2009 Infiniti FX50: What's It Like to Live With?
Read the latest updates in our long-term road test of the 2009 Infiniti FX50 as our editors live with this car for a year.
What do you want to know about?
- Introduction
- All this on 21's?
- Oregon Holiday Trip Candidate?
- Welcome to the IL Fleet
- Keep an Eye on the Weather
- The View From the Batmobile
- Long Range Cruiser
- When Radio Traffic Reports Don't Work
- Los Angeles to Denver and Back
- Parts Bin Sharing Japanese Style
- Traffic Ahead? Maybe
- The New "Five-Oh" V8
- Not-So-Roomy Backseat
- Easy-To-Use Nav
- Switched on!
- Track Testing
- Cool Seats Not So Hot
- 2009 Infiniti FX50 vs. 2008 BMW X5
- Solutions for a Compromised Vehicle
- Tour of California
- Road Trip to Napa, By Way of Laguna Seca
- What Is That Noise?
- It's Like Taking a Road Trip in a Big G37
- Why Isn't This a Porsche Cayenne?
- Radical Shape?
- Sport Package Equals Stiff Ride
- Tell Me Why I'm Wrong
- Bug Catcher Extraodinaire!
- Limited Rear Visibility
- Stopping Power
- Does a Utility Vehicle Have to Be a Box?
- Open Thread
- About them rims...
- It Redraws the Lines When You Park It
- Art Appreciation
- Needs a Big, Asphalt-Paved Yard
- Suspension Walkaround
- Of Towing and Being Towed
- Too Much Technology?
- 5 Good. 3 Bad. 1 Ugly.
- Parking Cameras and Cliff Diving
- What a Load of...
- One Redeeming Quality
- 7,500 Mile Service
- Sexy Beast
- Three Warning Lights at Once. Cool.
- No sport setting required
- Theeeeeeeyyyyyy'rrrrrrrrrre Baaaaaaaaaack
- Hauls a Big Blowup
- 15,000 miles
- Fuel For Thought
- In for Service
- 15,000 Mile Service
- Standard Audio
- The Drumbeat of Performance
- Missing Options?
- Ventilated Front Seats
- Dude, It's Got a Plasmacluster
- Not Rational But Still Enjoyable
- +1 for the Interface, -1 for the Sound Quality
- Can't Hold Its Horses
- Commute Switch
- Custom Seating
- Not Slow
- Separated at Birth
- Whaddya Bench?
- Wood A-Peel
- Mystery Driver
- Great Steering Wheel
- How Big Guns Roll
- Intermediate Service
- Seating Position Lowdown
- Monterey Here We Come
- 7 Things I Learned in Monterey
- Park It With The Ferraris
- Not Much Wheel Travel
- Canyon Carving
- 20,000 Deep
- Road Trip Day 1 — LA to Bryce Canyon
- First Aid
- Road Trip Day 2 — Canyon Country
- Road Trip Day 3 — Grand Canyon to LA
- Recaro Child Seat
- Bluetooth Operation
- Bluetooth Operation Amendment
- TPMS says "You're Screwed"
- TPMS Revisited
- A Tech Gadget That Actually Works
- Seat Cushion
- Sounds Good, Smells Weird
- To Everything, Turn, Turn...
- View From the Cabin
- Architeuthis
- When Rain Comes to So Cal
- Open Thread
- A Rare Breed
- Absence of Lane Departure
- Sales Figures
- There's a V8 In There, Somewhere
- Silence, Please
- Bond. James Bond.
- Silent Running
- You Cannot Touch This
- Dimming the Instrument Panel
- Home Improvement Duty
- A Tale of Two Shift Paddles
- Who Lives in This House?
- It Grows On You
- Still Feels New After 27K Miles
- Preset Hell
- Our Favorite Caption
- You Write the Caption
- Parts on Back-Order
- Low Fuel Warnings and iPhone Adapters
- Overkill
- SQUEEEEEEEEEE
- Love the Trap Door
- Floor Mat Creep
- Door Panel Replaced
- Subtle?
- Satellite Radio
- Goodbye Wash
- There's a Bee In My... Seat.
- Wrap-Up
Introduction
When the plans went into place for the 2009 Infiniti FX50, the goal was simple: Show off. Like the FX45 that preceded it, the second-generation FX is a showcase of technology and engineering in a hyper-stylized shell. A true vehicle for the times.
Of course, Infiniti didn't expect the worldwide economy to implode in 2008. No one did. Sure, gasoline had been getting more expensive as booming economies in China, Russia and India decided they wanted cars, too. But expensive gas isn't a big deal. Not to people paying north of $50 grand for a luxury SUV packing nearly 400 horsepower from a big V8.
But now the 2009 Infiniti FX50 stands as a sort of last hurrah. A testament to better, less reasonable days, where V8 engines sat in jacked-up hatchbacks and we couldn't get enough.
And we still can't. With a new 390-hp, DOHC 5.0-liter V8, seven-speed automatic transmission with manual mode and rev-matched downshifts, and a rear-biased all-wheel-drive system, the FX50 still whets our performance-crazed appetite. To have one last sip of the good stuff, we've added a 2009 Infiniti FX50 to the Edmunds.com long-term fleet for 20,000 miles of the glory days.
Why We Bought It
The big-motor Infiniti FX has one of the worst sales records among mainstream vehicles. Only 1,598 examples of the FX45 were sold in 2007, the last full year of its lifecycle. (Compare this with the 19,129 sales of the V6-powered FX35 during the same period.) The drivetrain hasn't been the problem, as we noted in a comparison test: "The FX45 was the only ute that hit 60 mph in under 7 seconds (6.8 ticks, to be exact) and also edged out the BMW X5 for top honors in the race down the quarter-mile, with a time of 15.2 seconds to the Bimmer's 15.3." Handling and braking were similarly superlative.
The real problems with the FX45 were rational ones not swayed by acceleration times. The interior was up to Nissan standards, but in the highly competitive — and highly expensive — field where the top-shelf Infiniti plays, it left our reviewers cold with its interior presentation.
Our criticisms of the interior were not ignored, and Infiniti has put time and money into creating world-class interiors. Just like the similarly revitalized Nissan 370Z, the 2009 Infiniti FX50 features top-quality leathers, trim that features piano black and hand-stained maplewood, and an information system with a large 8-inch screen and a remarkably intuitive interface.
But new materials and attention to detail aren't enough for a spot in our rotation. The FX50 also makes some big strides in technology, notably Around View, a parking monitor system that puts cameras on the front, sides and rear of the vehicle to give you a live, 360-degree view of your surroundings.
The FX50 also has some neat features for drivers who don't really like to drive. An advanced lane departure warning system will go so far as to steer the vehicle with selective brake application. Distance Control Assist monitors and modulates the car's speed in relation to the traffic ahead and works in hand with the Intelligent Brake Assist to bring the vehicle, if needed, to a complete stop with no driver intervention. As one of our editors mused in our full test of the 2009 Infiniti FX50, the system "theoretically makes it possible to drive HOME (hundreds of miles easily) without touching a pedal — or the steering wheel. Theoretically, of course."
And then there is the all-new aluminum-block V8 and seven-speed automatic transmission, both of which are sure to make their way into future Infinitis (like an M50 sedan, for example) should the automotive market rebound. The new transmission and engine surprisingly deliver a 1 mpg improvement in fuel economy on the EPA's city cycle over the FX45, and a whopping 3 mpg increase on the highway cycle. This FX50 AWD has an EPA rating of 14 city/20 mpg highway.
What We Bought
The 2009 Infiniti FX50 S AWD already comes pretty well-equipped. And it should for a base price of $58,400 plus $865 for the destination charge. Goodies like all-wheel drive, lightweight 21-inch wheels, a hard-drive-based navigation system with an 8-inch screen, magnesium shift paddles, power moonroof, Bluetooth and intelligent key with push-button start are all included in the substantial base price.
The S package adds $3,000 to the base price and adds electronic dampers, rear active steering (a technology Nissan has shown enthusiasm for over the years, beginning with the Nissan 300ZX Z32 and lately in the Infiniti G37 coupe), adaptive front lighting system, powered bolsters and thigh support for front-seat passengers, and 265/45R21 Dunlop SP Sport summer tires to wrap around those massive 21-inch rims.
With the Sport package ticked, our Umbria Twilight FX50 has an MSRP of $62,285.
Is It Enough?
While the world might have changed its vehicular priorities just as the 2009 Infiniti FX50 appeared, we won't let this stand in the way of enjoying what this high-performance utility vehicle has to offer. Is being better in every way going to be enough in these times? With competition from the economy and the sharp new BMW X6, is the Infiniti FX good enough? Will this year send us into a nostalgic tailspin, or is it possible that the old formula has a place in today's automotive environment?
After all, gas is cheap again.
Stay tuned to our long-term road test blog for the next 12 months and 20,000 miles.
Current Odometer: 1,394
Best Fuel Economy: 17.4 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 10.7 mpg
mbeAverage Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 14.1 mpg
The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.
"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?
After pounding round in this beast for four days, the answer is, "Pretty much." Is the handling/comfort balance completely nailed? Not quite, but it's WAY better than the last model. It's even more impressive when you take the wheel/tire combo into consideration. The FX50 is not quite up to the BMW benchmark, as it's still a tad stiff-legged over the harshest, sharpest road imperfections, but on anything other than tortured pavement, the ride quality is satisfyingly firm and no longer jarring.
Even more impressive is the ripping 5.0-liter V8 and swift shifting 7-speed automatic. This combo makes for a punchy and responsive SUV that lives to slice-n-dice in traffic. From a standstill, this thing flat scoots. An aggressive but non-intrusive traction control system seems well tuned to take full advantage of all-wheel-drive traction. Even on flooded streets the FX refused to get squirrelly - the thrust continued to flow heartily while the dashboard traction light winked away. The throttle earns large praise thanks to a sweet, linear tip-in that bucks the annoying trend of super-aggressive first-touch response. My only gripe are brakes that can occasionally feel like they're lingering on the rotors even after the pedal is released.
Though a bit larger than the last gen, the FX's well weighted steering is combined with an impressively tight turning radius to make this mid-sized SUV a breeze in town or in the mall parking lot. On the open road, our sport-package equipped FX50 has the highly adjustable seats, sweetly appointed cabin and plenty of tech to keep you comfy and entertained on the long haul.
I'd call it a poor-man's Porsche Cayenne S, but the FX50 stickers just $1K under the V8 Cayenne, even if it boasts a stronger list of standard equipment. Very similar in many aspects, the V8 FX provides the same sort of rip-snorting day-to-day fun, in a real-life livable package. If you're fortunate enough to be shopping in this price range, and don't care where the price of gas is headed, you owe it to yourself to take a spin in the FX50. Those 21's, by the way, sweetly fill the spacious arched wheel wells.
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.
But it's not going on this trip. Here's why:
1) Not enough cargo space. The aft-positioned cab and long hood certainly give the FX50 a distinctive profile, but it doesn't leave much room behind the rear seats for a pile of presents and luggage for 4 people out on a ten-day trip. Without presents, it would work. Maybe I'll reconsider it for the July trip. For the record, there are 24.8 cubic feet back there.
But even if everything was soft-sided and I was particularly good at Tetris on packing day, there'd still be...
2) The summer tire problem. 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.
Chances of snow and ice are slim along our mostly coastal route, but it's not unheard of. Just last year our Buick Enclave saw a bit of the white stuff on the same trip.
But here's the clincher: this year we're adding a side trip to Bend, Oregon to see my sister-in-law's new place. We have to travel inland and cross mountains to get there. We'll see snow and ice for sure this time.
Sure, if we lived someplace where it snowed all winter, like our brother in Michigan Dan Pund, we could simply fit snow tires and reinstall the summer tires after the big thaw. But that M.O. doesn't work here in LA.
Game over FX50 — for this trip, anyway.
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.
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.
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:
As you can see it not only shows the rear view but also all the space around the SUV. You can also press the "Change view" button on the touch screen and it will change the panel to the right to show only one of the views. The indicator in the lower left of the screen reminds you what you are seeing in the central view.
When the Infiniti is shifted from reverse into drive the view briefly changes to show what is directly in front of the grill. Since this SUV is tall, it's possible that a child could be hidden from the driver's view but visible on the screen. It might also show if you were going to pull forward in a parking spot and hit a concrete divider.
The front and side cameras were covered with snow, water and then dust on our drive from Los Angeles to Denver to visit my parents. It only took a second to clean the lens. The rear camera (the most useful) stayed clear and provides a wide-angle view that's hardest to see.
So how useful is this feature? Well, it comes standard with the Infiniti and my feeling is that anything which improves visibility is a step forward. While the rear camera is nearly essential in a vehicle with poor rear visibility like this FX50, the sideview could prevent you from clipping an adjacent car with the long front end of this SUV as you back out of a parking place. And the front mirror could prevent a family tragedy.
The only difficulty is learning to process what you're seeing on the screen. Basically, it makes it look like you are in a helicopter hovering above the FX watching yourself back up. Once you get the hang of it, it's a huge benefit in an increasing congested urban landscape.
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.
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.
(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.
Limitations: Cargo space. "This is a two-person car," my wife said after we dropped our sons in Denver and headed home as a twosome. With four passengers, and luggage for four, we were bursting at the seams. To make matters worse, the owner's manual is so large it is kept in a zipped pouch in the rear...where it makes stacking suitcases difficult. Finally, there is a definite problem with rear visibility. In fact, some might consider the interior "claustrophobic."
Problems: Occasional hard shifts at low speeds. The heat in the "climate controlled" seats comes up too slowly bring relief on frigid mornings.
Additional: The FX50 offers with some intriguing technology that our tester isn't equipped with. Lane Departure Warning, Lane Departure Prevention and Intelligent Cruise Control are all available as options. Even without these goodies, the price on our FX was $62,285.
Final Notes: This is a spectacular hotrod of an SUV with cutting edge technology and love-it-or-hate-it styling.
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.
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.
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.
Plus, the FX50 meets Bin5 (LEVII) for federal tailpipe emissions standards. On this historical EPA emissions guide, it looks like Bin5 is limited to 0.07 grams per mile for NOx tailpipe emissions and 0.01 for particulate matter. For a 1987 (Tier 0) Mustang, the emissions standards were 1.0 for NOx and 0.2 for PM. These numbers are just standards, but they give you an idea about how much cleaner cars are today.
If I owned our Infiniti FX50, I'd have to put a louder exhaust system on it, though. Not too loud, mind you, but something to bring out the V8's character a bit more. Every Joe Schlub has an aftermarket exhaust on his clapped-out Tahoe, so why not put it on something that could actually benefit from it?
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.
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.
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?
(photo by Scott Jacobs)
Vehicle: 2009 Infiniti FX50 AWD
Odometer: 1,362
Date: 12/09/08
Specifications:
Drive Type: All Wheel drive
Transmission Type: 7-speed Automatic
Engine Type: V8
Displacement (cc / cu-in): 5026cc (307cu-in)
Redline (rpm): 6,800
Horsepower (hp @ rpm): 390 @ 6500
Torque (lb-ft @ rpm): 369 @ 4400
Brake Type (front): ventilated disc
Brake Type (rear): ventilated disc
Steering System: speed-proportional power steering
Suspension Type (front): double wishbone
Suspension Type (rear): multi-link
Tire Size (front): 265/45R21 (104W)
Tire Size (rear): 265/45R21 (104W)
Tire Brand: Dunlop
Tire Model: SP Sport 01
Tire Type: performance
Wheel Size: 21 X 9.5 front - 21 X 9.5 rear
Wheel Material (front/rear): alloy
As tested Curb Weight (lb): 4,621
Test Results:
0 - 30 (sec): 2.1
0 - 45 (sec): 3.6
0 - 60 (sec): 5.5
0 - 75 (sec): 7.9
1/4 Mile (sec @ mph): 13.7 @ 101.5
0-60 with 1-ft Rollout (sec): 5.3
Acceleration Rating: Very Good
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.
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?
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 ...
You want an SUV? Buy a G550. It crushes everything that gets in its way, goes like stink, its built like a bank vault, and come to think of it, looks like bank vault too. It's also easier to see out of and park than the FX (as long as the garage is tall enough). Oh, and you could go hunting for water buffalo in the G. Try that with the bionic catfish.
When I'm not crushing peasants and protecting El Presidente in the G550, I'd be taking to a canyon road in the G37 Coupe. It's related to the FX50, but it isn't tall and morbidly obese for a sport-tuned vehicle. It's still an Infiniti, so I get the excellent electronics interface and loads of available equipment.
If you're going to do something, do it right. So therefore, instead of dropping $62,000 on a compromised FX50, drop $144,000 instead on two dedicated vehicles. Who's with me?
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?
Not me. I sat enjoying the seat heaters in our 2009 Infiniti FX50 and watched the sun rise with a warm cup of Joe as thousands of others like me got into position to watch the peleton pass by sometime after a leisurely tailgate lunch.
So who really is man enough to race up such a grade on a bike?
Why, none other than Lance Armstrong and Levi Leipheimer, of course. Here Lance (#2) leads yellow jersey-wearing Levi (#1) past our position. Lance has been off the bike for the last couple of years, so he played a support role in this comeback event. Levi won the race after fighting off a couple of determined attacks on the climb up this grade and another that came further up the course, thanks in part to the efforts of Lance and the rest of his Astana team.
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.
Still, I certainly do enjoy the FX50's 5.0-liter V8, rated at 390 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 369 pound-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm. The torque band is big, and between the FX's rapidfire throttle response and excellent high-speed stability, it is capable of utter domination on Interstate 5 when given free rein. Remember, this is an SUV that hits 60 mph in 5.6 seconds and the quarter-mile in 13.7 seconds at 102.9 mph. Editorial addendum: Although, if you look at the track test numbers for this particular 2009 FX50, you'll see that our long-term ran a 5.5-second 0-60 and a 13.7-second quarter at 101.5 mph.
Fortunately, it has a 23.8-gallon gas tank, so you get some decent cruising range. I hit the road with only 3/8 of a tank, though, so I pulled up for an early refuel in Grapevine, California. There I checked the oil and it registered right at the low mark on the dipstick. I surmised that the FX50 was down a half-quart of 5W30. I topped it off and the level is now fine.
You really can't see anything resembling an engine when you go to add oil, by the way — I guess that's why Infiniti had an elaborate working model when the 5.0-liter and the 2nd-gen Infiniti FX debuted at the 2008 Geneva Auto Show. I'll have more thoughts on the Infiniti's road-trip credentials tomorrow.
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.
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.
Why doesn't anyone care about the Infiniti FX50?
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?
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?
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?"
Not everyone appreciates an ultra-stiff ride.
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.
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.
I really don't like the rear visibility of our 2009 Infiniti FX50. Not only is the rear window tiny and squinty due to thecar'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.
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.
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.
And yet they hate it.
The Infiniti FX was really the first of these coupe-style utility vehicles. And now the second-generation Infiniti FX50 is more outrageous than anything else not only in the Infiniti lineup but also in the entire Nissan portfolio. It's more like a Ford Mustang than a Ford Explorer, an all-wheel-drive monster, bursting with power.
It takes me back to the old BMW X5 4.8si. Similarly obscenely powerful and fun to drive, this X5 proved unintentionally thrilling whenever there was any moisture on the pavement, much less ice or snow.
We all loved that wicked old BMW X5, so how come no one has embraced the Infiniti FX50? And why does everyone despise the Acura ZDX and BMW X6? Is it that even car guys can't let go of the old stereotype of a utility vehicle as a box on wheels?
What do you want to know about the 2009 Infiniti FX50?
Have you seen any on the road? Have you driven one?
Write your questions and reviews in the comments section.
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.
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.
Easiest parallel parking job ever.
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.
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).
But for urban transit, the FX just won't do.
I don't want to overload you people 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.
Here you can see the entire L-shaped lower control arm (black) and the other solid mount for the aluminum subframe (yellow).
The rear-mounted steering rack's tie rod end (red) attaches to an aluminum steering arm that is part of the front knuckle/hub carrier (green). The thickness of the carrier at the green arrow and a front brake rotor with a shallow hat depth (purple) indicate to me that the wheel bearing concealed inside is deep set. And this makes is likely that the steering axis hits the ground quite close to the center of the contact patch, producing a small (though probably still positive) scrub radius.
The rear pivot bushing for the LCA employs a unique floating design that bolts directly to the body (orange) and is steadied by a steel crossmember that spans underneath the car.
Here is a view over the top of the tire to the upper ball joint. You can also see the amount of anti-dive built in by the angle it sits at.
There isn't much space between the tire and the knuckle, so oversize replacement tires are tricky business and any aftermarket wheels need to have the correct offset. I wouldn't advise this route anyway, because the standard 265/45R21 Dunlop tires and 21 x 9.5" enkei alloys wheels weigh enough as it is. Care to guess how much?
73.5 pounds on my bathroom scale. Each.
Dubs are silly. That's a lot of unsprung mass for a suspension to deal with. Aluminum suspension bits aren't necessarily a performance enhancer in this case — they're just about required to offset those porky dubby-ones. And the low-profile rubber doesn't help much either — there isn't a lot of sidewall to take the edge off of, well, edges. Make sure you go on a decent test drive that includes railroads tracks or tortured asphalt before you sign the sales contract.
Onto the rear suspension, a multilink affair with a y-shaped upper control arm (green) and 3 links (yellow, black, and another that is not visible here.) A steel subframe carries the suspension, and it is mounted to the body via rubber bushings (light blue).
The final link is made of steel (yellow) and the hub carrier (green) is made of aluminum.
But things start to get weird over here on the left (white) where the bloated link that carries the spring pivots.
This FX50S has rear steering in a kinda-sorta way. An actuator (yellow) shifts the two inner link pivots (green) together in the same direction to generate a few degrees of rear steer effect.
On the G37, it's portrayed as a performance option. But I stongly hated it when driving a G37 with this option on the track. I like to use a well-timed lift to boot the tail out slightly to prevent understeer on corner entry, but the computer sees this as an impending loss of control and intervenes with this actuator to negate my efforts. And I could not turn this feature off on the track.
We got along fine as long as I thought of it as an enhancement to stability control in non-track situations. No one's "tracking" an FX50 (or at least I hope not) so this shouldn't be a point of contention.
It may or may not do some tricks in low speed parking situations, but I didn't notice any super-human parking abilities. What I noticed instead was an occasional "klunk" during low speed change-in-mind changes of direction. Perhaps I confused the system, or perhaps the noise was something else entirely.
The rear stabilizer (green) looks pretty stout. The link (yellow) only attaches miday along the upper y-arm, but the stab bar's arm (green) is short, so a little suspesion arm movement still generates a decent amount of anti-roll torque in the bar.
Finally, we come to the shock absorbers. The yellow circle shows that these are Sachs CDC units (computer-controlled damping); the actuator is shown by the green arrow. All four are similarly adjustable, but the rear was the easiest one to photograph. I'll go into how this works another day: it deserves its own post.
And for those of you who don't want to believe that an Infiniti is a gussied-up Nissan, I give you this Nissan label, circled in red (or is it scarlet?)
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.
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?
First the Good
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.
Now the Bad
1) The steering wheel is too small and doesn't tilt up are enough for my taste. I need the wheel to go up or the seat the move lower if I'm ever going to get truly comfortable in the FX.
2) The ride is just too stiff. Not GT-R stiff, but too stiff. Maybe it's because the wheels are 50-inches in diameter and the tire sidewalls measure just 1 mm.
3) The navigation system cannot be used while the car is in motion. I hate this.
The Ugly
1) I used to think the FX was handsome in a muscle truck sort of way. Now it just looks like a carp done up by the crew at DUB.
The funny thing is, I used to think the Porsche Cayenne was hideous. But now I think it looks cool, especially in GTS trim.
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!
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.
One Redeeming Quality
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.
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.
Total Cost: 122.67
Days out of Service: 0
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!
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.
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.
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.
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."
"It'll fit," he said. "Just fold the seats."
So I reluctantly took the Infiniti. I folded the seats, which could not have been easier, and slid the large photo in with plenty of room to spare.
Now I admit that getting my blowup home isn't exactly a rigorous test of the FX, but lets face it, this is the kind of convenience that people buy SUVs and crossovers for. The photo would not have fit in the trunk of a car.
I wonder if it would have fit in the Fit. I should check.
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.
I thought this was kinda funny.
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.
Obviously this isn't a big deal, but...
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.
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.
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?
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.
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?
Almost any car can be equipped with heated seats these days. But ventilated front seats are still limited to luxury vehicles, and a small selection at that. Our Infiniti FX50 has them, though, and they're standard. I've been trying out the cooling function for the past few days. Turn the seat climate knob to one of three "blue" points and a fan underneath the seat blows air through the seat's perforated leather upholstery.
The "blow" description is actually my best guess; it's really hard to determine whether the fan is pulling or blowing air because the effect is quite faint. It does work — after about 30 seconds of it on, your backside will start to feel cooler, especially if you're sweaty. But the seats aren't actually using air-conditioned air — it's more like how you feel cooler when you stand in front of a regular fan.
Our Infiniti's seat ventilation is a nice feature, but the overall temperature change you get isn't nearly as much as what happens with seat heaters.
Start up our 2009 Infiniti FX50 and a grape-cluster-shaped icon appears on the climate control display. For a while I wasn't sure what it meant, but I looked it up today. In addition to having an automatic air recirculation function, the FX50's climate control system has an ion-based air purifier.
Based on Sharp-branded technology, the "Plasmacluster" operates in two modes: Clean and Control. The cleaning mode emits positive and negative ions out of the air vents to "neutralize airborne particles" such as dust and pollen. The control mode just emits stabilizing negative ions. It's fully automated, so there's nothing you can do as the driver to control it, but you can at least tell what's going on as the color of the icon changes from blue (cleaning) to green (control).
This feature comes on the FX50 only and not the FX35. Without a scientific test, it's pretty hard to determine how effective it is at improving air quality. But for what it's worth, I will say that our FX does seem to keep out outside odors better than other cars I've driven with automatic fresh/recirc air functions.
By most rational measures, purchasing an Infiniti FX50 doesn't make much sense. But this doesn't mean that the FX50 is the leper of our long-term fleet. I've spent a lot of time with this vehicle (a two-week rotational stint last year and then another two weeks this month) and for the entirety the FX50 has been a pleasing companion. And who wouldn't want to drive a vehicle with a buff 390-hp V8, a seven-speed automatic with rev-matched downshifts and paddle shifters (the same as on our GT-R), all-wheel drive, great front seats, a superb navigation/audio interface, respectable handling, a full boat of luxury features and distinctive styling?
There are better vehicles to spend $62,000 on for sure. But for what it is, our FX50 is pretty cool.
I love the iPod interface in navigation-equipped Infinitis and Nissans, and our long-term 2009 Infiniti FX50 is no exception. Aside from voice control, everything I want is right here. There's the artist, album and song title on the left, and there's my scrollable list of tracks on the right.
But there's one problem. My music doesn't sound that great. There's no real bass punch for Killswitch Engage, a metal band that ordinarily has plenty. I cranked up the bass level adjustment, but it doesn't help.
I found a Bose subwoofer enclosure in the spare tire well, similar to what Doug Newcomb found in our Nissan 370Z. But it seems that whatever bass it's generating is getting lost in the FX50's cargo bay.
It's not like I haven't driven our 2009 Infinti FX50 before. I have plenty. Yet every time we reconnect, it first feels like I'm trying to reign in a couple of fiesty bucking broncos.
Barely tap into the FX's 5.0-liter V8, and the curvy SUV's tall, horsehead-like fender flares bob and snort as you grab the leather-wrapped steering wheel for dear life.
Whoa, girl! Keep those feet on the ground.
There are times when the 2009 Infiniti FX50's six-speed automatic transmission thinks too much. Like when you're driving to work, for example.
Creeping along in the morning traffic accordian, the six-speed transmission is trying too hard to give you that sporty respoinse thing, cycling quickly between gears and optimizing things for sharp throttle response. The trouble is, you can feel the transmission thinking (albeit quickly) and the result always seems too much throttle that arrives a little too late. The FX is just a little too eager to burst out of the starting blocks, especially when you've got the back end of a cement truck in front of you.
Sometimes you want just simple smoothness. So sometimes I'll engage the snow programming and then the FX makes getaways in second gear and the throttle rsponse is a little slower. When it comes to commuting, a little less thinking by the transmission and throttle equals a little more smoothness.
I love it when a car has seats that can be adjusted to suit every height, leg length, torso length, width, etc. Feels so luxurious sitting in a driver seat that feels tailor made for you. Just look at how many different ways you can adjust our 2009 Infiniti FX50's driver seat! If you can't find a comfortable position here then you probably won't find one anywhere. And thanks to the Sport package we also get power bolster adjustment and thigh support (for both driver and passenger). Of course since I'm more apt to use the FX50 in rush-hour traffic than for some canyon carving, the only action those power buttons see is when I'm bored sitting at a red light playing "Just how snug can I get it?"
This morning on my way to the office, I was stuck driving behind a police car.
This car was filled with, I surmise, one experienced officer showing
off for
the ropes to three young recruits. He was deliberately driving a little under the designated speed limit. And they were all laughing and having a jolly old time watching the rest of the cars stay behind them. If the speed limit said 35, they did 32. If it said 30, they drove 25.
I'm sure it was a barrel of laughs for them.
Anywho, my point is, it's very difficult to maintain only 25 mph in the 2009 Infiniti FX50. With 390 horsepower, 369 lb-ft of torque and a zero-to-60 time of 5.5 seconds, the Infiniti FX50 wants to rush forward at every opportunity. It's like trying to walk a lion on a leash.
Are modern vehicles getting too fast and powerful for city streets?
Major Stanislaus "Stan" Valchek from HBO's The Wire is played to perfection by actor Al Brown.
Those eyes work on him, not on the FX.
OK, how about this one. 2009 Infiniti FX50 meet Admiral Ackbar of Mon Calamari.
"Is that your car out there on the street?" my husband asks when he comes in the door.
"Which car?" I say.
"The one that's making a muscle," he says.
Ha ha. Yup.
Our longterm 2009 Infiniti FX50's
fake
wood applique is coming unglued on the passenger front door.
Hard to say if it was "encouraged" by a bratty child (or a bratty significant other). By the looks of the intact mirror-image piece on the driver's side, I'd guess no, as the top edge tucks under the seam pretty well and would not be an obvious target for a nefarious-minded miniature person.
Last night I got into our FX50, and upon start up I was assaulted by a very loud radio and the seat cooling feature on max blowing frosty air up my bum. I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be a joke, or the person before more was roasting and rocking out.
I can tell you I was wide awake after that.
Great Steering Wheel
I went from alternating among three performance cars for a big comparo (it will be going live in the coming days) straight into our longterm 2009 Infiniti FX50.
And you know what? This big SUV has a better steering wheel than any of those performance cars.
I'm not talking about the ancillary stuff like the buttons, I mean the actual wheel itself.
The overall diameter is right. Its leather wrap looks and feels great — neither sticky nor slippery.
There are nice little pockets for your fingertips on the undersides of the spokes at 9 and 3, and the rim itself fits human hands (what a concept). Your thumbs fall to rest naturally on any one of several spots at the "saddles" on the front side of the spokes.
More FX goodness: local perforations in the leather in the "grip me here" regions (see pic to the right) add tactility and grip.
Also, you'll notice that the stitching is oriented such that your fingertips don't come in contact with it when you're grasping the wheel correctly.
All of this sounds so simple and basic that it's almost daft, yet there are still automakers that get steering wheels so wrong its as if they've never made one before.
Infiniti / Nissan got this wheel right. If you're gonna parts-bin something (I think this wheel is used in other apps too), it might as well be good.
This weekend I drove our 2009 Infiniti FX50 AWD north to Sacramento. The super buff FX scored more looks and comments than anything else I've driven through California's central valley.
Stopping for a quick caffeine fix on I-5, I pulled into the parking lot alongside a Mercedes SL and Porsche Cayenne.
A 20-something guy ambled by and shrugged toward the FX50. "That's an awesome car," he said.
I nodded my head and mumbled, "Thanks." Then I stopped, considered the German company the Infiniti was presently keeping,and asked why he liked it best.
He rolled up his Green Day t-shirt sleeve while striking a body-builder pose and winked, "It's so muscular...like my own guns."
Uh, don't look for me behind the wheel of the FX50 again anytime soon.
We've been tough on our Infiniti FX50 since its last service. A long trip here, another there. So when the IP in the FX50 coughed up a maintenance light just 3,500 miles after its last service we decided to take it in.
The standard maintenance interval is 7,500 miles and the lead-foot interval at half that amount. This intermediate service (oil change and tire rotation) would cost about $87. We were agreeable to this price. And we were already at the dealer having the GT-R fixed again. So we did the deed. And now the FX is back on the road and ready for its next trip.
Today I'm going to disagree with my friend and colleague Caroline Pardilla. Recently she posted a blog about the great seating position and awesome seat adjustability in our long-term Infiniti FX50.
She wrote: "I love it when a car has seats that can be adjusted to suit every height, leg length, torso length, width, etc. Feels so luxurious sitting in a driver seat that feels tailor made for you. Just look at how many different ways you can adjust our 2009 Infiniti FX50's driver seat! If you can't find a comfortable position here then you probably won't find one anywhere."
Sorry Caroline, I don't agree. You might be perfectly comfortable in the FX, but I am not.
Although the FX's driver's seat is height adjustable it still doesn't adjust low enough for me. I feel like I sit too high in the FX, which is too bad because the seat itself is very comfortable and the truck's pedals and steering wheel are well placed. I just can't put myself in the proper position.
This is actually a more common problem than it should be. Note to car companies: If the vehicle is high up, the seat in the vehicle doesn't need to be high up for short people to get that desired "command seating position". And hello, if you're going to make the seat adjust up and down increase the range of adjustment so that even big, strapping young men like me can feel at home.
Funny, only the Germans seem to get this consistanly right. BMW, Mercedes, Porsche and VW allow the most seat height adjustment and understand wanting to sit in a vehicle and not on it.
Tonight I'll be driving our long-term Infiniti FX50 250 miles or so due north to California's Monterey Peninsula for the ultimate car weekend. If you've never been to "The Weekend" I highly recommend you mark out the vacation time and tell the wife you've got a seminar in Cleveland.
It really is that cool. With the possible exception of the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK, the Monterey weekend is without equal if your goal is total automotive submersion. For three days it's just cars, cars, cars.
Although there have been events up there since Saturday, tomorrow the real fun begins. I'll spend the majority of my day checking out a few thousand of my favorite Italians at the Concorso Italiano. I'm a Ferrari Daytona nut so it's one of my favorite car shows. Then, tomorrow night, Infiniti will give me a look at the all-new 2011 Infiniti M, which I hear is very cool.
On Saturday I'll watch the historic races at Laguna Seca (Porsche is the honored marque.). And on Sunday you'll find me at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. In between I hope to hit a car auction or two. Or three.
Should be fun. And the FX should prove to be the perfect road tripper for the job. I plan on putting its navigation system to the test, and with any luck I'll drive it enough to get it over the 20,000 mile mark by the time we return on Monday.
I'll let you know if the FX lived up to my expectations with a full report next week.
This past weekend our long-term Infiniti FX50 and I spent 800 miles together. Most of it (600+ miles) was highway running from Santa Monica up to Monterey and back. The rest was city driving in and around the Carmel Valley and Monterey Peninsula, including several trips to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
Spend that much time in a car you're bound to learn a few things about the machine. I learned 7 things about the FX50. And here they are.
1) Its seat is extremely comfortable on a long run. After the late night 300+ mile run up to Monterey I emerged from the FX without a single ache. And I hadn't spend a single second of the ride trying to get comfortable.
2) The FX has range. It'll go more than 400 miles on the highway on a single tank. Nice.
3) It feels great at 130 mph and still has some speed left in it. (I learned this thanks to a professional driver who experienced the truck's speed on a closed course.)
4) Its navigation system is one of the best. It's extremely easy to program, its screen is large and well detailed and it never gave us a bum direction all weekend.
5) Its steering is near perfect with just the right weight, ratio and feedback.
6) It's quiet on the highway, which is another reason why you can drive the thing over 300 miles with zero fatigue.
7) The last thing I learned about the FX is that I'm a fan. This is a great vehicle. One I should have appreciated sooner.
Eenie, meenie, miny, moe.
This is the "The Valets Kept It Up Front Area" of a swank hotel on Monterey's 17 Mile Drive called the Inn at Spanish Bay. Usually there are a few Phantoms and a couple of SLRs in the mix, but as you can see it was a slow day.
I wish I can say that our long-term Infiniti FX50 was placed in that spot by somebody other than me, but that would be called lying. Instead the valets parked our FX around back. Way back.
The best part? A flock of seagulls had attacked the FX the night before. It's tough to see in the photos, but the poor thing was covered in bird bombs. The hood, the roof, ever window and every body panel took several hits. Even the door handles were covered, which made it quite tough to open the doors. The valets were mortified.
Personally, if I were a bird, I would have aimed for that hidiously ugly Ferrari California. Man, what are the italians thinking?
Okay, so only a fool would take an Infiniti FX50 with its 21-inch summer tires off-roading, but does the hilly parking lot at Laguna Seca count? Hey, its got four-wheel drive don't it?
Well, obviously suspension droop wasn't a priority during the FX's design process, but approach and departure angles must have been. Believe it or not, I pulled this boneheaded move without so much as touching a body panel to the Earth. No scraping of the front airdam or the tailpipes.
And while I'm putting a positive spin on this foolishness, I might as well mention how impressed I was by the FX's structure, which failed to utter a creak, and its all-wheel drive system which soaked up the abuse without so much as a clunk. In fact, the FX never even spun a tire in confusion or for a second behaved like it wasn't actually built to do this kind of thing.
Well, I mean besides picking its right front tire more than foot off the ground.
I had just one request for keymaster Schmidt regarding my upcoming road trip to the Grand Canyon.
"Whatever it is," I told him, "make sure it's got eight cylinders."
We loves us some V8 in these parts, so Mike had eight cars to choose from, by my count: S5, 750i, M3, Challenger, Ram, FX50, G8 GT, and a player to be named later.
I ended up with the FX50, a gloriously over-the-top contraption I've driven exactly once. It's fast, comfortable, loaded with technology, and outfitted with the biggest mouth this side of Dick Vitale. Should be an enjoyable trip. I'll keep you posted.
Our long-term FX50 wanted to get the whole milestone thing out of the way before we set out for southwestern parts unknown, and I was in an obliging mood. The FX had 19,996 miles on the clock when I woke up on Day 1 of the trip (August 22), so I drove around Santa Monica for four miles and then pulled into a gas station for the customary pre-trip fill.
A gluttonous 14.38 gallons later, we hit the road. To paraphrase the immortal words of Gold Hat, "Fuel economy? We don't need no fuel economy! I don't have to show you any stinkin' fuel economy!"
After 2,255 stupidly scenic miles, we're back. Photos were taken, journal entries were logged, and I developed a newfound respect for this V8-powered G on stilts. Stay tuned for highlights this week. Installment 1 goes live tomorrow; meanwhile, our recent rainbow fixation continues at right, courtesy of amenable conditions along I40 in western Arizona.
I won't deny that I was a touch disappointed when I drew our long-term Infiniti FX50 in Mr. Schmidt's V8 sweepstakes. I knew the FX's road-trip credentials were solid, but the S5 or M3 would have been more my speed than a jacked-up $60k G37 on steroids.
At least, that's what I thought before I hit the road.
Well, okay, I still think so. But as I made my way from LA to Bryce Canyon on that first day, I developed a grudging respect for this ostensible exercise in wretched excess. Would I rather have an FX50 than a Cayenne S? Neither, thanks; I'll take a base M3 sedan and save a few grand. Still, this Infiniti fully deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as the Porsche. It may look like a victory for style over substance, but there's some serious capability underneath that cartoonish skin.
Detailed day-one impressions and more pictures below.
Bryce Canyon, Utah
"Elevation approached 10,000 feet between Cedar City [UT] and Bryce Canyon. 390 horsepower felt like 190. Turbocharging strongly recommended for powermongers frequenting these altitudes."
Red Canyon, Utah
"Awesome driving position, just like the G37's. Can't think of one I like better. Perfect seat height, steering wheel is one of the best and sits right where I want it, commanding view of the road ahead. Makes the driver feel completely in control. Now that Honda has ditched its classic low cowls, Nissan/Infiniti might have the best driving positions in the business."
Red Canyon, Utah
"Front seat cushions get bit hard for my own ill-cushioned cushion after a few hundred miles. Power seat-bottom bolsters are pointless given the already-ample default bolstering — only a stick figure would want more. Power seatback bolsters are greatly appreciated though. As in many Nissan/Infiniti products these days, the padding on the door armrests is pleasantly thick; center armrest, not so much."
Red Canyon, Utah
"Loved the first-generation FX's styling when it came out. A concept car for the street. Wasn't sold on the second-gen styling initially — dopey fender vent, gaping maw — but it's really grown on me, to the point that the old FX now strikes me as rather mundane. Over the top? I don't know; it's flashy, but somehow still classy. Looks a damn sight better than the Cayenne, that's for sure."
So I have never really explored the guts of any press car's first aid kit until today. And then, for no particular reason at all, I was struck with the uncontrollable urge to see what was in there.
Contents after the jump.
There's no denying it, this is an impressive pile of first aid goodies for a tiny bag that rides unnoticed on the FX's right rear fender. In fact, I think this might be enough stuff to supply a small triage center should one of Sadlier's pals injure themselves on his Canyon Adventure.
Just so you know, here are its contents:
Ten flexible adhesive strips (those are band aids to most of us), ten butterfly-closure bandages, four extra large adhesive strips, three sterile gauze pads, six sting relief pads, three cleansing towelettes, two insect repellent packets (Deet free, no less!), two stretchable gauze rolls, one roll of medical tape, one maxi-pad, one Saufera Bacteriostatic trauma dressing (not to be confused with Ranch dressing), one first aid instruction book, one scissors, one triangular bandage, one elastic bandage, one pair of tweezers, one magnifying glass and one pair of latex gloves.
Wow.
From the Bryce Canyon region, Route 89 snakes south to Kanab, Utah, where you can either continue east on 89 to Page, Arizona, or take the southerly 89A until it rejoins 89 in Bitter Springs. If you're ever in the area, set aside half a day and do the entire loop. You'll be so busy staring slack-jawed out the window that the time commitment will seem utterly inconsequential.
In between photographic pit stops, I decided to stretch the Infiniti's legs a little on this closed course of sorts, emboldened by the Escort 9500 that I'd serendipitously discovered in the console bin the night before. First logbook comment: "Seventh gear is for the autobahn." Think about how hard your car's working at 97 mph, and now consider that it takes the Infiniti that long to hit 3,000 rpm. I can't think of a taller Japanese cruising gear off the top of my head.
Antelope Canyon (right) was on the itinerary as well, and as dusk approached I made a mad dash for the Grand Canyon's North Rim, which included an impromptu handling test along the winding five-mile road to Point Imperial. More notes and pics below.
Route 89A, Northern Arizona
"Beastly power from the 5.0-liter V8, but somehow the NVH demons from the VQ-Series V6 have found their way into this motor as well. From about 5,800 rpm to the 6,800-rpm redline, the smooth baritone rumble is displaced by a nervous buzz, and there's some perceptible vibration in the steering wheel and gas pedal. It's not nearly as bad as the 370Z's V6, for example, which is strident from 5,000 rpm on up, but I expect more from a $60k SUV that wants some of Porsche's market share.
Shifts aren't particularly smooth, either, and while the manual-mode downshifts are supposedly rev-matched, all I noticed was some nebulous lurching around — nowhere near as sharp as the G37 in this regard."
North Rim Parkway, Grand Canyon National Park
"Like the GT-R, the FX50 could use a more comfort-biased setting for its [two-mode] adjustable suspension. There's only so much you can do with 21-inch tires, but shoppers in this segment might be disappointed with the impact harshness. Structure feels exceedingly solid over broken pavement though."
Point Imperial, Grand Canyon. 8,803 feet.
"Really pushed to get here before sunset. FX was up to the task. Steering is remarkably responsive by SUV standards; most SUVs have an exaggerated yaw delay [time lapse between steering input and response], but this steering feels like it hasn't been dumbed down at all from G37 duty. Thank you, Infiniti. With suspension in Sport mode, body roll is minimal, and the FX just goes where you point it, no fuss, no drama. Fun to drive? Absolutely. I like this thing's dimensions, too — feels quite managable in tight corners."
Thunderbird Restaurant, Mt. Carmel Junction, Utah
"Utah's got a sense of humor."
The trip actually took four days, truth be told, but one involved a lot of driving in darkness, so let's call it three. For my last FX50 trick, I started in Kanab, Utah and ended up at the Grand Canyon's South Rim. That gave me another shot at Route 89A, as well as plenty of time to contemplate my innermost feelings about our long-term Infiniti.
You'll note that I haven't said much about the FX50's high-tech stuff. Four-way parking camera, plasmacluster, et cetera. Hey, this is my road trip, and frankly I don't really care about all of that (though I'll concede that the camera is fantastic). To me, the way the thing drives is what matters. The rest is just details.
And the FX50 drives great. As noted on Days One and Two, the driving position, steering and handling are spot-on, and NVH issues aside (see Day Two), the V8 is a monster. This Infiniti eats up miles with confidence and flair. It's the real deal.
However, one detail that does matter is the FX50's near-$60k base price. Given that rivals like the Porsche Cayenne S and BMW X5 V8 have more refinement and snob appeal, I'd like to see the FX50 start at $50,000, where it would be an easily justifiable stretch from the six-cylinder Cayenne and X5. No wonder the FX35 sells so much better — it's $15 grand cheaper.
A few final notes and pics below.
Route 89A near Jacob Lake, Arizona
"Tried a little soft-roading on a washboard-grade dirt road toward the Paria Plateau. FX was fine; I wasn't. Turned back after a mile or so of intense vibration. Car felt remarkably tight though, unlike a rattle-prone Audi Q7 TDI I drove on a similar road recently."
Route 89 between Page and Bitter Springs.
"Road noise really comes and goes in this thing. Certain surfaces barely register at all; others make enough of a racket to overpower the (unexceptional) Bose stereo. A little more sound insulation in the wheel wells would be welcome."
Route 89
"Funny how much cooler the FX50 seems now that I'm out of LA. I'm getting the same wide-eyed looks that I used to give the first-generation FX when I lived in the northeast. Good to be reminded every now and again that it's not normal to see multiple European exotics at every stop light."
Route 64 south of the Grand Canyon
"Arizona has a sense of humor too."
Arizona/California border, Interstate 40, 8:30 pm.
"Pitch black outside, 105 degrees. Coastal California FTW. Incidentally, I like how there's no BMW-style analog fuel economy gauge here. You can keep tabs on your MPG via the trip computer if you want, but thankfully it's not in your face all the time. I know my own throttle position, thanks."
Weekend with the family, time to cinch down our Recaro Como child safety seat. It was actually pretty easy, though there's minimal maneuvering room in the back seat for such a thing. Good thing my bony butt is also small. It was easy because the leather upholstery is nice and grippy, so it worked on the first try, not something I can say for all leather upholstered LT cars. I did have to remove the headrest, but that wasn't a problem once I inclined the seatback forward a bit. Leg room for the kiddie was kinda limited, especially for a crossover (front passenger seat is adjusted for someone 5'8"). And thanks to the FX's natural visibility limitations, at least the gigantic Recaro didn't make the visibility much worse, like it usually does in other cars.
I've lost my Bluetooth earpiece and while I wait for my new Motorola H500 to arrive from Amazon ($9.99!!!), I've found myself trying out our long-termers' Bluetooth connections more than usual. Generally the pairing process is more hassle than it's worth — after all, this is something that most owners will only do when they get a new phone.
Nevertheless, the Infiniti/Nissan system is pretty easy to pair. Once I deleted one of the five filled spots (Sorry nameless Blackberry-using editor), it was just a matter of putting both phone and car in search mode and entering '1234' into my phone.
Use of the Bluetooth is a different story, though.
In Acuras and Hondas, for instance, you simply have to press the Bluetooth talk button and say "call 310-555-5123." You can say it quickly and it usually nails it on the first try. The car begins to repeat the number for you, but it also displays it in the instrument cluster. Once you confirm by reading that it's what you really said, you can cut off the automated voice with another press of the talk button and say "dial." I also could have said "call Office," pulling a number from the pre-programmed in-car phonebook with essentially the same process involved. It's quick, it's easy.
Not so the Infiniti. Press the voice command button. Read and listen to the available options of "Phone, Navigation, Info, Help." There's no way of cutting off the voice. Wait for beep. Say phone. Read and listen to the available options of "Dial Number, Redial, Phonebook, International Call." Say Dial Number. Listen to the instructions for do so. Say "310-555-5123." Read and listen to the number read back to you, then read and listen to the available options of "Dial, Change Number." If correct, say dial and you're done. If wrong, say "Change Number" and it asks you to try again, this time reading each number block separately. If you want to try the whole shebang again, you can at least press the back button and try again.
If you pre-programmed the phonebook, it's a little easier, but still too time-consuming. Get to that second voice command menu and say "Phonebook." Listen for brief instruction and say the "Name." It replays your voice from when you originally recorded the entry and displays what that entry is called in the computer. It then tells you to say "dial." The Infiniti gives the option of "Download Phonebook," but when I pressed that my phone disconnected itself from the car. That doesn't happen with Sync or the system in the BMW 750i. Therefore, I can't comment on that function, or specifically whether I can select numbers from my phone's phonebook using voice commands like in Sync. My guess is no.
As you can see, dialing a number using the Bluetooth controls with the Infiniti/Nissan system is needlessly long. Once you know how to do it, there's no reason you need to listen to the instructions every single time. I fear that people would end up selecting a number from the phone itself, then transferring the call to the car — which basically makes the entire system moot as looking down at your phone is what causes most cell-related accidents in the first place.
I'll assume that the system in the 370Z is the same, but if not I'll be driving that the next few days and will indicate otherwise if that's the case.
Special thanks to reader foxgtr for pointing out the partial error in my Bluetooth operation blog the other day. I say partial because that's still how Bluetooth operates in the beginning or if you don't RTFM or if you don't have an online community of useful blog commenters to point out the rather hidden way of correcting the issue. Anyway, I followed foxgtr's instructions as listed below and the Bluetooth system indeed worked as advertised.
With the nav system, you can cancel all of her command feedback. Go to the settings screen, select others, and select Voice Commands. From there, go to Alternate Command Mode, then also select Minimize Voice Feeback. She will barely talk to you, and you can dial and move through the menus very easily and quickly."
When the FX50 shined that TPMS light at me this morning, I knew I was going to miss the meeting I was already running late for. Checked all four tires and discovered that the rear driver side tire was low by 10 psi (supposed to be 33, it was at 23). I got myself to the nearest gas station and filled it up to spec. The light went off and I gingerly drove it to the office. Checked the tire again and it had held the air for the brief drive. (We also note that it's time for an oil change. We'll take care of that soon.)
I turned the case over to the Mikes. Mr. Magrath took it to our beloved Stokes. A screw in the dead center of the tread was removed, and the tire was patched for the tidy price of $20.
What does it cost to get a tire patched in your neck of the woods?
As you can see here, commenters dubaizen and drewsrx were right: The FX50 does tell you what the actual pressure is in each tire. I just didn't think to look when I was in problem-solving mode last week. You just push the physical Info button and then tap "Tire Pressure" on the touchscreen (of the previous screen), and it gives you the psi for all four tires all at once like a good luxury car should.
There's a growing number of us that have become resistant to the latest automotive gadgets, often because they are useless replications of things that already worked just fine. In this case, however, the FX50's proximity sensors actually worked quite nicely.
As you can see from the picture, I was backing out of a tight space that was constrained by our Mazda 6 on the left and a sizable concrete pillar on the right. With the FX's bird's eye view screen I was able to back out with ease.
Now of course, I could have accomplished the same feat by merely swinging my head back and forth a half dozen times, but that's not progress people. Think of all the tendons I spared by looking straight ahead the whole time. My neck feels more relaxed just thinking about it.
I conducted a completely non-scientifical measurement of the length of the seat cushion in our FX50. Then I conducted a completely non-scientifical measurement of the length of my leg from the back of my tush to the back of my knee while I'm sitting. Turns out my "contact patch" is exactly the same length as the seat cushion (about 20 non-scientifical inches), which confirms one cause of my inability to get totally comfortable in the FX. The cushion hits me right smack in the back of the knees. It's the same in most BMWs, too.
Adding to the discomfort is the bump of the extendable portion of the seat (seen in profile in the above photo). I can feel the split in the seat pretty prominently there (even though it's not in extended mode), and it serves as a small, but nagging, irritation the entire time I'm driving. It's not making me crazy(er), but it is annoying. Maybe if my femur were longer, I wouldn't be so in touch with the cushion, and it wouldn't be so noticeable. It might bother you, too, if your thigh bone is about 20 inches long.
I secured our long-term FX50 for the night and was thoroughly impressed by the audio system. Reviews for the Bose system has been mixed, but retty much every track I cued up sounded great - playing Fleetwood Mac's Never Going Back Again made me feel like Lindsay Buckingham was right in the car with me. Holst's Jupiter gave me goosebumps. Orchestral strings were as clear as inside the Disney Music Hall and I found the bass to be more than up to the task of some L.L. Cool J.
There are a couple things I'd improve upon, though. While the iPod interface is quite good, I wished there was a quicker way to scroll through songs. I was hoping that a couple quick spins of the control knob would intelligently zip through the lists like it does on our BMW 750i, but no. Maybe holding down the page-down button? Nope. A quick jump/scroll would be a welcome addition to an already great system. Also, I discovered that the system won't recognize my iPhone (3G) unless it's already playing a track - which makes initial startup a real pain.
Finally, I got in the FX50 last night and was instantly hit with an odd aroma that closely resembled a hamster cage. No idea what it is, but it was there in the morning as well. It didn't bug me for more than a couple of seconds, but it's definitely in there.
One thing I've become accustomed to in AWD vehicles is a wide turning circle. Imagine my surprise, then, when I managed to turn our FX50 around in my narrow backyard parking area with ease. The light steering and excellent surround camera make it feel like it's coming about much sharper than its 36.7 foot turning circle would suggest.
It may look like a giant squid, but it's got motor.
Our Infiniti FX50 packs a 390-horsepower 5.0-liter V8, seven-speed automatic transmission with manual mode, and all-wheel drive.
There may be a lot of crossovers on the market today but the 2009 Infiniti FX50 is a high-performance crossover.
It's big. It's bad. It's Car of the Week.
It hasn't rained in our part of Southern California in months, so when the weatherman announced the threat of precipitation this week, I was grateful to already have the keys to our 2009 Infiniti FX50 AWD hanging on my kitchen key rack.
Nothing turns the California freeway system into a spinning, sliding, jacked-up mess like a couple of raindrops, and the FX50's standard all-wheel-drive system was reassuring during my dark early morning commute in the wet.
What do you want to know about the 2009 Infiniti FX50?
Have you driven one? Write a review in the comments section.
Any details you want us to take a picture of? Now is your chance to ask.
I've spent the past couple of days in our 2009 Infiniti FX50. Before I grabbed the keys to the Infiniti I couldn't tell you the last time I saw any version of FX on the road. But since I've had the key in my pocket they're everywhere. I saw three (two FX35s and one FX45) yesterday on my commute home in the rain. This morning I encountered another FX35.
These FXs are understandably a rare breed. Do you see any in your neighborhood?
Absence of Lane Departure
Our long-term 2009 Infiniti FX50 was delivered with Sport Package ($3000) that includes:
- Continuous Damping Control with Auto and Sport modes
- Rear Active Steer
- Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFS, swiveling headlamps)
- Sport style front seats
- Driver's seat with power bolster adjustment (4-way) with thigh support (D&P)
- Dark-tinted headlights, side air vents and lower door trim
- 21-inch W-rated summers tires and wheels
Unfortunately, we didn't get the Tech Package ($2900), which includes the Lane Departure warning and prevention system.
I tried Infiniti's lane departure system recently on a drive to San Francisco in a M45.
The system worked well, was not intrusive, and fed back just a bit of steering torque to correct the vehicle back into the lane.
However, it is not completely autonomous driving: if you intentionally attempt to leave your lane or you accidently input an extreme vector out of the lane, the system won't save you.
You asked for it. Below you'll find recent sales totals for the Infiniti FX model line. Annual sales for 2007 and 2008 run January to December. 2009 figures span January to June:
'07 FX35: 19,129
'07 FX45: 1,598
'08 FX35: 12,079
'08 FX45: 581
'09 FX35: 5,357
'09 FX45: N/A
'09 FX50: 531
For a vehicle that seems to pride itself on its masculine appearance, the FX50 doesn't exactly show off its massive V8 very well. In fact, barring the giant label on the cover, you would be hard pressed to distinguish this engine from a run of the mill four banger.
This shrouding tactic is getting more popular every year and I'm not sure why. Sure it looks clean and neat, but even the most complex overhead cam V8 can look pretty cool when you can actually see it.
Granted, about .04% of all FX owners will ever actually open their own hoods, but all that black plastic just looks like the designers punted and moved on.
The only thing better than being able to turn off warning chimes associated with back-up cameras and other safety features in today's high-tech-laden cars is being able to turn them off without digging through a bunch of confusing menu pages.
Our Infiniti FX50 makes it oh-so-easy to silence the beep. When you put the car in reverse, this screen automatically comes up. Don't want to listen to the beeping? Hit the virtual button labeled "beep" and all's quiet on the reversing front. It's just that easy.
I was pretty much out of it as I left last night. I was waiting at the stop light to exit the garage when I looked down on the passenger seat. I swear to god I started to hear the piano intro to "Diamonds Are Forever" as I looked over the stitch patterns of the seat. All I needed to complete the package was Shirley Bassey to start belting out notes right behind my head.
I need to get some sleep.
This is what the cockpit of the 2009 Infiniti FX50 looks like when you hit the ignition button too lightly for not long enough and then walk away with the key in your hand and lock the door, thinking you've shut down the V8 and left the lights to automatically extinguish themselves. Only to find that you've left the engine still running.
Which I've done in our noisy parking garage.
Twice.
For the past couple months or so every time I bring a car home and park it on the street, there are, what I like to call, little effers who mess with the passenger side mirror of those cars. These strangers who apparently have nothing better to do with their time will either fold the entire mirror in or press the mirror glass itself angling it outward. And it's not like they do it because there isn't enough room on the sidewalk. There's plenty. And naturally I don't notice the tampered mirror until I'm on the road and have to look at it before switching lanes and then "D'oh!" If it's just a matter of moving the mirror glass with the power function then it's not a big deal. Annoying, but no harm done. But when the whole mirror is folded in? Can make for a dicey situation.
But last night I had our 2009 Infiniti FX50 with its handy-dandy folding mirrors and that's just what I did. Tucked those babies in. HA ha! Effers.
Last night, I got into the FX50 only to have my retinas attacked by a horde of super-bright gauges. I decided to remedy the situation by dimming the instrument panel. Given that this Infiniti is such a tech-laden beast, I expected this process to be unnecessarily complicated — I expected to have to navigate a boatload of menus to get the job done.
Then I noticed that the controls for this function are right where you'd traditionally look to find them — near the perimeter of the instrument panel. A couple of taps later, the brightness was dimmed and my retinas were safe from harm. Glad to see that Infiniti didn't deem it necessary to reinvent the wheel on this one.
Here's a snap shot of the FX50's door pocket holding the ticking time bomb our home's former owner left me. I'm no chemist or plumber, but when this bit o' kit was attached to a copper pipe, there were 3 different metals (copper, galvanized steel, and brass) within 4 inches of one another. Even I know that ain't right. A quick trip to the local home improvement store solved the problem.
The multi-camera system afforded unparalleled parking precision.
And as long as I was there, I picked up a couple furniture dollies that have been on my wish list ever since my back began acting up — so worth it.
Am I alone in feeling so damned satisfied doing a job right?
This is upshift paddle on our long-term Nissan GT-R. Jump ahead if you care how this relates to our long-term FX50.
This is the upshift paddle on our FX50.
Sometimes parts sharing is a good thing.
I've been hooked on a popular TV series for the last four seasons, and this fall I realized the main character's new house on the show is in a southern California neighborhood near mine.
Last night I parked our long-term Infiniti FX50 in front of the house for a quick photo. The "For Rent" sign leads me to believe filming in this location is already complete.
The FX would be a useful size for this character to drive, but he might find it attracts too much attention.
Any guesses who "lives" in the pink house?
I'm the first to admit that the FX is a slightly silly vehicle. Too small to be a utility vehicle and too big to feel truly sporty, it's one of those crossovers that seemingly has no business case.
Then I drive it and like it which makes me think Infiniti is on the something. If I had some money to spend and wanted something fast, luxurious and completely different compared to the BMW and Mercedes sedans already crowding the office parking lot, the FX might make my list.
There's the still the issue of ride quality, which is not good, and the almost comical cargo capacity. Then again, it can rip freeway on ramps as well, or better, than many sedans and the V8 barely seems to notice the substantial weight. Looks pretty cool too in my book.
Someone noted in the comments section last week that our FX50 has suffered little in the way of problems. They were right. Other than normal scheduled service, our FX hasn't had a single mechanical issue in its first 27,000 miles.
That I pretty much expect. It is a new car after all. What surprises me is how tight the FX feels after that many miles. Most cars loosen up after a year or so no matter how well they're built, yet the FX still feels new. No rattles, no squeaks and no hints that anything has worked it way loose even a little bit. An admirable feat given its stiff suspension.
And FYI, photo was shot in the fire-ravaged Angeles forest which was recently reopened.
There are many ways to switch radio stations in the Infiniti FX50. But for some reason, all of the buttons, knobs, and dials skip through the presets only.
See that big dial in the middle? Turn it and it advances you through the presets. Try the arrows. They don't help. Push the AM-FM-SAT button, it sitches between the presets on the screen, jumping between bands.
Push the SEEK-CAT arrow. It seeks through the presets. Try the scan button. It scans through the presets.
Turn the tuning knob. It moves through the presets. Push the numbered buttons. As expected, they choose the specific preeset stations.
Shouldn't the tuning knob at least allow you to go station by station so you can set the presets to your liking? I'm sure it is possible to change the settings but looking in the manual while driving? Not a possibility.
Give up and listen to the classic rock station? My only choice.
Look in the manual after you get home? No longer care.
Thanks to mrryte for this week's favorite caption. You can always get me with a Star Wars reference.
Here are the others we dug:
Arm wrestle? (oldchap)
Did the Earth move for you too?! (ergsum)
Love struck, the FX50 asked if it could D8R! (ergsum)
Don't tread on me (mnorm1)
Ugly and the Beast (e90_m3)
Separated at birth? (dougtheeng)
Cat meet catfish. (dougtheeng)
Come here ya big lug and let me plant one on ya (626gt)
Infiniti's top secret front facia department (imarcr2)
Time to feed the CAT (ergsum)
I think that hood scoop is actually *hurting* your top end (zc1)
The FX prepares to meet its maker. (hybris)
What was your favorite?
This was the last caption contest until the New Year. Thanks for playing.
Senior Editor Ed Hellwig sent me this picture of the Infiniti FX50 at Angeles Forest. The bulldozer was there to help fight the fires.
We suggest: Vanishing Pointless
What is your caption?
We'll post our favorite this afternoon.
Some time ago the passenger door panel on our 2009 Infiniti FX50 began to peel. So we took the FX50 to Cerritos Infiniti for repair. At that time our advisor informed us the peeling trim was a known issue. She ordered the replacement door panel and sent us on our way.
"I'll call you when the parts arrive. But they are on back-order and we probably won't see them for two weeks." That's what she said.
Two weeks passed and our phone was silent. We called the dealer to follow up and learned that the part number for our door panel had been changed internally. Some kind of inventory glitch. What that meant to us was a cancelled order. And to re-order the same part with the correct number would take another two weeks. Looks like we're going to need more super glue to get us through to next year.
I drove the long-term Infiniti FX50 over the holiday break and was too lazy to put fuel in it. Most of my driving involved local jaunts to stores for last-minute shopping versus my typical 100-mile daily commute, so the shrinking fuel level didn't really faze me. But when the miles-to-empty range dropped below 60 the crossover's information window lit up like a hazmat warning.
I actually like this kind of warning in a vehicle, as I tend to run cars pretty low on fuel before filling up. A little extra incentive to keep from running out never hurts. BTW, when I filled up the FX took just over 17 gallons and the trip meter was at 320 miles.
Another quirk our long-term FX50 shares with every other Infiniti and Nissan is an iPod plug that won't charge a new iPhone 3G/3Gs. I've been using a Scosche adapter to alter the voltage and it works like a charm, allowing me to charge my iPhone while not interfering with its ability to play music through the Infiniti's audio system or control it via the car's center stack and steering wheel buttons. You can buy one for $30 from Scosche's Web site.
Over the weekend I opted to take my ratty old compact sedan to go shopping rather than fire up the 2009 Infiniti FX50. The FX was just too much work, too big to park, too much of a statement for me.
I decided it was like taking a battleship to go fishing.
But I love the interior of this AWD SUV. And the seats are so comfortable you don't want to get out.
...and we're not talking the super-cute pictures of baby animals type squee. What we're dealing with in our 2009 Infiniti FX50S is a super-high-pitched (probably out of some people's hearing range) squuuuuueeeeeee every time you depress the accelerator with an iPod connected.
It's caused by improperly shielded/separated wires that are mixing signals when a current says, "Hey! Fuel pump....GO!" If we were to rip the FX50 apart we'd most likely find that the wires powering the iPod connection hard-wired in the center console are, in some spot, in close proximity to the wires that make fuel pumps pump. They could even be wrapped in the same harness. *gasp*
Bush-league mistake that every rookie car audio installer would catch before turning the system on. Never had this happen in any other Nissan/infiniti...only this one. Lame.
Every time I get into our FX50 and have to install my child safety seat anew (which is every time I switch cars), I am reminded that I love the hinged cargo cover. It's like having a trap door from the back seat to the cargo area.
After I cinch down my kid's giant car seat, I always make sure to secure the top tether to the top tether anchor (which is often on the back of the back seat, below the cargo cover). To do this in many SUVs and hatchbacks that have rigid cargo covers, I have to jam and squeeze the top tether's large buckle through a tiny space not really designed to accomodate such a thing. Not so with the FX50. The hinged section of the cargo cover that's closest to the back seat easily just pushes down to let me drop the tether down where it needs to go.
I still have to walk around to the back to secure the tether to the anchor and pull the strap tight, but I really appreciate the convenience of that trap door.
Here's another view of the hinged section in action.
It's also handy when I'm in the back seat and want to stash something (small-to-medium in size or very malleable) in the cargo area without having to get out and put it through the rear hatch. I love this feature.
I didn't check the floor mat's positioning before I got into the driver seat recently. It's been a couple of months since floor mats were a main topic in the news, and I'd gotten complacent. But as soon as I started driving, I could tell something was wrong. The throttle pedal felt lumpy.
At a stoplight, I peeked down into the footwell and saw that the floor mat had crept up onto the bottom-hinged throttle pedal, as you can see in the photo above. While the light was still red, I reached down and pulled it as far away from the pedal as possible and then went on my merry way with no further incident.
Later, when I got to my destination, I figured I'd better reattach the mat, if that was possible. When I lifted up the mat, I saw that, unlike last time, there was a clip attached to the mat (we must have picked one up recently), but it had come loose from its anchor point in the carpet again. I pushed the clip into the hole as best I could and then rehooked the mat. It seemed to hold well enough. But it was a good reminder to check that mat every time I get in.
Finally. It took 2 months of ordering and re-ordering the replacement door panel for our 2009 Infiniti FX50. But it finally arrived. We stopped by Cerritos Infiniti to have it installed and now it's good as new. And the work itself took just under 2 hours.
Total Cost: $0
Days Out of Service: None
Subtle is not a word I would usually use to describe the 2009 Infiniti FX50. But despite its bulky design with prominent nose and big V8 engine, there is one element of the FX50 that is subtle: the seat heaters. You get three levels of subtle, subtler and hint of warmth. Even the dial that controls the function is small and understated.
Now, you know how we love our seat heaters at IL. Personally, I use them all of the time, even in the summer. So, here are the good things about the seat heaters in the 2009 Infiniti FX50. They work instantly without a long warm-up period. The heat is distributed up the backrest and not just on the seat bottom. I love that. They stay on unlike some other vehicles that slowly decrease the heat until they turn themselves off. The dial stays in the "on" position so next time you get in the car, they are already on.
I just wish they were hotter.
Anyone have an Infiniti FX out there? What do you think of the seat heaters?
I can always tell when our time with a particular long-term test vehicle is about to end. That's when the subscription to satellite radio ends and the electronics tell us to make a call to Sirius or (in the case of the 2009 Infiniti FX50) XM.
It's a sad moment, really. You never know how much you depend on satellite radio until it's gone, especially in a vehicle that has seen as many cross-country trips as this one.
When satellite radio first became available, there was a lot of talk about improved audio quality. Although, really, there wasn't much talk about satellite radio at all, since almost everyone was too busy downloading music onto his iPod to care about someone else's programming. But now that we have all these choices for audio entertainment in an automobile, I find the thing that makes satellite radio a great thing for me is the surprise factor.
You're never quite sure what you'll hear on satellite radio, whether it's a matter of changing from one genre to another or simply the sequence of music or programs. Everything is a surprise.
Even with an iPod memory full of music, an MP3 player always seems predictable even when it's selecting randomly, probably because you've loaded the music yourself. Also it's only playing music or programming that you've heard before. Meanwhile, conventional radio stations have become so rigorously formatted that the same loop seems to repeat every 21 minutes. And as far as talk radio goes, the only surprise is how angry and bad it is.
Maybe it's all in my head, but satellite radio seems to make the time pass on a cross-country trip in a far more pleasant way than other entertainment options. (It's particularly better than any kind of travel companion.) If it were my money, I'd spend it for a subscription.
So now that the 2009 Infiniti FX50 is about to disappear from our fleet, I'm scouting for another candidate for cross-country travel. Satellite radio is required.
As the 2009 Infiniti FX50 prepares to leave our fleet for good, I took it this morning for its final visit to Blue Wave, our local car wash.
Watching the wash worker dress the Infiniti's tires, I thought about how much I'll miss the FX50 when it's gone. Not for its smooth, compliant ride, but for allowing me to look down on FX35 drivers (literally) from my perch atop its massive 21-inch wheels.
Goodbye, FX50. It's been tons of big-wheeled fun.
I was completely worn out after a long day. I had 60 miles to go through rush hour traffic before I could call it quits. It's times like this that I hate living in LA.
While driving the FX, I noticed a curious noise. I had the seat heater fan blowing and every time I hit the gas, the fan would buzz like a bee as it increased its revolutions. It sounded like a car radio without a noise filter. To double check, I turned the fan off and the noise went away. Back on, it angrily buzzed.
This is what traffic and boredom reduces me to. Sometimes I hate this town.
Wrap-Up
We were conflicted when this 2009 Infiniti FX50S became a part of our long-term test fleet. It was kind of like winning a home swimming pool during a drought.
Amidst a global surge in fuel costs, a crippling global financial crisis and with ever-increasing pressure on going green and vehicular downsizing, the Infiniti FX50 didn't exactly project a very politically correct personality. Even so, its 390-horsepower 5.0-liter V8 had our mouths watering as if we'd been offered a hot whale burger braised in seal fat.
Sure, this hot-rod utility vehicle is not for everyone, but to those with the means and the mind to enjoy the finer things, life can be good even in the midst of troubled times.
We wanted in.
Why We Got It
The Infiniti FX has never been a volume seller. A highly specialized sport-style crossover, the FX has been both a technological and stylistic showcase for what Infiniti can offer for those who live on the edge. In its original form as the FX45, Infiniti's funky CUV thing found its way into the hands of only 1,598 owners in 2007 and just 581 people in 2008.
The 2009 Infiniti FX50 uses Infiniti's FM (front midship) platform, which underpins most everything that carries an Infiniti badge — the EX, the G and the M. But unlike those vehicles, this five-door lifestyle-oriented crossover is straddling an all-new 390-hp 5.0-liter V8 and seven-speed automatic transmission, a new powertrain for Infiniti.
Beyond the obvious mechanical gadgetry, there were open-ended questions to be answered. Does a CUV work when it's styled like a coupe? Does a vehicle really need four independent cameras for a bird's-eye parking view? Does an AWD CUV need 390 hp? (Just kidding; we already knew that it wouldn't be enough.) And what about the 21-inch wheels?
Durability
As is the Nissan way, the 2009 Infiniti FX50 was due for service every 7,500 miles and included a tire rotation, oil change and standard checks and fluid top-offs. At 15,158 miles, we had the FX serviced for $215.60 and had a repair performed as part of a recall for a faulty steering-column motor. Also on the same ticket was a diagnosis of low brake fluid, which was responsible for the warning lights for the stability control and emergency brake turning on, something we had noticed intermittently. All told, we spent $575.08 on these routine services over just under 30,000 miles, plus an additional $20 on a tire repair.
Apart from the routine services, we experienced two surprise problems. First, the wood trim on the passenger-side door peeled off, a problem that must have been experienced by a lot of FX owners because it took a few months for the part to become available after being back-ordered. It was installed for free and the vehicle spent zero days out of service. The second problem was that Infiniti of Santa Monica, our local Infiniti dealer, closed down shortly after we took delivery of the 2009 Infiniti FX50. Nissan of Santa Monica took care of us for routine services, but for warranty work, the car had to be taken to an Infiniti dealer in Long Beach.
This was one of the most reliable, trouble-free Nissan products we've had in this office, which was nice because we really liked driving the thing, despite its somewhat troubled ride quality. It was a 2,250-miles-per-month kind of liking it, as in 29,252 miles over 13 months with road trips to Denver, the Grand Canyon and Napa.
When we weren't talking about the FX's dynamics, we were talking about its interior. Magrath thought the iPod was whiney; Hellwig dug the GT-R shift paddles; DeRosa found the seat coolers too loud; Kavanagh liked the small, sporty steering wheel; and Edmunds spent forever underneath the car diagramming the aluminum suspension.
Total Body Repair Costs: $0
Total Routine Maintenance Costs (over 13 months): $575.08
Additional Maintenance Costs: $20
Warranty Repairs: 1
Non-Warranty Repairs: 1
Scheduled Dealer Visits: 3
Unscheduled Dealer Visits: 1
Days Out of Service: 0
Breakdowns Stranding Driver: 0
Performance and Fuel Economy
When some 4,621 pounds of crossover-coupe assaulted our test track on 21-inch wheels, some serious physics were in play. Zero to 60? That would be 5.5 seconds from a standstill (5.2 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip), probably faster than necessary. The quarter-mile goes by in 13.7 seconds at 101.5 mph, also almost unreasonably fast. And when we ran out of track, the brakes were up to the task of halting what we called the "atomic catfish" in only 117 feet from 60 mph.
On the streets, this performance was completely reasonable, though the new V8 vibrated with more character than we like, much like the V6 that we experienced in our long-term 2009 Nissan 370Z. Noted Sadlier, "Beastly power from the 5.0-liter V8, but somehow the NVH demons from the VQ-Series V6 have found their way into this motor as well. From about 5,800 rpm to the 6,800-rpm redline, the smooth baritone rumble is displaced by a nervous buzz."
The FX's fuel economy was average for this segment of luxury utilities. We managed a best tank of 22 mpg and a worst tank of 11.7 mpg, and averaged 17 mpg over the life of the test. Our longest cruising range, thanks to a careful foot and a 23.8-gallon fuel tank, was a staggering 471 miles.
Best Fuel Economy: 22 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 11.7 mpg
Average Fuel Economy: 17 mpg
Longest Range: 471 miles
Retained Value
Our long-term 2009 Infiniti FX50S started life wearing a sticker price of $62,285. By the time 13 months had passed and we'd racked up 29,252 miles, Edmunds' Private Party True Market Value (TMV®) was sitting at $46,907. While that's a reasonable 25 percent depreciation, $15,378 is a decent chunk of change. It's also a decent chunk of change to save if you happen to be in the market for a lightly used FX50.
These numbers are slightly better than the depreciation from our 2008 BMW X5 4.8i, which left with a 26 percent depreciation totaling $17,811.
True Market Value at service end: $46,907
Depreciation: $15,378 or 25% of original paid price
Final Odometer Reading: 29,252
Summing Up
We started our time with the FX50S by wondering about its crummy rear visibility, small cargo area, lack of a third-row seat, oversize wagon wheels and mutant mechan-o-fish styling. But in the end, the 2009 Infiniti FX50S lived up to our standards in almost every way. During a period when the Nissan GT-R and Nissan 370Z in our long-term fleet both made all-too-frequent visits to the dealer for service and repair, the FX50S never broke down, required only infrequent service and was a staff favorite for long, cushy rides.
With most of our questions answered, a new one was raised: Considering the FX50's price, performance, looks, reliability, resale, comfort and feature content, why did the Porsche Cayenne overflow the halls at Porsche with deutsche marks while this is relegated to sales obscurity?
The seas may warm and the automotive market's going to do what it's going to do, but for today, there's still whale meat to be had if you know where to get it. Eat up before it's gone, kids. Eat up.
The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.