2006 Infiniti FX35 Sport Utility Vehicle Reviews & Ratings

When you climb into the driver's seat of the Infiniti FX, you're coddled by the console and instrument panel. The driver's portion of the cockpit has the sporting and intimate feel of a sports sedan, but it also feels like a tighter fit than you'll find in most other SUVs. The overall interior impression is of a great luxury sport wagon.

The front seats are comfortably firm, like those in a good European sedan. The adjustments may require quite a bit of fiddling, but once you get them right you can program the settings into the seat memory. The driver's seat allows three inches of vertical travel, so even short drivers can enjoy the commanding height of an SUV in traffic or the seat can be lowered for tall drivers or serious driving on challenging roads.

The view over the FX hood reminds us of a Jaguar, with the metal sloped and contoured over the headlights and grille. It's the opposite of the squared-off hood of a BMW X5 or Range Rover.

The view in the mirrors is more than adequate in spite of the thick rear pillars. The rear-view camera displays an image on the seven-inch dashboard monitor of what's below the driver's line of sight, with two virtual lines that correspond to the width of the FX. It's a great aid for checking behind the vehicle before backing out of a driveway or shopping center parking space, helping to ensure no children, pets, or shopping carts are lurking behind the rear wheels.

When designing the interior, Infiniti sought to provide three separate interior zones intended to meet the needs of various FX occupants: the driver zone, the comfort zone and the play zone. The driver zone is designed to be like a cockpit. The steering wheel and instruments remind us of those in Nissan's 350Z sports car, with a thick wheel rim and big gauges that move with the tilting steering column to optimize viewing angle.

The comfort zone is reserved for the front passenger, who gets the same range of seat adjustments as the driver, a separate adjustable center armrest and individual climate controls. Climate, audio and navigation controls are densely arrayed in the center stack. They look cool, but you have to look at them to operate them. Adjusting a switch requires more attention than we prefer.

The play zone, the back seat, has personal reading lamps, a center armrest with tray and storage, seatback pockets for storing DVDs and magazines, reclining seatbacks and chest-level air-conditioning vents. The optional DVD player has a seven-inch screen, a remote and two sets of wireless headphones. The play zone is surprisingly comfortable. Three adults fit comfortably in the split rear seats, and the recline feature makes it much more accommodating for taller folk than the rear-sloping roof might suggest.

The standard 300-watt, 11-speaker Bose stereo with six-disc changer and MP3 capability does a good job of blasting classic rock at high decibels. Infiniti says it worked with Bose specifically to emphasize bass and treble for rock and roll.

With the Intelligent Key option, the FX can be operated without the key. As long as the driver has the remote key fob in pocket or purse, he or she can open the doors simply by using the handle, and start the FX by pressing a button on the dash.

Storage space includes a lockable box in the center console with enough room for larger items like a purse. The door pockets flip out, and three bins are hidden under the rear cargo floor.

The rear seats fold flat easily with simple levers that are accessible from the side doors and the rear, the latter saving you a trip to the back doors when loading cargo through the hatch. The sculpted rear hatch pops open with an electro-magnetic release.

Total cargo capacity (64.5 cubic feet with the rear seat folded) is less than in many square-shaped SUVs, but larger than in other high-style SUVs such as the Porsche Cayenne or BMW X5. Infiniti says it placed a higher priority on floor space than sheer volume, and the FX has a larger load floor than the X5 or Lexus RX 330. Its floor-to-ceiling measurement is shorter, however, as is the size of the opening under the sculpted hatch. At 30.6 inches, the load height is high, meaning you have to lift that 40-pound bag of dog food up higher.

The Infiniti FX is designed to be driven enthusiastically, borrowing its chassis architecture from the rear-drive Nissan 350Z and Infiniti G35. Rather than an SUV, we'd call it a fine luxury sport wagon with a higher seating position. We should note that it has more interior space than the sport wagons can offer, and we think it is also more exciting to drive than most of them.

Plant the V8-powered FX45's accelerator to the floor and you'll be rewarded with a healthy hot-rod roar. As revs rise, the sound becomes a higher-pitched hum. Brisk acceleration makes the big FX feel athletic and nimble. You get the feeling you can pass anything in front of you. And Infiniti's design objectives come more clearly into focus.

The Infiniti FX45 offers comparable acceleration performance to the Porsche Cayenne S, according to each manufacturer's statistics. Infiniti says the FX45 can zip from 0 to 60 mph in slightly more than 6 seconds, while Porsche says the Cayenne S, even with its more powerful V8 engine, takes nearly 0.2 second longer. How can that be? Very simply, the Infiniti FX is considerably lighter, so each of its 315 horses is hauling fewer pounds.

The V6-powered FX35 is no slouch, either. It launches impressively from a stop, largely because it has substantially more horsepower and torque than most other six-cylinder SUVs. There's as much oomph here as most owners will ever need. We found its acceleration performance entirely satisfactory. The V6 engine that powers the FX35 is the same engine used in the Nissan 350Z sports car. It's powerful, giving the FX35 responsive performance. While driving the FX35, we never found ourselves wishing for the more powerful FX45.

Granted, the step up to the V8 is noticeable, particularly when you stab the gas at, say, 60 mph. The FX45 will rocket to 80 at a much greater rate than the FX35. However, with gas prices rising, one must note that the V8 also chugs fuel at a much greater rate, reducing range between fill-ups by anywhere from 25 to 75 miles, according to the EPA's numbers. Both FX models are electronically limited to a top speed of 130.

All this power is managed with sophisticated electronics with names that sound like alphabet soup. The ATTESA E-TS (Advanced Total Traction Engineering System for All Electronic Torque Split) all-wheel-drive system improves handling in limited traction situations due to its optimum 50/50 front/rear torque distribution, which can shift rearward up to 0/100 when conditions require. The system provides good starting traction and stable acceleration in snow-covered or off-road situations, since it always starts off with the torque split 50/50.

The VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) electronic stability control system reduces engine output and/or lightly applies braking force to individual wheels when entering a corner too fast. It engages so gradually that we couldn't detect when it was working.

The FX suspension is stiff, reflecting Infiniti's decision not to make this SUV an off-road vehicle. With its limited travel and taut feel, the suspension gives the FX excellent handling on smooth, winding roads. However, we noted that the stiff suspension made the FX less than ideal when traveling any distance on an unpaved road. And while the FX offers a high ground clearance of 7.6 inches, it doesn't have skid plates, underside armor, or the long travel and compliant suspension tuning of a true off-road vehicle.

On tight and sweeping corners, however, the body stays incredibly level, which is the plus side of its stiff suspension. We drove it hard, as we would drive a sports sedan. Understeer, or the sliding of the front tires that is the default skid condition in most vehicles, begins very gradually when you aim the FX into a corner, and the front wheels continue to push only slightly until you get near its very high cornering limits. If really pushed, the VDC allows a slight amount of power oversteer while cornering (a satisfying fish-tail effect in the rear), although we were never able to break the mammoth rear tires completely loose. As in the 350Z, the FX's steering is quick. It doesn't feel as telepathic as a Porsche's, but it doesn't feel light and loose like that in many SUVs, either.

The brakes are good. The FX45 remains confident and stable under heavy braking, allowing us to drive it very quickly, without any scary moments, on twisty roads. However, braking quickly reminds the driver of how much mass has to be slowed down. A vehicle as heavy as the FX, but also as nimble, can require acute awareness from the driver, because it feels so well-mannered that it's easy to forget how fast it's going and how heavy it is. The best brakes and most sophisticated stability electronics devised can not defy the laws of physics.

Still, the FX offers a new braking trick that until recently was reserved for the most expensive luxury sedans. Called Preview Braking, it comes on FXs equipped with the traffic-sensing Intelligent Cruise Control system. The radar sensors that manage the active cruise control can sense when the FX is closing on an object at a high rate. When they do, the system pre-pressurizes the brake hydraulics before the driver even touches the pedal; that speeds brake activation by critical fractions of a second once the driver's foot and the pedal meet.

With their sports supensions, the FX45 and the FX35 with the Sport package are reasonably comfortable in freeway driving. There, the FX rides smoothly enough and feels relaxed. The FX45 cruises at 80 mph in fifth gear with the engine turning a low, quiet 2800 rpm. The cabin is quiet and isolated enough for delicate cell phone conversations, but it's not the serene environment of a true luxury sedan.

The FX35 without the Sport package rides more smoothly and more pleasantly. It's still plenty nimble and quick and fun to drive. But its suspension is slightly more compliant, more comfortable in most situations, and its higher profile tires take some of the crack out of bumps and expansion joints. However, even the FX35's suspension is on the firm side and the ride gets a little bumpy on rough streets at low speeds. Some drivers prefer the ride quality of the FX35 over that of the FX45.

The Lane Departure Warning system recognizes lane markings through a small camera mounted behind the rearview mirror. Above 45 mph, a microprocessor uses the camera's signal and the vehicle's speed to calculate both the distance between the FX and the lane markings, and the lateral velocity at which those markings are getting closer. The system sounds a buzzer if it decides that the vehicle is wandering out of its lane. The system is temporarily disabled by the turn signals, and it can be shut off entirely with a manual cancel switch. It automatically resets itself when the vehicle is restarted.

The 2006 Infiniti FX is available as two models. The Infiniti FX35 2WD ($37,800) is equipped with a 280-hp 3.5-liter V6 and a five-speed automatic transmission. It comes standard with rear-wheel drive, but an all-wheel version ($39,300) is also available.

The FX45 ($49,750) features a 320-hp 4.5-liter V8, a sport-tuned suspension, a five-speed automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive.

All models come with leather seating surfaces, dual-zone climate control with microfiltration, power-adjustable heated front seats with driver's seat power lumbar support and adjustment memory, split folding and reclining rear seats, power tilt/telescope steering wheel, 300-watt Bose audio system with 11 speakers, steering-wheel controls, six-disc CD changer and MP3-CD playback, high-intensity discharge headlights, and roof rails (polished aluminum on the FX45, black on the FX35).

The FX45 gets a firmer suspension with 20-inch wheels as opposed to the 18-inch wheels on the FX35; new aluminum and wood interior trim finish; Intelligent Key with panic alarm, selective unlock mode, and answer-back; Bluetooth hands-free phone system; and memory for the driver's seat, mirrors and steering wheel. Sunroof, automatic headlights, aluminum roof rails, cargo net and cover and universal garage door opener have been added to the list of standard features on the FX45 for 2006.

The FX35 can be loaded with the FX45's luxury features by ordering optional packages. Among them: The Touring Package ($1,300) includes power sunroof, garage door transmitter, automatic headlamps, and cargo net. The Hands-free package ($600) includes Bluetooth and Intelligent Key. The FX35 Sport Package ($1,950) adds the stiffer suspension, 20-inch wheels and tires, and cosmetic upgrades including aluminum pedals, aluminum side rails, etched aluminum interior trim and dark chrome exterior accents.

Both FX models offer a Technology Package ($4,200) that includes a DVD-based GPS navigation system, satellite radio, and traffic-sensing cruise control. A rear-seat DVD entertainment system is bundled with the Lane Departure Warning system on 2006 models ($1,750). Other options include a tow hitch ($600), roof rail crossbars, chrome wheels, and run-flat tires ($350).

Safety features that come on all models include dual-stage front airbags, front side-impact airbags, full-cabin curtain-style airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners and load limiters, and active front head restraints. Active safety features include sophisticated anti-lock brake system with electronic brake proportioning, electronic stability control (VDC), and the rear-view TV monitor. Optional safety features include intelligent cruise control and a Lane Departure Warning system.