2006 Infiniti FX35 3.5L gasoline
Summary:
Great vehicle for those in warmer climes
Faults:
Right rear bearing went at 96,000. Left rear bearing went 2 weeks later.
The car does not start in cold weather.
Intelligent cruise control.
Lane departure warning.
General Comments:
The Infiniti FX35 is a near-Luxury SUV made by Nissan. Unlike other Japanese SUVs, this car does not have a Nissan-branded counterpart. It is made exclusively for export in Japan.
The design of the car is (supposedly) based on a BMW X5; many call it a 'Bionic Cheetah'.
Most reviews complain about rear visibility. I do not have a problem with the rear visibility, but the size of the right side mirror blocks my view, especially when the traffic is coming up a hill. Rear visibility is much better than the Toyota Solara convertible I owned several years ago.
Starting in 2006, everything that was an option in 2005, except 20" wheels, became standard. One of which is a backup camera.
When you first open the back liftgate, there seems to be a lot of room there; very deceiving. As the liftgate slants downwards, there is actually very little room.
This car is a joy to drive in good weather. The acceleration is amazing (Infiniti also offers a V8 version, the FX50, which is only 1 second faster 0-60 and gets 5 MPG less). The car is really at home in snow and on slippery roads. There is button on the left lower dash labeled 'Snow'. This allows the vehicle to start in a higher gear, preventing wheel slip. This past Winter had lots of snow and I never had a problem with slippage or loss of control.
Explanation of problems:
Bearings are self explanatory; they can just go with age.
Intelligent Cruise Control: This car comes with two cruise controls, regular and 'Intelligent'. Intelligent shows the exact speed you set it, and it will automatically slow the car down for a vehicle in front.
This will, for no apparent reason, 'slam' on the brakes with no one in front. It turns itself off with light rain. It turns itself off when the temperature is in the 'teens (Fahrenheit). It does not work below 0. As of late, with temps in the 40's, it turns off after a few minutes. The car must be restarted for it to re-boot.
Lane Departure Warning: Is a nuisance. It is supposed to let one know when they have drifted, either left or right, out of their lane. This beeps from irregularities in the color of the pavement. Fortunately it can be turned off.
Not Starting: First it has a new battery.
When the temp gets in the low teens, it would not start. I found that if I turned on the ignition and then put on my seat belt, it would start. Sometime it would take 2 or 3 tries. For short trips, restarting was equally difficult.
This process would work until the temp went below about -5. Then the car would not start at all (it had trouble cranking). I even parked it in the garage and it still would not start. BTW, my son's and daughters CRV's start every day.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 27th April, 2014
4th Sep 2014, 01:32
In cold weather, if the engine cranks slowly and takes time to start, it means either the battery is weak, or the oil grade is too high (such as an 15w50 oil). I suspect your car has a battery trouble. Even with a new battery, it can happen that the alternator won't charge properly or there is a short. Alternator trouble can be caused by a faulty regulator or a seizing pulley.