#instead the Gospel lesson and preached for 40 seconds on the text

[buggie-hagen]

Sermon for Fifth Sunday after Pentecost (6/23/24)

Primary Text | Mark 4:35-41

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Dear People of God,

       We the people named St. James Lutheran Church do not exist on an island by ourselves. We exist in a great big boat. We do not own this boat. It is God’s boat. God calls his boat “My holy Christian and catholic church.” Much like Noah’s ark which saved him and his family from the flood—God uses his boat—named the church—to save people from destruction. You will find, on this boat, we are not alone. We have many brothers and sisters. Some here with us this morning. Some far away. We are scattered across the world and across time in small pockets here and there. At some times and places, we are greater in number. At other times and places, we are smaller in number. Yet, we are on this boat together. God has called us out of the world into the safety of his boat, the church. On this boat, since we all have been adopted through faith in Jesus Christ—we are family. A family united not by our own blood, but by the blood of Christ—each of us embraced by the God of love revealed in the cross and suffering of Christ. So, whether you are my siblings here at St. James, or you are on the other side of the world in Papua New Guinea—you are equally an object of my affection and love—because in Christ we all have one God and Father. The Church of God is hidden. You cannot look at this denomination or that organization and equate it with the church of God. Oftentimes there will be people who say they are the church of God but are not. And, then there will be people who are said not to be the church of God who are. It is not dependent on our eyes. This is dependent on the word—the word alone, which gives and distributes God’s gracious heart.

Certainly, in faith, this great boat we call the church is united in one mind under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Yet, in our weakness, we do try to display our unity with our Christian brothers and sisters around the world in outward ways. One way we do that is with what is called a lectionary. Every Sunday there are assigned scripture readings. The hope behind this, is that whether you are in San Francisco, New Jersey, Canada, the Philippines, or Ghana—you will hear the same readings. Furthermore, whether it’s a Lutheran church—ELCA, Missouri Synod, or otherwise, whether it be Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, Reformed, or Moravian—you will hear the same readings. Now that is, of course, an attempt at outward unity. For various reasons it doesn’t always work that way. The idea behind it is—in spite of our differences, we acknowledge each other as part of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church. In the lectionary we use there are three years. A, B, and C. Currently, we are in Year B—which means most of the Gospel readings will be from the Gospel of Mark.  One public teacher of the Church synthesizes Mark’s Gospel for us, saying: “Mark proclaims the Son of God for us in the last place we would reasonably look” (Wengert). And if you read the very first verse of the Gospel of Mark, it will say: “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (1:1). Let these be for you keys to understand today’s reading.

Let’s set up the scene. It is nighttime. Remember, the disciples did not have the modern luxury of electricity. You wouldn’t have cities lit up the way they are now. The disciples are on a boat in the middle of a lake. Suddenly a windstorm appears. The waves beat at the boat. And worse yet, their boat becomes waterlogged—so that it is sinking into the lake. It is dark so they cannot tell how far away is the shore. What are they to do? They will sink and drown. And there, all along, is Jesus sleeping on a cushion in the far back of the boat. They woke him up and said, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” That is to say, “How can you be sleeping at a time like this?! Teacher, do you not care that we all are going to drown and die in this storm on this lake? What is this Son of God doing while we suffer and die?” Certainly, we can relate to the disciples. We too are on a boat. Jesus has put us on this boat he calls the church. He has promised that we will live. Yet, here comes the storm. And the boat is swamped with water. As far as you and I can see—we will certainly perish. As a church-community and in our personal lives—there will be storms. All the evidence says that we will certainly perish. Death is already at work in us. The waves beat against the boat we are on. That is terrifying. Will there be a church in five, ten, fifteen, twenty years from now? When the ELCA was formed on January 1st, 1988, we had over 5 million members. At this time, we are just over 1% of the total US population. By the year 2041, it is projected that there will be only 16,000 people worshiping in ELCA churches. That’s barely more than the population of Phillipsburg right now. The future is stark.

Now we can also think about the disciples’ predicament in our personal lives. The waves beat against us every day. This world is going to hell in a handbasket. Will my health hold out much longer? What if I lose my independence? What if my child or grandchild is addicted to drugs. Inflation is making it impossible for more people to buy food or to have any life besides holding down three jobs. Maybe your social security doesn’t go as far as you would hope. Maybe you have some human enemies. People who strike fear into your heart just by being around. Maybe someone has falsely accused you and brought you to court. (pause) We also must talk about the work of the devil. He will do all he can to keep us from hearing the word. He will cause division, grow hatred, bring hysteria. The devil will tell you that God is not merciful—that he will hold you accountable for your every fault. Then there’s the sin that grows in our hearts like black mold. With the psalmist we can say, “My sin is ever before me.” The black mold in our hearts says, “I prefer to get what I want. I will insist on my own way. I will repay evil for evil. I will not seek to understand, I will only want to express my opinion. I will not be kind to the poor but demand an account for every penny. Jesus warns, “The love of many will grow cold” (Matt. 24:12).

For all these storms and more, whether it affects the church or your personal life, with the disciples we easily say, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing? How can you be asleep at a time like this?” Now hear what happens next. Jesus woke up. He rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a great calm (Mark 4:38-39). And Jesus turned around and spoke thus to the disciples, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4:40-41). Let us consider Jesus’ words. “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” This was written in the Gospel of Mark to teach us about the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The gospel reveals the Savior, brings forgiveness and comforts, and makes alive. The faith of the disciples has not yet germinated and produced fruit. If it had, they would not have been afraid. Sure, the waves beat the boat and the boat was waterlogged. From what they could see, certain doom was spelled out for them. But God calls us away from our eyes. And to our ears. He says, “Do not trust what you see. Trust me, who you do not see. I am with you. You shall not perish. Even though you die, yet you live.” And that is our good news gospel for today. On one hand the boat is sinking. And when you’re on the boat you have no soil to stand on. You cannot swim in this storm. On the other hand, you have a promise of God. This promise is called the gospel. And God has elected you, in order to save you. To rescue you from every storm. Whether that storm be your own sin, the devil, or death. Whether that storm is in your personal life or in the life of the church-community. The promise of God is stronger than all storms. We may question why things are the way they are now. But Jesus says, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” Jesus died and was raised for you. Dear people of God, as it has been put, “Not even the worst of this world’s problems deserves your fear, not even the slightest little bit of it, not even the slightest little bit of it! For it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” You have been brought safely on the ark in your baptism. No war or election is worth your fear. No bully is worth your fear. No disease is worth your fear. No decline of the church is worth your fear. No death or devil is worth your fear. The LORD Christ has given you the kingdom. His peace is yours. And you have reason to be glad and calm even as the world falls apart.

[sammy24682468]

2019 Revelation study lesson 11

"Memory Text: “ ‘Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been manifested’ ” (Revelation 15:4, NKJV)."

"Revelation 11:18 summarizes events on earth right before the battle of Armageddon:  “ ‘The nations were angry.’ ” This state of affairs on earth matches Jesus’ description of the last days (Luke 21:25) and is followed by God’s wrath, which are His judgments in the form of the seven last plagues upon the unrepentant (Rev. 15:1)."

"Revelation 15 opens with the picture of seven angels with seven bowls filled with this divine wrath. But before this outpouring happens, we have a future glimpse of God’s faithful people (Rev. 15:1-4). They are described as victorious “over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name” (Rev. 15:2, NKJV), as they stand on something resembling a sea of glass and sing the song of Moses and the Lamb—all images reminiscent of the Hebrews on the shores of the Red Sea, celebrating God’s victory over the Egyptians (Exodus 15)."

"These victorious saints are the same ones referred to as the 144,000 in Revelation 14:1-5. Having refused the mark of the beast, they are protected from the seven last plagues. Then, at the Second Advent their mortal bodies are transformed and clothed with immortality (1  Cor. 15:51-54), and they will join the resurrected saints when Jesus comes in power and glory (1 Thess. 4:17)."

THE MEANING of the plague

"People have already made their choice either for God or for Babylon. Before Christ comes, however, the destructive winds of Satan’s fury that have been restrained (Rev. 7:1-3) are unleashed, followed by the seven last plagues."

"Read Revelation 15:1 along with Exodus 7-11. How are the Egyptian plagues, considered the backdrop for the seven last plagues, instructive regarding their purpose and meaning?"

"The seven last plagues are referred to as the “last” plagues because they come at the very end of earth’s history. In contrast, the plagues of the seven trumpets cover the time period that includes the entire Christian age and are restricted in their scope. They are executed while the gospel still is being preached (Rev. 10:8-11:14) and intercession is taking place (Rev. 8:2-5). They are mixed with mercy, and their purpose is to bring the enemies of God’s people to repentance."

"On the other hand, the seven last plagues are poured out just prior to the Second Coming. They are poured out upon those who, like Pharaoh, hardened their hearts against God’s redeeming love and would not repent (see Rev. 16:11). Divine wrath is God’s righteous judgment on the choices people have made (see Rom. 1:26-28), and at that time the lost are reaping the consequences of their own choices."

"Read Revelation 15:5-8 along with Exodus 40:34, 35 and 1  Kings 8:10, 11. What does the statement that “no man was able to enter the temple” (Rev. 15:8) suggest about the timing of the seven last plagues?"

"The expression “no one was able to enter into the temple” (Rev. 15:8, NKJV) points to the close of probation (Rev. 22:11). As Christ’s mediatorial ministry in heaven comes to an end, the door of opportunity to repent closes forever. Therefore, the last plagues will not bring anyone to repentance, but only disclose the hardness of the hearts of those who chose to side with Babylon, prompting them to hate God even more (Rev. 16:9, 11).

"Look around at the world today, which is going to get only worse. What does the fact that the plagues have been delayed this long teach us about God’s mercy and patience?"

"With the cessation of Christ’s intercession in the heavenly sanctuary, the destiny of each individual is forever determined. The time has come for those who have spurned the gospel to experience God’s wrath in its fullness."

"The seven last plagues mirror the plagues poured out upon Egypt (Exodus 7-11). As the Egyptian plagues affected the Egyptians while the Israelites were spared, so God’s people will be protected during this time of trouble (Ps. 91:3-10; see The Great Controversy, pp. 629, 630).The plagues on Egypt disclosed the hardness of Pharaoh’s heart and showed the Egyptians the inability of their gods to protect them. Similarly, the last plagues increasingly harden the hearts of the worshipers of the sea beast and reveal the powerlessness of Babylon to protect them from divine judgment."

"Read Revelation 16:1-11. What is happening here, and how is it portrayed?"

"The first four plagues “are not universal, or the inhabitants of the earth would be wholly cut off.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 628. The first inflicts painful and loathsome sores exclusively on the worshipers of the beast. The second and third plagues affect the sea and the rivers and the springs of water, which turn into blood. Without water to drink, rebellious humanity cannot survive. The fourth plague affects the sun so that it scorches sinners, causing unbearable pain."

"The unbearable pain inflicted by the plagues does not soften the hearts of unrighteous humanity so as to change their rebellious attitudes. Instead, they curse and blaspheme God, who executes these plagues. Nor do any of them repent."

"In Revelation 16:10, 11 (see also Exod. 10:21-23), we can see that the fifth plague strikes the throne of the beast. It was Satan who deleg ated the throne to the beast (Rev. 13:2). Now even the seat of Satan’s authority cannot withstand the force of these plagues. As people suffer in pain, they realize the inability of Babylon to protect them. However, they have set their minds against God, and even the terror of the plagues does not change their hearts."

"Read Revelation 16:12 along with Revelation 17:1 and 15. What does the symbol of the Euphrates stand for? What is the significance of the drying up of the Euphrates in the context of the seven last plagues?"

"In the Old Testament, the Euphrates was a critical means of support for Israel’s enemies, Assyria and Babylon. The river flowed through Babylon and was important to the city because it nourished crops and provided water for people. Babylon could not survive without the Euphrates."

"Revelation 17:1 describes end-time Babylon as sitting upon many waters, perhaps a reference to the Euphrates (see Jer. 51:13). Revelation 17:15 explains that the waters upon which end-time Babylon sits represent the people who support it: the worldwide civil, secular, and political powers behind the system. However, these powers eventually will retract their support."

"The scene of the sixth plague reflects the capture of ancient Babylon by Cyrus the Persian (see Daniel 5). According to the ancient historian Herodotus, on the night that King Belshazzar and his officials had a feast, the Persians diverted the Euphrates and entered Babylon along the riverbed, taking the city by surprise."

"The symbolic drying up of the Euphrates in Revelation 16:12 results in the collapse of Babylon in the end time. Because the Euphrates in Revelation represents the world’s civil, secular, and political powers giving their support to Babylon, the drying up of the Euphrates symbolizes the withdrawal of their support and their subsequent attack against Babylon, thereby causing its downfall."

"As the people of the world witness the upheaval in nature (see Rev. 16:3-9), they turn to Babylon for protection. However, as the fifth plague strikes the seat of Babylon’s authority (Rev. 16:10, 11), they see the futility of seeking help there. Feeling deceived, they turn against Babylon, causing her downfall (see Rev. 17:16). Yet, as we have seen, their hearts remain hard against God and His people. As such, they become fertile soil for the final deception by which Satan will draw the world to unite against God’s people to wipe them off the face of the earth."

SATAN'S LAST great deception

"Revelation 16:12 tells us that the purpose of the drying up of the Euphrates is to prepare the way for “the kings from the east” (NKJV). In the Old Testament, “the kings from the east” were Cyrus and his forces coming down from the north, then approaching Babylon from the east (Isa. 41:25). Their conquest of Babylon made the return of God’s people to their homeland possible (Isa. 44:27, 28). In the same way, the symbolic drying up of the Euphrates prepares the way for the coming of the kings from the east to provide deliverance to God’s endtime people."

"The kings from the east in Revelation 16:12 are Christ and His army of heavenly angels. At His second coming, Jesus will appear with His angelic host, “clothed in fine linen, white and clean” (Rev. 19:14, NKJV), which is the dress of sinless angels (Rev. 15:6). Accompanied by the host of heaven, Christ will, as Revelation 17:14 shows, overcome the satanic forces that oppress His people (compare Matt. 24:30, 31). This final conflict against Christ and His people leading up to the Second Coming is known as the battle of Armageddon."

"Read Revelation 16:13, 14. What is the role of the three unclean spirits in the preparation for the battle of Armageddon? How are they a satanic counterfeit of the three angels’ messages in Revelation 14? (See 1 Tim. 4:1).

"Through the final events leading up to the close of probation, every human being will be led to choose on which of the two sides he or she will stand in the battle of Armageddon. As a prelude to this spiritual warfare, John sees three demonic spirits resembling frogs. Satan’s last attempt to deceive involves demonic, lying spirits."

"The dragon (paganism and spiritualism), the sea beast (Roman Catholicism), and the false prophet (apostate Protestantism) unite under Satan’s command (see Rev. 13:11, 12). Satan enables the lamblike beast to perform miraculous signs (see Rev. 13:13-17) that include spiritualistic manifestations. These signs are part of Satan’s end-time deceptive strategy to persuade the world to follow him rather than the true God."

"Blinded by their hatred of God and His truth, the leaders of the world readily believe Satan’s lies, which are cloaked in a pleasing religious guise (2 Thess. 2:9-12). Ultimately, they will unite in the final battle leading to the end of this world."

"Read Revelation 16:16. How successful will Satan’s end-time deception be in gathering the people of the world to the battle of Armageddon?"

"The deceptive demonic miracles will achieve worldwide success. In having spurned Bible teachings, people will believe a lie that will be accompanied by deceptive miracles (see 2 Thess. 2:9-12). They will unite together in purpose, symbolized by their gathering to a “place,” which is in Hebrew called Armageddon, meaning “the mountain of Megiddo.” Megiddo was not a mountain, but a fortress city located in the Valley of Jezreel (or the Plain of Esdraelon) at the foot of the Mount Carmel ridge. It was an important strategic site."

"The Plain of Esdraelon was known for many decisive battles in Israel’s history (see Judg. 5:19; Judg. 6:33; 2 Kings 9:27; 2 Kings 23:29, 30). Revelation uses this historical background to depict a final great conflict, called Armageddon, between Christ and the forces of evil. The people of the world are portrayed as a unified army under the leadership of this satanic league."

"The “mountain of Megiddo” is an apparent allusion to Mount Carmel that towers above the valley in which the ancient city of Megiddo was located. Mount Carmel was the site of one of the greatest clashes in Israel’s history, between God’s true prophet (Elijah) and the false prophets of Baal (1  Kings 18). This showdown answered the question “Who is the true God?” The fire that came from heaven demonstrated that the Lord was the only true God and the only one to be worshiped. While the spiritual issue of the battle of Armageddon—Will we obey God or man?—is decided before the plagues fall, those who side with the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet (Rev. 16:13), will then be totally controlled by the devil (as Judas was, leading up to Christ’s crucifixion [Luke 22:3])."

"Having chosen the losing side, they will be among those who cry for the mountains to hide them (Rev. 6:16; read also 2 Thess. 1:7, 8). Before the plagues fall, however, Revelation 13:13, 14 portrays the earth beast bringing fire down from heaven to deceive the world into thinking that Satan’s counterfeit, which will include false revivals led by another spirit, is the work of God."

"Armageddon is not a military battle among nations to be fought somewhere in the Middle East, but a global spiritual contest in which Christ decisively confronts the forces of darkness (see 2 Cor. 10:4). The outcome will be like that at Carmel but on a worldwide scale—with God’s triumph over the forces of darkness."

"For many years, people have been looking at political and military turmoil in the Middle East as signs of the end and of Armageddon. Despite many predictions and date-settings, Armageddon, as they have envisioned it, has not come. How can we protect ourselves from making similar mistakes in regard to interpreting these localized events as the fulfillments of Bible prophecy?"

"“None but those who have fortified the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict. To every soul will come the searching test: Shall I obey God rather than men? . . . The apostle Paul declared, looking down to the last days: ‘The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine.’ 2 Timothy 4:3. That time has fully come. The multitudes do not want Bible truth, because it interferes with the desires of the sinful, world-loving heart; and Satan supplies the deceptions which they love."

"“But God will have a people upon the earth to maintain the Bible, and the Bible only, as the standard of all doctrines and the basis of all reforms. The opinions of learned men, the deductions of science, the creeds or decisions of ecclesiastical councils, as numerous and discordant as are the churches which they represent, the voice of the majority—not one nor all of these should be regarded as evidence for or against any point of religious faith. Before accepting any doctrine or precept, we should demand a plain ‘Thus saith the Lord’ in its support. . . ."

"“As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ. The church has long professed to look to the Saviour’s advent as the consummation of her hopes. Now the great deceiver will make it appear that Christ has come. In different parts of the earth, Satan will manifest himself among men as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, resembling the description of the Son of God given by John in the Revelation. Revelation 1:13-15. The glory that surrounds him is unsurpassed by anything that mortal eyes have yet beheld. The shout of triumph rings out upon the air: ‘Christ has come! Christ has come!’ The people prostrate themselves in adoration before him. . . . In gentle, compassionate tones he presents some of the same gracious, heavenly truths which the Saviour uttered; he heals the diseases of the people, and then, in his assumed character of Christ, he claims to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday, and commands all to hallow the day which he has blessed. He declares that those who persist in keeping holy the seventh day are blaspheming his name by refusing to listen to his angels sent to them with light and truth. This is the strong, almost overmastering delusion.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, pp. 593-595, 624."

QUESTIONS

"•  Read Jesus’ admonition in Revelation 16:15, inserted into the description of the preparation for the battle of Armageddon. Note the similar wording in Christ’s earlier appeal to the church of Laodicea (Rev. 3:18). How do Christ’s words show the significance of the Laodicean message for God’s people living at the time of the preparation for the final conflict? In what way does this message apply to you personally?"

"•  White and clean garments in Revelation symbolize the righteousness of Christ (Rev. 3:4, 5; Rev. 19:7-9). Only those who clothe themselves with the robe of Christ’s righteousness will be able to stand firm in the final crisis. How does one make his or her robes white and clean in the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 7:14)?"

[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)

[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)

[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)