Yesterday (12/20/07), I took delivery of my new loaded EX35. Color: Liquid Platinum. Interior: Graphite with Wood Trim. It's gorgeous!! I test drove one with Wheat interior but I felt it was too much on the yellow side. Plus, I was concerned about how dirty the steering wheel would get (same wheat color) and the test car was already showing spots of picking up some dirt.

Loaded means: Premium, Navi, Technology, Wood and Luxe Style packages. This thing has more bells & whistles than a Boeing 747. I'll be spending weeks reading the manuals (yes, plural).

Infiniti is billing the car (right on the window sticker) as "Infiniti EX: The Personal Luxury Crossover". That certainly describes it well.

I'm limited on time right now but I'll be back to talk about some of the nifty interior features.

Oh, FWIW, I was the first EX35 buyer from my particular dealership. And, despite that, I was able to get the car for a little more than $1400 BELOW factory sticker.

I know better deals might come down the road. But I simply wanted the car. And I was pleased to actually get a decent discount vs. paying sticker or an addendum.

Mark

Mark,

Please look in the manuals under towing capacity and report back.

Zack

I doubt Infiniti will make any mention of towing with this vehicle and will recommend against it. There is no option for a towing prep package (upgraded cooling capacity, upgraded alternator, etc.) or dealer installed hitch and wiring harness. I haven't seen the manual but I bet it isn't even mentioned in the specs.

I am sure you could find someone to install a hitch and wiring harness and it should be able to tow 1500 lbs or so but Infiniti won't endorse it. Towing capacity has alot to do with the vehicle weight, braking capacity, etc. and this vehicle wasn't made with this in mind. This is one of the reasons I have given up on this vehicle.

So how much did you pay for the car? Hawaii has ONE dealer. I can bet there is no markdowns.

Towing A Trailer is mentioned on page 9-17 of the manual. It states:

Quote »Your vehicle was designed to be used to carry passengers and cargo. INFINITI does not recommend trailer towing, because it places additional loads on your vehicle's engine, drivetrain, steering, braking and other systems.[/quote]The manual then refers you to infiniti.com for the Towing Guide. Sure enough, there is a 2008 Towing Guide at the site (PDF file). The Towing Guide doesn't list the EX35 one way or the other.

As for the car....

I am in love again! It has been some time since I've had a new car in the garage that caused me to take one more look at it before going to bed. The EX35 has me smitten! It is a joy to drive, a joy to look at, and a joy to just sit in and play with all of the bells and whistles! I'm still learning all of the things it can do but, so far, I've used or played with most of the features. I am particularly happy to have a true iPod hookup that allows me to listen to my favorite podcasts (or music) while on my way to work. The iPod interface is fantastic! It gives full access to Playlists, Artists, Albums, Songs, Podcasts, Genres, Composers and Audiobooks. Particularly helpful is that it uses Apple's standard to remember where you were at in a given track or Podcast. So, say I was listening to a Podcast and, at 23m11s in I decided to switch to some music. When I next return to that Podcast it picks up right where it left off. Ditto for Audiobooks.

And let me tell you... it's a real blast to press the voice command button on the steering wheel and then speak "iPod" and have the audio system immediately switch to iPod playback. Or speak "Climate Control" and have it automatically turn the system on! Ditto for dialing a Bluetooth phone! All you need is your voice! The number of voice commands available is really quite large. They take up 6 pages in the manual!

My only significant disappointment so far is the fact that the EX35 won't download my phone book from my iPhone. The Infiniti software requires a phone that can "push" the phone book over Bluetooth. The iPhone can't do that nor can many other modern mobile phones. Inifniti really needs to update their Bluetooth implementation to be able to pull the phone book off of newer phones. Heck, even a $199 TomTom unit can pull my iPhone's phone book.

(But the iPhone does pair properly and allow you to make/take calls. My friends report that I sound pretty darn good when using the EX35's Bluetooth Phone interface. Better than I sound on my Bluetooth Headset.)

Mark
Modified by Mark Booth at 12:15 AM 12/22/2007

Thanks Mark,

That is exactly what I needed to know. To bad too. I have a small boat and trailer with a total weight of 1000lbs.

Zack

great stuff Mark. Still waiting for my Scarlett Silver to come in. How much did you pay exactly and do you have pictures of yourself with your 2nd love?

Cheers, have fun and happy Hollidays

Hi Mark,I am also gating the loaded EX35 next week. I can see that you are very happy with yours. After reading on this board the impression of another buyer and I quote :" Straight line the EX is quick. A bit small in the back seat for me, but the handling is much softer than the typical Infiniti. At 30 mph, gently rocking the wheel back and forth, it sways all over the road. I would be a bit nervous during aggressive maneuvers. But as a whole, it's a niche car and only a select few are going to be loving this car. Geared towards women and couples, probably with no children ie.. the mostly unusable rear seat."Could you tell me what do you think about the rear seat usability and also the comfort of the front seats.

Thanks in advance and have a lovely Christmas with your new love.

Here are the details from the Window Sticker

2008 EX35 RWD Journey

MSRP Base Price: $34,850Body Color Splash Guards: $140Technology Package: $1,950Premium Package: $2,150Luxe Style Package: $1,250Navigation Package: $2,150Wood Trim: $450Destination: $815

Total MSRP: $43,755

Price I paid: $42,317.39 ($1,437.61 below sticker)

That number is "odd" because I had the dealer down to $42,375 and when he punched it up in the computer to give me the total including tax, license and doc fees, the grand total was $46,060. I like round numbers and told him we would be done haggling if he dropped the $60 to make the total exactly $46,000.

I should also mention that the dealer gave me $14,500 for my trade. That is about $1800 more than I was offered at two other dealerships (Infiniti and Toyota). In fact, had I decided to sell the car instead of trading it, my plan was to ask for $15,500 and deal down to $15,000. So, when the EX35 dealer offered me $14,500 and was still willing to discount the new car, I was perfectly happy with "only" $1,400+ below sticker. Done deal!!

Mark

The rear seats ARE tight. It was a big concern of mine going in. But once my wife and I positioned the front seats where we would normally have them for driving (I'm 6' tall, she's 5'9"), we got in the back and found that, though tight, it was completely acceptable for even us. Our knees were still a couple of inches from the front seat backs. We also had plenty of head room.

Where the problem comes in is the amount of foot room in the rear. Those that like to spread their feet will have some trouble finding comfort in the rear. You also have to be a bit of a contortionist to get out of the rear seat. Getting in is easy enough but turning the outboard foot just right to get out is a bit of a hassle. There just isn't much clearance between the front edge of the seat and the front opening of the door.

I would liken the rear seat room and ingress/egress to that of something like a Mazda Protege or other sub-compact car. Certainly smaller than one would expect from a true "luxury" car. But a few months ago we also tried on a Lexus IS for size. It's rear seats weren't too much better than the EX35 and the EX35 seems far more luxurious.

That said... We won't be carrying passengers all that often and, when we do, it is always for just short trips. We don't travel more than 100 miles with anything in the back seat other than our coats or a duffle bag, etc. And, the reality is, when we carry rear passengers, my wife and I will move our front seats up a bit more and give our passengers a bit more space.

BTW, when I was discussing the rear seat room with a friend, he reminded me that it won't be all that often that WE will be riding back there!

Mark

Handling...

I've found nothing to complain about with regard to the handling. But I haven't really taken it on any extensive twisty roads yet either. But on freeway on/off ramps I've given it some juice to get a feel for how she handles and I'm very satisfied (so far).

We plan to put a few miles on it today. We have to go pick up a few packages and I plan to take the "scenic" route, just to get a better feel for how she handles.

Mark

Thanks Mark for the fast reply.Could you tell me about the Front seats, are they comfortable and are they soft or hard like the G35?

The front seats a very much like the G35 (regular model, not the sport). In fact, the seat bottom side bolsters are a bit too firm for my liking. I'm aware of them against the sides of my legs a bit more than I'd like. But I know they will soften up a bit with time.

Still, overall, I'd rate the front seats as excellent! I prefer a firm'ish seat that holds you in place and provides better support. I've got a bad lower back and I find firm seats FAR more comfortable for longer trips.

Mark

macosx,

Did you get the price for your EX? I will be getting mine in January but still have no price.

mike

Hey Mark, any chance you can comment on the list I put up as a seperate topic so I wouldn't scare you with all the questions. I think the one I was looking at was similar to yours as it too was around 43k b4 tax.

Hi mikec.No I did not get the price yet. Infiniti will announce the prices at the end of next week.

So, am I the first forum member to take delivery of an EX35? I know I was the first customer at the dealership I purchased mine from. I don't know if other dealers in the area have them yet or not.

Mark

michel wrote:Do you have pictures of yourself with your 2nd love?

No, but I have this shot I snapped of my new mistress parked in my garage.



Mark

Hi Mark,Could you tell me if the Tire Pressure Monitoring System on the EX35 is the same as the one on the M35X.On the M35X you can see the Tire Pressure of each wheel on the Navigation screen, is it the same on the EX35 ?

Thanks

macosx

Hi Mark,Your delivery note is exactly what I wanted to read. I bought the first EX 35 in southern Florida. It is a mirror imageof your car with everything you have and even the same color. Will have to wait till Monday to pick it up as I am returning my Lexus RX 400h on that day.My concern with the vehicle is the size compared to all the others out there. I think I will have enough room for my bowling balls and the dog's car seat. Other than that no one else rides in the car. It is so pretty and has all the toys that I wanted so I went for it. So broke so broke.Tell me about the surround view. Is it worth the cost?Good luck and Merry Xmas. Teh picture you took was so sharp. Great.Apple Jack

The Tire Pressure Monitoring system is very basic. There's a Low Tire Pressure indicator light in the gauge cluster. It lights if one tire gets low but doesn't tell you which one of the four is low.

Interestingly, the manual specifically states that the system does NOT monitor the spare tire. Yet, there is CLEARLY a wiring harness attached to the spare tire in the area of where a valve stem would be. I haven't take the spare cover off yet to see where the wiring harness actually goes but I strongly suspect that there was a last-minute change to add tire pressure monitoring to the spare.

BTW, the manual's instructions on spare removal (flat tire change) say nothing about the wiring harness nor does the graphic shown depict a harness. But a wiring harness is DEFINITELY there on my EX and it absolutely has something to do with the spare tire.

Weird!

Mark

I wasn't really planning to get the Technology Package (Around-View Camera, Lane Departure Warning, Intelligent Cruise Control). But the dealer had the color I wanted with the interior I liked plus all of the other packages I wanted and the Tech Package just happened to be on it too. So, I figured, what the hell!

Frankly, I don't really think I'll make much use of the Around-View system. But it is pretty trick and makes for a good showoff of the car! It adds a lot to the overall "gadgety" nature of the EX and I have to admit I really like "gadgets".

The best part of the Tech Package is the Intelligent Cruise Control! That really works well and, frankly, by itself it made me happy I got the Tech Package.

The Lane Departure Warning System gets a thumbs down from me. It beeps at you when you're just merging onto an off ramp and you happen to get too close to the solid white line on the right. The beeping isn't too terribly annoying but it is slightly annoying. I think I'm going to end up turning it off.

Mark

Mark Booth wrote:The Tire Pressure Monitoring system is very basic. There's a Low Tire Pressure indicator light in the gauge cluster. It lights if one tire gets low but doesn't tell you which one of the four is low.

Interestingly, the manual specifically states that the system does NOT monitor the spare tire. Yet, there is CLEARLY a wiring harness attached to the spare tire in the area of where a valve stem would be. I haven't take the spare cover off yet to see where the wiring harness actually goes but I strongly suspect that there was a last-minute change to add tire pressure monitoring to the spare.

BTW, the manual's instructions on spare removal (flat tire change) say nothing about the wiring harness nor does the graphic shown depict a harness. But a wiring harness is DEFINITELY there on my EX and it absolutely has something to do with the spare tire.

Weird!

Mark

Double check that, i think you will find that the wiring is probably for the sub mounted inside the spare.

Mark Booth wrote:I wasn't really planning to get the Technology Package (Around-View Camera, Lane Departure Warning, Intelligent Cruise Control). But the dealer had the color I wanted with the interior I liked plus all of the other packages I wanted and the Tech Package just happened to be on it too. So, I figured, what the hell!

Frankly, I don't really think I'll make much use of the Around-View system. But it is pretty trick and makes for a good showoff of the car! It adds a lot to the overall "gadgety" nature of the EX and I have to admit I really like "gadgets".

The best part of the Tech Package is the Intelligent Cruise Control! That really works well and, frankly, by itself it made me happy I got the Tech Package.

The Lane Departure Warning System gets a thumbs down from me. It beeps at you when you're just merging onto an off ramp and you happen to get too close to the solid white line on the right. The beeping isn't too terribly annoying but it is slightly annoying. I think I'm going to end up turning it off.

Mark

You can set the LDW so the default position is "OFF" The beeping can be annoying, but you need LDW on for the LDP to work. IMO this is more suited to long distance driving.

All dealerships nationwide got 4 EX's on the 21st. You won't see many more in dealerships until mid January when the media blitz starts.

starstreak wrote:So how much did you pay for the car? Hawaii has ONE dealer. I can bet there is no markdowns.

Are they marking them up over sticker price?

In Hawaii, they say they don't mark up(infiniti/lexus/bmw) but they don't really markdown. You can still get them to go lower sometimes, but since Hawaii has one dealer for each, they normally dont.

starstreak wrote:In Hawaii, they say they don't mark up(infiniti/lexus/bmw) but they don't really markdown. You can still get them to go lower sometimes, but since Hawaii has one dealer for each, they normally dont.

How much is the sales tax rate?

Err dont quote me, but it went up to 4.71%? From 4.167%.

Dodgeyaussie wrote:
Double check that, i think you will find that the wiring is probably for the sub mounted inside the spare.

Well, that explains it! I was not aware that they put a sub in the spare! No wonder the audio system sounds so good!

Thanks!

Mark

Dodgeyaussie wrote:
You can set the LDW so the default position is "OFF" The beeping can be annoying, but you need LDW on for the LDP to work. IMO this is more suited to long distance driving.

All dealerships nationwide got 4 EX's on the 21st. You won't see many more in dealerships until mid January when the media blitz starts.

Yeah, a simple button press on the steering wheel (on the lower right) turns off/on the LDW.

My dealership received 4 EXs on the 19th and one more on the 20th. I purchased mine on the 20th.

Your comments have caused me to wonder if I was the first person in California to purchase the EX? And, if that is true, perhaps the first person in the US?

Mark