Infiniti FX45 Infiniti FX35

aas5 · November 2003

Congrats ujmot.
I am also shopping for FX in the NY area (although FX45 with Tech) but would like to hear which dealer(s) did you consider and who did you end up buying from.
Thanks and enjoy your new car.

sbindley · November 2003

Looking at loaded 04 FX45 Techs and expecting a good deal. TMV is saying sticker, but that seems off since there are dozens of vehicles on the lot (mostly 03's that have been sitting for months). I don't expect 500 over invoice on the 04, but certainly can't imagine paying MSRP.

Also, heard from a regional sales rep that all FX45's built after May, 03 have the new suspension setup. Is there any way to check on this?

Thanks.

Thoughts?

bzboy · November 2003

I was told that all FX's made after May 2003 have new suspensions. But this information came from a sale rep. and he wanted to sell me the 03's since he didn't have any 04's. I have been quoted 04 FX35 $800 over invoice. I am very excited.

ujmot · November 2003

Shoot me an email and I'll go into detail about my buying experience with you.

stanny1 · November 2003

I can't wait to see a road test on an 03 built after May to see if the .87g in cornering is reduced.
I guess those with bad backs and dentures complained too much about the "popcorn popper" ride.
When people ask about my FX45, I just tell them it's probably too much for them. Too much fast and too much G's.
Or I just ask them if they like the rides at Six Flags Magic Mountain. I tell them to imagine riding Viper every day on the way to work, except that it doesn't go upside down normally.
This sort of sets the mood.
Actually, I want to get one of those "Got ...?" bumper stickers. But instead of "Got Milk?" or "Got Sand?", I want one that says: "Got G's?"
My license plate plate says "X5 EATER", but "GOT G's?" would be great also.
Anyway, the nickname for my 45 is "The Beast".
Do you have a name for yours?

93fsu1 · November 2003

The only change to the suspension started with the 2004 models only. there was absolutely no change in May 2003.

From what I have heard from people who have driven both, the 2003 will get a little softer over time and the 2004 starts that way. No change in handling.

ujmot · November 2003

Doesnt feel any softer than an 03. Maybe after the springs settle in a bit later but with 100 miles on the odo on my '04, I didn't get that impression.

sbindley · November 2003

I ended up buying a black 04 FX45 Tech, will pick up from a Ft. Wayne, Indiana dealer since my dealer here in Indy was asking for MSRP (and didn't have the color combo I wanted). I didn't want to dicker forever and needed the car soon, so I wasn't sure I'd get a good deal with so few 04's available around here (no 45's have landed in the state yet.) I looked up invoice and MSRP on this site, called the guy and said, "I'll meet you halfway." He called back ten minutes later and that was that. Vehicle arrives in early Dec.

major7 · November 2003

Has anyone had any experience driving the FX 45 in the snow? I was wondering how those 20" tires would handle in a snowstorm? Thx.

cmdpm01 · November 2003

i've been thinking about licence plates and these are my finalists...(all CAPS)prmlurg=primal urge, primal, 315hpv8, fx45pwr=fx45power, hotwhlz=hot wheels.

as you know from our other website, there are already a few superchargers for the v6.i cant wait for an sc for our v8...that would give the FX45 worldclass power.

anilpunjabi · November 2003

I was wondering if the Fx45 falls into the 6000 lb gross weight tax rule, where I can depreciate the car the entire amount the first year. I know the Bmw x5 fits in, the fx45 isnt that much lighter, b/c this is a big concern if I can get the fx or x5. I wonder how the 2004 x5 4.4 compares now to the fx45 with the bigger engine. And know im wondering what people are getting on fx45's with the tech package and all options, thanx.

anilpunjabi · November 2003

I was wondering if the Fx45 falls into the 6000 lb gross weight tax rule, where I can depreciate the car the entire amount the first year. I know the Bmw x5 fits in, the fx45 isnt that much lighter, b/c this is a big concern if I can get the fx or x5. I wonder how the 2004 x5 4.4 compares now to the fx45 with the bigger engine.

cmdpm · November 2003

the gross weight of the FX45 is UNDER 6000 lb.

so, one could not depreciate all of it in the first year.

ifc1 · November 2003

I have a '03 FX35 w/ TECH and any time I over a speed bump slightly fast (10 mph to 15 mph)I hear a loud thunk from the front suspension. It sounds like the shock is bottoming out or something. Took it to the dealer and they said there is an issue with how the strut was designed or something? They said all the cars on the lot made the same noise. Doesn't make sense to me, my '98 boxster takes a speed bump better then my FX35....any ideas?

clpurnell · November 2003

mine does the same thing. there is not much play in the 03 suspension so it bottoms out easily.

ifc1 · November 2003

Thanks clpurnell. Have you or anybody else heard anything about residual damage to the vehicle as this continuously occurs over time?

ifc1 · November 2003

One more question for everyone, anybody have XM in their FX? I'm hearing there are reception issues, is this the case? Also, I'm hearing the FX factory kit only allows the antenna to be place on the back of the roof towards one side only, it can't be centered. Anybody get XM installed aftermarket while still using the in-dash radio? If so, how did it go?

jpiatchek · November 2003

Just had XM installed in my FX. Took a 2000 mile road trip from Mo. to Nex Meexico. Had Infinti install it for $400.00. This system is faboulous and performored flawlessly on the trip. Only time it fades is when I pull in my garage. Why would you want to center the antenna where it is more noticable? Understand it's not that big of deal to install it yourself.

ramrod5 · November 2003

Ifc1 -
Your FX does not bottom out, but instead the strut is extending or making contact to the road surface. Bottom out occurs when your strut or shock becomes so weak (loses the necessary gas pressure)that it does not give you any cushion when you roll over an bump, pot hole, etc.
All vehilces experience what you have described when driving too fast over a bump. The FX suspension is somewhat stiff, so your experience when going over a bump at a 10 mph maybe considerable or at least shocking because you did not expect that type of reaction from you brand new vehicle. In addition, if you have 20" wheels be cautious of your speeds as you can bend your wheel... hence very expensive replacement.

tmjdds · November 2003

5462-Lb. GVWR FX45

anilpunjabi · November 2003

Im upset the fx does not fit into the category, b/c now we can look at only cars above the 6000 gross weight. Teh mw x5 fits in, i think the porsche cayenne and vw toureg also make it. Was looign forward to owning a fx45 wth tech, i guess hello to bmw x5 4.4. The new one looks like its bumped up the notch in competition.

tmjdds · November 2003

The GVWR on the BMW X5 4.4 is 5886. Maybe the government lets you round up to the nearest thousand pounds or something. Too bad...being so close.

anilpunjabi · November 2003

I think the bmw x5 is above gwwr, b/c on the list that our acct handed us, he stated that the x5 does make it, b/c its close to the xc90, which we have, and does make the cutoff. Im still saddened by the lss of housing an fx45 in my garage. I knwo all of you guys are infiniit loyalists, but a bmw is stil a good car (please dont start a comparison). We as edmunds readers should accept that there are other good cars out there, and not place such a huge bias on the car you own. I own a lex gs430, and can honestly say i love the car BUT it is behind in technology.

stanny1 · November 2003

Evidently, you are self-employed as I am.
I can't see buying any car for just tax reasons.
The new X5 4.4 is a heavier car. Despite more power, it will at best equal the 45 in 0-60. That added weight will penalize you in handling and agility. The 45 feels more like a sports car; the X5 more like a Tahoe.
Besides the weight, look at the price!
Look at this alternative.
I lease my 45 and write off 80% of the $735 monthly payment.
I don't want to own a depreciating asset, and I don't want to write off a car in the first year and have no tax leverage for the remaining life of the car. And then you get into other tax ramifications. Leasing is so much simpler.
Then in 3 years, I'll turn the 45 in to get the new FX with the 5.6 liter engine that will blow away any X5.
I don't think Infiniti will stand still in the HP race.

kdshapiro · November 2003

"Then in 3 years, I'll turn the 45 in to get the new FX with the 5.6 liter engine that will blow away any X5"

As BMW then puts the M5 V10 in the thing.....:)

newtisme · November 2003

The Section 179 write-off simply ACCELERATES the depreciation ( with potential recapture later on). All it REALLY means is the time value of money; i.e. a one year up front deduction vs. a three year write-off. The TOTAL is the same, something many people don't seem to realize. On a $50 K vehicle in 50% bracket, you get $25K, vs. $8.3K, $8.3K, $8.3K years 1-2-3. At current interest rates, how much is that worth? Not enough in my book to move into a larger more expensive vehicle than you would have otherwise purchased.

goraggio · November 2003

Has anyone experienced peculiarity with the throttle response when gently accelerating from a stop or getting back on the throttle after decelerating for a corner. My Infiniti dealer is clueless. I have driven performance autos over the years with manual transmission and have not experienced this behavior. Is this the way a computerized aoutmatic should feel? It is unpredictable.

petewat3 · November 2003

"Has anyone experienced peculiarity with the throttle response when gently accelerating from a stop or getting back on the throttle after decelerating for a corner."

What exactly are you experiencing? I have 13,500 on my 45Tech and can't say that I've noticed anything peculiar in the response as you describe. Early on I had a 'hiccup' occasionally when throttling up from a freeway slowdown or similar situation but it went away before I had an opportunity to pursue it with the dealer.

goraggio · November 2003

When accelerating my 45tech with 6700 miles on it, I notice that on gentle acceleration from a stop, the car will move gently with throttle pressure and then accelerate suddenly as if the throttle had been depressed further. It will also fail to freewheel immediately when the throttle is released. These characteristics have been present since purchase and are unchanged at this time.

clpurnell · November 2003

I posted this in the honda group to want to get your thoughts on it.

What are your thoughts on this. I have been following this service schedule on my infiniti and have on all my previous cars. Now on the pilot I do not know if it is warranted and I don't want to throw away money if I don't have to. Here are the driving behaviors and environments for my cars.

Pilot - Primarily driven by wife, infrequent short trips of less than 10 miles roundtrip during he week and driven 150 or so miles each weekend on trips of varying length.

FX35 Was driven the same as the pilot is now for the begining of it's life. Now however it wil be driven about 45 miles per day during the week and on infrequent trips on the weekends.

We live in houston where in the summer (April - October) temps are in the 90's and A/C is used a lot. Coldest weather in the winter is about 50 during the day and drops below freezing 3-4 times per year overnight.

Would this qualify my vehicles for the Severe schedule or should I be saving money and using the standard schedule. They are both leases so not too concerned about long term high mileage use (by me anyways).

blckthree · November 2003

I would say you would qualify as severe use, especially on the Pilot. The FX might be less severe, if those 45 miles per day are a round trip to and from work and not 5 short trips around town.

But, like you said, it's a lease, and if you have no intention of keeping either, I wouldn't worry about it.

Not to mention, some of their maintainance schedules are a little extreme. I was quoted a crazy price for the 15K checkup, seems it was in excess of $300.00 if I remember and most of the things they were doing was "inspect", translated to NOTHING! I can look at my own tires and brake pads. Oil changes, air filter changes, tire rotations, those are the most essential IMHO. And when they come up with a oil filter at the oil change shop down the street, Infiniti service won't see mine again unless it breaks!

petewat3 · November 2003

goraggio- I haven't experienced that with mine...fyi

anilpunjabi · November 2003

If you dont take ur car into infiniti for at least the most basi service whcih is highlighted by edmunds maintainence wizard, the warranty can become void. ALso about the write off, that is a big reason to purchase a car, both cars are ver good. They both have thier own strength and weaknesses. But writing off 25 k in one year vs 8.3 a year is actually big, based on free capital, along with investing in other securities (as the economy is starting back up). And what if we decided to keep the car for less then 3 yrs. We have an xc90 which has a gwwr of 6080, howvere we bough it in the last week of december, b/c we did not know abt teh new tax rule, we were acually quite mad at our acct for that.

JBaumgart · November 2003

"If you dont take ur car into infiniti for at least the most basi service whcih is highlighted by edmunds maintainence wizard, the warranty can become void."

I have never heard of a warranty being voided due to someone other than the dealer performing required maintenance. Just curious, where did you get this information? Unless it's in the warranty itself I don't think it would be enforceable.

thegov33 · November 2003

Drove both the 2003 35 and 45 prior to settling on the 2003 45. To my surprise, I liked the 45's ride better. It was smoother. I commented on that fact to the sales guy and he said the 45 I drove was a post July 1 production vehicle which meant the suspension was dialed a few notches softer in response to the criticism that the car initially received. He said it was a mid-year model change and that it was not advertised or promoted for obvious reasons. The 35 had 18-inch tires and was a pre-July model.

We'll that sounds like a bunch of hooey from a sales guy.

Any truth to it?

PS pick up the liquid copper 45 premium on Monday.

dklanecky · November 2003

Infiniti Announces 2004 FX45/FX35 Pricing [Oct. 08, 03]

GARDENA, Calif. (October 8, 2003)  Infiniti, the luxury division of Nissan North America, Inc., today announced 2004 model year pricing on the breakthrough Infiniti FX45 and FX35 premium crossover SUV. In 2004, FX continues to offer a unique combination of aggressive styling, outstanding performance and luxury car comfort.

The all-wheel drive FX45, with its standard 315-horsepower V8 engine, 5-speed automatic transmission and long list of luxury features, starts at a Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $44,375. A powerful V6 engine version, the FX35 features a MSRP of $35,850 for the all-wheel drive model, while the rear-wheel drive model begins at a MSRP of $34,350.

Enhancements for the 2004 FX include a refined suspension for improved ride comfort, a new 8-way power passenger seat that replaces the previous 4-way design, available aluminum roof rails and 20-inch chrome-plated wheels, new dark silver metallic finish added to 20-inch wheels (for non-chrome wheels), standard HVAC air filter added on all models, and the addition of a Snow-Mode function (shifts throttle input algorithm in low-speed slippery road conditions once activated by the driver for enhanced traction).

Complete pricing and option packages are available on the attached sheets.

For more information on the complete line of Infiniti luxury vehicles and the Total Ownership Experience (TOE) philosophy, visit Infiniti online at www.infiniti.com or contact the corporate media line at 310-771-5631.

thegov33 · November 2003

Anyone know how or where to decode a FX VIN. Will it tell me what month my FX 45 was built? Infinitihelp.com was no help.

cheerioboy26 · November 2003

No need for a VIN deocder for that, and it won't tell you anyway since the cars are just numbered sequentially. Just look on the sticker on the frame when you open the driver's door. It should be on there in a format like this "05/02" which is when my G35 was built.

tidester · November 2003

Please, let's limit quotations from copyrighted material to brief excerpts.

tidester, host

crikey · November 2003

AFAIK, the suspension enhancements were effective for 2004 model FX's. However, if you're happy with the 2003 FX45 (which also carries a $3K incentive) that you drove, that's all that matters. Enjoy, you made a great choice.

FWIW, a good addition (for me, anyway) to the 2004 model is the height-adjustable passenger seat.

lalakrsfan · November 2003

I am about 2 yrs into my '02 QX4 lease, and I am considering inquiring with my dealer about turning in early on a '03 FX35 or 45. Anyone have any input on what I should expect? I am about 4K under my allotted (30K) miles to date.

I've heard mention of incentives available on '03 FXs ($3K on 45, etc.), however, I don't see this info available on Edmunds under incentives. Where can I find this info?

tidester · November 2003

All incentives and rebates are listed here: New car incentives, auto rebates, dealer incentives at Edmunds

Click on the Infiniti link and pick out the model you're interested in.

tidester, host

lalakrsfan · November 2003

Tidester said...

"All incentives and rebates are listed here: New car incentives, auto rebates, dealer incentives at Edmunds
Click on the Infiniti link and pick out the model you're interested in."

My point was, several people have mentioned the 3K incentive, but nothing is listed on the link you provided. Where are they getting their info?

mwitt3 · November 2003

I'm new to the board. My infiniti dealer recommended I check it out. Just took out a 04 FX 35 with sport and touring package for a test drive. During the first 5-10 min. I was struck by the busy ride which I had read about but after 15-20 min ( driving in residential area) I hardly noticed it (although my wife continued with some complaining). I'm tempted to get sport and touring because I like the handling but live in the NE where pot holes were invented. Any advice? thanks

tidester · November 2003

Where are they getting their info?

Incentives are often local and the figures provided here are keyed to your zip code. I'm not seeing any incentives in my area either. :-(

tidester, host

sagodi · November 2003

Dear All,

let me say hello at first! I am living in Europe and have a plan to buy an 45 the end of the next Jan. Please advise whether is it a good choice for me because I am a toll man - 6,56 feets? I have 4 persons family, but I really do not want to go off-road, just own a luxurious SUV size car.
Thanx in advance, and best regards!
Peter

tmjdds · November 2003

Peter,

I am also as tall as you and find the FX very comfortable. Legroom behind my seat is a little cramped but that is to be expected in any vehicle. I understand that gasoline is about $5.00 per gallon in Hungary...hope your family is in the oil business!

Enjoy your FX.

from America,

Jim

wibble · November 2003

There is $3000 dealer cash on premium package only 2003 FX45s in California at least.

mb280 · November 2003

I haven't been on this board for a while and was surprised to hear that Infiniti softened the suspension for the 45 and 35 (with the sport suspension). Last spring I was choosing between the FX35 and the RX330. One test drive in the FX and my wife complained about the harshness of the ride. I e-mailed Infiniti and asked whether they had any plans of offering the nav package without the sport suspension and they told me no (in no uncertain terms). This was sometime in late May or early June. They never mentioned anything concerning any modifications.

Alas, I am now "stuck" with my RX, the most wonderful vanilla car ever made. I wonder how much I would lose on a trade?

clpurnell · November 2003

Yes they supposedly softened the suspension. Also the tech package is available with the 18" whhels as well now at least on the 35.

Infiniti FX45 Infiniti FX35

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