Which Audi 2.7t? The All-Road, A6 Avant or just a regular A6? For the money, the FX35 AWD might be hard to beat but that's not to say that the Audis are not worth the premium.
Let me preface this by saying I love the way audi's look and when I was up north I highly considered them. I don't think they stack up very well to the fx35 though. It will have a nicer interior and a tad more room. But for the price of an average equipped audi you can get an fx35 with the tech package. Add superior handling and infiniti reputation for reliability I think it is a win for the FX. The audi is really nice but the problem history Audi/VW has would steer me away from the 2.7t.
The sport suspension with big tires is way too harsh for us. The regular suspension is perfect. Both AWD cars handled and accelerated superbly with plenty of feedback to the driver. The brakes are excellent. The only "crossover" that comes close is the Murano and it is a very different vehicle.
The FX35 handling and acceleration is not quite on PAR with my BMW 530i, but pretty doggone close. Considering that the FX weighs 400 pounds more and has a higher center of gravity, it is remarkable.
The passenger seat doesn't have a height adjustment and my 5'6" wife could barely see over the dash. Very disconcerting to her and probably to most passengers. The seats themselves were some of the most comfortable and supportive that I have seen.
The visibility all around is OK for driving, but left one with a cramped, closed-in feeling. This, plus the passenger's seat position caused us to write this vehicle off.
We also thought that the historically lower Infiniti resale value plus the odd (to some) looks of the vehicle were likely to result in a faster depreciation than some of the competition.
finally bought the fx35 with all the help from this board and carman. Thanks Guys. I got the fx 35 w/ tech package and roof rails. Diamond graphite with willow /graphite interior. I did'nt need the roof rails but that was the only car available. Got it for $1500 off MSRP. Considering that this is the bay area I think I did OK. Lease it for the posted MF and residual. Will pick up next week because it's a dealer trade.
Test drove the FX35. I had the same views, harsh ride, low passenger seat, but great ride and handling. FX also doesn't come with cargo area cover standard. None available at the present, but according posts I've seen elsewhere, will run $400-500 when available. With the car break-ins in my area, I can't have a car/suv where everything is visible.
"The passenger seat doesn't have a height adjustment and my 5'6" wife could barely see over the dash. Very disconcerting to her and probably to most passengers."
If a passenger seat height adjustment is important to you, wait for the 2004 model. That is the only change Infiniti is making to next year's FX45/FX35. 2004 build begins in June.
Anyone getting reasonable offers from NJ dealers? I am looking at FX35 w/ sport and they are offering a token $500 off sticker. Of course, I have not countered yet.
i researched this issue and even the heaviest Infinity FX45 does not qualify for a tax break. The car is a bit lighter than some of its competition (bmw x5, lexus gx 470). also the car has only 5 seats not 7.
too bad b/c i wanted one, but settled on a one year old bmw x5, which is very nice by the way
Still breaking it in but great car so far. Amazing response and power. Had a rotten time at the dealer, though. Initially claims that he can't and won't go under sticker. After telling me that everyone else is paying sticker about 1000000 times in the course of 2 hours, he finally settles on 500 over invoice. Of course, the car comes bundled with several options that we don't need but we accepted. We also got a comparable offer at another dealer also in LA, but I don't know if this holds elsewhere. Hope this gives you all a better idea of what they're willing to sell at. Maybe it'll help in your negotiations.
"If a passenger seat height adjustment is important to you, wait for the 2004 model. That is the only change Infiniti is making to next year's FX45/FX35. 2004 build begins in June."
This is the first definite information I've heard about a fix for this "issue".
"If a passenger seat height adjustment is important to you, wait for the 2004 model. That is the only change Infiniti is making to next year's FX45/FX35. 2004 build begins in June."
This is the first definite information I've heard about a fix for this "issue". Where are you getting your information? - dalerb1
From NNA/Infiniti. As of now, no other changes are planned.
I have a S4 (2.7T) and a FX 35. The S4 will eat the FX for lunch (and dinner and breakfast). The interior is better. It is overall better built and handles better. I love the FX, but don't confuse the two different types of vehicles.
I think clpurnell was really referring to the A6 2.7T, not the S4, which is an all-out sports sedan. Of course an S4 will outperform a FX35 on the track and the A6 will beat it in a straight line (but the FX will be quicker in the twisties - those 265 tires give it incredible grip).
This summer I will be shopping for a 4WD/AWD vehicle with decent performance and the A6 (2.7T or allroad) and FX35 both suit my needs, and are on my shortlist. In the end, it may come down to which offers a better lease program.
I was really refering to the allroad. I mean the s4 must have over a thousand pound advantage over the FX plus a manual trans. So I know it would dust it. I am trying to list comparable models to the FX. I love Audi's but the reliability keeps me away from them. I still drove over the blown s8 though
Went to the local auto show and checked out both of the FX vehicles. We currently have an allroad and an A4, and are looking to replace the wife's A4 which is a '98 2.8Q. She liked the FX a lot, but in the end thought the styling was a little too aggressive and might not "wear well" after a couple of years. Very nice interior though, she liked the build quality, the layout and all of the little details. One exception was the passenger sear which doesn't have the height adjustment, which with the substantial hood would impede her forward visability when I would be driving. Also the FX45 with the Technology Pkg gets a little too pricey, exceeding the $50,000 cap we sort of set for ourselves. And since the whole point of this vehicle revolves around its performance, getting the FX35 seems to defeat the purpose somewhat. It's certainly a very nice vehicle in its own right, but other choices perform about as well while offering more practicality. The sales guy there did admit that every FX they've sold so far has been to a male, which seems to fit with the vehicle's more macho appearance.
As of now we are leaning towards the Lexus RX 330 with the "Performance Pkg" which I realize will still not perform nearly as well as the FX35 but it should be more than adequate for her style of driving. Also it offers many nice luxury touches and seems to be a big improvement over the outgoing RX300, which I've driven and wasn't overly impressed with - too soft and feminine for my tastes. But the new air suspension and 18 inch wheels on the new one is supposed to be a major improvement, so hopefully I won't mind switching cars with her every once in a while. LOVE my allroad which like the A4 has been a very reliable vehicle so far after about 34,000 miles.
I like the FX because of the machoness my wife thinks the same. I was really considering a Murano as my car but my wife said it looked way to feminine for me. The RX is nice but will be considerably more than a FX premium and wouldn't hold a performance candle to it. although I am sure the lexus will have a better ride quality and noise levels. It's basically up to whats more important performance vs "luxury". That is a very personal choice but I lean more towards the performance side. the 35 vs 45 debate i would still go for the 35 It will still whip any v6 suv in almost all perfomace categories. It will even give the bmw 4.4 and ml 430 a run for it's money. So I would think the 45 would only be a priorityif you have to race ml 55, x5 4.6 or cayenne twin turbo's on a daily basis. to each his own though. Buy and drive what you like
I guess I am lucky, my wife liked the FX as well as I did. I looked at others, but she helped steer me in the final choice of the FX. She liked the aggressive and unique styling.
I bought the FX35R. What is the MSRP on this? I would like to claim I got a good deal. Also, my wife is 5'2", yet she had no problem seeing over the dashboard. Seat adjustments for her worked just fine.
Took delivery of Fx 35 w tech pakage last night. Did not have too much of a chance to really drive it. I did find the ride acceptable . Seeing a lot of post that says it is too harsh a ride. I think you cannot compare the ride to a luxury sedan because you have you to give up a little comfort for the better handling. I also saw some post on the seat height adjustment. there is power height adjustment on the driver seat and there was not a problem for me and my wife. will keep post later down the road.
To mwolfson- Congrats on your new FX35! You'll also find MSRP details in our New Cars Pricing Guide. Look for a direct link at the top of this page.
To ngkiyan- Welcome back, and thanks for sharing your first impressions.
To fxgirl- Welcome to Town Hall, and thanks for invoice details. Sorry you had to pay. We should have this information available (free of charge) in our New Vehicle Pricing guide very soon. Will you be purchasing an FX35 in the near future? We look forward to your future posts.
Does anyone have any information on how the transmission in the FX "learns" or "adapts" to the style of the driver? I took a test drive and it seemed that the shift points increased and the acceleration improved by the end of the drive.
Good question, and from what you said, it sounds like you drove it enthusiastically :-) I had a brief drive of a FX35 RWD and was very impressed.
I wish an 'expert' could explain this, as I was just wondering, if 2 people regularly drive the car (one aggressive, one not), which shift pattern would the transmission adopt? This is where I like the Sport/Winter/Economy modes some vehicles have. Maybe it would be possible to tie this in to the seat/mirrors/steering wheel memory settings?
Just go to CarsDirect.com to get MSRP and invoice pricing. BTW, I wouldn't suggest buying from them since they are only giving $500 off of MSRP (at least in my zip code). A little work at your dealer should get you 2-3K off of MSRP.
I took delivery today of a Black Obsidian/Graphite FX35 AWD with Premium and Cargo Protector. The car is just everything I expected and more -just awesome!
Went to Olive Garden for dinner and when we came out we were "rushed" by 5 people (2 different families) wanting to know what it was! They just surrounded the car and were standing there in awe! It is unbelievable how people do a double take and stare at the FX!
I'm also looking at the Acura MDX due to cargo space but the FX seems to be the driver's SUV. I'm wondering if you looked at other ones too. Any feedback would be great.
I literally researched this purchase for months. I looked at BMW X5 (I personally don't care for the interior - too old fashioned looking for me and seats weren't comfortable), Lexus RX300/330 (too many on the road - I want to be different), Acura MDX (too boring for my tastes - but this one actually made my short list!), Porshe Cayenne (too expensive), Murano (I actually test drove it 3 times - and could not justify the price, also didn't care for CVT and I felt like I looked like I was in a cheap car like a puffed up Ford Focus), and I could continue on! I also really liked the Mitsubishi Endeavor but didn't want to wait for it to come out (and it is still a Mitsubishi after all!)
I went to the Cleveland Auto Show twice and looked/sat in every possible SUV, and came to the conclusion that the FX35 fit the bill perfectly for me! After one test drive, I definitely knew it was the one! I wanted a car that not alot of people have, that looked different from all the rest, that was fast, had a great ride and handling, had AWD or 4WD, and I only need the utility as an aside.
I just came out of a 2001 Nissan Pathfinder and I wanted an SUV that I could really drive, not one that would drive me! I also find the cargo room in the FX35 more than adequate for my needs. You are right - the FX35 is the driver's SUV - definitely an enthsiasits car and not for the faint of heart!
Also, I shopped around and got a great deal on FX35 AWD with Premium and cargo cover for $3000 off MSRP and also got them to throw in free clear bra, wheel locks and more! I took delivery yesterday - the vehicle was brand new, not a demo.
The value for the price I paid for my FX35, in my opinion can't be beat. This car is definitely a segment buster!
I would also be coming out of a 2001 Nissan Pathfinder. The toss up for me is the cargo space since I have twin toddlers. I don't really lug around of stuff around but those long trips are my concern. A cargo box would probably alleviate it.
I also qualify for NVPP and can get the FX35 AWD for under invoice. The Infiniti dealer also gave me a good trade-in for my vehicle, $1500 more than Acura's offer with the Acura dealership also pocketing $2338 in profits on the MDX.
Financially, the FX35 takes the cake. But for practicality, the MDX wins.
It's okay to mention the Dealership Name and City. However, please be aware that further details (i.e. salesman's names, phone numbers, email, links) conflict with our policy on soliciting, and will be subject to deletion. Hope you understand.
Feel free to email me if you have any questions/comments regarding this matter. Thanks for your participation! ;-)
The last time I checked, cardirect was off by about $300 on the base invoice of an FX35 AWD. So, I was pleasantly surprised when the dealership had a lower price.
I think Kelly Blue Book already has the invoice prices as well. How come Edmund's still doesn't have this info?
Armed with Invoice prices for the FX35, I haggled for almost a week with 4 dealers around the NE Ohio/Eastern PA area. Then I finally called Infiniti of Dublin (Columbus, Ohio). Lucky for me!! I got $3,000 off MSRP and alot of other stuff thrown in (wheel locks, clear bra, etc.)!
If you want a great deal too, call Infiniti of Dublin and talk to the Internet Sales Manager. He was awesome - really helpful and happy to work for your business! They also have a HUGE selection - 50 FX35/45's in stock! They had all of the colors - including B16! There were rows and rows of them!
The other NE Ohio/Eastern PA dealers that I haggled with were offering a token $500.00 off MSRP at first. I got all of them down to between $1000 - $1500 off but none of them were budging from there. They said I would "never find better than $1500 off MSRP". Not so!
Also, the General Manager of Grubbs Infiniti in Dallas, Texas also was offering $3000 off MSRP or $2500 off and they would ship the vehicle to me in Ohio for free!
I took delivery of my new Black/Graphite FX35 AWD with Premium Package and cargo cover yesterday! My payments with $1000 down, for a 39 month/15,000 miles per year lease are $542.00 per month including Ohio sales tax which is calculated all up front. Other dealers pricing was between $619-$690 per month.
If you want more specifics about my purchase such as phone number, salesperson name, etc. feel free to e-mail me directly!
Comments
The FX35 handling and acceleration is not quite on PAR with my BMW 530i, but pretty doggone close. Considering that the FX weighs 400 pounds more and has a higher center of gravity, it is remarkable.
The passenger seat doesn't have a height adjustment and my 5'6" wife could barely see over the dash. Very disconcerting to her and probably to most passengers. The seats themselves were some of the most comfortable and supportive that I have seen.
The visibility all around is OK for driving, but left one with a cramped, closed-in feeling. This, plus the passenger's seat position caused us to write this vehicle off.
We also thought that the historically lower Infiniti resale value plus the odd (to some) looks of the vehicle were likely to result in a faster depreciation than some of the competition.
If a passenger seat height adjustment is important to you, wait for the 2004 model. That is the only change Infiniti is making to next year's FX45/FX35. 2004 build begins in June.
Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards
too bad b/c i wanted one, but settled on a one year old bmw x5, which is very nice by the way
Still breaking it in but great car so far. Amazing response and power.
Had a rotten time at the dealer, though. Initially claims that he can't and won't go under sticker.
After telling me that everyone else is paying sticker about 1000000 times in the course of 2 hours, he finally settles on 500 over invoice. Of course, the car comes bundled with several options that we don't need but we accepted. We also got a comparable offer at another dealer also in LA, but I don't know if this holds elsewhere.
Hope this gives you all a better idea of what they're willing to sell at. Maybe it'll help in your negotiations.
This is the first definite information I've heard about a fix for this "issue".
carprep: Where are you getting your information?
This is the first definite information I've heard about a fix for this "issue". Where are you getting your information? - dalerb1
From NNA/Infiniti. As of now, no other changes are planned.
This summer I will be shopping for a 4WD/AWD vehicle with decent performance and the A6 (2.7T or allroad) and FX35 both suit my needs, and are on my shortlist. In the end, it may come down to which offers a better lease program.
As of now we are leaning towards the Lexus RX 330 with the "Performance Pkg" which I realize will still not perform nearly as well as the FX35 but it should be more than adequate for her style of driving. Also it offers many nice luxury touches and seems to be a big improvement over the outgoing RX300, which I've driven and wasn't overly impressed with - too soft and feminine for my tastes. But the new air suspension and 18 inch wheels on the new one is supposed to be a major improvement, so hopefully I won't mind switching cars with her every once in a while. LOVE my allroad which like the A4 has been a very reliable vehicle so far after about 34,000 miles.
Oh yeah, the FX ain't your soccer mom vehicle, that's for sure.
FX35 rwd + sport + roof rack is 38,945
FX35 rwd + tech + roof rack is 44,445
$32,861 (Base price)
$ 2,240 (Premium pkg.)
TOTAL $35,101
P.S. I paid to get this pricing from Consumer Reports - hope it helps!
To ngkiyan- Welcome back, and thanks for sharing your first impressions.
To fxgirl- Welcome to Town Hall, and thanks for invoice details. Sorry you had to pay. We should have this information available (free of charge) in our New Vehicle Pricing guide very soon. Will you be purchasing an FX35 in the near future? We look forward to your future posts.
Talk to everyone later. ;-)
Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards
fxgirl, I'm sorry you had to pay for this info. I hope you are enjoying your FX nonetheless.
I wish an 'expert' could explain this, as I was just wondering, if 2 people regularly drive the car (one aggressive, one not), which shift pattern would the transmission adopt? This is where I like the Sport/Winter/Economy modes some vehicles have. Maybe it would be possible to tie this in to the seat/mirrors/steering wheel memory settings?
Went to Olive Garden for dinner and when we came out we were "rushed" by 5 people (2 different families) wanting to know what it was! They just surrounded the car and were standing there in awe! It is unbelievable how people do a double take and stare at the FX!
I went to the Cleveland Auto Show twice and looked/sat in every possible SUV, and came to the conclusion that the FX35 fit the bill perfectly for me! After one test drive, I definitely knew it was the one! I wanted a car that not alot of people have, that looked different from all the rest, that was fast, had a great ride and handling, had AWD or 4WD, and I only need the utility as an aside.
I just came out of a 2001 Nissan Pathfinder and I wanted an SUV that I could really drive, not one that would drive me! I also find the cargo room in the FX35 more than adequate for my needs. You are right - the FX35 is the driver's SUV - definitely an enthsiasits car and not for the faint of heart!
Also, I shopped around and got a great deal on FX35 AWD with Premium and cargo cover for $3000 off MSRP and also got them to throw in free clear bra, wheel locks and more! I took delivery yesterday - the vehicle was brand new, not a demo.
The value for the price I paid for my FX35, in my opinion can't be beat. This car is definitely a segment buster!
I also qualify for NVPP and can get the FX35 AWD for under invoice. The Infiniti dealer also gave me a good trade-in for my vehicle, $1500 more than Acura's offer with the Acura dealership also pocketing $2338 in profits on the MDX.
Financially, the FX35 takes the cake. But for practicality, the MDX wins.
The FX35 is number one on my list right now.
Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards
It's okay to mention the Dealership Name and City. However, please be aware that further details (i.e. salesman's names, phone numbers, email, links) conflict with our policy on soliciting, and will be subject to deletion. Hope you understand.
Feel free to email me if you have any questions/comments regarding this matter. Thanks for your participation! ;-)
Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards
I think Kelly Blue Book already has the invoice prices as well. How come Edmund's still doesn't have this info?
Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards
If you want a great deal too, call Infiniti of Dublin and talk to the Internet Sales Manager. He was awesome - really helpful and happy to work for your business! They also have a HUGE selection - 50 FX35/45's in stock! They had all of the colors - including B16! There were rows and rows of them!
The other NE Ohio/Eastern PA dealers that I haggled with were offering a token $500.00 off MSRP at first. I got all of them down to between $1000 - $1500 off but none of them were budging from there. They said I would "never find better than $1500 off MSRP". Not so!
Also, the General Manager of Grubbs Infiniti in Dallas, Texas also was offering $3000 off MSRP or $2500 off and they would ship the vehicle to me in Ohio for free!
I took delivery of my new Black/Graphite FX35 AWD with Premium Package and cargo cover yesterday! My payments with $1000 down, for a 39 month/15,000 miles per year lease are $542.00 per month including Ohio sales tax which is calculated all up front. Other dealers pricing was between $619-$690 per month.
If you want more specifics about my purchase such as phone number, salesperson name, etc. feel free to e-mail me directly!