Looks like I might be taking a different direction away from the Cayenne and the Range Rover towards the FX37. I like the infiniti and am familiar with the line already. The 1st gens fall into my price range. I am looking from you guys in the know about Nissan's VQ35 engine and their reliability or other issues that I might have with this SUV.

I had a 2005 FX35 AWD for less than a year that I had bought used.  It was a love/hate relationship.  I really liked the styling of it and for a crossover it drove very nicely.  Decent power too.  While getting in & out of the back seats was a little awkward, there was plenty of backseat room for adults.  My kids were very comfortable back there.  The cargo room in the hatch area was a little limited but not horrible.  It felt very solid.

I ended up getting rid of it because it turned out to be somewhat of a lemon.  I've had other Nissan products before that weren't nearly as problematic so I am inclined to think mine was more of a fluke.  However, there were enough problems for me to get rid of it.  When I bought it, it had 62k miles and had 78k miles on it when I traded it in.

- I had the dash bubbling problem that luckily was covered under the extended warranty that Infiniti created for that problem.

- Both power mirror motors crapped out.  Luckily replacing them was easy enough to do myself.

- Ignition coils started going bad which in turn killed the catalytic converters.  The dealer got the converters covered under the longer emissions warranty (good thing as they were $1000 each) but I had to pay for multiple new coils then eventually a whole new set when the underlying problem was found.  Turns out there was a TSB for the issue.  Bad grounds were the problem and required new grounding cables.

- Transmission failed.  It started hesitating going into reverse until eventually it just wouldn't go into reverse at all.  I don't remember what the entire bill was but it was at least $5k.

The transmission was the final straw as I did not want to keep it anymore without a warranty.  It's too bad because otherwise I really liked it.  I would not be against getting another one but I would not get one without an extended warranty.  My brother had an Infiniti G37S around the same time that was mostly problem free so like I said mine was probably just a fluke.

My Mom has an '06 M35x, it has about 96,xxx miles on it now, there have been a few piddly issues, nothing major, seat trim, crap like that, but mechanically it has been flawless, and she loves that car.

I have an '04 Maxima, which is also the VQ35 motor (6spd manual, so none of the slushbox issues) that has been perfect, and would not hesitate to buy another 3.5, and I do recommend them.

Good power and both of our 3.5's are pretty fun to drive while delivering good mpg's

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thanks guys, Sorry to hear about all the trouble with the one you had. That is what I am hoping I don't end up with.

My other half had a 2006 G35 coupe that was an outstanding car with zero issues.

She now has a 2012 FX35 which has been great, and is a really nice vehicle, but doesn't have enough mileage for any long term reports.

The VQ35 engine is an outstanding engine though, and has been a staple in the Nissan lineup for quite some time.  It makes plenty of power, sounds good, and seems to be very reliable.  If I'm not mistaken, it has been on the Wards "10 best engine" list for many years - for whatever that's worth.

Dan.

I did notice that Nissan puts that engine in everything. My g37 has been flawless with the exception of the light on the clock went out, but it was covered under warranty. My wife really likes infinity and wants another but an suv. I did price some replacement parts for the Fx 35 and they were very reasonable.

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Parts from some of the online discount Infiniti parts dealers aren't too bad.  My local dealer was ridiculous though and had some parts priced higher than MSRP.  I asked if they were willing to match online prices or at least come close to them but they wouldn't budge so I got most of my parts from online sources.

ETA: infinitipartsusa.com is who I believe I always bought from.  Decent prices and customer service.

I never go to the dealer unless I have to. Always try to go after market. I had a land rover disco that ad hardly any after market support. The salvage yard guys became my friend.