Nissan and Infiniti are on a roll with the new 2013 Nissan Pathfinder and the 2013 Infiniti JX35. Both are enjoying great sales success this calendar year. The Pathfinder and the JX35 have sold 38,179 and 12,435 units through May of this year respectively. In fact, in May of 2013 – the JX35 was Infiniti’s best selling vehicle by a big margin. I wanted to find out more about what is making this crossover so well received. And what better way to learn a vehicle then on an interstate road trip?
The choice route for this trip is identical to the one my family and I took last year in the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Summit. It takes us south-west from Denver, CO to Farmington, NM (via Hwy 285) and back for a total of about 760 miles. The trip was a success and in the end I discovered a trick to get about 12% better highway MPGs! Read on to see how I did it.
| STATS | Starting Retail Price | As Tested Price | HP / Lb-Ft |
| 2013 Infiniti JX35 | $41,550 | $55,170 | 265/248 |
| EPA Rating MPG | As Tested MPG | ||
| Rating: BUY IT! | 18/23 Combined 20 | Combined 25.1 |
First Impressions
The 2013 Infiniti JX35 feels roomier on the inside than its exterior suggests. The driver’s area is very comfortable and fit my 6’2” frame with ease. The rear seats are 40/60 split, can slide fore and aft, and offered all the room my daughter and son could ever want or need. I was also a little surprised at how quite this Infiniti is at idle. You would not even know it’s running, unless you are standing directly in front of the grill.
Styling/Design:
The JX35 is unmistakeably an Infiniti from the outside and has an attractive overall shape that gives just a slight hint of the Audi Q7. However, you will instantly recognize its profile by the stylish chrome “squiggle” in the D-pillar.
Although the front row is super comfortable and spacious, the same cannot be said for the second and thirds rows. The sliding and reclining second row increases the flexibility greatly, but the aft rows are not meant for tall adults. My head was hitting the ceiling in the second row and I had to really hunch over in the way back. Perhaps, this is just fine as this vehicle is meant for family duty and the kids are comfortable back there. If you need to carry many adults, then step up to the QX56.
It took us about 7.5 hours to make it to Farmington with several stops, and it was one of the easiest trips I have made (we run this exact route two or three times per year). Part of the credit goes to the comfy and supportive seats, another part goes to the host of Infiniti’s Intelligent technology features, and the rest goes to one of the best suspension setups I have sampled. More on that later.
This Infiniti has one of the most advanced sets of driver’s aids. I am surprised this car doesn’t drive itself. Radar controlled Intelligent Cruise Control was a huge help on the long trip, and this system will bring the car to a full stop if necessary (many competitor’s systems do not do this). This test vehicle also had the Technology, Theater, Deluxe Touring, and Premium packages worth nearly $14,000. I would recommend all of them, if you have the extra cash and enjoy gadgets. Though, I am still morally against the theater system. The theater worked perfect, but it turned the kids into cartoon craving zombies.
Powertrain:
The JX35 draws its power from the familiar 3.5 liter V6, which makes 265 horses here. You may be surprised to find out that this luxury crossover is using a Continuously Variable Transmission, but Nissan pioneered this technology and they know how to do it right. You will not even know you are using a CVT unless you go full throttle for some length of time, but even then it responds quickly and gets you up to speed with ease.
Here comes the fuel saving discovery. On the first leg of the trip, I chose the most straight forward approach. I put the transmission into “D”, turned the mode dial to Eco, and set the Intelligent cruise control. The car took care of everything, including climbing three serious mountain passes. However, I used manual mode on the transmission on the way down Wolf Creek pass to help slow down using engine braking. I noticed that the engine turns about 300 revolutions lower in manually selected “6th” gear, rather than leaving it in “D” to maintain the same cruising speed. Hmm… I left it in manual mode for the remaining 60 miles, and ended up at 23.6 MPG for the first 380 mile leg. This is pretty good and slightly higher than the EPA highway estimate.
I decided to run the whole trip back to Denver in manual transmission mode and Eco mode selected as before. This is less convenient and requires the driver manually downshift to negotiate uphills. I did not mind, as I found it more engaging. I would prefer that all vehicles have a third pedal and six on the floor. I did not use any special hyper-miling techniques and again covered the same distance in about 7.5 hours with the same number of potty breaks. Of course, I also used cruise control as before. Result? 26.6 MPG! Yep, I got approximately 12% better result by rowing my own pretend gears on the Infiniti CVT. Manual mode locks the tranny in the selected gear and cruise control is very conservative. Not bad, huh?
Handling/Ride:
The JX35 impressed me in this department. The ride strikes one the best compromises between comfort and performance for the segment. The suspension evens out all expansion joints and surface imperfections. I would even say that it rides nearly as comfy as the air suspension on the Jeep. Yet, this Infiniti is not afraid to take some corners at highway speeds. It has less lean than the Jeep and inspires more confidence. The steering feel is also well done. It’s right up there with the X5 and other German crossovers.
Competitors:
| Starting Retail Price | City/Hwy MPG | HP / Lb-Ft | Interior cu-ft | |
| 2013 Infiniti JX35 | $42,650 | 18/23 | 265/248 | |
| 2013 Acura MDX | $43,280 | 16/21 | 300/270 | 83.5 |
| 2013 Audi Q7 | $46,800 | 16/22 | 280/295 | 72.5 |
| 2013 BMW X5 | $47,500 | 16/23 | 300/300 | 75.2 |
| 2013 Buick Enclave | $40,445 | 16/22 | 288/270 | 115.2 |
| 2013 Lincoln MKT | $47,280 | 16/23 | 355/350 | 75.9 |
| 2013 Volvo XC90 | $41,700 | 16/23 | 240/236 | 93.2 |
The Infiniti does not boast as much power as most competitors, but it’s enjoying the highest city EPA rating of 18 MPG. It’s also more affordable than many of its rivals. With its low 3,500 lbs max towing rating, it is focused on people moving ability. And my road trip confirms that it can carry a family of four in luxurious comfort.
On the TFLcar scale of:
- Buy it!
- Lease it!
- Rent it!
- … or Forget it!
I give the 2013 Infiniti JX35 a Buy It!
This test 2013 Infiniti JX35 stickered at $55,170 after all the options. This price may seem steep, but most competitors can be optioned even higher. If you don’t want all the gadgets, you can get into one for around $43,000 and it is a good value.
Please enjoy this fun TFLcar review where Nathan give you his take on the JX35:
Andre Smirnov is a life-long automotive enthusiast, software engineer, writer, and reporter. He has been writing and reporting at TFLcar since 2011. When not working or spending time with the family – you can find him tinkering in the garage or scouring the internet and other media for various automotive, mechanical, and computer related information.
