2017 Infiniti QX30: What's It Like to Live With?

What do you want to know about?

• Introduction
• Monthly Update for April and May 2017
• Monthly Update for June 2017
• Monthly Update for July 2017
• Monthly Update for August 2017
• Monthly Update for September 2017
• Monthly Update for October 2017
• Monthly Update for November 2017
• Monthly Update for December 2017
• Monthly Update for January 2018
• Monthly Update for February 2018
• Monthly Update for March 2018
• Monthly Update for April 2018
• Wrap-Up

Introduction

What Did We Get?
Compact crossovers are in high demand, especially in the luxury segment. Infiniti is hoping to capitalize on the trend with its new 2017 QX30. Rather than building an all-new vehicle from the ground up, however, Infiniti partnered with Mercedes-Benz to create a vehicle that mixes German parts with a Japanese design.

The QX30 shares its engine and transmission with the Mercedes-Benz GLA, while the suspension has been retuned by Infiniti. Styling, both inside and out, is where the QX30 departs from its German cousin.

What Infiniti has made is a mashup of hatchback, coupe and crossover, meant to offer athleticism, utility and looks. It's positioned as an entry-level offering for the brand, aimed at a slightly younger demographic. The QX30 is not only a new competitor in a very hot segment; it's a pivotal vehicle for a brand hungry for new customers. With that in mind, we saw it as a perfect fit for our long-term fleet.

What Options Does It Have?
Infiniti lent us a QX30 Premium AWD, which is one rung short of the top-tier Sport. The Sport might have more, uh, sporting credentials, but it also has stiffer suspension and a lower ride height and is front-wheel-drive only. The Premium is a more direct competitor in the luxury crossover market and shares its dynamics with the rest of the QX30 trims, making it a better platform to evaluate the range.

Like all QX30s, the Premium comes with a 2.0-liter, 208-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission. Our tester has all-wheel drive and rides on 18-inch wheels. We also have a panoramic moonroof, heated power mirrors, keyless entry and start, dual-zone climate control, heated leather seats with eight-way power adjust, and automatic headlights, high beams and wipers. Entertainment comes via the upgraded Bose 10-speaker audio system, a 7-inch touchscreen with an alternate dial controller, Bluetooth and satellite radio. No Apple CarPlay or Android auto here.

Our tester also includes several optional packages. The Technology Package bundles blind-spot monitoring, lane keeping assist, forward collision warning with emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, park assist and a 360-degree camera. The Navigation package adds navigation and front and rear parking sensors. The LED package adds LED headlamps with adaptive lighting. Infiniti also included the Cafe Teak Theme package, an appearance package that upgrades the interior materials, adding brown leather upholstery and brown imitation leather and wood trim, as well as satin-silver mirror caps.

The QX30 starts right around $30,000 for a base front-wheel-drive model, but our fully optioned premium priced out at $47,010. That puts our QX30 in competition with well-equipped versions of the Audi Q3, BMW X1 and Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class.

Why We Got It
The QX30 is meant to bring new buyers, namely younger buyers, into the brand, so it's an important vehicle for Infiniti. In order to deliver on that goal, the QX30 will need to make a strong impression in terms of dynamics, reliability, utility, technology, and that je ne sais quoi that makes BMW, Lexus and, yes, Mercedes-Benz buyers keep coming back for car after car.

In fact, Mercedes-Benz has the highest loyalty rate of any luxury marque, so basing the QX30 on a Benz may prove to be a smart move. Expect us to not only pay close attention to the QX30's qualities, but to hold it up against competitors — especially the GLA-Class.

Over the next year we'll be determining how the 2017 QX30 stacks up in an increasingly competitive segment. Can it combine versatility and driving fun in one sleek package, or will the mashup of coupe, hatchback and SUV make it the proverbial jack-of-all-trades and master of none? In the end, we'll decide if it leaves us eager to get into Infiniti's more grown-up cars and SUVs.

Follow our 2017 Infiniti QX30's progress on our long-term road test updates and Instagram for our latest thoughts and impressions of this slick compact crossover.

The manufacturer provided this vehicle for the purpose of evaluation.

Monthly Update for April and May 2017

Where Did We Drive It?
We spent April and May getting to know the 2017 Infiniti QX30, mostly driving it to and from the office on city streets and highway. Josh Sadlier managed to get it a little dirty, however, motoring the QX30 to a trailhead at Topanga State Park in the Los Angeles wilds. And Dan Edmunds learned firsthand that the QX30 isn't quite as advanced as it might seem, sustaining an episode of upper-arm trauma courtesy of the crossover's archaic door lock design.

What Kind of Fuel Economy Did It Get?
We're just getting started with this test, having only added around 2,220 miles by the end of May. We've logged fuel economy results for 1,900 of those miles, and over that span the QX30 is returning 20.3 mpg combined. The QX30's EPA numbers are 25 mpg combined (21 city/30 highway), so we're well off the mark already. But those miles include almost 30 miles of hard performance testing (including repeated acceleration and brake testing) and also one tankful that seems to be an anomaly, requiring 14 gallons after just 220 miles.

For comparison, early in the test we recorded a similar tankful — one fewer gallon, actually — in which we traveled nearly 100 miles more. Either someone reset the trip meter too late, or we just drove that tank really hard, but if we eliminate that fill-up and our track-testing usage, we're looking a little better: 22 mpg combined over 1,654 miles. The QX30 looks even better if we examine only the fuel economy during our 115-mile evaluation loop of city, mountain and highway driving: 24.2 mpg

Average lifetime mpg: 20.3
EPA mpg rating: 25 combined (21 city/30 highway)
Best fill mpg: 23.9
Best range: 314.2 miles
Current odometer: 2,148 miles

Maintenance and Upkeep
None.

Logbook Highlights

Performance
"Has one of the best stop-start systems. Restarts are quick and don't feature any sort of bump or kick. But the best part is you can creep up as traffic inches forward or as the drive-thru line moves up and it will shut off again. Other systems won't shut off until you exceed a speed threshold and reset the system, which effectively nullifies them in these normal situations. Kudos to Infiniti for getting this part right." — Dan Edmunds, director of vehicle testing

"Premium fuel requirement is clearly noted on the fuel door. I'll never grumble about pumping in the pricey stuff if the engine feels like it's worth it, and that's certainly the case here. I'm particularly impressed by the low-end torque from the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder, which the QX30 borrows (along with much more) from the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class. This one gives you enough shove by 2,000 rpm that downshifts are rarely necessary. Let the revs climb and the power pours on, making the QX30 feel pretty quick in most situations. With performance like that, paying a few more cents per gallon seems perfectly reasonable." — Josh Sadlier, senior manager of content strategy

"Familiar Mercedes cues inside: center console buttons and switchgear, seat controls mounted in the upper door panel, steering column stalks, even the switch for selecting Eco/Sport/Manual drive modes with its little cyclone graphic. Sadly, the transmission feels Mercedes familiar as well — that would be Mercedes CLA/GLA familiar, which we've rightly savaged in every drive and test we've done with either of those cars. Apparently Infiniti has done its own powertrain tuning, but to no discernible effect, which underscores the awfulness of this gearbox. Soft, spongy accelerator/turbo lag makes the QX30 undrivable in default Eco mode, and barely tolerable in Sport. — Dan Frio

Comfort
"Ouch! My arm! Didn't we get rid of stupid door lock plungers that stick up in the 1980s? I thought everyone has gone to flip levers mounted by the inside release handle. The QX30 employs the old plunger style that stands up from the door panel, where it's perfectly positioned, even in the lower LOCKED position, to give you a deep tissue bruise if you: A) drive with your arm resting on the sill of the open window or B) reach out through the open window to receive food at a drive-thru restaurant or cash at a drive-up ATM — both scenarios that became common after the pop-up plunger first appeared in the '60s (and one could make a strong argument that they led to this design's demise). It seems Infiniti (or perhaps Mercedes) did not get the memo." — Dan Edmunds

"Narrow rear window, small rearview mirror, tapering side window line — visibility is not this car's strong suit. Glad we have a surround-view camera." — Dan Frio

Interior
"This feels small. The seating position is too high for me, a 6-footer. I am peering through the top-most portion of the windshield and my hair brushes the headliner. The panoramic sunroof is probably not helping with this latter issue, but there's no getting around the view out the windshield." — Jason Kavanagh, engineering editor

"Strange that the available settings for the headlight knob aren't illuminated, unlike the foglight buttons and the knob itself. I'd just leave the headlights on 'auto' if I were the owner, so it's not a big deal, but I needed to turn on my phone's flashlight to verify the setting when I first got into the car. Unusual." — Josh Sadlier

"Inside, the QX30 makes me think of a rich café mocha, with the chocolate brown leather seats and the sleek faux-leather dash and trim that come with the Cafe Teak package." — Kathleen Clonts, copy chief

"I unexpectedly bumped my head getting into the QX30 after stopping at the grocery store. I'm only 5-foot-7, taller than the average woman but definitely not taller than most of the guys driving this car. I also snagged my shirtsleeve on the door lock (the same one Dan dug his arm into). No harm done in either case, but minor annoyances all the same." — Kathleen Clonts

Utility
"I'm surprised that a power liftgate apparently isn't available on any QX30. With the liftgate in its fully open position, my 5-foot-3 wife found that the handhold required an uncomfortable reach skyward, while the liftgate itself required an undue amount of effort to close. Not the end of the world, but isn't the point of luxury vehicles to make things like this easier?" — Josh Sadlier

Technology-Audio
"If you're going to borrow from Benz, borrow the best. And Benz has, hands-down, the best adaptive cruise control in the business (Volvo may be a close second). This system is calibrated finely enough that it doesn't panic as you close in on the lead vehicle, or even when someone slips a little too close into your path of travel. There's no abrupt braking, then slowing. It's just a nice, quick deceleration, almost like a very good EV brake regeneration setting like in our Bolt. The system even speeds up a tick when you're under adaptive cruise, then signal and start to move for a lane change, provided the lane ahead is clear. Smart system and a good thing to borrow from Benz." — Dan Frio

"Love the front parking camera. This is becoming a more common feature, and for me, widespread adoption can't come soon enough. All of the damage I've caused to cars has come while parking, so I need all the help I can get. It's a relief to see where every potential frontal hazard is located while I'm positioning the vehicle." — Josh Sadlier

Miscellaneous
"I kept describing the QX30's color as rose gold-ish, until I looked it up on Infiniti's site. It's called Liquid Copper. It definitely has flesh-colored undertones to it. A man approached me at the car wash to say he liked the color, noting that it was a hue he'd never seen before. He sent my eyes rolling when he added that it was a great color 'for a girl.' I noted that the color has caused some controversy in the office, and he said, 'I can see that.' " — Kathleen Clonts

"You can save $3,000 by opting for the QX30 over the Benz GLA; maybe that's part of the appeal. Attractive lease rates might be another. But why would you buy this over a Volkswagen GTI, for example? Because it has 8 inches of ground clearance and skid plates? I'm curious to start reading the owner's comments as they start streaming in." — Dan Frio

Monthly Update for June 2017

Where Did We Drive It?
After a relatively busy May, our long-term 2017 Infiniti QX30 had a pretty low-mileage June. Our editors commuted around Los Angeles and otherwise lived in the QX30 like average owners. We were able to hit a few fuel-economy milestones and get several impressions about this sleek-looking hatchback, especially what it's like to be a tall driver in such a low-profile car.

What Kind of Fuel Economy Did It Get?
During May, we added 1,146 miles to the QX30's odometer, but in June we were only able to tack on 815 miles. That meant a total of four stops at the pump for nearly 40 gallons of fuel, which averaged out to 20.8 mpg. While that doesn't quite match the EPA city rating, it did bring our lifetime average up a bit. We also saw our most efficient tank yet at 26.4 mpg.

Average lifetime mpg: 20.4
EPA mpg rating: 25 combined (21 city/30 highway)
Best fill mpg: 26.4
Best range: 314.2 miles
Current odometer: 2,964 miles

Maintenance and Upkeep
None.

Logbook Highlights

Performance
"This engine sure does make a racket. Firing up the QX30 in my garage makes enough noise to remind of me of what it sounded like when a previous car of mine lunched its water pump on startup. I expect better sound deadening of the direct injection from Infiniti." — Kurt Niebuhr, photo editor

"Where's normal mode? The Infiniti QX30 defaults to Eco driving mode. It's quick to shift gears in an effort to conserve fuel, but it feels a bit sluggish to accelerate. There's also a Sport mode but it is a bit too high-strung for daily driving. The only other choice is manual mode, but that's too much work. It doesn't solve the problem of being a nice in-between mode that you can set and forget. I can't think of another car that doesn't have a normal mode. Eco mode should be a choice, not the default." — Ron Montoya, senior consumer advice editor

Interior
"For tall drivers (I'm 6-foot-1), the QX30 feels cramped up front. The driver's seat never seems to go low enough, but that's something of an illusion — really, the position of the cowl and the cabin is fine. It's that the top of the windshield and the headliner isn't high enough. I look out the top-most portion of the windshield and my hair brushes the headliner. Things aren't helped by the aggressive rake of the windshield pillar, which also threatens to knock me on the pate if I lean forward even a little bit. If you're tall, you may not like the QX30." — Jason Kavanagh, engineering editor

"It might be the number of times I've whacked my head while getting out of the QX30, but I've lost track of how many times I've smacked my skull against the roof of this thing. There is shockingly little headroom in this cute ute." — Kurt Niebuhr

"I'm a huge fan of sunroofs and I was disappointed to find that our Infiniti QX30 doesn't have one. It has a large panoramic roof instead. It works great as a skylight, but that's about it. You can't crack it open to let in more air or get an open feel to the cabin." — Ron Montoya

Miscellaneous
"People seem to love the way this Infiniti looks. I'll admit, I'm fonder of the sheet metal on the QX30 than its Mercedes-Benz brother (the GLA), but I'm not sure it's my favorite design. My opinion aside, I was approached in parking lots more than once this weekend and given compliments on the looks of this car. People ask about the color, tell me it's a good-looking car, and in general, stop and stare. Apparently there's something about it that keeps people looking." — Travis Langness, automotive editor

"Is it just me or is the rear hatch in the QX30 unusually hefty? It feels like Infiniti designed it for motorized closure and forgot to install the hardware. Or maybe I haven't been hitting the weights hard enough. ..." — Kurt Niebuhr

Monthly Update for July 2017

Where Did We Drive It?
Oregon. We drove the long-term 2017 Infiniti QX30 from Los Angeles to Bend, Oregon, and back. Specifically, I did — I'm the one who likes to drive to the Pacific Northwest every summer because the otherwise perpetual rain is on pause, the sky stays light till 10 p.m., and I have a friend in Portland who's eager to take advantage before the clouds roll in again.

Our copper pink Infiniti needed the miles this year, so I pocketed the key and headed northeast out of the L.A. basin toward Highway 395, which runs north along the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada.

We spent a long weekend in Bend and then a couple days in and around Portland before I headed back to L.A. via the coastal route, making a beeline for Lincoln City, Oregon, and staying on the 101 South all the way down. Did I come away thinking I'd like to own a QX30? Not exactly. But I gained some respect for our little rebadged Benz. It's competent and capable and a nice size, too. It can be my wingman anytime.

What Kind of Fuel Economy Did It Get?
I rolled up 2,405.4 miles on the Oregon trip, and the QX30 chugged 83.9 gallons of premium in the process. That comes out to 28.7 mpg, which strikes me as a bit disappointing given that I was on the open road about 95 percent of the time. Still, I managed to set a new record for a single tank at 30.9 mpg, which is the good news. The bad news is that it's only the third time we've cracked 30 mpg —the car's EPA-rated highway figure — in the first 6,000-plus miles.

I set a range record, too, covering 411.7 miles on a different tank. Always nice to learn that a car has 400-mile range in the real world.

Average lifetime mpg: 23.9
EPA mpg rating: 25 combined (21 city/30 highway)
Best fill mpg: 30.9
Best range: 411.7 miles
Current odometer: 6,489 miles

Maintenance and Upkeep
None.

Logbook Highlights
Performance
"You can feel the QX30's Mercedes underpinnings in the way it handles the highway. Interstate cruising speeds barely crack 2,000 rpm, and you've got abundant torque on tap from there on up. Plus, there's just a sense of stability and confidence that makes the QX seem like a higher-end machine than it really is. (The GLA-Class Benz it's based on, remember, is technically entry-level.).This Infiniti hasn't been in high demand around the office for local commuting, but it's a champ on the open road." — Josh Sadlier, senior manager of content strategy

"I didn't despise the QX30's Mercedes-sourced dual-clutch automatic transmission on my drive to Oregon, but I did frequently find myself wondering why it's not as good as Volkswagen's DSG. The latter swaps gears instantaneously and often imperceptibly — you might not even notice unless you're watching the tachometer. It's also been around for years. The Mercedes unit, on the other hand, is relatively new, yet gear changes are slow and quite perceptible (though never harsh). If I didn't know better, I'd guess the Benz 'box was by far the older of the two. Surprised that Mercedes didn't benchmark DSG and knock this one out of the park." — Josh Sadlier

"The QX30's turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine is a well-rounded performer. Sourced from Mercedes, of course, it's got ample low-end punch and doesn't mind revving out to its redline either, although it's a bit short of breath by then. I also like the baritone growl it emits — no whiny four-banger noises here. Passing power at highway speeds could be more assertive — I can see why Mercedes makes an AMG version — but otherwise this motor is on point." — Josh Sadlier

Interior
"As a badge-engineered vehicle with exterior styling all its own, the QX30 is a fascinating creature. From the outside, you'd never guess it's a restyled Mercedes GLA 250. Hop into the driver's seat, though, and you're mostly in Mercedes-land. The power seat controls and window switches on the doors, the steering wheel buttons, the climate controls — all standard-issue Benz stuff. But then there's the one glaring exception, the Nissan/Infiniti infotainment system, which clashes both aesthetically and functionally with the Benz bits that surround it. The button layout employs Infiniti's font and style, while the graphics and operation remind me of a G37 from a decade ago. I found myself wishing that Infiniti had struck a deal to include Mercedes' superior COMAND interface along with everything else. If you're considering this car, I'd definitely recommend sitting in a GLA 250, too, and comparing the infotainment experience." — Josh Sadlier

Comfort
"I rolled up over 2,000 miles on my drive to Oregon and didn't have a single complaint to record about the driver's seat. That's pretty amazing. Nothing really stands out about it, but I didn't get sore at any point. Just good firm support, no frills. Also, there was plenty of legroom for this lanky 6-foot-1 driver, with a bit more in reserve. A+." — Josh Sadlier

Monthly Update for August 2017

Where Did We Drive It?
For the month of August, our 2017 Infiniti QX30 was found being studious in Stanford, traversing the flowering fields of Fresno, and grumbling in gridlock through the urban L.A. jungle.

Senior Editor Brent Romans made a trek up to Stanford in Palo Alto, California, and found the cute ute to be comfortable in both seating accoutrements and ride quality. I find it quite appealing for those same qualities, but I also prefer the size of the QX30 while driving around town and running errands. It's more akin to a sporty hatchback than a cumbersome SUV.

What Kind of Fuel Economy Did It Get?
During Brent's trip to Stanford, the QX returned 27.8 miles per gallon. That falls short of the record set the month before by our senior manager of content strategy, Josh Sadlier, who managed a 30.9-mpg tank.

During my commutes, I was able to observe the EPA combined mpg consistently, with 25.8 and 25.3 miles per gallon, respectively. There's some comfort to be had there from my perspective since the QX30 is getting what it is supposed to with mixed city and highway driving — especially in Los Angeles' typical traffic congestion.

Average lifetime mpg: 23.9
EPA mpg rating: 25 combined (21 city/30 highway)
Best fill mpg: 30.9 miles
Best range: 340.8 miles
Current odometer: 8,128 miles

Maintenance and Upkeep
None.

Logbook Highlights

Comfort
"I'm impressed by the QX30's seat comfort. I've driven the QX on a few four-hour drives recently and have been comfortable each time. It's an eight-way adjustable seat, with four-way power lumbar. (Based on pictures, it would seem to be the same used in the Mercedes GLA.) It's not a palatial-style throne, mind you, but all the same I like the cushioning and support it provides." — Brent Romans, senior editor

"Our QX30 has an agreeable ride quality on the highway. The suspension is firmly tuned, certainly, but there's just enough wheel travel and/or give from the tires to take the edge off sharp impacts." — Brent Romans

Interior
"Infiniti did a nice job giving the QX30's interior a luxurious vibe. The instrument panel design is familiar, but everything is trimmed nicely. I like the combination of the two-tone leather upholstery, stitched dashboard coverings, simulated suede headliner, leather door inserts, and wood and chrome trim pieces." — Brent Romans

"One follow-up to my earlier statement about the luxury trimmings in our QX30. Just about everything is nice ... except the feel of the engine start button. Unlike other typical starter buttons, this one sticks out from its housing a couple millimeters. This is problematic for two reasons: 1) It makes the button wobble in its housing a bit, which in turn makes it feel flimsy; and 2) Pushing it reminds me of pushing a toilet plunger button." — Brent Romans

Technology
"The QX30's adaptive cruise control works well in heavy, low-speed traffic. As traffic slows or stops, the QX30 brakes smoothly to keep a set distance from the car ahead. Low-speed shifting from the dual-clutch automatic transmission is unobtrusive, too. If you're driving in a lot of rush-hour traffic, setting the QX30's adaptive cruise can save you from constantly getting on and off the gas pedal." — Brent Romans

"Someone needs to invent an anti-glare screen for vehicle interiors. While riding shotgun, the sun hits the screen just right and all I see is glare." — Rex Tokeshi-Torres, vehicle testing technician

Monthly Update for September 2017

Where Did We Drive It?
Aside from a trip from one end of California to the other, our long-term 2017 Infiniti QX30 didn't see much action this month. Our typical commutes around town, combined with its one long highway stint, were enough to add over 1,500 miles in four weeks, though. As a result, it's ahead of schedule with more than 10,000 miles on the clock after just five months in the fleet. It seems popular enough to get signed out on a regular basis, but as we're nearing the halfway point of our test, a few complaints have started to crop up.

What Kind of Fuel Economy Did It Get?
We filled the tank in the QX30 six times during the month of September and ended up averaging 23.3 mpg over the month. That's 0.5 mpg lower than our lifetime average and right between the EPA's city and combined ratings. Here's how all the numbers break down.

Average lifetime mpg: 23.8
EPA mpg rating: 25 combined (21 city/30 highway)
Best fill mpg: 30.9
Best range: 411.7 miles
Current odometer: 10,018 miles

Maintenance and Upkeep
None.

Logbook Highlights
Performance
"The lack of available power in this QX is frustrating. Floor it when you're getting onto the freeway and it does OK, but the turbo-four really has to work in uphill passing situations. In town, the dual-clutch transmission and the slow-to-respond auto stop-start system are frustrating to deal with. It takes a good three-Mississippi to get the car going from a stop, and that's way too long if you're trying to make an unprotected left turn or merge into city traffic without cutting someone off. Turn off the auto stop-start and keep the car in Sport mode all the time; that's the way to go." — Travis Langness, automotive editor

"Annoying that this car defaults to Eco mode on startup. Because, really, Sport or Manual is the only way to drive this car. Of the two, I'll take Sport. You'll forget you switched it into Manual somewhere on the highway, slicing through traffic using the paddles. Then as you're turning through the first signal at the off-ramp, you're bouncing off the rev limiter because you can't get to the upshift paddle, which is now on the other side of the steering wheel. This feels like a lame concession to EPA testing standards and an even lamer restriction on the owner. If there's a setting to change it to driver preference, I couldn't find it." — Dan Frio, staff writer

Interior
"There's a really annoying creak coming from the driver's side rear door on the QX — in the city over bumps, on the highway when it's flat, or even when you take a corner at around 20 miles per hour. We need to get this checked the next time it goes in for a service; it's super annoying. If there's nothing to fix, I'm breaking out the Sawzall." — Travis Langness

"Not many cars make me feel claustrophobic. Actually, none that I can think of, except the QX30. I'm not a tall driver and I'm not sitting up high, but the roof is really low. It's like a Japanese capsule hotel. Sliding back the sunroof panel helps a bit since it visually opens up the cabin." — Dan Frio

Technology-Audio
"The Nissan-sourced 360-degree camera is a nice addition to our QX, but the low-resolution cameras make it feel cheap, especially inside a $47,010 car. This is the same camera system you can get on a Nissan Rogue, and it shows. It works well and feels classy in the Rogue, but in the QX it brings things down a notch." — Travis Langness

Utility
"We refer to the QX30 as a subcompact crossover SUV. What does that mean in the real world? Well, in the golfing world at least, it means you have to remove your driver in order to fit your bag in the trunk. I'm used to doing that when I'm driving small hatchbacks, but I'd hope a crossover would be a bit more accommodating. Think of this subcompact crossover as a little hatchback on stilts and you won't be far off." — Josh Sadlier, senior manager content strategy

Miscellaneous
"Most cars display a reasonably accurate distance-to-empty mileage. By the time you've drained the tank to within 40, 25, 15 miles, the trip computer usually lets you know so you can plan a stop, or roadside assistance call, appropriately. Not the QX30. All you get a little icon of the car's backside parked next to a pump. This is not helpful!" — Dan Frio

Monthly Update for October 2017

Where Did We Drive It?
We didn't drive our 2017 Infiniti QX30 as much as usual last month. It seemed we couldn't escape the dark cloud hovering above it. The gloom that followed wasn't the car's, but our own, and it kept our Infiniti on the sidelines for much of October.

Early in the month the QX30 played the role of support vehicle for a video shoot. On location the driver twisted an ankle, subsequently placing her and the car out of commission for an extended period. She recovered enough to pass the key off to the next editor, who came down with the flu. More driveway time for the QX. In hopes of catching up on mileage, we sent it to Las Vegas for the weekend preceding Halloween. I was asked not to mention how much money was left there.

What Kind of Fuel Economy Did It Get?
There are no significant changes to report. Not much is going to change if the car doesn't spend any time on the road. Since we drove just 1,111 miles since the last update, all records remained intact, except one: We had an ever-so-slight dip of 0.2 mpg in our lifetime average mpg.

Average lifetime mpg: 23.6
EPA mpg rating: 21 combined (21 city/30 highway)
Best-fill mpg: 30.9
Best range: 411.7 miles
Current odometer: 11,129 miles

Maintenance and Upkeep
None.

Logbook Highlights

Performance
"A couple times on the drive home, I needed to make a quick left in heavy L.A. traffic and wasn't sure the QX30 was quite up to it, even in Sport mode. The transmission seems to lag a bit. Once it's on the go, acceleration seems much more assured." — Kathleen Clonts, copy chief

Interior
"The interior leather is soft and feels very high-quality. The placement of the knob for the infotainment center is in the center console, which is really easy to access and use." — Laurel Carden, social media manager

Technology-Audio
"The blind-spot warning light pops up in this crevice of the window pillar. For me, it wasn't as easy to see as a warning light in a mirror." — Kathleen Clonts

"It seemed to take me longer than it should have to back out of a parking spot, knowing the QX30 is fairly compact. The parking sensors chimed in, warning about a big pillar next to the car, which elevated my stress a bit. But at other times, like when parking next to a wall with no parking curb, I was happy to have the sensors and the camera's help." — Kathleen Clonts

Cargo Space
"After reorganizing my entire apartment, I had a ton of things to return and donations for Salvation Army. The back seats were super easy to put down, making it really easy to load up the car. It fit all my stuff, and running errands in the sporty Infiniti was extra fun." — Laurel Carden

Miscellaneous
"There's a rattle coming from the roof area just above the side roof pillar on the driver's side. I know it's coming from there because if I press on the headliner in that spot it goes away. Our QX30 just passed 10,000 miles, which isn't very much, so it's worrying to see build-quality issues cropping up already." — Will Kaufman, associate staff writer

Monthly Update for November 2017

Where Did We Drive It?
We added a decent chunk of miles to our 2017 Infiniti QX30 this month. Josh Sadlier drove it up to Northern California for a golfing trip, and I took my family to visit relatives for Thanksgiving. The combination, plus our normal commuting, gave us about 2,000 more miles on the odometer. Our QX30 earned favorable comments overall about the way it drives and looks, but its infotainment interface drew plenty of ire this month.

What Kind of Fuel Economy Did It Get?
A lot of our mileage this month came from highway driving. As such, the QX30 averaged 27.2 mpg for the month, which helped bump up our overall average to 24.1 mpg (up from 23.6 mpg from last month).

Average lifetime mpg: 24.1
EPA mpg rating: 25 combined (21 city/30 highway)
Best-fill mpg: 30.9
Best range: 411.7 miles
Current odometer: 13,102 miles

Maintenance and Upkeep
None.

Logbook Highlights

Performance
"You know, our long-term Infiniti QX30 is pretty fun to hustle along a curvy road. It responds quickly to your steering wheel inputs and stays planted and solid as you transition from turn to turn. There's suitable grip from the tires, too. I'm impressed." — Brent Romans, senior editor

"I am officially the mayor of QX30-ville, having driven our copper-pink cutie to Oregon in July and now Northern California in early November. Roughly 25 percent of the Q's current 12,000 miles or so (as of mid-November) have been recorded on my watch. Familiarity has not bred contempt. I like the punch and refinement of the Mercedes turbo under the hood, and the car's high-speed comportment likewise speaks to its German rearing."— Josh Sadlier, senior manager, content strategy

"One thing that concerns me a bit is the transmission. At throttle tip-in, it makes all this noise before actually engaging, kind of like a little kid making motorboat noises in the bathtub. And then, nothing. The responsiveness here is overly slow, at least in the default Eco mode. I know it's done for efficiency sake, but it's still rather aggravating." — Abigail Bassett, senior director video and social media

Interior
"The interior leather is soft and feels very high-quality. There just isn't much room for things like purses, and there is no sunglass holder in the visor. I need a place to put my sunglasses. But aside from the sunglass issue, I love this car!" — Laurel Carden, social media manager

"The QX30's cabin takes getting used to. My personal car is a midsize sedan, and the QX30 feels cramped and small in comparison. But after a while the tight space grew on me. You have to remember what it is and remember that the cramped space is a result of the QX30's sleek design, which I happen to like." — Laurel Carden

Technology-Audio
"The audio controls are not very well laid out, and you can't skip tracks from the steering wheel unless you have the gauge cluster display set to music rather than the trip computer or distance-to-empty info or anything else actually useful. Infiniti's infotainment definitely feels stuck in the last generation."— Will Kaufman, associate writer

"The more I drive our QX30, the more I get annoyed with its infotainment interface. Some physical buttons for the system are located on the dash, while others are next to the console-mounted knob controller. Using that controller to select items on the touchscreen display often isn't intuitive. You can use the touchscreen as a work-around, but the whole experience just seems like a hodgepodge of control interfaces that aren't harmonized. Oh, it would also be preferable if the system remembered what screen (e.g., radio) you were on when you last drove the car rather than defaulting to a map display at startup."— Brent Romans

"Sound quality for the 10-speaker Bose sound system in our QX30 is solid. I like its staging and balanced output. It's not going to blow you away with awesomeness, but it's noticeably better than a standard system. It comes standard on the Premium and Sport trim levels."— Brent Romans

"I've noticed that the overly sensitive blind-spot monitoring system will sometimes alert the driver to cars that are two lanes over. The same goes for any of the parking sensors. I have a narrow driveway and, without fail, every single time I pull in the alarms go off. At first it's nerve-wracking, then you get used to it and ignore it (which is totally not the point of the sensors in the first place). I wish automakers would allow us to dial in the sensitivity instead of offering a one-size-fits-all because in major cities like L.A. and New York supersensitive blind-spot monitors and parking sensors are the absolute bane of daily commutes."— Abigail Bassett

Cargo Space
"Infiniti lists the QX30's cargo space at 19.2 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 34 cubic feet when folded. That's not a whole lot. Then again, subcompact luxury crossover SUVs aren't really known for expansive storage capacities. Two real-world-use examples: 1) for a Thanksgiving holiday road trip, I fit two medium suitcases, one small one, two duffel bags and a laptop bag behind the rear seats; 2) after Thanksgiving, I used the QX30 to move some Christmas-related boxes out of storage by folding down the rear seats. Overall, I think the QX30 is fine for occasional cargo hauling as long as your expectations are low." — Brent Romans

Miscellaneous
"The color of the QX30 is pretty polarizing. Many in the office hate it while I have to say I like it quite a bit. I'm a fan of rose gold — it hits the right spot, and I've heard a ton of compliments on it, specifically from random women walking by, either in Palos Verdes or on Sunset Boulevard.

"I do wish I could see it in other colors, though. I think the exterior styling is really great, especially for a small compact crossover. I would love to know what it looks like in black or red in the real world and not just from Infiniti's online configurator. I just haven't seen any other QX30s on the road."— Abigail Bassett

"Whenever I get out of the QX30 and into my own four-door 2013 Volkswagen GTI, I'm struck by the VW's superior packaging. Despite its smaller footprint, it's got a more spacious back seat and comparable real-world cargo-carrying capability. And don't get me started on how much better VW's DSG is than the Mercedes dual-clutch automatic transmission that does duty in the Q.

"I get the appeal of the Infiniti's elevated driving position and all-wheel drive, but if those two features aren't absolute gotta-haves, I'd strongly recommend considering the current GTI instead. Or if you need AWD, try the Golf R. At the end of the day, we're just talking about upscale hatchbacks here, and there's no reason to compromise on cabin space and all-around performance if you don't have to." — Josh Sadlier

Monthly Update for December 2017

Where Did We Drive It?
Our long-term 2017 Infiniti QX30 spent half of the month of December in Northern California with Senior Automotive Editor Brent Romans and the other half in Southern California commuting and gift-shopping with me. Between us, we logged 614 miles in the Liquid Copper SUV.

I've been in our QX30 a few times but never spent more than a few nights with it, and I'm impressed by the pep in its step and the steering ratio. More than a few times I was able to navigate through or around a tight spot where other SUVs might struggle. As Brent pointed out in his comments, driving the QX30 feels far more akin to navigating a smaller hatchback than an SUV.

That coziness, however, tended to drive my passengers insane. My companion is 6-foot-2, and nearly every time he climbed into the passenger seat, he hit his head and caught his foot on the way in. The ingress and egress is tighter than it appears even with the front seats slid far back, and taller passengers really have to crunch down to get in without banging their limbs. By the end of my time with the Infiniti, my boyfriend was not sad to see it go.

One of the best parts about spending time in our QX30 was the amount of attention that the rose gold color, what Infiniti calls Liquid Copper, received. Some of the guys in the office call it "skin-tag pink," but I like it. It turns out I'm not the only one. In more than one case, random people, both men and women, came up to me while I was loading up at the grocery store or heading home from teaching yoga to compliment the looks and color of the small crossover.

In my experience, no other car in our fleet gets this kind of attention and my hat's off to Infiniti for trying such an eye-catching color. A lot of the folks I talked to thought the color made the QX30 look more premium, and they were often surprised when I told them it was an Infiniti. It turns out that I am not the only road tester who likes the color, either. Editor Josh Sadlier, who called himself the mayor of "QX30-ville" in last month's update, notes that the rose gold really scratches the right itch.

What Kind of Fuel Economy Did It Get?
We put the 2017 Infiniti QX30 through a variety of traffic situations and logged 614.7 miles in December, both long highway runs and enough stop-and-go traffic to last a lifetime. It averaged 24.1 mpg for the month, less than the EPA estimate of 25 mpg combined and behind last month's 27.4 mpg. That's likely due to the rotten bumper-to-bumper traffic that I drive in from the South Bay to Santa Monica twice a day.

Average lifetime mpg: 24 mpg
EPA mpg rating: 25 combined (21 city/30 highway)
Best fill mpg: 30.9 mpg
Best range: 411.7 miles
Current odometer: 13,853 miles

Maintenance and Upkeep
None.

Logbook Highlights
Technology
"If I were to buy an Infiniti QX30, I think I'd go with the Premium trim level. That's what our long-term QX30 is. Compared to the midlevel Luxury trim, the Premium gets the Bose audio system, a sunroof, automatic wipers, and a garage door opener, among a few other features. Suggested price is $37,700 (2018 model, with AWD) versus $34,400 for a comparable Luxury trim. More importantly, the Premium is the only way to get the optional Technology package, which has the very useful top-down parking camera, blind-spot monitoring and forward collision mitigation system. It'd be nice if Infiniti also offered that package on the Luxury, though." — Brent Romans, senior automotive editor

"I like the way Infiniti tuned the QX30's frontal collision warning system. In my experience, it rarely issues warnings (or brakes) unless the situation is truly worthy of my attention. It's not a Chicken Little kind of system. No doubt it's hard for an automaker to make these kinds of systems effective but not overly intrusive." — Brent Romans

Interior
"Infiniti markets the QX30 as a crossover SUV. But the reality is that driving our QX30 reminds me more of what it's like to drive a hatchback. Interior passenger and cargo space are a lot like what you'll find in, say, a Mazda 3. And the QX30's handling and engine performance remind me of driving a VW GTI. It's a bit cozy inside, but it's certainly entertaining to drive." — Brent Romans

"The back seats of the QX30 pose a bit of a challenge for anyone over 5 feet 6. With taller passengers in front, the clearance behind the front seatbacks is very narrow, and the rake of the roof toward the tailgate further diminishes headroom. This wouldn't be a surprise if the QX30 was marketed as a hatchback, but as a crossover SUV, you expect more headroom. The rear seats are firm and not nearly as comfortable as the more molded front seats. They'd be fine for smaller passengers, but if you're planning on carrying adults for long stretches, be prepared for complaints of cramped legs and stiff backs." — Abigail Bassett, senior director, video & social media

Monthly Update for January 2018

Where Did We Drive It?
Our long-term 2017 Infiniti QX30 didn't travel far last month, spending most of its time around the Los Angeles and Orange County sprawls of Southern California. The staff continues to be divided on the Liquid-Copper-Rose-Gold-Pink-Champagne paint, but there's no question about its ability to draw people's attention.

Even in such a low-mileage month, our staff wasn't short on observations, ranging from a quirky electronic glitch to an interesting feature that likely no QX30 owner in the U.S. has used. (Tell us if we're wrong.) We get into these in the logbook comments below.

What Kind of Fuel Economy Did It Get?
Turning over just 584 miles in January, primarily while commuting, resulted in a loss of 0.1 mpg in our lifetime average. Our monthly fuel economy average of 22.5 mpg nudged the needle south, and it was a far cry from our best monthly average of 27.4 mpg. Of our 54 fill-ups, we've managed to hit the 30 mpg highway target on just two occasions.

Average lifetime mpg: 23.9 mpg
EPA mpg rating: 25 combined (21 city/30 highway)
Best fill mpg: 30.9
Best range: 411.7 miles
Current odometer: 14,437 miles

Maintenance and Upkeep
No maintenance needed. With an engine oil and oil filter change interval every 10,000 miles, our QX30 is good to go for another 5,500 miles.

Logbook Highlights

Interior
"Ignoring the Champagne color, the QX's styling is quite elegant and certainly less gawky than that of the Mercedes-Benz GLA equivalent. The interior is pleasant, too. The main downsides are inherited from Mercedes-Benz: the door-mounted seat controls and the small infotainment screen. Someone asked once how a tall guy like me fit. 'Better than expected' is what I came back with. From outward appearances, it looks like it'd be cramped, but I fit pretty well once inside. I do have to duck a bit as I get in, but that part is self-evident from the outside." — Dan Edmunds, director of vehicle testing

Maintenance
"Our QX30 has a keyless entry system that does not require the driver to press the key fob to unlock or lock the door. Provided the transponder-equipped key is near the door, merely touching the handle can lock or unlock the door. But on the driver's side front door, this system does not recognize requests activated from the door handle, though we can still operate the door locks using the key fob. The transponder system works since we can still open the door normally from the passenger side. Our hypothesis is that the door-pull harness somehow got unplugged from the rest of the assembly. We'll report our findings after we've fixed the issue." — Calvin Kim, road test editor

Technology-Audio
"Configuring vehicle settings in our QX30 requires more exploration than others. Normally the central infotainment system, which has both a rotary knob and a touchscreen, would do more of the heavy lifting, but a surprising number of features — from the lights to the locks and driver aids — are accessed only through the smaller instrument panel menu. This is something you can adapt to, but it's not quite as convenient as using the larger touchscreen system."— Jonathan Elfalan, road test manager

Performance
"The Infiniti QX30 drives and handles agreeably, with adequate power and alert reflexes. But a few inherited Mercedes-Benz traits represent rough edges that deserve to be smoothed. The first of these is the ride, which feels a bit tense over the broken concrete roads found near my house. The other is the dual-clutch automatic transmission, which can feel a bit lurchy at low speeds and when throttle inputs are wavering and indecisive. Fix these two things (and the wider-than-you'd-expect U-turn radius) and I'm in." — Dan Edmunds

"Getting back into the QX30 with 10,000 more miles logged on its odometer, I noticed a slight degradation in shift quality. While in Eco mode, low-speed kickdown requests are downright glacial and result in engine-rpm hang. Sport mode resolves many of the speed issues, but it also produces frenetic engine revving. I'm wondering if this could be a calibration issue exacerbated by degrading transmission mount bushings." — Calvin Kim

Miscellaneous
"Fun fact: The P setting on the headlight dial is yet another giveaway of our QX30's German DNA. When selected, only one side of the car's front and rear parking lights will be illuminated. This is a popular European feature that people normally use when parking on a particularly narrow street at night. Leaving only the outboard light on makes your car more visible to passing drivers, without running down the battery quite as quickly. I've still yet to see anyone in the U.S. use such a feature." — Jonathan Elfalan

Monthly Update for February 2018

Where Did We Drive It?
In the shortest month, our 2017 Infiniti QX30 largely handled local commuting duties, and yours truly drove the little beast to San Diego through the worst of what South L.A. traffic can offer. Along the way, our reactions were ... mixed. Senior Writer Mark Takahashi felt so strongly that he couldn't express his dissatisfaction without relying on cultural references from a quarter-century ago.

There's still praise around the office for the Mercedes-cum-Infiniti's punchy acceleration and maneuverability, but the cramped interior, clunky transmission and outdated infotainment haven't won it many converts.

What Kind of Fuel Economy Did It Get?
We added about 500 miles to the QX30's odometer in February, and the flesh-tone crossover returned just under 20 mpg over that distance. That's short of even the EPA-estimated city mileage. This performance dragged our lifetime economy down another tenth to 23.8 mpg, or 1.2 mpg off the EPA combined rating. The Infiniti's EPA rating isn't far off from average for the class, but with hybrid competitors coming from Volvo and Lexus in the near future, the needle's going to move. Any underperformance might be a bigger deal in that new landscape.

Average lifetime mpg: 23.8
EPA mpg rating: 25 combined (20 city/30 highway)
Best fill mpg: 30.9 mpg
Best range: 411.7 miles
Current odometer: 14,984 miles

Maintenance and Upkeep
None.

Logbook Highlights

Technology
"This car is based on one of my least favorite cars from the last couple of years: the Mercedes GLA. It retains all of the things I despise, like the clumsy transmission and poor ride quality. Then it removes one of the few redeeming qualities of that car: the Mercedes COMAND system. The QX30 screams 'last generation' in almost everything it does. In the words of Charles Barkley, 'Turrabull.'" — Mark Takahashi, senior writer

"The adaptive cruise actually works pretty well in slow traffic, keeping an even distance from the car ahead without much in the way of jerky acceleration or deceleration. That said, full stops can be pretty jerky, especially if the vehicle has had time to build up a little speed. It's unpleasant enough that in full stop-and-go I opted not to use the feature." — Will Kaufman, associate staff writer

"The rearview and surround-view cameras are actually quite good. I often find I can't rely on side camera views when parallel parking because they're overly conservative and leave me too far from the curb. But in the QX30, the side cameras give me an excellent sense of where I'm placing the vehicle." — Will Kaufman

"Gotta love the hard key that activates the surround camera. It's easy to see and activate. Car manufacturers, if you've got a camera system in the car, make it easy for drivers to activate it!" — Calvin Kim, road test editor

"The center screen is small, but it still wastes real estate, so it displays even less information at one time than you'd expect. The bottom third is dedicated to the shift pattern, but that only appears on the right half of the screen. I don't really need to see the shift pattern there all the time, and I'd much rather have more information displayed than look at a blank space with a bit of grayscale gradient for a background." — Will Kaufman

Performance
"Why isn't there a normal mode? The QX30 has Sport and Eco, and neither's ideal around town. In Eco there's a moment of torquiness just on the throttle that dies off almost immediately, and you have to move further into the pedal travel before you get the acceleration that first moment made you expect. Sport mode on the other hand is twitchy and sensitive, and wearing when you're navigating L.A. streets. Sometimes you just need to be normal." — Will Kaufman

Comfort
"There's a pad on the driver's side of the center console, which is usually a nice thought, but in this case I can't really tell who it's meant for. It hits my leg squarely mid-calf, which is not a spot that really needs padding, and it's very noticeable because it sticks out a bit. I imagine shorter drivers would sit closer and higher, so their knee wouldn't be anywhere near that spot either. It's a thoughtless ergonomic choice in a vehicle that seems defined by a lack of thoughtful choices. (See also the puddle lamps that shine on the doors and not the ground.)" — Will Kaufman

"A few hours on the road left me unhappy with these seats. I found I had hot spots on my butt and back where it felt like I had pushed through the padding and was sitting squarely on the hard springs." — Will Kaufman

Interior
"This car seems to have been built for drivers shorter than 5 feet tall. The driver's seat is boosted way too high for me, and I'm not super tall. There's no need for that. I feel like Magnum P.I. sitting in his comically small 308 GTS. Normally that would be a good thing, but I'm driving this metallic flesh-colored thing shaped like a carp. In the immortal words of Nancy Kerrigan, 'WHHHHHYYYYYYYYY?!?' " — Mark Takahashi

Miscellaneous
"Many do not like the color, but I like it. In a sea of blacks, silvers and whites, Liquid Copper Metallic stands out wonderfully." — Calvin Kim

Monthly Update for March 2018

Where Did We Drive It?
Our little wonder, the 2017 Infiniti QX30, is a bit polarizing. You either love it or hate it. Though diminutive, the QX30 redeems itself with its quickness and small form, which is wonderful when parking in tiny metropolitan spaces. With its distinctive Liquid Copper hue, it's also easy to spot in crowded parking lots. Sadly, we barely drove it in March. When we did, it was to commute home or to run a variety of errands close to Edmunds HQ.

What Kind of Fuel Economy Did It Get?
During the month of February, we logged roughly 500 miles in our QX30. It didn't fare so well mileage-wise in March either. You can blame the influx of new long-term hotness in our fleet (the new Wrangler, Kia Stinger and Mazda CX-5) or the BMW fest of six short-term vehicles. By month's end, we put only 588 miles on the QX30, which barely beats our February total, though we did get 23.9 mpg. That matches our lifetime average, so we're neither disappointed nor excited by the result.

Average lifetime mpg: 23.8
EPA mpg rating: 25 combined (20 city/30 highway)
Best fill mpg: 30.9
Best range: 411.7 miles
Current odometer: 15,572 miles

Maintenance and Upkeep
None.

Logbook Highlights

Interior
"Since I do a lot of city driving, I've never felt a need to use cruise control. But when I was told that our QX30 had full-stop capable dynamic cruise control, I wanted to give it a shot on my daily commute. But once seated in the car, I couldn't see any cruise control buttons on the steering wheel or any additional control stalks. Feeling around, I realized that there's a dedicated cruise control stalk below the turn-signal stalk, completely hidden behind the steering wheel. And since the stalk is invisible, I couldn't read any of the function labels to figure out which action activated which function." — Calvin Kim, road test editor

Comfort
"Personally, I'm a big fan of the QX30. While small, it still feels very comfortable from a driver's perspective. Now, if I was a passenger sitting behind me (I'm 5 feet 10 inches for reference), I would probably be irate." — Rex Tokeshi-Torres, vehicle testing technician

Miscellaneous
"When opening the rear hatch of the QX30, I noticed that it doesn't release on the first press. You have to press it a second time for the latch to release. I can't imagine this is by design, so perhaps this is something that needs to be checked when we take it in for service." — Jonathan Elfalan, road test manager

Monthly Update for April 2018

Where Did We Drive It?
The small proportions of our 2017 Infiniti QX30 are best suited for life as a city dweller, the role it fulfilled for most of April. Halfway through the month, we broke up the monotony of putting around town and office commuting with a 270-mile road trip south to San Diego.

What Kind of Fuel Economy Did It Get?
We traveled just under 1,000 miles in the QX30 in April. Four weeks of local errand-running dropped our lifetime fuel economy average by one-tenth, to 23.7 mpg. This is likely where it will remain as our long-term test draws to a close.

Average lifetime mpg: 23.7
EPA mpg rating: 25 combined (21 city/30 highway)
Best fill mpg: 30.9
Best range: 411.7 miles
Current odometer: 16,513 miles

Maintenance and Upkeep
The owner's manual recommends following the onboard oil monitor. It says we won't need service until the 20,000-mile mark. The manual suggests an interval of 16,000 miles or one year. Since we've reached both the mileage and time intervals, we'll make an appointment.

Logbook Highlights

Performance
"The QX30's copper pink paint doesn't do it any favors around here, but there's a satisfying little car underneath that nail-polish veneer. The Mercedes-sourced turbocharged four-cylinder engine is spirited and capable, and while I don't love Benz's dual-clutch transmission (VW/Audi does it so much better), I wouldn't consider it a deal-breaker either.

"I often end up comparing the QX to my own 2013 Volkswagen GTI, as they're similar in size and provenance, and the Infiniti holds its own. I prefer to sit lower to the ground with a manual transmission and a bigger back seat, so I'll keep the GTI. But if you're looking for a high-riding hatchback with available all-wheel drive, the QX30 delivers the goods with a welcome dose of that German driving character." — Josh Sadlier, senior manager, content strategy

"The QX30 is a great cruising car in open, flowing traffic. It has nice balance, feels sturdy and is pretty comfortable for two-hour drives. One place that didn't instill confidence was in slow, heavy traffic. The dual-clutch transmission has a noticeable lag when you want to get on the gas. I'm sure that's not a big deal for people, but for quick maneuvering moments, I don't like the extra second needed for a response." — Rich Kuras, content strategist

Technology-Audio
"The central infotainment screen in the QX30 is Infiniti's standard corporate unit, which means it hasn't changed much over the past decade. Maybe it was cool in 2008, but it's sorely outdated by today's standards and takes a significant bite out of the QX30's appeal. I generally like how the QX drives, but that's the Mercedes part. It's on Infiniti to match those Teutonic driving dynamics with delightful cabin technology.

"Unfortunately, there's nothing delightful about the infotainment interface. Maybe Infiniti should have paid Mercedes a little extra to get the superior COMAND interface from the GLA. Or maybe it tried and Mercedes declined." — Josh Sadlier

Technology-Audio
"As a driver, you are responsible for controlling your vehicle and being attentive at all times. This includes when radar cruise control is active. I'm happy I was alert because the QX30's Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC) almost sped me into another car during a merge on the 110 freeway. The car in front of me moved to the right lane and another car moved quickly into its vacated spot. In that fraction of a second, ICC saw daylight and the QX30 sped up. I anticipated the other driver's actions and calmly deactivated ICC by tapping the brakes.

"These systems are just driver aids and not a reason to tune out. This now ends our public service announcement. The More You Know ... *flying star*." — Rex Tokeshi-Torres, vehicle testing technician

Miscellaneous
"Why does the Infiniti's door lock plunger look like my missing K'nex piece?" — Cameron Rogers, staff writer

"The Liquid Copper paint color on our QX30 has been very polarizing. You either love it or hate it, with most around the Edmunds office leaning toward the latter. If you're into rose gold iPhones, you'll love it. If I was buying this car, my choice would absolutely be Ink Blue. It's a deep blue that can look purple at times.

"Not surprisingly, these are both among the rarest QX30 colors. I did a quick inventory search and within a 500-mile radius only found eight Liquid Copper models. Ink Blue and Chestnut Bronze were tied for the second-rarest, with only 22 models within a 500-mile radius. If you're curious, Majestic White was the most plentiful color, with 64 available within the same radius." — Ron Montoya, senior consumer advice editor

Wrap-Up

What We Got

Our 2017 Infiniti QX30 Premium came with everything, including an upgraded Bose stereo, navigation, a full suite of driver aids, a 360-degree camera, and upgraded interior leather and trim. The subcompact crossover market is on fire right now, and Infiniti threw its hat in the ring by starting with a Mercedes-Benz GLA and making a few changes. We had to see how the Mercfiniti stacked up in such a hot market and how it compared to its Teutonic twin. So what did we think?

Performance

"You know, our long-term Infiniti QX30 is pretty fun to hustle along a curvy road. It responds quickly to your steering wheel inputs and stays planted and solid as you transition from turn to turn. There's suitable grip from the tires, too. I'm impressed." — Brent Romans, senior editor

"The Infiniti QX30 drives and handles agreeably, with adequate power and alert reflexes. But a few inherited Mercedes-Benz traits represent rough edges that deserve to be smoothed. The first of these is the ride, which feels a bit tense over the broken concrete roads found near my house. The other is the dual-clutch automatic transmission, which can feel a bit lurchy at low speeds and when throttle inputs are wavering and indecisive. Fix these two things (and the wider-than-you'd-expect U-turn radius) and I'm in." — Dan Edmunds, director of vehicle testing

"Where's normal mode? The Infiniti QX30 defaults to Eco driving mode. It's quick to shift gears in an effort to conserve fuel, but it feels a bit sluggish to accelerate. There's also a Sport mode but it is a bit too high-strung for daily driving. The only other choice is manual mode, but that's too much work. It doesn't solve the problem of being a nice in-between mode that you can set and forget. I can't think of another car that doesn't have a normal mode. Eco mode should be a choice, not the default." — Ron Montoya, senior consumer advice editor

"The QX30 is a great cruising car in open, flowing traffic. It has nice balance, feels sturdy and is pretty comfortable for two-hour drives. One place that didn't instill confidence was in slow, heavy traffic. The dual-clutch transmission has a noticeable lag when you want to get on the gas. I'm sure that's not a big deal for people, but for quick maneuvering moments, I don't like the extra second needed for a response." — Rich Kuras, content strategist

"Familiar Mercedes cues inside: center console buttons and switchgear, seat controls mounted in the upper door panel, steering column stalks, even the switch for selecting Eco/Sport/Manual drive modes with its little cyclone graphic. Sadly, the transmission feels Mercedes familiar as well — that would be Mercedes CLA/GLA familiar, which we've rightly savaged in every drive and test we've done with either of those cars. Apparently Infiniti has done its own powertrain tuning, but to no discernible effect, which underscores the awfulness of this gearbox. Soft, spongy accelerator/turbo lag makes the QX30 undrivable in default Eco mode, and barely tolerable in Sport." — Dan Frio, staff writer

Comfort

"Ouch! My arm! Didn't we get rid of stupid door lock plungers that stick up in the 1980s? I thought everyone has gone to flip levers mounted by the inside release handle. The QX30 employs the old plunger style that stands up from the door panel, where it's perfectly positioned, even in the lower LOCKED position, to give you a deep tissue bruise if you: A) drive with your arm resting on the sill of the open window or B) reach out through the open window to receive food at a drive-thru restaurant or cash at a drive-up ATM — both scenarios that became common after the pop-up plunger first appeared in the '60s (and one could make a strong argument that they led to this design's demise). It seems Infiniti (or perhaps Mercedes) did not get the memo." —Dan Edmunds

"I rolled up over 2,000 miles on my drive to Oregon and didn't have a single complaint to record about the driver's seat. That's pretty amazing. Nothing really stands out about it, but I didn't get sore at any point. Just good firm support, no frills. Also, there was plenty of legroom for this lanky 6-foot-1 driver, with a bit more in reserve. A+." — Josh Sadlier, senior manager, content strategy

"A few hours on the road left me unhappy with these seats. I found I had hot spots on my butt and back where it felt like I had pushed through the padding and was sitting squarely on the hard springs." — Will Kaufman, associate staff writer

Cargo Space

"I'm surprised that a power liftgate apparently isn't available on any QX30. With the liftgate in its fully open position, my 5-foot-3 wife found that the handhold required an uncomfortable reach skyward, while the liftgate itself required an undue amount of effort to close. Not the end of the world, but isn't the point of luxury vehicles to make things like this easier?" — Josh Sadlier

"We refer to the QX30 as a subcompact crossover SUV. What does that mean in the real world? Well, in the golfing world at least, it means you have to remove your driver in order to fit your bag in the trunk. I'm used to doing that when I'm driving small hatchbacks, but I'd hope a crossover would be a bit more accommodating. Think of this subcompact crossover as a little hatchback on stilts and you won't be far off." — Josh Sadlier

"Infiniti lists the QX30's cargo space at 19.2 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 34 cubic feet when folded. That's not a whole lot. Then again, subcompact luxury crossover SUVs aren't really known for expansive storage capacities. Two real-world-use examples: 1) for a Thanksgiving holiday road trip, I fit two medium suitcases, one small one, two duffel bags and a laptop bag behind the rear seats; 2) after Thanksgiving, I used the QX30 to move some Christmas-related boxes out of storage by folding down the rear seats. Overall, I think the QX30 is fine for occasional cargo hauling as long as your expectations are low." — Brent Romans

Interior

"Since I do a lot of city driving, I've never felt a need to use cruise control. But when I was told that our QX30 had full-stop capable dynamic cruise control, I wanted to give it a shot on my daily commute. But once seated in the car, I couldn't see any cruise control buttons on the steering wheel or any additional control stalks. Feeling around, I realized that there's a dedicated cruise control stalk below the turn-signal stalk, completely hidden behind the steering wheel. And since the stalk is invisible, I couldn't read any of the function labels to figure out which action activated which function." — Calvin Kim, road test engineer

"This car seems to have been built for drivers shorter than 5 feet tall. The driver's seat is boosted way too high for me, and I'm not super tall. There's no need for that. I feel like Magnum P.I. sitting in his comically small 308 GTS. Normally that would be a good thing, but I'm driving this metallic flesh-colored thing shaped like a carp." — Mark Takahashi, senior writer

"Not many cars make me feel claustrophobic. Actually, none that I can think of, except the QX30. I'm not a tall driver and I'm not sitting up high, but the roof is really low. It's like a Japanese capsule hotel. Sliding back the sunroof panel helps a bit since it visually opens up the cabin." — Dan Frio

"The back seats of the QX30 pose a bit of a challenge for anyone over 5-foot-6. With taller passengers in front, the clearance behind the front seatbacks is very narrow, and the rake of the roof toward the tailgate further diminishes headroom. This wouldn't be a surprise if the QX30 was marketed as a hatchback, but as a crossover SUV, you expect more headroom. The rear seats are firm and not nearly as comfortable as the more molded front seats. They'd be fine for smaller passengers, but if you're planning on carrying adults for long stretches, be prepared for complaints of cramped legs and stiff backs." — Abigail Bassett, senior director, video & social media

Audio and Technology

"The central infotainment screen in the QX30 is Infiniti's standard corporate unit, which means it hasn't changed much over the past decade. Maybe it was cool in 2008, but it's sorely outdated by today's standards and takes a significant bite out of the QX30's appeal. I generally like how the QX drives, but that's the Mercedes part. It's on Infiniti to match those Teutonic driving dynamics with delightful cabin technology.

"Unfortunately, there's nothing delightful about the infotainment interface. Maybe Infiniti should have paid Mercedes a little extra to get the superior COMAND interface from the GLA. Or maybe it tried and Mercedes declined." — Josh Sadlier

"Configuring vehicle settings in our QX30 requires more exploration than others. Normally the central infotainment system, which has both a rotary knob and a touchscreen, would do more of the heavy lifting, but a surprising number of features, from the lights to the locks and driver aids, are accessed only through the smaller instrument panel menu. This is something you can adapt to, but it's not quite as convenient as using the larger touchscreen system." — Jonathan Elfalan, road test manager

"The more I drive our QX30, the more I get annoyed with its infotainment interface. Some physical buttons for the system are located on the dash, while others are next to the console-mounted knob controller. Using that controller to select items on the touchscreen display often isn't intuitive. You can use the touchscreen as a work-around, but the whole experience just seems like a hodgepodge of control interfaces that aren't harmonized. Oh, it would also be preferable if the system remembered what screen (e.g., radio) you were on when you last drove the car rather than defaulting to a map display at startup." — Brent Romans

"If I were to buy an Infiniti QX30, I think I'd go with the Premium trim level. That's what our long-term QX30 is. Compared to the midlevel Luxury trim, the Premium gets the Bose audio system, a sunroof, automatic wipers, and a garage door opener, among a few other features. Suggested price is $37,700 (2018 model, with AWD) versus $34,400 for a comparable Luxury trim. More importantly, the Premium is the only way to get the optional Technology package, which has the very useful top-down parking camera, blind-spot monitoring and forward collision mitigation system. It'd be nice if Infiniti also offered that package on the Luxury, though." — Brent Romans

Maintenance

"Our QX30 has a keyless entry system that does not require the driver to press the key fob to unlock or lock the door. Provided the transponder-equipped key is near the door, merely touching the handle can lock or unlock the door. But on the driver's side front door, this system does not recognize requests activated from the door handle, though we can still operate the door locks using the key fob. The transponder system works since we can still open the door normally from the passenger side. Our hypothesis is that the door-pull harness somehow got unplugged from the rest of the assembly. We'll report our findings after we've fixed the issue." — Calvin Kim (Calvin was largely correct, and the issue was fixed at no cost to us.)

Miscellaneous

"People seem to love the way this Infiniti looks. I'll admit, I'm fonder of the sheet metal on the QX30 than its Mercedes-Benz brother (the GLA), but I'm not sure it's my favorite design. My opinion aside, I was approached in parking lots more than once this weekend and given compliments on the looks of this car. People ask about the color, tell me it's a good-looking car, and in general, stop and stare. Apparently there's something about it that keeps people looking." — Travis Langness, staff writer

"Whenever I get out of the QX30 and into my own four-door 2013 Volkswagen GTI, I'm struck by the VW's superior packaging. Despite its smaller footprint, it's got a more spacious back seat and comparable real-world cargo-carrying capability. And don't get me started on how much better VW's DSG is than the Mercedes dual-clutch automatic transmission that does duty in the Q.

"I get the appeal of the Infiniti's elevated driving position and all-wheel drive, but if those two features aren't absolute gotta-haves, I'd strongly recommend considering the current GTI instead. Or if you need AWD, try the Golf R. At the end of the day, we're just talking about upscale hatchbacks here, and there's no reason to compromise on cabin space and all-around performance if you don't have to." — Josh Sadlier

"There's a rattle coming from the roof area just above the side roof pillar on the driver's side. I know it's coming from there because if I press on the headliner in that spot it goes away. Our QX30 just passed 10,000 miles, which isn't very much, so it's worrying to see build-quality issues cropping up already." — Will Kaufman

"Why does the Infiniti's door lock plunger look like my missing K'nex piece?" — Cameron Rogers, staff writer

Maintenance & Repairs

Regular Maintenance:
The QX30's regular service interval is 20,000 miles, but it calls for its first service to come at 16,000 miles or one year. Lack of enthusiasm for the little Mercfiniti around the office meant that it just didn't rack up the miles, but we cracked the 16,000-mile threshold just before the end of the loan and days before a final 1,200-mile road trip.

At 16,662 miles, we took the QX30 in for an oil-and-filter change and multipoint inspection. It cost us $144. Infiniti also installed a new steering bushing as part of an open service campaign.

Service Campaigns:
In November of last year, a recall was issued for an electrical problem that could cause the driver-side airbag to deploy. If you own a 2017-2018 QX30 or are considering buying a used one, we highly recommend checking to see if the recall affects your vehicle and if the proper repairs have been made.

Fuel Economy and Resale Value

Observed Fuel Economy:
Our 2017 Infiniti QX30 has an EPA estimated combined mileage of 25 mpg (21 city/30 highway). Our best fill came in at 30.9 mpg, and our average real-world fuel economy was 23.9 mpg over the 17,138.3 miles we drove. Considering how many of those were commuter miles in L.A. traffic, that's not a terrible outcome. Still, the QX30 isn't a particularly efficient vehicle.

Resale and Depreciation:
New, our QX30 had a sticker price of $47,010. Using our TMV calculator, we came up with a private-party sale value of about $27,000. That's a depreciation of about 42 percent over one year, which is incredibly steep. That's about how much our (in)famous 2005 Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG depreciated, which is saying something.

In fact, that depreciation curve is so steep I wasn't sure I believed it. But a little research turned up a 2017 QX30 equipped almost identically to ours, and with fewer miles, for sale from a local dealership for $29,300. Even on a dealer lot, the car lost almost 38 percent of its sticker value in a year.

When we first got our hands on the QX30, we thought the sticker price seemed high, and it looks like the market agreed with us.

Summing Up

Pros:
The QX30 has a peppy engine that was generally appreciated for its grunt, and the driver assist systems worked well for us. The vehicle's sleek design and standout color appealed strongly to some people.

Cons:
The transmission proved clunky and unpleasant, the infotainment system annoying and outdated, and interior space seriously compromised in the name of style. Steep depreciation from the rather high sticker price is also a concern. The QX30's sleek design and standout color really turned some people off.

Bottom Line:
Infiniti took a Mercedes-Benz that's fun to drive but has little else to recommend it, put in a worse infotainment system, and wrapped the whole thing in a body you either love or hate. The fact that this little luxury crossover missed its mileage goal by more than 2,000 miles says everything that needs to be said about how much enthusiasm we could drum up for it. That said, we won't yuck your yum if the QX30 ticks the boxes for you; we'd just recommend you opt for CPO to dodge the depreciation.

The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.