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The driver's view over the swoopy hood implies power lurks beneath and we were not disappointed. With a high-revving V6 that pulls well past 7,000 rpm, the Infiniti FX35 will reach 60 mph in a shade more than 6 seconds, even with all-wheel drive. The romping V8 FX50 will cover it in 5 seconds flat.
Although both engines spin freely and make more horsepower than torque (and run on premium unleaded), the V8 is the smoother of the two and with seven-speed automatics one is never at a loss for propulsion. The competing X6's 3-liter twin-turbo inline six is quicker, more flexible and smoother than the FX35 and we expect the twin-turbo V8 X6 will outrun the FX50; however, you will rarely get to use the full performance of any of them on most roads, and the X6 tends to run $10,000-$15,000 more than the FX, and at 10-plus-percent heavier the X6 won't match the FX on mileage.
The new seven-speed automatic does everything it should, with quick gear changes up or down that have a reassuring firmness when you're in a hurry and more muted silkiness at slower speeds. It offers downshift rev-matching for smoothness and least wear on car and occupants, a snow mode, two overdrive ratios for relaxed highway cruising, and is a main contributor to the improved mileage ratings in spite of added power. When run in manual mode, the transmission will not downshift automatically, even if you floor the throttle in top gear.
The available all-wheel-drive system works without any driver input or feedback; it puts power to the ground in the most efficient manner, and if that isn't enough the traction control helps out. Though they have 7 inches of ground clearance, these machines are not designed for off-road travel and anything more than a damp beach is asking a lot.
The all-wheel-drive models are rated for towing 2,000 pounds with a V6 and 3,500 with the V8; towing is not recommended for rear-drive V6s.
If most of your driving is commuting, we'd suggest the V6 for its better mileage, less aggressive throttle tip-in, and softer riding tires.
Brakes are four-wheel discs, and on the FX50 they are stout 14-inch discs with silver-painted multipiston calipers at both ends. Combined with the performance summer tires, it can stop in a hurry and has no issues with fade in repeated applications. Infiniti claims the 21-inch Enkei wheels on the FX50 are as light as competitors' 18-inch wheels, which helps explain why the 800-pound heavier Infiniti FX50 stops almost as well as the G37S coupe with essentially the same brakes but narrower tires.
Underneath, the FX is essentially a car with more ground clearance; the front axle shafts actually go up from the gearbox to the wheels. The majority of the suspension pieces and subframes are aluminum, and the lightness thereby imparted makes it easier to tune a good ride / handling compromise. The basics are coil springs, large stabilizer bars, relatively neutral weight distribution, and 265-section tires regardless of model; it's just the profile that changes, or the performance tires available on the V8.
The Infiniti FX rides firmly, more like a sport sedan than a crossover, and the only SUV or crossovers that have the same bias to performance over softness are the Acura RDX, BMW X3, X5, and X6 sports, and anything with an AMG badge on it. Fortunately the Infiniti FX has a very stiff structure to build from so the ride isn't jarring or stiff unless it's a really bad road.
Despite the extra wheelbase, the thin sidewalls and performance bent still allow some fore-and-aft pitching, and putting this much weight over a speed bump on such a setup is not done gracefully. But get to a winding road and the impressive grip from the Dunlop SP Sport asymmetric tires, nicely weighted steering, firm roll stiffness, and near-neutral balance make for a fun ride with lots of ability for a hefty box.
A sport package for the Infiniti FX50 also adds continuous damping control (CDC) suspension and active rear steering. Unless you're on a race track, the CDC is best left on Automatic where it blends comfort and precision requests so well that the Sport mode rarely lets you go much quicker. The active steering is an electronically controlled rack mounted low and behind the rear differential that changes rear wheel angle up to one degree to aid stability in very brisk maneuvers and transitions. While active damping and active steer are nice, the summer tires are all you need if most of your cornering is done one on-ramp at a time. The BMW X6 with a sport package puts up better maximum numbers in outright grip and braking, but the X6 doesn't feel as fun, smooth or happy doing it.
Besides a ride not suited to some Midwest infrastructure the other drawback is potential tire and road noise coming in. On some highway surfaces the rear tires sing, but it can be easily drowned out by the audio system at low listening levels.
If your Infiniti FX has the technology package, be prepared for the occasional bell, ping or other warning sound, signal and sensation. With a cruise control system that can follow a vehicle and use brakes automatically to maintain distance, it also warns you of impending collision when you aren't watching where you're going. The Lane Departure Warning system isn't mistake-proof, once seeming to mistake splashed water for leaving an unmarked lane, and it is on every time you start the car; you must press the button to stop false alarms.
Seeing out forward isn't an issue unless you are short and the big mirror and door post/pillar combination block forward side vision, or you need to squeeze through a narrow opening because the front body edges are undefined and just out there somewhere. To the rear, the canopy pillars, minimal glass and rear headrests conspire against you, although the rear wiper clears most of the glass you can see. Infiniti has a fix for this called Around View: With the rear camera view display on the left side of the dash screen, the right side presents an aerial image of the car and its surroundings on the right screen digitized from the side, front and rear camera input. It's a better setup than the self-parking Lexus.
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