.

Infiniti FX Review

Wikicars, a place to share your automotive knowledge
Jump to navigationJump to search
2007 Infiniti FX
2007 Infiniti FX


See also the main fact sheet for the Infiniti FX.

High Points

Low Points

  • Off-road capabilities are all show (AutoWeek)
  • Options are grouped into pricey packages and cannot be ordered separately (Kelley Blue Book)
  • Vehicle is wide and a magnet for door dings
  • Short tread life with the stock Goodyear RSA tires
  • Cargo capacity is much smaller than the Nissan Murano
  • Rear visibility blocked by headrests

Performance and Handling

Gas Mileage

As seen on Autos.com, in the luxury SUV MPG rankings, the 2007 Infiniti FX is as follows:

  • FX35 is in 3rd place with 17/23 MPG
  • FX45 is in 12th place with 14/18 MPG

Safety

The Infiniti FX series comes standard with the following features:

  • Dual-stage supplemental front air bags
  • Driver and front-passenger seat-mounted side-impact supplemental air bags
  • Roof-mounted curtain supplemental air bags
  • Front Active Head Restraints
  • Slide-away brake pedal assembly
  • Break-away driveshaft
  • LATCH System (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren)
  • Tool kit and first-aid kit
  • Electronic Brake force Distribution
  • Brake Assist
  • 4-wheel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
  • Vehicle Dynamic Control
  • Tire Pressure Monitoring System
  • Traction Control System
  • Remote keyless entry system

Reliability and Maintenance

Infiniti offers a warranty covering:

  • 4-year/60,000-mile basic coverage under the New Vehicle Limited Warranty
  • 4-year/60,000-mile Federal Emission Defect Limited Warranty
  • 6-year/70,000-mile Limited Powertrain Coverage
  • 7-year/unlimited-mileage Corrosion Coverage
  • 10-year/unlimited-mileage Seat Belt Warranty
  • 48 months/60,000-mile Towing service to the nearest Infiniti dealer

Interior and Comforts

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.

Exterior

The Infiniti FX looks like the muscle-crossover it is, particularly with the monster 20-inch wheels. The BMW X5 comes with 20-inch wheels, but on the curvy FX they look disproportionately larger. The FX35 comes standard with 18-inch wheels, which are larger than what you'll find on most SUVs. Once you get used to the monster wheels, Infiniti's poised-for-takeoff styling begins to sink in.

The FX is supposed to look like a sports car from the beltline up with its elegant, gracefully curved upper body, while evoking feelings of substance with its heavy SUV lower body.

The proportions of the FX are striking. Its wide stance and short overhangs (the body work that extends beyond the bumpers) are dimensions normally associated with sports cars. Its long, bulging hood looks high and its oversized grille adds to its aggressive appearance.

The 20-inch wheels, a shiny chrome grille, darker accents around the headlights and taillights, and polished chrome roof rails help visually distinguish the FX45 from the standard FX35, though the Sport Package gives the FX35 the same look.

The engine in the FX sits behind the front axle, giving it a front-mid-engine layout. This gives the FX excellent balance; the FX 2WD achieves a near-optimal weight balance of 52 percent front, 48 percent rear, which enhances handling.

Even the protruding, stylized taillights have performance functions beyond their looks. The lip of the lights that extends past the rear hatch adds aerodynamic downforce on the rear end, like a spoiler.

Styles and Options

The Infiniti FX is available in FX35, FX35 AWD, or FX45 AWD.

FX35

2007 FX interior
2007 FX interior

The FX35 is your base model coming standard with:

  • 275hp V6
  • Vehicle information system w/ 7" color LCD screen
  • 300 watt Bose audio system
  • RearView monitor

FX35 AWD

The FX35 AWD is the All wheel drive model standard with:

  • ATTESA E-TS All-wheel drive system (AWD)
  • 275hp V6
  • Vehicle information system w/ 7" color LCD screen
  • 300 watt Bose audio system
  • RearView monitor

FX45 AWD

The FX45 AWD is the V8 model coming standard with:

  • ATTESA E-TS All-wheel drive system (AWD)
  • 320hp V8
  • Vehicle information system w/ 7" color LCD screen
  • 300 watt Bose audio system
  • RearView monitor
  • Bluetooth phone system
  • Sport-tuned suspension

Main Competitors

External Links

WikiCars Contributor Favorites

Infiniti Manufacturer Sites

Community Sites

Retrieved from "https://wikicars.org/index.php?title=Infiniti_FX_Review&oldid=19177"