Overall I am happy with my vehicle and was very pleased with my experience. Many parents will likely go for the two-tone as a more pleasant place to spend considerable time ferrying children. Anyhow, when I'm not horsing the motor home around the roadways, I'm tooting around in the 2012 Ford Focus that we tow behind, or making runs to Home Depot and various malls with the 2004 F-150 that just won't die. Its headrests are thankfully designed to fold down, which opens up vision through the rear window, but when they're raised, there's not a lot of vision left to the rear. . There's no smooth, engine-less acceleration away from stop lights. Then there's a Driver Assistance Package that adds Rear Collision Intervention, along with a smart Eco Pedal that resists hard acceleration under certain driving circumstances.
The combo does get pretty good fuel economy, though: 20 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway. But that keeps the overhangs shorter, and the long hood prevents any hint of minivan from creeping into the lines. It requires that the Deluxe Touring Package be specified as well. Drivers control the audio, navigation, and other infotainment features using a fixed mouse-like controller below the 7-inch color touchscreen display. Our sole quibble with the interior styling is the analog clock, which verges on becoming as cliched as glossy piano-black trim. I love the features such as the rear camera, heated seats, heated steering wheel, anti glare rear view mirror, 3rd row seats, leather interior, bose speakers, and much more. As for the rest of the lineup, it will continue with a 265-hp, 3.
Noteworthy available features include Bluetooth audio streaming, a 15-speaker Bose audio system, and navigation. News, we conduct car research so you don't have to. One unusual option is the Infiniti Personal Assistant service. The menus are convoluted against the best in class, although the dash display is nice and crip. Front-wheel drive is standard, and all-wheel drive is available. Particularly appealing are the array of two-tone interior treatments that keep the large interior light and subtly underscore the luxury positioning.
Unfortunately, folding down those headrests means pulling a pair of tabs after you've walked around to open the rear liftgate--but at least they do fold down in the first place. The first and second rows are comfortable for real-world adults, though the third row no matter how easy it is to reach is better used for children than more adults. Did a 10 hour road trip in it and it was absolutely comfortable all the way!! When you fold down both rows of seats two 6ft tall adults can lay down comfortably which is great for road trip camping! That second seat slides 5. I would buy it over and over again!! I look forward to driving everyday! It comes with essentially the same standard equipment--a glass moonroof and rearview monitor included. The gas mileage is great as well. The telematics service will contact the nearest emergency responder if an airbag triggers or it senses a crash.
It also provides a nice balance between ride comfort and cornering ability. When it's asked for full power, the engine noise gets somewhat louder, but Infiniti has added the expected swathes of luxury noise insulation, so it never gets particularly unpleasant. The hybrid system boosts gas mileage from either 20 or 21 mpg combined for the V-6 version to 26 mpg combined with either drive configuration. Cruise control and telescoping tilt-wheel steering also remain standard, as do a remote garage door opener, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror and a rear-view camera. And again Bluetooth hands-free calling keeps the gang or at least the driver in touch with the world. Over half a day's test drive, they all worked as expected, though we found the Lane Departure Warning system more sensitive than those in other vehicles. On the road, this engine provides adequate but not very enthusiastic performance.
Both powertrains can be ordered with the standard front-wheel drive, or optional all-wheel drive. The audio and climate controls are simple to use, and most features are controlled through physical buttons and knobs rather than a touch screen. It's user friendly on the technology end of things, good gas mileage, easy for kids to get in and out of third row, and drives so smooth. Instead, it's a mild hybrid system that adds supplemental torque when more power is needed, restarts the engine after stops, and recharges a small lithium-ion battery pack under regenerative braking. The dashboard, door panels, and seats are all rich but restrained--though the vehicle is designed to accommodate family needs--this will be a working vehicle--rather than over-the-top opulence. The only standard driver assistance feature is a rearview camera, but available active safety features include adaptive cruise control, a surround-view camera, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, and forward collision warning.
The seven-seat crossover also comes with six airbags, including side-curtain bags that protect passenger heads in all three rows, and the usual suite of standard equipment: traction control, anti-lock brakes, and other electronic safety systems. The design of the vehicle is family friendly and very spacious. New for 2014 A power-folding third-row seat has been added to the Deluxe Touring Package, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror with HomeLink is now standard. Tri-zone climate control once again endows this recently renamed ute, with leather and simulated alloy cabin accents contributing to a feeling of pampered comfort. The car is visually impressive, from the exterior to interior, great style all around.
I ultimately decided on purchasing a new Infiniti because of the pricing, warranty, financing, and features of the car including the smooth handling of the car and the size of the car. Compared to the competition, it really is easier to clamber in and out--though like all third rows, it's best suited to kids and agile teenagers. Like many third rows, the cushion is low to the floor and older passengers may find the knees-up riding position uncomfortable for the long haul. Forward collision warning sensors, meanwhile, as well as a lane-departure alert system, are both optional safety items. It can detect objects in the vehicle's path up to about 5 mph, and will identify cross-traffic approaching from the rear at up to 15 mph.
In other words, save yourself some money and buy a 2014. This isn't a Toyota-style hybrid, however, that can move away from stops using only electric power. However, both rows have plenty of head- and legroom. Options, virtually all in package form, include adaptive cruise control, an Eco mode, remote engine start, a heated steering wheel, upgraded 20-inch wheels, Active Trace Control for greater alacrity in cornering , a tow hitch and wiring, maple cabin accents, climate controlled front seats and heated outboard rear seats. Additional benefits like towing and roadside assistance may be available, so read the carefully. With the second row fully to the rear, there's class-leading legroom for rear-seat passengers. However, it's not fun to drive and has a poor reliability rating.