Call it a tall wagon, crossover or super-sport SUV, the FX50 S with all-wheel drive delivers an excellent everyday performance experience mixed with practicality.
Who’s the Buyer?
This car is for you if:
- You want an SUV with the heart of a sports car.
- As with any Infiniti, you need an aggressive nature to appreciate this rig.
- You want the passenger and cargo room of a small SUV or wagon in a cool profile.
This car is not for you if:
- You can’t stand electronic nannies like lane minders.
- You want true sports sedan handling, in which case you’ll be disappointed with this part-SUV/part-sports sedan vehicle.
- You think a $65-69,000 crossover SUV is something less than a smoking deal even when compared with the much more expensive German products.
Alternatives To Consider
- BMW X6. Infiniti was the first into this odd slice of the market, but BMW now has the X6, a “four-door coupe SUV.” Get the twin-turbo six for a nice balance between mpg and horsepower. Go all-out with the twin-turbo V8, but only if you can spend at least $72,000 or more.
- Porsche Cayenne S. A performance SUV that’s bigger and heavier on the outside, but has less room on the inside. A Cayenne is a legitimate off-roader if you really want it. The FX is a tallboy sport wagon.You can easily spend $75,000 on a Cayenne S.
CREATING EVERY POSSIBLE VARIATION ON A THEME is now an obsession in automotive design. BMW’s X6 and 5-series GT are two attempts to redefine what a luxury vehicle is, just like the Mercedes R-class before it. Infiniti’s original FX was part sports car, part SUV, part wagon—and in its second generation remains difficult to define. All such vehicles in the luxury segment are an attempt to find a new direction beyond the longer, lower, wider uber-sedans BMW and Mercedes are building.
During our week with the FX50, we drove from LA to the MotoGP races at Laguna Seca in Monterey, a round trip of about 800 miles encompassing nearly every variation of road design and surface, including marble-smooth asphalt on a ridge road crossing from Carmel Valley to Laguna Seca and the grooved concrete of LA freeways. Our test car’s 390 hp 5.0-liter V8 was the star of the show. Though it gets a little rough in the upper reaches of the rev band, its phenomenal torque delivers excellent acceleration anytime, anywhere. The all-wheel-drive system sends power to the rear wheels under most conditions. When needed, the system can shoot up to 50 percent of power to the front wheels.
Just like the 370Z we tested this summer, our FX had a paddleshifting seven-speed automatic, replacing the five-speed of the gen-1 FX. The top three gears cover a range of little more than 600 rpm in most driving conditions, but they also give the FX decent highway mileage for what amounts to a V8 muscle car. This gearbox is in part the intersection of EPA fuel mileage ratings and luxury-car marketing: when the Germans and Lexus have seven and eight speeds, well, Infiniti needs that, too. The gearbox performs well, and the FX delivered real-world mileage matching the EPA’s 20-mpg highway.
Shifts under heavy throttle are crisp. In California’s central coast one often encounters short onramps onto Highway 101, yet traffic is sailing along at 70-80 mph. No problem for the FX50, which bursts forward, easily reaching speed and merging. With tone, delivery and acceleration more reminiscent of a Detroit muscle car than a BMW, the FX powertrain never fails to impress. Pulling from my ever-present notebook, I find this comment: “Jumping back on Highway 101 north out of Betteravia where I stopped for gas, the motor showed its stuff. This rig hauls ass.”
Radar cruise control? I don’t care what company makes it, I don’t like it. This technology became a hindrance on the trip home from Monterey. Get within range of the car ahead, and you slow down significantly, a major problem when picking through slower vehicles. If you’re going around a left-hand bend and there’s a semi truck in the right lane, the radar can bounce off it and cause you to slow—making a complete hash of the raft of cars following your quick pace. God, how I hate it. 
As to the lane minder technology, which chimes and slows the car when you nudge too close to the shoulder or painted lines, I turned it off every time I got in the FX. I’m sure some luxury brand buyers like this technology because they’re yapping on cell phones and veering from one lane to another. I’m also certain that the lawyers in the product and business law departments at EVERY car company love this intrusive, stupid technology. But I’m glad I found the off switch while working my way north through Malibu. What a pain. Part of the start-up drill is reaching down with left hand to press the lane minder button OFF. I wish Infiniti would give me the option of turning it off in my memory settings for the seats, etc. so I didn’t have to go through this annoying drill every time I drove the car.
Suspension, Steering, Brakes
Steering is quick and nicely weighted—except on-center. The FX50 tends to wander a bit, a trait we found to varying extent in all three Skyline-derived cars we drove this summer (FX, G coupe, 370Z). Of the three, the FX was the most inclined to wander. I was pleasantly surprised that the 21-inch Bridgestones were quiet under most conditions. Only on a section of Highway 101 near San Luis Obispo did they moan and howl enough to be annoying, and I know from experience that all performance tires do the same over this section of rough, high-aggregate asphalt. You can push the FX hard, but it’s best to remember it’s a fairly hefty vehicle with a high center of gravity compared to a sport sedan. But the combination of power, braking and reasonable handling turned me into the SUV driver from Hell that I often complain about. Within a hundred miles, I found myself pushing the FX pretty hard and getting angry with the drivers of lesser vehicles that got in my way. The power and capability of the FX invite aggressive driving. It’s quick, steers fairly well, sits up high enough for a good view of the traffic ahead, yet doesn’t make you feel like you’re riding an elephant, as some full-size SUVs do.
Body, Design, Quality
Some folks argue that the original FX was better looking, but I’d say the FX is the best looking Infiniti product, and the one most obviously an Infiniti, a vehicle that in no way blends in. Even with the V6, I’d take the FX over the G37 sedan. FX has the definitive chunky Infiniti haunches, and all the presence of a Brahma bull bursting out of the gate. The Range Rover-derived front fender gills work better here than on a Range Rover. The front grille is filled with horizontal strakes that grow wider and slimmer with a twist, like chromoly egg noodles. The 21-inch wheels don’t look at all oversized on the FX—they’re perfect. 
Body construction was to expected Japanese standards, with consistent panel gaps and a reasonable level of finishing on inner door and hood panels. I doubt there’s the same level of hand-finishing one gets in a Mercedes or Lexus. Infiniti is clearly aimed at real estate slightly south of those brands. I loved the view out of the windshield, where the dual curves of the dashtop mimicked the curvy front fender crests. Not sure that was intentional or deliberate on the part of the designers, but it’s an excellent view. 
Ergonomics, Interior
Where the design language of Infiniti bodywork has a few distinct themes, the interiors feel more like upscale Nissans in much the same way Acuras feel like uprated Hondas. There is no distinctly Infiniti approach to interior design, and perhaps Infiniti should push their designers harder to develop more holistic themes. 
Which is not to say the FX50 is a bad place to spend time. Not at all. Our car was heavily optioned, including Maple and alloy-finish trim. Look at the photos and make your own decisions. Materials were a mix of hard and soft: soft for the dashtop, hard and soft materials for the door panels, dash, and center console. The center stack might seem busy to some, or a coherent command center to others. The FX is loaded with electronics. Compared to the slot cars I normally drive, the FX50 interior really feels like a sports car cockpit that’s mutated into an SUV. I could live with this every day. Where I found the G37 Coupe we recently tested tight on headroom—I’m six three—the FX had plenty enough headroom while maintaining that intimate feeling of a sports car interior. The crown of my head was several inches away from the sunroof surround. 
Gauges are clean, direct and without artifice. Except that someone at Infiniti Design must love Volkswagens, as the primary gauges use the same white, red and iris color schemes found in VWs of the past decade. That said, the gauge design effectively delivers information. The steering column tilts and telescopes, a huge advantage for drivers of all sizes. Seats also adjust in a reasonable range: seatback tilt, fore-aft, tilt of the seat bottom, adjustable bolsters on the back and seat bottom, and a pneumatic bladder to adjust lower back support. In the course of a few days, I covered hundreds of miles, a mix of highway driving and curving two-lanes in Carmel and Monterey. At no time did the FX make me feel tired or achy, thanks to well-designed seats and well-placed controls.
Audio, Video, Navigation
Typical of luxury and near-luxury Asian vehicles, the FX has a great audio system, in this case from Bose with an array of 11 speakers and all the digital technologies an FX buyer might want. Our test car had Sirius sat radio, and the speakers delivered fairly crisp sound reproduction. Also, the now-mandatory Bluetooth connectivity for handsets. There was also a pin connector for iPods in the center console bin, though a USB port would be more up-to-date and relevant. Connectivity with all the electronic devices of the 21st century remains a major headache for carmakers. Very difficult to stay up-to-date. There is means to plug in a compact flash with your music library, with a 9.3 Gb hard drive. Excellent. An Infiniti DVD Mobile Entertainment System with 9.0-inch widescreen flip-down monitor — complete with a DVD player mounted in the front center console, as well as two wireless headphones and remote control — is also offered. 
The navi controls were sensible. The center console is highlighted by a knurled alloy ring to control the navi. It has excellent detents and feel—using it adds to the luxury feel of the FX. 
Now, the cameras and parking buoys on the FX are fantastic. It’s like playing a video game every time you park or back up the FX. A plan view of the car appears on the navi screen. The parking camera and buoys on the FX are a fantastic feature. Follow the link to Key Features > Technology >Around View Monitor. (If you wonder why I link to material like this, it’s simple. I know what kind of wringer it goes through with legal, engineering, and marketing reviews. They can’t make claims that could possibly lead to legal issues, so the videos and animations are trustworthy. Go take a look.)
Conclusion
Infiniti’s FX50S is the most distinctive of all Infiniti products. In V6 form, I’d choose this over any other Infiniti products. With the V8, the appeal is only heightened. It looks like nothing else on the road: handsome, aggressive, distinctive. It truly is a cross between a sports sedan, an SUV and a wagon, with the right balance between practicality and performance. I found myself becoming that overly aggressive SUV driver we all love to hate, but it’s so easy to do, and so tempting. You can punch through traffic without trouble, you can tow a small boat (3,500 lbs.), and haul a few of your adult friends around in comfort. Perhaps I’m getting older and more practical, but the FX50, like its primary competitors (Porsche Cayenne S and BMW X6) is stylish, distinctive, masculine and livable. A couple or even two couples could travel in grand style for a week or more, and the driver would rarely want to give up the helm. The only major flaw is the on-center tracking, which Nissan had best attend to. That, and this is NOT a cheap vehicle with the V8, though it is somewhat less than the comparable Germans. Much as I loved the V8, I’d probably opt for the V6 and save some cash, unless I bought the FX50 as my corporate car and wrote it down against my S-corp. That said, if Infiniti wanted to unload an FX50 on me for a month, I’d gladly take it, and travel as much as possible. 
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