A buddy's ( he died 2 yrs. ago ) wife asked my opinion on an EX35. Any thoughts or concerns? I told her I thought Infiniti's products are value packed and if she likes the way it handles, she should go for it, and get a dedicated set of snows.

 

The only thing I would caution her about is to thoroughly check out the rear storage volume. For some, it's enough room, and for others (like me) you need a minivan or more. I don't think there's much rear leg room either, but again that only matters if you even really need a rear seat.
Everyones needs are different.
The EX is a real nice looking vehicle but there are other products, even from Nissan that can give you a little more space with similar features.
For similar modern styling, I would even recommend having a look at a Mazda CX-7. We did before buying our van and found it to have very nice road manners and a very stylish interior. I believe it was called the GT model and had a turbo 4cyl with 244HP/258Tq and fully loaded was about 43k with nav, backup camera bluetooth etc, etc. Long term will be easier on the wallet for fuel with est. 22/31 mpg.

 

Thanks Paul. She was considering the Lexus 350 as well. She wants a reliable sporty vehicle. I will caution her about the rear seat and cargo room.

 

I've never cared for the look of the RX350. To me it's just to Toyota/generic and IMO a somewhat glorified Highlander. I would hazard a guess that it's not nearly as fun to drive as the EX. (or CX-7 for that matter)

 

I've driven it a fair share of times since my dealership seems to like giving me the EX as a loaner. I created a thread about my thought's on the EX and here's a copy/paste of it .

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Just got the Infiniti EX35 as a loaner car from the dealership (G35 in for oil change, check-up, + warranty work) and here's my review of it:

Interior Quality: 10/10
By far the best Nissan Interior I have ever sat in. The fit and finish is amazing. Everything has a soft, cushy feel to it (dashboard, seats, etc.). The seats are comfortable and has supple leather. The ***** and buttons have a very strong and smooth feel to them. The wood trim is to die for.

Interior (Space-wise): 4/10
The rear room is only thing that brings down the EX. There's hardly any rear leg-room + awkward entrance/exit of the vehicle for the rear. However, the upfront it's nice and cozy. The trunk-size isn't that bad.

Features/Amenities: 10/10
Bose sound system gets an A - has a nice punch, clear sound and it doesn't get distorted at full blast. The loaner I have has everything but the Nav. and Tech. pckg. I'm sure the all-around-view cameras work great. I have parktronic sensors in the front and at the back of this EX which help a lot + the side mirrors aim down in reverse. I can vouch for the ICC - neat stuff. Power-folding rear-seats are also really cool and handy.

Exterior: 9/10
The EX sits pretty low, nice stance overall. I have the 18" rims on mine and they give the EX a nice sporty look. The front is the real eye-catcher, whereas the rear requires an acquired taste, IMO. Beautiful curves and lines on the vehicle. Self-healing paint sounds really neat too (don't want to test it by marring the paint on purpose - have too much respect for this loaner )

Engine: 9/10
Although it's not even near past its break-in point (got it with only 16km on it!) it still preforms like a champ! However, almost like every Nissan/Infiniti, these engines are thirsty.

Coolness Factor: 10/10
Believe me, 10/10 for sure. Took this car to school and everyone was rubber-necking. Many people came up to me and asked me, "wow, what is that!" It sure does stands out.

Winter Driving: 10/10
Just had a huge snowstorm in crazy Canada and the EX had no troubles what-so-ever. It plowed through the snow and handled like a champ. Snow mode button ftw.! This was also without snow tires.

AVERAGE: 8.9/10

Overall the EX is very nice indeed, but not all that practical. It would be pretty harsh for the rear passengers to sit through a long drive, but for those single people out there this is the best crossover out there. The interior fit and finish is amazing.




This car isn't photogenic...looks 10x better in person!

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Hope I helped. But yeah, the rear room isn't all that great. I remember taking my friends out for lunch and they didn't have the best time sitting back there all cramped.

 

The car looks sexy as hell in person I'll tell you that. But I'd rather get a van if I wanted utility.

 

My dad has an '08 RX350, and it's very nice... for a Japanese Buick.

("Fun" falls nowhere in Lexus vocabulary, but "plush" and "luxurious" certainly do.)

If you want fun/sporty, I'd check out the Nissan Murano...

 

I test drove an EX last weekend after driven an 08 G35XS. I found the EX to be soft. Fit and finish was not comparable to the current G. However, if sportiness is not important, then the EX might fit the bill - high body, decent interior room, and has a lot of go.

 

I actually like the RX330. It does have nice clean lines and I do see mainly women driving them in my area.

If I had to choose a crossover for my wife it would be the FX35 or the RX330, I know for a fact she would be very happy with either one.

I did find the EX35 a bit small, that is why I shy away from it.

 

She thought the FX35 was too big. She wants a new vehicle, smallish SUV. Personally, I'd like a reasonable back seat.

 

Okay that changes things a lot.
Sounds like the EX might be the vehicle for her. The Nissan Rogue would be worth looking at also.

 

Around the same price point - What about an Audi A4 Avant (Wagon)? This is a smaller car but with a big trunk room and 4WD.

 

I would consider the EX....My wife has the RX330 fully loaded.....very plush and laid out interior but the car is very slow and on hard accelerations the car hunts for gears and it is awfull... A Murano LE or an EX are the best bets..I would think..very new designs... just my $.02

 

i was pleasantly surprised last time i had one as a loaner. i wouldn't want to be in the back seat, esp with me behind the wheel.
one thing i liked is that it feels big, at least in the front, it reminded me of the view from behind the wheel of a big american car of yesteryear... while actually being very small and nimble around town.
very enjoyable ride
it was a bit soft though, after the G.

 

If you want to keep it in the Nissan family Sam, perhaps the Rogue might be worth looking at......unless she is looking for something a little more upscale.