Cars.com's Joe Wiesenfelder takes a look at the 2012 Infiniti FX35. It competes with the BMW X5 and Porsche Cayenne.
Transcript
(upbeat music) <v Narrator>Cars.com Auto Review. Hi, I'm Joe Weisenfelder with Cars.com. This is a 2012 Infiniti FX35. This is a model that's been out for nine years now.
Little things have changed here and there, but a lot has changed in the market, we're going to take a look at those. We'll also take a look at what makes this particular model a limited edition. $52,000, that's seven grand more than the base all-wheel drive version. For 2012, there are a couple of small tweaks, to the front end, to the grill, to the headlights. What's special about this limited edition though, is the exclusive Iridium blue paint, which is a crowd pleaser. They also say that you have a dark tint on the headlights, it doesn't look that dark to me, frankly. The wheels are 21 inch graphite, larger than the 20 inch standard. Also, dark tint to the vents here, which they say are functional, and the trim down low. Finally, on the exterior, is graphite roof rails and crossmembers, that's just one of the features that you would pay extra for on the lower trims. An interior change on all the 2012 FXs is, the instrument panel now is a better color, it's brighter. Infiniti has gotten away from all the red they used to use. What makes this special for a limited edition is some of the blue piping on the floor mats, and aluminum pedals. Not a lot of value there, so thankfully, they also include some features that are optional otherwise, including the around view monitor, which is one of the coolest features I've seen in a really long time, and also very useful for parking. The closest competitors to this are things like the BMW X5, and the base Porsche Cayenne. Now, it's pretty common for these types of vehicles not to emphasize utility. When it comes to front seat room, this one definitely puts the focus on leg room for the driver and the front passenger. The back seat of the FX makes more of a sacrifice for space than the other two models I mentioned. It's very snug, it's rear-wheel drive, so you got this high hump in the center that definitely crowds the passenger's legs. Even with that snug back seat, the cargo volume is not that great at 24.8. Yes, it's still an SUV, you got room back here, comparable to the Porsche Cayenne behind its second row seat, but not as much as the BMW X5. I think the closest in terms of interior volume is the BMW X6. The emphasis in the FX has always been on the driving experience. And I have to say, by today's standards, the ride quality is very firm, especially with the 21 inch wheels, and the seven speed automatic has some frustrating hesitation to it. Compare that with the competition, which has become more fun to drive. They're not all truck-based SUV's anymore, and they tend to have more utility than this type one does. Even infiniti is coming out with a JX, which will have three rows of seats even though it's a quote unquote, car-based SUV. It'll have more utility than this, I have to say, the appeal of the FX just seems to be getting lesser and lesser. <v Narrator>For more car related news, go to Cars.com, or our blog, KickingTires.net.
