Sage Automotive Group
2008 Infiniti EX35
A crossover that's more car than truck. edited by Kirk Bell
Walk Around
If the typical crossover is 50 percent car and 50 percent SUV, the 2008 Infiniti EX35 is 75/25 skewed toward car. Infiniti says the styling is the convergence of sedan and coupe. We'd say it looks more like a coupe crossed with a station wagon. It sits lower than a typical crossover, and has a sporty, swept back appearance.
Up front, the EX features a chrome grille that is very similar to that of the G35 sedan. The cat's-eye headlights are similar, too. The major difference between the crossover and the sedan is found in the shapes of the air intakes in the front fascia. In the rearview mirror, it's hard to tell the two apart, with a slightly raised stance and larger side mirrors serving as two more indicators that the sporty vehicle behind is a crossover, not a sedan.
Like that of the G35 sedan, the EX35 front end has curvaceous, organic shapes that flow into body sides marked by prominent wheel bulges pushed to the corners. A graceful character line flows from front to rear, dipping in the middle and sweeping up at the back to give the EX35 a sporty rake. The greenhouse appears to be pushed back, and the roof line sweeps down at the rear in a coupe-like manner. This brings the top of the rear hatch forward to almost the rear edge of the rear doors. The EX35 looks most like an SUV from the rear, mostly due to the rear hatch and high-set taillights.
The EX35 looks like the G35 for good reason. Its platform (which Infiniti calls FM) is shared with the G35 sedan, as well as the G37 coupe, FX crossover and Nissan 350Z. (Note this is a rear-wheel-drive-based platform that shares nothing with the front-drive-based platform of the Nissan Murano and Altima.)
Compared to the FX, the EX is seven inches shorter on a two-inch shorter wheelbase. It is also lighter by 400-500 pounds. The EX35 is closer in size to the compact BMW X3, which is 2.6 inches shorter in length, 4.1 inches shorter in height, and rides on roughly the same size wheelbase.
Infiniti is also using the EX35 to introduce a new paint that it calls Scratch Shield. This paint has a clear coat that was developed to maintain the paint's luster longer. Infiniti says it is self-healing. The softer clear coat "heals" scratches by flowing back to a smooth finish over time with the help of heat. It works quicker in the summer and in hotter climates.
Interior
2008 Infiniti EX35
Infiniti has made a concerted effort to improve its interiors in recent years and the EX is among the best yet. Rich, soft-touch materials abound, and there is a general feeling of quality and sophistication. The rounded shapes create a dual-cockpit design with flowing lines that are a natural extension of the exterior.
The instrument panel features a large tachometer and speedometer, flanked by the water temperature and fuel gauges. In the center is a digital display for the trip computer, which shows such information as outside temperature, the odometer and trip odometer, real-time mpg, average mpg, miles per hour, and fuel range.
The center stack juts out to make every control very easy to reach. Its central component is a seven-inch screen that comes standard with or without the optional navigation system. The screen has some touch-sensitive controls when ordered with the navigation system, but thankfully doesn't absorb the basic audio or climate controls. Large buttons are laid out below it to move between navigation and audio screens, among others. The unique layout takes some getting used to, but it works well. Infiniti's radio also has A, B and C presets instead of AM and FM presets, another trait that some may find a bit confusing. The good news is that you can quickly switch between favorite FM music, AM talk radio, and XM TV news stations with the press of a button; no need to first change modes.
Small items storage is only so-so. The center console is nicely sized and there are two cupholders in front of it, but there are no small cubbies to hold keys, cell phones, and other miscellaneous items.
The EX35 boasts several unusual technology features. The available navigation system is teamed with a hard drive with 9.3 gigabytes of space to store music files. Music can be ripped directly from CDs.
Infiniti's available Around View Monitor takes the idea of a rearview camera to a new level. It utilizes four cameras, one in the Infiniti logo up front, one in the tailgate and one in each outside mirror, to give a virtual 360 degree view of the vehicle. The cameras have fisheye lenses, but the EX35 uses software to flatten out the images. Those images are displayed on the right side of the dashboard screen in either an overhead full-vehicle view or in a right-side view. The system works fairly well, but the images aren't very large, so it is still necessary to survey your surroundings when parking or backing up. When the vehicle is put in reverse, a larger image of the rear is projected on the left side of the screen.
The EX35 also marks the debut of Infiniti's Lane Departure Prevention system (LDP), which goes one step beyond Infiniti's Lane Departure Warning system (LDW). LDW detects lane lines and emits a beep if you begin to cross those lines without using a turn signal. When the vehicle begins to drift out of its lane, LDP gently applies the brakes on the opposite side of the vehicle to steer it back on course. When we let the EX35 drift to the left, we could feel the system working to correct our path. The system didn't seem to work as well when we let the vehicle drift to the right.
Infiniti says customers will find the EX35 to be just the right size. That may be the case for those stepping up from a car, but buyers coming from other SUVs might find it small. Inside, it offers the room of a midsize station wagon.
Getting in and out is a breeze because the EX35 sits higher than a sedan but lower than most SUVs. With the available sunroof, head room up front is tight for anyone over 6-foot. Leg room, on the other hand, is plentiful. The front seats are comfortable, with nice bolstering that may pinch the love handles of larger passengers.
The EX's large exterior mirrors provide good visibility to the rear. That's especially important because the shape of the rear pillar and the position of the headrest on the passenger side rear seat creates a large blind s
