kutscher

Sorry for the confusion, about the Murano and FX. The nissan dealer misinformed me regarding the "sameness" of these vehicles. The FX is quite impressive, but I still wonder about resale value, considering how the QX4 depreciates so much. But, you can never tell IMO, I will have to see and drive one to compare these two SUV's.

Bjorn

I test drove the FX35 w/sport package(20" wheels & sports suspention) yesterday. Very impressive. I put a refundable deposit down on it yesterday with delivery mid March. I was(still am) leaning toward a RX330 but the FX35 had the options & color I wanted(Laser red exterior/brick & black leather interior). I guess there are pros & cons to both. I have been a loyal Toyota owner for 15 years. I love the reliability and was wondering how Infiniti rates. Another good problem, I can get the Infiniti below invoice with the VVP(vechicle purchase program) thru my company. I will be saving over $4,000!!! Not quite sure what to do. I'm sure I'll never get a RX330 for $36,000. I wish the Infiniti got a little gas milage(16/22).

gr8330

I like the way that the dash pod moves with the wheel, that way the dash is never blocked by the steering wheel when adjusting.

unrealii

I'd say it comes down to what you want out of a vehicle. IF you want to be zooming off and taking twisties at high speeds, get the infiniti. If you want to take a ride around the town, get the lexus. They are totally different vechicles IMO.

white01

It's funny how this crossover thing has taken hold with the public now. It's also good to also see that the folks on this board can be objective. I personally wonder if it's not some ingenious marketing ploy to get people into neatly disguised station wagons. I know "xsfo" and I briefly commented on the old AMC "Eagle" of the early to mid-eighties, which was essentially a lifted station wagon with 4-wheel drive. People looked at the thing like it was from another planet. The only other wagon type vehicles with AWD that have remained in production (state-side prior to "98") for any length of time belonged to Subaru. Fast forward to now - was the Eagle before it's time?

DROD2045

In terms reliability, in the last J.D.Power test, Infiniti was second behind Lexus.

HemantS

As others have said I think it comes down to sport vs luxury.

ie. ES300 drivers would more likely buy the RX330, G35 drivers would more likely by the FX35/45.

BTW, someone mentioned the IS300 sport cross. LMAO, how can you call something RWD a sport cross. If that thing had AWD I'd probably be in one right now. I bought an Audi A4 instead.

Missed opportunity for Lexus. I actually ranted directly to them about this. It's no accident that the BMW, Mercedes, Infiniti, Jaguar are all adding AWD to their entry level sport sedans - the market want it!!!!!

TRDHarrier

u no, I hate the rear of the RX330 but love the front...except the front grill. THe rear looks like a freakin MDX

LexFather

It is a usefull feature, though I never needed it. Telescoping wheels are fine to me

Is the new FX built in America? I think it is? In Mississippi or Tennessee, does anyone know?

laterldf

I test drove a couple of FX's yesterday in anticipation of replacing our ML430. They very very impressive and drove and handled exceptionally well. The CVT (continuous variable transmission) performed great. I thought the sport version with the 20" wheels produced a rather harsh and thumpy ride.

But there were two major negatives: limited visibility out the rear window and Infinit's idiotic policy of bundling their major options into three packages. For example, if you want to get the nav feature, you have to buy the $9400 tech package which also includes the rear seat entertainment DVD, sport suspension with the 20" wheels, "intelligent" cruise control and keyless entry, and many more features which I actually liked. You can not order an FX with just the options you want unless you take the whole package with which they're bundled. So, I walked before even beginning to negotiate a price. later, ldf-waiting for the RX330.

LexFather

That is what 20-25% of the price. Wow.

eyebike

Torn between the FX35 and the RX330, but leaning alot toward the RX330.

The FX35 does handle great, like a sports car. Lots of power, grips the road. Corners flat. Two main negatives. Ride is stiff and harsh. My wife said she could feel very irregularity in the road. Review in USAToday even said the harsh ride would get old soon. Also, passenger seat is very low. Hard to see the road ahead over the dash. People on the Freshalloy board have noted it too with some refusing to buy the car because of it. Lastly, FX is mainly rear-wheel, with AWD kicking as needed. On snowy roads, AWD kicks in with noticeable lag on turns. RX with full-time AWD would probably handle better in snow.
On dry pavement, FX rules.

RX330 with performance package sounds like a good alternative. Wont handle like an FX, but the ride would be more comfortable. Also improvements in horsepower and torque, along with much shorter turning circle make the RX even better (than the old RX).

TheLexMan

Hi,
I've been reading in clublexus website for a while and fallowing most of the discussion threads about the new RX 330 and recently registered. I've been waiting for the new RX 330 since last October and recently read about the Infiniti FX 35 and the options that come with. I know you guys have discussed this subject for a while a long time ago and I read all threads that talked about the comparisons between both of them and I'm still confused. I like both cars. The RX 330 gives better performance on snow (I love to ski), big Cargo space, smoother ride and the Toyota reliability, The FX offers the new stylish look, cool interior, sporty performance and not as popular as the RX yet, I’ve been researching for a while and trying to decide, I’m on the waiting list for the RX 330, left a deposit on it last January and soon should be getting the car. I test drove both cars last Saturday and noticed that the RX got a smoother quieter ride; meanwhile the FX (with premium package only with 18” wheels) got a more powerful engine (louder as well)
Can somebody please help me with my confusion...?

Is it true that the RX should perform better on the snow? Would the difference between both cars be big in this aspect?
Is the difference in cargo space big 38 vs. 27 C. F.(I can't tell)?
Which brand is more reliable?
Would the FX engine noise get worse (it’s not as quite as the RX)?
Should I trust the Gas Mileage on either cars in comparing or this is just a rough estimate?

Thanks for your help in advance.

Ehab

lexuslover

i don't know about the FX35/45, but my new RX330 AWD is getting excellent mileage, right in between the 18/24 city/hwy MPG on the sticker. i'm averaging a bit over 20 mpg on my everyday driving. doing the same type of driving in my '01 RX300 usually yielded less than 17 mpg. i often felt that the sticker MPG on that car was exaggerated.

just fyi

eyebike

The FX is covered under the freshalloy.com forums. You can read what owners say about their FX there. Basically handles okay in snow, but they admit it's not great. The rear tends to swing out if they take turns too fast. Tires are also a limiting factor, since they are more performance oriented. A post here about the RX330 indicated that with the full time awd, there was not a problem.

Quality of both cars prob the same, except the RX330 being a 2nd gen has bugs and kinks worked. More toys and prob a nicer interior. No question, the FX will handle better on dry pavement. I thought it was handled awesomely.

Biggest turn off on the FX is stiff harsh ride especially with sport suspension and the passenger seat being too low. Passenger has trouble seeing over dash. I found I had to elevate the driver seat to see decently over the hood too. These are the same complaints Freshalloy forum members mentioned too, but for them, performance and handling were the number one criteria for them.

Comes down to what you are looking for in a car or suv. I opted for the RX330 with the performance package. Probably from what I read, a little stiffer ride than the standard Rx, but better handling, too. and no where near as harsh and punishing as the FX. And in the northeast with our potholes and frost heaves, it would be too hard driving around all the time like that. Seats were more comfortable in the RX too. A consideration if you're taking a long trip.

Also, on the FA forums, there was some concern about the poor mpg. Some posters were mentioning 15-16 mph overall.