I can't think of two more disparate interpretations of the sport/utility vehicle—and by the same corporate family, no less. On the one hand, there's Nissan's brute Xterra; on the other, Infiniti's svelte FX45. It's as if these two hands were wearing, respectively, brass knuckles and a velvet glove. Together, they fairly well represent the broad spectrum along which sport/utility newcomers have evolved out of car and truck forebears.
In this instructive Nissan/Infiniti pairing, it soon becomes obvious that each vehicle is very well suited for certain tasks. These tasks, however, are mutually exclusive, which is just another way of saying that "well rounded" is not a particularly apt description of either one.
2005 Nissan Xterra OR-V6 4x4
Nissan's oddly named Xterra has been a cult favorite from the moment of its debut. Who knows why? It's boxy and lumpy; the ride is rough and choppy; tubes and bars sprout from the bodywork. It's an example of reverse-chic in action, and people—kids, actually, young women in particular—just love it.
And I? I really like it too. Not as a chic fashion statement, but as what I call a play-tool. Xterra's particular charm is its boxy, lumpy utility. It seems naked without bikes or a kayak pinioned onto that stout tubular roof rack. And if lakewater is oozing out of the tennis shoes you've stowed overhead in the wedgy roofbox, that's just icing on the cake. Because this is a truck for getting to the places where you get to do fun things.
"Truck," by the way, is the operative term. Based on the same basic steel ladder undergirding Nissan's Titan pickup and Armada full-size SUV, Xterra is a true box-on-frame vehicle. That's why it has a certain floaty, nautical handling feel; why its ride is a bit jarring. That's also why it's a fantastic off-roader. It's strong, durable and tough. And for 2006, it's mightier yet.
The larger, 4.0-liter V6 is the most conspicuous upgrade. Now there are 265 horsepower and 284 foot-pounds of torque at the driver's disposal. It's not particularly fast-revving power, so acceleration isn't exactly spine-tingling; but the added, mid-rpm torque is a boon for exacting, tactical off-road tasks.
As is increasingly common these days, Xterra's refinements are masked behind acronyms. For 2006, Xterra acquires a superb four-wheel-drive powertrain plastered with these acros. HSA translates into Hill Start Assist; HDC is Hill Descent Control; ABLS is (4-wheel) Active Brake Limited Slip; and VDC is Vehicle Dynamic Control. In short, let's just stipulate that this alphabet soup nourishes a very capable off-roader.
There are buttons to push and a certain savvy required for a driver to configure the Xterra properly for varying challenges; but in principle, the alpha-gadgets are dedicated to preserving maximum vehicle control in minimally tolerable conditions.
A stint driving the new Xterra through hub-sucking North Georgia goo made a believer of me. With the limited slip differential locked and low-range gearing selected, I negotiated steep, Teflon-slick hillsides up, down and sideways. Often, thanks to the effectiveness of descent control, my feet were flat on the floor, and Xterra's powertrain managed traction and throttle of its own accord without veering from a narrow path through trees indisposed to step out of the way.
Later, driving around town, I was struck by how basic, brutish and crude the Xterra could be. But by that point, I was already won over. "Basic," "brutish" and "crude," my three teenage daughters like to remind me, are terms of high praise in the reverse-chic stylebook.
2005 Infiniti FX45
Infiniti calls its pair of FX sport/utility vehicles "crossover" models. That's meant, I suppose, to refer to some sort of automotive cross-dressing using both car and truck apparel. For me, however, the swoopy FX represents a crossover into an entirely new motoring dimension.
My road test was in the larger, V8-powered FX45, which distributes 315 hp and 329 foot-pounds of torque through a full-time all-wheel-drive powertrain. This twin-cam V8 scoots. The FX45 accelerates quickly yet calmly through the five-speed automatic transmission, and the slightly detectable throatiness of the exhaust note is highly delectable.
The FX45's reflexes are finely tuned for sporty handling, even a bit high strung perhaps. Big, low-profile tires paw the road, and ride feel is taut, verging on stiff. Dashing about in the FX45, however, is what triggers a bout of schizophrenia. There are multiple personalities competing for the driver's attention, and they don't always seem to get along.
For one thing, the FX45 is a style maven. Inside and out, its looks are unparalleled. Simultaneously squat and sleek, the body seems to sit back on its haunches, waiting to pounce. Huge 20-inch wheels dominate the corners like so many giant Rolex watches. Nobody doesn't look at the FX45.
Inside, buttery soft, caramel-colored leather enfolds driver and passengers. The jelly-beany roundness of the exterior transforms the interior into a sort of luxury bathysphere; and indeed you feel as if you're 20,000 leagues under the sea in this thing. Visibility, especially to the rear, suffers from stylishness; but the rear-view back-up camera is a welcome, otherwordly compensation.
Otherworldly, too, are the FX45's qualifications. What, in other words, does the FX45 actually do? There's room for five adults; there's sporty handling; there's a big V8 and runway-model good looks. But the two-ton FX45 is too heavy and round to be a sports car; people-cargo arrangements are only on a par with the Subaru Impreza; payload is a scant 1,100 pounds (that includes passengers); and towing is limited to 3,500 pounds. (Even the V6 Xterra earns a 5,000-pound tow rating.) So I'm tempted to consider the FX45 as the George Hamilton of motorcars. Both are handsome and fun to be with; but it's never quite clear why, exactly, they're hanging around.
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