Infiniti of Tysons Corner

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Driving Impressions

The driver's view over the swoopy hood implies power lurks beneath and we were not disappointed. With a high-revving V6 that pulls well past 7000 rpm, the FX35 will reach 60 mph in a shade more than 6 seconds, even with all-wheel drive. The romping V8 FX50 will cover it in a bit more than 5 seconds.

Although both engines spin freely and make more horsepower than torque (and run on premium unleaded), the V8 is the smoother of the two and with seven-speed automatics one is never at a loss for propulsion. The competing X6's 3-liter twin-turbo inline six is quicker, more flexible and smoother than the FX35 and we expect the twin-turbo V8 X6 will outrun the FX50; however, you will rarely get to use the full performance of any of them on most roads, the X6 tends to run $10,000-$15,000 more than the FX, and at 10-plus-percent heavier the X6 won't match the FX on mileage.

The new seven-speed automatic does everything it should, with quick gear changes up or down that have a reassuring firmness when you're in a hurry and more muted silkiness at slower speeds. It offers downshift rev-matching for smoothness and least wear on car and occupants, a snow mode, two overdrive ratios for relaxed highway cruising, and is a main contributor to the improved mileage ratings in spite of added power. When run in manual mode, the transmission will not downshift automatically, even if you floor the throttle in top gear.

The available all-wheel-drive system works without any driver input or feedback; it puts power to the ground in the most efficient manner and if that isn't enough the traction control helps out. Though they have 7 inches of ground clearance, these machines are not designed for off-road travel and anything more than a damp beach is asking a lot.

The all-wheel-drive models are rated for towing 2000 pounds with a V6 and 3500 with the V8; towing is not recommended for rear-drive V6s.

If most of your driving is commuting, we'd suggest the V6 for its better mileage, less aggressive throttle tip-in and softer riding tires.

Brakes are four-wheel discs, and on the FX50 they are stout 14-inch discs with silver-painted multipiston calipers at both ends. Combined with the performance summer tires, it can stop in a hurry and has no issues with fade in repeated applications. Infiniti claims the 21-inch Enkei wheels on the FX50 are as light as competitors' 18-inch wheels, which helps explain why the 800-pound heavier FX50 stops almost as well as the G37S coupe with essentially the same brakes but narrower tires.

Underneath, the FX is essentially a car with more ground clearance; the front axle shafts actually go up from the gearbox to the wheels. The majority of the suspension pieces and subframes are aluminum, and the lightness thereby imparted makes it easier to tune a good ride/handling compromise. The basics are coil springs, large stabilizer bars, relatively neutral weight distribution, and 265-section tires regardless of model; it's just the profile that changes, or the performance tires available on the V8.

The FX rides firmly, more like a sport sedan than a crossover, and the only SUV or crossovers that have the same bias to performance over softness are the Acura RDX, BMW X3, X5 and X6 sports, and anything with an AMG badge on it. Fortunately the FX has a very stiff structure to build from so the ride isn't jarring or stiff unless it's a really bad road.

Despite the extra wheelbase the thin sidewalls and performance bent still allow some fore-and-aft pitching, and putting this much weight over a speed bump on such a setup is not done gracefully. But get to a winding road and the impressive grip from the Dunlop SP Sport asymmetric tires, nicely weighted steering, firm roll stiffness and near-neutral balance make for a fun ride with lots of ability for a hefty box.

An FX50 sport package also adds continuous damping control (CDC) suspension and active rear steering. Unless yo

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