According to my Lexus dealer I was supposed to be able to get a package with everything. Before every one chimes in it was not under the intent of a "wish list", it was supposed to be a special order that could be done if I waited till june. Thankfully I slapped down the 2500 and sighned the contract. Newayz I get a call a few days later saying that they were sorry that they could not do that plan for me must that they could get me the Mark Levinson Package. THANX 4 THE GREAT INFO I NEVER KNEW YOU COULD GET A mARK LEVINSON PACKAGE (sarcasm). This upset me greatly and since then I have been looking elsewhere. I have not crossed out the RX but i am questioning it. Im pretty sure that I have narrowed it down to the crossover SUV (RX-like) genre. I gotta tell ya one of them has really caught my eye and it is the FX45. Im not concerned with the 35 cuz like I said I was willing to go full blow on the 330 and that "magic RX" price my dealer gave me is the same for the fully loaded FX45. Both cars have alot of luxury but RX wins IMO in that factor the FX45 has the luxury but more sportiness including something I hear everyone complaining about the new RX lacking REAL ALUMINUM ACCENTS. When looking through the INFINITI website you will see that in terms of technology they really have all they same stuff for example Lexus has VSC they call it VCD and so on. The FX 45 also had a few extra techno things like break preview which works in conjunction with the laser cruise control pre-prepping the breaks in case the situation arises. There also was the backup camera, 6 Disc in dash CD yadadada you know the deal. They did have the choice of the Sirus or XM which be it not the most important feature I would think when you are paying 50,000 for a car they should have that but its not much of a problem. All this being said where the FX deffintely wins is in the "ballz"(I hope i dont get in trouble for that). It's as fast as the big X5 4.6is except this one supposedly acttualy handels. I mean its not a sports car speed but its good to have fun with and at least rip open the rest of the "stock" suvs on the road. Well that was a mouthfull. You guys can check out all the stuff at http://www.infiniti.com and see what you think. Im still in a toss up but this car is def making my mouth water. I would like to hear any feedback you guys would have on this matter but please honest opinions only cuz im not taking an attack on the RX if you already own it only making convo. Thanx. DRE

 

There's been several posts about this already.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...threadid=70167

Including an article written in Business Week comparing the two also

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...threadid=80988

 

On the downside, Infiniti’s have horrible resale value and their quality does not compare to Lexus. I do like the FX series, but it’s not worth the hit you take in deprecation to me, bet finding one used in 2 years will be a good deal.

 

If you really like the vehicle but are concerned about depreciation, leasing might be an attractive option. I decided to buy mine but I tend to keep my cars for a minimum of 5-7 years.

'04 RX330 Breakwater Blue & Light Gray - VP,NV,HS & TO (on order, July delivery)

 

That would be "'04 RX330...", i.e., 2004...

 

Your are correct, Lexterious. Hard to get used to this being a 2004 already.

 

If you are interested in an FX45 with tech package (Navigation, DVD, rear view camera), etc, you should check out www.grubbs.com. Its an Infiniti dealer in the Dallas ForthWorth Area. The person to talk to is Danny Mayer, General Manager of Grubbs Infiniti. They also ship in the continental US.
Apparently everyone who has bought their Infinitis there give the dealership high marks. I just inquired about an FX45 with tech and he quoted me $4500 off. I do not own an Infiniti but a 2002 Lexus RX300.
You can find more information about FX45s and other Infinitis at www.freshalloy.com.
HTH
Kris

 

I test drove a FX 45 and thought that it was one of the harshest riding vehicles that I have ever driven. My Ford Lightning pickup truck and my son's 4wd Chevy Avalance ride way smoother than the FX 45. My wife told me not to come home if I bought the FX. I came to my senses and bought a RX 330. I am happy that I went with the Lexus. I will be even happier in a couple of years when I go to sell it and get something else. Infinitis have almost zero resale value, kind of like Chrysler corporation vehicles. It is a shame but it is true. The FX was a fun ride for about 15 minutes but it is a little to strange for me. Skip

 

When I first got mine I was questioning the "firm" ride too - it felt harsh over rough roads which we have plenty of around here. I quickly found out however that, as delivered, the tires were overinflated by quite a bit. When I bled some air out and got down to Infiniti's recommended pressure (32 psi), as shown on the door jam, the ride quality improved immensely. It's still firm, but now I like the ride so much better. Perhaps the test vehicle that you drove had overinflated tires too. Or perhaps you and your wife just like a cushy ride, as do many Lexus owners.

 

Have you driven the FX45? It cought my eye too (I loved the billboard slogan - "Sport Euphoria Vehicle"), but then I took it out on a test drive. The car has a much more plasticky feel, and the Bose stereo is atrocious. You should check out the plastic subwoofer floating around in the spare tire well. It is faster, but I just couldn't deal with the poor fit & finish. This was despite the fact that I love speed and I'm 6'4" and the FX has substantially more headroom than the Rx. My wife hated it even more than I did. The other thing I really didn't like was the joystick based Nav system. The touch panel on the Rx is much easier to use. More of a minor nit was that the chair adjustment controls have got to be the most unintuitive set of controls ever put in an automobile.

If you don't really care about the stereo, then an RX330 with perf/nav and the standard stereo will fill the bill. If you do care, then you can always take the extra $3,660 you were going to spend for the VN+VP and get an aftermarket stereo. I'm still investigating whether that aftermarket stereo could be the Mark Levinson system or whether I'll have to go to some auto sound shows to find one with adequate quality.

 

Not surprising to see the Infiniti getting bashed on a Lexus forum. Of course if you go to the Infiniti discussion board you see the opposite.

I agree that the FX45 is not as "luxurious" as the RX but for many (myself included) it was luxurious enough. The leather is top quality and there are many nice features, some of which cannot be had on the RX330. But obviously with the FX it's the performance that is the main attraction. For the money, no other SUV/crossover vehicle competes with it.

This extra performance does not come "free" - just look at the price difference between, for example, the 3.0 X5 and the 4.6 X5, or the turbo and non-turbo versions of the Porsche Cayenne. I think in the case of the FX, Infiniti made a conscious decision to give up a little in the way of interior "luxury" for the added performance, as a way to keep the cost down to effectively compete with these makes. Conversely, if the RX330 came with a 315 HP V8 engine, along with the same interior luxury and all of the other goodies, I bet its price would be pushing up against the $60,000 mark. Even the V8's in the GX and LX (235 HP) are 80 HP short of the FX45's motor (I know, their missions are completely different, which is the point here).

I do take exception to the above poster's comments on the audio system - it's easily the best Bose system that I've heard in any car. Maybe not quite up to the ML in the Lexus, but it is better than the stock Pioneer unit (IMO) and it does come as standard equipment. The center front speaker adds presence to the sound stage and it plays plenty loud without distortion - and it does HAVE a subwoofer.

As for fit and finish, again I would disagree with drurywoodsman - I think the overall assembly is excellent. Some of the interior materials used are not as high quality as my previous car (Audi allroad) but unlike the Lexus the aluminum used in the center console area is REAL aluminum, as opposed to a plastic look-alike. Overall, I agree that the Lexus interior is more plush, but again considering the FX45's purpose, it's plush enough. Much in the same way that the interior of a Porsche or a Corvette will never be as plush as that of a Lexus or Mercedes SL, it's luxurious enough for buyers who place more value on the car's other qualities.

I do agree on the ergonomics and positioning of the seat controls - Infiniti blundered here and I hope they correct this on future models. I do however like the power lumbar support (on the side where it should be) and the fact that you can use the memory to set the seating, mirrors and steering wheel positions and not have to mess with the misplaced controls again. I also like the way the seat moves back and the steering wheel up and out of the way when you remove the key and go to exit the vehicle.

I did not order the Nav system on the FX, in part because my wife's RX330 will come with that option, and I do have a portable unit that I use when venturing into unfamiliar territory. I agree that the Nav system in the Lexus is more user friendly, so it will be nice to have it in my wife's car, which I suspect will be our vehicle of choice for family vacations and longer trips. In addition to the Nav system, it's also a bit roomier in back and gives a better highway ride - a more "practical" choice for families (and soccer moms, which she is!). But for more spirited driving around town and in the countryside, it's obvious to me at least that the FX is the more entertaining of the two to drive.

Both of these vehicles have their advantages and disadvantages, and it's just a matter of priorities.

 

I agree with you, people here are trying to put down Infiniti for the wrong reasons. RX330 is a different animal than the FX45/35, the FX was specially built to compete with more sporty SUV like BMW 4.4, 3.5 , Mercedes ML 430, AMG 55, and Porsche S. not with the RX, the RX is not a sport inspired SUV. it is excelent and what it does(Family oriented vehicle, Sedan car feel). I see no reason why Infiniti has to get bashed, If anything It should be considered(hands down) one of the best, if not the best in it's class.

 

Well said JRB. Although the Infiniti may be in the same price range, it's definitely aimed at a whole different segment.

 

Well obviously the FX 45 is a V-8 compared to the RX 330's V-6. But Lexus did make the RX or has intentions of the new RX to be sportier. Though, the RX is FWD without the AWD option and the FX is RWD without the AWD. Though I don't really care if it's a X5 4.6 or a ML 55 or Porsche Cayenne, it's an SUV and it's not sporty. Period. And I they don't carry much cargo. For instance the 540 WAGON has more cargo room than the X5.

The FX is a worthy competitor and the best Infiniti product with the G35's. We have to give them credit, it looks just like the show car.

I think marketing and all the ads really have some people here though. :

 

What is the concept of something sporty? sporty: notably loose or dissipate: fast 2) an automobile designed for quick response, easy maneuvarability, and high speed driving.

Now, I don't know about you but those characteristics do apply to the FX., but I guess you have to own one to appreciate it.