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Infiniti FX45 Infiniti FX35

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Comments

  • JBaumgartJBaumgart Member Posts: 890
    You should do what I did - let your wife have the RX330 (my wife LOVES her's) and you get an FX45 (I love mine!).
  • dptbonesdptbones Member Posts: 21
    To the person who claimed that section 179 is just an accelerated write off, you are so wrong. If you purchase an FX45 tech, you will be able to write off about $11,000 the first year, about $5000 the second year and about $2000 every year after that as long as you own the car. Actually, you have to multiply your percent of work use by those numbers to get your actual write off. As you can see, using these numbers (they are only approximate, I can't find the exact numbers my accountant gave me) if you owned the car for four years you would have a 20,000 write off. Of course, if you lease then you may write off the entire payment multiplied by your percentage use for business. The section 179 rules for over 6000 lb vehicles is a huge difference. On a 50,000 car this is 2.5 times as much written off your taxes. As someone else mentioned, accelerated depreciation also allows you to have the money up front to invest and make more money. I'm also struggling to decide between an FX 45 and another vehicle in the over 6000 lb category. Its not easy to decide when there is such a difference in tax advantage.
    Bones
  • anilpunjabianilpunjabi Member Posts: 61
    That tax writeoff is very big considering the price segment the 45 falls into. Its a shame that the fx45 saves weight over the bmw, but due to the tax rules that added weight actually saves money for the bmw - its a double edged sword in my case. B/c how much i miss the tech package
  • newtismenewtisme Member Posts: 10
    dptbones says " to the person who claimed that section 179 is just an accelerated write off, you are so wrong....... On a 50,000 car this is 2.5 times as much written off your taxes. As someone else mentioned, accelerated depreciation also allows you to have the money up front to invest and make more money."

    I'm the one that posted and actually I don't believe I am wrong. The Section 179 write off gives you accelerated depreciation ONLY; it doesn't incrase the total you can write off. And you are subject to recapture if you don't own the vehicle long enough to fully depreciate it.

     If you accelerate $30K of depreciation, over three years what is it worth at today's interest rates? ( Hint: at Money-Market rate of 2% it's $1836).

    SO, do you want to go out and buy a more expensive car because you can save $1800 approximately? The savings are eaten up by the increased cost. i say, buy for what you want, not for the tax code.
  • bpraxisbpraxis Member Posts: 292
    Hello everyone and let me wish you a wonderful holiday. The Orlando car show was very nice and had some great looking concept cars, ( the new Ford GT and the Pontiac Solstice. Nissan and Infiniti seemed to dominate the car show taking about 20 percent of the space.

      I was there for approximately 3 hours and noticed that the 3 Infiniti FXs had very few people congragating around them. There were 2 FX35s in white and silver and one FX45 in Black. I love the stling and the FX may be simply geared to a very individualistic clientel. They also had two G35 coupes which seemed to be popular with the attendees.

      The new BMW X3 was also at the show and to my eye was very cheap looking. Especially the interior which reaked of cheap plastic. The 3.0 engine started about $36,000 with the options quickly moving the price into the stratospere. There did not seem to be much interest in the new SUV.

      The biggest attention getters in the show were the new Mazda RX8, the Nissan 350Z, the Scion products from Toyota, the Mercedes AMG SL, the exotic car display featuring the new Lamborgini Gayordo, ( spelled wrong ), and the Bentley GT.

      It was great to see that there was virtually no price increase for 2004 and the nice refinements to the 2004 model. Hopefully Infiniti has also addressed the complaints regarding thin paint, rattles, squeaks, and other minor annoyances.
  • mwitt3mwitt3 Member Posts: 15
    Enjoyed your comments. I'm currently shopping for an FX 35 in NYC area. I think the FX is definitely an aquired taste. Recently I commented to my brother what an attractive vehicle it was he thought it was awful.Regarding the "rattles" I hope that is fixed. In reading consumer reviews here I have not noticed any more recently. Maybe that is fixed in the 04.
  • crikeycrikey Member Posts: 1,041
    See Infiniti FX: IIHS Best Pick.

    It was tested twice, though, since the driver frontal airbag deployed late. A recall to adjust the airbag deployment software is looming:

    The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has evaluated the crashworthiness of the FX in two 40 mph frontal offset crash tests into deformable barriers. In the first test, the driver frontal airbag deployed late, with the result that high forces were recorded on the dummy's head, indicating the likelihood of head injuries. This led Infiniti to modify the frontal airbag deployment characteristics on models produced after September 10, 2003. Also, Infiniti will initiate a service campaign to modify at its cost vehicles produced earlier. The Institute tested a second FX with the modified driver airbag, and the airbag inflated much earlier. Ratings of the FX are based on the results of the second test, except structural performance is based on both tests. Head restraint and bumper designs are evaluated separately.
  • aleksd1aleksd1 Member Posts: 37
    I'm a little confused about the head injury rating. FX is rated as Acceptable in that category. Side note says that airbags fired late first time, but when retested it was fine. Quote:
    "INJURY MEASURES: HEAD ACCEPTABLE Measures taken from the neck, chest, and both legs indicate low risk of injuries to these body regions. However, head acceleration was high when the dummy's head bottomed out the airbag and struck the steering wheel, indicating the possibility of head injury."
     This seems like a description of a problem with early firing of the airbags that according to IIHS was fixed in the second round of testing. Any ideas?
  • crikeycrikey Member Posts: 1,041
    They may have taken the results of both tests and averaged it out?

    head acceleration was high when the dummy's head bottomed out the airbag and struck the steering wheel, indicating the possibility of head injury

    That quote seems that more consistent with an airbag firing late rather than early?
  • tedcruisertedcruiser Member Posts: 50
    The dealers are aware of this recall. I am getting mine updated at the dealer as I post. Never did get any other notification. I was at the dealer for some other work and it showed up as a recall needing to be done on my vehicle. I would get this done as soon as possible. You don't want your airbag deploying a split-second too late.
  • crikeycrikey Member Posts: 1,041
    yep, scheduled mine for friday. call your dealer now and have the recall taken care of.
  • clpurnellclpurnell Member Posts: 1,083
    I guess I am really screwed. what would be the odds that I own both Vehicles that the Air Bags deploy late on (Honda Pilot).
  • crikeycrikey Member Posts: 1,041
    what are the odds? :) please get them taken care of asap.
  • clpurnellclpurnell Member Posts: 1,083
    Already had my wife call the inifniti dealer and I will be calling honda soon. She has me driving the dreaded pilot this week. (hmmm maybe she just caught the first half of dateline and was trying to set me up ;-) )
  • lawry13lawry13 Member Posts: 1
    Even thought I love my FX35 I have developed some problems at the 2k mileage. The rear "hatchback door" rattle I have read in other posts is a common problem. Also, I have noticed a burning rubber smell after about 20 minutes of operating the car. I also had a problem starting the car the other day. It acted as if it was out of gas and then turned over. Don't quite know what the hell happened. And this may be petty, but I use the Bose tape player for my cassette adapter input for my Apple iPod and it makes a bunch of crunchy sounds as the reels turn. It is not the tapes, it is the tape mechanism. Just curious if anyone has experienced these problems? Taking it to the dealer soon. thanks
  • clpurnellclpurnell Member Posts: 1,083
    When is your build date. You might need a hatch replacement from warping (cold weather). I think this might pop up again as temps fall just as it was prevelant during the summer (adhesive does not have a broad enough temp range). Can't help you on the smell or starting. I have had non of these issues. I also have never even used my tape player. Do you have tech package? you can use the inputs for your iPod there is also a mod on another forum where you can create your own line in for your iPod if you don't have the tech package. Hope everything works out. Let us know what the dealer says.
  • crikeycrikey Member Posts: 1,041
    Taken from NHTSA.gov:

    Make : INFINITI Model : FX35/45 Year : 2003
    NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 03V476000 Recall Date : NOV 07, 2003
    Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER
    Potential Number Of Units Affected : 24300

     
    Summary:
    ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE FRONT BRAKE CALIPER MOUNTING BOLTS MAY NOT BE ADEQUATELY TIGHTENED. THIS COULD RESULT IN THE UPPER MOUNTING BOLT COMING LOOSE AND FALLING OUT.
      
    Consequence:
    IF THIS OCCURS, IT WOULD ALLOW THE CALIPER TO ROTATE ON THE LOWER MOUNTING BOLT AND CONTACT THE INSIDE OF THE ROAD WHEEL, RESULTING IN NOTICEABLE NOISE AND VIBRATION. IF THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO BE DRIVEN IN THIS CONDITION, THE LOWER MOUNTING BOLT COULD ALSO COME LOOSE AND FALL OUT, RESULTING IN SEPARATION OF THE BRAKE CALIPER FROM THE MOUNTING BRACKET. THIS COULD DAMAGE THE BRAKE HOSE TO THE CALIPER OR DAMAGE THE ROAD WHEEL, CAUSING AN AIR LEAK FROM THE TIRE, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
      
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE FRONT BRAKE CALIPER MOUNTING BOLTS TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE SECURE. OWNER NOTIFICATION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JANUARY 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT INFINITI AT 1-800-662-6200.
      
    Notes:
    CUSTOMERS CAN ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION’S AUTO SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

    I think that the units affected have a build date of November 2002 to July 2003. Darn, those Infiniti assemblers don't tighten bolts very well. :) First, loose bolts in the tranny and now, loose bolts in the brakes. Oh yeah, the airbag ECM recall also due to the IIHS crash test.
  • bobbio56bobbio56 Member Posts: 37
    has anyone experienced the 45 in snow?....it is the auto i picked to buy and want to make sure it has "snow-ability"....this is all that is stopping me....thanks!
  • crikeycrikey Member Posts: 1,041
    Called to schedule appointment for this and dealership says that mine is unaffected (?). Not sure how to check which vehicles are affected.
  • clpurnellclpurnell Member Posts: 1,083
    It depends on how much snow you get. There are many owners in canada and minnesota and upper newyork that have put snow tires on and says it is as capable as any other suv. If you are getting the 20" tires you may want to consider snow tires if you get major snow fall. Others who get snow every once in a while have said they have done ok on the stock tires. I live in houston now so I can't comment from personal experience :)
  • JBaumgartJBaumgart Member Posts: 890
    As clpurnell says, for maximum traction in tough winter conditions dedicated winter tires make a huge difference. This applies to any vehicle of course but I can personally attest to how great the FX is when driving in a snowstorm with winter tires. I also noticed that engaging the AWD lock button (snow mode in the 2004) enhances traction even further.

    While I have not driven the stock 20 inch tires in snow, I have heard from others that they manage OK but are not great. This is typical of any "all season" tread but when you combine it with a lower profile, more performance-oriented tire it will always be a compromise over what a dedicated winter tire will provide.

    One other bonus of the taller, 18 inch winter tire is that they really help smooth out the bumps better especially in winter when the roads become a little rougher and the car's components become stiffer. Plus your more expensive summer tires will last that much longer if they are not being used 4 months a year.
  • aas5aas5 Member Posts: 50
    JBaumgart,
    Whcih snow tires do you use on your FX and how much did you pay for them.
    Thanks.
  • bobbio56bobbio56 Member Posts: 37
    jbaumgart..thanks for the info...did you go to 18's for the snow? thanks...
  • petewat3petewat3 Member Posts: 83
    bobbio & all- I just returned from a 2000 mi trip during which I got caught in a snow storm that quickly deposited about 3 inches on the freeway with no road treatment at all. It was in the mountains and the road was curvy and hilly. Cars and some SUV's were spinning out and stopping to the side but the FX did fine with the standard 20 inchers. I'm anxious to see how it does with more snow depth but this was a good response in slick conditions.
  • bobbio56bobbio56 Member Posts: 37
    that's great to hear! I am in Philly and last year it snowed here a bunch. we may get @ 2 to 3 in. tonight..so tomorrow i may get a first hand try..thanks for the info, sounds like you had confidence when in the snow....
  • JBaumgartJBaumgart Member Posts: 890
    I went with a set of Bridgestone Blizzak DM-Z3's in a 265/60-18 inch size. They came mounted on AT Italia Inox wheels, 18 x 8 inches. I'm sure the stock all seasons would manage OK, but for ultimate winter traction and peace of mind true winter tires cannot be beat! Whether you "need" them or not depends on where you live (length and severity of winters), the condition of the roads you must travel on, and to what extent you "must" drive no matter what the conditions may be.

    For peace of mind and safety reasons I also purchased a set for my wife's car, an RX330. Same brand but due to sizing/availability her's are WS-50's in a 235/55-18.
  • bobbio56bobbio56 Member Posts: 37
    thanks for the tip...we are allegedly getting somewhere from 3 to 8 inches in philly tonight..so tomorrow will be "snow with the demo" day....i have heard only good things about the blizzaks...will look into it...we have a QX4 that has been totally trouble free for 80k miles and just good old all weather michelins work in almost any conditions....
  • mcevikcemcevikce Member Posts: 15
    I bought 2004 FX35 AWD about month ago. They told me the snow button activates the AWD but the manual says snow button reduces engine power to increase traction? I am confused. Did the give me a RWD car or this AWD car is not a true AWD one. Someone please explain this to me?
  • safari_in_calisafari_in_cali Member Posts: 8
    I have 2004 FX35 RWD and there is the snow button. If you have an AWD model, there also should be the AWD lock button.
  • clpurnellclpurnell Member Posts: 1,083
    In 2004 Infiniti got rid of the AWD lock button and the snow button serves two purposes it starts you off in second gear and it locks the AWD system up to 19 mph. The AWD will kick in whenever the rear wheels slip. The best results by those in snow in other boards is to push the snow button but disable VDC. They say it causes the vehicle to handle better in slippery conditions.
  • petewat3petewat3 Member Posts: 83
    cautious confidence.... I'm 50 miles west of B'More & we got the same storm Philly was expecting. I canned work Friday but went out for a while to see how it would do in our 10 inches before they got it cleaned up on the roads. Mixed results: in AWD it did fine. Without the lock on (I have a 2003) it slipped a bit at low speeds. clpurnel- are you sure the AWD kicks in if the rear wheels slip? (Haven't had a chance to check the manual on that one). Also, I've had other cars with VDC and never disabled it in snow - it rarely kicks in and you may need it if it does.
    On another subject: I made an appt. to have the ECM airbag reprogrammed and the dealer was well aware of the recall but they had not heard anything about the front caliper bolt announcement referenced in an earlier post....FYI.
  • tedcruisertedcruiser Member Posts: 50
    I had the same experience. The dealer new all about the ECM recall, but didn't know what I was talking about on the brake recall. Everything I have read said they will start notify owners in January. So I will wait till then. You would think the dealers would already be moving on this.
  • mulligan2mulligan2 Member Posts: 59
    You should only disable the VDC in deep snow so you can get free. You should put it back on when you are out of the deep snow so you can keep the rubber side down and the nose pointed in the right direction.
  • krodrenkrodren Member Posts: 31
    Anyone familiar with these on '03 fx premium pkg (no tech)? We've adjusted as per manual with ignition key in "on" position, but the seats often don't go where they're supposed to when we go to start it up. Or are you supposed to push button 1 or 2 on the side of the seat every time after you've turned on the ignition? That seems silly. Manual really isn't clear on this.
  • clpurnellclpurnell Member Posts: 1,083
    I was just relaying what I heard elsewhere about the vdc. Yes the AWD is supposed to kick in anytime the rear wheels slip I have heard it takes a second. I have no first hand experience with the FX in snow because I live in houston and have a RWD version.

    Krodren

    You have to program each remote to the seat memory (1 or 2) then when you open the doors the seat will hold those presets otherwise it will go back to whatever the last position was. Luckily my wife and I are of similar height so I have only programmed my settings. As I recall you must set all your presets store them in one of the memory settings and then hold your remote close to the seat to program it. I do not have access to my owners manual maybe someone else could help you out more with the specifics. I am also assuming this is the same for non tech cars as I have the tech package.
  • cmdpm01cmdpm01 Member Posts: 3
    kroden,

    to set the memory of the seat, steering wheel/instrument cluster and sideview mirrors...
    1.set everything up to your liking
    2.with the key turned to the "on" position
    3.press and hold the set button for a count of three
    4.then press and hold button 1 or 2 for a count of three
    now to link the memory (1 or 2) to the keyless remote...within 5 seconds of setting the memory, press and hold the unlock button on the specific remote.

    good luck
  • duffer7duffer7 Member Posts: 17
    So , I bought an Fx which I now REGRET !!
    I live 75 miles from the dealer. I must take the vehicle back for a warped hatch, a defective airbag, and an unattached brake rotor which can kill me & my family if I apply the brakes !
    Two hours gettng there, Four hours repair, two hours to home -- for each defect. My dealer hasn't heard about the airbag & brake thing yet !!
    MAKE ME AN OFFER !!
  • memgranitememgranite Member Posts: 2
    my fx45 drivers seat has a slight rocking motion. the dealer says its normal, but its driving me crazy what can i do. I feel it AS I START AND STOP HELP WHAT DO I DO
  • clpurnellclpurnell Member Posts: 1,083
    The dealer is lying to you there is a TSB out for this the number is TT-03037 (I got this from the NHTSA site). Take this to your dealer and have them fix it I had mine fixed 5 months ago.

    Duffer7
    I've had all these things(except brake caliper) done to my FX and while it may be a Pain to have them done I wouldn't sell my FX over it. What you gonna buy instead a BMW or Touareg?? It is a first year model and will have some problems but all mine have been fixed and I love my car.
  • daschtickdaschtick Member Posts: 63
    If you prefer to trade a vehicle for these issues, that is your choice, but I personally feel that you are over-reacting.

    The air bag and brake caliper bolt are recent issues, so the dealers may not have all of the info just yet. Both of these should be able to be completed in under 30 minutes together. If you are worried about "an unattached brake rotor which can kill me & my family if I apply the brakes", (actually it is a caliper bolt that may not have been correctly torqued), have a local mechanic inspect the caliper bolts on the front brakes - or if your handy, check them yourself.

    As far as the hatch goes, have the dealer order a replacement, and have all (3) issues completed together.

    If all else fails, maybe I'll buy it, but only for cheap - it's got a lot of problems!
  • JBaumgartJBaumgart Member Posts: 890
    If you do decide to sell your FX, be sure to first check out some of the other boards here, especially the VW Touareg SUV, where the list of "defects" is MUCH longer and MUCH more serious than your 3 issues. Have the dealer set you up with a loaner, and have all three done together, maybe combined with an oil change. No need to be more inconvenienced more than necessary, and the dealer will know exactly how to do a permanent repair on each item, at which point you should be good to go.
  • krodrenkrodren Member Posts: 31
    Thanks for the responses--maybe I wasn't holding the buttons down long enough.
    Final question (remember it's non-tech pkg): Do I have to push the 1 or 2 button every time before I turn the key? Or--aha!--does the keyfob only work on the seats when I use it to unlock the door? Meaning I'd have to push a button if I got into the car when it was unlocked?
  • clpurnellclpurnell Member Posts: 1,083
    Even if it is unlocked just push the unlock button on the right keyfob again it should go to your presets. Other wise you have to use the side buttons.
  • petewat3petewat3 Member Posts: 83
    I had the ECM airbag taken care of yesterday & it took about ten minutes. The dealer still hasn't heard about the caliper bolt problem but said that maybe the reason that there isn't a campaign is that checking the bolts is something they do with a routine service (15 K variety) so if you've had a 15 K service it's a non-issue. As for the hatch,it appears to only effect a very limited number of FX's - mine wasn't one of them. duffer- if you have managed to escape minor fixes and adjustments on the new vehicles you've purchased then you are in a vast minority. Take care of it and move on. If you need a real "lemon" story to compare your FX woes to, let me know & I'll tell you about a Ford Explorer I bought a few years back.
  • rollbarrollbar Member Posts: 297
    Just picked up my 2004 FX 35 AWD. Touring and Tech with a couple of other items; cargo mat, splash guards and much to my surprise, cross bars in the roof rack. Apparently the dealer didn't know the car had them and so "ate" the cost. I would not have ordered them but.......

    I'm a little dissappointed I can't have the door locks set to lock automatically when I reach a predetermined speed. Service tells me none of the Infinity models have that capability.

    Love the car so far, and it seems the 60 series tires do soften the ride just a bit. :-)

    Roll
  • gibogibo Member Posts: 22
    I finally drove the FX35 today. My husband had driven it before. I had just crawled around the showroom one and studied it online for weeks. I was very excited about it until I hit the gas petal.... and nothing... then something ... but not much. Maybe it was because I had just been driving the new Durango with that monster cool engine. The dealer said that it was because the engine has to be broken in and the car has to learn my driving style. ... uh huh. I wanted it to get up and go like my Tundra did. (or the Q45 or the Volvo or the Mustang.)
      How does the FX45 compare? I didn't want to be getting that far up there in price, but I don't want to spend $40k+ and not be thrilled.
      I almost want to go back and drive another one. Maybe there was something wrong with that one. I'm so disappointed. I also noticed that the seats are a little narrow. Too bad... so sad.
  • gibogibo Member Posts: 22
    I finally drove the FX35 today. My husband had driven it before. I had just crawled around the showroom one and studied it online for weeks. I was very excited about it until I hit the gas petal.... and nothing... then something ... but not much. Maybe it was because I had just been driving the new Durango with that monster cool engine. The dealer said that it was because the engine has to be broken in and the car has to learn my driving style. ... uh huh. I wanted it to get up and go like my Tundra did. (or the Q45 or the Volvo or the Mustang.)
      How does the FX45 compare? I didn't want to be getting that far up there in price, but I don't want to spend $40k+ and not be thrilled.
      I almost want to go back and drive another one. Maybe there was something wrong with that one. I'm so disappointed. I also noticed that the seats are a little narrow. Too bad... so sad.
  • clpurnellclpurnell Member Posts: 1,083
    I'm really surprised by your statement I saw on the touareg thread that you were also considering those. The FX35 is FASTER than both the Durango Hemi and The Touareg V8 (also beats the porsche Cayenne S) so I am very surprised it is not quick enough. My car flies and I would be in way too much trouble if I otped for the v8 (wife has gotten one ticket in it already). I would drive another. The Hemi might feel faster off the line because of all the torque. If you are into torque test the 45.
  • arhfx45arhfx45 Member Posts: 27
    Yeah that Tundra's a rocket for sure. The FX35 is quicker than the Tundra, any Durango, including the 5.7 Hemi Gas Guzzler 12mpg(Yeehaw),& any Volvo except the S60R. On the next FX35 test drive release the parking brake, that'll help.
       The FX45 is quicker than the FX35 for certain, but you may have to go with the 450 hp Cayenne Turbo to approach your mighty Tundra.
        Good luck....
        Oh BTW I'm 6'2" & weigh 240 & the seats fit me perfectly fine. Too narrow you say, hmmm.
  • petewat3petewat3 Member Posts: 83
    kroden- if you have the intelligent key (Tech pkg.) then you do not need to push the unlock on the fob for it to know which memory setting to execute.

    gibo- You gotta be kidding. Drive another one that's bs that it needs to be broken in. I'd find another dealer too if they are telling you things like that.
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