2004 Infiniti FX35 Crossover

One look at the $39,000 Infiniti FX35 Crossover and you'd think this eye popper came out of Nissan's skunkworks. But after driving it for a week, one nagging question kept popping up: Why am I not impressed? One look at the $39,000 FX35 Crossover and you'd think this eye popper came out of skunkworks. But after driving it for a week, one nagging question kept popping up: Why am I not impressed? If the FX35's purpose is to beguile the owner with good looks and horsepower, then it succeeds. Its muscular appearance is reminiscent of monster trucks with oversized tires, bulging wheel wells, and a chassis that sits high off the ground. It is a sight to behold and it does turn heads, especially those of Lexus owners. But it has more than an Achilles heel. Its designers worked so hard to make the FX35 look good that they forgot the ergonomics for simple tasks such as getting in and out. It seems a long leg reach to put a foot into the car, and then sort of jump in while pulling on the wheel. But each time I got out (and I have long legs) my pants wiped the door sill no matter how far out I reached. So, when the weather is wet or slushy your pants or legs get wet, all for the sake of a fashion statement. There's more. While getting comfortable, motors under the seat whir to reposition it and others adjust the steering wheel to its last position. Why is this necessary? It's necessary because the interior was not properly thought out. The PT Cruiser I regularly drive doesn't need extra cost motors and controls to adjust the driver, so why should this one? If poor ergonomics was the only thing wrong with the car,