2003 Infiniti FX45

I’m quite sure some of the coolest cars were probably started as idle doodles during some boring sophomore history lecture or in 7th period study hall.

I can just see some kid sketching wild, fantastic machines with exaggerated profiles, menacing front ends, fat doors, thin windows and huge tires.

The new Infiniti FX45 looks like it might have sprung from those youthful musings. It impresses me as imagination without restraint, a combination that can be disastrous but, in this case, works. It manages to seem in motion even sitting still on its 20-inch alloys and represents that kind of unnerving beauty that teeters so close to the edge of ugly we’re compelled to look at it.

Few four-doors in recent years have intrigued me like this new FX45 from Infiniti, before I even started the engine.

The Good News
The FX45 is every bit as daring and fast as its unorthodox looks suggest. Its 32-valve 4.5- liter twin cam V-8 is a version of the engine employed by Infiniti’s Q45 luxury sedan and its platform is the same one we find in the new Nissan 350Z and Infiniti G35. These considerations put to rest any notion the FX45 wants to compete with the Lexus RX330s of the market. Clearly, this Infiniti is after much livelier bait.

The FX45’s V-8 produces 315 horses and 329 lb-ft torque and uses a five-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode. For comparison, BMW’s sportiest X5 4.6is produces 340 horses and Mercedes ML55, 342. But the FX45’s relatively light weight enables it to run neck-in-neck with both in 0-60 trials, if we are to believe independent figures. The FX45 makes 60 in 6.3 seconds. Car And Driver magazine’s tests rate it the “quickest production SUV.”

The FX45 remains equally impressive in braking and handling evaluations, too. The latter comes courtesy the 350Z/G35 aluminum independent rear suspension, new struts in front and a structure not prone to give whatsoever. It’s tight, certain and not afraid of much.

Inside, you’ll find a cabin that further meets expectations. Deep sport leather, brushed steel and masculine luxury abound here, with instruments that are easy reads and controls logically placed. Everything fits.

The Bad News
As charmed as I am by the FX45’s looks, not everyone is likely to share my enthusiasm. I think it’s one of those love-it-or-hate-it designs. But I find its styling much racier and more interesting than either the Mercedes M-Class or the BMW X Series.

But that radical exterior with its deeply humped back has its tradeoffs inside. I had big-time quarrels with rear visibility in the FX45. I felt like I was sitting in a clamshell and had to constantly bob and crane to discern what might be happening behind me.

There is no room for a third seat in this hatchback, nor is there much room for luggage. But that’s par for the niche.

Gas mileage
EPA rated at 15 mpg city/19 highway

Price
Manufacturer’s base, $44,225
Price as tested, $47,170

Is it worth it?
My test vehicle was nicely tricked out, but not what I would call “loaded.” For my $47 big ones and change, there was no navigation system, for example. That’s extra.

But compared to the BMW X5 4.6is and the Mercedes ML55 AMG, the FX45 is a bargain of the best sort. Those will run you roughly $20,000 more, but you also get German prestige and wonderful exhaust notes.

If neither of those is high on your list of priorities, if you fancy something more maverick, this Infiniti FX45 is quite a ride. From its sport instincts to its quickness and quirky, arresting style, it’s definitely out to give its elders some fits.

Is it a sport utility? Only if you emphasize the “sport” part. Nissan makes it quite clear the FX45 is a “Crossover.” Like its rivals, it is all-wheel-drive, but mostly for traction on the road, not off it. You can certainly wheel through the woods if you wish, but I wouldn’t.

Instead, save the gusto for the pavement. There will be plenty to amuse you there, trust me.

Beth Stein is a life-long car buff and free-lance journalist living in Nashville. She has reviewed new vehicles in print for 12 years as a weekly columnist for Nashville's daily newspapers and on television for Road Test Magazine and Motor Trend Television. Currently, her reviews appear nationally on Car And Driver Television.