is one nicely built vehicle. It's perfect. From the door shut lines, to the interior trim, Infiniti's fit and finish is industry leading.
Open the driver's door of our 2009 FX50 and its overhead lights illuminate. Nothing thrilling here, right? Closer inspection shows that the driver's side is noticeably brighter. Just to be certain I opened the passenger door.
Sure enough, the passenger light brightened to match its counterpart. The opposite happens when only the passenger door is open. Clever? Useless? You make the call. Can a car have too much technology?
Mike Schmidt, Vehicle Testing Manager @ 12,900 miles
Here's a few words about the 2009 FX50 for those of you with a diesel pusher motorhome and a need to falt-tow a vehicle: "Don't bother with the FX."
A very short section of the FX owner's manual delivers the bad news. AWD FX models, like our FX50, need to be on a trailer (for recreational towing) or a flat bed (for broken-down towing). Rear-wheel drive models need to go on a tow dolly, backwards (not advisable), so the drive wheels are off the ground. Or, in other words, look eleswhere for your next dinghy vehicle.
As for towing something else with the FX50, that's OK, but it won't light the world on fire. Our V8 is rated to tow 3,500 lbs. That's easily enough for a modest-sized boat or a pair of jet skis, though. The FX35 with the V6 is limited to 2,000 lbs if it's got AWD, but the rated capability drops to zero if it's rear-wheel drive.
The engine itself isn't the limiting factor here. Car-based SUVs have sheet-metal unibodies that don't readily provide a secure mounting point for a hitch--you need a real frame to deal with higher trailer loads properly. And trailers add significant load to the engine and transmission cooling systems, so big grille openings and a hood stuffed full of big radiators are a must.
You simply couldn't have the FX's *gorgeous* styling and a big tow rating.
Dan Edmunds, Director of Vehicle Testing and Sarcasm @ 12,027 miles
I don't want to overload <Rush> you people </Rush> on this stuff, but the 2009 Infiniti FX50 is the Car of the Week, so I have no choice.
Since Infiniti is a branch of Nissan (gasp!), you'll see quite a bit of similarity between this and the Nissan 370Z I reviewed recently. Some parts even look interchangeable.
The FX series vehicles are rear-drive based, but ours has all-wheel drive. LIke the Z, it uses a double control arm suspension, with a high-mount upper arm. The upper ball joint (green) and the lower ball joint (yellow) define the steering axis (yellow line).
A coil-over spring/shock assy (coral) attaches to the aluminum lower control arm (red). But, because front drive is involved, it attaches via a fork that splits and straddles the front drive axle, instead of being directly mounted, like the RWD Z-car.
The large front stabilizer bar (white), attaches about midway along the lower control arm via short link (sky blue).
The stab bar and the front bush of the lower control arm (LCA) attach to an aluminum subframe that is direct-mounted to the chassis (purple) with no intervening rubber bushings. This makes steering and handling more precise, but it doesn't bode well for ride and NVH plushness. Infiniti apparently assumes that FX customers don't have those things as their top priority, so they've taken the direct-mount approach.
And you can see that the FX50 has 4-pot fixed brake calipers that have easily-removed pads, a la STI.
A couple months ago, I drove our 2009 Infiniti FX50 to Napa and was amazed by the ride quality: It was actually good, despite our FX's 265/45R21 104W Dunlop SP Sport 01 summer tires.
But then a couple nights ago, I drove the FX50 straight into the center of LA County on the 10 and 60 freeways. And now I have to agree with Kelly and Brian: It doesn't ride well at all over LA's grooved concrete slabs. You feel every expansion joint.
As a pure indulgence, I would enjoy using an Infiniti FX50 to tour California's back roads, though not as my sole car (obviously, I'd need something small, sharp and rear-drive for more serious cornering).
In the open thread for our 2009 Infiniti FX50, several of you questioned the point of the FX's existence. It doesn't accelerate, stop or handle as well as a real sport wagon, much less a sport sedan, you said, and it has zero off-road ability. And, geez, with those 21-inch summer tires, it won't even have much all-weather ability until you do a tire swap.
So why does the Infiniti FX50 get to exist? Honestly, for its looks.
Make all the catfish references you want, but in the end you'll still have to acknowledge that the FX is more interesting to look at than the Audi Q7, BMW X5, Land Rover Range Rover Sport, Mercedes-Benz M-Class and Porsche Cayenne. Maybe you'll ultimately decide you don't like it, but the Infiniti will hold your attention longer. It isn't trying to look like a mommymobile. It isn't trying to look like a truck. And it isn't trying to look like the SUV equivalent of a a 911. It's just art for art's sake sculpted by designers who admire the organic, biomorphic forms of the late artist Joan Miro.
"If you'd dropped our long-term Infiniti FX into a booth at this year's Geneva auto show and called it the new Infiniti concept car, it would still be believeable," our photographer Kurt Niebuhr says.
Below a small gallery with quick shots of our FX50's most interesting forms.
We've already written about the sub par rear visibility in our 2009 Infiniti FX50, and that's no surprise: Any vehicle that has an interesting and/or unorthodox shape and still meets U.S. crash standards seems destined to have poor visibility.
But you know what? I never worry about backing into or over things when I drive our FX50. And that is because it has the best camera system I've ever used. Note the white corner markers that delineate my parallel parking space in both the rearward and the "overhead" image in the photo above.
Those lines were actually on the pavement, and the cameras are sophisticated enough to pick them up -- notice how they're much brighter and clearer than the Nissan 300ZX also in the image. So in addition to the sensors and the camera image and the green-yellow-red hash marks, I can use those nifty white lines to position the car.
Our long term 2009 Infiniti FX50 AWD rolls on massive Enkei 21 x 8.0-inch 6-spoke aluminum alloy wheels, shod with 265/45WR21 hi-po summer tires. 18- and 20-inch diameters are your other choices.
The 21s look awesome, particularly because of this vehicle's imposing size. Like a lot of guys, I like big wheels. Yes, the ride will suffer due to the short 45-series section height. And the increased unsprung mass will have detrimental effects on acceleration, braking, and handling.
I don't care. They look better.
Infiniti knows that now, and knew that back in 2003 when they beat almost all carmakers in the jumbo factory wheel race when they introduced the original FX.
I was working for a leading carmaker at that time, and we had just purchased a then-new FX35 for extensive benchmark evaluation. Word had spread through the company that the car was sitting in the Human Factors lab.
I came down to the lab to do some work and was met with over a dozen engineers in their 20's drooling over the FX. I stood there dumbfounded. The car certainly was different looking, but attractive enough to provoke that Pavlovian response?
"It's gotta be the rims," I said to myself.
Infiniti was the first (or at least one of the first) carmaker to put on 20" (or larger) factory wheels. If that original FX had just 18" wheels on it (still large in 2003), I doubt it would have elicited that reaction.
Nowadays, you can get subcompacts with 18" wheels, and even the not-a-minivan Toyota Venza is available with 20s. Our visual expectations for wheel size has grown just in the last few years, and you no longer have to go to the aftermarket to fill that need.
Could you imagine what our FX50 would look like on 18s?
I could: like Hell.
Albert Austria, Sr Vehicle Eval Engineer @ 11,870 miles
We've all had our fun with the Atomic Catfish. Sure, the 2009 Infiniti FX50 doesn't look like any other utility vehicle you've ever seen.
Then again neither does the BMW X6 xDrive 50i or the Acura ZDX concept vehicle just revealed at the New York auto show. (I know, like this helps.)
What's going on here is an attempt to make the utility vehicle more like a high-performance coupe, a personal statement of driving performance and extreme style. It's supposed to be a utility vehicle without all that six-passenger, 4x8-foot plywood, camping gear and trailer-towing baggage that a sport-utility carries around. You know, that whole box on wheels thing.
This should be the kind of utility vehicle that car guys can really relate to.
When we track-tested our 2009 Infiniti FX50, its four-wheel ventilated disc brakes and performance Dunlops brought the car down from 60 mph in 117 feet.
That's pretty impressive for a vehicle that weighs more than 4,600 pounds.
And the stopping was consistent. Here's this from our testing team: "Solid, fade-free and confident from 1st to last stop. And it's a good thing given this SUV's motor."
Our Infiniti FX50 with the optional sport package is car of the week.
I really don't like the rear visibility of our 2009 Infiniti FX50. Not only is the rear window tiny and squinty due to the car's sporty profile but the rear-seat headrest extends the blind spot created by the C-pillar making it difficult to see whomever may be in the next lane. Good thing there's that all-around camera for those times you want to back up.
If this were a sports car, it wouldn't bother me as much. But it's a big "crossover" that's not even all that sporty despite its intentions what with slow throttle response, heavy steering wheel and fat-suit bulkiness. So I can't see or maneuver quickly? Pass.
I get this question almost daily from somebody, and my answer usually blows their mind. I say, "Well, everyday this guy Mike walks up to me with a clipboard that contains a list of 15 to 30 cars ranging from a Smart to a GT-R and he says, 'Scott, what do you want to drive home tonight.'"
Just got back from a 1,220 mile trip in the Infiniti FX50 S, during which I made made several discoveries.
One: Despite my raw sciatic nerve, which usually makes me fairly sensitive to bounce and jounce - and despite contrary comments from several colleagues (Ms. Toepke and Mr. Moody) - I quite enjoyed the big Infiniti's ride. So did my wife, who is quite sensitive to uncomfortable, stiff suspensions and found the FX50's ride (and seats) to be, in her words, "nice and firm but not too much, and really supportive."
Two: While certainly a long, long way from beingin a "green" vehicle, the Infiniti FX50 can turn in fairly decent fuel consumption numbers for such a hefty ride. We averaged 18.3 mpg and had one 485-mile run averaging 19 mpg on our way from Southern California to the Northern Californuia wine country.
Three: Although it likes to cruise at about 80 mph and just sorta naturally slots in there, the CHP doesn't think that's a good excuse.
Four: While the '09 FX50's gi-normous front end probably was designed to shout "get the h... outta my way" at other cars on the road, what it really excels at is catching bugs. Ugh (and this picture was taken only a third of the way through the trip!). Took several hours with a plastic scraper to get 'em all off. The butterfly was pretty, though.
John O'Dell, Senior Editor, Green Car Advisor @11030 miles.
This FX50's ride is unpleasant. I don't care that it's the S model, I don't care that it has 21-inch wheels and I don't care that this Infiniti SUV will outcorner most sporty coupes. For nearly $60,000 (AWD model) it should handle both sport and comfort equally - it doesn't. I'd like to see a few more storage bins in the front part of the cabin, too.
I think the S stands for shaky. I'd rather have a Cadillac SRX.
Here are updated fuel economy figures for the month of March. We've listed the best, worst and average fuel economy numbers over the life of the vehicle. Keep in mind that some of these tanks may be based on a partial fill-up.
This is missing a few that were not available at the time I was compiling this list.
Car
Best
Worst
Average
2009 Audi A4 Avant
26.0
17.5
21.6
2002 BMW M3
23.5
12.3
17.6
2009 Dodge Challenger R/T
20.4
12.9
17.3
2008 Ford Focus
40.6
17.1
26.4
2007 Honda Civic GX
47.3
21.4
31.6
2009 Honda Fit Sport
39.0
28.0
32.1
2009 Hyundai Genesis
24.8
15.5
21.1
2009 Infiniti FX50
20.9
10.8
17.4
2009 Mazda 6
29.1
19.5
23.3
2008 Mitsubishi Evo X GSR
22.6
11.0
17.1
2008 Mitsubishi Evo X MR
24.7
15.0
16.8
2009 Nissan 370Z Touring
21.6
14.0
18.4
2008 Smart Fortwo
43.4
25.7
33.8
2009 Suzuki SX4
25.0
18.6
22.1
2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI
43.0
28.7
35.6
2005 Volkswagen Jetta on Biodiesel
43.9
35.5
39.3
After the jump you can see the list sorted by average MPG.
There's a short cut out of my neighborhood that's peppered with whale-sized speed bumps. May be four or five of those bad boys, and it's always interesting for me to see how different test cars handle the hurdles.
I knew this weekend's test drive in the 2009 Infiniti FX50 was unusually harsh when my daughter commented from the rear seat, "When did they make these bumps bigger?"
Sometimes when a certain vehicle has been around, it starts to look familiar. Infiniti's FX is probably one of the most radical looking SUVs on the road but it doesn't always get the attention or credit it deserves.
I don't really care for the way the FX50 drives - maybe a seven speed transmission is one or two speeds too many - there's just too much commotion in everyday traffic for me. I like the way the FX looks though. What do you think, is this sporty SUV ugly or beautiful?
The Infiniti FX45 came along in 2003 along with the Porsche Cayenne. The Cayenne sold; the FX45 didn't.
Things should have turned out better for the FX. It arrived just at the correct time to take its rightful place as Nissan's premier luxury vehicle in place of the stodgy Q45 sedan. It had Nissan's hot-rod FM platform, just like the G35 sedan. It had a stonking V8. Most of all, it put aside the fantasy that utility vehicles were designed for off-roading and instead adopted the persona of a bad-ass street machine much like the wildly popular BMW X5.
The Porsche Cayenne went about things in almost the same way. Except that it was heavier and clumsier. And it didn't ride as well. And the interior was utterly impractical for America, with not a cupholder, storage bin or auxiliary jack in sight. And the styling was insipid, in spite of all the blather that the Porsche designers produced about trying to incorporate 911 themes.
So the Porsche Cayenne went on to become a cash cow, providing the income stream required to not only ensure the future production of Porsche sports cars but also fund the takeover of the VW Group by Porsche.
All that happened to the Infiniti FX45 is that it became the FX50, which is the same thing, only more of it. And still no one seems to care.
What happened here? Why isn't the Infiniti FX50 a Porsche Cayenne?
I enjoyed my 450 miles in our long-term 2009 Infiniti FX50. It has a good driving position, a comfortably quilted driver seat, and a surprisingly good ride quality despite 21-by-9.5-inch wheels that must be the heaviest ever cast by Enkei.
The big Dunlop summer tires cause too much road rumble for a $62,285 SUV, though.
Still, if the 4,621-pound FX had smaller tires with taller sidewalls, I supposed its steering response wouldn't be as crisp. And I do like the steering, which weights up nicely and feels surprisingly direct for an SUV. Our car has the active rear steer feature (part of the Sport package) and I didn't feel any of the untoward sensations we noticed in a 2008 G37 coupe test car. Then again, for lack of time, I didn't drive the FX through any tight turns.
Otherwise, though, the things I like about the Infiniti FX50 on a road trip are the same things I liked about our long-term 2007 Infiniti G35 sedan and every G37 I've driven since. I love the navigation system's interface -- I think it might be my favorite of all factory nav systems. I like the audio information display whether I've loaded a CD, hooked up my iPod or simply running between satellite radio channels.
So I'm not sure I need the FX50's size, torque and price tag to get what I want out of an Infiniti. I'll take a G37 Sport sedan instead.
Last night was my first drive in the Infiniti FX50. My first impression was that it's too much. Too much of everything. Too many buttons, too heavy, too much hood. And there was this constant blowing fan noise.
I looked around to see where it was coming from. It wasn't the A/C. It wasn't the audiobook that someone left playing in the car. It sounded like it was coming from the driver-side door. Then I realized it was the seat cooler which was on full blast. I turned it down and--ahhh--Silence.
I tried the heated end of the spectrum and it also blows loud hot air. So if I want to warm my buns or cool my fanny, I need to listen to that constant whir. Too much.
Last week I put a quick 450 miles on our long-term 2009 Infiniti FX50. Final destination was Napa with a quick stop for a track day at Laguna Seca. Don't worry: the FX50 was a spectator, not a participant, because no one here wants to pay the bill for new 265/45R21 104W Dunlop SP Sport 01 rubber.
The first thing I noticed is that the FX's cargo bay's liftover height is very high by crossover SUV standards. I'd overloaded my 20-inch rollaboard carry-on, and when I tried to hoist it into the cargo bay one-handed, I missed and smacked the top of the bumper with one of the bag's wheels. I was lucky not to have caused any damage, but this single incident convinced me that this is not a crossover SUV that you buy out of any concern for practicality.
You're looking at the business end of Stage 8 of the 2009 Tour of California. That's a bicycle race, in case you're not fully up to speed this morning.
Want to experience one of the best driving roads in California? The Stage 8 route is right up there. Literally. Go to the Tour of California website if you want to print out Stage 8 route instructions before they shut the site down until next year.
Riders pedalled uphill for 11.7 miles up to an elevation of 5,123 feet. The route's noodly bit followed S6, a side road from highway 76 that leads up to the Mount Palomar observatory. Accounts differed, but the truth of S6's average gradient settled somehwere between 6 and 7% along its 21 switchbacks. Once at the top, the riders took S7 down the back side of the mountain to rejoin highway 76.
Who's man enough to tackle such a grade on a bicycle?
Our long-term Infiniti FX50 is patently ridiculous. Any one who's tried to carry people or stuff in it knows it isn't a very good sport utility vehicle. Ditto should you decide to venture into a snowy clime -- the thing has summer tires for Pete's sake. It's also not a substitute for a sport sedan. Oh, it's certainly sporty for an SUV. But that's like saying "it's tasty for vegemite" or "it's attractive for Amy Winehouse."
Therefore, the FX50 satisfies only the "vehicle" part of SUV. In my opinion, why have one compromised truckish sport sedan thing when you could have two dedicated vehicles instead? More is better, right? Therefore, instead of an FX50, I would suggest purchasing the two other vehicles I've been driving this week that each does one of the FX50's goals exponentially better ...
I'm going to go out on a limb here; our long-term 2009 Infiniti FX50 is the quickest factory bone-stock SUV we've ever tested. In recent testing it hit 60 mph in 5.5 seconds (5.3 seconds with one foot of rollout like on a dragstrip) and covered the quarter mile in 13.7 at 101.5 mph. Impressive.
Around town, the Infiniti is mellowed by a sluggish throttle tip in, but lay into it and hold on. That big 5.0-liter under the hood really pulls, and it relines at a four-cylinder like 6800 rpm.
But this blog post is not about the FX50's thrust, it's about its other abilities. Which are also impressive; 60 - 0 stopping distance of 117 ft., 63.3 mph in the slalom and .82g around our skidpad. As far as SUVs go, this thing is a hot rod.
Still, I was expecting more.
It's on huge 21-inch summer tires for Pete's sake. Dunlops. SP Sport 01. 265/45R21 front and rear. That's quite a bit of contact patch. Far more rubber than our long-term BMW X5 wears. It rides on all-season Michelins. Latitudes. 255/50R19 front and rear.
Yet, the BMW nearly matches the Infiniti's dynamic performance. It stops from 60 mph in 123 ft., covers the slalom at 62.9 mph and circles the skidpad at the same .82g. Sure the FX50 smokes it in a straight line, but with more aggressive rubber the BMW would certainly stop and handle better.
Oh, you want proof. Then check out our recent road test of a 2008 BMW X6. That truck wore the optional meats. Huge all-season Dunlops. SP Sport Max. 275/40R20 front and 315/30R20 rear. And it smoked the Infiniti in every dynamic track test except acceleration. It stopped from 60 mph in just 111 ft., blasted through the slalom at 65.3 mph and circled the skidpad at .87g.
So are the Infiniti's dynamics disappointing or are the BMWs abilities so redamndiculous that this entire blog post is worthless?
30 - 0 (ft): 30 60 - 0 (ft): 117 Braking Rating: Very Good Slalom (mph): 63.3 Skid Pad Lateral acceleration (g): .82 Handling Rating: Very Good Db @ Idle: N/A Db @ Full Throttle: N/A Db @ 70 mph Cruise: N/A
Acceleration Comments: This is one quick SUV. however, much like VQ35/37 this V8 isn't quiet or smooth @ high RPM. Still with a rush of accel like this, who cares.
Braking Comments: Solid, fade-free and confident from 1st to last stop. And it's a good thing given this SUV's motor.
Handling Comments: (With VSC off, the FX50 was good around the skidpad until the limits are approached. Then, the AWD system begins doing something that requires both throttle and steering input to maintain a smooth arc.
In the slalom, the FX50 is one of those rare AWD vehicle that reponds well to aggressive input (steering and throttle). Eventually over-steer becomes limiting factor. Quick turn-in and yaw response. A little hard to learn and trust, but it works. 4,600-lbs?! Really? Doesn't feel like it. .
I've got a love hate thing happening with the seats in our 2009 Infiniti FX50. I love the upholstery with its cross stitching and diamond shapes. Reminds me of the seats in the Bentley Continental GT, which has one of the sexiest interiors around. I also like the way they feel; enough bolstering to keep you feeling like you're in a performance machine, but not enough to restrict my breathing.
My problems are with the bottom cushion that doesn't tilt down in back enough for me and the seat heaters which have the BTU output of day old pizza. Maybe by Monday I'll feel more love and less hate.
This thing has got a lot of switches. It's no surprise -- because this sucker's loaded! It has nearly everything: Navi, Sat radio, backup camera, perimeter view monitor, sonar park assist, smart key/smart start, bluetooth, AFS adaptive (swiveling) headlamps -- everything except ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control). I counted 62(!) switches, not including the window, lock, and overhead console switches.
It could be a bit intimidating when you first enter the vehicle and see all the switches, but they are all big enough and logically grouped. You quickly get used to all of the switch locations and operation. Other cars, for example the Acura RL, also have a lot of switches, but in the Acura's case there are many small, similarly shaped switches crammed into a small area of the center-stack, so it's hard to find things. This isn't the case with the FX, but it does have several groups of switches, hence the initial intimidation, but that quickly goes away.
Some carmakers want to do away with most of the switches and put the controls in the Navi/multifunction display to make the switches easier to find and to also clean up the interior styling. But then you could end up with iDrive or MMI controlling almost everything, and that has far from universal appeal. A balance between center-stack hard switches and soft switches in the Navi display is probably the best solution.
On a related side topic: while driving the FX50 over the weekend, I saw many FXs around SoCal (but none of the new model FX50/35) that I never noticed before. It's interesting that sometimes you don't notice other vehicles unless you're in the same model.
Is this why Corvette drivers wave to each other?
Albert Austria, Sr Vehicle Evaluation Engineer @ 6,165 miles
Our Infiniti FX50's hard-drive-based navigation system came in handy a few days ago when I drove to San Francisco. My destination was actually Fort Baker, which is just north of the city in Marin County. Since I was coming from the east, that meant using the Bay bridge, driving through the often-confusing layout of San Francisco and then going over the Golden Gate bridge to Fort Baker.
As it was dark, during rush hour and raining for my drive in, the navigation system's prompts allowed me to focus on driving rather than navigating. I particularly liked being able to turn off the voice prompts for turns and just using the system's simple and unobtrusive "dings."
I also like the FX's combination of buttons and the touchscreen display. I don't think the button layout is all that stylistically pleasing -- it looks too busy -- but once you learn the interface it's great for quickly getting what you want.
In our road test, we describe of the 2009 Infiniti FX50 as a "personalized coupe, only with cargo capacity." Considering the mediocre amount of room in the back seat, that's an apt description.
First, entry and exit for the rear seat is hampered by the narrow door opening at the bottom -- the rear wheel arches are sizeable. The rear doors open close to 90 degrees, but they seem kind of thick, again hampering easy access.
Once you're in, the FX50 pretty comfortable, but only if you're not tall. With the front seats positioned comfortably for me (I'm 5-foot 10-inches), I had about 2 inches of spare headroom and legroom when I sat in back. Some of the lankier folks on our staff would probably complain about being in back. Toe room under the front seats is tight as well.
Meanwhile, there's not much special going on in back in terms of features or materials. Everything looks rather dour, and the back of the center console is notably low in quality for a luxury-brand vehicle -- it's made of hard plastic with a couple of dinky air vents.
When you're seated up front, our FX50S is great. In back, not so much.
Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor @ 5,750 miles
Remember the 5-liter Mustang? I remember growing up in the mid-1980s and being impressed by the 1987 Mustang GT's then-heady output of 225 horsepower.
And hey, our long-term FX50 has a 5.0-liter V8, too. But now we have 390 horsepower, 369 pound-feet of torque and a redline close to 7,000 rpm. In a crossover SUV, no less.
You've probably heard all about the latest navigation systems and their magical ability to steer you around traffic. Well, I'm here to tell you it's not always quite that simple.
In order to steer around traffic, you have to know where the congestion lies. Although our FX's system may do a good job of pointing out accidents, it's rarely very accurate when it comes to finding congestion.
And it's not the only one. I can't tell you how many times I've been sitting in stopped traffic only to look down at the latest and greatest navigation system all lit up with green arrows. Good idea, bad execution - at least for now.
Does this paddle look familiar? Well, probably not, but around here this is an obvious example of corporate parts sharing. You know, that dreaded bit of industrial incest most often attributed to General Motors and Ford.
In this case, Infiniti pilferd the FX50's paddle shifters from none other that the almighty Nissan GT-R. It's not a bad idea actually, as these paddles are large, nicely trimmed (notice the leather accents) and solidly constructed. And if you're going to steal parts, a $75,000 sportscar isn't a bad place to go looking.
That's a load of 8 ft. long 2x4s and three sheets of 4x8 drywall in the back of our long-term Dodge Grand Caravan. Lets see our BMW X5 or our Infiniti FX50 do that.
(Our Umbria Twilight 2009 Infiniti FX50 AWD, cooling its heels in a rest area outside Green River, Utah.)
Here's a wrapup and a few thoughts on my recent holiday trip in our 2009 Infinit FX50.
Miles Driven: 2,357.
Fuel Economy: 19.7 mpg on premium fuel, cruising at about 78 mph.
Favorite Features: Instant and seamless power from the 390-hp, DOHC 5.0-liter V8 coupled with a smooth seven-speed automatic transmission. On the open road I loved the amazingly stable feeling created by the massive 21-inch low profile tires. The dimpled black leather seats (climate controlled) are ultra comfortable on long drives especially with the leg supports extended.
After having already driven the 2009 Infiniti FX50 450 miles in one day, and endured three hours of congestion between Las Vegas and Los Angeles, the last thing I wanted was to get into another traffic jam. So I kept an eye on the Real Time traffic on the nav screen and listened to the XM traffic channel.
The radio report said little. But I did see a yellow exclamation mark on the nav at the 210 freeway. Pressing the "Details" key on the screen, I read that the lanes were jammed due to a stalled vehicle. I also could see that I could take take an alternate route just before hitting the backup.
I merged all the way to the right just as the brake lights began blinking on. However, the dedicated turn lane was still clear. Without even breaking stride, I merged onto the alternate route and drove home with no further problems.
So, while the radio report was of little use, the traffic on the nav screen gave me the heads up I needed to avoid trouble. It made me a believer in this new technology.
Philip Reed, Senior Consumer Advice Editor @ 4,244 miles
Our 2009 Infiniti FX50 cruised from Golden, Colorado, up to Boulder today for a family gathering. My brother was greatly impressed by the power he felt rumbling up through the rigid body and loved the leather seats and high tech interior. Most engines get pretty wheezy at 6,000-plus feet elevation, but the FX's 390 hp V8 barely broke a sweat.
On the trip from Los Angeles out here to the Denver area -- some 1,000 mountainous miles -- I kept it just shy of 80 mph and watched the fuel economy meter closely. It never broke 20 mpg. Of course, it all seems pretty irrelevant now that premium (required in the FX) is only about $1.79.
One thing I did really like was the 23.8 gallon gas tank. It meant we could drive and drive without a lot of stopping. As you can see from this photo, we logged 414 miles on one tank. The only time I've gone farther was when I drove 500 miles on one tank of diesel in our long term 2005 Volkwagen Jetta TDI.
With a photograph like this, you might think I was about to launch into a rant about the look of the 2009 Infiniti FX50's grill. True, it's been described in our full test as an "Atomic Catfish" and having a "toothy maw." It seems to beg description and my family has settled on calling this performance SUV with a monster 390-hp, DOHC 5.0-liter V8 the Batmobile.
But this photo was actually taken to show you the position of the front camera lens which is part of the Infiniti's "Around View Monitor" that shows a 360-degree view from the Batmobile. It presents the view in this way:
I had the keys to the 2009 Infiniti FX50 in my pocket and I was on my way out the door for my holiday trip to see my parents when our fleet manager quietly said, "FYI, it's got summer tires. Just FYI."
Another staffer looked up. "Where are you going?"
Me: "Colorado."
Him: "You're going to have trouble."
Me: "It's all wheel drive."
Him: "I don't care. You're going to have trouble."
I looked unconvinced. So he said, "Let me tell you a little story."
The story was kinda long but the gist of it was this: the FX's summer tires suck in the snow. As Dan Edmunds pointed out in his blog entry some time ago, when he considered taking the FX to Oregon, "Our FX50 has the Sport package, which means that the 265/45R21 tires (yes, you read that right) are Dunlop SP07 summer tires instead of Bridgestone Dueller all-season units. As a result, our FX50 isn't suitable for travel in snowy climes, despite the presence of all-wheel drive."
Well, it was too late change cars, and way too late to get all seasons on it. So I took decisive action: I began hoping it won't snow. In December, in the Rocky Mountains, it requires a whole lot of hope to rule out snow. So chances are, I'll be blogging later this week about exactly how bad the tires were. Or, how having all wheel drive saved my butt.
For purposes of comparison, I made the trip two years ago in a 2007 Hyundai Azera Limited and got stuck in a snow storm. No snow tires, no all wheel drive, and I made it. I grew up in New England well before all wheel drive vehicles. Sometimes we got stuck. Sometimes we drove our way out of trouble. So that's the attitude I'll have to take on this trip.
By the way, I began to compile my impressions about this extreme SUV but found that Edmunds Executive Editor Paul Seredynski pretty well nailed it. I'll save my reactions for when -- or if -- I get over the mountains tomorrow.
Philip Reed, Edmunds Senior Consumer Advice Editor, 2,445 miles
"Oh boy, here we go..." I thought, approaching the new FX50. The standard 21-inch wheels on the new FX50 look large enough to serve as parts in a hydroelectric plant. Skinned with 45-series rubber, flashbacks of harsh ride quality in the first-gen FX started coming fast and furious. Has the redesign addressed one of the major gripes of the french-curved FX?
Yes, it's that time of year again. Time for me to select a vehicle from our long-term fleet for my family's annual 2,000 mile holiday trip to see my folks on the Oregon coast. As luck would have it, our new all-wheel drive 2009 Infiniti FX50 arrived just in time to make it onto the short list.
After a few days behind the wheel, I'm impressed. It steers and drives very well, and will make short work of the sinuous mountain roads we'll negotiate for almost half of the distance. It'd be nice to drive something on this trip that's a bit athletic, for a change.
And it is very comfortable and well-trimmed inside, too. Infiniti sure has upped their game on the interior front. And it has toys. Navi? Check. iPod connection? Yep. Seat heaters? Uh huh. We're good to go.
I just spent a few days in our brand new long-term 2009 Infiniti FX50, and I'm looking forward to more over the next 12 months. This is a great addition to our fleet of cars and trucks. I know Infiniti doesn't exactly sell many V8-powered FXs and this 390 hp, $62,000 SUV doesn't exactly line up with a lot of people's idea of what modern transportation should be about.
But Inside Line and this blog are about the entire car industry and all the different cars and trucks out there. And we've often had an upscale, high-end V8-powered SUV in this very diverse fleet of long-term testers. Most recently an Audi Q7 and a BMW X5, which is about to leave us. The FX50 is a perfect replacement for those German machines, and I'm expecting to spend quite a bit of time behind its well-shaped, three-spoke, leather-wrapped steering wheel.
Fact is, this FX has plenty of new hardware and software for us to evaluate over the next year, including its new 5.0-liter V8 engine, its new 7-speed automatic transmission and its new around view monitor system (pictured), which is unique to Infiniti. Plus, ever since our G35 S sedan left us some months ago, we haven't had an Infiniti in our fleet, and it's important to us to keep as many brands as possible represented in this blog space, so it serves you readers as well as possible.
It may not be the best-selling vehicle in the U.S., but we thought we'd give it a shot. We've acquired an all-new 2009 Infiniti FX50 with the Sport Package.
Its 5.0-liter V8 engine is capable of 390 horsepower and should make for some interesting fuel economy posts.
All-wheel drive is standard and the FX comes with a seven-speed automatic transmission with manual shift control and rev-matched downshift capability.
