The Infiniti EX35 Is A Nice Small SUV. Right? So Why Have Sales Underwhelmed?

LOL what are you talking about? If anything Lexus has two SUV's that are best suited for females so KING isn't the right word. It's QUEEN. However, the LX is a good SUV. I'd leave the fancy accents behind and get a Landcruiser, that way I don't have to worry about scratching the paint when i'm off-roading. If I want speed the king(S) are none other than the Porsche Cayenne Turbo or the ML63.

Well, this car has the wrong size, and is priced expensive for what it is. Did I say this car was small?

Infiniti has a great line-up, now has wonderful interior tactile feel and design (not always the case) but the average person does not understand the brand, or the image. They are concerned about what statement it says about them to be driving one. There is also the issue of depressed resale value. It seems no matter how hard they try, they cannot find themselves, a customer base, and gain traction.

One thing for sure, American's never said they've gotten completely used to a small SUV - especially something that looks cramped from the outside.

I personally think that slight design tweaks might have made a difference, and one particular aspect to consider is how the vehicle is awkwardly curvy on the top and completely flat at the bottom.

And I don't know much about this vehicle's pricing, but the "common people" have told me that they're used to Lexus being less expensive than Mercedes-Benz, but they've never took some less expensive Infiniti seriously. Moms already claimed that the brand felt a little distant. Anyone can drive a Bimmer, but Infiniti was more... something. lol
It has an interesting quality that doesn't seem to benefit itself very much.

This brings on the question. Who drives an Infiniti? Does Infiniti's lineup have any connections at all? Why is Infiniti's lineup still so small when compared to Lexus?
Does Lexus benefit from having an ES and a GS (same size but with different intentions)?

And finally, over the long-term, will Hyundai's new models hurt Infiniti's sales more or Lexus'?

funny... I find Infiniti to have less "soul" than does Lexus.

Yeah I tried to stuff some bodies in the trunk of my cold soulless car. It still doesn't work. It's still remain a car with just great handling and cool wheels. I will consult with a witch doctor next on the matter getting a soul in it.

Sales are down for this Nissan because it's a Barbie doll car.

I saw a guy driving one and he looked like a pansy boy.

The small Mercedes has the right look ;-)

Right, like the Subaru-Forrester-inspired MB GLK box is a real styling success.

If I had to guess why she chose an RX over the EX, I would bet it had to due with the passenger space. The interior of the EX is ridiculously tiny, coffin like. I could barely fit in the backseat and I'm 5'11.

My guess is that she is familiar with the RX as so many other soccer moms have one and for some people The Lexus has more Prestige than An Infinity.

P.S. I said for some people. I don't fit into that category.

I don't think it has nothing to do with the RX. It's simply because the EX has tiny leg room in the back seats which is a deal breaker to many people.

There's no utility, or rather a lack of one, in the EX. And that's why no one wants one.

The EX looks looks a g35 wagon. It needs some ground clearance and about 6 inches added to the wheelbase.

Utility is only half of the problem. Who here actually has an Infiniti dealership close enough to their house to warrant driving there to check out their lineup or servicing their car?

Where I live, the closest one is about 60 miles away. They're like Saab dealerships: few and far between. Whereas you'll generally find Lexus dealerships right next to the Toyota dealerships, which are everywhere.

The EX is too much like a car.
It's low, it is incredibly small and it cannot tow ANYTHING!!!
Goes to show that gadgets adn price point is no longer the norm...
With the new GLK and the Q5 that just came out, life will get even harder for the EX.

As an Acura salesperson who has driven all of the competitors to the RDX (another sales flop), I can attest to everyone mentioning that the EX is very small inside. It drives like a champ, great power with a very smooth delivery. Interior is laid out nicely also. But with that said, who is the target audience of the EX. MOST women, again I say most, want luxury and utility. The EX has no cargo space without the back seats down and with the majority of the buyers in this category having children, where are you going to put the soccer equipment or baseball gear.
But once again, the car drives fantastic. Just way to small.

Let the deboosting begin.

Rear leg room. Period. It was designed for women but is really a vehicle for women who want a G35 coupe but need more utility. So it is really more G 4dr coupe than cute ute. The FX is a great size for passengers and marginal for cargo capacity, so this was bound to happen since they had to place the EX enough smaller to justify two models.

The answer is space and design options. I'm 6' tall 200ibs. The quality of the interior is excellent but it's a tight fit. My legs are very cramped in the back seat and a little tight up front. I don't want to drive and get a cramp. I love the design but the one design shouldn't just be luxury, it should have a luxury sport alternative with smoke out front and rear headlights and a carbon interior dash facade. If Infiniti can pull the same exact design in a bigger scale with all of the same existing features I would buy one but then again isn't that what the FX is for who's starting price is less but so are the interior features (no auto fold down seats).

The EX is too small. Having similar interior dimensions as the G37, it wasn't very different from the sedan. Infiniti's lineup is too bad, but it is lacking a mid-sized SUV with some real utility.

I own an FX. I didn't buy it for interior space. The fact that it's a sport-performance-oritented SUV is what interests me. Everybody's got an RX...they seem to be very mondane these days.

It would be nice for Infiniti to offer something not as big as the QX. They failed with the luxury version of the Pathfinder b/c it was just a badge-engineered model. They could probably benefit by putting a little effort into using the Altima/Maxima platform to make a really nice mid-size luxury SUV.

No one has guessed the reason she went RX vs. EX yet. Keep on guessing...I will put the answer up later today.

One clue, her decision had nothing to do with rear legroom or cargo space.

001

Carseat room or ease of installation/fit of carseats? Just guessing here- haven't tried to install one in either, but I know that made a difference to my wife in her car.

She likes the way the RX looks. If that is the case, then Man, is she misinformed!!!

The reason is simple for me. This class of vehicle makes no sense. It's too tall to really be sporty and too small to really have any utility. It's a compromise of a sedan and an SUV which waters down the virtues of both to near pointlessness. It's a beautifully crafted machine but it just doesn't make a strong case for itself when you could buy a G sedan and get more sport AND utility.

And while we're at it I feel the same can be said for any vehicle like this. That includes the Acura RDX and the BMW X3. They're answers to requests no one ever made.

hmm,
Well 001 I would guess she choose the RX for one of the following reasons
1) Looks
2) Color
While a lot of blokes on this forum like aggresively styled cars , I think most women dont like that and frankly they couldnt care less what the engine is as long as when they press the pedal there is get up and go. Plus Color is how they identify cars....
(Caveat Emptor: I am basing the statements on a rough generalization of the women i know and have known. At no time was i seeking to degenerate their outlook or express disagreement on their taste towards cars. This statement is to merely highlight the differences in how men and women view automobiles albeit in a simplistic crude way)

So here's the answer to the question you've all been waiting for...

She chose the RX because:

1. It 'felt' more luxurious and expensive.
2. It 'felt' more luxurious, solid and comfortable on the test drive.
3. She felt Lexus had a better reputation and would do a better job if anything went wrong.

There you have it.

3 VERY subjective reasons but Lexus walks away wit da MONEY.

And it shows again when people make buying decisions, they aren't the reasons most product managers think of when they design and build these vehicles.

So now you that you know the reasons, do you agree with her and is she right?

001

You are overcomplicating things. Most women choose the Rx as this is the most frequent vehicle to be seen around schools in the morning. Women trust women. This was the recipe for success for the Explorer in the early 90s, the Minivan in the late 90's, wonder what's coming next. Surely the 2010 Rx won't win any design awards...

The three reasons given are subjective, but also real. I have been in the Infiniti Ex, and I would be hard pressed to find any reason to keep producing it.

The ex as a package is underwhelming is the main reason, its "SUV" with no real cargo space, the interior is very small even by this classes standards it simply makes no sense, and it looks more like a high roof wagon than a SUV. At least it offers the best driving experience, and has to have one of the best interiors infiniti offers.

i have a question, i'm applying for an intership position in China at the moment and found an ad from BMW. i looked closer and the ad said. BMW-Brilliance. what shall i say? i was shocked!! does anyone have any more information about this joint venture?

To 100 Octane, although it has nothing to do with the EX35, Brilliance is BMW's partner in China and they formed a joint venture to produce BMW cars locally; so no need to be shocked or worried...

EX is more like a G35/37 with a hatchback, it rides, handles and performs like the powerful sedan but has some utility thrown in. People think it's a CUV but more like a stylish wagon.

Too bad though since with nearly 300hp it is very quick and will run circles around slow ass X3, it also handles like dream and that ATTESA AWD is probably best in the market (variation used by GT-R).

I like EX35, it's got great interior(i like the design more than FX), drives well, good price and lot of new and usable technology but i could see why some would not choose it, as at the first glance it looks more like Station wagon(same is the case with MB GLK) than Small SUV example X3 and LR2 looks more SUV like. It's also very curvy(like XC60). Drive and seating is also very car like. Which is not always what crossover customer wants.
So it's got many ingredients of what is not popular today and very few what is in demand, therefore sales failure.

JUGNU

Gas mileage is also poor on the EX. For its size, it should really offer much greater fuel efficiency.

It's also awful on the RDX and GLK...16mpg city real world

I think it boils down to the fact that though the EX is very nice, it's too easy to cross off most people's shopping lists. I test drove and really liked the way it drove, and unlike most, I really liked its size. What killed it for me was that the exterior and even more so the interior were styled way too soft and feminine. That plus the fact that it was $45k (equipped with the right amount of equipment) with little wiggle room, which I felt was way too much for a lil Infiniti.

Since the EX didn't appeal to single, male, upwardly mobile professional like me, I wondered who would buy such a vehicle. If it's the luxury SUV driving suburbian housewife, female real estate agent or small business owner that Infiniti was targeting, it misses the mark there too because those ladies would all choose the RX. It's more luxurious, bigger, and Lexus has much more cache within their social circle, and since it's around the same price, it's a no brainer for them.

So, not quite sure who would buy an EX or what needs it meets.

Don't even get me started on the RDX. That car's a flop because it's waaay too expensive for a raspy 4 cylinder (who cares if it's a turbo--it's still rough) with a plasticky interior. I really wanted to like it too, but was so disappointed.

Huh......I sat in one at last years Philadelphia Auto Show.

It's simply too small and cramped inside. Many it's not in reality but it feels really cramped in the front seats and back seats. The interior is wonderfully styled and crafted though. In the back seat, I'm only 5-11 and I barely had enough legroom or headroom.

Also, the cargo area also seems miniscule. At least compared to the similarly priced lexus RX.

Most people look for room, and utility which means it needs adequate storage space, therefore I bet the EX is being crossed off a whole lot of shopping lists.

Few years back I took a FX45 for a test drive. Very sweet machine, hell of an engine. We "almost" bought one at the time, but just were not ready to drop. I thinkt the FX50 is real nice. But The EX is a waste of time & space. Not really sure what Infiniti had in mind or marketing intent. I think similar comments about Infiniti just making a G35 "station wagon" would not work in the USA is correct. So they had to go with the "cute ute" strategy. So its a vehicle looking for a market. There really is not one for this thing. Folks looking at a 5 seater SUV will likely go with an FX, why do an EX? Makes NO sense, thus is why they are not selling.

People now know that $5/gal is possible, and will most likely come back.

SUVs will never sell as well as they were 2-3 years ago.

001, her reasons are why Lexus as a brand does well, not why the EX doesn't sell up to expectations. The leather in Lexus is generally regarded as being the most luxurious. The EX is especially great in the luxury package with the leather dash, but the texture/feel of the leather isn't the same. People in general notice things like that more than they do driving dynamics.

First, rear leg room is terrible. If there is a rear door then it must have enough room for people to sit there. If not, I'd rather get a coupe.
Second, most CUV/SUV sit high but this one is too low on the ground.
Lastly, why there is no tint glass or privacy class? At least they should offer an option like other CVU/SUV out there.

I bought the X3 instead. The Infiniti felt cheap, was expensive, and got horrible gas mileage.

The rear legroom is smaller than in a Volkswagen Rabbit. Don't ask me how, but I was able to compare them side-by-side.

Luxo interior, some cheap plastic bits, and horrific gas mileage.

BTW, it IS a G35 wagon