Excsive 2008 Infiniti EX Review & Pics
#1
12-12-2007, 12:54 PM
#3
12-12-2007, 01:49 PM
#4
12-12-2007, 03:29 PM
#5
12-12-2007, 03:29 PM
Exclusive 2008 Infiniti EX Review & Pics
Well there're here and I'm sharing it with you folks by bringing you an exclusive first hand review along with some never before seen pictures. The first thing that hits you upon seeing the EX for the first time is its size. It really is a "compact" SUV/CUV/whatever. Design wise...I like it but I think it'll have to grow on me in the way the V36 Sedan and Coupe did. It's not instead sex in the way the original FX or G Coupe was, but it's a good looking vehicle nonetheless.
The headlights have a pleasent shape but here's the kicker: even early literature stated that the EX would be equipped with bi-xenons should a buyer elect to equip their vehicle with either the Luxe Style or Luxe Elite package. WRONG. Like the M, the EX only comes with xenon low beams (when equipped with the LS or LE package mind you) as the high beams are halogen units. Not too much of a biggie but still. The fact that they went to standard bi-xenons on the G Coupe and Sedan kind of raises eyebrows as to why they didn't do it here. Folks who drive chickee grocery getters don't want xenon high beams?
The tail lights are IMO going to be an area of slight controversy just as they are on the V36 Coupe. They're ok looking, but not sleek and sexy in the way the original FX, V35 Coupe or V36 Sedan are IMO. Like the G37 they look "angry" from certain angles, but from others, they just look awkward.
As a whole though, the EX is a nice looking vehicle, but it's more "G35 w/ a hatch" than it is FX IMO. What I want to see is a model equipped with the optional roof rails. One thing that really adds some character lines to the FX are the roof rails and honestly the EXs profile looks a bit plain without them. The wheels are also too small. What I want to see are some G37 19s or some M 19s on this thing. The 18s are ok but the 17s are way too tiny.
17s
Optional 18s
Under the hood we find the familiar VQ35HR. From the looks of things the Stillen Intake should bolt right up to the motor. At least from the quick peek I took. The exhaust out pack is a different story. I took a quick peak under the car and it looks like there's a "true dual" X-Pipe setup but the pipes end up dumping into a single muffler G Coupe/Z/FX style. The exhaust note sounded like a muted combination of the G Sedan and the G Coupe/Z/FX.
Underhood
Now on to where the EX really shines, it's interior. The first thing you'll notice before getting in is the puddle lamp LED on the drivers side mirror. I'm kind of irked that it's not on the passenger side mirror but hey, they gotta save money somewhere.
Inside if you've driven a V36 then you'll feel right at home. The materials used inside feel of slightly better quality though. I didn't get to sample a Luxe Elite vehicle with the upgraded leather surfaces, but the standard leather felt smoother and of higher quality. The dash felt smoother than the vinyl used in our Sedans and the seats felt like BMW leather. They weren't as firm as BMW seats, but the leather felt like BMW leather. A nice upgrade here. Another thing you'll notice is that unlike the G/FX, the gauges do NOT move with the steering wheel/column. The EXs setup is like the Ms where only the wheel moves.
Overall the interior is filled with pleasant shapes and feels a bit more upscale than the G. It's definitely a tighter squeeze though. The front doors are also asymmetrical in that the passenger has an "oh shiet" handle while the driver does not. A nice touch as it would get in the way of the controls on the drivers side.
Drivers side (aluminum trim)
Drivers side (wood trim)
Passenger side (wood trim)
Like the G the center stack is very neatly laid out and pleasant to look at. The optional wood trim is nice, but the best looking combo is the black wood/aluminum trim setup. The black laquered wood is drop dead gorgeous. I've been saying Nissan should bring this here since '06 as piano black wood is an option on the JDM Fuga (Infiniti M).
Graphite interior w/ aluminum trim
Chestnut interior w/ wood trim
Techwise I haven't driven the car yet but the AVM is pretty sick. Forgive the picture as there was tape on the front and rear camera. Honestly though after sitting in the EX, it seems a bit useless on a vehicle of this size. The QX would benefit from this thing big time though.
The center console also has a trick hidden compartment (two level cupholder) to hide your stash should the cops pull you over. A neat little touch I thought.
Now on to the area everyone has been wondering about...DA BACK SEAT. Oh yes it's small. So small that if you're fat, don't even try. Rear legroom is on par with that of the G Coupe, NOT the Sedan, but the Coupe. Head room is a bit improved over both the Coupe and Sedan from what I felt, but legroom is reduced from the Sedan due in no small part to the EX's two inch shorter wheelbase.
Cargo capacity also = FAIL. Talk about no space. You can probably get one big suitcase in the back, but the sloping hatch gets in the way of the cargo area and makes stacking suitcases close to impossible. Functional the EX most certainly is NOT.
But I will say that while it's a small cargo area, it is a good looking one. The switches for the power rear seats are surrounded by a nifty ovalish looking piece of trim. A small but nice touch IMO. The seats themselves work well. Dropping in an instant and more quickly than the FX and raising into position a bit quicker than the QX. The rear seatback itself doesn't recline as it does in the FX, but it doesn't really need to as it's not too straight up, but not too reclined. Infiniti got the rear seatback angle correct so the reclining rear seats from the FX won't be too missed IMO. They also moved the position of the fold down lever from the seat buckle area to the top of the seat back next to the headrest a la the latches used in the G37 Coupe.
I apologize for the hastily written review and the iffy pictures. I'll try to touch things up tonight. Overall I'm very pleased with the EX yet very perplexed as to who Infiniti is targeting exactly. I know they're aiming at a female demographic as evidenced by their focus on the interior and the lack of a sport model, but shouldn't they have at least built SOME functionality into this vehicle? Or at least a touch more than the G Sedan? I supposed we'll find out in the coming months whether or not the Infiniti marketing gurus know what they're doing.
*Update posted below*
The headlights have a pleasent shape but here's the kicker: even early literature stated that the EX would be equipped with bi-xenons should a buyer elect to equip their vehicle with either the Luxe Style or Luxe Elite package. WRONG. Like the M, the EX only comes with xenon low beams (when equipped with the LS or LE package mind you) as the high beams are halogen units. Not too much of a biggie but still. The fact that they went to standard bi-xenons on the G Coupe and Sedan kind of raises eyebrows as to why they didn't do it here. Folks who drive chickee grocery getters don't want xenon high beams?
The tail lights are IMO going to be an area of slight controversy just as they are on the V36 Coupe. They're ok looking, but not sleek and sexy in the way the original FX, V35 Coupe or V36 Sedan are IMO. Like the G37 they look "angry" from certain angles, but from others, they just look awkward.
As a whole though, the EX is a nice looking vehicle, but it's more "G35 w/ a hatch" than it is FX IMO. What I want to see is a model equipped with the optional roof rails. One thing that really adds some character lines to the FX are the roof rails and honestly the EXs profile looks a bit plain without them. The wheels are also too small. What I want to see are some G37 19s or some M 19s on this thing. The 18s are ok but the 17s are way too tiny.
17s
Optional 18s
Under the hood we find the familiar VQ35HR. From the looks of things the Stillen Intake should bolt right up to the motor. At least from the quick peek I took. The exhaust out pack is a different story. I took a quick peak under the car and it looks like there's a "true dual" X-Pipe setup but the pipes end up dumping into a single muffler G Coupe/Z/FX style. The exhaust note sounded like a muted combination of the G Sedan and the G Coupe/Z/FX.
Underhood
Now on to where the EX really shines, it's interior. The first thing you'll notice before getting in is the puddle lamp LED on the drivers side mirror. I'm kind of irked that it's not on the passenger side mirror but hey, they gotta save money somewhere.
Inside if you've driven a V36 then you'll feel right at home. The materials used inside feel of slightly better quality though. I didn't get to sample a Luxe Elite vehicle with the upgraded leather surfaces, but the standard leather felt smoother and of higher quality. The dash felt smoother than the vinyl used in our Sedans and the seats felt like BMW leather. They weren't as firm as BMW seats, but the leather felt like BMW leather. A nice upgrade here. Another thing you'll notice is that unlike the G/FX, the gauges do NOT move with the steering wheel/column. The EXs setup is like the Ms where only the wheel moves.
Overall the interior is filled with pleasant shapes and feels a bit more upscale than the G. It's definitely a tighter squeeze though. The front doors are also asymmetrical in that the passenger has an "oh shiet" handle while the driver does not. A nice touch as it would get in the way of the controls on the drivers side.
Drivers side (aluminum trim)
Drivers side (wood trim)
Passenger side (wood trim)
Like the G the center stack is very neatly laid out and pleasant to look at. The optional wood trim is nice, but the best looking combo is the black wood/aluminum trim setup. The black laquered wood is drop dead gorgeous. I've been saying Nissan should bring this here since '06 as piano black wood is an option on the JDM Fuga (Infiniti M).
Graphite interior w/ aluminum trim
Chestnut interior w/ wood trim
Techwise I haven't driven the car yet but the AVM is pretty sick. Forgive the picture as there was tape on the front and rear camera. Honestly though after sitting in the EX, it seems a bit useless on a vehicle of this size. The QX would benefit from this thing big time though.
The center console also has a trick hidden compartment (two level cupholder) to hide your stash should the cops pull you over. A neat little touch I thought.
Now on to the area everyone has been wondering about...DA BACK SEAT. Oh yes it's small. So small that if you're fat, don't even try. Rear legroom is on par with that of the G Coupe, NOT the Sedan, but the Coupe. Head room is a bit improved over both the Coupe and Sedan from what I felt, but legroom is reduced from the Sedan due in no small part to the EX's two inch shorter wheelbase.
Cargo capacity also = FAIL. Talk about no space. You can probably get one big suitcase in the back, but the sloping hatch gets in the way of the cargo area and makes stacking suitcases close to impossible. Functional the EX most certainly is NOT.
But I will say that while it's a small cargo area, it is a good looking one. The switches for the power rear seats are surrounded by a nifty ovalish looking piece of trim. A small but nice touch IMO. The seats themselves work well. Dropping in an instant and more quickly than the FX and raising into position a bit quicker than the QX. The rear seatback itself doesn't recline as it does in the FX, but it doesn't really need to as it's not too straight up, but not too reclined. Infiniti got the rear seatback angle correct so the reclining rear seats from the FX won't be too missed IMO. They also moved the position of the fold down lever from the seat buckle area to the top of the seat back next to the headrest a la the latches used in the G37 Coupe.
I apologize for the hastily written review and the iffy pictures. I'll try to touch things up tonight. Overall I'm very pleased with the EX yet very perplexed as to who Infiniti is targeting exactly. I know they're aiming at a female demographic as evidenced by their focus on the interior and the lack of a sport model, but shouldn't they have at least built SOME functionality into this vehicle? Or at least a touch more than the G Sedan? I supposed we'll find out in the coming months whether or not the Infiniti marketing gurus know what they're doing.
*Update posted below*
#6
12-12-2007, 03:30 PM
*UPDATE*
Just drove the car. Overall it was very comfortable and a nice drive. A couple of things stood out while driving the vehicle.
1. The doors have automatic locks. I need to check the spec sheets again to see if this is standard equipment but I had no idea Infiniti planned on including this feature on the EX. And for the folks who are about to complain that they hate this feature because they'll need to manually unlock their cars after shutting off the engine, well, the car does it for you. As soon as you push the start/stop button to shut off the motor the doors automatically unlock. Nifty stuff and all I can say is "it's about time."
2. The steering ratio is higher in the EX than it is in my G. It also feels more boosted and less direct but considering the target demographic, it's the right move to make. It's not sloppy at all in the way a FWD Caddy built in the 90s is, but it is noticeable, especially to someone who drives a G on a daily basis.
3. The transmission seems to shift slower and more smoothly. It felt like it wasn't as snappy as it is in the G but again, the target demographic probably prefers slightly slower and smoother shifts. It could be placebo effect but this is what it felt like to me.
4. The exhaust note is MUCH quieter than it is in my G. To be fair, I didn't open it up as the car only had 12 miles on it and I do crack the throttle in my G quite often, however it's noticeably more subdued than my Sedan and nowhere near as boomy as the FX.
5. While back seat space is somewhat lacking, front seat legroom is more than adequate. The vehicle feels narrower on the inside than my G but it's a cozy feeling. As I pointed out above, the seats are also softer and the leather is more BMWish this time around. Overall, the driver's seat is the place to be.
6. No one touch windows for the rear windows just like the FX. '03-05 45s (and only 45s, not 35s) had them but Infiniti quietly removed this feature for '06 FX45s. This is obviously a cost cutting measure and my thinking is that Infiniti chose not to include this feature as the rear windows only go down 2/3 of the way. Still, it's the details that count and chintzy moves like these that annoy me about Infiniti sometimes.
7. The Around-View-Monitor is some psychedelic s**t man. Like seriously. It's like using a using a reverse camera for the first time all over again. You don't want to trust it at first but when you eventually do, you tend to ignore the "turn and look" warning.
Backing the EX back into our storage lot was a cinch. Very nifty stuff but somewhat redundant when you consider that it has the "normal" rear view shot right next to the AVM diagram as well as front and rear sonar sensors that are included on all Journey models as well as reverse tilt-down mirrors. Not to mention the EX is a pretty small and nimble vehicle already. Basically, if you miss with this car...you suck at t3h driving and should probably get the f**k off the road.
Final assessment
Overall I've come to the conclusion that rather than being a G35 Sedan with a backpack, the EX is more akin to a G Coupe with a hatch. Considering the target demographic, it's basically a G Coupe for women or what a G Coupe would look like if it were designed by a group of chickees. All in all, it's not for me, I'm still interested to see who will buy it, BUT I like the vehicle and think it'll at the least be a moderate sales success if not a semi runaway hit.
Just drove the car. Overall it was very comfortable and a nice drive. A couple of things stood out while driving the vehicle.
1. The doors have automatic locks. I need to check the spec sheets again to see if this is standard equipment but I had no idea Infiniti planned on including this feature on the EX. And for the folks who are about to complain that they hate this feature because they'll need to manually unlock their cars after shutting off the engine, well, the car does it for you. As soon as you push the start/stop button to shut off the motor the doors automatically unlock. Nifty stuff and all I can say is "it's about time."
2. The steering ratio is higher in the EX than it is in my G. It also feels more boosted and less direct but considering the target demographic, it's the right move to make. It's not sloppy at all in the way a FWD Caddy built in the 90s is, but it is noticeable, especially to someone who drives a G on a daily basis.
3. The transmission seems to shift slower and more smoothly. It felt like it wasn't as snappy as it is in the G but again, the target demographic probably prefers slightly slower and smoother shifts. It could be placebo effect but this is what it felt like to me.
4. The exhaust note is MUCH quieter than it is in my G. To be fair, I didn't open it up as the car only had 12 miles on it and I do crack the throttle in my G quite often, however it's noticeably more subdued than my Sedan and nowhere near as boomy as the FX.
5. While back seat space is somewhat lacking, front seat legroom is more than adequate. The vehicle feels narrower on the inside than my G but it's a cozy feeling. As I pointed out above, the seats are also softer and the leather is more BMWish this time around. Overall, the driver's seat is the place to be.
6. No one touch windows for the rear windows just like the FX. '03-05 45s (and only 45s, not 35s) had them but Infiniti quietly removed this feature for '06 FX45s. This is obviously a cost cutting measure and my thinking is that Infiniti chose not to include this feature as the rear windows only go down 2/3 of the way. Still, it's the details that count and chintzy moves like these that annoy me about Infiniti sometimes.
7. The Around-View-Monitor is some psychedelic s**t man. Like seriously. It's like using a using a reverse camera for the first time all over again. You don't want to trust it at first but when you eventually do, you tend to ignore the "turn and look" warning.
Backing the EX back into our storage lot was a cinch. Very nifty stuff but somewhat redundant when you consider that it has the "normal" rear view shot right next to the AVM diagram as well as front and rear sonar sensors that are included on all Journey models as well as reverse tilt-down mirrors. Not to mention the EX is a pretty small and nimble vehicle already. Basically, if you miss with this car...you suck at t3h driving and should probably get the f**k off the road. Final assessment
Overall I've come to the conclusion that rather than being a G35 Sedan with a backpack, the EX is more akin to a G Coupe with a hatch. Considering the target demographic, it's basically a G Coupe for women or what a G Coupe would look like if it were designed by a group of chickees. All in all, it's not for me, I'm still interested to see who will buy it, BUT I like the vehicle and think it'll at the least be a moderate sales success if not a semi runaway hit.
Last edited by bruddahmanmatt; 12-12-2007 at 07:20 PM.
#7
12-12-2007, 03:34 PM
Can one of the mods lock this thread as I've updated my review here: https://g35driver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=192336
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#8
12-12-2007, 04:44 PM
NICE, thanx for the write-up!! After seeing the shots you posted of the interior, it seems they are aiming this car at people who had are used to a Coupe, and now want an SUV, but an SUV that is small and sporty. But again, by the way you stated this car shifts, it would appear "non-sporty". But in the same breath, maybe the "mushy" Automatic transmission leaves Infiniti room to validate offering a sportier 6MT version.....
#10
12-12-2007, 05:14 PM
Originally Posted by 05Scoobyroo
NICE, thanx for the write-up!! After seeing the shots you posted of the interior, it seems they are aiming this car at people who had are used to a Coupe, and now want an SUV, but an SUV that is small and sporty. But again, by the way you stated this car shifts, it would appear "non-sporty". But in the same breath, maybe the "mushy" Automatic transmission leaves Infiniti room to validate offering a sportier 6MT version.....
#13
12-13-2007, 02:29 PM
#14
12-13-2007, 08:40 PM
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