2008 Infiniti EX35 Review

Specifications

“It drives and rides like a car…” I don’t know how many times I’ve read this particular line or variations of it over the past couple of years, but it somehow sneaks its way into just about every crossover road test.

Call it a sign from automakers of all nationalities that they’re listened to the public and are therefore deep into the process of divorcing themselves from a relatively brief albeit money-making fling with body-on-frame, live-axle sprung sport utility vehicles. Personally, I try as often as I can to limit my personal usage of this phrase, but I feel that it’s justified here. Infiniti’s EX35 drives and rides like a car. But not just any car, as it drives and rides like a very sporty car.

Infiniti may not have been in the SUV business a particularly long time, but they’ve made quite a splash. Their first entry, the FX, arrived long after the Mercedes-Benz ML and BMW X5 were anywhere near fresh. Still, it was the right vehicle for the times and thankfully completely left of center, as there was nothing conservative about it. It cornered, gripped and most importantly looked like no other SUV on sale, and was crucial in cementing Infiniti’s presence in the luxury sport ute market. Of course, there’s also the QX56, the brand’s Escalade and Navigator fighter, but it’s more of towing and hauling machine than anything sporty. And while it’s highly unlikely that Infiniti can recreate the initial impact of the FX with the EX, it won’t merely be due to heavy competition from the M-Sport-equipped X3 or the Super-Handling RDX, but simply because the EX has a lot to live up to within its own family.

With a shape as distinguishable as the FX, it’s really no surprise that the Infiniti modeled the EX to look like a smaller version. It’s the same for a lot of vehicles in the Nissan family; take for instance the Murano and the Rogue. The shape of the EX is a bit like a shrunken FX, but its face is neither as aggressive nor opinion-dividing, carrying much more G into the mix. Taken from certain angles, particularly the low front quarter, the EX looks squat and aggressive, but I haven’t quite made up my mind on the whole. Its hood is long, its tail is pointy and its height is low, all to extremes. On the flip side of that coin, the design in its totality, combined with its rounded hatchback, makes it look a bit like a turtle.

But unlike a turtle, the EX is no slowpoke. To borrow an animality previously used for the FX, it’s the cheetah of the sport luxury crossover segment. The previous powerhouse leader, the BMW X3 3.0si, is outclassed by a giant margin against the EX’s VQ engine, which lays down nearly 300 horsepower, a suitable 40 horsepower gain over the BMW, leaving behind the four-cylinder turbo RDX as well, and the Land Rover LR2. And what a rush! Because the EX35 weighs only a couple of hundred pounds - 230 to be precise - more than a G35x, it’s nearly as quick. Like the G35x, the only transmission offered is a five-speed automatic, but it just so happens to be a particularly good gearbox. It goes about its business smoothly, as it ought to, but slap its leather-wrapped shift-knob into the manual gate and it executes precision throttle blipping that you’d never expect to find in a vehicle marketed as a crossover.

In fact, the EX on the whole doesn’t remind me remotely of what a crossover really ought to be. Crossovers are all about compromise, but the EX doesn’t seem to cause much compromise, at least when it comes to driving.

The EX’s power is served to the ground via Infiniti’s ATTESA-ETS all wheel drive, just like the G35x, however, to those south of the border, all wheel drive is an option, attesting the EX’s road-only nature. Its all season tires seem a little greasy and are the limiting factor here, and as a result the stability control kicks in early. Even without stability control, the EX would be just fine as it’s quite possibly the flattest cornering crossover ever made. Body roll is practically absent, and yet it doesn’t have a terribly harsh or bothersome ride. Firm, yes, but crashy, no.

To assume that the EX is both a G35x station wagon and shrunken FX wouldn’t be incorrect. Both ride on the same front-mid-engine “FM” platform. As such, a lot of the components such as the steering and the suspension layouts are closely related. In fact, the EX makes use of the FX’s rear axle and suspension assembly, which is no bad thing. The steering has a slightly heavier feel than the G37S we tested earlier this year, which came as a bit of a surprise. I like how Infiniti didn’t have the compelling urge to justify the EX as a crossover with unnecessary features like hill descent control, unnecessary ground clearance or a manual mode to lock the proportionality of the torque split.


Personal Luxury Crossover is the term that Infiniti is using to describe the EX, carefully, in true spinmaster style, avoiding the term “compact”. Like the G, the EX is a relatively large vehicle compared to its classmates, the longest in class from nose to tail, and with nearly the longest wheelbase. Where does the “personal” factor in, you ask? It’s personal because it’s not exactly what you’d call roomy. There’s no shortage of space up front, but rear legroom is unusually tight, and with a low rear bench, rear-seat passengers’ knees will sit quite high. Most crossovers don’t have headroom issues, but considering that the EX’s roof is four inches lower to the ground than its rivals, on average, if you’re tall, take note. There is only 0.5 inches more rear headroom than a G35 sedan. Part of the blame also rides on the sweeping roofline, which tucks down - which partially makes for that turtle-back roof.

Worse still is its cargo volume. It’s quite literally half of what the X3 offers in terms of overall volume, which, in North American standards, consists of the entire cargo bay, right up to the roof. What really matters to most users is that the space below the window line is thankfully wide and acceptably deep. It isn’t tall, and there’s precious little space should you need to pack things in. If you do a lot of moving, you’ll likely make use of the split folding rear seats, which have power operated controls that fold down and lift the seatbacks up, either from the tailgate or from the driver’s seat with redundant controls by the transmission tunnel. It’s capped off by an aluminum tailgate that’s so light it needs just two fingertips to shut. In addition, Infiniti has cleverly mounted the EX’s turn signals and a second set of brake lights on the lower portion of the bumper, should you need to carry long items with the tailgate open.

There isn’t any denying the “Luxury” aspect of its claims. Although Infiniti’s interiors are now well made, they’ve always been a step or two behind more traditional luxury brands in design; they look technologically advanced, but seem to lack a certain ambiance. Not so with the EX, which truly feels luxurious. It’s the small touches that make the difference, like the leather-wrapped hood for the gauge cluster, or the coat holder that’s been integrated into the back of the headrest. And you know they’re trying because they’ve even decorated the cargo area with the same, dark-stained wood-look trim, and the retractable cargo cover has a nice, hefty-feeling chrome handle. Like every other Infiniti, the EX features the same console and infotainment screen, and violet and white illumination.

So far, the EX has made a solid impression, but if you really want to wrap your head around something, just have a look at this crossover’s high-tech features. From tip to tail this thing is plastered with technology. Its paint, for instance, features a special type of coating called Scratch Shield which “heals” itself, repairing thin scratches and keeping the car looking clean. It takes care of those hairline scratches behind the door handles or the swirl marks from those giant rotating brushes at old-school car washes, maintaining that factory fresh look well after the honeymoon is over.

The second big technological deal is the introduction of parent company Nissan’s new Around View monitor. Why just have a reverse camera, when you can see everything? The idea is simple and handy, and builds on current camera-based systems, but this digitized eye in the sky has its limitations. It’s handy for most objects, like cars fore and aft while parallel parking, but the side views from above won’t stop you from curbing your wheels, and quite obviously, it isn’t a replacement for checking your blind spots when parking. It is, however, undeniably cool and particularly useful for impressing your friends.

Besides these, the Infiniti is just bustling with the sort of high-end features that movers and shakers can’t live without; things like a proximity sensing key with push-button start. It’s something that you take for granted given that all Infinitis have it, but the EX35 is the only vehicle in the segment with this ultimately convenient feature. The EX35 is also the only car in the segment that’s got radar-based cruise control, not to mention a lane departure warning system. Mind you, this shouldn’t be too much of a surprise, given that these features are already offered on most other Infinitis, but the fact that they’re here is certainly worth noting. Other high-end features include an excellent Bose surround sound system with USB integration that seamlessly places your iPod’s controls right at your fingertips on the main touchscreen.

And to top it all off, there’s the price, which could very well be one of its most impressive features. It starts at just a bit under $32,000, which undercuts all of its rivals, despite offering more of what buyers want. This nearly fully loaded tester retailed at $45,000, which actually undercuts the price of a metallic-colored X3 3.0si with just the Premium, Sport, and Navigation packages! Talk about value.

2008 is a big year for the premium compact crossover segment, as things are getting very hectic. Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo’s entrants will arrive by the start of next year, and Saab’s will appear shortly thereafter. These four double the size of the category, and they won’t make life easy for what’s currently available. But it’s doubtful that these brands will directly challenge the EX. Infiniti has smartly taken into account the mold, and has deliberately designed a vehicle that in some regards breaks it, and in others, places it completely outside. True, the EX may not have a lick of off-roading skill, but is that what crossover buyers want? Is upright and boxy the way to go? Infiniti thinks otherwise, and proves that it has a good alternative with the EX35.

Specifications (Infiniti EX35):