2013 Infiniti JX35: Getting Us One Step Closer To A Driverless Car
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Page 1:Meet Infiniti's 2013 JX35, Loaded With Tech
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Page 2:The Infotainment Basics
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Page 3:Navigation, Phone, And Voice Commands
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Page 4:Music And Movie Playback
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Page 5:Driver Amenities
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Page 6:Around View Monitor And Eco Pedal
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Page 7:Rear Passenger Amenities
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Page 8:The Driver Assistance Package
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Page 9:The Technology Package
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Page 10:Exterior And Mechanical Features
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Page 11:Benchmark Results
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Page 12:Is Automotive Technology Just For The Easily-Distracted, Then?
Navigation, Phone, And Voice Commands
Infiniti complements its Hard Drive Navigation system with maps from Navteq. They're fairly current, and had no issues finding our home base in a housing tract built in 2010.
The Infiniti Hard Drive Navigation system's layout and user interface are both easy to use and understand. We were particularly fond of the JX35's side-by-side mode, where upcoming directions appear on the left side with the map on the right. This lets us keep the next instruction in mind, which is most useful in a city, where you make subsequent turns and need to choose lanes wisely.
If you live in a city like Seattle, the Hard Drive Navigation system offers 3D maps when you're zoomed in close enough. I rarely visit Seattle, so I can say the 3D maps actually come in useful for navigating a crowded urban area. They also look a lot cooler than the standard two-dimensional maps.
Since the infotainment system includes Sirius XM, NavTraffic and NavWeather are integrated. In our previous experiences with the technologies, we found we were better off using our own judgment. When NavTraffic told us there was traffic up ahead, we'd sail through. When it told us the path was clear, we ended up in congestion. The same applies today, though this is perhaps less the fault of Infiniti and more SiriusXM's problem.
The Hard Drive Navigation system excels when it comes to points of interest. Infiniti even goes so far as to integrate restaurant reviews from Zagat Survey in its restaurant POIs. You also get more detailed information on the restaurant, which is pretty helpful when you get hungry in an unfamiliar place.
You might not like the asking price for Infiniti's map updates (though this is really the case for any luxury-oriented ride these days). The JX35's preinstalled maps are naturally included, and the newest available. But when new maps come out, expect to pay $249 for an update.
Personal Assistant
Infiniti provides a 24-hour concierge service called Infiniti Personal Assistant with its JX35. The company claims you can ask the concierge random state facts, weather forecasts, activity recommendations, and other questions along those lines. Unfortunately, you cannot get dating advice from the concierge.
We were unable to test this feature during our week with the JX35; however, Infiniti does provides free access to the Personal Assistant for the first four years you own your JX35.
Phone Connectivity
You also get Bluetooth connectivity with basic phone profiles for hands-free communication, phonebook access, and audio streaming. The JX35's system does not support text messaging or Internet tethering.
We had no problems connecting our Galaxy Nexus reference device to the vehicle. Pairing is intuitive; you press the phone button and the system asks if you'd like to add a phone (if there aren't any previously-paired phones available). Infiniti employs noise cancellation in the JX35, and conversations were exceptionally clear on both ends of our conversations, free of road noise.
Voice Commands
Infiniti employs an archaic sub-menu voice command system that requires you to instruct the JX35 step-by-step, rather than enabling a more natural sentence-based flow, such as what we saw from SYNC with MyFord Touch. The voice recognition is accurate enough, but we still found it to be cumbersome. We gravitated toward the physical control knob for most of the week we spent reviewing Infiniti's JX35.
- Meet Infiniti's 2013 JX35, Loaded With Tech
- The Infotainment Basics
- Navigation, Phone, And Voice Commands
- Music And Movie Playback
- Driver Amenities
- Around View Monitor And Eco Pedal
- Rear Passenger Amenities
- The Driver Assistance Package
- The Technology Package
- Exterior And Mechanical Features
- Benchmark Results
- Is Automotive Technology Just For The Easily-Distracted, Then?
so i wonder really how many issues or accidents have happen all over the world so far for this vehicle
Call me crazy but i like driving. I think its fun actually. It seems to me taking control from the driver is the wrong solution. This and Gun control have the same solution Limit who can get them. Some people shouldn't have a license (we all know the stereotypical ditsy blonde girl) so take these cars back and give us back the 2010 Viper that had no driver "aides" (i view them the same way as the disease)
Heres a solution. Make every one drive a standard transmission again. If your shifting your sure as hell not texting or reading facebook. Make the driver pay attention dont give them an excuse not too, which seems to be what this car is doing.
OH i didn't wreck, im a good driver my car made the mistake! i was sleeping.
I agree with you blackcat357. I find the technology very fascinating and enjoy testing it, but I myself enjoy driving. I do find the full-range adaptive cruise control awesome. But at the other end of the spectrum is people who hate driving that are unattentive, I almost had a Chrysler Aspen plow into me on Saturday while driving the minivan. I'm not kidding, the guy tried to change into my lane while I was in view of all his mirrors, without signaling. People like that need these technologies to keep them from plowing into me.
But luckily there are still cars for people like us that enjoy driving, Mazda has a complete lineup and there's the Scion FRS and Subaru BRZ. Its a good time for cars IMO.
I miss having a manual though, need to eventually swap one into my BMW wagon.
@sscultima that's very funny. I wonder how much it costs to repair when one of those systems fail. I'd hate to see the bill. I honestly wonder how many people think its the holy grail of laziness and just plow into someone else anyways and try to blame the car.
How long will it be until the Government makes all these "aides" MANDATORY
Think Will Smith in I ROBOT. Cars drive themselves and manual mode is frowned upon if not actually illegal.
You can't govern idiots or try to force technology on them.
What I wouldn't give for $3/gallon. Just over $9/gallon here in blighty. 1992 was the last time we had such prices. :-)
$9 USD? I think you should do a conversion. and in florida where I live it's around $4 a gallon
I didn't even think about the Eco pedal in that way, the response isn't variable, it just provides active resistance again trying to floor it, but that might be an issue when you need to in emergency situations. However, given how terrible drivers on the road are, they usually slam on the brakes to make situations worse at times. But in the argument for the car, it would slow down automatically when the guy merging at 30MPH pulls out
Its around $3.60 or so for regular in WA, but we have higher taxes but still nowhere near the levels in Europe, but at least you guys get awesome tiny fuel efficient diesel cars
I wonder how the intelligent cruise and brake assist or lane departure prevention work in rain, snow, slush. They all depend on light. When the light is distorted, how effective are these technologies?
Good stuff though. Really a step in the right direction.
Not only is the nav system horribly overpriced but to pay $250 to get updated maps sucks hard. I have had 2 previous vehicles with Navteq maps navigation and hated both of them.
These automakers need to wake up and realize you can get free navigation from Google that always has 100% up to date maps.
They may have issues functioning in the rain or snow as it does rely on cameras that need to see the lane markers. Hell, even bright sunlight at the wrong angle could probably blind the cameras.
Its not a car for everybody.
They do, that's why some companies are working on integrating Mirror Link. More phones just need to support it though. I feel ya about map updates. The Chrysler 430N unit in my minivan has a Garmin based system and maps cost $200. The navigation function will occasionally nag that the maps are out of date too. Not worth upgrading IMO.
The JX35 navigation system is totally different, it runs QNX and some SoC. The Altima system is a new generation that runs on Intel Atom. Which reminds me I need to schedule the Altima soon while its still available
I didn't like the 430N myself. I replaced it 2 months after buying my Jeep with a JVC one. Now my navigation runs through bluetooth from my phone to it. It works out really well for me as I can use the Oiltrax program off of my phone for finding pads and lease roads up here.