eyebike

There's a review in Business Week mag that directly compares the FX35 and RX330 Pretty good article.

"The cars are so vastly different that it's impossible to pick a favorite: One's a polished, well-mannered touring sedan; the other, a rambunctious speedster."

So I guess it depends on what you are looking for in a SUV.

JRB

Could not connect via your link, but was able to locate the article after going to the site and doing a search. Still could not access article however as you need to be a BW subscriber to view it. Too bad as I curious about it - we have an RX330 on order (90-120 days to delivery) for the wife and next week I pick up a FX45 which will replace our Audi allroad, which unfortunately is being totalled after I became involved in a multi-car accident two weeks ago.

eyebike

Heres a copy of the article:

The SUV World's Hot Couple

Lexus and Infiniti crossovers appeal to different crowds


The SUV World's Hot Couple

Think of them as the his-and-hers SUVs of the country club set. Hers is the new Lexus RX 330, refined and elegant with its sumptuous, no-detail-overlooked interior and cushy ride. His is the Infiniti FX35/FX45, with a striking, muscular shape and menacing grille, and the no-compromise performance and handling of a sports car.

Both are luxury crossover sport-utility vehicles, a category Lexus created in 1998 with the RX 300. With their swooping roof lines, they look more like tall, sporty wagons compared with the boxy, vaguely van-like silhouettes of their competitors, including the Acura MDX, BMW X5, and Mercedes M-Class. Both come with a full complement of luxury amenities and safety equipment and can be outfitted with technology that's nothing short of amazing.

There the similarities end. I spent a week driving each, mainly on short road trips but with occasional darts into the Santa Monica mountains around Los Angeles to see how they would behave on hilly, twisting roads. The cars are so vastly different that it's impossible to pick a favorite: One's a polished, well-mannered touring sedan; the other, a rambunctious speedster.

Lexus gave its second-generation RX, which hit the market on Mar. 26, a bigger engine and more standard luxury features than the original RX 300. The new version also looks sleeker and sportier because Lexus got rid of the plastic lower-body cladding and added a sharper slope to the rear roofline. It starts at $34,600, or $37,000 for the all-wheel-drive version. That's $500 less than its predecessor.

The cabin is even classier than before. The gauges are still luminescent but now sit in individual chrome-edged pods. The trim still comes in bird's-eye maple or walnut, but audio and cooling controls are now surrounded by brushed aluminum. The entire center console can slide back to open up floor space between it and the dash, handy for storage. The ultimate Lexus touch: illuminated cupholders.

The RX was straightforward and secure on the road, but I didn't like the leaning feeling you get going around corners and on curvy roads with the standard Lexus suspension. You can avoid it by opting for the air suspension system, part of a $5,455 premium and performance package that includes leather seats, a moonroof, bigger wheels, headlamps that turn with the steering wheel, and a power-operated tailgate that automatically swings up at the touch of a button built into the ignition key.

The air suspension also lowers the car at speeds over 60 mph for better aerodynamics and fuel economy, and can increase the ground clearance by more than an inch should you need to take it on unpaved roads. But neither the Lexus nor the Infiniti is designed for the off-road courses that truck-based SUVs can handle.

The FX is Infiniti's first luxury crossover, and what a head-turner it is with its giant wheels, sexy curves, and flamboyant styling. It's built on Nissan's rear-wheel-drive performance platform, the same as the Nissan 350Z sports car and the Infiniti G35 sedan. Under that long, sloping hood is either a beefy V-8 (in the $44,770 FX45 model) or the same V-6 that powers the Z racer (in the $34,475 FX35).

The 315-hp, V-8 version is a powerful machine, with hot-rod-like acceleration and handling. It's a little too much, in my opinion: It's a blast to drive, but the FX45's stiff suspension and 20-inch wheels can make for an annoyingly rough ride. The V-6 model, with its 280-hp engine, provides more than enough thrust for most drivers. That's 50 hp more than the Lexus and, in fact, more than most other V-6 SUVs. It has plenty of torque for fast starts, it feels nimbler than the V-8, and the standard 18-in. wheels make for a noticeably softer ride that's more comfortable for long road trips.

Infiniti hasn't nailed the interior details in the way that Lexus has. In particular, the air and audio controls are a confusing maze of small buttons that share a 7-in. display also used by the optional navigation system. Some nice touches: The instrument cluster moves with the wheel when you tilt it, so the steering wheel never blocks your view of the gauges. And the power adjustable driver's seat can move a full three inches up or down, so it's easy to find your favorite driving position, whether it's the high perch of an SUV or the low-to-the-ground feel of a sports car.

If you pay enough, these cars come laden with the latest gee-whiz technology. Take adaptive cruise control, a $600 extra on the Lexus, part of an optional high-tech package on the Infiniti. It uses a laser to gauge the distance to the car ahead of you and controls your throttle and brakes to maintain a safe gap, whatever your speed.

Both have optional navigation systems. Lexus, with touch-screen controls rather than a joystick, has the edge here. Both navigational systems include a rear-mounted back-up camera to give you a view of anything behind the car when you shift it into reverse. Edge to Infiniti: Its display shows two dashed lines that represent the width of the car as a guide for easier parallel parking.

My favorite gizmos on each? The Lexus can be had with adaptive headlamps that swivel 15 degrees to the left or 5 degrees to the right to light up the road when you make a turn. The Infiniti has a "smart" key that you don't even have to take out of your pocket or purse to unlock the doors and start the engine. As long as the key's within three feet of the car, you push a button on the door handle to open it and turn a **** to start the car.

My female friends seem to prefer the silver Lexus. But my inclination is to go for the base model Infiniti FX35 in the splashiest color -- "liquid copper" -- and use the extra 10 grand to jazz it up with all the luxury touches and high-tech gadgets available. Must be a guy thing.

JRB

Thanks, eyebike for taking the time to post the article. I agree with most everything the writer says, except his conclusion that the loaded up FX35 is more desirable than a semi-loaded (Premium Pkg) FX45 - I found the extra power and engine sound of the 8 cylinder engine very intoxicating. We are also getting the Nav in the wife's RX 330, so if we don't know where we are going we can always take her's. The RX 330 will also have the Performance Pkg so the handling will at least be a little closer to what the FX provides. I do agree that the FX ride quality is a LOT harsher than the RX, but I didn't find it to be so rough that I didn't want the car - it was a price that I was willing to pay given the way the thing goes and handles. It will be a nice combination to have and I'm really looking forward to it.