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New Models
DRIVEN: Infiniti JX Does It All Very Well
New midsize luxury crossover provides family-friendly capabilities without fear of the dork factor.
The Infiniti JX crossover SUV is a sophisticated luxury vehicle with loads of room for poeple and all their stuff. (Photo: Infiniti)
For a lot of families, mine included, going on long trips or even extended rounds of errands requires something larger than your average family sedan. The grownups like to stretch out and be comfortable up front and the kids like space in back, along with plenty of gadgets.
Over the years, there have been several genres of vehicles to address this need: First, the mammoth station wagons that were so prevalent half a century ago, then the first generation of minivans in the mid-1980s, followed by sport utility vehicles and, most recently, crossovers.
Each vehicle has had distinct drawbacks: Big SUVs are thirsty on gas and often trucklike to drive, while smaller crossovers don’t have much more load capacity than a large sedan. Minivans are supremely utilitarian — and in the interest of full disclosure, my wife has had one since 2005 and swears by it — but with minivans, there’s the ever-present “dork factor.” Some right-thinking people will never drive a minivan because they believe them to be uncool.
So what’s a buyer with a need for a large, roomy, comfortable and un-dorklike vehicle to do?
Infiniti might just have the answer with its outstanding new model, the JX.
There are two JX models, the front-wheel-drive JX35, which has a base price of $40,650, and the $42,050 JX35 AWD, which as the name suggests, has all-wheel-drive. Although not inexpensive, both models come well equipped, with high-quality leather interiors and wood trim standard, Tri-Zone Automatic Temperature control, power liftgate, bi-functional xenon headlights, power glass moonroof, and all manner of gee-whiz electronics standard.
The minute you climb into the JX, you are keenly aware that this is a sophisticated, premium automobile, with no corners cut anywhere. Infiniti has done an excellent job with ergonomics: The dashboard is well-illuminated, with gauges that are simply, clear and easy to read.
The HVAC/NAV/Audio controls are clustered in the center of the dashboard and — unlike some other luxury cars I’ve driven lately — are mercifully intuitive to use. You don’t need a PhD in mechanical engineering to figure out how to turn up the radio or turn down the air conditioning.
There were a number of interesting features in the interior, none of which individually was all that remarkable, but collectively they combined for a very family friendly vehicle. The JX35 comes with eight cup and six bottle holders. There is a real 12-volt power jack so a passenger can plug in his or her favorite computer and work on the road without draining the device’s battery.
In the middle row, the 60/40 split seat has a tremendous range of motion, so you can effortlessly slide it far enough forward that getting into the third row of seats is easy.
Over the years, there have been several genres of vehicles to address this need: First, the mammoth station wagons that were so prevalent half a century ago, then the first generation of minivans in the mid-1980s, followed by sport utility vehicles and, most recently, crossovers.
Each vehicle has had distinct drawbacks: Big SUVs are thirsty on gas and often trucklike to drive, while smaller crossovers don’t have much more load capacity than a large sedan. Minivans are supremely utilitarian — and in the interest of full disclosure, my wife has had one since 2005 and swears by it — but with minivans, there’s the ever-present “dork factor.” Some right-thinking people will never drive a minivan because they believe them to be uncool.
So what’s a buyer with a need for a large, roomy, comfortable and un-dorklike vehicle to do?
Infiniti might just have the answer with its outstanding new model, the JX.
There are two JX models, the front-wheel-drive JX35, which has a base price of $40,650, and the $42,050 JX35 AWD, which as the name suggests, has all-wheel-drive. Although not inexpensive, both models come well equipped, with high-quality leather interiors and wood trim standard, Tri-Zone Automatic Temperature control, power liftgate, bi-functional xenon headlights, power glass moonroof, and all manner of gee-whiz electronics standard.
The minute you climb into the JX, you are keenly aware that this is a sophisticated, premium automobile, with no corners cut anywhere. Infiniti has done an excellent job with ergonomics: The dashboard is well-illuminated, with gauges that are simply, clear and easy to read.
The HVAC/NAV/Audio controls are clustered in the center of the dashboard and — unlike some other luxury cars I’ve driven lately — are mercifully intuitive to use. You don’t need a PhD in mechanical engineering to figure out how to turn up the radio or turn down the air conditioning.
There were a number of interesting features in the interior, none of which individually was all that remarkable, but collectively they combined for a very family friendly vehicle. The JX35 comes with eight cup and six bottle holders. There is a real 12-volt power jack so a passenger can plug in his or her favorite computer and work on the road without draining the device’s battery.
In the middle row, the 60/40 split seat has a tremendous range of motion, so you can effortlessly slide it far enough forward that getting into the third row of seats is easy.
The Lyonheart K
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