Alright here's the story. We currently own two vehicles 1 being an Infiniti that I bought for my wife on 4/20/10 (Smile) which was a 2006 M45 and our family daily car is a 2006 Chrysler Pacifica which we had for a while and still runs strong (very surprise how reliable it has been to our family). We fell in love with our first Infiniti we also loved the service we get from the dealership compared to GM . So now that my wife has been hearing weird noise from our Chrysler Pacifica she says to me this morning "get rid of the car or fix it" and I respond back "what car should we look into getting?" she says "look for another Infiniti". So I told her which Infiniti I think would fit our family lifestyle and we both think that an FX series would fit perfectly. So now I'm doing my HW and seeing which Engine I should go with, FX35 or FX45? I'm leaning more into a FX45 and I'm sure the gas situation is the same as our M45 so no surprise there. Can somebody tell me which years to look into and what year did they change the interior etc, how reliable are these vehicles and is there any recall on these and if so what are they also what are known problems these cars run into? We are not in a rush to buying we want to make sure we make the right move like I did on the M45. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Jeff

There weren't as many 45's as 35's produced so finding one might prove to be a challenge.

For 2005, a lane departure warning system, adaptive cruise control and keyless ignition/entry were added to the options list, while all FX45s got standard side curtain airbags.

The following info is from: http://www.edmunds.com/infiniti/fx45/
There were significant changes for 2006, when the exterior was given the slightest of alterations, the engine was upgraded and the suspension was revised for an improved ride.

Inside, a new center console design, gauges and interior trim debuted.

This year also saw the former Premium package equipment added as standard (sunroof, auto headlamps, roof rails), while a rearview camera, Bluetooth and Bose audio system were also added.

As such, Infiniti FX45s from 2006 and later are the picks of the tiny litter. The next year saw the addition of optional iPod integration, while satellite radio was made standard in its final year.

More info on the 2007 model can be found here: http://www.nicoclub.com/archives/2007-i ... ml500.html
More info on the 2009 model can be found here: http://www.nicoclub.com/archives/2009-i ... rx350.html

Hope this helps.

I have an 04' FX45 and love it. Like the last poster stated, these are few and far between so good luck finding one in nice shape. You can find them but you may need to travel out of state to the find the right one. I will say that my 04' has the intelligent keyless ignition/entry so this was available in 2004, too. Also, mine has the laser guided intelligent cruise control so not sure if that is the same as the adaptive cruise but 04's have them. Mine has been extremely reliable. The only issue I've really had is the common bubbling dashboard, which Infiniti has warrantied for up to 8 years now so it was replaced by the dealer for free about 5 months ago. Fuel mileage is not bad ...probably around 15 mpg. It's been a great car.

I recently sold my 2005 FX35 and I was sad to do so. We needed something easier for my son to get into, so I bought a BMW awd wagon.

I will say that you will not be disappointed if you "settle" for an FX35 instead of a 45. It has tons of power and beefy suspension. Compared to your Pacifica, you will be amazed. It has 30 more hp and about 500 lbs less weight. You will also see about 2-3 mpg better with the 35 vs the 45.

I agree that if you get an FX, find a 2006-up. The reasons we bought an 05 was because it had really low miles, was a color my wife wanted and I talked them down a lot. Plus, I don't need Navi. However, I drove an 07 and I will admit I liked the interior better.

I will also mention as a "con" that you have to get used to driving an FX. They do have some blind spots and you must be much better at using your mirrors. After being away from it for a while, I realize how much easier it is to use the windows (and mirrors) in my wagon.

jhuerto23 wrote:Alright here's the story. We currently own two vehicles 1 being an Infiniti that I bought for my wife on 4/20/10 (Smile) which was a 2006 M45 and our family daily car is a 2006 Chrysler Pacifica which we had for a while and still runs strong (very surprise how reliable it has been to our family). We fell in love with our first Infiniti we also loved the service we get from the dealership compared to GM . So now that my wife has been hearing weird noise from our Chrysler Pacifica she says to me this morning "get rid of the car or fix it" and I respond back "what car should we look into getting?" she says "look for another Infiniti". So I told her which Infiniti I think would fit our family lifestyle and we both think that an FX series would fit perfectly. So now I'm doing my HW and seeing which Engine I should go with, FX35 or FX45? I'm leaning more into a FX45 and I'm sure the gas situation is the same as our M45 so no surprise there. Can somebody tell me which years to look into and what year did they change the interior etc, how reliable are these vehicles and is there any recall on these and if so what are they also what are known problems these cars run into? We are not in a rush to buying we want to make sure we make the right move like I did on the M45. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Jeff

Jeff,

I think your family would really enjoy a 2011 Infiniti QX56. Take on out for a test drive and you will fall in love and they aren't to expensive either.

Thank you everyone that put in their two cents into this. We are still looking and I have given the 2011 QX56 a thought, we would love to purchase that vehicle but before we make a large purchase like that I think a house will come first, so I've also been taking a peek at the 08 QX56s also. We are in no rush finding a replacement the right time will come. The chrysler minus the noise is still running fine. I will update this post when something new happens.

If you cannot afford a 2011 QX56 and a house at the same time----getting the house instead is a no- brainer!

you can get an 06 at a pretty good deal. They are very nice cars and the I think that the interior looks much better in the 06+. Another thing to look for if you are shopping, small thing that lets you know the packages you are getting. Of course navigation lets you know you may have the technology package, clear tail lights let you know you have the sports package....at least those are things I remembered finding when I was looking.

I have a 2003 FX45 that I bought a year and half ago off a wholesaler. (It was a repo car from California) It is incredible. It has just under 100K miles on it, and runs very well. The ONLY things wrong with it are the CD player skipping when the car is really cold and the factory amplifier for the subwoofers went out. I'm making do with the CD player issue, and I replaced the amp with a big 37.5W@4ohm RMS amp and the subs hit really hard now.

The interior is very comfortable, and the motor is very strong, with the 315HP V8. Don't get hung up on the HP, though. This car feels easy to drive because of the torque compared to the V6. Although it won't matter to you in California, here in Boston another thing that's nice is the 4WD LOCK switch, changing from AWD mode to 4WD mode. During snow it does REALLY well. The design is beautiful [MUCH better than the 2009+ generation] I have gotten a ton of compliments on my car, despite its age, especially when it's clean.

BE FOREWARNED, however... this car DRINKS GAS. It only gets about 12MPG in city driving, and 18MPG on the freeway. I live 2 miles from work so it doesn't bother me so much but if you commute, you will develop a distaste for the car on these grounds.

It's too bad you're in California, I would sell you the car for a great price. I just bought a Maserati and will be selling the FX.