2007 Infiniti FX vs Used 09 MURANO

[sujat]

Hi all,
I am looking to get an used SUV (my first car was a new one and decided to go the used route, unless ofcourse any of the brands I am considering have huge discounts).

I am looking at the 2007 Infiniti FX35 (~$31K with 35K Kms) and the 09 Murano (~$28K with 25K Kms)

I test drove the FX, but not the Murano yet.

It would be great if people in this forum could help me get a view of which one would be a better deal.

I do have some insights eg FX is not that great on gas, but some owner views would be great.

Cheers

[crunked]

my pops has an 09 Murano and while it's a good car, it's a gas guzzler as well.
it's probably a bit better on gas since it's cvt compared to the fx though.

[Acuratl]

wow i would avoid the murani, less than a year and already 25K..imagine if you put on another 25 by 2010, that's almost like putting on 50k in one year right..

[blakjak]

Keep in mind that there was never a 2008 Murano, so the used 2009 model may be over a year old.

Great price on the low mileage FX35, btw. The FX will also maintain a higher resale value than the Murano. Something to keep in mind if you switch cars a lot.

[sixer]

neither, nissan suvs = garbagio

[shocker]

neither, nissan suvs = garbagio

Why is that? I don't know much about Nissan reliability, but those SUV designs are pretty nice imo.

[sujat]

I thought Nissan/Infiniti fell in the decent range.

My budget is around 35K and i did consider the ACURAs as well, but the MDX according to my wife is too big and bulky. I also did not find it as fun to drive as probably the FX.

I also looked at used X3/X5s, but the X5s run closer to the 40K$ range.

In the prestige(entry prestige if you may) SUV name tags, the only one left to mention is probably the LEXUS 350 which is great with mileage but is a little too nimble to drive.

I am just glad that you guys are replying. It will help me finally settle on something of all the options I mentioned.

Cheers

[blakjak]

If you're buying used, you can always check out this site

http://www.canadiandriver.com/used_index1

It gives you used car reviews based on complaints gathered from owners from various sources. The FX35 fared quite well though. The 2009 Murano is quite new, so very little feedback on it.

[bahasad]

neither, nissan suvs = garbagio

why? Don't just make a statement without backing it up.

Both of the CUVs the OP chose are very nice. The FX is fairly reliable from what I heard, but it is pretty gas-hungry and I am guessing repairs will be more expensive than a Nissan.
Have no idea about the 09 Murano, but the older one is one of the better/more reliable CUVs. A family member has an 05 one, and it has been pretty flawless till now.

I myself would get the 09 Murano, because it has the newer design (which helps longetivity), repairs would be cheaper, and it is cheaper. 25K kilometres is not low, but depending on how long you keep the car, it might not be so bad. I do like the FX a lot though, it is one of my favourite suvs/cuvs.

[Hood_Rep]

My budget is around 35K and i did consider the ACURAs as well, but the MDX according to my wife is too big and bulky. I also did not find it as fun to drive as probably the FX.

Cheers

both are nice vehicles. i don't know anything about the 09 murano so i won't comment.

i'd recommend getting the fx45 instead of the fx35. the fx35 is underpowered. also, the 20' on the fx45 look better. however, in terms of re-sale, fx35 would fair better. it really depends on how long you want to keep the vehicle and your driving habits.

keep in mind that the design of the fx was substantially overhauled in 09, and while some people really like the old design, some don't.

i was in the market for the fx45 or fx50 until i test drove the 09 MDX and bought one. the 6 cyl MDX engine is amazing! the MDX engine has a lot of umf and it's actually a pretty sporty ride. it's a more practical vehicle, very well balanced and not much bulkier than the fx. check the specs. from a performance point of view, the MDX is at par with fx45.

[q1w2e3r4]

We owned a 2006 Murano and were very pleased with the the car, which model are you looking at SL or SE AWD?

Murano is front wheel drive bias while the FX is rear wheel drive bias, also both take premium gas.

[booblehead]

I was a former owner of a 2005 FX35. Had it for 3 years and moved on back to a car.
I liked the FX for the followings:
1) AWD capability but still needs winter tires to ensure proper traction. Drove with just the OEM tires and it was brutal in the snow.
2) Lots of Room to carry (bulky) stuff (because of the hatchback)
3) Like the sporty drive plus the sound of the exhaust was great
4) Very reliable vehicle during the 3 years I had it. Just spent on regular oil change and brake maintenance

Dislike:
1) Higher gas consumption - averaged about 16L/100km ... that's in the city ... Highway about 13L/100km ... these are the summer figures. Expect winter numbers to be about 15% worse.
2) Can't really see the back that well (especailly parking) ... since I did not have rear view backup camera.
3) Blind spot was really bad on either side

Overall, I had to give a very good rating ... just because the vehicle is very reliable.

[mr_raider]

Why is that? I don't know much about Nissan reliability, but those SUV designs are pretty nice imo.

The Nissan cars that consistently score worst on CR reliability were the pathfinder, qx, and quest. I don't know much about the Murano as it's fairly new, and hopefully not built in Mexico.

The FX has the good fortune of being built on the FM platform which is Nissan's most solid line, unlike teh Murano which is built on the FWD Altima platform. Most of the Infinitis are assembled in Japan. My vote goes for the FX, as you are getting a lot more car for the money.

[sujat]

Thanks a lot for the replies all.

The very low mileage is really something that I did not think about. As booblehead mentioned, 16L/100 in summer (city) is too thirsty.

This has caused me to turn my head towards the RX350 or the X3.

Hopefully people can share their experiences about those.

cheers and thanks again

[celica00]

have an 08 fx35...

my feedback
- yes, gas is poor, but really if you can afford the car what's the extra few $$? If you can't afford a few extra $$ per month on gas buy a CRV.
- as previous poster indicated, exhaust sound is f'n awesome
- agreed, blind spot/visibility are pretty bad
- overall very happy, the styling and wow factor far outweigh the gas/visibility issues

- was considering the RX, MDX and I'm very happy I went with the fx. I'm sure I would be just as happy with either of the vehicles but I'm just sick of seeing so many of them. I swear anytime I'm on the road I must see at least 5 of each.

[celica00]

one other thing the 16L/100km in the summer sounds really high. I averaged 15L/100km this past winter for city driving.

Maybe 05 vs 08 or driving habits.....

[booblehead]

The RX 350 should average around 12-13L/100km (City), when comparing to FX35, the average driver (with about 20,000km annual) will save about $600 in gas for a year.

I feel you will like the RX better than the X3. Simply more comfortable to drive.


Thanks a lot for the replies all.

The very low mileage is really something that I did not think about. As booblehead mentioned, 16L/100 in summer (city) is too thirsty.

This has caused me to turn my head towards the RX350 or the X3.

Hopefully people can share their experiences about those.

cheers and thanks again