7-Seater-Cars/Blog

Infiniti JX – American 7-Seater

May 052012

Infinity JX

Stylish, solid and with a luxurious exterior, the Infiniti JXis a new 7-seater with an excellent range of features. Where this vehicle really scores high marks is on safety, with its host of hi-tech standard additions that, when you think about it, should come with all vehicles geared towards families.

Infinity JX - American 7-Seater Car Interior View

As you may already know the JX will not be available for the UK customer unless you buy one as an import which may cost you a fair penny. As for prices it will cost around $40,000 which equates to around £25,000 British pounds.

Infinity JX – Safety

There’s a lane departure warning system and intelligent cruise control which utilises lasers, brake actuators and the throttle to precisely gauge the distance between you and the vehicle ahead. The car then adjusts its own speed to keep a safe gap. In addition to these smart features, a blind spot warning system and backup collision intervention all come as standard. As far as 7-seaters go, there aren’t many that come safer than this.

Infinity JX – Space

And in terms of the space inside, the Infiniti JX does very well. An increasing number of 7-seaters offer a token back bench that is barely suitable for fast-growing teenagers, let alone adults; but not so with this vehicle. Each seat offers plenty of room and there is easy access to the third row, another increasingly unheard of feature of many larger SUVs, as car makers squeeze the margins.

Infinity JX – Boot Space

This is achieved with a sliding middle row and wide door openings. Cargo space is both ample and versatile, regardless of whether all the seats are in play or not. The second row can be split, so too can the third row of seats, and even without any of them folded down there is 447 litres of space.

Infinity JX – Fuel Efficiency

Although the Inifinti JX is a big car, it certainly punches above its weight when it comes to fuel efficiency. This 7-seater can manage 23 miles per gallon on the motorway and 17 mpg in the city. This is mostly achieved courtesy of a continuously variable transmission that aims to get the best out of the engine at any given moment, with four different modes to choose from – eco, snow, sport and standard.

Infinity JX - An American MPV with Seven Seats

Infinity JX – Driving Experience

It’s perhaps only in regards to the driving experience where it’s possible to find areas for improvement with the Infiniti JX, and even then it requires to critic to be ultra picky. The eco driving mode leaves the vehicle feeling like it’s working too hard, especially when filled with passengers, and the size of the car means it feels chunky when driving in the city (although there is an around-view monitor for parking). And while the transmission is undoubtedly an engineering feat, it can get noisy when accelerating hard.

Infinity JX – Performance

In terms of engine performance, Infiniti has achieved a good balance between necessary power and fuel economy. The 3.5-litre V-6 engine generates a decent 265 horsepower that almost always feels like more than enough. Overall then, this is a well thought out addition to the 7-seater market that looks functional yet refined and which offers ample space without getting too bloated in the process. It’s therefore a worthy addition to Nissan’s exclusive Infiniti brand and, although the price is certainly up there, for what you get, this is nothing short of very good value for money.

Infinity is a Nissan Brand. Nissan 7-Seaters available in the United Kingdom include the Qashqai+2, the Cube3, Patrol GR4x4 and the Pathfinder 4×4.

Seating Options in a 7-Seater Car

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May 032012

Seating Options

There are so many different things to think about when you’re in the market to buy a seven-seater car that it’s no wonder it can be a challenging decision to make. One of the most important areas worthy of consideration is the seats. Depending on which model you get, some of the seats could be fold down ones, or they could all be ‘proper’ fixed seats. They’ll be safe in all cases of course, but have you considered what type of seats you’d prefer?

Kia Carens 7-Seat MPV - With Fold Flat Third Row Seats

If you haven’t yet splashed the cash on your chosen 7 seater, here are some points to consider with regard to the seating arrangements.

Fold Down Seats in Third Row?

Some people love them, while others hate them. They certainly give you more options if you do go for the fold down seats, since you can always create a lot more space in the back of the vehicle if need be. Some vehicles allow you to fold down one or two seats in the back, vastly increasing the size of the boot in the process.

Rear Seat Access

Can you get from the driver’s or front passenger’s seat into the back of the vehicle if necessary without going outside? We wouldn’t advocate doing this while the vehicle is moving of course. The idea is that you could be parked up somewhere in the pouring rain. If you need to attend to a child in the back of your car, you won’t want to climb out and back in again, getting soaked in the process, if you can simply move from the front of the car into the back without any problems. Larger 7-Seat vehicles such as the Ford Galaxy, Seat Alhambra or VW Caravelle would easily allow you to climb in the rear of the car.

Ford Galaxy 7-Seater-Car - With Fold Flat or Removable Rear Seats (dep on yr)

Tiny Boot Space

Watch out for those cars that only offer a tiny boot in conjunction with the fold down seats. If you know you’ll need all the seats virtually all the time, this could be a problem. The boot space left in a car like the Vauxhall Zafira 7-Seat Car is miniscule in comparison to something like a Renault Grand Espace.

Fixed Third Row Seats and Luggage Space

If you want all the seats in the back to be fixed and not fold down, will you still have enough luggage space to accommodate everything? Cars with seven seats that are fixed include old Toyota Verso’s, Volvo XC90’s and the Renault Grand Espace.

Even if you know you’ll only use your car to go on holiday in once a year, you’ll still need enough luggage space for that trip. You could get a roof box to pack more in, but if you want true versatility you need to find a seven seater car that has a lot of boot space even though it doesn’t have fold down seats.

Removable Third Row Seats

As you can see, seating options are incredibly important, and not just in terms of the fold down seats in the back either. Some options even allow you to remove one or more of the seats, but consider the weight of them before opting for anything if you know you might need to do this from time to time. Vehicles with removable third row seats include the Kia Sedona and Mazda 5.

Conclusion

In short, it’s best to focus on your needs regarding the seats in your vehicle before you splash out the money on buying one. Another spanner in the works is that some vehicles with seven seats used to have removable third row seats and now they are fixed fold flat ones. Designs change regularly so you really have to be savvy when searching for your perfect car.