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BMW X3 vs Subaru Forester XT vs Infiniti FX 35 vs Toyota RAV4

1193 messages,  Last post on Apr 18, 2008 at 2:49 PM

You are in the BMW X3 & X5 Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & tidester

What is this discussion about? BMW X3, Subaru Forester, Infiniti FX35, Toyota RAV4, SUV

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#61 of 1193 test drove FXT 5M, FX35, (BMW 530i)and own FX45... by cmdpm Jan 24, 2004 (3:36 pm)
this comparo may make sense to some but not to others... the FXT 5M is very quick, feels great mechanically, has a low profile look, 4wd and solid reliability.BUT, it feels smaller inside than the FX35/45 (i have 3 young boys), interior looks/feels lower budget, and i just couldnt get past how ugly/awkward its exterior is, IMHO. the FX35/45 is nicer inside with a little more room, has avant garde styling, awesome grip, great handling,awd option,and solid reliability.BUT its a heavier suv so the v6 has to work harder to get about 4300 lbs moving. this is why i chose an '03 FX45 (with lease $$$ only about $100 more a month than the FXT 5M). the BMW X3 had not come out when i was looking but i drove an '04 BMW 530i 6M.it is nice in many ways but it has become less of a drivers car as the current technology seems to come between the car and the driver. also,i could not justify the extra $$$.   have fun comparing!!!
#62 of 1193 ballistic and akasrp... by mark_lp Jan 24, 2004 (3:51 pm)
It's 6 degrees Far. outside where I live right now. Instead of alternating holding my hands in front of the vents, I can grasp the wheel with both hands, sans gloves, properly... And at 40K a car should have a simple luxury like a piece of wire that gently heats the steering wheel. That's what a premium car is about. (BMW's steering wheel, when on,is synched with your seats as well. Seats off, highest heat. Seat settings 1,2 or 3, wheel at 1,2 or 3) BTW, I haven't heard of any butt burns from heated leather seats yet...
#64 of 1193 ballistic by tidester HOST Jan 24, 2004 (6:24 pm)
The KISS principle seems to have become a candidate for the endangered species list.   That sounds nostalgic but if KISS were that important then old Henry wouldn't have moved beyond the Model A! Surely, the conveyor belt assembly line used to produce the "T" was not as simple as making them the old fashioned way. And those old acetylene headlights were far simpler than those newfangled electric ones with chemical batteries, cables and alternators!   tidester, host
#65 of 1193 XT vs FX by ballistic Jan 24, 2004 (6:29 pm)
interior looks/feels lower budget,   Not surprising. My budget was delighted to apply the $10,000 saved to other purposes.   and i just couldnt get past how ugly/awkward its exterior is, IMHO. the FX35/45...has avant garde styling,   Is that what it's called? As they say, eye of the beholder. I think the Infiniti FX is downright ugly. If heavy-looking high-bodyside small-window proportions (a la Hummer) are the coming thing, count me out. Give me low fender heights and tall windows anyday. Unobstructed outward visibility counts for far more to me than debatable style.
#66 of 1193 Steve, by ballistic Jan 24, 2004 (6:31 pm)
You have to be putting me on. Are you seriously putting brighter headlamps in the same category with a twinky feature like heated steering wheels?
#67 of 1193 Ballistic by tidester HOST Jan 24, 2004 (6:35 pm)
That wasn't Steve - it was me!   The point was that "simple" is relative and I was just having fun! Hope you enjoyed it.   tidester, host
#68 of 1193 by steve_ HOST Jan 24, 2004 (6:38 pm)
I believe in KISS too - Keep It Simple, Steve. I'm afraid some other words fit the acronym though....   Steve, Host
#69 of 1193 Mark, by ballistic Jan 24, 2004 (6:43 pm)
We simply have different ideas about what a car should be. It was 10 degrees F here a few weeks ago. I wore a pair of thin gloves and never gave an instant's thought that doing so was somehow a disadvantage, or that my XT was somehow deficient. I wouldn't pay ten bucks extra to get a heated steering wheel. My XT has heated seats, and I've never even turned them on. My wife, who seems to need her world about ten degrees hotter than I, occasonally uses them, so at least they won't go entirely to waste.   I could comfortably buy any car under $250K without taking a loan. I bought a $24K Forester XT because it meets my needs, and then some, and leaves the unspent dough for other, higher priorities.
#70 of 1193 Heated steering wheel by rsholland Jan 24, 2004 (6:53 pm)
Sorry JB, I like that idea. I drove a BMW with that feature. It's as valid as heated seats, and heated outside mirrors IMO. I'd love to see Subaru include this feature in their All-Weather Package.   Bob

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