#i love drawing low quality floyd

[herprincess]

nepo baby

[jaylleoo14]

How I like to draw the twst characters because nobody asked

♡ i like drawing Jade two ways: Pretty boy twink or a "your daughter calls me daddy too"

♡ For Azul its either an unhinged crazy ass who might secretly be a boy loser or a fucking smartass scum who isnt pathetic

♡ Floyd is.... well, Floyd. He's silly! I love him unconditionally <3 (no i dont thats a lie- ACK HELP HES CHOKING ME-) Joking, I LOVE drawing him having threatening and scary faces. (that goes for Jade as well)

♡ Idia is either a whimpering begging mess or hes a fucking cocky menace whos actually threatening

♡ Leona is soft shy lion or a badass (yasss slay queen, we stan you‼️) and sassy at the same time (Have you seen the way he stans with his hand on his hip?)

♡ Vil is just strait up serving cunt, no words needed (she is always SERVING from the university of servington with a degree in serving cunt) I always draw him winning because she always is (we stay winning💯)

♡ Rook is an unhinged stalker with a crazy obsession or he's just a silly little lad whos always supportive of others (I like drawing him threatening too)

♡ Epel is my pretty boy who I love to draw because he's so pretty. I like to draw him very wild though and rambunctious

♡ Rollo is literally the same as Idias except he tries to hold his pride feeling really embarrassed

♡ Riddle has a strong presence and personality which i like to convey, being ruthless yet being incredibly soft. I like drawing him cute and pretty sometimes too :3

♡ TREY HAS NICE MF ARMS YOU KNOW DAMN WELL IM DRAWING HIM SCRUMDELIOUCIOUS

♡ Cater makes me sad, so I indulge myself in it. I like drawing him around deep and depressing themes, sometimes dark as well.

♡ Ruggie is either street punk cool and swaggy or damn attractive with an unhinged and sneaky overlay

♡ Jack is so cute to me, I like drawing him as the tsundere he is with a playful side to him with the overprotective bodyguard vibes

♡ Ace... I HATE THAT STUPID MF!!! God he's so annoying we might as well date already >:( He's super playful and flirty and i like drawing him sly and sometimes awkwardly flustered

♡ Deuce is my baby boy crush >\\\\< Hes so precious literally he's my soft boy. I love him sm omg

♡ Malleus is so awkward and somewhat stoic, yet thats what makes him cute! He's like a himbo to me hahahaha hes so silly to me sometimes but then im like, oh wait, hes hot. And then i do a 360 and all of a sudden he's this hot smirking bastard

♡ Lilia is so drippy he's my little doll, I want to style him in so many different ways (●ˇ∀ˇ●) and he's so badass yet girlypop at the same time, hello?? No one can pull it off like Lilia does, its the bisexual in him 🤞

♡ Silver is so sweet and pretty, though I always draw him sleeping because its so easy just drawing someone sleeping in low quality T0T (sorry Silver stans)

♡ Sebek is a silly little guy who I want to kick for the fun of it sometimes ^-^ But I like drawing him getting teased a lot or often getting picked on because I find it funny

♡ Jamil being a sassy overworked mom who always too tired to show any type of expression other than showing anger, exasperation, or an anxious stressed out look. Other than that, its a tired deadpan face for me as he's holding a mug saying "kys." Jamil is like a little hater to me and I stan that <3

♡ Kalim being oblivious and a bit slow, but other than that hes the happy radiating sunshine we all know as. I like giving him moments where hes so genuine and kind where you're just completely soft around him and an arrow shoots through your heart

♡ Ortho is that friendly neighbor! I like him drawing him being supportive of others and always being Idia's right hand man who can also be sneaky and sly

This doesnt usually apply to their yandere self though ^^

[truelover45]

Dropping some more of my headcanons, this time Ears Edition

More info and full image under the cut yet again (I hope it works this time)

When a Troll, specifically Country, Classical, Hard Rock, or Pop troll, has a high or low amount of energy at any point of their life as an average, their ears either droop down (low energy) or curve upwards (high energy)

Most trolls don't have ears that curve up or droop down, only the trolls with a significant change from the majority of their tribe.

Some trolls who I'd think have a different curve of ear

High energy: Poppy, Viva, Holly, and Barb

Low energy: Floyd, Branch (obviously), Bruce, Demo, and Riff

I mostly made this headcanon because Floyd eluded me and I love drawing Poppy with ears that curve upward

By the by, if you're interested in seeing more of my troll art, feel free to drop a request! Open for every canon troll, but I cannot guarantee the quality if they're one I haven't drawn before!

[attract-mode-collective]

Nothing Sez “Student Game” More Than The Dinosaur Evening News (that’s a good thing, btw)

The above is Mediazoic, which takes place in an alternate reality in which dinosaurs have come back to rule the earth and they've hired you, puny human, to make sure their televised broadcasts are dino family safe.

You moderate comments left on message boards, censor full frontal dino nudity, and so on. It's a student game alright, and one of my top picks from the NYU Game Center Student Showcase2018!

I was also fond of Dreams For Your Computer because CRTs, magnets, and cats...

... Here's what it looks like in action, btw.

Though the one game that I liked the most, and which would actually fare well on the marketplace, would have to be Static...

And honorable mention goes to an updated take on Flight Simulator, which recreates a 6 hour long commercial flight as a passenger...

... The best part was the look on Stephen Totilo's face, who kinda didn't get it.

When was the NYU thing btw? Over two weeks ago, and it’s been even longer since the last update. Sorry about that. You know the deal: a million, billion things going on. As usual.

Hence why it’ll take not just one, but two bursting at the seams posts, to cover the second half of May! So onto part one…  

Please, please, PLEASE let these Game Center CX Blu-rays have an English language option (via miki800.com)...

Not a day goes by in which I don’t wonder how that guy who appears in the instruction manual for Bomberman B-Daman is doing these days (via videogameartarchive & videogameartarchive)...

I really love the “are you for real?” vibe that Samus gives off in the instructions for the original Famicom Disk System release of Metroid (via nintendometro)...

If you’ve ever wondered what a pair of bosses from Mega Man 9 & 10 would look like with 8’s 32-bit sheen, well here ya go (via mendelpalace)...

A print ad for the Famicom adaptation of Akira that wasn't all that hot (via videogameads)...

Though whenever anyone hears the words “Akira video game”, this is basically what immediately comes to mind. Anything else is a disappointment, no matter what (via aaronkraten)...

Welcome to the rabbit hole that is the Memorex VIS (via @ColinWilliamson)...

Is the soundtrack to some ultra-obscure home banking software for the Mega Drive worth a listen? You goddamn right it is (via mendelpalace)...

… The accompanying article is also totally worth a read.

It’s the Battletoads X Blue Swede mashup that you can’t believe hasn’t been done yet (via SiIvaGunner)...

Replace Link with myself & Navi with my iPhone, which I use as an alarm clock, and you have earlier this morning in a nutshell (via nintendometro)...

“So where you going?”

“Down a road. A low poly road…”

“Where you headed towards?”

“Whatever’s at the end of this street. This low poly street...”

“If you look up, what do you see?”

“Low poly buildings, under a low poly sky. Who knows, maybe there’s some low poly birds up there, behind those low poly clouds…” (via pmpkn)

From looking at low poly skies to soaring high above them, but what a difference an arcade board makes huh (via kazucrash)...

This is what Metal Max 2: ReLoaded on the DS looks like, at its normal resolution...

And this is what it looks with the resolution bumped up (via gaucheartist)...

Is this sprite of a BMX biker animated unusually well or am I just out of touch when it comes to 2600 software? Granted, it does come from a game made in 1989 (via segagenesisevangelion)…

According to the law: “NO JUMPING” (via vgadvisor)

“Hi guys.” (via beowulf-ultra)

Such a heartwarming scene (via @PicturesFoIder)...

This is what VR looked like many years ago, which is basically how it still looks today as well (via peazy86)...

It’s Yuji Horii, from way back in the day, presumably before he had created Dragon Quest (via videogamesdensetsu)...

Why yes, I have heard of the Ocelot Arcade System, by virtue of it being Quality Simon Carless content...

... BTW, “Quality content” is in reference to this. Moving on: yes, I've also heard of VecFever. It plays games that you might be familiar with, since it emulates old vector MAME titles...

Meanwhile, am only just learning that Tiger released their handhelds in Japan under the Game Vision label (via segacity)...

The Sega Dreamcast: it's thinking... about you, cuz it cares about you (via posthumanwanderings)...

"Wait… was he always there?" asks the official Sonic the Hedgehog Tumblr (via sonicthehedgehog)...

And the final nail in the coffin for this gag came courtesy of the official Sonic Tumblr as well (via sonicthehedgehog)...

"Good news everyone skyrim has been ported to the Bethesda offices carpet" 

"Who the fuck designed support pillars to obstruct a quarter of the hallway?" 

"Bethesda" (via mysteriouslypeculiar)

Yet another "it's funny cuz it's true" (via highlandvalley)...

So annoyed that I only find out about this Games Glorious shirt on the very last day of kylefewell‘s Japanese extrusion (via miki800.com)...

Not a fan of the game (don’t hate, I just don’t find it very enthralling), yet for whatever reason, I REALLY want this vintage Mappy sweatshirt (via namcomuseum)...

When video game attire looks plausible IRL (via @cvxfreak)...

Much like with regular attire, with cosplay, sometimes it’s all about the accessories (via frankiebalboa)...

Don’t think I’ve ever seen this piece of Marvel Super Heroes vs Street Fighter art before (via segacity)...

For those who dig POC, as well those who dig VF, and also those who dig FV... that last one's Fighting Vipers, BTW (via fightersmegamix)...

It’s a crying shame that Fighting Vipers is such an unknown commodity these days (via kazucrash)...

Virtua Fighter vs Virtua Fighter… Kid (via segacity)...

It’s a crying shame that Fighters Megamix is such an unknown commodity these days (via segacity)...

So hyped for RPG Time, based solely upon the headline image used for this 10 ten list of BitSummit games (via @indiegameweb)...

Please enjoy yet another thing that I originally posted on a Saturday late at night, whatever time it might on your end right this second (via contac)...

Been a while since I’ve seen the handiwork of Joe Bleeps, largely since it’s been a while since I’ve been collecting Game Culture Snapshots; the man has certainly stepped up his game (boy mods) since way back when (via kotaku.com)...

Am also very much impressed by the Game Boy Macro, though once again, am super irritated that GBA games do not rest flush with the DS Lite’s body...

An example of function over form I guess (@gamesyouloved)...

Familiar with Line Wobbler? Ever wished you could play it on the go? Are you into demakes? For the Game Boy Advance? (via @diskmem)

Today’s corrupted GBA boot up sequence is (via corruptionasart)...

Can anyone tell what Famicom game we’re seeing that’s all glitched out? (via mendelpalace)...

My fave part of this NES 2 print ad is how, in order to truly drive the message of “EVOLVE OR BECOME EXTINCT” home, whomever felt it necessary to include a little picture of a dinosaur (via nintendometro)...

Was this an ad for the SNES? I ask because it’s considerably more sophisticated when compared to what you usually encountered in gaming rags at the time (via nintendometro)...

This ad for the GoldStar version of the 3DO, hailing from Korea, makes me so proud to be (half) Korean, you have no idea (via notablegamebox)...

This Space Invaders tribute piece is like the cover art to some 80s heavy metal record (via shmups)...

Meanwhile, the album art for the Metal Black soundtrack feels more Pink Floyd-ish than anything else (via reportal)...

As amazing as it would have been to attend a ZUNTATA concert 20 years ago, I desperately wanted to see them perform various Darius cuts live just the other week (via miki800.com)...

This cover art for a tribute album celebrating 25 years of Mega Man is still quite good, 31 years after the fact (via rnn-draws)...

My recommended reading this time is a comparison of all the various Mega Man sprites that have been, including a few that you may not be familiar with (via retrovania-vgjunk.blogspot.com)...

Apparently there was a Mega Man boss that was part arcade machine, but he only appeared in some mobile game, for f's sake Capcom (via mendelpalace)...

Guess now’s a good time to share another random game canter pic (via gogopri)...

Pathos at the game center, even among Sailor Scouts (via funnysailorm00n)...

A pride & joy of my personal collection is both the original retail Japanese release of Jet Set Radio & the available via Sega Direct only edition: De La Jet Set Radio (via videogameartarchive & videogameartarchive)...

Here's an alternate take on it’s alternate cover star (via @Drooling_Demon)…

Putting together the necessary gear to properly grind the streets of Tokyo-to (via kiroziki-cosplay)...

JSR tales place in a fictionalized, idealized interpretation of Japan, whereas this gif is a very realistic take, yup (via dehtyar)...

Meanwhile and elsewhere, somewhere in the United States of America it would seem (via behexagusthegreat)...

There's still dinner time in the future (via kirokazepixel)...

My contribution to #WorldGothDay (via it8bit)…

From dark & dreary, to warm & fuzzy, yet still black & white (via this old post from a few years back)...

Old photos of a Japanese school kid obsessing over the Famicom are somewhat dime a dozen, but the PC Engine? A very rare treat (via gamingremembrance)...

From black & white photographs of Japanese 80s kids playing consoles, to a full color animated gif of US 80s kids at the arcade (via tvneon)...

Time to wrap things up by touching upon something that kept me awfully busy over the past few: Death By Audio Arcade X Dreamhouse II. Here's a rather mysterious image that appeared on the FB event page, and which was utilized in my promotional push...

... Did it work? You’ll have to find out in my part 2 of my Attract Mode X Tumblr: May 2018 recap! Due tomorrow. Maybe.

[recentanimenews]

Every Ending Theme in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Ranked!

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure has always been deeply tied to music, with many characters and Stand names being derived from various musicians, song titles, and bands, so it comes as no surprise that the ending and opening songs of JoJo’s need to be meticulously chosen and crafted to match the themes of the JoJo chapters they’re attached to. Danni already did a great job ranking the opening themes, and you can read about that over here  if you like, but today we’ll be looking at the various ending themes and trying to come up with the answer as to which one is the absolute best! Before we get into the individual songs and where they stand in the ranking, I wanted to discuss how I'm going to take a look at each one. I'll be ranking them based on suitability to their JoJo series, overall listenability, and their ability to evoke specific ideas and themes from the show itself.  

      Before we get started, I figured it’s only fair to give an honorable mention to the following songs: "Great Days UNITS" version, along with the "Akuyaku◇Concerto ~Oingo & Boingo~" and "Akuyaku◇Concerto ~Hol Horse & Boingo~" songs. "Great Days UNITS" was an amazing way to end the Diamond is Unbreakable part of the series, but since it is also the opening theme for the latter half of the series as well, it really doesn’t fit into a listing of only ending songs. The two Akuyaku Concerto songs are amazing and definitely worth a listen, but they’re really specifically dependent on those 3 episodes of Stardust Crusaders and don’t have much, if any, bearing on the rest of the series at all. While I love these, it didn’t seem fair to include them in the regular ranking, as they’d just be in the bottom anyway, so I wanted to give them a little attention here and then move on to the real list!  

5) "Walk Like an Egyptian" by The Bangles

Coming in last on the list is The Bangles’s “Walk Like an Egyptian”.  The catchy 1986 pop tune has been a hit on pop and now throwback radio stations since it came out, and the song was highly popular when it came out, hitting the top spots of the Hot 100 in the US, as well as putting out high rankings on UK and US singles charts when released. The album it came from, Different Light, had another hit in “Manic Monday”, which helped secure the band a number 2 spot on the Billboard 200.

The song itself seems to fit into the overall idea of the first half of Stardust Crusaders, in which Jotaro and company are literally trying to reach Egypt, but doesn’t have quite as much of a connection to the themes or mood of the episodes aside from that, as some other songs do. While this choice was a fun one for the series, it doesn’t seem to have as strong of a connection as later ending songs do, and doesn’t quite evoke a sense of excitement in hearing it play as an episode ends, and doesn’t have as clean of a lead in as other songs do either. Although it’s a great bop to nod your head to, there isn’t much else here to it, and the song itself floats a bit more on its popularity and notoriety as a popular song than it does on any other type of connection to JoJo or Hirohiko Araki, although you could possibly argue that the “Walk like an Egyptian” dance in the music video occasionally makes people pose like a JoJo character!  

4) "Freek'n You" by Jodeci

Number four on the list is Golden Wind’s choice of “Freek’n You” by Jodeci. This choice caused quite an uproar amongst Western fans when it was revealed, as many had initially believed Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” would have been a more fitting choice. Frankly, the content of “Gangsta’s Paradise” doesn’t fit with the series at all, being a somewhat sombre rap ballad about the danger and darkness of living in a proverbial gangsta’s paradise. Instead, the Golden Wind anime features a particularly sensual version of Italian mafia aesthetics, particularly in the Bucciarati group, making the smash hit R&B song a much better selection.

Part 5 breaks from the JoJo norm in a few ways, featuring characters that are less physically threatening, as well as more unique and odd Stand powers, such as Pesci’s deceptively dangerous Fisher Man. I've mentioned before a few reasons why Jodeci and JoJo are a great match, and the R&B group are just as unique and important to music as JoJo is to anime and manga. With that said, you might ask why it seems to be so low on my list, but with only five songs to choose from, it’s less a judgement of quality and more about which seems to match with its particular series best; in that case, Jodeci’s song is a good fit, but a few others really edge it out of my top spots.

  3) "I Want You" by Savage Garden

    The final three slots of my list are pretty close, with each one edging the other out by just a little bit! Third place goes to Savage Garden’s “I Want You”, the 1996 pop-hit that finds a perfect home as a compliment to the 90s aesthetics of Diamond is Unbreakable. Like the other songs in my top three, I felt that this one really meshed with the designs and ideas of Part 4, and it seems that Araki agrees! On his website, Araki wrote that he felt that the song’s unique style and touch of progressive music styles really meshed with his ideas for Part 4.

  I have to say that Araki is 100% right here, as the slow, rhythmic start to the song gives way to a rising change that mixes somewhat soothing beats into a more energetic song is a great fit for Diamond is Unbreakable, which tends to move between small, close comedy scenes and dramatic murder mystery. “I Want You” loses out a bit to the last two songs on my list, mostly due to their overarching thematics to the stories they’re attached to, but this one certainly deserves to be in the top 3 spot due to how fitting it seems to be for Josuke and the gang.

  2) "Last Train Home" by the Pat Metheny Group

    In another world, this choice might have been my controversial top spot, but “Last Train Home” by the Pat Metheny Group certainly takes an easy silver here as our number 2 ending song. While “Walk Like an Egyptian” is a somewhat fun and upbeat song, “Last Train Home” kicks off the second half of Stadust Crusaders with a melancholic jazz melody. For us, this song takes the cake over quite a few others due to the way the song’s melodic theme matches the grim realization of Part 3’s impending end, and is one of the best endings to mix the audio with important visual cues, such as certain characters being positioned in certain ways (across the river, facing away, number of tickets, etc.) foreshadowing the tragic fact that not everyone will make it back alive after facing DIO.

Perhaps even more interesting is the fact that Araki considered the album As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls by Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays to be particularly important to developing Steel Ball Run, Part 7 of the JoJo series, giving this song an even stronger link to the JoJo universe than it might originally seem. The Jazz fusion themes of the song help give it a particularly unique sound and style, making it individually memorable for a song that didn’t have much radio play compared to some of the other selections. Ironically, it shares something in common with my number 1 selection, in the sense that the song is about 5 times longer on its own than it is during the ending sequence of the show.

1) "Roundabout" by Yes

It’s pretty obvious what my last choice is, so without further ado, the number 1 ending song in JoJo is: “Roundabout” by Yes! It likely doesn’t come as much of a surprise that it ended up here, but I'll talk through my selection process. First of all, it’s the only song to accompany two parts of the JoJo series, both Phantom Blood and Battle Tendency, but Araki considered the song one of the influential pieces for his writing process during the beginnings of the manga, and it's a song Araki requested be used in the anime itself. The sound director, Yoshikazu Iwakami, was the one who noticed that the song fit so well with the closing scenes of episode 6, and worked to make it blend into the ending of each episode following it. As numerous memes have since made use of, the classic guitar lead in of the song giving way to the ‘to be continued’ arrow and then the ending sequence became one of the hallmarks of the first parts of the JoJo’s anime.

But I knew why the song would probably get to #1 and why it fits so well, so instead, let's talk about the song itself and what it has in common with JoJo’s. Many of the songs chosen after it were chosen for the fitting musical period and style of the era that the story takes place in, but “Roundabout” ironically doesn’t fit this mold; Part 1 is far too archaic for the song to have existed, and Part 2 is too early for the song as well, with Yes publishing the song in 1972. The link is established more by Araki’s stated influence of the song on his work, and the progressive rock stylings of Yes, that lends to the way JoJo operates as a whole. Progressive rock (or “prog rock") is a style of music that isn’t focused on progressive politics, but “progressing” music by being highly experimental, drawing upon various types of other musical styles, unusual instrument choices, song lengths, and almost any other experimental type of idea that could influence the songs.

Groups like The Beatles, Yes, Pink Floyd, the Grateful Dead, and the Beach Boys were all highly influential prog rock bands, mixing technology and art theories into music which had, to that point, been somewhat simplistic and unchanging. When compared to Araki’s work on JoJo, it is easy to see the connection between progressive rock music and Araki’s unique, flowing art style and aesthetics, the combination of various types of pop-culture into a single title, and even his focus on using musically themed names in his work. While it doesn’t share the innate, timely connection to its parts like other songs, there’s no JoJo song that fits better, and better expresses the concepts of JoJo’s, than “Roundabout!”

And there you have it! As I keep watching Part 5 (and the hopeful continuation into Parts 6, 7, and 8), we’ll see if any new ending songs come out to challenge our list. Maybe in a few years, we can revist this list and see if any song was capable of dethroning “Roundabout!” Until then, I’ll keep rocking that JoJo ending playlist and enjoying the vast and different musical styles that Araki and Lucky Land have graced us with in-between waiting for new JoJo episodes!

  Do you agree with my list? What’s your favorite JoJo ending song? Let us know in the comments!

----

Nicole is a features and a social video script writer for Crunchyroll. Known for punching dudes in Yakuza games on her Twitch channel while professing her love for Majima. She also has a blog, Figuratively Speaking. Follow her on Twitter: @ellyberries

  Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[addictionfreedom]

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2017 Infiniti QX30 S Four Seasons Wrap-Up

Asking us why we chose to add an Infiniti QX30 S to our Four Seasons fleet is a lot like asking someone why they got a tattoo when they were drunk. Although the details are fuzzy now, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Unlike the tattoo, however, we’ll never regret adding the Infiniti to our long-term test stable.

The QX30 was an intriguing and somewhat controversial vehicle when it first debuted, and it piqued our interest immediately. More of a big hatchback than a (sub)compact crossover, it’s also a close relative of the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class—a German-Japanese mashup that led to more than a few scratched heads. Although they share plenty of genetic traits, one thing was evident from the outset: The Infiniti won the beauty contest.

Indeed, the QX30’s exterior styling found plenty of fans from the day it rolled into our parking garage. Associate editor Conner Golden preached the Infiniti’s gospel early.

“Forget compact crossover, this thing is the size of a Focus, and it’s gratifying to drive a compact luxury hatchback,” he wrote in the first logbook entry. “We don’t get cars like this on our shores very often—or at least we didn’t used to—so it still feels intrinsically special. Infiniti has come a long way with its design language, and I think the QX30 is one of its best. I like the proportions and the star-spoke wheel design.”

Senior editor Nelson Ireson chimed in, “I love the look of this car. That’s all the more impressive because it’s a crossover—and I hate crossovers.”

Augmenting the QX30’s slick and sharp looks was its unusual Liquid Copper hue, which attracted attention wherever we went. “People stop and look at the car and admire the way the paint seems to change with natural sunlight,” wrote graphic designer Michael Cruz-Garcia. Golden added, “The Liquid Copper paint is one of the most interesting and polarizing hues I’ve seen. Some say pink, I say rose gold. I like it.”

The praise continued for the QX30’s interior layout. “Given the combination of Infiniti and Benz bits, it could have been a disaster,” wrote editor-in-chief Mike Floyd. “But they took the best of both and mixed it into a cohesive whole.” Cruz-Garcia expressed similar sentiments. “The mix of smooth finished metals with high-quality plastics adds a touch of luxury that reflects the interior of a Mercedes,” he wrote. “Sturdy and comfortable leather seats put you at ease when driving long distances.” Other staffers felt it was a good idea that Infiniti installed its own infotainment setup instead of the Mercedes COMAND system, and Infiniti’s standard AroundView 360-degree monitor was cited as a top-notch feature.

The Infiniti QX30 is a German-Japanese mashup, but in terms of build quality, it leans to the East. Aside from routine maintenance, we never needed to return to the dealership.

However, both Floyd and Cruz-Garcia took issue with the cabin’s overall space, one of the traditional selling points of a crossover. “Despite the pronouncements that this is some sort of crossover, it’s a hatchback, plain and simple,” Floyd said. “It’s smaller inside than your average compact sedan, and its swoopy lines are a major drawback for rear-seat passengers in the form of a claustrophobic feel.” Cruz-Garcia agreed: “The back seats can use a bit more room to accommodate three people comfortably. There really isn’t any room once a child seat is added in there.” In addition to the rear-seat passenger issues, cargo capacity is small for the segment at 19.2 cubic feet with the second-row seats up and just 34.0 with the 60/40 setup down.

Out on Los Angeles streets (the Infiniti also made forays into Arizona and Nevada during its stay) we found the QX30’s ride and handling satisfying, thanks in large part to its MacPherson front, multilink rear suspension setup and 19-inch tire and wheel package. “The more I drive the QX30, the more I like it,” Floyd said. “It’s nimble and drives like a car, which it basically is, with a well-balanced, on-center steering feel.”

Ireson, as usual, waxed poetic: “Wielded with impatient severity, the QX30 dances with nimble grace through the lethargic, texting hordes of L.A. traffic.” Online editor Ed Tahaney was of two minds about it, however: “The QX30 feels pretty good on the highway, but it’s a bit of a slug around town.”

Although we’re sure Infiniti would prefer we ignore the QX30’s German lineage, we couldn’t help but delve deeper into the differences (and similarities) between the two cars. That said, most of us saw the partnership as a good thing on balance.

“While driving it around, I’d think, ‘Wow! This is the best-driving Infiniti they make,’ before realizing that I’m enjoying the fruits of the Mercedes-Infiniti partnership,” Golden said. “I wasn’t the biggest fan of the GLA, but with the Infiniti badge, I think it works. It’s much more in line with the Japanese luxury brand than with Benz, and it fits Infiniti’s lineup perfectly.”

“Wielded with impatient severity, the QX30 dances with grace through the lethargic, texting hordes of L.A. traffic.”

In order to get a better feel for how closely related the two really are, we devoted an entire online piece to a comparison between the QX and the Benz. While the QX30 deploys the same 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 as the Mercedes, with the same 208 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, the biggest difference we noticed was with each car’s transmission tuning. Both use the same seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, but several staffers took issue with how Infiniti set up its version of the hardware—at least on the 2017 model we tested.

“The transmission makes low-speed driving, and especially traffic, miserable,” associate editor Billy Rehbock said. Floyd advised to “make sure you’re in Sport mode, as the gearbox is slow on pickup in regular Eco mode.” Cruz-Garcia echoed the team’s sentiments. “The transmission isn’t the smoothest in the first couple of gears,” he said.

This hatchback shares its powertrain with Mercedes’ GLA, but the Benz’s trans- mission tuning is better, with the QX30 upshifting too clunkily at low speeds. Our fix: Drive in Sport mode.

Another complaint: The start/stop feature. “Man, I hate start/stop,” Floyd said. “I wish there were a way to shut it off permanently.” Even those who didn’t share the editor-in-chief’s degree of dislike saw a problem. “It always turns off right as I’m about to start moving, causing a slight delay while the engine turns back on,” noted recently departed (to a new career) senior editor Kirill Ougarov. Executive editor Mac Morrison condemned start/stop in general, noting, “I’ve given up trying to understand the logic of so many of these start/stop systems and when they choose to turn a car off. Sometimes they do it at every stop, sometimes they seem to forget to do it, and sometimes, even when I hit the switch to deactivate the function, I still find it kicking in every once in a while for no apparent rhyme or reason.”

Enough about what we liked and didn’t: How did the QX30 hold up during its stay? Although its temperature gauge would occasionally climb when we worked the car hard, drawing some notice among our editors, it never hit the red. (We noted similar behavior in other QX30s and GLAs we drove.) Our overall recorded average fuel economy was decent by small crossover standards—22.5 mpg—but that was far below the 27-mpg EPA combined number. (Even with our lead-foot tendencies, that’s quite a bit off.) The 14.8-gallon fuel tank made it hard to go more than 300 miles between fill-ups.

A slight misreading of the owner’s manual led us to South Bay Infiniti at 5,395 miles for our first (and, it turned out, only) service appointment. In fact, the QX30 is meant to cover 10,000 miles between oil changes (yes, even before the first one), or possibly longer—like many new cars, it can calculate oil change intervals based on how the car is driven. Rather than correct us, the dealership happily changed the oil, rotated the tires, topped off the fluids, and billed us $93.97. After that we kept our eye on the maintenance minder, which did not request service for the rest of the QX30’s stay. Lesson learned: Read the manual. Carefully.

Two days later, we got an alert from the Infiniti’s tire pressure monitoring system, and a trip to American Tire Depot found a nail in one of the rear paws. The flat repair was free, but rebalancing the tire cost us a cool $15. And that was it—our only unscheduled repair.

At the end of Four Seasons, the QX30 left our fleet well liked, if not loved. “It wouldn’t be a bad car to live with by any means,” Rehbock said. Others went as far as to call the compact Infiniti the marque’s best car. “All in all, it’s a car that sells itself, even if I’m not the target buyer,” Ireson said. To be sure, this Infiniti is far, far better than a drunken tattoo—unless of course that tattoo is of, say, a QX30.

Our 2017 Infiniti QX30 S

AS-TESTED PRICE $43,695

ENGINE 2.0L turbo DOHC 16-valve I-4/208 hp @ 5,500 rpm, 258 lb-ft @ 1,200-4,000 rpm

TRANSMISSION 7-speed dual-clutch automatic

LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, FWD crossover

EPA MILEAGE 24/33/27 mpg (city/hwy/combined)

L x W x H 174.2 x 82.0 x 58.1 in

WHEELBASE 106.3 in

WEIGHT 3,364 lb

0-60 MPH 6.2 sec

TOP SPEED N/A

OUR CAR

ODOMETER START/END 698/13,652

GALLONS OF FUEL USED 574.97 gal

OBSERVED FUEL ECON 22.5 mpg

TOTAL FUEL COST $1,862.90

AVERAGE COST/GALLON $3.24

MAINTENANCE 1 x Oil change/tire rotation, $93.97

RECALLS AND TSBs None

OUT OF POCKET Tire plug and rebalance, $15.00

OUR OPTIONS Liquid Copper paint, $500; Sport Leather package, $1,500 (heated Nappa leather seats, Nappa leather stitched dash insert, front passenger seat storage, black dinamica headliner and A-pillar, leatherette door, console, and dash trim); Sport Technology package, $1,200 (blind-spot warning, lane departure warning, forward emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beams); Sport LED package, $1,000 (LED headlights, active front lighting, enhanced interior ambient lighting)

[jonathanbelloblog]

2017 Infiniti QX30 S Four Seasons Wrap-Up

Asking us why we chose to add an Infiniti QX30 S to our Four Seasons fleet is a lot like asking someone why they got a tattoo when they were drunk. Although the details are fuzzy now, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Unlike the tattoo, however, we’ll never regret adding the Infiniti to our long-term test stable.

The QX30 was an intriguing and somewhat controversial vehicle when it first debuted, and it piqued our interest immediately. More of a big hatchback than a (sub)compact crossover, it’s also a close relative of the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class—a German-Japanese mashup that led to more than a few scratched heads. Although they share plenty of genetic traits, one thing was evident from the outset: The Infiniti won the beauty contest.

Indeed, the QX30’s exterior styling found plenty of fans from the day it rolled into our parking garage. Associate editor Conner Golden preached the Infiniti’s gospel early.

“Forget compact crossover, this thing is the size of a Focus, and it’s gratifying to drive a compact luxury hatchback,” he wrote in the first logbook entry. “We don’t get cars like this on our shores very often—or at least we didn’t used to—so it still feels intrinsically special. Infiniti has come a long way with its design language, and I think the QX30 is one of its best. I like the proportions and the star-spoke wheel design.”

Senior editor Nelson Ireson chimed in, “I love the look of this car. That’s all the more impressive because it’s a crossover—and I hate crossovers.”

Augmenting the QX30’s slick and sharp looks was its unusual Liquid Copper hue, which attracted attention wherever we went. “People stop and look at the car and admire the way the paint seems to change with natural sunlight,” wrote graphic designer Michael Cruz-Garcia. Golden added, “The Liquid Copper paint is one of the most interesting and polarizing hues I’ve seen. Some say pink, I say rose gold. I like it.”

The praise continued for the QX30’s interior layout. “Given the combination of Infiniti and Benz bits, it could have been a disaster,” wrote editor-in-chief Mike Floyd. “But they took the best of both and mixed it into a cohesive whole.” Cruz-Garcia expressed similar sentiments. “The mix of smooth finished metals with high-quality plastics adds a touch of luxury that reflects the interior of a Mercedes,” he wrote. “Sturdy and comfortable leather seats put you at ease when driving long distances.” Other staffers felt it was a good idea that Infiniti installed its own infotainment setup instead of the Mercedes COMAND system, and Infiniti’s standard AroundView 360-degree monitor was cited as a top-notch feature.

The Infiniti QX30 is a German-Japanese mashup, but in terms of build quality, it leans to the East. Aside from routine maintenance, we never needed to return to the dealership.

However, both Floyd and Cruz-Garcia took issue with the cabin’s overall space, one of the traditional selling points of a crossover. “Despite the pronouncements that this is some sort of crossover, it’s a hatchback, plain and simple,” Floyd said. “It’s smaller inside than your average compact sedan, and its swoopy lines are a major drawback for rear-seat passengers in the form of a claustrophobic feel.” Cruz-Garcia agreed: “The back seats can use a bit more room to accommodate three people comfortably. There really isn’t any room once a child seat is added in there.” In addition to the rear-seat passenger issues, cargo capacity is small for the segment at 19.2 cubic feet with the second-row seats up and just 34.0 with the 60/40 setup down.

Out on Los Angeles streets (the Infiniti also made forays into Arizona and Nevada during its stay) we found the QX30’s ride and handling satisfying, thanks in large part to its MacPherson front, multilink rear suspension setup and 19-inch tire and wheel package. “The more I drive the QX30, the more I like it,” Floyd said. “It’s nimble and drives like a car, which it basically is, with a well-balanced, on-center steering feel.”

Ireson, as usual, waxed poetic: “Wielded with impatient severity, the QX30 dances with nimble grace through the lethargic, texting hordes of L.A. traffic.” Online editor Ed Tahaney was of two minds about it, however: “The QX30 feels pretty good on the highway, but it’s a bit of a slug around town.”

Although we’re sure Infiniti would prefer we ignore the QX30’s German lineage, we couldn’t help but delve deeper into the differences (and similarities) between the two cars. That said, most of us saw the partnership as a good thing on balance.

“While driving it around, I’d think, ‘Wow! This is the best-driving Infiniti they make,’ before realizing that I’m enjoying the fruits of the Mercedes-Infiniti partnership,” Golden said. “I wasn’t the biggest fan of the GLA, but with the Infiniti badge, I think it works. It’s much more in line with the Japanese luxury brand than with Benz, and it fits Infiniti’s lineup perfectly.”

“Wielded with impatient severity, the QX30 dances with grace through the lethargic, texting hordes of L.A. traffic.”

In order to get a better feel for how closely related the two really are, we devoted an entire online piece to a comparison between the QX and the Benz. While the QX30 deploys the same 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 as the Mercedes, with the same 208 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, the biggest difference we noticed was with each car’s transmission tuning. Both use the same seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, but several staffers took issue with how Infiniti set up its version of the hardware—at least on the 2017 model we tested.

“The transmission makes low-speed driving, and especially traffic, miserable,” associate editor Billy Rehbock said. Floyd advised to “make sure you’re in Sport mode, as the gearbox is slow on pickup in regular Eco mode.” Cruz-Garcia echoed the team’s sentiments. “The transmission isn’t the smoothest in the first couple of gears,” he said.

This hatchback shares its powertrain with Mercedes’ GLA, but the Benz’s trans- mission tuning is better, with the QX30 upshifting too clunkily at low speeds. Our fix: Drive in Sport mode.

Another complaint: The start/stop feature. “Man, I hate start/stop,” Floyd said. “I wish there were a way to shut it off permanently.” Even those who didn’t share the editor-in-chief’s degree of dislike saw a problem. “It always turns off right as I’m about to start moving, causing a slight delay while the engine turns back on,” noted recently departed (to a new career) senior editor Kirill Ougarov. Executive editor Mac Morrison condemned start/stop in general, noting, “I’ve given up trying to understand the logic of so many of these start/stop systems and when they choose to turn a car off. Sometimes they do it at every stop, sometimes they seem to forget to do it, and sometimes, even when I hit the switch to deactivate the function, I still find it kicking in every once in a while for no apparent rhyme or reason.”

Enough about what we liked and didn’t: How did the QX30 hold up during its stay? Although its temperature gauge would occasionally climb when we worked the car hard, drawing some notice among our editors, it never hit the red. (We noted similar behavior in other QX30s and GLAs we drove.) Our overall recorded average fuel economy was decent by small crossover standards—22.5 mpg—but that was far below the 27-mpg EPA combined number. (Even with our lead-foot tendencies, that’s quite a bit off.) The 14.8-gallon fuel tank made it hard to go more than 300 miles between fill-ups.

A slight misreading of the owner’s manual led us to South Bay Infiniti at 5,395 miles for our first (and, it turned out, only) service appointment. In fact, the QX30 is meant to cover 10,000 miles between oil changes (yes, even before the first one), or possibly longer—like many new cars, it can calculate oil change intervals based on how the car is driven. Rather than correct us, the dealership happily changed the oil, rotated the tires, topped off the fluids, and billed us $93.97. After that we kept our eye on the maintenance minder, which did not request service for the rest of the QX30’s stay. Lesson learned: Read the manual. Carefully.

Two days later, we got an alert from the Infiniti’s tire pressure monitoring system, and a trip to American Tire Depot found a nail in one of the rear paws. The flat repair was free, but rebalancing the tire cost us a cool $15. And that was it—our only unscheduled repair.

At the end of Four Seasons, the QX30 left our fleet well liked, if not loved. “It wouldn’t be a bad car to live with by any means,” Rehbock said. Others went as far as to call the compact Infiniti the marque’s best car. “All in all, it’s a car that sells itself, even if I’m not the target buyer,” Ireson said. To be sure, this Infiniti is far, far better than a drunken tattoo—unless of course that tattoo is of, say, a QX30.

Our 2017 Infiniti QX30 S

AS-TESTED PRICE $43,695

ENGINE 2.0L turbo DOHC 16-valve I-4/208 hp @ 5,500 rpm, 258 lb-ft @ 1,200-4,000 rpm

TRANSMISSION 7-speed dual-clutch automatic

LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, FWD crossover

EPA MILEAGE 24/33/27 mpg (city/hwy/combined)

L x W x H 174.2 x 82.0 x 58.1 in

WHEELBASE 106.3 in

WEIGHT 3,364 lb

0-60 MPH 6.2 sec

TOP SPEED N/A

OUR CAR

ODOMETER START/END 698/13,652

GALLONS OF FUEL USED 574.97 gal

OBSERVED FUEL ECON 22.5 mpg

TOTAL FUEL COST $1,862.90

AVERAGE COST/GALLON $3.24

MAINTENANCE 1 x Oil change/tire rotation, $93.97

RECALLS AND TSBs None

OUT OF POCKET Tire plug and rebalance, $15.00

OUR OPTIONS Liquid Copper paint, $500; Sport Leather package, $1,500 (heated Nappa leather seats, Nappa leather stitched dash insert, front passenger seat storage, black dinamica headliner and A-pillar, leatherette door, console, and dash trim); Sport Technology package, $1,200 (blind-spot warning, lane departure warning, forward emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beams); Sport LED package, $1,000 (LED headlights, active front lighting, enhanced interior ambient lighting)

[jesusvasser]

2017 Infiniti QX30 S Four Seasons Wrap-Up

Asking us why we chose to add an Infiniti QX30 S to our Four Seasons fleet is a lot like asking someone why they got a tattoo when they were drunk. Although the details are fuzzy now, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Unlike the tattoo, however, we’ll never regret adding the Infiniti to our long-term test stable.

The QX30 was an intriguing and somewhat controversial vehicle when it first debuted, and it piqued our interest immediately. More of a big hatchback than a (sub)compact crossover, it’s also a close relative of the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class—a German-Japanese mashup that led to more than a few scratched heads. Although they share plenty of genetic traits, one thing was evident from the outset: The Infiniti won the beauty contest.

Indeed, the QX30’s exterior styling found plenty of fans from the day it rolled into our parking garage. Associate editor Conner Golden preached the Infiniti’s gospel early.

“Forget compact crossover, this thing is the size of a Focus, and it’s gratifying to drive a compact luxury hatchback,” he wrote in the first logbook entry. “We don’t get cars like this on our shores very often—or at least we didn’t used to—so it still feels intrinsically special. Infiniti has come a long way with its design language, and I think the QX30 is one of its best. I like the proportions and the star-spoke wheel design.”

Senior editor Nelson Ireson chimed in, “I love the look of this car. That’s all the more impressive because it’s a crossover—and I hate crossovers.”

Augmenting the QX30’s slick and sharp looks was its unusual Liquid Copper hue, which attracted attention wherever we went. “People stop and look at the car and admire the way the paint seems to change with natural sunlight,” wrote graphic designer Michael Cruz-Garcia. Golden added, “The Liquid Copper paint is one of the most interesting and polarizing hues I’ve seen. Some say pink, I say rose gold. I like it.”

The praise continued for the QX30’s interior layout. “Given the combination of Infiniti and Benz bits, it could have been a disaster,” wrote editor-in-chief Mike Floyd. “But they took the best of both and mixed it into a cohesive whole.” Cruz-Garcia expressed similar sentiments. “The mix of smooth finished metals with high-quality plastics adds a touch of luxury that reflects the interior of a Mercedes,” he wrote. “Sturdy and comfortable leather seats put you at ease when driving long distances.” Other staffers felt it was a good idea that Infiniti installed its own infotainment setup instead of the Mercedes COMAND system, and Infiniti’s standard AroundView 360-degree monitor was cited as a top-notch feature.

The Infiniti QX30 is a German-Japanese mashup, but in terms of build quality, it leans to the East. Aside from routine maintenance, we never needed to return to the dealership.

However, both Floyd and Cruz-Garcia took issue with the cabin’s overall space, one of the traditional selling points of a crossover. “Despite the pronouncements that this is some sort of crossover, it’s a hatchback, plain and simple,” Floyd said. “It’s smaller inside than your average compact sedan, and its swoopy lines are a major drawback for rear-seat passengers in the form of a claustrophobic feel.” Cruz-Garcia agreed: “The back seats can use a bit more room to accommodate three people comfortably. There really isn’t any room once a child seat is added in there.” In addition to the rear-seat passenger issues, cargo capacity is small for the segment at 19.2 cubic feet with the second-row seats up and just 34.0 with the 60/40 setup down.

Out on Los Angeles streets (the Infiniti also made forays into Arizona and Nevada during its stay) we found the QX30’s ride and handling satisfying, thanks in large part to its MacPherson front, multilink rear suspension setup and 19-inch tire and wheel package. “The more I drive the QX30, the more I like it,” Floyd said. “It’s nimble and drives like a car, which it basically is, with a well-balanced, on-center steering feel.”

Ireson, as usual, waxed poetic: “Wielded with impatient severity, the QX30 dances with nimble grace through the lethargic, texting hordes of L.A. traffic.” Online editor Ed Tahaney was of two minds about it, however: “The QX30 feels pretty good on the highway, but it’s a bit of a slug around town.”

Although we’re sure Infiniti would prefer we ignore the QX30’s German lineage, we couldn’t help but delve deeper into the differences (and similarities) between the two cars. That said, most of us saw the partnership as a good thing on balance.

“While driving it around, I’d think, ‘Wow! This is the best-driving Infiniti they make,’ before realizing that I’m enjoying the fruits of the Mercedes-Infiniti partnership,” Golden said. “I wasn’t the biggest fan of the GLA, but with the Infiniti badge, I think it works. It’s much more in line with the Japanese luxury brand than with Benz, and it fits Infiniti’s lineup perfectly.”

“Wielded with impatient severity, the QX30 dances with grace through the lethargic, texting hordes of L.A. traffic.”

In order to get a better feel for how closely related the two really are, we devoted an entire online piece to a comparison between the QX and the Benz. While the QX30 deploys the same 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 as the Mercedes, with the same 208 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, the biggest difference we noticed was with each car’s transmission tuning. Both use the same seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, but several staffers took issue with how Infiniti set up its version of the hardware—at least on the 2017 model we tested.

“The transmission makes low-speed driving, and especially traffic, miserable,” associate editor Billy Rehbock said. Floyd advised to “make sure you’re in Sport mode, as the gearbox is slow on pickup in regular Eco mode.” Cruz-Garcia echoed the team’s sentiments. “The transmission isn’t the smoothest in the first couple of gears,” he said.

This hatchback shares its powertrain with Mercedes’ GLA, but the Benz’s trans- mission tuning is better, with the QX30 upshifting too clunkily at low speeds. Our fix: Drive in Sport mode.

Another complaint: The start/stop feature. “Man, I hate start/stop,” Floyd said. “I wish there were a way to shut it off permanently.” Even those who didn’t share the editor-in-chief’s degree of dislike saw a problem. “It always turns off right as I’m about to start moving, causing a slight delay while the engine turns back on,” noted recently departed (to a new career) senior editor Kirill Ougarov. Executive editor Mac Morrison condemned start/stop in general, noting, “I’ve given up trying to understand the logic of so many of these start/stop systems and when they choose to turn a car off. Sometimes they do it at every stop, sometimes they seem to forget to do it, and sometimes, even when I hit the switch to deactivate the function, I still find it kicking in every once in a while for no apparent rhyme or reason.”

Enough about what we liked and didn’t: How did the QX30 hold up during its stay? Although its temperature gauge would occasionally climb when we worked the car hard, drawing some notice among our editors, it never hit the red. (We noted similar behavior in other QX30s and GLAs we drove.) Our overall recorded average fuel economy was decent by small crossover standards—22.5 mpg—but that was far below the 27-mpg EPA combined number. (Even with our lead-foot tendencies, that’s quite a bit off.) The 14.8-gallon fuel tank made it hard to go more than 300 miles between fill-ups.

A slight misreading of the owner’s manual led us to South Bay Infiniti at 5,395 miles for our first (and, it turned out, only) service appointment. In fact, the QX30 is meant to cover 10,000 miles between oil changes (yes, even before the first one), or possibly longer—like many new cars, it can calculate oil change intervals based on how the car is driven. Rather than correct us, the dealership happily changed the oil, rotated the tires, topped off the fluids, and billed us $93.97. After that we kept our eye on the maintenance minder, which did not request service for the rest of the QX30’s stay. Lesson learned: Read the manual. Carefully.

Two days later, we got an alert from the Infiniti’s tire pressure monitoring system, and a trip to American Tire Depot found a nail in one of the rear paws. The flat repair was free, but rebalancing the tire cost us a cool $15. And that was it—our only unscheduled repair.

At the end of Four Seasons, the QX30 left our fleet well liked, if not loved. “It wouldn’t be a bad car to live with by any means,” Rehbock said. Others went as far as to call the compact Infiniti the marque’s best car. “All in all, it’s a car that sells itself, even if I’m not the target buyer,” Ireson said. To be sure, this Infiniti is far, far better than a drunken tattoo—unless of course that tattoo is of, say, a QX30.

Our 2017 Infiniti QX30 S

AS-TESTED PRICE $43,695

ENGINE 2.0L turbo DOHC 16-valve I-4/208 hp @ 5,500 rpm, 258 lb-ft @ 1,200-4,000 rpm

TRANSMISSION 7-speed dual-clutch automatic

LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, FWD crossover

EPA MILEAGE 24/33/27 mpg (city/hwy/combined)

L x W x H 174.2 x 82.0 x 58.1 in

WHEELBASE 106.3 in

WEIGHT 3,364 lb

0-60 MPH 6.2 sec

TOP SPEED N/A

OUR CAR

ODOMETER START/END 698/13,652

GALLONS OF FUEL USED 574.97 gal

OBSERVED FUEL ECON 22.5 mpg

TOTAL FUEL COST $1,862.90

AVERAGE COST/GALLON $3.24

MAINTENANCE 1 x Oil change/tire rotation, $93.97

RECALLS AND TSBs None

OUT OF POCKET Tire plug and rebalance, $15.00

OUR OPTIONS Liquid Copper paint, $500; Sport Leather package, $1,500 (heated Nappa leather seats, Nappa leather stitched dash insert, front passenger seat storage, black dinamica headliner and A-pillar, leatherette door, console, and dash trim); Sport Technology package, $1,200 (blind-spot warning, lane departure warning, forward emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beams); Sport LED package, $1,000 (LED headlights, active front lighting, enhanced interior ambient lighting)

[theseventhhex]

Haunt the Woods Interview

Haunt the Woods

Haunt the Woods are an exciting contemporary Folk band from the shires of Cornwall and the Rame Peninsula. The band have a new and unique sound incorporating an eclectic blend of traditional and contemporary folk influences, with beautiful melodies and spellbinding guitar. The unique and chilling vocals combined with 4 part vocal harmonies make the heartfelt and emotional lyrics extremely powerful. In addition, their live show really captures the energy and essence of the band’s love and passion for music and the true meticulous nature of their compositions… We talk to Alex Skinner about Cornish shire imagery, performing live and YouTube binging…

TSH: In the lead up to the line ‘The Line’, how did you feel about your songwriting evolving and the direction that you had in mind?

Alex: We don’t really put a huge amount of thought into the initial songwriting, it is very organic and although the lyrics are purely based upon personal experience, other than this initial inspiration, the songs just kind of write themselves if that makes any sense? We are more of a catalyst for the song rather than consciously sitting down and saying “right, today we are going to write a song and its going to be this structure and this long with this many verses and a solo here” – it doesn’t really work like that for us. However, we really feel our songwriting has progressed though on this record, I think our process has developed and Jon will take an initial idea to Phoenix and they will work on it together before we all jam it together and write our parts.

TSH: Does the band still gravitate to being inspired by the Cornish shire imagery?

Alex: It is pretty hard not to be inspired by your surroundings when growing up in such a beautiful part of the world! We have all lived here for the vast majority of our lives, and it’s definitely had an influence on our music and the imagery within and sound of our music. Its probably had a big effect on our personalities too – we’re all pretty chilled out!

TSH: What’s the studio dynamic like when you guys are crafting new music?

Alex: When we are in the studio, we have a laugh and we play around when the time is right, but we are all very focused and professional because we all want to get the absolute best sound for each track that we can. We often have a few beers in the evening and end up jamming new tunes and listening to music, and you can normally find Jon in the live room at some ridiculously early hour of the morning with a bottle of wine writing songs at the piano! All in all, the studio is one of our favourite places to be, and we have a very good dynamic when we work together!

TSH: Furthermore, with ‘Helter Skelter’, which part(s) required most focus as this track came together?

Alex: We record mostly live, and then do a few overdubs afterwards, so once we had the bare bones, which was the live take of the track, everything was already starting to come together. In ‘Helter Skelter’ Phoenix’s guitar is pretty complex at times but as well as this it really defines the sound of the track as well as Olly’s top work on the drums. Both the guitar and drums really make this track what it is so the most time was probably spent on these elements, making sure that the drums sounded huge and that Phoenix was achieving what he wanted with his guitar tone.

TSH: What does a track like ‘Lakehouse’ signify to you personally?

Alex: Too much to say really, sorry for this lame answer but no coherent words could possibly express what this song signifies. We would rather people hear the sounds and the lyrics and draw their own conclusions about what the songs mean to them individually and how it relates to their lives!

TSH: Is there a specific musical period/sound that inspires you?

Alex: I think we are all inspired by loads of different types of music rather than one particular sound or period of music. We all love Pink Floyd, and the psychedelic prog movement of the 60’s, but then on a musical level we are inspired by loads of other artists like Dry the River, Damien Rice, This Will Destroy You, Ben Howard, Half Moon Run, Jeff Buckley, there’s too many to name! On a social level we are massively inspired by artists like Bob Marley and The Beatles because of the social impact they had with their music. And then there’s Olly, who listens to Psychedelic, hand drum and woodwind based Middle Eastern electronic music!

TSH: Was there anything that you read, watched or heard the crept its way into your production for this EP?

Alex: In terms of artistic influences, I’m sure we all have influences that have crept into the songs without us realising. East of Eden by John Steinbeck and Asylum by Patrick Mcgrath are both amazing novels and Jonathan was reading these around the time we were doing the EP, so perhaps this literature crept in somewhere. We were also really fascinated by the terrible situations in North Korea and how the world is continually striving for peace but never finding it. This definitely informed the stock footage video that we put together for ‘Beautiful Catastrophe’.

TSH: How much are you looking forward to performing in a cave in Cornwall in May?

Alex: It is going to be rad, the most special gig we have done to date, and it’s almost sold out which is crazy! Playing to a packed cave full of people is going to be ace and we can’t wait, hopefully the audience will notice a step up in our set too, we have been working on loads of new tunes and we will be playing the tracks from our EP too.

TSH: What qualities do you bear in mind mostly with the band’s live offerings?

Alex: Our live show is the one area that we consciously put a huge amount of thought into. We are really pleased with how its progressed over the last couple of years, but we are a long way away from feeling it has reached what we are aiming for. We are really interested in the sound being as interesting and hard hitting as possible, and using visuals/videos in the background while we are playing to engage people and explore alternative/interesting meanings and depictions to the song. We always have the audience in mind when considering all of the aspects of our live show; we want it to be an interesting and engaging experience for them that they will really enjoy.

TSH: What brings about most happiness and laughter during your touring drives and travels?

Alex: Olly – our drummer! He is the biggest wind-up merchant you could ever meet, and Jonathan is the easiest person to wind-up in the world, so this can provide hours of entertainment for everyone. We love visiting different places, so we always try to spend as much time as we can walking around the cities that we go to and visiting all of the local city centres – it’s a big, fascinating world when you’re 4 Cornish hippies.

TSH: What gets heavy rotation on your YouTube binge watches?

Alex: It’s always changing really! Phoenix loves Pink Floyd, This Will Destroy You, Tesseract, Guthrie Govan, Low Roar and too many to name! He is also well into watching episodes of South Park! Anything Jeff Buckley, Nirvana, Bob Marley, John Mayer, John Lennon is always a definitely yes and we have recently discovered Alice Phoebe Lou who is an incredible artist. Jonathan seems to watch a lot of documentaries about the tragedy of North Korea at the moment for some reason and is also into old Charlie Chaplin movies! Alex is really into HMR, Alabama Shakes, The Paper Kites, Banfi, Fleet Foxes, Iron and Wine, Half Moon Run and he also regularly watches YouTube to learn how to do his super technical sound man things, he’s a bit of a genius when it comes to that kind of stuff. Olly is always showing us the most insane hand drumming, and silly parody songs too – which sounds funny but can get really annoying when you’re on tour. Olly is also really good at reading “The Lord of The Rings” in the style of the online audiobook – sounds crazy but he’s seriously good at it, especially all the voices.

TSH: What kind of diversity and variety do you look to embrace as Haunt the Woods progresses further?

Alex: We all feel we are only scratching the surface of our potential/ambitions as individual musicians and as a band, so we are really excited to see what future experiments result in. We will just continue experimenting and working hard to make music we love playing! We want to explore all areas of music, and don’t see ourselves as a band who is exclusively one genre. We are Haunt the Woods, and that Haunt the Woods will always mean 4 friends, having fun playing music together, that is purely about expression and raw emotion.

Haunt the Woods - “Beautiful Catastrophe”

The Line

[jesusvasser]

2017 Infiniti QX30 S Four Seasons Wrap-Up

Asking us why we chose to add an Infiniti QX30 S to our Four Seasons fleet is a lot like asking someone why they got a tattoo when they were drunk. Although the details are fuzzy now, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Unlike the tattoo, however, we’ll never regret adding the Infiniti to our long-term test stable.

The QX30 was an intriguing and somewhat controversial vehicle when it first debuted, and it piqued our interest immediately. More of a big hatchback than a (sub)compact crossover, it’s also a close relative of the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class—a German-Japanese mashup that led to more than a few scratched heads. Although they share plenty of genetic traits, one thing was evident from the outset: The Infiniti won the beauty contest.

Indeed, the QX30’s exterior styling found plenty of fans from the day it rolled into our parking garage. Associate editor Conner Golden preached the Infiniti’s gospel early.

“Forget compact crossover, this thing is the size of a Focus, and it’s gratifying to drive a compact luxury hatchback,” he wrote in the first logbook entry. “We don’t get cars like this on our shores very often—or at least we didn’t used to—so it still feels intrinsically special. Infiniti has come a long way with its design language, and I think the QX30 is one of its best. I like the proportions and the star-spoke wheel design.”

Senior editor Nelson Ireson chimed in, “I love the look of this car. That’s all the more impressive because it’s a crossover—and I hate crossovers.”

Augmenting the QX30’s slick and sharp looks was its unusual Liquid Copper hue, which attracted attention wherever we went. “People stop and look at the car and admire the way the paint seems to change with natural sunlight,” wrote graphic designer Michael Cruz-Garcia. Golden added, “The Liquid Copper paint is one of the most interesting and polarizing hues I’ve seen. Some say pink, I say rose gold. I like it.”

The praise continued for the QX30’s interior layout. “Given the combination of Infiniti and Benz bits, it could have been a disaster,” wrote editor-in-chief Mike Floyd. “But they took the best of both and mixed it into a cohesive whole.” Cruz-Garcia expressed similar sentiments. “The mix of smooth finished metals with high-quality plastics adds a touch of luxury that reflects the interior of a Mercedes,” he wrote. “Sturdy and comfortable leather seats put you at ease when driving long distances.” Other staffers felt it was a good idea that Infiniti installed its own infotainment setup instead of the Mercedes COMAND system, and Infiniti’s standard AroundView 360-degree monitor was cited as a top-notch feature.

The Infiniti QX30 is a German-Japanese mashup, but in terms of build quality, it leans to the East. Aside from routine maintenance, we never needed to return to the dealership.

However, both Floyd and Cruz-Garcia took issue with the cabin’s overall space, one of the traditional selling points of a crossover. “Despite the pronouncements that this is some sort of crossover, it’s a hatchback, plain and simple,” Floyd said. “It’s smaller inside than your average compact sedan, and its swoopy lines are a major drawback for rear-seat passengers in the form of a claustrophobic feel.” Cruz-Garcia agreed: “The back seats can use a bit more room to accommodate three people comfortably. There really isn’t any room once a child seat is added in there.” In addition to the rear-seat passenger issues, cargo capacity is small for the segment at 19.2 cubic feet with the second-row seats up and just 34.0 with the 60/40 setup down.

Out on Los Angeles streets (the Infiniti also made forays into Arizona and Nevada during its stay) we found the QX30’s ride and handling satisfying, thanks in large part to its MacPherson front, multilink rear suspension setup and 19-inch tire and wheel package. “The more I drive the QX30, the more I like it,” Floyd said. “It’s nimble and drives like a car, which it basically is, with a well-balanced, on-center steering feel.”

Ireson, as usual, waxed poetic: “Wielded with impatient severity, the QX30 dances with nimble grace through the lethargic, texting hordes of L.A. traffic.” Online editor Ed Tahaney was of two minds about it, however: “The QX30 feels pretty good on the highway, but it’s a bit of a slug around town.”

Although we’re sure Infiniti would prefer we ignore the QX30’s German lineage, we couldn’t help but delve deeper into the differences (and similarities) between the two cars. That said, most of us saw the partnership as a good thing on balance.

“While driving it around, I’d think, ‘Wow! This is the best-driving Infiniti they make,’ before realizing that I’m enjoying the fruits of the Mercedes-Infiniti partnership,” Golden said. “I wasn’t the biggest fan of the GLA, but with the Infiniti badge, I think it works. It’s much more in line with the Japanese luxury brand than with Benz, and it fits Infiniti’s lineup perfectly.”

“Wielded with impatient severity, the QX30 dances with grace through the lethargic, texting hordes of L.A. traffic.”

In order to get a better feel for how closely related the two really are, we devoted an entire online piece to a comparison between the QX and the Benz. While the QX30 deploys the same 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 as the Mercedes, with the same 208 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, the biggest difference we noticed was with each car’s transmission tuning. Both use the same seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, but several staffers took issue with how Infiniti set up its version of the hardware—at least on the 2017 model we tested.

“The transmission makes low-speed driving, and especially traffic, miserable,” associate editor Billy Rehbock said. Floyd advised to “make sure you’re in Sport mode, as the gearbox is slow on pickup in regular Eco mode.” Cruz-Garcia echoed the team’s sentiments. “The transmission isn’t the smoothest in the first couple of gears,” he said.

This hatchback shares its powertrain with Mercedes’ GLA, but the Benz’s trans- mission tuning is better, with the QX30 upshifting too clunkily at low speeds. Our fix: Drive in Sport mode.

Another complaint: The start/stop feature. “Man, I hate start/stop,” Floyd said. “I wish there were a way to shut it off permanently.” Even those who didn’t share the editor-in-chief’s degree of dislike saw a problem. “It always turns off right as I’m about to start moving, causing a slight delay while the engine turns back on,” noted recently departed (to a new career) senior editor Kirill Ougarov. Executive editor Mac Morrison condemned start/stop in general, noting, “I’ve given up trying to understand the logic of so many of these start/stop systems and when they choose to turn a car off. Sometimes they do it at every stop, sometimes they seem to forget to do it, and sometimes, even when I hit the switch to deactivate the function, I still find it kicking in every once in a while for no apparent rhyme or reason.”

Enough about what we liked and didn’t: How did the QX30 hold up during its stay? Although its temperature gauge would occasionally climb when we worked the car hard, drawing some notice among our editors, it never hit the red. (We noted similar behavior in other QX30s and GLAs we drove.) Our overall recorded average fuel economy was decent by small crossover standards—22.5 mpg—but that was far below the 27-mpg EPA combined number. (Even with our lead-foot tendencies, that’s quite a bit off.) The 14.8-gallon fuel tank made it hard to go more than 300 miles between fill-ups.

A slight misreading of the owner’s manual led us to South Bay Infiniti at 5,395 miles for our first (and, it turned out, only) service appointment. In fact, the QX30 is meant to cover 10,000 miles between oil changes (yes, even before the first one), or possibly longer—like many new cars, it can calculate oil change intervals based on how the car is driven. Rather than correct us, the dealership happily changed the oil, rotated the tires, topped off the fluids, and billed us $93.97. After that we kept our eye on the maintenance minder, which did not request service for the rest of the QX30’s stay. Lesson learned: Read the manual. Carefully.

Two days later, we got an alert from the Infiniti’s tire pressure monitoring system, and a trip to American Tire Depot found a nail in one of the rear paws. The flat repair was free, but rebalancing the tire cost us a cool $15. And that was it—our only unscheduled repair.

At the end of Four Seasons, the QX30 left our fleet well liked, if not loved. “It wouldn’t be a bad car to live with by any means,” Rehbock said. Others went as far as to call the compact Infiniti the marque’s best car. “All in all, it’s a car that sells itself, even if I’m not the target buyer,” Ireson said. To be sure, this Infiniti is far, far better than a drunken tattoo—unless of course that tattoo is of, say, a QX30.

Our 2017 Infiniti QX30 S

AS-TESTED PRICE $43,695

ENGINE 2.0L turbo DOHC 16-valve I-4/208 hp @ 5,500 rpm, 258 lb-ft @ 1,200-4,000 rpm

TRANSMISSION 7-speed dual-clutch automatic

LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, FWD crossover

EPA MILEAGE 24/33/27 mpg (city/hwy/combined)

L x W x H 174.2 x 82.0 x 58.1 in

WHEELBASE 106.3 in

WEIGHT 3,364 lb

0-60 MPH 6.2 sec

TOP SPEED N/A

OUR CAR

ODOMETER START/END 698/13,652

GALLONS OF FUEL USED 574.97 gal

OBSERVED FUEL ECON 22.5 mpg

TOTAL FUEL COST $1,862.90

AVERAGE COST/GALLON $3.24

MAINTENANCE 1 x Oil change/tire rotation, $93.97

RECALLS AND TSBs None

OUT OF POCKET Tire plug and rebalance, $15.00

OUR OPTIONS Liquid Copper paint, $500; Sport Leather package, $1,500 (heated Nappa leather seats, Nappa leather stitched dash insert, front passenger seat storage, black dinamica headliner and A-pillar, leatherette door, console, and dash trim); Sport Technology package, $1,200 (blind-spot warning, lane departure warning, forward emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beams); Sport LED package, $1,000 (LED headlights, active front lighting, enhanced interior ambient lighting)

[eddiejpoplar]

2017 Infiniti QX30 S Four Seasons Wrap-Up

Asking us why we chose to add an Infiniti QX30 S to our Four Seasons fleet is a lot like asking someone why they got a tattoo when they were drunk. Although the details are fuzzy now, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Unlike the tattoo, however, we’ll never regret adding the Infiniti to our long-term test stable.

The QX30 was an intriguing and somewhat controversial vehicle when it first debuted, and it piqued our interest immediately. More of a big hatchback than a (sub)compact crossover, it’s also a close relative of the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class—a German-Japanese mashup that led to more than a few scratched heads. Although they share plenty of genetic traits, one thing was evident from the outset: The Infiniti won the beauty contest.

Indeed, the QX30’s exterior styling found plenty of fans from the day it rolled into our parking garage. Associate editor Conner Golden preached the Infiniti’s gospel early.

“Forget compact crossover, this thing is the size of a Focus, and it’s gratifying to drive a compact luxury hatchback,” he wrote in the first logbook entry. “We don’t get cars like this on our shores very often—or at least we didn’t used to—so it still feels intrinsically special. Infiniti has come a long way with its design language, and I think the QX30 is one of its best. I like the proportions and the star-spoke wheel design.”

Senior editor Nelson Ireson chimed in, “I love the look of this car. That’s all the more impressive because it’s a crossover—and I hate crossovers.”

Augmenting the QX30’s slick and sharp looks was its unusual Liquid Copper hue, which attracted attention wherever we went. “People stop and look at the car and admire the way the paint seems to change with natural sunlight,” wrote graphic designer Michael Cruz-Garcia. Golden added, “The Liquid Copper paint is one of the most interesting and polarizing hues I’ve seen. Some say pink, I say rose gold. I like it.”

The praise continued for the QX30’s interior layout. “Given the combination of Infiniti and Benz bits, it could have been a disaster,” wrote editor-in-chief Mike Floyd. “But they took the best of both and mixed it into a cohesive whole.” Cruz-Garcia expressed similar sentiments. “The mix of smooth finished metals with high-quality plastics adds a touch of luxury that reflects the interior of a Mercedes,” he wrote. “Sturdy and comfortable leather seats put you at ease when driving long distances.” Other staffers felt it was a good idea that Infiniti installed its own infotainment setup instead of the Mercedes COMAND system, and Infiniti’s standard AroundView 360-degree monitor was cited as a top-notch feature.

The Infiniti QX30 is a German-Japanese mashup, but in terms of build quality, it leans to the East. Aside from routine maintenance, we never needed to return to the dealership.

However, both Floyd and Cruz-Garcia took issue with the cabin’s overall space, one of the traditional selling points of a crossover. “Despite the pronouncements that this is some sort of crossover, it’s a hatchback, plain and simple,” Floyd said. “It’s smaller inside than your average compact sedan, and its swoopy lines are a major drawback for rear-seat passengers in the form of a claustrophobic feel.” Cruz-Garcia agreed: “The back seats can use a bit more room to accommodate three people comfortably. There really isn’t any room once a child seat is added in there.” In addition to the rear-seat passenger issues, cargo capacity is small for the segment at 19.2 cubic feet with the second-row seats up and just 34.0 with the 60/40 setup down.

Out on Los Angeles streets (the Infiniti also made forays into Arizona and Nevada during its stay) we found the QX30’s ride and handling satisfying, thanks in large part to its MacPherson front, multilink rear suspension setup and 19-inch tire and wheel package. “The more I drive the QX30, the more I like it,” Floyd said. “It’s nimble and drives like a car, which it basically is, with a well-balanced, on-center steering feel.”

Ireson, as usual, waxed poetic: “Wielded with impatient severity, the QX30 dances with nimble grace through the lethargic, texting hordes of L.A. traffic.” Online editor Ed Tahaney was of two minds about it, however: “The QX30 feels pretty good on the highway, but it’s a bit of a slug around town.”

Although we’re sure Infiniti would prefer we ignore the QX30’s German lineage, we couldn’t help but delve deeper into the differences (and similarities) between the two cars. That said, most of us saw the partnership as a good thing on balance.

“While driving it around, I’d think, ‘Wow! This is the best-driving Infiniti they make,’ before realizing that I’m enjoying the fruits of the Mercedes-Infiniti partnership,” Golden said. “I wasn’t the biggest fan of the GLA, but with the Infiniti badge, I think it works. It’s much more in line with the Japanese luxury brand than with Benz, and it fits Infiniti’s lineup perfectly.”

“Wielded with impatient severity, the QX30 dances with grace through the lethargic, texting hordes of L.A. traffic.”

In order to get a better feel for how closely related the two really are, we devoted an entire online piece to a comparison between the QX and the Benz. While the QX30 deploys the same 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 as the Mercedes, with the same 208 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, the biggest difference we noticed was with each car’s transmission tuning. Both use the same seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, but several staffers took issue with how Infiniti set up its version of the hardware—at least on the 2017 model we tested.

“The transmission makes low-speed driving, and especially traffic, miserable,” associate editor Billy Rehbock said. Floyd advised to “make sure you’re in Sport mode, as the gearbox is slow on pickup in regular Eco mode.” Cruz-Garcia echoed the team’s sentiments. “The transmission isn’t the smoothest in the first couple of gears,” he said.

This hatchback shares its powertrain with Mercedes’ GLA, but the Benz’s trans- mission tuning is better, with the QX30 upshifting too clunkily at low speeds. Our fix: Drive in Sport mode.

Another complaint: The start/stop feature. “Man, I hate start/stop,” Floyd said. “I wish there were a way to shut it off permanently.” Even those who didn’t share the editor-in-chief’s degree of dislike saw a problem. “It always turns off right as I’m about to start moving, causing a slight delay while the engine turns back on,” noted recently departed (to a new career) senior editor Kirill Ougarov. Executive editor Mac Morrison condemned start/stop in general, noting, “I’ve given up trying to understand the logic of so many of these start/stop systems and when they choose to turn a car off. Sometimes they do it at every stop, sometimes they seem to forget to do it, and sometimes, even when I hit the switch to deactivate the function, I still find it kicking in every once in a while for no apparent rhyme or reason.”

Enough about what we liked and didn’t: How did the QX30 hold up during its stay? Although its temperature gauge would occasionally climb when we worked the car hard, drawing some notice among our editors, it never hit the red. (We noted similar behavior in other QX30s and GLAs we drove.) Our overall recorded average fuel economy was decent by small crossover standards—22.5 mpg—but that was far below the 27-mpg EPA combined number. (Even with our lead-foot tendencies, that’s quite a bit off.) The 14.8-gallon fuel tank made it hard to go more than 300 miles between fill-ups.

A slight misreading of the owner’s manual led us to South Bay Infiniti at 5,395 miles for our first (and, it turned out, only) service appointment. In fact, the QX30 is meant to cover 10,000 miles between oil changes (yes, even before the first one), or possibly longer—like many new cars, it can calculate oil change intervals based on how the car is driven. Rather than correct us, the dealership happily changed the oil, rotated the tires, topped off the fluids, and billed us $93.97. After that we kept our eye on the maintenance minder, which did not request service for the rest of the QX30’s stay. Lesson learned: Read the manual. Carefully.

Two days later, we got an alert from the Infiniti’s tire pressure monitoring system, and a trip to American Tire Depot found a nail in one of the rear paws. The flat repair was free, but rebalancing the tire cost us a cool $15. And that was it—our only unscheduled repair.

At the end of Four Seasons, the QX30 left our fleet well liked, if not loved. “It wouldn’t be a bad car to live with by any means,” Rehbock said. Others went as far as to call the compact Infiniti the marque’s best car. “All in all, it’s a car that sells itself, even if I’m not the target buyer,” Ireson said. To be sure, this Infiniti is far, far better than a drunken tattoo—unless of course that tattoo is of, say, a QX30.

Our 2017 Infiniti QX30 S

AS-TESTED PRICE $43,695

ENGINE 2.0L turbo DOHC 16-valve I-4/208 hp @ 5,500 rpm, 258 lb-ft @ 1,200-4,000 rpm

TRANSMISSION 7-speed dual-clutch automatic

LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, FWD crossover

EPA MILEAGE 24/33/27 mpg (city/hwy/combined)

L x W x H 174.2 x 82.0 x 58.1 in

WHEELBASE 106.3 in

WEIGHT 3,364 lb

0-60 MPH 6.2 sec

TOP SPEED N/A

OUR CAR

ODOMETER START/END 698/13,652

GALLONS OF FUEL USED 574.97 gal

OBSERVED FUEL ECON 22.5 mpg

TOTAL FUEL COST $1,862.90

AVERAGE COST/GALLON $3.24

MAINTENANCE 1 x Oil change/tire rotation, $93.97

RECALLS AND TSBs None

OUT OF POCKET Tire plug and rebalance, $15.00

OUR OPTIONS Liquid Copper paint, $500; Sport Leather package, $1,500 (heated Nappa leather seats, Nappa leather stitched dash insert, front passenger seat storage, black dinamica headliner and A-pillar, leatherette door, console, and dash trim); Sport Technology package, $1,200 (blind-spot warning, lane departure warning, forward emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beams); Sport LED package, $1,000 (LED headlights, active front lighting, enhanced interior ambient lighting)