INFINITI JX 35 | STARTING PRICE: ABOUT $42,000

The JX35 is a new vehicle for Infiniti, the upscale car line of Nissan. It’s an upper midsize SUV that is car-based and is basically the Infiniti version of the Nissan Pathfinder. Though they share a common parentage, the two vehicles are really quite different from each other.

While technically in the midsize class, the JX is not a small vehicle. It’s a 4,200- pound, 7- passenger SUV with a spacious interior. It competes with vehicles like the Acura MDX and the Buick Enclave.

The styling of the JX does a good job of de-emphasizing the inherently boxy SUV-like lines of vehicles in this class. Obviously it’s an SUV, but it presents itself as a new take on the traditional design. The fact that it sits low to the ground allowing easy entry and exit is part of the benefit of Infiniti’s approach.

The interior is inviting, sufficiently luxurious and totally up to Infiniti standards. My test vehicle had the Midnight Garnet exterior and a Wheat interior with tan piping trim on the heated and cooled leather seats. They looked and felt just fine. The second row of seats is unique in that they have about 8 inches of fore-aft travel split 60/40. Infiniti’s innovative seat design allows owners to leave the child seat belted in place and with the pull of a handle, the seat folds and slides forward allowing easy entrance to the third row. Entertainment screens are on the back of the front seat headrests and an upscale Bose audio system with Cabin Surround technology fills the interior with high quality music.

The JX is powered by Nissan/Infiniti’s well-established 3.5 liter V6. It is connected to a CVT, continuously variable gearless transmission and all-wheel drive is offered as an option. The entire system is stout enough to boast a 5,000- pound towing capacity rating. Additionally, the Infiniti Drive Mode Selector allows you to twist a dial and control how you want your JX to function. The settings are Standard, Sport, Snow and Eco. My test JX had an EPA fuel economy rating of 18 city and 24 highway and a combined of 21 miles per gallon, which matches what I experienced during a week of driving.

Infiniti also offers a unique AVM (around view monitor) system. In addition to the backup camera, the JX has a front camera plus cameras on each side. The system offers a top-down composite view of the vehicle and allows the driver to be able to see how close he is to the car next door. It also works well with low objects like curbs.

The BCI (backup collision intervention) system will stop the vehicle if it sees an obstruction behind you before you do — just like in the TV commercial.

For 2014, the JX will become the QX60. Irrespective of its name, this Infiniti is a very fine vehicle that will transport the family in style.

THE 3-MILLION-MILE VOLVO: 1966 P1800

The Volvo car company has always been famous for its leadership in automotive safety. Many people don’t realize the brand could also lay claim to building extremely durable vehicles that last over the long haul. Here’s the story of the 3-million-mile Volvo.

On June 30, 1966, the Vietnam War was in full swing, Caesar’s Place opened in Las Vegas, Star Trek was first broadcast on TV, Ronald Reagan became Governor of California and the first heart transplant in the world was performed in Houston.

And Irv Gordon was in a neighborhood Volvo dealership purchasing a cherry red Volvo P1800, replacing a new car he had recently purchased from another manufacturer that broke down on his drive home from the dealership the day he purchased it.

After buying the Volvo, the Long Island native spent time behind the wheel for the same reasons most people do, to drive back and forth to work. He was a school teacher and had a 125-mile daily round-trip commute. His long commute and his passion for driving caused him to log his first 250,000 miles in less than five years.

Gordon hit 500,000 miles in the mid ‘70s. He celebrated his one-millionth mile in 1987, driving a loop around the Tavern on the Green in New York’s Central Park.

I first visited with Irv about 15 years ago at a Volvo press event. He told me that Volvo gave him a brand new car at the one-million-mile mark and he drove it for a while, but then realized he wasn’t putting miles on his P1800 so he switched back to driving the old car. He took me for a ride in his prized Volvo and though it was well worn and was 30-plus years old even back then, it purred along with amazing grace.

I asked him if he’d ever repainted the car and he said that it had its original paint. I knew he lived just a few blocks from the ocean so I wondered if he kept it in the garage. He said there was no room because that’s where he kept the Packard. I asked if he kept it under a tarp. He said no, that would just rub the paint off. All he did was wash and wax all the time and the car lived outside.

He told me his Volvo still had the original engine It had to be overhauled but for 47-year-old engine technology, it’s completely amazing. I asked him about things like brakes and clutches. He said that brakes last a long time, and ever since he stopped letting his ex-wife drive the car, he hasn’t had any clutch problems.

When Irv hit 2 million miles in 2002 he got a parade around Central Park. He expects to hit 3 million miles later this year, extending the world record that he already holds. That’s an average of over 63,000 miles each year for 47 years. Since Irv took the keys, his Volvo has the same engine, same radio, same axles, same transmission, and of course, the same driver.

The engine never failed and the car never required extensive repairs. It’s been driven through salt and snow each winter, but the body never rusted.

Kudos to Volvo for making rugged, reliable vehicles that in the possession of guys like Irv, can literally last a lifetime.

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