ghostx

The interior pics were available last week, I think on Thursday.

darth62

One area where the RDX will likely be quite superior: rear visability. With that relatively small back window and the sloped sleek styling, it is going to be hard to see out of that thing - camera system or not.

flar

First, I'm just going by the posting dates that the site displays under the pictures.

But, I remember some pics there last Thursday, but I didn't remember seeing any interior shots. In fact I was specifically curious about how the LCD roof would look and didn't see any pics of that until I looked today so whereas I'm pretty sure the first 3 were there last Thursday as the dates on the site claim, all the rest look new to me and the site claims they were posted on 4/1 so I have no reason (other than your comment) to doubt their claims...?

ghostx

The interior shots were on the nissannews site and shown on some Infiniti forums like this one last Thursday:

http://forums.freshalloy.com/showthread.php?t=166604

Autoblog was definitely late on the report.

fumunda

I traded my 2005 Accord EX-V6 w/ Navigation in for a fully loaded 2007 G35X last November. My Honda was the first car I had owned with Navigation, and I was extremely pleased with it. After seeing the NAV systems in the Audi's and Mercedes of my co-workers, I felt that Honda/Acura definitely had the best navigation system out there. That was until I got my G35. The system works flawlessly, and looks much better than the Honda unit. The birds-eye view, along with the better use of colors makes this a far superior unit IMO. And the best thing about it is that it is hard drive based, so I won't have to pay a couple hundred dollars for an updated DVD, they can simply do an update through the compact flash drive in the dash.

Mokos23

Really? Is the Nissan one easier to use than the Honda navi?? That's really good you can update it yourself. Do you go to Nissan/Infiniti website to update your navi and put the program on that compact flash?

ghostx

Do the Infiniti Navs have voice command recognition?

Infamous425

yes they have voice command. you can use that or the knob or touchscreen.

Infamous425

shh dont say that, teledatageek might disagree

ghostx

They also have touchscreen?

Infamous425

yessir

F.Rizzo

Apparently, ahead of you though?. Not sure what your point is - other than post count/waste bandwith......


__________________________________________________ _______

More stuff out today - many more pictures of the EX

Also video of the EX:


http://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/04/n...oncept-debuts/

mav238

Great link...

The pictures seem to show the EX to be simply taking the G37 (replacement for G35) and chopping off the trunk. The G37 is already a nice looking car anyway...
The back looks like a tribeca...

Honestly, it is not a bad looking car... but personally I don't find it any more captivating than the RDX, CX7 or the new 2008 Tribeca. Interior is quire nice looking, as expected from modern late model luxury SUVs; again nothing extraordinary. could be just my bias...

But honestly, I would not jump ship for the EX just because it is a newer model of SUV, nothing really stands out from it to make me do that...

ghostx

Dude, what are you talking about. All I said is that the pics were available last Thursday, that's all! The previoius poster said it was ironic that the pics were uploaded on April Fools day and I just wanted to make the point that they were valid photos that were shown a few days before. Sorry I brought it up!

darth62

This is just a harmless misunderstanding. You were trying to be helpful and the other poster misunderstood your intentions. No worries.

Anyway, it will be interesting to see how user friendly the Nav and other features are in this new crossover. I'm personally very worried about the rear visability as well. The RDX does ok in that domain, as do most of the Honda CUVs.

number84

i agree...the rear window is quite small compared to most cars...i guess that's why they have the around view monitor...but i wonder how good it is in real life...quite excited to see this thing, that's for sure...even holding off on my rdx purchase now.

Teledatageek

oh come on now.....

Maybe I'll need to go to the Infiniti dealer and try this new and improved navi system! I would agree that hard drive based is nicer, no question. I didn't like Bird's Eye view. Believe me I have an open mind but on my 2005 FX, the navi was so bad, it was the reason for my change 18 months after I bought it.

Let me ask you something, Infamous425... Have you owned cars with navi from these two manufacturers?!

lumpulus

To resemble a Tribeca is NOT a good thing, especially when viewed from the front.

super_call

That is one Beautiful looking concept! Hope it makes it to market pretty much as is from a design standpoint. That 3.5 V6 will be plenty quick and powerful.

I'dl like to see a different taillight treatment and most of all a 6 speed automatic.

I'll bet it has power passenger seats

ghostx

This is my dilemma. Many of the features I wanted to see are not in the RDX but will most likely be present in the EX35 as they are in the other Infinitis. I'm sure that the EX35 will have power driver/passenger seats, memory settings for mirrors and seats, remote entry, standard auto-dim mirror and the other tech bonuses. I guess we'll just have to wait til the EX finally comes out to make a better decision.

ghost

mrdeeno

i see only similar resemblence in the rear, but that is stretching it. The tribeca rear looks misproportioned while the EX rear looks good.

Infamous425

i have not owned the cars, no. my experience with them is from test drives so i did get to play with each navi quite a bit.

now i never said one was better than the other, i know acura navi is excellent. but so is infinitis newer generation navi. the ones in the FX is their older navi system. the one in the new G is far superior to the FX's.

ghostx

Hey, the door handles on the EX look flush with the door panel itself. Does anyone know how opening the door would work?

mrdeeno

probably will be replaced with real door handles on the production model. Either that or 'Dukes of Hazzard' style to get in.

darth62

Teledatageek - as I understand it, the Nav in the M and G is totally different than the nav in the FX. I test drove the FX last year, and completely agree with your take. It was very hard to use, and I particularly hated the abscence of a touch screen. It also had some sort of bizare restriction where it wouldn't let you plot a trip to location that was too far away (making it useless for long road trips).

The M is "rated" (rated is in quote here because I'm talking about polls I've seen on the internet - hardly a scientific source) right below the system in the Hondas. And, the G is even better because it has a touch screen.

I seriously doubt the nav in the new EX35 will be on par with the Acrua/Alpine system but I will be surprised if it is as bad as the one in the FX.

mvwood

interesting enough, I now actually prefer the manual.

Strange, but when I need to move the seat back fast in a cab or the RDX or whatever, it is much more comfortable to grab underneath and just push it back than to find the buttons (always somewhere different, it seems) find the right button and then slowly move the seat back to a place where I don't feel like I am being steam-pressed.

I know it's not a big deal and people love their power passanger seats, but when you have a whole bunch of different passangers through, it is actually much easier for it to be manual.

orbitwhite

The Infiniti forums are buzzing and the EX is starting to look really good, but I should contain my excitement. If Infiniti prices a well equiped at mid to upper $30K, its a winner for me. I felt the same for the RDX until I saw a 4cyl turbo, I still don't know what to make of it but market demand has already pushed the price down to low $30k (at least in California). I hope Acura can strike back by announcing some nice updates for 2008 RDX!

ghostx

Good time to be a buyer, huh?!!

ghostx

Infiniti has the EX concept site up:

http://www.infiniti.com/about/future-vehicles.html

Mokos23

If Acura updates the styling a little making it look more aggressive, get better gas mileage ratings, and gives an option for a V6 or I6, and make the price $36,000, that would be a heck of a steal to fight back against the EX35. But who knows

What did Honda/Acura do to fix staggering RL sales? Offer a lower priced RL w/o navi and it's still not selling.

brizey

The Tribeca has been redesigned (out this summer) and the new one is MUCH better looking.

(BTW, hi, I'm new here).

mrdeeno

As with the RL, I don't think there are many available choices for the RDX short of introducing a full redesign.

1) Honda has no I6, so that option is out.

2) I don't think the CRV/RDX platform was ever designed for a V6 in mind, so short of major changes to the underpinnings/dimensions/etc (ie full redesign), they won't be able to squeeze a V6 in there.

I feel that Honda's "fuel economy" argument for going with a turbo over a V6 was more of an argument to "save face". What sounds better for your reputation..."We can't put a V6 in because we [mistakenly] didn't think you would want one" or "We won't put a V6 in because we stand for better fuel economy"? And my opinion of this is because the current turbo does not offer better fuel economy.

3) As with the RL, they just CAN'T lower prices/MSRP without at least justifying it with something BESIDES low sales before a full redesign. No automaker wants to or will ever do that to sell more models. What they will do instead is keep the same MSRP, but offer incentives and/or lesser equipped models...so potential customers think the lower price is because the car is less equipped. It would look really bad if potential customers knew or thought that the price is lower because the car is not in as high demand as the automaker thought it should be (brand image erosion).

If they want to do it right and really compete, then forget about the current model and focus on the next generation.

darth62

The real reason that Honda choose to put a Turbo 4 in the RDX is pure cost savings. They developed the original CRV platform for a four only and a six would not even fit into the engine bay. To save costs, they opted not to develop a V6 version of the CRV with revision (even though Honda has access to the very sweet 3.0 L V6 from the Accord). And, the RDX was ultimately derived rom the CRV (I understand that one is a SH-AWD and one is not, but they still probably share a lot of design features) so development of a V6 RDX became prohibitive.

If Honda has designed the RDX from ground up, you can bet it would have a six.

I still the RDX competes OK with V6 rivals, but the Turbo 4 does not offer any advantages to the driver.

ClnOB

ex2k4

Think of it like the MDX and RDX.

brizey

Yep. Don't forget they are dropping the QX so I would expect the new FX to move up in size and price to make room for the EX just like the MDX did for the RDX.

chyllintsx

heres a couple of pics from the NY auto show of the EX and the rogue






the EX is actually really nice... kinda like a 4 seater cuv or suv watever u wanna call it... its got a NICE white interior but easily dirty... nice interior style and front end... the rear looks like the tribeca.. which BTW... subaru changed, but i didnt take a pic of it...




the rogue... is just as small... RDX is much bigger... and the rogue is just ugly... murano all the way if going with nissan...

Mokos23

When I drove the RDX as a loaner it wasn't small, but it isn't big either. It's even smaller in length and rearseat room than a TSX.

I like the performance and turbo though I'm thinking that the EX35 will be just only slightly longer than the RDX is.

Boon

That would be amazing but probably wishful thinking. Take a look at the Tribeca...sales were incredibly poor and it still took Subaru 2 years just to change that hideous grille.

I think Acura can stay competitive just by putting back some of those standard "luxury" features (power pass., memory seat, rear temp controls), and do it quick.

I'm not really a car guy, but how feasible would it really be to upgrade to a 6-speed transmission? Any other ways to improve mpg short of replacing the engine?

rpeete

The RDX is easily about a foot shorter than my 2001 TL -- the garage test tells it all (noticeably more room when walking between the tailgate and the garage door).

As for adding memory to the driver seat, power passenger seats, and rear temp control: if they add it I won't get the benefit of it cuz it would be in the 2008 model year. Oh well, I can live without it. I drive mostly by myself during the week.

As for mileage, if you buy an SUV or Corssover, then you better not be too worried about miles per gallon. If MPG is important, these cars are NOT for you. If you want better mileage, buy a minivan or sedan. I think the RDX has pretty decent gas mileage considering the type of car it is and its engine. I will miss my TL's MPG but I am gonna enjoy what I 'gained' by moving to the RDX.