Distance: 476km
Location: Ontario, Quebec
Dates: November 17-18, 2023
Up front: Powered leather seats come as standard in the front row on all models with the driver’s seat and steering wheel moving out of the way automatically to make it easy to get in and out of the car. The lumbar support is easy to adjust but the seat doesn’t lift high enough for such a large car, causing major forward visibility issues. The 12.3-inch centre display is easy to pair with Apple CarPlay through either the USB-A or USB-C port, I recommend Google Maps over the complicated 3D map in the built-in navigation system.
Storage space is easy to use with little cubbies in the centre console and wireless charging on the centre stack. However, a two-tiered centre console would be more useful given its depth. The digital gauge cluster is bright even in direct sunlight with the panoramic sunroof open, but the graphics are too confusing to be useful. I’m driving, not playing Ridge Racers on the PS2.
In the back: I have no complaints with the second row. Both outboard seats are heated in at this trim level and passengers get a third climate control zone. The bench seats have great manual adjustability and folds forward for access to the third row with one button. This won’t work, however, if there are child safety seats installed, so larger families who need easy access to the third row regularly should intuitively opt for captains’ chairs so kids can crawl through the center aisle to get to the back.
Once you, or your children, are in the back, there’ll be one cup holder on each side and a little plastic tray in the middle for snacks. The raised floor makes it uncomfortable for trips over 15 minutes but there is adequate knee room for smaller adults. Although this crossover has plenty of height and drives like a truck, it’s still a midsize. You get a boot or third-row seats, not both. More utility can be found in premium minivans like the Chrysler Pacifica, which are similarly priced.
Driving: It’s terrible in the city and terrible on the highway. The three-row crossover drives larger than it should around town with terrible visibility endangering pedestrians. Nissan knows this, so the surround view camera and sensors show on the two screens with the push of a button. I’d rather the designers just give me my visibility and do away with the technology that could fry in the long term. The 295-horsepower V6 looks powerful on paper, but only pulls 6.2 seconds to 100km/h when paired with a sluggish CVT. It’s reluctant to accelerate on passing manoeuvres and feels like a ladder frame truck with lots of rolls around bends that don’t inspire confidence in its handling. It knows this, too, by automatically slowing down on curvy roads when cruise control is activated.
The Audi Q7 and Mercedes GLE are more expensive, but you pay for the far superior powertrain and less intrusive driver assistance systems. The standard V6 is the only option and lacks refinement under heavy acceleration. The Infiniti’s computer nanny wants to stay in the centre of your lane even if it comes within inches of an adjacent vehicle you’re passing—points deducted for lack of context despite having the sensors to know it. If you don’t need the third row, the BMW X3 is just as capable for suburban soccer moms to ferry their children between activities, more balanced to drive, comes with a superior powertrain you expect with the badge prestige, and costs $10,000 less.
