Behind the wheel
The JX felt surprisingly light to drive. I can usually feel the size of any three-row vehicle when accelerating, but the 265-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine took next to no effort to get the JX up to speed. Using the drive mode selector, I switched out of Normal and into Sport mode to get the continuously variable automatic transmission to feel as if it were shifting through the gears, a sensation I prefer. Eco and Snow modes are there to play around with, as well as a manual-shift mode, which I would definitely use in my normal life traveling up and down mountain passes.
The other impressive feat is the JX35's ability to hug the road like a car when cornering, rather than tilting and rolling as you'd expect from an SUV or large crossover.
The standard front-wheel-drive JX35 (rated an estimated 18/24 mpg city/highway and 21 mpg combined) can be upgraded to all-wheel drive (dropping to 23 mpg highway and 20 mpg combined) for a mere $1,100, a feature I would take advantage of if purchasing one in my neck of the Rocky Mountain woods.
See also:
Cargo floor box
Push the handle to open the cargo floor
board 1 . ...
Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system
The Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system
uses various sensors to monitor driver
inputs and vehicle motion. Under certain
driving conditions, the VDC system helps
to perform the following funct ...
Hurry Up? Wait.
The main problem I had with the FX35 was its seven-speed automatic
transmission, which was added in 2009. It hesitates so much when you call for
more power that I have a hard time calling this SUV ...