2008 Infiniti EX35

It's easy to forget that the luxury brands the Japanese automakers started in the late '80s were established specifically for the U.S. market. However, much like its competitors, Nissan's Infiniti brand has expanded outside of North America, establishing itself in several Asian markets, and is now in the midst of an all-out assault on Europe.

Infiniti Europe hopes to have 78 dealers across the continent by the end of 2010 selling an initial line-up consisting of the new EX 35, FX and G models. It's also reportedly considering the development of a compact crossover around the size of the Audi A3 specifically targeted for Europe. Nissan realizes, however, that it will take a long time for Infiniti to establish itself in the market, and as a result is planning to financially subsidize its European dealerships in the short term until they can turn a profit.

© Source: autoblog
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2008 Infiniti EX35

Is there still room to fit more crossover SUVs in the market? Sure there is! This month, Infiniti wedges the EX35 into the segment between sporty crossovers such as the Acura RDX and the BMW X3 and sporty sedans such as the Acura TL, the BMW 3 Series and Infiniti's own G35. This ain't no Pathfinder.

Like seemingly everything created by Nissan and Infiniti, the EX35 is based on the FM platform, the one that famously rides under the 350Z. That's a strong starting point. Like the Nissan Z, the EX gets a very good engine. This version of the Z's award-winning 3.5-liter VQ35 V6 makes 297 hp and 253 lb-ft of torque. A fairly direct-feeling five-speed automatic delivers torque to either the rear wheels or all four wheels, depending on drivetrain choice.The interior is artsy enough, but you may find more room in more ungainly competitors.

The EX has plenty of available high-tech features, though. Our favorite was a set of four wide-angle cameras that combine on the NAV screen to produce a unique bird's-eye view of your surroundings as you park. Intelligent cruise control, real-time traffic, a 9.3-gigabyte Music Box hard drive and voice recognition for a number of controls are also handy.

But some "high-tech" features were simply irritating, such as the next generation of the already-irritating, king-of-the-false-alarm lane-departure-warning system. Now while it dings, it uses brake pressure to "steer" the EX back into the lane it decides you should be in. If we are all this inattentive, we probably should be on a bus with a paid attendant to empty our drool buckets and tell us when our next stop is coming.

Fortunately, the good tech outweighs the bad here, and the EX is more responsive to drive than the majority of crossovers on the market. Its power-to-weight ratio is better than those of the RDX and the X3, for instance, which is a convincing statistic. With a front double-wishbone suspension from the G35 and a rear multilink from the FX, the EX quickly goes where you point it.

© Source: seriouswheels
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Full Test: 2008 Infiniti EX35. This Crossover Thinks It's a Sport Coupe

We're hammering the 2008 Infiniti EX35 on Mulholland Highway in the mountains of darkest Malibu where the movie people live and we've just passed the Rock Store where bikers profile on weekends. Ahead lies the snakiest mile of the whole road.

So we drive even faster. The hard-edged 297-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 spins a little quicker while the front suspension occasionally chatters a little in the hairpins, and a short time later we get to the top in the kind of a rush that makes a whole day of driving worthwhile.

Then we look over our shoulder and realize that there's a whole backseat behind us, plus the big cargo compartment and we realize again that we've just done the whole Mulholland drive in some kind of crossover-utility thingy.

It's a little unseemly. Who knows what the locals thought? Probably figured we were some kind of Malibu catering service running a party platter to some screenwriters. But of course the 2008 Infiniti EX35 really isn't any kind of crossover at all.

But once you're standing next to the Infiniti EX35, you realize it's not a crossover or even some kind of utility thingy. It's really just a tall wagon, more like a Volvo XC70 than a BMW X3. This explains everything about the EX35's combination of practical luxury and the kind of driving dynamics you'd expect for express delivery of a party platter in the mountains above Malibu.

What's the Difference? It's Fast
The 2008 Infiniti EX35 doesn't really fit our idea of a crossover. It goes down the highway like a luxury sedan, but the tiny tremble from the wide tires tells you there's a high-performance sedan lurking beneath. It steers crisply through the corners. In short, it's one of the most satisfying examples of a vehicle with "utility" in its job description that you'll find anywhere.

© Source: edmunds
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