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We just completed an 8500 mile round trip from Washington state to the east coast and I wanted to take this moment to share with you how the car performed.
Our car was fully loaded including a loaded Yakima SkyBox. We planned our fuel stops around Costco and Sam's Club fuel stations. We averaged 24.5 mpg until we started hitting sever head winds from Montana thru the great lakes. With our loaded car and head/side winds reaching close to 50 mph, our fuel consumption dropped to 18 mph. Due to the availability of fuel types and grades, I noticed that when I could only get regular unleaded or fuel with ethanol, my mileage dropped. Premium and mid-grade fuels provided better mpgs. Overall for the trip, it looks like we averaged 20-21 mpg, which in my opinion was fantastic considering the environment we traveled in.
Car performance and the "Nanny's". Our JX is fully loaded and we used everything to the fullest. I want to cover each feature individually:
Navigation & Infiniti Journey Planner-First, we plotted out our route Google Maps and MapQuest. Once we figured out our route and fuel stops, I used Infiniti's Journey Planner. It worked awesome and saved a lot of time rather than setting each destination manually. On the trip, there were times we knew we needed an unplanned stop for food, gas, etc. At that point, we contacted the Infiniti Personal Assistant to re-route us. We did have a few issues with directions however. Twice on the trip, the destination on the Nav screen told us to go north or west and when we got to the exit, the navigation was incorrect. It was obvious when the sign on the screen indicated to take Hwy 88 west to Chicago, when the real sign showed east to Chicago. What was frustrating was that toll roads were not announced once we left Washington State. Note to self. Carry lots of dollar bills, coins and credit cards. We paid close to $70 in tolls and it would have been nice to see the warnings way before you hit the toll plaza. It seems like they get you coming and going, and not all states use the same tolling system. I found that using the steering wheel controls on the Nav screen menus really helped me keep my eyes on the road. I did use the control wheel a lot, which made it easy to zoom in and out. I know some people complain about the Nav system, but I found it to be something I can't live without. Also, note to self. When setting the Navigation items and you select Avoid Toll Roads, you do end up on some pretty ugly roads. It didn't take long for me to figure out that setting wasn't always the best way to get to where you’re going. Sometimes it’s better to pay the tolls.
Sirus/XM and Nav Weather-When driving through the Plains states, you need your IPod or satellite radio. Since we were traveling during into some very severe weather, it was nice to get the warnings and to be able to pull up the weather maps to see where we were as compared to the storms. I found Nav Weather to be invaluable.
Infiniti Personal Assistant-I've used this service a lot since we've owned the car, but must have used it close to 4 dozen times on the trip. I love the fact that they always knew exactly where we were and the direction we were traveling so that they could help us with our requests. We had great coverage all the way trough the trip, with very little interruption. We needed to change our route many times during the trip and often; we needed two stops before our destination, which they programmed in perfectly. We found a few items that we wanted to purchase en-route and the operators found the stores we wanted, and even found the ones we could not locate on the Internet with our IPhone and IPad. They were able to provide very accurate weather information as we were heading towards our destinations and a few times, found the closest Motel. I can't imagine taking another long trip without this service. It’s worth every dollar.
Lane Departure Intervention-I've always loved this feature but found that it actually was a life saving feature. In the Plains states and mid-west, many of the freeway speed limits are 75 mph. You will get blown off the road by truckers if you don't keep up with the road speeds. We hit the heaviest rain and severe head winds that I have ever driven in during the first three days of the trip (two days were over 14 hours driving time). With temperatures dropping into the low 30s, I really had to focus on the white and yellow road lines. Every time we were passed by an 18-wheeler, our windshield was completely obliterated by the tire wash. The LDI kept our car in our lanes at all times. There were times when I could not see the road lines at all, but the cameras never missed them. Yep, the little blind spot lights and beeps went off quite a bit, but they sure helped me stay on the road. I didn't expect this system to perform as well as it did, but I was blown away at how accurate it is and how it continued to function when the temperatures dropped below freezing and the BCI warning light came on indicating the Intelligent Cruise Control and Forward Collision Warning features would be disabled. When the heavy rains subsided or temperatures went above 32 degrees, the system would allow me to re-set the Nanny’s. You get a warning that the Radar sensor is blocked (usually by snow or ice). Great safety feature.
Blind Spot Warning-When you can't see out your back windows because of all the luggage and gear, this feature is wonderful. I never had to worry about who was in my blind spot. This feature never failed. The only time I wish it worked was when I accidentally ended up going the wrong way down a highway after being blocked by an 18-wheeler. If you've ever seen Planes, Trains and Automobiles, you'll know what I mean. When the LDI and Blind Spot Warning light comes on, and you see a yellow line on the right side of the car, you know you are in trouble.
Intelligent Cruise Control-I love this feature. It worked flawlessly and especially late at night during the driving rainstorms. It kept me at a safe distance from the vehicle in front of me, even when you couldn't see that vehicles rear-end. When the BCI warning light came on, it kills the system, as it should. I was able to override the system and putting the cruise control in the manual mode. It worked great, but I did need to pay attention due to the Forward Collision System being inactive. I cannot imagine the JX without this feature. It’s really worth it as a safety feature on a long trip.
AWD-I carried chains just in case, but didn't have to use them. We hit snow in Montana and I was able to follow a snowplow. Even when the road got slippery, the AWD did its job. I have the Bridgestone Dueler Mud and Snow stock tires, which performed well throughout the trip. At times during the torrential downpours the AWD did kick in a few times and it was almost not noticeable. Very pleased with its performance. On the way home, we stopped at Mt. Rushmore and hit snow on the way down the mountain. Again, the AWD did a great job. I did want to drive in some heavy snow just to see what the car would do, but by the time we hit the highways, the plows were already working.
Back Up Collision Intervention-Having a fully loaded car most of the trip, it was difficult to see who was behind me when backing out of parking spaces. I cannot believe how many times people walked right behind the car as I was backing. BCI did its job.
Distance to Empty-Found it to be very accurate throughout the trip, except for the times when I started out with a full tank, then topped off at the half tank mark. It screwed up the distance to empty, but eventually caught up, as we got closer to our Nav destination mileage. Since we were planning on traveling close to 400 miles between fill-ups, I really needed to rely on that reading.
Handling and Ride-I always dread long trip in any vehicle, but this trip was different. The seats were so comfortable throughout the journey and it was nice to be able to turn on the ventilated and heated seats. It helped me stay awake (as did the heated steering wheel) towards the end of a long days drive. I felt that I had plenty of power even when not using Premium fuel. The car handled very well on windy roads, and was incredibly easy to handle in the high winds. With the loaded cargo box, we could feel the wind especially when we got a huge gust. I do feel it hindered the gas mileage in the head winds, but it also seemed to help with mileage during tail winds. Snow mode works great to help you maintain traction by helping you avoid applying too much throttle. Overall, I give the ride and comfort an A+.
Weird Stuff-While starting off near an overpass with overhead wires in West Virginia, the Navigation screen went haywire. It reset continuously about 10 times and kicked out my Sony phone. I was afraid that the system was gone for good. Everything came back within 10 minutes without issue, except when I tried to contact the Infiniti Personal Assistant; the system showed that the Operator ended the call each time I called.
Infiniti Consumer Relations-I contacted them to report the above problem and found the operator to be incredibly helpful. He had no reports of the Navigation issues but did document it. He did tell me that the Infiniti Personal Assistant at the time I experienced the problem was out of service for several hours due to technical difficulties. Go figure? I told him that our journey was going to take us out of Infiniti territory and asked if he could make arrangements with a Nissan dealership should I have problems on the trip. He made note of what I needed and had contacted a supervisor to allow a Nissan dealership to provide warranty service should I need it. He was incredibly professional. As you can tell, I am really happy with the performance of the Infiniti JX and the support services that come with owning or leasing their vehicles.
Our car was fully loaded including a loaded Yakima SkyBox. We planned our fuel stops around Costco and Sam's Club fuel stations. We averaged 24.5 mpg until we started hitting sever head winds from Montana thru the great lakes. With our loaded car and head/side winds reaching close to 50 mph, our fuel consumption dropped to 18 mph. Due to the availability of fuel types and grades, I noticed that when I could only get regular unleaded or fuel with ethanol, my mileage dropped. Premium and mid-grade fuels provided better mpgs. Overall for the trip, it looks like we averaged 20-21 mpg, which in my opinion was fantastic considering the environment we traveled in.
Car performance and the "Nanny's". Our JX is fully loaded and we used everything to the fullest. I want to cover each feature individually:
Navigation & Infiniti Journey Planner-First, we plotted out our route Google Maps and MapQuest. Once we figured out our route and fuel stops, I used Infiniti's Journey Planner. It worked awesome and saved a lot of time rather than setting each destination manually. On the trip, there were times we knew we needed an unplanned stop for food, gas, etc. At that point, we contacted the Infiniti Personal Assistant to re-route us. We did have a few issues with directions however. Twice on the trip, the destination on the Nav screen told us to go north or west and when we got to the exit, the navigation was incorrect. It was obvious when the sign on the screen indicated to take Hwy 88 west to Chicago, when the real sign showed east to Chicago. What was frustrating was that toll roads were not announced once we left Washington State. Note to self. Carry lots of dollar bills, coins and credit cards. We paid close to $70 in tolls and it would have been nice to see the warnings way before you hit the toll plaza. It seems like they get you coming and going, and not all states use the same tolling system. I found that using the steering wheel controls on the Nav screen menus really helped me keep my eyes on the road. I did use the control wheel a lot, which made it easy to zoom in and out. I know some people complain about the Nav system, but I found it to be something I can't live without. Also, note to self. When setting the Navigation items and you select Avoid Toll Roads, you do end up on some pretty ugly roads. It didn't take long for me to figure out that setting wasn't always the best way to get to where you’re going. Sometimes it’s better to pay the tolls.
Sirus/XM and Nav Weather-When driving through the Plains states, you need your IPod or satellite radio. Since we were traveling during into some very severe weather, it was nice to get the warnings and to be able to pull up the weather maps to see where we were as compared to the storms. I found Nav Weather to be invaluable.
Infiniti Personal Assistant-I've used this service a lot since we've owned the car, but must have used it close to 4 dozen times on the trip. I love the fact that they always knew exactly where we were and the direction we were traveling so that they could help us with our requests. We had great coverage all the way trough the trip, with very little interruption. We needed to change our route many times during the trip and often; we needed two stops before our destination, which they programmed in perfectly. We found a few items that we wanted to purchase en-route and the operators found the stores we wanted, and even found the ones we could not locate on the Internet with our IPhone and IPad. They were able to provide very accurate weather information as we were heading towards our destinations and a few times, found the closest Motel. I can't imagine taking another long trip without this service. It’s worth every dollar.
Lane Departure Intervention-I've always loved this feature but found that it actually was a life saving feature. In the Plains states and mid-west, many of the freeway speed limits are 75 mph. You will get blown off the road by truckers if you don't keep up with the road speeds. We hit the heaviest rain and severe head winds that I have ever driven in during the first three days of the trip (two days were over 14 hours driving time). With temperatures dropping into the low 30s, I really had to focus on the white and yellow road lines. Every time we were passed by an 18-wheeler, our windshield was completely obliterated by the tire wash. The LDI kept our car in our lanes at all times. There were times when I could not see the road lines at all, but the cameras never missed them. Yep, the little blind spot lights and beeps went off quite a bit, but they sure helped me stay on the road. I didn't expect this system to perform as well as it did, but I was blown away at how accurate it is and how it continued to function when the temperatures dropped below freezing and the BCI warning light came on indicating the Intelligent Cruise Control and Forward Collision Warning features would be disabled. When the heavy rains subsided or temperatures went above 32 degrees, the system would allow me to re-set the Nanny’s. You get a warning that the Radar sensor is blocked (usually by snow or ice). Great safety feature.
Blind Spot Warning-When you can't see out your back windows because of all the luggage and gear, this feature is wonderful. I never had to worry about who was in my blind spot. This feature never failed. The only time I wish it worked was when I accidentally ended up going the wrong way down a highway after being blocked by an 18-wheeler. If you've ever seen Planes, Trains and Automobiles, you'll know what I mean. When the LDI and Blind Spot Warning light comes on, and you see a yellow line on the right side of the car, you know you are in trouble.
Intelligent Cruise Control-I love this feature. It worked flawlessly and especially late at night during the driving rainstorms. It kept me at a safe distance from the vehicle in front of me, even when you couldn't see that vehicles rear-end. When the BCI warning light came on, it kills the system, as it should. I was able to override the system and putting the cruise control in the manual mode. It worked great, but I did need to pay attention due to the Forward Collision System being inactive. I cannot imagine the JX without this feature. It’s really worth it as a safety feature on a long trip.
AWD-I carried chains just in case, but didn't have to use them. We hit snow in Montana and I was able to follow a snowplow. Even when the road got slippery, the AWD did its job. I have the Bridgestone Dueler Mud and Snow stock tires, which performed well throughout the trip. At times during the torrential downpours the AWD did kick in a few times and it was almost not noticeable. Very pleased with its performance. On the way home, we stopped at Mt. Rushmore and hit snow on the way down the mountain. Again, the AWD did a great job. I did want to drive in some heavy snow just to see what the car would do, but by the time we hit the highways, the plows were already working.
Back Up Collision Intervention-Having a fully loaded car most of the trip, it was difficult to see who was behind me when backing out of parking spaces. I cannot believe how many times people walked right behind the car as I was backing. BCI did its job.
Distance to Empty-Found it to be very accurate throughout the trip, except for the times when I started out with a full tank, then topped off at the half tank mark. It screwed up the distance to empty, but eventually caught up, as we got closer to our Nav destination mileage. Since we were planning on traveling close to 400 miles between fill-ups, I really needed to rely on that reading.
Handling and Ride-I always dread long trip in any vehicle, but this trip was different. The seats were so comfortable throughout the journey and it was nice to be able to turn on the ventilated and heated seats. It helped me stay awake (as did the heated steering wheel) towards the end of a long days drive. I felt that I had plenty of power even when not using Premium fuel. The car handled very well on windy roads, and was incredibly easy to handle in the high winds. With the loaded cargo box, we could feel the wind especially when we got a huge gust. I do feel it hindered the gas mileage in the head winds, but it also seemed to help with mileage during tail winds. Snow mode works great to help you maintain traction by helping you avoid applying too much throttle. Overall, I give the ride and comfort an A+.
Weird Stuff-While starting off near an overpass with overhead wires in West Virginia, the Navigation screen went haywire. It reset continuously about 10 times and kicked out my Sony phone. I was afraid that the system was gone for good. Everything came back within 10 minutes without issue, except when I tried to contact the Infiniti Personal Assistant; the system showed that the Operator ended the call each time I called.
Infiniti Consumer Relations-I contacted them to report the above problem and found the operator to be incredibly helpful. He had no reports of the Navigation issues but did document it. He did tell me that the Infiniti Personal Assistant at the time I experienced the problem was out of service for several hours due to technical difficulties. Go figure? I told him that our journey was going to take us out of Infiniti territory and asked if he could make arrangements with a Nissan dealership should I have problems on the trip. He made note of what I needed and had contacted a supervisor to allow a Nissan dealership to provide warranty service should I need it. He was incredibly professional. As you can tell, I am really happy with the performance of the Infiniti JX and the support services that come with owning or leasing their vehicles.
