2013 Lexus ES & 2013 Infiniti JX

HI, I'M JOHN DAVIS AND THIS IS MOTORWEEK!

JOIN US AS WE'LL SEE WHAT'S NEW WITH AN OLD FRIEND,

THE NOW MULTI-FACETED LEXUS ES.

PAT GOSS PROPS UP THE HOOD DOWN AT GOSS' GARAGE.

WE'LL CHECK UP ON WHAT'S STIMULATING PROGRESS

IN THE AUTOMOTIVE WORLD.

AND THEN WE'LL CROSSOVER WITH THE NEW INFINITI JX.

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

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Announcer: MOTORWEEK, TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY...

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John Davis: WHILE LONG THE BEST SELLING CAR IN THE LEXUS LINE-UP,

THE ES HAS NOT ONLY HAD TO COMPETE

WITH OTHER ENTRY-LEVEL LUXURY SEDANS,

IT'S ALSO HAD TO STAY A FEW NOTCHES ABOVE

THE INCREASINGLY LAVISH TOYOTA CAMRY

ON WHICH IT WAS BASED.

WELL, NOW IT'S TIME FOR AN ALL-NEW ES,

WITH A NEW DIMENSION, AND SOME ELECTRIFYING NEW HARDWARE.

SO LET'S DRIVE THE RESULT!

IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THE 2013 LEXUS ES

IS THE 6TH GENERATION

OF THE BRAND'S ENTRY-LEVEL LUXURY STALWART.

AND WHILE IT HAS EVOLVED GREATLY OVER THE YEARS,

NEVER BEFORE HAS IT SEEN SUCH SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE,

AS IT IS NOW BASED ON THE STRETCHED CAMRY CHASSIS

OF THE UPCOMING FULL-SIZE TOYOTA AVALON.

THAT MEANS A MUCH BIGGER INTERIOR,

WITH OVER FOUR INCHES OF ADDED LEGROOM FOR THE BACK SEAT.

WHILE IT'S TRUE THE CAMRY ITSELF HAS GOTTEN MORE REFINED

AND LUXURIOUS OVER THE YEARS,

IT SIMPLY CAN'T MATCH THE LEVEL OF MATERIAL QUALITY

OR OPTIONS YOU CAN GET IN THE ES,

LIKE A 15-SPEAKER MARK LEVINSON AUDIO SYSTEM,

SEMI-ANILINE LEATHER ON THE DASH,

ALONG WITH BIRDSEYE MAPLE OR BAMBOO WOOD TRIM.

NAVIGATION IS NOT STANDARD,

BUT IF YOU OPT FOR IT, INPUTS ARE BY A MUCH IMPROVED,

SECOND GENERATION OF LEXUS' REMOTE TOUCH SYSTEM.

NULUXE FAKE LEATHER IS STANDARD, BUT MOST CARS WILL COME FITTED

WITH THE REAL THING COVERING VERY COMFORTABLE SEAT PADDING.

10 AIRBAGS AND LEXUS SAFETY CONNECT ARE STANDARD,

BUT NOT A BACKUP MONITOR.

HI-TECH SAFETY OPTIONS INCLUDE LANE DEPARTURE ALERT,

REAR BLIND SPOT MONITORING, AND REAR CROSS TRAFFIC ALERT.

TRUNK CAPACITY IS 15.2 CUBIC FEET,

WHILE THE ES HYBRID HOLDS 20% LESS

TO MAKE ROOM FOR ITS BATTERY.

THAT'S RIGHT,

AFTER RECENTLY DROPPING THE HS HYBRID FROM THE LINE-UP,

LEXUS HAS ADDED A HYBRID TO THE ES FAMILY, THE ES 300H.

STYLING IS MOSTLY THE SAME FOR THE STANDARD 350 AND THE 300H

WITH A MORE AGGRESSIVE LOOK CLEARLY AIMED AT

DECREASING THE AVERAGE ES BUYER'S AGE.

THE FRONT END IS WIDER,

NICELY INCORPORATING THE LEXUS FAMILY SPINDLE GRILLE,

AS WELL AS LOTS OF SHARP LINES.

WHILE THE NEW ES IS BIGGER IN EVERY DIMENSION,

OVERALL LENGTH COMES IN JUST 1.6-INCHES LONGER AT 192.7.

THERE ARE LOTS OF AERO AIDS THROUGHOUT,

INCLUDING ON THE DOOR FRAMES AND TAILLIGHTS.

THE HYBRID ADDS REAR SPOILER AND A HIDDEN EXHAUST OUTLET,

REPLACING THE ES 350'S DUAL EXHAUST SETUP.

POWERING THE ES 300H IS THE CAMRY'S

2.5-LITER I4-BASED HYBRID SYSTEM

THAT DELIVERS OUT 200-HORSEPOWER THROUGH A CVT TRANSMISSION.

THE MAINSTREAM ES 350 USES A CARRYOVER 3.5-LITER V6

THAT SENDS ITS 268-HORSEPOWER,

ALONG WITH 248 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE,

THROUGH A 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC.

BOTH FEATURE A DRIVE MODE SELECTOR WITH NORMAL, SPORT,

AND ECO MODES, WITH AN EV SETTING FOR THE HYBRID.

THE ES 350'S GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS

ARE 21-CITY AND 31-HIGHWAY, A SLIGHT BUMP OVER LAST YEAR.

WHILE THE ES 300H HYBRID COMES IN AT 40-CITY AND 39-HIGHWAY,

GIVING THE 300H AN ENERGY IMPACT SCORE

THAT'S ABOUT AS GOOD AS IT GETS

WITH ANNUAL OIL CONSUMPTION OF JUST 8.2 BARRELS PER YEAR

AND ONLY 3.7 TONS OF YEARLY CO2 EMISSIONS.

THERE'S A REASON MANY OF US USE "QUIET AS A LEXUS"

WHEN DESCRIBING ULTRA-QUIET CARS,

AND INDEED NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED THERE.

BUT WHAT HAS CHANGED IS THE ES350

HAS GOTTEN A TINY BIT MORE DYNAMIC,

BUT NOT AT THE RISK OF SACRIFICING ANY OF THE SILKINESS

OR EXTREME COMFORT THAT THE BRAND IS KNOWN FOR.

THINK SMOOTH AND EASY, JUST LIKE LIONEL RICHIE.

SUSPENSION SET-UP CONSISTS OF MACPHERSON STRUTS UP FRONT

AND DUAL-LINK STRUTS IN THE REAR,

AND THE ES REMAINS FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE ONLY.

RIDE QUALITY IS PLUSH,

AS THE ES, UNLIKE THE RECENTLY REVAMPED GS,

MAKES NO PRETENSIONS OF BEING A SPORTS SEDAN;

IT'S ALL ABOUT WRAPPING THE DRIVER

IN SOLID COMFORT AND LUXURY.

ELECTRIC POWER STEERING FEELS NATURAL

AND A TAD QUICKER THAN BEFORE.

THE DRIVING EXPERIENCE OF THE HYBRID IS EXACTLY THE SAME,

AND WE PUT IT ON PAR WITH THE INFINITI M

FOR POWERTRAIN SMOOTHNESS.

IT'S VERY PLEASANT TO DRIVE,

SAVE FOR SOME UNCHARACTERISTIC- FOR LEXUS-ENGINE NOISE.

POWER FEELS EVERY BIT AS STRONG AS THE V6 TOO,

WHERE A NICE HIT OF ELECTRIC MOTOR TORQUE

GETS YOU UP AND GOING.

PRICING FOR THE 2013 LEXUS ES 350

IS ACTUALLY DOWN A BIT FROM LAST YEAR, HOWEVER,

STARTING AT $36,995 FOR THE ES 350.

THE ES 300H HYBRID GOES FOR $39,745,

OR $2,750 MORE THAN THE V6.

YOU CAN TELL DESIGNERS PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO MAKING SURE

THE 2013 LEXUS ES LANDS WELL AHEAD OF ITS RIVALS.

IT IS A MUCH BETTER ES,

ONE THAT SHOULD KEEP CURRENT OWNERS HAPPY,

AS WELL AS ATTRACT NEW ONES.

WITH ITS NO COMPROMISE ON LUXURY INTERIOR,

AND THE ADDITION OF A VERY WELL EXECUTED HYBRID,

THE NEW ES IS A TWO-PRONGED APPROACH

THAT WILL SPARK PLENTY OF SALES.

THE AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT OF 2009

GARNERED WORLDWIDE ATTENTION AND DEBATE,

AS MUCH FOR ITS SIZE - $787 BILLION,

AS FOR ITS WIDE-SWEEPING SCOPE.

THE NATIONAL IMPACT WAS FELT IMMEDIATELY THROUGH TAX CREDITS,

AND BY CREATING OR SAVING MILLIONS OF JOBS.

BUT A PORTION OF THAT STIMULUS FUNDING

WAS INVESTED IN LONG-TERM AUTOMOTIVE

AND ALTERNATIVE FUEL PROJECTS THAT, WITHOUT A LOT OF FANFARE,

ARE NOW SHOWING IMPRESSIVE RESULTS.

YOU MIGHT SEE THEM EVERY DAY AND NOT TAKE NOTICE:

A HYBRID SCHOOL BUS OR DELIVERY TRUCK

GOING ABOUT THEIR DAILY ROUTINES,

AN ELECTRIC CAR RECHARGING OUTSIDE THE LOCAL GROCERY STORE,

OR A COMMERCIAL LAWN MOWER RUNNING ON PROPANE FUEL.

ALTERNATIVE FUEL AND ELECTRIC-DRIVE VEHICLES

ARE BECOMING MORE COMMONPLACE IN EVERY FACET OF OUR LIVES,

BUT THE CHARGING STATIONS AND FUEL DEPOTS

THAT SUPPORT THESE VEHICLES,

THE TECHNICIANS WHO REPAIR THEM,

OR THE FIRST RESPONDERS WHO MIGHT ENCOUNTER THEM

AT THE SCENE OF AN ACCIDENT,

ALL LIKELY OWE A PORTION OF THEIR EXISTENCE OR EXPERTISE

TO A.R.R.A.

FUNDING.

DEVELOPING THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ALTERNATIVE FUELS

HAS UP TO NOW BEEN A CHICKEN AND EGG PROPOSITION:

BOTH VEHICLE MAKERS AND FUEL PROVIDERS

HAVE BEEN UNDERSTANDABLY RELUCTANT TO COMMIT RESOURCES

IN THE ABSENCE OF CUSTOMER DEMAND.

THROUGH 25 RECOVERY ACT GRANTS,

THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY'S CLEAN CITIES PROGRAM

HAS BEEN ABLE TO ENCOURAGE BOTH TO GROW IN TANDEM.

WE VISITED A FEW PROJECTS TO SEE THE RESULT FOR OURSELVES.

PARCEL CARRIER UPS HAS PURCHASED

48 LIQUID NATURAL GAS-POWERED BIG RIGS,

AND WITH THAT GUARANTEED CUSTOMER BASE,

IT MADE FISCAL SENSE FOR CLEAN ENERGY

TO EXPAND ITS LNG FUELING NETWORK ACROSS THE WEST.

THIS NEW STATION IS A VITAL LINK IN UPS OPERATIONS

BETWEEN CALIFORNIA, ARIZONA, NEVADA AND UTAH.

WITH IT, THESE RIGS CAN DO A COMPLETE TRIP

BETWEEN LAS VEGAS AND ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA ON ONE FILL-UP.

Tom Bressler: LNG IS THE CLEANEST FUEL AVAILABLE FOR DIESEL TRUCKS;

IT'S CLEANER, IT'S CHEAPER, IT'S DOMESTIC.

WE'RE CHARGING $2.79 A GALLON

WHEN DIESEL IN THE AREA

IS RUNNING $4.50, $4.55 AT THIS MOMENT.

John: STIMULATING PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN FLEETS

AND ALTERNATIVE FUEL PROVIDERS

IS REWARDING ALL OF US WITH REDUCED DEPENDENCE ON OIL,

REDUCED VEHICLE EMISSIONS,

AND MORE COST-EFFECTIVE TRANSPORTATION.

FOR THE RESIDENTS OF BOISE, IDAHO,

IT HAS ALSO MEANT A LITTLE EXTRA SLEEP ON TRASH PICKUP DAY.

REPUBLIC SERVICES USED AN A.R.R.A.

GRANT

TO INSTALL A TIME-FILL,

OVERNIGHT CNG REFUELING SYSTEM AT ITS PARKING FACILITY

AND TO HELP THEM BUY A NEW FLEET OF CNG-POWERED REFUSE HAULERS.

NOT ONLY DO THEY SAVE MONEY

WITH LOWER FUEL AND MAINTENANCE COSTS,

BUT THE NEW RIGS ARE 7 TIMES QUIETER THAN THE OLD DIESELS,

MEANING FEWER NOISE COMPLAINTS FROM THE CITIZENS THEY SERVE.

Rachele Klein: WHAT STARTED HERE,

AND WAS SUCCESSFUL HERE IN THE BOISE MARKET,

HAS CARRIED WITH OUR COMPANY FROM COAST TO COAST

AND WE NOW HAVE 14 NEW STATIONS UNDER CONSTRUCTION

AND FLEETS COMING ONLINE.

WE ORDERED OVER 500 NATURAL GAS TRUCKS JUST THIS YEAR ALONE.

John: AND IN CONNECTICUT,

A.R.R.A.

FUNDING HAS PROMPTED TWO TAXI COMPANIES

TO JOIN FORCES AND MAKE A CLEAN SWITCH TO NATURAL GAS,

AND IN THE PROCESS GRANTED NEW FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT

TO THOUSANDS OF WHEELCHAIR-BOUND RESIDENTS.

METRO TAXI OF WEST HAVEN AND YELLOW CAB OF BLOOMFIELD

ARE THE FIRST COMPANIES IN THE COUNTRY

TO TAKE DELIVERY OF THE MV1;

A PURPOSE-BUILT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE TAXI

MADE IN SOUTH BEND, INDIANA'S FORMER HUMMER FACTORY

BY VPG AUTOMOTIVE.

THE TWO COMPANIES SPLIT AN ORDER

OF 140 MV1s AND 70 FORD TRANSIT CONNECTS,

ALL RUNNING CNG,

AND BOTH HAVE INSTALLED PUBLIC-ACCESS

CNG FUELING STATIONS.

THESE ARE JUST A FEW EXAMPLES OF PUBLIC

AND PRIVATE INTERESTS WORKING TOGETHER,

AND IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT CNG;

SIMILAR PROJECTS ARE UNDERWAY IN MORE THAN 36 STATES,

HELPING TO DEPLOY MORE THAN 8,500

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY VEHICLES

AND ALSO BUILD NEARLY 1,600 FUELING STATIONS

FOR ELECTRIC CHARGING, PROPANE, NATURAL GAS,

E85 ETHANOL AND BIODIESEL.

IN FACT, $300 MILLION OF D.O.E.

CLEAN CITIES RECOVERY ACT AWARDS

HAVE STIMULATED PRIVATE INVESTMENT

IN NEARLY $1 BILLION WORTH OF ALTERNATIVE FUEL VEHICLES

AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.

THERE IS NO MAGIC BULLET FOR CLEANING UP OUR AUTOMOTIVE ACT

OR REDUCING OUR DEPENDENCE ON PETROLEUM.

WHAT WORKS IN WISCONSIN MAY NOT PLAY IN PEORIA,

BUT BY INVESTING IN LOCAL INITIATIVES,

AS WELL AS NATIONAL PROGRAMS,

THE AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT

HAS SUCCEEDED IN LAYING THE GROUNDWORK

FOR A CLEAN DRIVING FUTURE THAT ALL AMERICANS CAN BENEFIT FROM.

LET'S HEAD TO GOSS' GARAGE AND FIND OUT WHAT'S UP DOWN UNDER.

Pat Goss: MODERN CARS HAVE A LOT OF COMPUTERS ON THEM,

AND ALL OF THOSE COMPUTERS HAVE MEMORIES

THAT NEED TO BE PROTECTED

IF YOU HAVE TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY.

WELL, FOR YEARS, WE RECOMMENDED THIS LITTLE DEVICE

THAT USES A 9-VOLT BATTERY,

BUT I HAVE TO TELL YOU, THEY'RE NOT THE BEST WAY TO GO.

WHAT WE HAVE MOVED UP TO IN THE REPAIR SHOP

IS THIS UNIT FROM SNAP-ON TOOLS.

NOW, IT HAS THE ABILITY

TO PROTECT ALL THE MEMORY ON ALL THE COMPUTERS

BY PLUGGING AN ADAPTER INTO THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER

OR A POWER PORT.

BUT REMEMBER, THIS IS A LAST DITCH WAY TO DO IT

BECAUSE POWER PORTS --

WELL, THEY'RE USUALLY SWITCHED BY THE KEY.

CIGARETTE LIGHTERS, SAME THING.

SO IN ORDER TO GET THEM ACTIVE, YOU HAVE TO TURN YOUR KEY ON,

THAT TURNS A LOT OF ACCESSORIES ON - NOT THE BEST WAY TO GO.

HERE'S WHERE THIS ONE REALLY SHINES...

IT HAS THIS ADAPTER RIGHT HERE

THAT PLUGS INTO THE OBD-II ADAPTER

UNDER THE DASH OF THE CAR.

THIS IS WHERE YOU CHECK FOR CODES AND SO ON.

IT SUPPLIES POWER DIRECTLY INTO THE COMPUTER SYSTEM.

AND BECAUSE OF THE SIZE OF THE BATTERY,

IT CAN DO IT FOR HOURS ON END WITHOUT LOSING ANY MEMORY.

AND IF YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE BATTERY DISCONNECTED FOR DAYS,

WELL, YOU CAN PLUG IN THE CHARGER FOR THIS

AND IT WILL LITERALLY PROTECT THE MEMORY

ON THOSE COMPUTERS FOR DAYS.

COSTS ABOUT $150 BUCKS.

BUT, KEEP IN MIND, IF YOU LOSE THE MEMORY ON ONE OF THESE

THAT HAS TO BE REPROGRAMMED,

IT'S GOING TO COST YOU THAT MUCH

BY THE TIME YOU GET IT TO THE DEALER AND BACK.

HERE WE HAVE SOMETHING.

THIS IS AN ENGINE OIL DRAIN VALVE.

NOW, THERE'S A PROBLEM WE'RE SEEING

ON A LOT OF LATE MODEL CARS,

AND THAT IS, IF YOU CHANGE THE OIL REGULARLY,

OVER TIME, THE THREADS WILL WEAR OUT IN THE OIL PAN

AND YOU HAVE TO PUT A NEW OIL PAN ON...EXPENSIVE.

WELL, THIS ENGINE OIL DRAIN VALVE

IS DESIGNED IN SUCH A MANOR

THAT YOU SCREW IT INTO THE OIL PAN ONE TIME

AND WHEN YOU WANT TO CHANGE OIL,

YOU SIMPLY PUSH THIS LEVER AND TURN IT.

IT'S SPRING-LOADED, IT OPENS THE VALVE INSIDE IT,

THE OIL DRAINS OUT, YOU CLOSE IT AND YOU'RE GOOD TO GO.

NOW, BECAUSE IT'S SPRING-LOADED AND IT HAS A DETENT ON IT,

NOT MUCH CHANCE OF IT ACCIDENTALLY OPENING UP.

COULD SAVE YOU SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS

IN THE PRICE OF A NEW OIL PAN.

AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT,

DROP ME A LINE RIGHT HERE AT MOTORWEEK.

TIME NOW TO GRAB THE CAR KEYS AND SHIFT INTO GEAR

FOR MORE FIRST DRIVING IMPRESSIONS

OF THE NEWEST TO COME OUR WAY.

NOW IN ITS THIRD GENERATION,

THE 6 SERIES BMW HAS ALWAYS OCCUPIED A SPECIAL ROLE

BETWEEN THE 5 AND 7 SERIES MAINSTAYS,

TRADING SEDAN UTILITY AND COMFORT

FOR COUPE AND CONVERTIBLE STYLE.

BUT NOW ENTER THE 2013 640I GRAN COUPE

WITH AT LEAST A PARTIAL NOD TO EVERYDAY PRACTICALITY.

THIS HEAD-TURNING FOUR-DOOR COUPE FORM

IS BMW'S LONG AWAITED ANSWER TO THE MERCEDES-BENZ CLS

AND AUDI A7 AMONG OTHERS.

THE SLEEK FORM WORKS VERY WELL AS BOTH WHEELBASE AND LENGTH

HAVE GROWN FOR BETTER INTEGRATION.

BEYOND THE OBVIOUS, THOUGH,

THE GRAN COUPE SPORTS LITTLE EXTERIOR CHANGE

FROM THE CURRENT TWO DOOR.

ALSO CARRIED OVER IS THE 6-SERIES STANDARD POWERTRAIN,

A 3-LITER SINGLE TURBO INLINE 6 AND 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC.

GOOD FOR 315-HORSEPOWER, WE WERE RIGHT AT HOME.

A TWIN-TURBO 650I V8 AND X-DRIVE OPTION WILL COME LATER.

WITH ADJUSTABLE CHASSIS AND DRIVETRAIN MODES,

THE 640'S THROTTLE IS HIGHLY RESPONSIVE,

0 TO 60 IS UNDER FIVE SECONDS.

HANDLING IS DELIGHTFULLY PRECISE,

DRIVING MUCH SMALLER THAN IT LOOKS.

THE INTERIOR OOZES RESTRAINED ELEGANCE.

OPTIONAL UPGRADES CAN PUSH YOUR 6

FROM TURBOCHARGED TO TRENDSETTER.

THE LITTLE THAT DID CHANGE GOES A LONG WAY INSIDE,

AS THE GRAN COUPE CAN ACTUALLY ACCOMMODATE FOUR ADULTS,

PLUS ADDS A NEW 5TH MIDDLE SEAT.

WE SENT OUR OWN BEN DAVIS TO TAKE A SPIN;

NOT ONLY IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT, BUT BEHIND IT, TOO.

Ben Davis: I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING...

SLICK, LOW-ROOF, EUROPEAN SEDAN AND FULL-SIZE AMERICAN GUY.

THIS COMBO'S NEVER GOING TO WORK.

WELL, LET'S GIVE IT A TRY.

AS YOU CAN SEE, WELL, I'M 5'10"

AND PROBABLY THE FURTHEST THING FROM ATHLETIC.

THAT BEING SAID, I'VE GOT PLENTY OF HEADROOM,

PLENTY OF HIP ROOM,

AND I'M READY FOR A LONG-HAUL ROAD TRIP.

John: THE BASE MODEL 640I GRAN COUPE WILL START AROUND $77,000,

AND IF YOU'VE GOT THE MEANS,

YOU CAN MAKE YOUR NEIGHBORS JEALOUS LATER THIS SUMMER.

WHILE LONG POPULAR IN EUROPE AND ASIA,

AMERICANS HAVE ONLY RECENTLY GRAVITATED TOWARDS

STYLISH 5-DOOR HATCHBACKS.

SEEING THAT TREND,

HYUNDAI HAS DUMPED THEIR DUMPY ELANTRA TOURING

IN FAVOR OF THIS SVELTE NEW ELANTRA GT.

THIS COMPACT HATCH ADDS THE FLOWING CHARACTER LINES

AND EXPANSIVE FRONT INTAKE OF OTHER NEW GENERATION ELANTRAS,

PLUS MORE CARGO AND PASSENGER ROOM,

ALL WHILE SHORTENING UP BOTH WHEELBASE AND LENGTH.

THE RESULT IS A SURPRISINGLY ROOMY CABIN,

ENSURING GOOD LONG DISTANCE COMFORT FOR ALL,

WHILE ALSO APPEALING TO THE TIGHT URBAN CONFINES

FAVORED BY YOUNG ADULTS.

WE FOUND THE SHORTER, SQUATTER GT WAS ALSO BETTER SUITED

TO THE ELANTRA'S 1.8-LITER 148-HORSEPOWER I4;

AND ALTHOUGH SLIGHTLY UNDERPOWERED,

SHIFTS WERE SMOOTH WITH GOOD STEERING RESPONSE THROUGH TURNS.

AND EVEN WITH ADDED CURB WEIGHT

OVER THE ELANTRA AND ELANTRA COUPE,

HIGHWAY FUEL ECONOMY FOR BOTH MANUAL AND AUTOMATIC

IS RATED AT 39 MILES PER GALLON,

BEATING FORD FOCUS AND SUBARU IMPREZA.

WITH 5-DOOR COMPACTS

FINALLY STARTING TO GAIN FOOTING IN AMERICA,

THE 2013 ELANTRA GT OFFERS UP COMFORT AND VERSATILITY

IN A SLICK LOOKING PACKAGE.

PRICES START AT A LOW $19,000

AND THE GT IS IN DEALERSHIPS NOW.

AND WE'LL BUCKLE UP AND REPORT BACK

JUST AS SOON AS WE GRAB MORE NEW SETS OF CAR KEYS!

UNTIL NOW, INFINITI'S ONLY LARGE LUXURY UTILITY

HAS BEEN THE FULL-SIZE QX56.

WHILE A VERY CAPABLE SUV,

ITS FULL FRAME DESIGN HAS LITTLE APPEAL

TO BUYERS SEEKING A MORE CAR-LIKE DRIVING EXPERIENCE.

CLEARLY, TO FULLY COMPETE IN THIS SEGMENT,

A TRUE 7-PASSENGER CROSSOVER WAS NEEDED.

AND NOW IT'S ARRIVED, WITH THE NAME JX.

SO LET'S SEE IF THE ALL-NEW JX CAN INSPIRE MORE BUYERS

TO "CROSS OVER" TO INFINITI.

WELL, IT MAY HAVE TAKEN A WHILE FOR INFINITI

TO JOIN THE THREE-ROW CROSSOVER RANKS,

BUT THE 2013 INFINITI JX35

PROVES THAT IT'S NOT WHEN YOU SHOW UP,

IT'S WHAT YOU BRING TO THE PARTY THAT MATTERS.

LIKE MANY LARGER CROSSOVERS,

THE JX FOCUS IS NOT ON OFF-ROAD CAPABILITY,

BUT RATHER ON OFFERING EXTREME COMFORT TO PAMPER OCCUPANTS,

ALONG WITH FLEXIBILITY TO MAKE DAILY TASKS EASIER.

STARTING WITH THE COMFORT ASPECTS,

THE INTERIOR OFFERS A LOOK AND FEEL

THAT WILL PLEASE BOTH CURRENT INFINITI OWNERS,

AS WELL AS CONQUESTS FROM OTHER LUXURY BRANDS.

THE DASH LAYOUT IS FAMILIAR TO INFINITI BUYERS,

WITH A DEFINITE COCKPIT FEEL,

AS MOST CONTROLS ARE DRIVER-ORIENTED,

BUT IT'S STILL OPEN ENOUGH TO FEEL AIRY.

THE FRONT SEATS ARE AS COMFORTABLE AS ANY SEAT

YOU'LL FIND IN YOUR LIVING ROOM,

AND REAR SEATS ARE ALMOST AS COMFY WITH LOTS OF LEGROOM.

THE SLIDE, FOLD, AND TILT ACCESS TO THE THIRD ROW

IS ONE OF EASIEST WE'VE TRIED.

BUT AS TO THIRD ROW COMFORT, OVER 6-FOOTERS NEED NOT APPLY.

CARGO CAPACITY FALLS SHORT OF THE BIG BOY QX56

WITH JUST 15.8 CUBIC-FEET OF SPACE BEHIND THE THIRD ROW,

BUT IT IS LARGER THAN RIVALS ACURA MDX AND AUDI Q7.

THERE ARE PLENTY OF HIGH-TECH GADGETS

TO KEEP YOUR NEIGHBORS JEALOUS,

INCLUDING INFINITI CONNECTION TELEMATICS WITH GOOGLE CALENDAR,

INFINITI PERSONAL ASSISTANT,

15-SPEAKER BOSE CABIN SURROUND SYSTEM WITH WAVEGUIDE SUBWOOFER,

AND AN AROUND VIEW CAMERA WITH BACKUP COLLISION INTERVENTION

THAT WILL EVEN APPLY THE BRAKES

TO KEEP YOU FROM BACKING INTO SOMETHING,

AS WELL AS A HOST OF ADDITIONAL SAFETY AIDES.

THE JX ALSO BRINGS PLENTY OF STYLE TO THE SEGMENT,

AND WHILE WE'LL STOP SHORT OF CALLING IT BEAUTIFUL,

IT IS STUNNING TO LOOK AT.

THE STANCE IS LOW AND ATHLETIC,

WITH 114.2-INCHES BETWEEN THE STANDARD 18-INCH ALLOY WHEELS,

WITH 20s OPTIONAL.

THE FRONT END HAS A DEFINITE FAMILY RESEMBLANCE

WITH INFINITI TRADEMARKS LIKE THE DOUBLE-WAVE HOOD

AND DOUBLE-ARCH GRILLE.

BUT THE JX ADDS UNIQUE ELEMENTS

SUCH AS THE LONG, SLOPING ROOFLINE

WITH PANORAMIC GLASS PANEL AND JAGGED D-PILLARS.

HID HEADLIGHTS ARE STANDARD,

AS ARE BIG LED TAIL LIGHTS AND A POWER REAR LIFTGATE.

AERODYNAMIC ENHANCEMENTS ARE LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE EXTERIOR,

INCLUDING A FRONT UNDERBODY SPOILER,

REAR HATCH-MOUNTED SPOILER,

AND REAR TIRE WIND DEFLECTORS.

BEHIND THE WHEEL, THE JX35 FEELS VERY SUBSTANTIAL.

IT DOESN'T QUITE OFFER THE PLUSHNESS

OF SOME IN THIS SEGMENT,

BUT IT RIDES FAIRLY SMOOTH AND IS MORE IN TUNE

WITH INFINITI'S OVERALL SPORTIER PERSONA.

THERE'S PLENTY OF POWER FOR SCOOTING AROUND SUBURBIA,

BUT IT CAN FEEL A LITTLE WEAK AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS,

WHICH WE MOSTLY ATTRIBUTE TO THE CVT TRANSMISSION.

EVEN WITH MANUAL SHIFT CAPABILITY,

WE'RE NOT BIG FANS OF CVTs,

ALTHOUGH NISSAN DOES MAKE ONE OF THE BEST.

STEERING IS EXTREMELY LIGHT, BUT NOT QUITE OVERBOOSTED,

AND A DRIVE MODE SELECTOR

LETS YOU CHOSE BETWEEN STANDARD SPORT, ECO, AND SNOW SETTINGS.

THE ONLY REAL DIFFERENCE WE COULD FEEL IN OUR INITIAL DRIVE

WAS THAT SPORT MODE LETS YOU REV THE ENGINE A BIT MORE,

BUT IT'S CERTAINLY NOT THRILLING.

THE JX IS DEFINITELY DESIGNED TO HAUL PEOPLE IN COMFORT,

BUT NOT NECESSARILY ALL THEIR TOYS,

AS TOWING CAPACITY IS RATED AT ONLY 3,500 POUNDS.

ODD, SINCE THE UPCOMING NISSAN PATHFINDER

WITH SIMILAR STRUCTURE WILL PULL MUCH MORE.

AND THE JX'S 3.5-LITER TWIN CAM V6

CERTAINLY SEEMS CAPABLE ENOUGH.

IT'S THE FAMILIAR VQ35 VARIABLE TIMED ENGINE

USED THROUGHOUT THE NISSAN LINEUP.

HERE IT CRANKS OUT 265-HORSEPOWER

AND 248 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

THE 2013 INFINITI JX35 IS AVAILABLE

IN BOTH FRONT AND ALL-WHEEL DRIVE.

PRICING STARTS AT $41,400 FOR THE FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE JX35.

ALL-WHEEL DRIVE ADDS $1,100, FOR A TOTAL OF $42,500.

THIS MAY BE THE FIRST THREE-ROW CROSSOVER FOR INFINITI,

BUT IT APPEARS TO HAVE ALL OF THE BASES COVERED;

COMFORT, LUXURY, AND PRACTICALITY

ARE ALL IN THE LINEUP.

THE 2013 JX35 LOOKS READY TO GO TO BAT

AGAINST OTHER LUXURY CUVs.

AND WHILE TIME WILL TELL

IF THEY'VE TRULY HIT IT OUT OF THE PARK,

OUR EARLY SCOUTING REPORT PREDICTS

A HEAVY HITTER HAS JUST ARRIVED.

WELL, I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US AGAIN FOR MORE MOTORWEEK,

AND WE'LL SEE IF THE TWEAKED HYUNDAI GENESIS COUPE

CONTINUES SOMETHING GREAT.

AND WE'LL PUT A BIG FOOT TO THE FLOOR

IN THE TINY FIAT 500 ABARTH.

UNTIL NEXT TIME, I'M JOHN DAVIS.

WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT HERE ON MOTORWEEK.

Announcer: TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MOTORWEEK,

TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE,

VISIT PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

MOTORWEEK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY TIRE RACK.

AND BY...

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3M SCRATCH REMOVAL SYSTEM HELPS REMOVE UNSIGHTLY SCRATCHES.

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