2013 Infiniti JX35

Infiniti has lost the plot. Or maybe it is processed. It depends on your perspective. Nissan's luxury brand's first front-wheel-drive, three-row crossover: the JX35. The family support is a strong contrast with the rear-wheel-drive performance cars from the automaker in recent years has become known to compete in their attempt to mimic and with the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz. It has done well in this endeavor, with strong sales for the last time. But take a look in your local upper-middle class neighborhood, there's a good chance that every house has three children and an Infiniti in the driveway a Ford Explorer, Buick Enclave, or (gasp!) has parked next to the Acura MDX. This is a very popular form of vehicle, and if Infiniti wants all of it is Mr. Popularity. From the outside there is not much to see, something is wrong. The JX35 is equipped with the same lascivious, windy, chrome-laden style of the rest of the Infiniti lineup, which boasts especially the M sedan. A shark-nose grille and rear roof pillar with a unique bend in the direction of the front a little aggression and help to distinguish the crossover audience.

The current Infiniti owners will be familiar with the interior. It is used by organic forms and precious materials of which it is composed. The most interesting aspect of the layout is the 60/40 split second row that slides back and forth to distribute legroom and moves as needed a few acrobatic tricks. Easier to access the third row, the seats and pop up in the neighborhood, such as grippers slide against the backrest and the seat forward, the opening of an extra-wide gap behind. More intelligent, if a child seat is installed you can still tilt and slide the seat enough to make room for someone to do the squeeze through. Of course, this person is probably not very great in the first place. Leg-and headroom in the third row are at a premium, but the backrests recline. Depending on how far back that the second row is loaded, these seven passengers quickly became a 5 +2. The base price is a very competitive $ 41,400, and four-wheel drive is available for only 1100 $, which means that virtually every JX35, functions as are my test car. A 3.5-liter six-cylinder engine delivers 265 hp to the rubber by a clumsy continuously variable transmission, which is one of the best of its kind, but pretends to be a six-course, if you switch to Sport mode, because some People still want the Steam punk fantasy that everything has to have the gears to live.

But you want to use them, the JX35 has enough power to fill gaps in traffic to attack and steal parking at your local outdoor Frank Ricard Bed Bath and beyond. It is by no means a sports car, but rather directly on the boulevards and long highway slogs, anything dynamically even remotely. Above all, I found that off-ramps will be negotiated with care. The JX35 gives wallow, unsettling feeling of being in fast corners. If you ever wondered how to speed up tilt advisory signs with the yellow symbol of the truck, I guess they had something in mind. You are better off and stroll in Eco-mode to defend using the electronic throttle, when you drive aggressively pushes violently against the foot in an attempt to save you from eating your bad gas itself. With her around the city and 18 mpg JX35 23 mpg highway (24 mpg for the mythical front-wheel-drive version) is not better or worse than average for the group. But this is not the only form of intervention on the hand or foot. The JX35 can with a $ 3,100 technology package that most of your shortcomings will be provided care ... as a driver, at least. No fewer than six different systems tap a collection of cameras and remote sensors located around the car to make it almost impossible to get in another car crash.

Turning in the direction of a vehicle in the blind spot? The JX35 warn you off when you drive to ignore the warning. At the far end of the pickup stopped at a light for you if you do not text message on your phone? Do not worry, have been hit the brakes. Annoying neighbor kids like to skateboard along your driveway every time you pull? See above, but in reverse order. Throw in Active cruise control and an automatic system and Lane Departure Prevention JX35 essence wraps you in the electronic version of an inflatable sumo wrestler suit. A separate $ 4950 premium package, which is a navigation system and an absolutely vibrant 13-speaker Bose stereo, includes you, the eyes in the sky. The Around View Monitor uses four cameras to a virtual bird's eye view of the car on the monitor, you offer your help when parking, and can also monitor and attention moving trucks on the screen while you're doing.

The most surprising aspect of these functions is that they work as advertised. I felt pretty sure that my children take the JX35 for a spin in a pinch, and they are in preschool. If you get something in this car, especially in the city to manage speed, you not only withdrawn the license, but also use your right to any machine or never eating utensils. Granted, the people who they are the best drivers in the world think you will say that nobody really needs one of these functions, and angry, they are correct. But like the brave men and women in our armed forces are using the most advanced automated arsenal available to the exercise of the hand to be trained in the fight to prevent hand, it's nice to have a buffer. I can imagine that it is also fun for Infiniti dealers no longer have the sentence, use "Unfortunately we may not like, but it's an Audi Q7 cars in our department." The JX35 is already second best-selling Infiniti car and the first place is not in sight.