How many of you bought an EX with AVM?

[garbagejunk]

Debating about buying an EX35 myself in the next couple of months. Was at the dealership and looked at what they had avialable. This particular dealership had 9 EXs and only one of them had a tech package with the AVM. Just wondering if the ones without the AVM are not selling or do most people not want it?

[sluday]

I would not say that nobody wants AVM but the tech package is an expensive option and most dealers don't want to get stuck with them on the lot. Also I think most national lease deals are for the non tech package EX's and dealers could move them faster. I got the tech package for the intelligent cruise option which is awesome. I thought that I would never use the AVM but boy was I wrong. I use it every time park. I find myself backing into every parking spot just to use it. Although I could easily do without it, it is a nice toy to have and will always get you a WOW from every new passenger. The EX is a great car with or without the tech package. If you think you will use all the features then I would get it. When I got me EX I really just wanted the intelligent cruise and would have got just that option if I could.

[302@12psi]

I loved the tech. package...sadly it took the vehicle just out of my price range...learned to live without it. I have the nav so I still have the backup camera/sonar.

The Active Cruise is what really lured me over to the tech. package.

[jmess]

Intelligent cruise control isn't very intelligent. I find the way it slows down going around minor corners so annoying I have given up on using it. I use dumb cruise now.

IMHO, AVM is the only thing that works reasonable well in the tech package. The rest of the stuff is so impaired by nanny engineering that it is hard for me personally to justify the price of admission to anyone.

So paying $2K for AVM seems a little steep. That said if you price out the replacement costs for the cameras associated with AVM, LDA, LDW they are over $400 each (Nissan's real cost is probably $50.00 per camera). So the 5 cameras would cost your $2000. I didn't price the cost the the intelligent cruise laser but it probably isn't cheap either.

I read some rumors that AVM may become more common in Nissan vehicle in the future. Hopefully they will not force you to buy the impaired stuff with it.

[sg77]

The AVM was one of the big reasons I chose the EX.

[rianklong]

AVM would have been cool for sure, but ultimately wasn't worth the price for me. Backup cam and sonar takes care of 99% of what I need personally.

Also I knew that I would never use the Intelligent Cruise Control. With the traffic around here cruise control (even intelligent) almost never gets used.

[EX35_bernard]

So far its proven its worth a bit. I use to park front side first but now mostly I back up due to this feature. Its not a total neccessity but it helps.

[BrokenTiller]

No AVM on my ride. It seemed cool, but this vehicle has very little overhang front or rear and I find it very easy to park in underground parking with just the sonar and great mirrors.

[dividedhighw]

Intelligent cruise control isn't very intelligent. I find the way it slows down going around minor corners so annoying I have given up on using it. I use dumb cruise now.

IMHO, AVM is the only thing that works reasonable well in the tech package. The rest of the stuff is so impaired by nanny engineering that it is hard for me personally to justify the price of admission to anyone.

I absolutely agree with jmess on both points above.

I NEVER use LDW/LDP and am thankful that it was configurable to stay OFF at each startup. As one reviewer put it, it only keeps people who have no business being on the road, on the road a little longer.

The ICC has limited use for me also ... besides the odd behaviour in corners, I don't like how it can charge full tilt at what it can surely sense as a rapid closing speed, only to apply the brake once it reaches the chosen distance cushion. Why doesn't the algorithm reduce throttle so that it reaches the correct following distance without braking? Has anyone considered how erratic this appears to the other drivers on the road? (I assume the brake lights come on when ICC brakes, otherwise that in itself would be a safety hazard.)

That said, I use the AVM virtually every time I park, finding it significantlly more useful than simply a backup camera or the sonar sensors. I personally find the EX's rearward visibility inadequate, but the AVM mitigates this nicely. I can park perfectly every time I choose to, frontwards or backwards. (One implementation annoyance is that only the top view and right view are available - surely the left view is needed in Japan, England, etc, and they could have included it to help us out when parking on the left side of a one-way street?)

So, yes, I think that I would only buy 1 of the 3 (4?) options in the Tech Pkg if they were individually available, but I do place an extremely high value on the AVM and would likely look for a similar capability in any future car.

Cheers,David

[Punjab]

i would also agree the tech package had a few items that i wouldn't use the icc and the ldw, for the avm i do not parallel park much so it would be more of a novelty. I was curious is the ldw system not very accurate, it sounds great on paper. I wish the ex had that new collision system to brake in an emergency situation.

[UnMaTcHeD]

i would also agree the tech package had a few items that i wouldn't use the icc and the ldw, for the avm i do not parallel park much so it would be more of a novelty. I was curious is the ldw system not very accurate, it sounds great on paper. I wish the ex had that new collision system to brake in an emergency situation.

I leave mine on and 99% of the time it does not beep, I think that it works very well.
Modified by UnMaTcHeD at 3:03 PM 11/24/2008

[inteller]

I'll never buy another car without AVM. I'll stick with Infiniti as long as I have to if they are the only ones offering it.

[aft981]

I completely agree about the ICC. It does annoy me that as a car infront of me moves into another lane, the ICC speeds the car back up to the desired speed, but even when the little icon flashes up on the dashboard to show that it knows there is something infront of us, it still accelerates, until it gets the set distance from the vehicle infront and then slams on the brakes. One, it's a waste of gas, and two, you're right, it must seem very erratic to other road users.

My question would be, this is surely down to the algorithm that dictates what to do under every possible scenario. That should be easily fixable, and then can't they update the software in the car?

Related to that, I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but the Ex and Fx in Europe have a 'Low Speed Following Feature (LSF)' which maintains your distance from the car infront in slow moving traffic. Now THAT I would love. If you think about it, if you have ICC we presumably already have whatever hardware in the car is necessary to enable LSF, so do you think they could offer a software upgrade to allow the ICC to work all the way down to slow moving traffic speeds?

Modern cars have more and more electronics and computer equipment in them, shouldn't we be able to get updates just like with a PC or a phone etc etc?

[CaribMon71]

I feel it works just fine. If you have it set to 1 bar (following distance), then it will do just that. Speed up (without exceeding your preset cruise limit) to reach the distance you requested that the system maintain. If you want to avoid that behavior, simply set it at 3 bars distance and keep your cruise speed low.

If you have it set to 80mph and the car in front of you is only going 60mph, you will be constrained to 60. As soon as he moves away or you change lanes, the cruise will do it's job and get the car up to the 80mph you set it to. What's the problem with that?

I don't have issues around corners with the cruise control. I really like the way it works. I'm not sure if the brake lights come on or not. I like the fact that it can actually brake quite hard when you have vehicles in front of you braking suddenly. I always chicken out and hit the brakes myself, so I don't know how much it will actually slow the car down. This could be nice in fog. keep it at 3 bars and it can possibly slow the car down before you can actually see something in front of you.

Oh, and the around view.... BIG WOW factor. I always use it now. It is one of my favorite options.

[dividedhighw]

If you have it set to 80mph and the car in front of you is only going 60mph, you will be constrained to 60. As soon as he moves away or you change lanes, the cruise will do it's job and get the car up to the 80mph you set it to. What's the problem with that?

The problem isn't that. The problem is that if you set your cruise at 70mph and a truck ahead in your lane is going 50 mph, no matter how many bars you use, ICC will charge almost up to the preset distance at full speed, then brake to keep the distance. I would prefer that the ICC ease up on the throttle instead of braking, to match the obstruction's lower speed. If you change lanes or that slower vehicle takes an off-ramp, ICC can speed up again.

ICC can "see" how fast the distance is closing on something and knows its own vehicle speed. It takes only simple math to predict how much throttle to apply at any point in time. The only time it should brake is if it predicts that zero throttle won't slow down the car in time. For example, when you're on ICC coming up to 2 cars, one following the other and the rear-most one pulls out into your lane unexpectedly.

I'm not sure if the brake lights come on or not.

Huh?! For a company that wants to avoid a law suit by forcing you to click "OK" every time you try to use the Route Map, you think they'd design ICC to brake the vehicle without the brake lights coming on?!???? Seriously, dude?!?

Cheers,David

[Mike EX]

The tech package is completely worth it -- especially at 0% financing. The AVM is awesome -- I park flawlessly with it, and before it, I could always find my car in a lot because of the lousy job I did parking.

The other features are also terrific -- the lane departure warning is really helpful and has already improved my driving skills. The adaptive cruise control is really helpful -- the first time I used it I felt like I was driving a car from the future.

If you're getting an EX, it seems almost foolish to purchase it WITHOUT getting the AVM. It's like living in California without a pool. It's one of the best things about this fine automobile.

[jmess]

Glad you like the package. Saying it improves your driving skills isn't very comforting to your fellow motorists though.

[Jon_]

Get the tech pack.

1. AVM. One good ding avoided and its paid for. Plus, it's fun to watch.2. ICC. Contrary to everyone else, I use this every day. It's fantastic. It makes things just a bit safer particularly in CA where traffic has a way of going from 65 to dead stop then back to 65 without much notice. I like it.3. LDW/LDAS. Everyone else hates it. I'm mixed. I do think it sort of helps, and it certainly does what it is supposed to. But lets face it, we all drift a bit every now and again and it's annoying to be reminded of it. I keep it on, but it does annoy me.

Now that I've lost all credibility, still, buy the package.

[sluday]

Get the tech pack.

1. AVM. One good ding avoided and its paid for. Plus, it's fun to watch.2. ICC. Contrary to everyone else, I use this every day. It's fantastic. It makes things just a bit safer particularly in CA where traffic has a way of going from 65 to dead stop then back to 65 without much notice. I like it.3. LDW/LDAS. Everyone else hates it. I'm mixed. I do think it sort of helps, and it certainly does what it is supposed to. But lets face it, we all drift a bit every now and again and it's annoying to be reminded of it. I keep it on, but it does annoy me.

Now that I've lost all credibility, still, buy the package.

I also use the ICC everyday and love it. Mine works perfectly and I have never had any problems with it like some other posted have said. AVM is also a nice touch for this car. I know that the EX is not a big vehicle and is easy to park anywhere, but the AVM will let you park perfect everytime and I love backing into parking spots. It makes me look like a champ and will impress the ladies. As far as the LDW, I leave mine on all of the time. It does make me use my blinker more when shifting lanes which makes other drivers happier. Even when the roads are empty I use my blinker to avoid the annoying beeps. Some people have said that it beeps way too much when driving. Well if they are drifting into other lanes that much then they are just really bad drivers and i hope that the LDW wakes them up to keep them driving straight. I rarely use the LDAS only because I feel that it will wear the brakes out too fast. I do use it during late night drives though.

[majorg]

I specifically looked for one without tech. Money isn't an issue, just didn't like annoying lane departure warnings on the test drive and really hated intelligent cruise control that I had on my old '04 FX 35. For each their own, I guess.

[uygarselman]

AVM is the KEY reason I bought my EX35. I think I wouldn't buy it if there wasn't AVM.

[gloa2000]

I have always wanted AVM but at the time when i ordered the EX, they only had 2 White EX's, one with AVM/AWD one without AVM/AWD didnt want to spend another $2k for useless AWD in S.Cali. I am so regreting now for not having AVM, when i saw My Friend's FX with AVM, it was SOOOOOOOO TIGHT!!! and i do have small Garage with bunch of stuff in it.

[owl93]

The AVM is my favorite thing about my EX...when it is working. It has supposedly been fixed 3 times already, but it wouldn't come up on the screen again today, so my EX will be back in the shop next week. Not too great for a car that's only 2 months old.

[dividedhighw]

Sorry to hear your troubles, but congrats on your first posting!! Hopefully, next times'a charm.

BTW, you could also try another dealership ... competencies and service can vary quite a bit from one Infiniti dealer to another.

Cheers,David

[splautz]

The reason I took a look at Infiniti and the EX's was because of the tech package. The AVM is quite impressive. Trying to see in back is difficult with the small rear window and seats, but the AVM makes that a non-issue. I have to keep reminding myself not to totally rely on those cameras when backing up. You still need to make sure you aren't backing into oncoming traffic.. particularily bikes. The ICC is another reason I got the car. It'll be quite useful on long trips. As for as the issue of it speeding up and breaking, if you are in that situation, then you have your cruise set too high for the traffic conditions around you. It's not designed for high traffic areas or curvy roads. If you are going on a curvy road where the lasar can get confused slowing you down, then you probably should just shift to traditional mode or not use it. LDW/LDAS is another benefit. With that nice nav system there to look at and people texting me all the time, I need all the warning I can get as soon as possible should i start to drift. lol

The FX's seem to have a more advanced cruise control with "full speed range". I'm not sure what that entails. I know the EX's cruise beeps around 25mph and turns itself off. I'm assuming the FX's cruise can work with distance control assist and completely stop the car. but i'm not sure exactly how all that works. The EX does have what is called Brake Assist "with preview". It won't stop the car for you when it senses there's going to be a collision, but it will pressurize the brakes giving a few extra precious fractions of a second to stop when you do slam on the breaks. The FX has the intelligent Brake Assist where it will beep and actually start breaking I believe.

[jmess]

Unless you drive on 99% straight roads you will grow to dislike ICC. It doesn't take much of a corner for it to slow the car down. I don't think it has anything to do with the laser vs computer confusion. I think it is just another built in nanny feature.

[aft981]

With that nice nav system there to look at and people texting me all the time, I need all the warning I can get as soon as possible should i start to drift. lol

Ahem, I've actually nicknamed the LDP button as my 'Blackberry button'.

[Mark Booth]

I use the AVM every single day when parking the car! At work, I always pick a spot with a curb on the right and then park as close to that curb as possible to help prevent door dings (on the left side). Thanks to AVM, I can get VERY close to that curb. Works perfectly and, after 14 months of ownership, not a single door ding in the car. Better yet, not a single scraped wheel on the right side either!

When I originally popped for the Tech package, the feature I was most excited about was the Lane Departure system, followed by Adaptive Cruise and then the AVM. As it turns out, my favorites are the exact opposite.... AVM first, Adaptive Cruise and then Lane Departure. In fact, the Lane Departure system is completely off 99% of the time!

Mark

[CaribMon71]

I agree, Lane Departure doesn't really prevent. It just assists a little. I did experiment with a few things. My rear window was dirty so I was able to verify that when using adaptive cruise, when the car slows down, the brake lights come on.

Although I can't confirm this yet, I thought I noticed a slight increase in the red glow when minor speed decreases (negative change in velocity for the technical folks here) are made. Do we have that function? Where the intensity of the brake light varies with the pressure or speed at which the brakes are applied?

Well I also noticed that the car will brake quite forcefully if there is a car slowing down in front of it, until it hits (what seemed to be) 15 or 25 mph. Then it just releases the brakes and the cruise control gets disengaged. I probably scared the guy in front of me, but I was ready with my foot on the brake.