Costa Mesa, CA – Big V8 power, room for four and some stuff, commanding view of the road, All Wheel Drive, and big fat meaty tires for corner carving grip, those are just a few of my favorite things! Wrap all stuff in a good looking, unique exterior and what do you have?  The 2009 Infiniti FX50 AWD, yes, a crossover.  A crossover unlike any of the other boxy, cookie cutter, crossovers out there.  A crossover that coddles the occupants in luxury but also lets the boy, or girl, racer shine when called upon. 

The competition in this segment is stiff from the likes of Mercedes, BMW, and Audi to a certain extent.  The main competitor that comes to mind is really just the BMW X6xDrive50i.  The FX50 and the X6 are the most….well….extroverted of the group.

The 5.0-Liter DOHC V8 makes 390 Horsepower and 369 lb-ft Torque giving up only 10 horses to the BMW but 81 lb-ft Torque.  I’ve driven both crossovers in different situations, the BMW on the track and the Infiniti on the street.  The BMW absolutely blew me away at the track – I could not believe it was doing what it was doing, but for all of the maybe 10 minutes I got to spend with it I still could not get over the exterior, of course you can’t see it while your inside but you know it’s there and what it looks like!  The FX on the other hand I was lucky enough to spend a little over a week with running around town doing the things we all need to do, I just was able to do it a little quicker than most and in complete comfort.  No track time in the FX but if it had been available there is no doubt in my mind that it would have hung right in there with the BMW through every Apex.
                The view out the front is corvette-esque, to coin my own phrase; the fenders rise high above the hood on each side but do not interfere with sightlines to place the front end exactly where you want it.  The interior coddles you in Diamond-Quilted leather, climate controlled, meaning AC and heated, seats.  We here in SoCal were in a cold spell that week so no need to experiment with the AC in the seats but put the heated part to very good use! Tastefully done Maple Wood Trim (hand stained mind you) on the doors and center console, Infiniti’s excellent Electroluminescent Gauges, Aluminum Pedals and Foot Rest, Magnesium Paddle Shifters, Leather-Wrapped 3-Spoke tilt/telescoping Steering wheel with requisite Audio, Bluetooth and Cruise Control functions at your fingertips.  Many other luxury and comfort features such as auto up/down windows and moonroof, NAV system and the Around View Monitor for easy maneuvering in tight spaces, 11 speaker, 2- subwoofer Bose Audio system with MP3/WMA/iPod connectivity, DVD player for the 2^nd row occupants with wireless headsets and a remote control.  Add a microwave to make popcorn in and who needs a drive-in theatre anymore?  All the goodies you can think of from a luxury and comfort perspective and more safety features than I have room to list here but some of them are part of the Technology Package and include Intelligent Brake Assist with Forward Collision Warning (IBA with FCW) Lane Departure and prevention System (LDW & LDP).  Alphabet Soup I know but all good stuff – pretty soon cars will be driving us instead of us driving them but that’s a topic for some other time except to say that the art of driving is becoming a lost art.

OK let’s get to the really good stuff – the Sport Package.  This is a must have and includes CDC, continuous damping control with auto and sport modes.  This is cool and helps this crossover behave like a sports car.  Switch into Sport Mode, push the shifter to the left into manual mode and utilize the paddle shifters and your right foot.  The smile that will come to your face will be priceless, the blips from the throttle on the way up through the gears will have the hair on your neck that you didn’t even know you had standing up and the beautiful baritone sounds emanating out the rear of the dual exhaust with every Rev-Matched downshift are more than habit forming.  Yep, this is a crossover I’m talking about here.
                Gripes?  I have only one, and it’s not a deal killer but a gripe none-the-less.  The windshield mounted rear-view mirror is HUGE, yes, HUGE, and blocks visibility to your right side.  This may not be a problem for many but I like to sit high in a vehicle not way down inside so that it feels like I’m taking a bath and can’t rest my arm on the window sill without reaching up!
                Some respected Auto Reviewers out there have complained that there is not enough cargo capacity in the FX.  My opinion is there is more than enough for the type of “hauling” this crossover will do.  If you want to haul enough stuff for 4 people to camp on Mount Kilimanjaro for a week, then no there is not enough room for that, but for what the majority of us “normal” folk will need it has plenty and the 60/40 split rear seats add capacity when needed.  This is a car based crossover, based on the same excellent platform that rests under the G and the M vehicles from Infiniti.  More than enough room is available for groceries, dry cleaning, the dog and the luggage for the occasional road trip.  Even with the All-Wheel Drive capability, let’s face it, most people that buy the FX have no intention of taking it deer hunting in the middle of winter, they do plan on taking it to the Valet parking outside of their favorite fancy restaurant and it will fit right in there.
             Think about not ordering that 2^nd bottle of wine at dinner as you will need to feed the FX regularly too!  EPA is 14 City and 20 Highway.  I averaged 15 MPG over the course of 340 miles and this extrovert likes premium fuel.
               If I sound like I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent with the FX50 that’s because I did.  The MSRP is $56,700 and add the Sport Package (a must have at $3,000) the Technology Package and the Mobile Entertainment System and you sticker at $65,015. 
                Remember my list of favorite things?  Big V8, room for four, good view of the road ahead, big meaty tires, Etc., Etc. Well the FX50 has them all, now if the weather would warm up I can try out those air conditioned seats and I have a feeling they will end up on my list too!         

Column and photos provided by Rich Branch, EVP of Race Central TV and Radio Network Partners.