Spied in the classifieds

Infiniti’s special FX is cheap

Remember Infiniti? Of course you do, because the brand is still tapping away trying to carve a niche in the premium market. You’ve got to love a trier.

Back in the day, when Infiniti decided to try to crack Europe, it had a sometimes wildly inappropriate line-up of cars which were often more appealing than the more mainstream offerings the firm sells now. Chief among them was the FX, a big brute of an over-styled SUV which was in many ways ahead of its time for its out-there styling. In V6 diesel form it warranted a reasonable, if not eye-catching, three-star review from our road testers and drew praise for the way it drove (other than off-road, where testers noted it had “little ability”), exceptional build quality and for a kit list so long that it left its opposition behind.

Criticism was mostly mild: a small boot and disappointing rear seat space. Only ride quality got panned, with testers noting that a switch from 21in to 20in wheels made the ride “slightly less shocking”.

The engines weren’t great, either: here we have a 390bhp 3.7-litre V6 petrol that is quick (0-62mph in 5.8sec) but exceptionally thirsty (21.6mpg). Most sane buyers went for the 3.0-litre diesel, examples of which can also be found for sale. Alas, we could find no V8 petrols available.

But we’ve highlighted this petrolengined FX for its exceptional value. Priced from almost £50,000 when new, it has done a less-than-average mileage over the past eight years but lost close to 80% of its value. Yes, there’s risk involved, and there’s little chance you are buying a future classic, but for the adventurous buyer, it looks like a lot of fun.