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Infiniti has made a concerted effort to improve its interiors in recent years and the EX is among the best yet. Rich, soft-touch materials abound, and there is a general feeling of quality and sophistication. The rounded shapes create a dual-cockpit design with flowing lines that are a natural extension of the exterior.The instrument panel features a large tachometer and speedometer, flanked by the water temperature and fuel gauges. In the center is a digital display for the trip computer, which shows such information as outside temperature, the odometer and trip odometer, real-time mpg, average mpg, miles per hour, and fuel range. The center stack juts out to make every control very easy to reach. Its central component is a seven-inch screen that comes standard with or without the optional navigation system. The screen has some touch-sensitive controls when ordered with the navigation system, but thankfully doesn't absorb the basic audio or climate controls. Large buttons are laid out below it to move between navigation and audio screens, among others. The unique layout takes some getting used to, but it works well. Infiniti's radio also has A, B and C presets instead of AM and FM presets, another trait that some may find a bit confusing. The good news is that you can quickly switch between favorite FM music, AM talk radio, and XM TV news stations with the press of a button; no need to first change modes. Small items storage is only so-so. The center console is nicely sized and there are two cupholders in front of it, but there are no small cubbies to hold keys, cell phones, and other miscellaneous items. The EX35 boasts several unusual technology features. The available navigation system is teamed with a hard drive with 9.3 gigabytes of space to store music files. Music can be ripped directly from CDs. Infiniti's available Around View Monitor takes the idea of a rearview camera to a new level. It utilizes four cameras, one in the Infiniti logo up front, one in the tailgate and one in each outside mirror, to give a virtual 360 degree view of the vehicle. The cameras have fisheye lenses, but the EX35 uses software to flatten out the images. Those images are displayed on the right side of the dashboard screen in either an overhead full-vehicle view or in a right-side view. The system works fairly well, but the images aren't very large, so it is still necessary to survey your surroundings when parking or backing up. When the vehicle is put in reverse, a larger image of the rear is projected on the left side of the screen. The EX35 also marks the debut of Infiniti's Lane Departure Prevention system (LDP), which goes one step beyond Infiniti's Lane Departure Warning system (LDW). LDW detects lane lines and emits a beep if you begin to cross those lines without using a turn signal. When the vehicle begins to drift out of its lane, LDP gently applies the brakes on the opposite side of the vehicle to steer it back on course. When we let the EX35 drift to the left, we could feel the system working to correct our path. The system didn't seem to work as well when we let the vehicle drift to the right. Infiniti says customers will find the EX35 to be just the right size. That may be the case for those stepping up from a car, but buyers coming from other SUVs might find it small. Inside, it offers the room of a midsize station wagon. Getting in and out is a breeze because the EX35 sits higher than a sedan but lower than most SUVs. With the Journey's sunroof, head room up front is tight for anyone over 6-foot. Leg room, on the other hand, is plentiful. The front seats are comfortable, with nice bolstering that may pinch the love handles of larger passengers. The EX's large exterior mirrors provide good visibility to the rear. That's especially important because the shape of the rear pillar and the position of the headrest on the passenger side rear seat creates a large blind spot over the driver's right shoulder. The rear seats are comfortable, but the EX35 will be far more comfortable for four passengers than five. Head room isn't a problem, but leg room gets tight when the front seats are pushed far back. The rear seats are shaped to make the outboard positions more comfortable than most, but getting stuck in the center position will definitely cause fights among the kids. The seat is split 60/40 and there is a standard fold-down center armrest, which further aids comfort for outboard passengers. On Journey models, a coat hanger pops out of the back of the driver seat headrest, useful for hanging a sport coat or suit jacket. Journey models with the Premium Package feature a second-row seats that fold up and down via power controls located in the rear cargo area. There are also power controls up front to raise the seats, though the driver can't lower the seats from behind the wheel. With or without power, the second-row seats also fold down manually in an easy one-step motion. The seats don't fold quite flat, but the liftover is fairly low, and with the seats down there is 55.7 cubic feet of cargo volume. That means the EX can handle most trips to Home Depot, but it is not as roomy as any midsize SUV or most compact SUVs. With the rear seats up, there is still 18.6 cubic feet of cargo volume, which is more than in most trunks.
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