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- Handles like a sport sedan
- Powerful V6 engine
- Comfortable ride
- Quality cabin
- Reliable
- Cramped backseat
- Tiny cargo bay
- Poor rear visibility
- Can't tow anything
Free Price Quote for 2010 Infiniti EX35Consider the 2010 Infiniti EX35 a sport sedan with a bigger trunk, experts say. This small, premium crossover handles just as athletically as the top-rated model in its class, the 2010 Audi Q5 (Base MSRP: $37,350), but reviews say the Infiniti can't tow, lacks backseat and cargo room and just isn't as practical as the Audi.
Still, experts really like driving it. "That's because the EX is really more of a car than anything else," Edmunds.com says. "The balance between ride quality and handling is close to ideal" -- although reviews say the same is true of the Audi Q5. The Infiniti EX35 is based largely on the Infiniti G37 sport sedan, with a muscular 297-horsepower, 3.5-liter, V6 engine and five-speed automatic transmission. Fuel economy is lackluster for the class at an EPA-estimated 19 mpg overall for the Infiniti with either rear-wheel drive (17 mpg city/24 mpg highway) or all-wheel drive (16 mpg city/23 mpg highway), lagging 1 mpg behind the AWD Audi Q5 overall.
Unfortunately, the Infiniti's backseat and cargo bay feel more like a small, cramped hatchback than a premium, five-passenger, crossover SUV, according to review after review.
"It's a squeeze back there," Cars.com's 5-foot-11-inch Kelsey Mays says of the EX35's backseat. "By the numbers, the EX has the least rear legroom of nine major competitors … With a high floor and a large hump in the center, foot space is also tight, and my thighs ended up hovering above the cushions."
Behind the backseat, the 18.6 cubic feet of luggage space "is only marginally greater than the trunk space in many sedans," Edmunds.com says. With the seats folded, it's 47.4 cubic feet -- about 10 cubes less than the Audi Q5.
"Another strike on the utility front: Infiniti says the EX isn't intended to tow anything," writes Kelsey Mays at Cars.com. "Most competitors are rated between 1,500 and 3,500 pounds," and the Audi Q5 can tow 4,400 pounds.
Strong points include the Infiniti's plush, leather-seated cabin and robust features. The base Infiniti EX35 (Base MSRP: $33,800 to $35,200) includes keyless ignition and a rearview camera -- both of which cost extra on the pricier Audi Q5 -- plus niceties like heated mirrors, automatic climate control and satellite radio that are standard for this segment. The EX35 Journey (Base MSRP: $36,000 to $37,400) adds a sunroof, heated seats, wood cabin trim, Bluetooth and more.
Crash ratings are good, although not quite as high as the Audi Q5's (the Infiniti earns 4 stars in government frontal-crash tests, rather than a perfect 5). The Infiniti EX35 includes antilock brakes, traction and stability control and front, front-side and curtain airbags. Options include a lane departure warning system, collision warning system and brake assist, which automatically applies the brakes when the driver ignores the collision warning system.
Reliability has been better than average, according to one major owner survey. The 2010 Infiniti EX35 is covered by a four-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, with a six-year/70,000 mile powertrain warranty.
Edmunds.com provides the most thorough coverage of the Infiniti EX35, testing it and listing all of its new features for 2010. ConsumerReports.org, Cars.com, ConsumerGuide.com and Kelley Blue Book all test previous years' models, which are fundamentally the same. Crash tests are conducted at both SaferCar.gov (the federal government's auto-safety website) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. FuelEconomy.gov lists official fuel-economy estimates.
Our Sources
1. Edmunds.com
Cramped backseat and cargo areas are the Infiniti EX35's main drawbacks, Edmunds.com says. Although the ride, handling and cabin are all excellent, editors say the roomier Audi Q5 is more practical.
Review: 2010 Infiniti EX35 Review, Editors of Edmunds.com
2. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe
ConsumerReports.org bases its ratings of the Infiniti EX35 on a test of the 2008 model, updated to reflect the current model. Editors rank the Infiniti against other SUVs based on performance, comfort, fuel economy, reliability, safety and owner satisfaction.
Review: Infiniti EX, Editors of ConsumerReports.org
3. Cars.com
With its tight backseat, small cargo bay and nonexistent towing capacity, the Infiniti EX35 is more "sport" than "utility," Kelsey Mays says, based on a test of the 2009 version. However, it drives like a sport sedan with a roomier trunk, earning it a spot on Cars.com's Best Bets list.
Review: 2010 Infiniti EX35, Kelsey Mays, Jan. 5, 2010
The Infiniti EX35 is ConsumerGuide.com's Recommended pick in the premium compact SUV class -- right behind the Best Buy pick, the Audi Q5. Testers find it sporty and luxurious, with more cargo room than a sedan, but the cramped backseat is a drawback.
Review: 2010 Infiniti EX35: Road Test, Editors of ConsumerGuide.com
5. Kelley Blue Book
Kelley Blue Book names the Infiniti EX35 to its Top Recommended list, based on a test of the 2009 version. Like other experts, editors praise its sportiness and criticize its small cargo bay and backseat.
Review: 2009 Infiniti EX 4-door EX35 Sport Utility, Editors of Kelley Blue Book
6. SaferCar.gov
The U.S. government's crash-testing agency lists the Infiniti EX35 as a wagon, not an SUV. It earns perfect 5-star ratings in side-crash tests, with 4 stars for frontal-crash protection and rollover avoidance.
Review: 5-Star Safety Ratings, Editors of SaferCar.gov
7. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
Like most other vehicles in this class, the Infiniti EX35 earns the highest rating of Good in front-, side- and rear-crash tests here. However, IIHS has not yet tested the Infiniti's rollover roof strength, so it can't qualify as a Top Safety Pick.
Review: Midsize Luxury SUVs, Editors of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
This federal website posts fuel-economy estimates for both the rear-wheel-drive and AWD Infiniti EX35, ranking them alongside other 2010 SUVs.
Review: 2010 Sport Utility Vehicles, Editors of FuelEconomy.gov
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