Test Drive

I hate car sales people...and i hate insurance people. So, i decided i'd face one evil today and go check out the new Infiniti EX35. Before i get to the car, i must say a little about the sales people. Infiniti is really nice (so far). When i walked in the door i wasn't surrounded as if i were the only piece of meat they have seen for days. The receptionist was nice and put me in contact with Billy...the guy i've been talking to via email.

Billy was a nice guy. He didn't pressure me, didn't push any options on me that i don't want, and even tried to help me out by taking some options off the table. If i do business with these guys and they continue to be nice and honest then perhaps my outlook on car sales people will be less harsh. I don't think i'll change my opinion of insurance people though.

So, first impressions. Their initial shipment was 4 EX35s, 3 of which were already sold. They had one available on the lot and we took it for a test drive. It provides a quiet and smooth ride. The interior is lush...and this was just a mid-level interior. I think i would spring for the upgraded interior, which adds leather upgrades and wood trim (i'm not a fan of wood trim, but it comes with the upgraded leather...and kinda looks nice). The driver's side (my side) is roomy. Billy is 6'4" and he had no problems with room in the passenger side. He looked mostly comfortable. The buttons and knobs were all within comfortable reach. I didn't play around with the nav system or the iPod interface...although i probably should have.

I didn't push the engine but it did feel responsive and quick to pull. (i'm somewhat paranoid with a vehicle that isn't mine yet...so i kept it civil). Braking was really responsive...but i guess that's the difference between brand new brakes and worn and used brakes.

Now, to the drawbacks. There isn't much backseat leg room. I crawled in the back with the driver's seat set to a comfortable length for me and there was ample room for me...but i'm not that big of a guy so bigger people would not be terribly comfortable back there...and with the front seat all the way back, there really is no leg room...i didn't even bother trying that one out. So, bottom line is this vehicle is not a people carrier. If i decided to get this, i might be able to get 4 people in there without being too cramped (but this will require the front seats to be moved up some, er...a lot).

The other disappointing thing is the space behind the back seats. It's not that big. The cruiser will swallow much more than this thing ever could. The requirement that i have is that the vehicle be able to carry my guitars, effects board, and perhaps an amp, which it will do with the rear seats folded down. I know i couldn't get the amp in there without putting the seats down. It might be tricky to get the guitars in there...but it might be possible.

The exterior dimensions are bigger than the cruiser (except in height--the EX35's roofline is about 2" shorter than the cruiser. The EX35 has nearly twice the horsepower of the cruiser and 10 times the luxury.

I think i'd be much happier with the Infiniti EX35 than the cruiser even with the shortcomings of the EX35s rear passenger and cargo volume. So, that means that I could still help you move into your new house, Erin, (whenever that comes around), but i won't be able to pack as much stuff in the EX35 as i could with the cruiser. Would that be okay?

Now...i've seen the product. I've formulated a first impression. I've given it a test drive. Should i buy it? What color should i get? Currently, i'm leaning towards a wheat interior with a black exterior. (I saw this combination on a Range Rover once and it's mighty nice). The other color i'm interested in is the platinum graphite...which happens to be the color of the vehicle that i test drove. Again, the interior would be wheat. Should i even buy this? Need your input folks! So, send me your "whatever makes you happy" comments and suggest a color...
Thanks...