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.

Faults:

The window washer fuse burned out.

One of the fog light lamps had to be changed.

Back seat is ripped in one very small place.

General Comments:

Maybe I am not too qualified to judge this car yet, as it is only few hundred miles that I've driven it, but still I can't hold in the excitement I have every time I look at or drive this car.

All my cars (except the last one, which I bought for my wife, as I got a company car for myself) in the past were coupes or sedans with very strong engines (MX6, M3, BMW 750, S500, etc).

Having bought a 2007 RAV4 last year, as I got a 2007 Pathfinder as the company car, I thought I got the perfect ladies car, (which is also an off-roader) and I was right, it was a ladies car.

Occasionally I had to drive the RAV4, and although it is a very nice car with a lot of features, I didn't feel at ease in it. So this year we decided to sell the RAV4 and buy used 2006 FX35.

And trust me it was the best decision. The car is like a sports coupe but with higher ground clearance, amazing handling, power and brakes; I am not even talking about the interior quality, the audio system and the SOUND of the CAR. Some would say the downside is the comfort, but I like how sporty this car rides, I like to feel what I am driving on. Hope the suspension can handle local roads for a long time.

The second row seating is much better than in the Pathfinder, although it is a little hard to get in or out. You will get little dirt on your clothing in bad weather (especially ladies wearing dresses).

Overall this is an excellent car. I am a little disappointed with the design of new FXs, but what can you do? A beauty like this you can only make once, I guess!

Faults:

None

General Comments:

This is the best automobile I have ever owned. I could not be any happier. 0-60 in around 7 seconds. I have every option that is possible. Plus the 20 inch rims which does make it ride a little ruff, but love the look of the bigger rims. Infiniti has a future customer in me. I cannot go anywhere without people turning their heads to look at this automobile. I could go on and on.. I am a very happy customer!