Trim Levels: FX35, FX35 AWD, FX45
MSRP range: $34,200-$44,225

Notes: The third vehicle spun off Nissan's FM-platform, the FX crossover was slightly slower to market, arriving as a late 2003 model. Competing with such unibody benchmarks as Lexus's RX 300 (which pioneered the field of the luxury crossover) and Acura's MDX, the FX still beat the American entrants in the field to showroom floors. Designed for sporty handling, with relatively low-profile tires of 18 inches on the FX35 and a whopping 20 inches on the FX, the FX twins were a superb entrant for Infiniti. Note: although they share swoopy styling, the FX was not related to Nissan's Murano, which arrived on the market at the same time. The Murano was a wagon-esque permutation of the Altima sedan. Biased toward on-road performance, the all-wheel drive models lacked the locking differentials and low-range gearing common to most off-road SUVs. It was, however, a well-crafted package that arguably hit much closer to what people really wanted from SUV-style vehicles.

Series: 2003-current
Other series: none

PERFORMANCE