Here are some observations—and a revision—I’ve gathered from driving the Q60 for over half a year now.
The shifter is positioned nearly perfectly to double as a wrist rest. The design was probably unintended, but I’ll give it credit because it helps me stabilize my hand while I use the touchscreen. To me, the worst part of a reliance on touchscreens is they’re occasionally tough to use while driving, but the shifter provides a practical workaround.
I love that the Cancel Route button is prominent and not nested in the navigation menu. Recently, the I-405 connector to the I-110 I use every day was under construction. Unless I want to sit and wait in traffic (spoiler alert—I do not), I’ll exit the highway before it slows to a stop. Then I hit the dedicated Home button for my destination, and no matter where I turn, the nav will get me headed in the right direction to pick up the highway after the end of the construction zone. Oftentimes it’s only a matter of a few miles before I get back on track. When I reorient myself, I hit the Cancel Route button. Frankly, this is how I use the vehicle’s navigation system most of the time. For quick navigation, it’s easier and less data-hungry than Waze, which I use for unknown, non-commute destinations. I’d been wondering whether there was still value to in-car navigation systems, and the Infiniti’s large map is still extremely valuable, even if you don’t use the turn-by-turn direction system.
I’d also like to midcourse-correct something I wrote earlier. I admit I’ve gotten used to getting into and out of the driver’s seat without the need to adjust the seat. With time and habit-building, I’ve adapted to what I previously wrote about as being a drawback. Sure, it would be more convenient if the seat automatically adjusted itself for ingress and egress, but I don’t really think about it anymore.
Speaking of adjusting, laundry day used to mean schlepping everything to the laundromat and just doing it all at one time in a once-a-month mission the U.S. Army would be proud of. Well, since I’ve been in the Q60, I’ve had to scale back the scope of the operation. The trunk is less than cavernous, and the back seat is so onerous to get laundry bins into and out of, it effectively leaves me with just the trunk and passenger seat for carting clothes. I now have to make two trips. It could be worse, I’m sure. Obviously this isn’t a ding on the Q60, as only a madman would expect a coupe to have the same hauling convenience as an SUV or hatchback. I’m just letting you know what its limitations are—and surprisingly, it’s not too bad. I bet if I bought lower-profile bins, I could make it all in a single trip.
And about that back seat. I sat back there for a short trip while someone else took the helm. Although it’s doable for small to medium-sized adults, you’ll definitely be cramped. Legroom is tight, but more important, getting in and out requires a level of agility that has passed me by—even with practice. It’s very awkward. If you value your friendships with adult passengers relegated to the back seat, the trip will need to be mercifully short. However, children should have no problem with the accommodations, and if they do mouth off, you’re legally allowed to tell them to zip it.
Finally, after months of suspensefully watching the service engine countdown, the 10,000th mile ticked over and I took the Q60 to Infiniti of South Bay for its scheduled maintenance. The oil change, tire rotation, inspection, and fluid replenishment cost me $106.43. Combined with the $22 I paid a local tire repair shop to fix a slow leak from a nail, this puts us at $128.43 for a little over a half-year of maintenance. Other than that, the Q60 got out of the doctor’s office with a clean bill of health. Music to my ears.
Read more about our long-term 2018 Infiniti Q60S 3.0t:
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