2009 Infiniti FX35
SUV in performance-car clothing
You’re not fooling anyone, Infiniti.
After driving the FX35 during a full week’s worth of snow, ice, slush and more, it’s actually quite obvious that underneath that bold, aggressive, flashy exterior, there lurks a vehicle that’s decidedly safe, comfortable, and pretty much tailor-made for a snowy Canadian winter.
Yes, Infiniti’s little pit bull of an SUV may be growing older (2009 marks its second generation), but it’s far from aged, and it most assuredly still knows how to bite the road, hold on and never let go - no matter the conditions.
Though the FX45 becomes the more powerful FX50 for 2009, the FX35 keeps the same alphanumeric designation and by all accounts it’s still an excellent performer in its own right and could put many non-SUVs to shame when it comes to racing prowess.
The moment the term ‘performance vehicle’ is uttered, one has to consider what’s under the hood of said vehicle. The FX35 may not have the staggering 390-horsepower of the 5.0-litre, V8-equipped FX50, but its 3.5-litre V6 is no slouch by comparison. Mated to a smart seven-speed automatic transmission, the FX35 has no problems whatsoever when it comes to accelerating.
To keep it stuck to the road that it always loves to hug, the FX35 gets standard all-wheel drive that can send optimum torque to any wheel that needs it, splitting it from 50:50 to 0:100 front-to-rear depending on the situation. It’s such a good all-wheel drive system that we can almost - almost - forgive its horribly complicated name and acronym. If you thought Acura’s Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) acronym was bad, get a load of Infiniti’s: Advanced Total Traction Engineering System for All Electronic Torque Split all-wheel drive system, or simply (?!) ‘ATTESA E-TS’. Painful acronyms aside, the system works wonderfully and keeps the driver on the road even after the heaviest of snowfalls.
Speaking of which, there’s also a standard ‘snow’ mode (which can be activated at any time via a centre console-mounted button) on all FX models that, ahem, “shifts throttle input algorithms in low-speed slippery road conditions for enhanced traction” according to Infiniti. In other words, just as antilock brakes will take some of the guesswork out of the drivers hand (er, foot), so too will the snow-mode. When driving in low-speed conditions, the FX will control throttle input for the driver based on conditions (ice and snow, really) so the vehicle doesn’t end up fishtailing from the gate when a stoplight turns green and you start to accelerate. It will also always keep torque split 50:50 from a standing start.
Performance aside, this is still a luxury vehicle and as such, it has to have an interior that fits the bill. And it is very, very difficult to complain about the interior of the FX35. Overall quality is superb, buttons are numerous yet easy to understand, and it simply looks gorgeous from top to bottom (you’ll be finding excuses to drive at night when the gauges are lit up). True to any Infiniti, technology is abundant, especially if you opt for the Navi and Mobile Entertainment System Package. With this, you can burn CDs onto a built-in hard drive, entertain rear passengers with DVDs and even park your car with the help of Infiniti’s Around View Monitor, which produces a birds-eye view of the vehicle on the navigation screen. The system can get a little wonky and unreliable when the car gets mucked up with snow and slush, but luckily for drivers, mirrors come standard on the FX35.
One small tech peeve - though all Infinitis have excellent iPod integration, it seems anyone who owns any other type of MP3 player gets the shaft, as there is no 1/8th auxiliary jack (which can be found in many other new vehicles these days, even entry-level ones) for people who use something other than an iPod.
As far as utility goes, the FX35 really isn’t too shabby at all. The rear cargo area is roomy enough for both the avid golfer (we’re talking golf clubs - we don’t encourage placing actual golfers back there) and the grocery-buying parent. The floor is carpeted, so as long as you’re not throwing grimy objects back there, it’ll serve well as a place to put things that won’t be rolling and sliding around endlessly. The second row of seats fold almost-flat in a 60/40 split to make for even more room, and a standard cargo cover keeps things hidden from prying eyes. If utility is important to you, it may be worth sizing it up to competitors that have more space.
And hey - though few people would claim this is an offroader you’d take to your cottage, the FX35 even has decent 3,500 lbs. towing capacity (same as the FX50) if you’re ever in a pinch and need to haul a boat or some other large-ish object.
Pound-for-pound, the FX35 is one of the best performance SUVs on the road - a great price compared to others in its segment, competitive fuel economy numbers, oodles of power, top-notch quality ... just remember that the focus here is, in fact, on performance, both on dry summer roads and snow-covered asphalt.
Summary:
Strong Points
Weak Points
- - styling
- - performance in the snow
- - technology
- - so-so fuel economy
- - iPod-only integration
Editors Rating:
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