The front seats are comfortably firm, like those in a good European sedan. The adjustments may require quite a bit of fiddling, but once you get them right you can program the settings into the seat memory. The driver's seat allows three inches of vertical travel, so even short drivers can enjoy the commanding height of an SUV in traffic or the seat can be lowered for tall drivers or serious driving on challenging roads.
The view over the FX hood reminds us of a Jaguar, with the metal sloped and contoured over the headlights and grille. It's the opposite of the squared-off hood of a BMW X5 or Range Rover.
The view in the mirrors is more than adequate in spite of the thick rear pillars. The rear-view camera displays an image on the seven-inch dashboard monitor of what's below the driver's line of sight, with two virtual lines that correspond to the width of the FX. It's a great aid for checking behind the vehicle before backing out of a driveway or shopping center parking space, helping to ensure no children, pets, or shopping carts are lurking behind the rear wheels.
When designing the interior, Infiniti sought to provide three separate interior zones intended to meet the needs of various FX occupants: the driver zone, the comfort zone and the play zone. The driver zone is designed to be like a cockpit. The steering wheel and instruments remind us of those in Nissan's 350Z sports car, with a thick wheel rim and big gauges that move with the tilting steering column to optimize viewing angle.
The comfort zone is reserved for the front passenger, who gets the same range of seat adjustments as the driver, a separate adjustable center armrest and individual climate controls. Climate, audio and navigation controls are densely arrayed in the center stack. They look cool, but you have to look at them to operate them. Adjusting a switch requires more attention than we prefer.
The play zone, the back seat, has personal reading lamps, a center armrest with tray and storage, seatback pockets for storing DVDs and magazines, reclining seatbacks and chest-level air-conditioning vents. The optional DVD player has a seven-inch screen, a remote and two sets of wireless headphones. The play zone is surprisingly comfortable. Three adults fit comfortably in the split rear seats, and the recline feature makes it much more accommodating for taller folk than the rear-sloping roof might suggest.
The standard 300-watt, 11-speaker Bose stereo with six-disc changer and MP3 capability does a good job of blasting classic rock at high decibels. Infiniti says it worked with Bose specifically to emphasize bass and treble for rock and roll.
With the Intelligent Key option, the FX can be operated without the key. As long as the driver has the remote key fob in pocket or purse, he or she can open the doors simply by using the handle, and start the FX by pressing a button on the dash.
Storage space includes a lockable box in the center console with enough room for larger items like a purse. The door pockets flip out, and three bins are hidden under the rear cargo floor.
The rear seats fold flat easily with simple levers that are accessible from the side doors and the rear, the latter saving you a trip to the back doors when loading cargo through the hatch. The sculpted rear hatch pops open with an electro-magnetic release.
Total cargo capacity (64.5 cubic feet with the rear seat folded) is less than in many square-shaped SUVs, but larger than in other high-style SUVs such as the Porsche Cayenne or BMW X5. Infiniti says it placed a higher priority on floor space than sheer volume, and the FX has a larger load floor than the X5 or Lexus RX 330. Its floor-to-ceiling measurement is shorter, however, as is the size of the opening under the sculpted hatch. At 30.6 inches, the load height is high, meaning you have to lift that 40-pound bag of dog food up higher.
