As I approached the Infiniti FX50 in the parking garage, I was relieved to see Bridgestone Blizzak snow tires mounted to the massive twenty-one-inch wheels. With six to ten inches of snow expected that night, I wanted a vehicle capable of dealing with the white stuff and the long trip home.
The FX50 is definitely one of the best sounding SUVs around; the 5.0-liter V-8 growls upon startup, and it sounds possessed during hard acceleration. It's a shame I couldn't be more aggressive with the throttle due to the winter weather conditions. The lane-departure-warning system was useless on my journey home as the lane markers were all snow covered resulting in the constant alert chime, so I just turned it off. Another feature I turned off was the stability control, which then allowed a little more freedom to slide when the opportunity arose.
I've always admired the Infiniti FX50 (and the old FX45) for its ability to combine luxury and performance into an SUV. It comes at a price, however, as our test vehicle rang up a tab of $65,625; that's well within Porsche Cayenne range.
Overall, the FX50 did a great job in the sloppy weather. My only gripes: the heated seats need to get warmer and a heated steering wheel would be a welcome touch.
Mike Ofiara, Road Test Coordinator
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