Infiniti FX45 Infiniti FX35

lvsmickey6

I was wondering if anyone can tell me how the FX35 and/or FX45 handles in the snow? We currently have a Lexus RX300 and we're deciding between the VW Touareg and the FX35/45. VW doesn't have the best reputation regarding reliability, but we're concerned that the FX may not handle all that well in a snow storm. Any thoughts? I greatly appreciate any help you could give me.

JBaumgart

I don't think too many FX owners have had experience in the snow as yet, since the vast majority have been sold after the snow was all gone last winter. Just to be sure, I ordered and just received today a set of dedicated winter tires (Blizzak DM-Z3's) that will go on my FX45 very soon, depending on the weather. Looking at the tread on these babies, I do not anticipate having any problems whatsoever! I'll post a full report after our first snowstorm - so far all we've had is a few flurries.

tmjdds

Mickey,

I understand that the 2004 FX will have a snow setting for decreased wheel spin. I think it starts you off in 2nd gear and has other engine management controls. I have it on my LS430 and it works pretty well. Depending on how snowy of an area you live in, you may want to order a 2004 instead of 2003.

petewat3

"(Blizzak DM-Z3's) that will go on my FX45 very soon"

J- do you mind sharing the cost of the Blizzaks? Thanks ahead.

Also, with regard to bad weather approaching, & for those that actually use the FX as an SUV, with associated crud inside & outside: I recently purchased the rubber floor mats & am pleasantly surprised at how well they fit & look in the interior. FYI, jic you're considering them.

lvsmickey6

Thanks for the input. They're running special deals on the 2003 models now, so I don't know what we're going to do. We're also looking at the VW Touareg, but I'm just concerned about VW's reliability issues. I want the FX and my husband wants the Toureg. I like both SUV's but Infiniti is known for their reliability and service. I also love the way the FX corners those turns. I used to have a Bimmer. We have an RX300 now and I miss the way the BMW handled. I'm hoping to get the FX so that I get the great handling and the roominess of an SUV all in one vehicle. Thanks again for your help.

JBaumgart

The DM-Z3's in the 265/60-18 inch size are $143 each at TireRack.com. FYI, they look great, like they'll track through anything.

lvsmickey6

I was wondering if anyone purchased/leased their FX at Ramsey Auto Group and if they are happy with the service you've received their?

Thanks.

clpurnell

many people who have purchased at ramsey on another board have been pleased. e-mail me for more info if you wanted I'm not allowed to tell you where the info is.

petewat3

"The DM-Z3's in the 265/60-18 inch size are $143 each at TireRack.com. FYI, they look great"

thanks J but don't you have the 45 with 20in wheels? If so, can you use the 18in with no problem. I'll check TireRack for 20's.

petewat3

hmmm...... it appears that no one makes a 20in snow tire for the FX45. Has anyone been able to find one? I did a fairly exhaustive search online without success. You can always buy new wheels too & downsize but that's a drag.

jon1102

I too have been looking at the VW and the FX, but I have a 1999 VW Passat and I have had nothing but problems with it. From Nov 2002 to March 2003 it was in the shop 7 times. They had it for 3 weeks in January (had to replace the engine that had 62k miles on it). It has been in the shop at least 10 times for paint problems. The dealership told me I have a lemon, but they won't do anything for me except try to get me to buy a new Passat. They offered me $8000.00 for it in April. MSRP in Nov 1998 was $24,500. Pretty high depreciation for an automobile that I was told would hold their value. Consumer reports has been praising the Passat for years. I thought a german vehicle would be better than this. I had a Nissan before that and when I sold it it had about 250,000 miles with no problems at all. I had it for 8 years. Based on my experiences I'm leaning toward the Infiniti. I also read today that VW's profit dropped 55.9% for the first 9 months of 2003 compared to the same period in 2002. Hope this helps!!

major7

I emailed every tire mfr. including the online tire stores and everbody said they do not make snow tires for 20" rims. I had read here that a lot of people were buying new rims and tires in the 18" size. but who wants to spend 45k and then go through all that later on. Now, I could understand buying the FX 35 and keeping the 18" rims and buying snow tires for it. I own a 2001 Infiniti 4 x 4 and it has been flawless for all 40k miles except to replace 1 sensor for an hour worth of my time, recently. Thx Bob

JBaumgart

"thanks J but don't you have the 45 with 20in wheels? If so, can you use the 18in with no problem. I'll check TireRack for 20's."

I believe that Dunlop makes some winter tires in a 20 inch size, but as I recall reading on another forum they are available only in Canada and not the U.S.

Anyway I do have the FX45 and bought the Blizzak DM-Z3's in an 18 inch size, mounted and balanced on 18 inch wheels. They are the same overall diameter as the stock wheel/tire combo but with the slightly higher profile (60 vs. 50 series) they will perform better in snow. Having them pre-mounted on separate wheels makes it easy to change over (and a lot less expensive) while saving wear and tear on your wheels.

clpurnell

There are 20" snow tires available for the FX if you happen to live in canada. Forgot who the make was but a couple people from seattle, detroit etc have bought them from canadian dealerships and had them mounted. Do notknow why they don't sell them here.

petew4

thx all..... think I'll see how the 20 inchers do in the snow & then maybe a Canadian road trip. I did check Dunlop (and every other tire site I could find) but they don't list a 20in snow tire.

fxfan

Hi All! I'm thinking of getting the 2003 FX. May be considered a stupid question but I've not owned AWD before, only 4WD. I want more traction for driving in pouring down rain. In Texas it's about the only time you need more traction. Does the AWD work any time there is slippage at any speed?

Also, can someone tell me at what mileage are the major tune-ups scheduled? While I find Edmunds maintenance schedule helpful, it doesn't list your major maintenance requirements. If you took the maintenance literal at this site you would assume the vehicle never required tune-ups...LOL

Also, I'm assuming the V6 has a timing belt and was wondering when that would have to be replaced as well. Any other major maintenance that an FX35 owner is aware of and could list when required would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

clpurnell

All nissan/infiniti's have timing chains that very seldomly need replaicng. Major maintenance is 30/60/90k. 15/45/75k Aren't as big but are a little pricey. I live in houston and have not had a problem with my 2wd in the rain. I think if it detects slippage it will send power to the front wheel at any speeds. However it will only last while slippage you can lock awd up to 19mph for driving on sand and the like. Personally if you live in the southern part of texas where we don't have snow I would stick with rwd for better gas mileage and less maintenance. It also sounds like you plan on keeping your FX for a while. If so I would forgoe the awd as it just is one more thing to break.

stever

Well, I'm at 87,000 miles on my Nissan, and I've never had a tune-up. I think tune-ups went out in the 80's sometime.

In another 20,000 miles I may replace my plugs and my timing belt. But it's a non-interference engine so maybe I'll drag that out an additional year or two. Can't rush these things.

Steve, Host

fxfan

Hi Cipurnell! Thanks for the info. Well in Houston I am quite sure you have had plenty of experience driving in rain! I live in Austin I read about the VDC in the FX brochure but it makes it sound like it really only works with cornering so I didn't want to assume.....

I quote from the brochure only: VDC compares the driver's input to the vehicle's response while cornering. By selectively braking individual wheels and/or reducing engine ouput, VDC can help the driver maintain control of the vehicle.

I wondered why this would only work in cornering when I read it but since that's what it said I didn't want to assume that is must work any time there is slippage.

fxfan

LOL Steve but seriously when you spend this kind of money and don't do maintenance you pretty much void a warranty if any engine problems come up related to some type of maintenance that you didn't do. Of course with 87,500.00 miles I guess you are past the warranty unless you bought an extended one

I know Nissan and Infinity have good reputations for reliability .............but I must confess we've been a toyota family for years, so I have no personal experience with them recently. Had a Nissan Extra Cab truck in the 80's with no problems until the end - and only then it was something extremely minor that no Nissan mechanics could figure out. Sold to a friend cheap and it ended up being a stupid loose wire that was touching the motor on the Nissan that took his personal mechanic a few days to find too (it was not an obvious loose wire). Pulled the wire off the engine and it fixed the stalling problem. THe friend sold it so I have no idea how many miles that truck ended up having.Never bought another Nissan after that not because of the reliability but because of the experience with the service dept in Austin at the time.

Hoping the Infinity Service is much better.

It's been great having this board to read all the messages previously left.

Every time we want to buy a new vehicle we comes to the Edmund's web site it is really fabulous!

stever

I change my oil every 7,500 miles and the filter ever 15,000 and rotate my tires. New tires, battery and brake pads occasionally. That's about it. The computers take care of the timing, learning shift points, etc.

And it's a Nissan - why buy an extended warranty? Cars run so good these days, why buy an extended warranty for any of them? Didn't have one for my last Toyota that I sold after 17 years when I moved. (ok, there was that Voyager w/ a 7/70 factory warranty that came in handy <g>)

Stick around; I'm not the only one with irritating opinions about maintenance around here :-) Maybe this is a good opportunity to plug The Edmunds Maintenance Guide again.

Steve, Host

slummyj

I had a 1999 Passat. The car was nothing but trouble. The dealer service was terrible. The dealer I bought it from had the worst service I have ever had, and they were rude. The other dealer I took it to was friendly, but the quality of service was not any better. This past June I traded it in on an FX35. The quality is so much better and at least so far, the dealer seems better. I would never buy another VW again, and since they own Audi, I passed on that too when I was looking for a new car.

newtisme

Im poised to buy a 2004 FX45 loaded with just about everything except the DVD player. Under MSRP? if so, how much over invoice? How do I determine invoice including options? Also, I'm planning on leasing - when salesperson learned that he said I shouldn't be caring about the MSRP etc.???????

Thanks for your input!

Oh - FWIW, the TMV report said MSRP

jpiatchek

Just returned from a 2000 mile trip in my FX35 tech. Four adults and 8 days luggage traveling from Springfield, Mo. to Sante Fe and Taos, New Mexico. Drove 80 mph in Mo. & Texas ans 85 mph in Oklahoma and New Mexico. About 350 miles was city and mountains. In 2013 miles used 109.78 gallons for 18.33 mpg. Used 89 octane since gas was so expensive in many areas and the Fx ran fine. Got a high of 19.5 mpg and a low of 17.8 mpg. The handling in the mountains was pure joy and the 12 hour drive back was comfortable. The luggage space is somewhat limited with the back seats tilted. It has a lot of space, but if you stack too high you lose visability out the rear window. The cargo areas seems very well suited to some soft luggage to take full advantage of the space.The leg room in the rear is a little short for men on a long trip, but the women seemed to be real comfortable. The DVD player earned its keep and I'm now very glad we opted for the tech package. The navigation system is wonderful and even dead end mountain roads were shown. It is far superior to the system on my BMW, IMO. The rear camera came in handy parking every day in downtown Sante Fe and the lazer cruise is a treat on long drives on the interstate. I now have 9000 fairly hard miles in 5 months on the Fx with no sqeaks or rattles, no rocking seat and no warped hatch. The sound on acceleration is still exciting. Have owned 160 cars and the Fx has to rate as one of the best all around of all of them.

jpiatchek

On previous post about trip to New Mexico wanted to mention that our windshield got hit by a huge rock in Taos, NM a put a gash and 12-14 inch crack in the windshield. At 8AM next day in Santa Fe called Speedy Glass about a new windshield. They didn't have one, but their warehouse in Alburquerque did and they could have it by 1 PM and could install then. I made arrangements to do so and the replacement was done by 3 PM. Total cost-$293.00 including new windshield molding. These guys did great work and they are nationwide. I hear Infiniti is charging $750-1250 and the big windshield is suspect to rocks and breaks. Hope this helps if you should be unfortunate enough get blasted by passing trucks.

fxfan

Hi Again! Anyone living where the summer day temps reach over 100 degrees and have the black FX? I would only consider this color in a luxury vehicle because I know the AC is going to be much better. I test drove a black FX Saturday but it was only about 80 degrees and it had been sitting in the shade. It took about 2 minutes before the AC froze me out. I realize that in 100 degree heat it will best be left in the shade but still wonder how quickly it will cool off in that extreme heat. I just can't go with the light colors because of the willow interior. Willow leather would get dirty way to quick and be a pain to keep clean at my house

Thanks for any input.

blckthree

I went through the whole summer with a black fx. It sat all day in a blacktop parking lot with not a tree in sight for shade. I had front windows tinted and used a fold up sunscreen for the windshield. The thermometer in the vehicle would register anywhere from 95-109 after sitting for the day. The A/C would cool it off to a comfortable level in a few miles of highway driving, but in my 25 mile drive home, the fan would continue to run almost full speed the whole way. The vehicle was comfortable, if you don&#146;t mind the fan noise. A good tint on the front windows, and keep that dashboard cool and the sun from cooking the leather, you should be ok.

petewat3

"Hoping the Infinity Service is much better."

FXFan- I have about 12K on my 45Tech and the service experience (GBA Infinity in Baltimore) so far has been exemplary. This is my first Infinity but I understand from posts here and from Infinity's marketing that they have made it a point of differentiation. It may be the dealership but I've always been able to get it in for work within a couple of days, always have a choice of Infinity loaners (I always opt for a G35), and they always wash & clean it inside & out no matter what it is in for (including wheel & tire dressing). Best service experience I've had....knock on wood.

clpurnell

Agian I am in houston and my FX is black it did extremely well in the middle of the summer with temps in the low 100's and 80% humidity never took the climate control temp lower than 75 or it would get too cold.

jpiatchek - Nice road trip summary. Do you have an AWD? I am curious as your mileage seems a little low did a similar trip right after break in and I got around 20mpg with the A/C on the whole time but my FX is RWD.

fxfan

Hi guys, thanks for the quick response. You answered what my husband had already "told me" so he can say I told you so......LOL

fxfan

The 20 inch tires sidewalls are so thin (I don't know if thin is the right word) what happens if you hit a curb .............has anybody ruined their wheel? I've been know to hit a curb on occasion so I'm concerned about that..............Sorry never had this type of tire before.

I still have to test drive FX with sport package. I test drove the premium and it rode fine but I like the look of the 20 inch wheels.

Anybody have an opinion of the ride of sport with 20 inch wheels versus premium with the 18 inch wheels? I didnt' think the regular suspension/18" wheels ride was bad even on bumpy roads. There was more tire noise than I expected though. But NO WIND Noise which amazed me!

Thanks again.......FXFAN

jpiatchek

I too, have a black fx with brick interior and have not had any problems with cooling even at 100 degrees. I'm sure the willow would be cooler yet, but not a fan of the willow interior on the fx's.

jpiatchek

Have AWD. It seems like the mileage suffers somewhat when I increase the speed from 80 to 85 mph. We also had four goodsized adults and luggage loaded about the level of the back seat headrests so i could barely see out the back window. I'm sure RWD should give an extra mile or two of gas mileage. Thanks for the imput.

newtisme

I know that color choices are individual, or else there wouldn't be a choice. Still, I'm curious about what you think about Blk/brick vs. Silver/Blk. I could go either way. I've been driving blk SUVs for the last 5 years and wouldn't mind a change. BUT, that blk/brick interior is a grabber. Is everyone simply happy because they need to justify their decision? Any second thoughts, regrets? Does the blk/brick feel better or worse over time? Thankx!

clpurnell

love mine. The only other choice for me would be DG/Brick. I think the Brick leather is the only way to go.

JBaumgart

Ditto what clpurnell said. Compare the leather quality in addition to the color - I think the brick will hold up the best, plus it makes the interior. Black would be my second choice. I would not consider the willow - does not fit the car at all IMO.

jpiatchek

Got to be the best combination going. My wife was unsure at first but loves it now. Agree with JBaumgart in that Willow just doesn't fit

arhfx45

When I bought my Berrylium FX45 I wanted the Graphite, while it was technically available on the website, noone had one with Graphite. After several months with my FX45 with the Brick, I can't imagine any other color. The Signature Brick/Black interior is perfect in the FX.

petewat3

"After several months with my FX45 with the Brick, I can't imagine any other color. The Signature Brick/Black interior is perfect in the FX"

I agree, I have the beryllium/brick 45tech and love the combination. There's a Blk/Brick close to where I work & I think the black is the 2nd best color for the FX body style - I'm partial to the Beryllium.

argylesox

I think diligent buyers can find good deals by doing extensive homework . . . here in AZ the dealers have many on their lots - 03's and 04's - and I'm told there is manufacturer money being thrown at the deals. As I attempt to sell / trade in my FX45 premium package (graphite/willow) with 6000 miles I'm given trade numbers as low as $29,200. I thought, and still think, that was a mistake, but they were insistent. I have had numbers more reasonably in the $36 - 38K range which still hurts but, again, I think substantiates the weakness of the market for this car. With a desire to go back to an SC430, which I gave up for this, I have been looking to get back at least a reasonable part of my investment. If the trade in / resale market is any indication of the number for which you can acquire an FX45 then I think AZ might be a market to try for good new AND resale prices.

clpurnell

Your numbers that you are seeing represents the weeakness for the car with those options. A fully decked out FX35 with tech will fetch close to trade numbers you were talking about. The FX45 Premium is the model with the most incentives (3k dealer cash) invoice on this car is 43,137 - 3k is 40k, so a trade value of 38k is only 2k in depreciation for a 1 year old car with 6k miles on it. You can get a new one for 40k so I would think 38k is a very strong number. I paid 40,638 in april for my fx35 tech trade in (according to terry) is about 35/36k so with a loss of 4-5k in first year depreciation isn't that bad. I'm sure the RX330, MDX and X5 do better on resale as they are geared towards a larger market. However I don't think resale of the FX is as bad as many people let on if you got a deal to begin with.

bzboy

Can someone please give me an idea as to how much I should be paying for a 2003 FX35 with premium package. Dealers in Houston are asking for close to $35,500. Isn't that too much?

jbursch

A dealer quoted me a fleet price of $500 over invoice. Should I push for lower? Thanks in advance.

jb.

stever

Check our True Market Value for starters (drill down to Infiniti, then the FX). Most people are paying MSRP in my zipcode for the '04's - a couple of grand off for the '03's. Negotiate hard and you should be able to do better.

See Buying Tips too.

Steve, Host

clpurnell

there are no incentives on 03 fx35's yet. I would target invoice to 200 over.

bzboy I live in houston and bought mine in dallas because area dealers weren't willing to match the price I got (600 over invoice in april). I would pay a little more to stay local but in my case the difference was thousands. I sa a fair price of a premium with rails is 34800 without rails 34500. I bought from grubbs in dallas by the way.

93fsu1

No ,atter what vehicle, in today's market I would push for invoice minus any rebates and incentives. If they start off at $500 over invoice then that is $500 worth of negotiating room.

Anyone paying MSRP for ANY vehicle these days is just plain foolish.

crikey

I'm assuming that this price is before taxes, etc.

If AWD, I would say it's a really good price and advice you to take it. If it's a RWD, it's an OK price but you still have more room for negotiation.

bzboy

Crikey, it is RWD and paying $35,500 seems a little high to me. I guess Dallas can be an option!

crikey

Yeah, I paid that much for an FX35 AWD with Premium. I suggest talking to Grubbs Infiniti.

ujmot

NYC area. Picking her up tomorrow. Very excited! 500 over invoice - the most painless, easiest deal I've ever made (except the 3wk wait on the locate/delivery).