Episode 30

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Published on:

15th Dec 2022

Infiniti FX45 - A Fast and Fun V8 Sports Sedan Disguised as an SUV

00:00 - SHOW OPEN

Today's Better Than New used vehicle is an SUV that is truly fun to drive... on the road.  This is not another car-based SUV trying to pose as a rugged, trail-busting 4x4. Instead it’s an SUV built from car DNA that pretty much sticks to the car thing and ends up doing a solid imitation of a 4-door sports sedan - just one with a little more ground clearance, a rear hatch and AWD for better traction on wet and snowy roads. 

01:10 - INFINITI FX45 SUV - 2003-2008

The Infiniti FX45 was available in the US from model years 2003 to 2008.   It’s a beast of an SUV with a V8 engine, sport suspension, 20-inch wheels and somewhat polarizing styling.  Personally I think it has aged well and as a used car buy today, I would call it a good looking, compact, quick-accelerating and capable handling SUV that’s affordable and way more fun to drive then most. 

02:15 - YOU MIGHT WANT AN INFINITI FX45 IF:

  • You enjoy great handling, but need the extra space an SUV offers
  • You want your SUV to drive more like a car
  • You want extra horsepower and torque to go with your SUV
  • You prefer more sport than utility when it comes to Sport Utility Vehicles 

03:20 - WHAT MAKES THE FX45 SO GREAT?

  • Based on Nissan's FM (or Front Mid-ship) platform
  • Near 50/50 weight distribution
  • Excellent driving dynamics
  • That V8 Engine! (315-hp, 329-lb.ft of torque)
  • Lots of performance for the money
  • These SUVs have depreciated substantially from original $50K
  • $10K gets you a great used example today

07:20 - WHAT'S NOT SO GREAT ABOUT THE FX45?

  • Fuel economy is poor on a V8 SUV - This one is no different
  • Firm suspension and rough ride on early examples
  • Liquid filled differential bushing can fail over time
  • Dash material can bubble up and pull away from sun exposure
  • Leather seating surfaces are not as durable as they should be

15:35 - I TRY TO BUY AN FX45 FROM A GUY IN A TIN FOIL HAT

I found a nice, low-mileage FX45 in 2019 for just under $6K, but the seller was located two hours away and there were some questionable things mentioned in the ad that he couldn't completely explain away.

I didn't want to invest four hours driving there and back, plus the time to inspect the vehicle without running a CarFax first to check for any hidden issues with this particular FX45. Unfortunately, for some unexplained reason the seller refused to give me the VIN or vehicle identification number, which is required for the CarFax report. After multiple fruitless requests for the VIN over the course of several days, I finally gave up.

Even though that FX45 seemed to be in good condition, the fact that the seller wouldn't give me basic info about the vehicle so I could run a CarFax report was a glaring red flag, so I moved on and bought a different vehicle.

21:05 - SHOULD YOU BUY AN FX45?

If you have ever considered buying a "cheap" used Porsche Cayenne or a BMW X5 SUV, I believe the Infiniti FX45 would be a better choice. It offers a spirited driving experience that mimics the German SUVs, with a typically lower used purchase price and operating costs.

22:10 - WHAT SHOULD YOU EXPECT TO PAY FOR A GOOD FX45?

  • There are a lot of high-mile, used-up examples near $5K. 
  • As you move up towards $10K, they get substantially better
  • $9K-$12K is the sweet spot for good to excellent examples
  • More than that and you may be paying too much

23:40 - WHAT COULD YOU BUY INSTEAD OF AN FX45?

  • Infiniti FX35 – Basically the same SUV with a V6 engine instead of the V8. Get the sport package suspension with 20-inch wheels and you will have FX45 looks and the same good handling, but a few less horsepower. 
  • Infiniti FX50 – Available from 2009-2013 – Slightly different styling compared to the FX45, but this one has an even more powerful V8 (5.0-liter with 390-hp and 369-ft.lb. of torque). Expect to pay more for this newer and quicker Infiniti SUV.

25:00 - CLOSE

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About the Podcast

Better Than New
Find a cool used car, truck or SUV at a price you'll love
The average new car sales price in the US is nearly $50,000, and the average used vehicle sales price is close to $30,000... I think that's insane! Well if you're like me and you don’t want to pay these crazy inflated car prices, I believe you should still be able to drive something fun. That’s the idea behind Better Than New – a podcast to help you find a cool used car, truck or SUV at a price you’ll love.

I’m Gary Crenshaw, host of Better Than New and a long time automotive enthusiast, and I want to inspire car buyers on a budget to think differently about what they can actually afford to drive. My goal is to introduce listeners to the broad array of interesting, fun-to-drive, enthusiast-friendly used cars, trucks and SUVs available at prices just about anyone can afford… vehicles from the 80s, 90s, 2000s and beyond that offer buyers a wide range of interesting choices. Each week we’ll explore a specific vehicle or vehicle category, tell you what to look for and what to avoid, and give you practical tips to help you find your next cool used car, truck or SUV and keep it on the road for years to come.

With a little work, the joy of owning a cool used car at price you’ll love is within reach and this podcast is here to help you find it.

So hop in, buckle up and let's go for a drive!

About your host

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Gary Crenshaw

A lifelong lover of all things mechanical, Gary has spent the majority of his existence driving, dreaming about or wrenching on cars, motorcycles and even the occasional airplane.

It started with mini-bikes and go-karts as a kid, progressed to 2-stroke dirt bikes, followed by his first car… a 1969 Volkswagen Beetle. Then came the Yamaha era with several RD400s, RZ350s and a Canadian RD350LC (should have kept that!). A pilot’s license was next with some memorable hours flying a 1946 Aeronca Champ low and slow around the Pacific Northwest. While in college, his brother-in-law who sold high-end cars hired him to deliver BMW, Mercedes and Porsche vehicles to customers.

Those early experiences led to a lifetime of owning an eclectic mix of interesting used cars, including a ‘65 Mustang GT, a ’72 Datsun 510, a Porsche 914, a Celica Alltrac Turbo, a Mini Cooper S, a couple of Miata’s, two Audi S4 Avants, a Galant VR4, a Fiat 850 Spider, a 1983 Subaru 4x4 GL wagon and a first gen RX-7, along with dozens of daily driver cars and SUVs from Acura, Honda, Toyota and Mazda. And his favorite? Depends on when you ask, but that distinction likely goes to the Mazda RX-4 station wagon he learned to drive in. That fun-to-drive car combined Gary's passion for wagons, rotary engines and manual transmissions all in one.

So what about you? Which used car, truck or SUV would you love to own? Let’s find it together!