Hi all,

I've had my new 2012 M Hybrid for about a week now, with Premium Package. Wanted to find other M35h owners to discuss/share experiences with the car.

I love the car, love the way it drives, but after the first tank of gas...I got a bit nervous...actual numbers with both City and Hwy driving, in ECO mode the entire time...only 22.1 mpg. Note, the car was already driven for a couple months by dealer manager, test drives, etc. On the highway, I rarely saw upper 20's, however in my last few runs with the new tank, the computer is showing 27.5 mpg average. Better, but no where near 32 on the highway or 29 combined...and I haven't filled up again to test this. I don't drive crazy, but normal, and for much of the first run, I was driving light. Next thought is just to keep the car in Standard Mode...in Eco, I feel like I'm on the gas so much to keep the speed up, which seems to not make sense on the highway. (Note, I do not have the Eco pedal.)

Any thoughts or experiences from owners who've had the car longer? Please share.

Filled up today after about 100 miles of all Highway driving...some city, but 90% Highway... 25.7 mpg ...trip computer showed 26.3, so close, but surprised Hwy mpg is so poor.

Perfect timing.

I have had mine for 2 weeks. First tank was @ 22.5 all mixed.. and so far on my second tank (did not reset computer) I'm now at 23.7.. but more highway..

its been hotter than a mofo here in Socal.. so the AC has been blasting 100% of the time.. thats gonna kill the gas some.

and i read a couple of reviews saying that people always get bad mileage when they first start to drive the car, but they learn how to coast more and be more gentle on the pedal and ultimately they start to get better mpg..

the review i read said he went from 23 to like 28.. so i'm gonna be more conscious about how i drive.. and i'll keep you updated.. and after the next tank, i'm gonna reset the mpg

btw.. i have been on ECO mode 99% of the time.

Thank you, SilverM35h, for the reply. I was a bit discouraged with the first tank, so really sought to find other M Hybrid owners to compare experiences. Glad you found this...and glad I'm not alone! Sounds like we're in the same boat with the first drive. I too live in SoCal...even worse, Palm Springs! So, it's HOT to say the least. That being said, the AC seats are awesome! They actually work to the point I have to turn them off...as opposed to others I've felt that don't do anything. I have also kept the AC set to Auto at 78 to let the car do the work (and not run it extra without thinking about it).

Do you have any other option packages? I have the Premium Package, but no other options, so I do not have the Eco pedal (which I think would help, but then again, it may make the car crawl and every review I read said they turned it off). I've stayed in ECO about 95% of the time. Basically, I realize that the Eco mode won't let the car kick into a higher gear when you press the accelerator. On the highway, it's more sluggish to me and didn't seem to effect mpg...in stop and go, the Eco mode seems more comfortable...otherwise, the car is so powerful, it can blast off in Standard if you're not careful (though that can be fun). With hwy and city now, I'm getting more consistent 27 mpg on the trip computer.

I'm also realizing, you have to learn to drive this car in electric, if you want to use the electric motor more. Let me know if you have the same feeling in your car. To get the electric motor to engage solely at any speed, I have to almost remove my foot entirely from the pedal, barely touch it. Then, after the electric is on, you can push down a bit more and propel the car just using the electric engine...which is a neat feeling and I've driven the car quite far in electric. I wish this process were a bit more automatic, so I didn't have to really work it, but new is new, so I can learn. But, if you have heavy foot, there's a chance you'll rarely be on electric till you're about to stop. On the highway, I found this almost impossible, so I think that's why I'm getting 26-27 on highway, because I'm just using gas...fast speeds, empty highway. However, I did notice today, if I set the cruise control, at times, the gas engine did shut off and the car was being driven in electric only at 70 mph for multiple stretches...a thrilling feeling. My foot is basically unable to make this happen at such speeds, but the cruise control is obviously masterful at only engaging as much as it needs to to maintain speed. So, I look forward to testing cruise control more.

I am fine with 24-26 mpg around town...but highway driving alone, not to break 27.5 on average, that's disappointing... Also, I read one person's post who drove on the highway 75-80 mph for 300 miles in his new M Hybrid and showed a photo of 31.5 on his computer...I'd love to see mine do that... So, then you start wondering, is something wrong with my car?

Did you look at any other cars? Own other Infinitis? We looked at the new Lexus ES300h (hybrid) ...reports 40/39 mpg...sounds great, but the quality of the car just doesn't compare...and at the end of the day, as much as I want all the mpg's I can get, there's more to a car than mpg's. I will say, it's easily the greatest car I've ever owned, just remarkable, drives like a dream, sounds amazing, so comfortable... Now, if I could just get those highway numbers up!

Keep me posted and email me anytime at evanmagic at aol.com as well if you like.

i am loving this car. got the car tinted last week, 30% ceramic all around. was gonna do the windshield, but decided against it because lots of online forums said it will be a legal nightmare if i hit something/someone.

first off, does the rear view camera blow... my wifes bmw and my old tundra has vastly superior clarity..

and dude we are totally in the same boat... I was going to get the new lexus es300h also, but they wanted too much for it cause its a new model. and i test drove it at the tustin lexus, and its nowhere near as fun to drive as the m35h. then was leaning towards the regular lexus gs350, but my wife said it looks like a toyota (she likes the outgoing gs much more)

i have premium and deluxe touring.. interior is top notch.. everything feels super high end.. headliner, door trim, everything. forest air is a gimmick.. dont notice any difference.

do you have the bose system? Man this thing bumps.

i'm not too worried about mileage now, just enjoying it for the time being. did you see this review
http://reviews.cnet.com/sedan/2012-infi ... 860-2.html

look at their observed gas mileage 24.6, pretty close to ours.

anyways, coming from a 5.7 tundra v8 i was getting 13-14, so ill be freaking thrilled with 28.

all this being said, i know that i'm not gonna keep it after the lease. i just dont trust a "FIRST GENERATION" hybrid... if this was a toyota/lexus product. i think i would keep.. cause i really do love it.. but the thought of the hybrid battery dying after its warranty (8/80 i believe) just scares me.

btw, i will be going on a roadtrip to Santa Barbara in a couple weeks, we will see what kind of mileage I get.

Great to know we are in the same boat...you and me were probably shopping at the same time! I assume yours is a 2012? I was anxious to grab a 2012 while I could to save, since there's no difference in the 2013 (however, I believe the ONLY difference in the 2013 is an improved rear view camera!), and on a lease, as you said, assuming we return the car, doesn't matter at all on the year. I had a few other factors that were pushing me to act fast... 1) apparently there were only 17 2012 M Hybrids left between all the SoCal dealers, and only 2 had a wheat interior...and in the desert, I can't do a black interior. I assume yours is a Silver on black? So, I had to grab the wheat. 2) I got an awesome trade in offer from CarMax on my 2009 Mercedes C300, which I was EAGER to get out of to say the least...I loved that symbol on the front, but hated everything else!... I didn't want to miss out on that offer from CarMax and if I waited a week, my car value could have gone down and the wheat M Hybrids could have been gone, so had to make it happen. Long story short, I did have every intention of getting the Lexus...I loved the Infiniti (I've owned a J30 and G35x in the past, before my MB) but I really felt the mpg should win out...so I took my wife to Lexus...and OMG, I felt so badly for the sales person I had been working with.... My wife ripped that plastic over-priced Toyota apart...hated every bit of it. Personally, I felt the hybrid drove like a boat on water (no engagement whatsoever) which really disappointed me, but I was willing to overlook it, the inside materials were cheap (couldn't believe it coming from the "pursuit of perfection") and the navigation screen was so awkwardly placed, it was hard to see and look at while driving, let along standing still...oh, and as you mentioned the high price tag...but, I was willing to deal with all of that for the mpg claim and to be practical......but I certainly wasn't willing to listen to my wife complain for three years. SO, the Infiniti it was!

Wanted the Deluxe Touring, but couldn't justify the extra cost...though I actually thought the Forest Air sounded really cool...but sort of glad to hear your feelings on it...perhaps I'm not missing much. I definitely wanted the rear sun shade, so sorry I don't have that, but glad I got the AC seats. I do have the 10 speaker Bose system and it thumps, but I'd be curious to hear the difference in the 16 speaker system you have...I sort of think about it as I'm listening to mine...but glad I do have a "premium" system (unlike my MB).

Curious to know more about the tint and how much it helps out, keeping heat out of the car. Haven't done it yet...but we're also considering tension sunshades that are made for the M....pricey, but a nice option...sold through the dealer and waiting to hear back on those.

Only other thing we're adding is the DVD Entertainment System for the back...two screens in the head rests. Getting it through Infiniti, so waiting on the parts to arrive. Pricey, but rather have Infiniti do it so it's done right and looks good...and warrantied by them. Not great if I turn the car in in three years, but worth having for the kid and the ease of use. (Tried to residualize it before signing the lease, but since it wasn't on the sticker, didn't matter, had to pay full price.)

Thanks for sharing that review... I've seen a lot...as low as 21 for someone who drove in the Sport mode the entire time...and as high as 29. Many say, consistent at 27. I'll be happy to see that as well. Coming from your Tundra, it's going to be incredible. My C300 got about 17 - 19 city...but did much better on the Hwy...could reach 26-27...still, I never got an actual tank (real numbers) higher than 22 - 23 mpg and a lot of times came in at 18. So, yes, I wanted a larger, nicer car, but I was also hoping for a nice boost in gas mileage...so with my first M Hybrid tank at 22, I was a little discouraged... Yes, it's double the size and almost double the power of my C300, but I'm hoping to at least best it by 4 - 6 mpg regularly...that was important to me in finding a new car...otherwise I would have saved and just got the M37...(though that probably gets about 14-16 city in reality, I would assume?)... I certainly didn't want a new car that did worse or about the same as my C300, but I don't think that will be the case as we get used to the new cars.

Keep me posted. Thanks again!

Any other M Hybrid owners out there?

I've had my M35h for exactly one year now, and my avg MPG since I've owned it is 28.2 based on real fill-up numbers. My last tank was at 31.5 MPG (my best ever, see more below). The car's computer MPG reading is typically 5-10% high, currently at about an overall 7% error on my car, so keep that in mind when you look at your car's MPG display. My worst mileage was 25.5 MPG and the best is 31.5 to-date. My car has every option.

I just switched to using ethanol-free gas three tanks ago, and my mileage improved by about 2 MPG or 8%, giving me over 31 MPG on my last tank, so you might want to consider that if it's an option (and not too inconvenient) in your area. Go to pure-gas.org for a list of ethanol-free gas stations. In my area, ethanol-free is $4.10 vs $4.00 for premium, so 8% better mileage for 2.5% more cost is a good trade-off.

My normal driving is about 75% Interstate, so I move pretty briskly at 65-80 mph most of the time, and that hurts the mileage a bit (all cars lose 1-1.5% MPG for every mph above 60). If you can keep your speed at 55-65 mph, you'll definitely see an increase. In local driving, I can get about 50% time in EV-only mode, so I do well there. In 75-80 mph driving, the electric motor is rarely used, so on a high-speed all-Interstate drive, I usually only get 26-28 MPG, not so different from your results. That's still a big improvement over a standard M35 or M37, as you'll see from visiting their user forums.

I tried ECO mode for a couple tanks, and find it can give about a 10% MPG improvement, but it's just too annoying for me to use regularly, so I normally run in Standard mode. Sport mode gives even better performance, but the biggest difference between Standard and Sport Mode is that Sport holds the RPMs higher for longer periods; i.e., it mainly changes the transmission hold & shift points. I use it only when I want maximum performance, or when I need to merge quickly between lanes.

However, I've found a good use for ECO mode when using the adaptive cruise control. In Standard or Sport mode, the cruise control is *very* aggressive in resuming speed after someone pulls into your lane (causing you to slow), and then moves out of your lane (causing the cruise control to resume the previous speed). It'll often downshift two gears and push you back in the seat as it resumes speed from, say, 60 back up to 80 mph. It's very abrupt and unsettling. By switching into ECO mode on cruise control, the speed resumption is much smoother and more fuel-efficient.

My biggest complaint on the M35H regards the transmission, and this is endemic to most other cars w/ high-multi-gear transmissions. I honestly think that seven transmission speeds are too many when the shifting logic takes so long to decide which gear is appropriate. When I press on the gas in the M35h, it takes almost a full-second to decide upon the appropriate gear-shift. That's way-too-long IMO, as my 5-spd auto MB C55 downshifts immediately upon the slightest gas pedal movement. You can improve this on the M35h by toggling the shifter into Manual mode & shifting yourself, but we shouldn't need to do this at this point in our automotive evolution… I suspect this will improve a lot in the next couple years; but for now it's an annoyance.

I think your mileage will improve as the car gets broken-in and as you become more accustomed to leveraging the hybrid mode. Just slightly easing off the gas at any speed (even at 80 mph) can shut off the gas engine & significantly increase your MPG while maintaining your current speed, or giving you a very slow deceleration. This is really useful when taking Interstate exits.

I find the "Gas Pedal" dash display pretty good for giving throttle-economy feedback, and much less annoying than the ECO mode. I almost always use either the main Map split-display or the Status display w/ MPG for my larger LCD display. My most-used dashboard displays are either the "Gas Pedal" or "Trip/EV Mileage". I reset my large LCD Mileage display every time I fill-up, and then record the actual values in the "Road Trip" iPhone app, but I don't reset my dashboard milage display, so as to provide a separate longer-term MPG readout.

The Forest Air works well, although I've disabled the Breeze mode, as I find the varying air speeds annoying, so you're probably not missing too much there. I agree that the Bose audio rocks, the Sat Radio switches stations very quickly, and the Favorite Artists & Songs feature is really cool. The reception of the Sat Radio is far inferior to that of my VW Jetta TDi though, as it loses signal under almost any overhanging trees.

I hate the Infiniti dashboard display user interface; there are 10 different displays, and you can only scroll thru them in a single direction, so it takes up to 9 presses to change to the one you want. My previous German cars (BMW, MB, VW) allow you to scroll in either direction, thus providing much quicker access.

Overall I really like the M35h; maybe even love it. The acceleration is ridiculous w/ a sub-5-sec 0-60 time, and the MPG is exceptional for a car of this size if you drive it conservatively. Really the best of both worlds. I have quite a few gripes as well, but overall, this is a pretty great car, and I usually dislike Japanese cars in comparison to the German makes. I should have leased mine like you did rather than purchased it, as there probably will be substantial improvements over the next few years, but c'est la vie…

Hi Baxter,

Excellent feedback. So great to hear from you. A few notes tonight, but I look forward to writing a longer response. Ultimately, I agree, the idea of this car being so big and so powerful and getting 28 mpg is just wonderful...and really what I was hoping for... So, you can imagine, when my first tank was 22 mpg and now my second complete tank was 23 mpg...it's a different experience for me, thus far. Yes, I've convinced myself that even at 23 mpg, it's amazing...but I'd truly be overwhelmed and in love to get 28 mpg on average...and that's what I would expect. Not only because of the ratings, but because of posts like yours...I've read from several people around the net averaging 27-28 easy. So, the disappointing part for me has been "re-setting" my mind over the value of this car for me...because has you told me it would get 23-25 mpg average, I still would have bought it, but I wouldn't have had to go through this disheartening reset.

However, I do have hope on the horizon, for a few reasons, which leads to a few questions for you.

1) Are you quite conscious even to this day of how you drive the car, or are you now at the point where you just "drive" like any other car. From your response, I assume you're still "working" it the best you can to achieve the great mileage, such as with the on screen displays, etc. However, I note you're using Standard mode now, which I've heard from one other owner online, doing the same...and you're still getting that mileage?! Amazing to me, because I'm using ECO all the time and would LOVE to switch to Standard, but can't even think to go there yet. I also have been using all of the heads up displays and info, but it is true that on some drives, there just isn't much time to "work" the car...a lot of stop and go or just highway. Thoughts on this?

2) What city/state do you live in and how's the weather? And, have you noticed how the weather might be affecting your mpg's? I ask because I live in Palm Springs, California and since I've owned this car (about two weeks), there have probably only been two days that have been under 104 degrees outside, if that low... average is about 108-112 right now...and it's been abnormally humid. I have noticed, when the temperature dropped, or on runs in the earlier hours of the day, or yesterday when it rained (for the first time in a year), it was much easier to achieve higher mpg's...between my wife and I, we saw numbers around 30 on the screen. (Still filled up after a week of driving yesterday, second complete tank, and got 23 mpg (real numbers) for the week. So, for me, to think you've never had worse that 25.5 on the real fill ups is just awesome.)

3) My car does not have the tech package...just the Premium, which does have a 10-speaker Bose system and the XM artist features you mentioned, etc...but, I do not have the "eco pedal." Do you use the "eco pedal" feature, or have you turned it off, etc?

Thank you again for your response. I look forward to hearing and writing more.

Hi Baxter,

I follow up now to what I wrote yesterday. If you haven't seen my post to you, please take a look at it...I'll try not to repeat those questions/comments here.

Still so impressed by your gas mileage...again, I've had the car a couple of weeks and I hope that I can go to the gas station at some point and actually get 28 mpg, real numbers...that's what I was expected when I got the car...now, it's a hope and I'd be amazing...which is sad all things considered. This has really been a "let down" on the experience of enjoying this new car. I want to just LOVE it, but I'm still holding back a bit and disheartened with the low mpg...and more confused when I read reviews like yours. I think, could something be wrong with my car...went into the dealer again for other reasons, but even had them hook up the computer to see if anything "odd" showed. Nothing did, and I really can't believe such production cars would be that different from one to another.

So, my other thought now is that it has to be the extreme heat where I live...very few days when I drive it's below 104...nights are 90, etc. I could be totally wrong, but otherwise, I have no answers...and I guess I'll see in a month or two when the weather cools to reasonable temperatures. I've tried every driving trick, try to kick in the EV whenever possible, try not accelerating hard, leave it in Eco...just can't get the higher mpg. How are you driving? Do you pay attention to your acceleration...do you "crawl" to the speed limit?

Sometimes I find the car won't slip into EV, even when the battery is high up...and sometimes it shows the battery is only being used, but the RPM's don't fall to EV. Do you have this response at times? Also, I find it very hard to keep the car at say 50 mph when in EV...the needle falls fast, even going downhill a bit, like there's just a weight or a heavy drag on the car...so for example, in EV mode, I want to maintain 50 mph, but even if I just touch the gas pedal with a feather (while watching my mph drop) the gas engine kicks in. (This actually made me think for a while that Standard mode would make more sense in such a Hybrid car, because you could reach a gear that would supply more power and allow the car to maintain a higher speed, but I know I could be totally wrong about this?)

Wow, would love to go ethanol-free...thanks for the tip...sadly, we apparent tree-huggers in CA only have 5 stations (listed on the website you suggest) and none are anywhere close to me...264 stations in Arkansas...so there you go.

Wow, still can't believe you're getting those numbers...especially driving in Standard and 75% Interstate. When you're driving 65-80 mph, and you in traffic, a lot of coasting or just straight 75 mph push? Good to hear though that your electric is rarely used on the highway at 65+ because I am getting the same and glad to know that's normal. Where you live, are there a lot of ups and downs, do you notice the grade, or is it pretty flat?

You noted the highway numbers are a big improvement over a standard M35 or M37, as I'd see in the forums, and yes, I don't even want to think about what those cars are getting! I used to have a G35x before my MB C300 Sport (which was before this M Hybrid), and that G got about 14-16 mpg on a tank on a good week! Still my MB C300 did quite well on the highway but poorly in city. I averaged around 17-22 mpg on tanks. So, getting 23 mpg now in the M just isn't really making me excited... Yes, I know the car is twice the size (which I wanted) and a much bigger engine, but if I were getting 27-29, I'd be in heaven.

So, what's your experience in Standard mode? You mentioned a 10% mpg drop...does that mean in ECO, you'd see numbers closer to 30 on a regular basis? If I switched to Standard, I'd be afraid I'd get 19 mpg. Do you find that Standard allows the car to fall into EV and stay in EV as easily as ECO, or is that really not effected? My thought would be that in Standard, the car would not keep you in EV as easily when you touch the gas and try to maintain EV?...or even drop you into EV? I'd like to be wrong about this, but haven't had enough time to test.

I agree with you on the transmission and the number of speeds...though since I'm so focused on mpg right now, I haven't really been able to test it.

I too have left on the "Gas Pedal" dash display so I can see how much I'm pushing it... Tell me, do you ALWAYS stay in the green ECO? It would seem almost hard and boring to drive the car this way on a regular basis. I'm trying now as much as possible, but even still I kick the pedal into the orange Eco while being careful. Can you describe how you operate the pedal while accelerating and how hard you're pushing it...or how fast you're getting to your target speed? I've been leaving the dash MPG for the tanks, and sometimes resetting my nav display mpg every day...just to see at this point if some runs are better than others. And, some are...so again, fingers crossed it's this crazy heat.

Do you use the Eco Pedal I hear all the reviewers talk about? (I don't have that with just the Premium Package.)

My MB definitely had a better dash display, but I didn't have nav in it, so the main screen was just a duo-color read out...nice, good for phone, radio, etc, but nothing like the nav in the M. Also, I drove a G37 loaner the other day, and OMG, the nav screen on that car was like watching a 1970's TV vs. my 2012 HD TV. I figured all of the nav screens would be the same in all Nissans...seem to look that way in the pictures...but they certainly are not.

I'm guessing there may be some improvements over the next few years, but there were no changes for 2013. 2014? Maybe little things. 2016? Glad I leased, but I do think your resale value will be much higher than a non-hybrid car. People sort of downplay that now, but there's no doubt in my mind that when you go to sell a "hybrid," you will be able to command a much higher premium and your car will not lose it's value the same... Especially with awareness rising every year, etc.

Tell me, just thinking about the list of cars you've had...what made you get into this car?

Evan,

1. Right now I'm probably driving the car slightly more conservatively than normal because I just switched to the ethanol-free gas, and I want to give it a fair shot to see if it really improves the MPG and by how much. My previous best tank was in ECO mode where I drove it as gently as possible, never above 65 mph, and I could only get 30.3 on that tank with E10 gas. So since I've beaten that already on both of my first two tanks of ethanol-free, I'm convinced that it improves the MPG and I want to see the best I can do while still driving normally. Also I figure I need to go through about three tanks of ethanol-free to fully dilute the last of the E10 gas. But I'm still hitting 80 mph on some stretches while getting 30+ MPG, so I'm pleased at that.

When I first got the car I drove it pretty hard to enjoy the performance, and I am avoiding the full throttle blasts for now while testing on the new gas. But as I said, the worst I've ever gotten is 25.8 MPG on E10 gas, and that was hammering it hard. My car had 720 miles on it when I bought it, so it was already partially broken in. (I put a couple hundred of those 720 miles on it myself though, as the dealer let me keep it for a weekend while I was making up my mind whether to buy it.) I think your mileage should improve after the first 1,000 miles or two, and my MPG started improving noticeably after the 10,000 mile mark. I normally don't consciously try to drive it that economically, and "settle" for the average 28 MPG. In fact on one trip to Savannah at an 80 mph Interstate cruise I saw over 125 mph briefly, and included about three laps on a racetrack hitting 110+ mph, and I still got 27.9 MPG on that tank! (The racetrack was quite a blast, it's at the end of a public road, so it actually shows up on the GPS map. The car position was displayed on the track while going around it, showing the upcoming curves, just like a friggin' video game.)

If I really wanted super fuel economy I'd have kept my VW Jetta TDI diesel. The worst driving conditions for the hybrid is steady 80 mph Interstate speeds, because then the electric motor seldom has a chance to run, and that'll keep me in the 26-27 MPG range. I do find that having the MPG always displayed on the big LCD screen kind of subconsciously helps me to try to keep the MPG up.

2. I live in Atlanta, GA. We had a few weeks in July when the temperature was over 100 every day, and I did lose a bit of mileage, but still only down to about 28 MPG. Your high temps are probably part of your problem, along with the engine not fully broken in.

3. I thought all M35h's had the ECO pedal, but since you said you didn't have it, I looked it up and now see it's a part of the Technology package, which also includes the adaptive cruise control, blind spot warning, lane departure warning, and intelligent brake assist. It's too bad you don't have that package, I really love all the techno-assists it includes. The adaptive cruise and brake assist are really great, as it'll automatically hit the brakes if you're about to hit something in front of you, and bring the car to a complete stop in traffic without you having to use the brakes at all. But you're not missing much by not having the ECO pedal IMO. The pedal constantly pushing back at you gets old real fast, and the sluggish throttle response of ECO mode in general really dulls the fun of the car. You should get fine mileage out of Standard mode once you get more used to the car and it gets fully broken in. If not, have the dealer check it out. There's no reason why you shouldn't be averaging at least 25-26 MPG (or more) regularly I'd think. Motor Week claims they got 32.6 MPG when they tested it, although that sounds like the computer MPG readout rather than true mileage. If that's true MPG, then they're even better than I am at driving it efficiently.

And truthfully my very first two tanks were 22.6 and 25.3 MPG, but I disregard them because the first tanks were from the dealer filling it up, and I don't know if they filled it to the same level that I normally do.

BTW, here are some great M35h video reviews if you haven't already seen them:
http://www.motorweek.org/reviews/road_t ... niti_m35h/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmhBbUasoeQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R06kOUd8SYk
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2011/0 ... 5h-hybrid/
http://video.foxnews.com/v/112723484800 ... nce-hybrid

i have to say i am impressed by the #'s you all are putting down but damn it takes a while to read all of this!!!!!!

Thanks Baxter for all info and videos. A few follow-ups for you.

1) In California, our Premium gas is 91 octane? That's all I can get. Any factor? What do you use in Atlanta?

2) Interesting about the 10,000 mile mark. My new car is a 2012 and already had a couple thousand miles on it, due to the GM of the dealership driving it and test drives over the months...noting it was the last 2012 to go, so it had been driven over the time it was on the lot...I figured, eh, the few extra miles only breaks it in for me, and since I'm leasing it, the mileage doesn't matter...plus the warranty and lease miles start when you buy the car, not from zero miles. So, then I've already put over 650+ miles on it in two weeks...I figure, it's broken in a bit. Still 10,000 is a way to go, but I'm not at "fresh." Concerning a bit.

3) So, I think I may have three factors to my disadvantage...maybe four. The heat, the low miles, the low octane and perhaps the "small" town I live in...a lot of starts and stops, or just straight 80 mph highway. Hard to get a good smooth 40 mph run for a couple miles. Still, I feel like I'm making excuses for the car. I guess when I head out to LA for the weekend sometime, I'll know for sure.

So, can you describe your normal acceleration...how you get to your target speed...do you think about it much?

Also, how easily does your car slip into EV, and are there times it won't go in? Does being in Standard mode effect that vs. Eco mode?

Drove around all day with family...in ECO entire time, no aggressive driving and kicking in EV whenever possible. My only hope is to wait for this heat to die off. Totally disappointed, but will accept if the car doesn't like 108 degrees outside.

Hi Evan,

Yeah, I think your high temps may be responsible for your poor MPG right now. What mileage do you get if you reset your MPG readout and then just drive on the highway at a steady 60-65 mph for a while? If you're not getting at least 28 MPG under that condition I'd think something may be wrong. How many miles does your odometer show in EV mode versus total mileage? Mine reads 3,083 EV miles vs. 19,481 total, so I'm in EV mode about 16% of the time. That picture of your MPG display is painful to look at, I can see why you're disappointed. Here's a pic of mine after 138 miles on this tank…



Premium in Atlanta ranges from 91 to 93 octane. The ethanol-free is only 90 octane, so I don't think octane is your problem.

I definitely don't crawl to the speed limit, I usually accelerate pretty briskly. If you only do the speed limit on Atlanta Interstates you will literally get run over.

The car's EV computer definitely has a mind of its own. Sometimes the engine will kick in when I'm sitting at a stop sign with the battery fully charged. WTH? And that's doubly-annoying, because that (when I'm sitting still) is about the only time I can feel when the gas engine kicks in, and it feels like I've been tapped in the rear from a car behind me.

It is hard to maintain a steady speed in EV mode unless you're on a very level or slight down-slope. The gas engine will inevitably kick in shortly. But when coasting onto an Interstate exit in the slow lane w/o someone hugging my butt, I have managed to stay in EV mode for almost 2 miles, coasting from 75 down to about 45 at the end of the exit. I'd say the roads here are mostly level overall.

In ECO mode I did see 30+ MPG when I first got the car, but it was a painful experience. The biggest difference between ECO and Std modes is the throttle response and transmission mappings. I don't like ECO mode, so I don't use it, thus I don't see the nice Green vs. Orange/Yellow ECO lights. If you follow the ECO pedal feedback, it basically turns your 360 HP Infiniti into a Prius in terms of acceleration. Not a worthwhile tradeoff, so you're better off w/o it IMO.

On the Gas Pedal display, I just try to keep it under the margin line except when I need to get up to speed quickly. In terms of staying in EV mode at a particular speed, I don't find much difference between ECO and Std mode, so I don't think you should worry too much about that. I really don't consciously work that hard at trying to be gentle on the gas, the car takes care of things pretty well on its own. If I really hot-rod it, I'll dip into the 25 MPG range.

Whenever I get a loaner car at my dealer while servicing my M35h, they give me a G35 or G37. And I always think that this car must be built on a completely different planet than my M35h. Really, it's so totally different. If I'd only seen those G loaners, I'd never have bought my M35h.

My indoctrination into the M35h was kinda unique. I received a phone call that asked, as a Mercedes C-class owner, if I wished to participate in a new car survey. They said they'd pay $200 for 3 hours of my time in looking at new cars, so of course I said Yes. When I went to it, they showed us 5 cars, including low-end Audi, MB, Infiniti, Lexus, etc. The Infiniti was a G-model, and they said that a hybrid model might be available in the future w/ 360 HP and 32 MPG. That sounded pretty sweet, so I went to my local dealer to see the actual hybrid model currently available, which is the M35h. My wife loved the car, and I did too, so rather than wait 2 years for the G35h, we just bought the M35h now. Sales-wise, these cars are not moving. I got my car at invoice pricing, and now I think I could have done even better. If you go to http://www.hybridcars.com/news/july-201 ... 49476.html you can see how many hybrids are sold each month. Infiniti has only sold 518 2012 M35h's in the US, and 751 since they starting producing them including the 2013's to-date.

Hi Baxter,

That photo of 33.3 MPG just blows my mind... Exciting, but ugh. Today, it was humid, temps were lower in the morning and in City driving, I was 27 mpg. On the way home, after being out and about, and the real heat kicked in, I averaged about 25-26. So, ya know, the car's city rating is 27, so I really can't complain on a day like today. It's the bad days that bring my average down over the tank that are annoying. I've been reading a lot of Prius forums and their MPG in the high heat is all over the place as well...many report 55-60 mpg regularly, but 35-40 in the heat. That would be annoying. So, I'll live with it for now, and see how things change as the temps cool off...or if I drive outside of this desert.

On the odometer, I have about 20% EV, so that's not bad. I just think there are probably so many factors in the high heat that don't come into play otherwise, including the amount of fuel used to operate the gas engine, etc. I also read about dry heat versus humidity and how humidity is better for an engine because it allows more oxygen in...dry heat the opposite. So, it is what it is, and again, on a day like today, I really have no room to complain.

I really appreciate everything you wrote, because my car really does act the same way as you described, so I feel like there's nothing odd or wrong with it. So, sure it's not spitting out the high mpg, but I believe it's functioning properly, while dealing with the conditions, trips, environment, etc. So, thank you again for reporting back on all of this, because it helps me understand the way the vehicle is supposed to operate...such as the EV computer having a mind of its own, or when it kicks in, or how you drive it. And, yes, the one startling point in the drive is when that gas kicks in at a standstill...or shuts off. My wife was pulling out of the garage while I was standing by and the gas engine shut off and my first instinct was that the car died! Funny, how you really have to get used to this new way.

Interesting how you got the car...and the survey you took. Yes, I've looked at those sales numbers as well. When I bought mine, I thought...wow, I'm number 527...like there were so few, I could actually be counted! But, there are many "high-end" hybrids that have similar numbers, and at the end of the day, it is an expensive car. I think you have to love cars to want to buy/lease this car...otherwise, you get a Prius, hate your life, but save a few bucks at the pump.

Evan,

You've got a good attitude about the car, and I've enjoyed chatting about it. There aren't many of these around (I've never seen another one on the road), and it's difficult to talk much about it to other car folks, 'cause it can sound like boasting and no one likes that. But it's some amazing technology and the first Japanese car I've bought in a long time.

Maybe if Tesla makes it and their Model S prices come down a bit I'll get one of those in a few years (I've bought some of their stock in the hopes they really pull it off). Now wouldn't that be great; even more luxury, even better performance, and no gas, oil, or transmission to fool with!

Anyway, best wishes, and hoping your mileage improves as the miles roll up and the temps come down.

Hey guys.

Just curious if you guys bought or lease, and if you leased would you consider purchasing at the end of the lease.

I've only had the car for a month, and even though I really like it I'm not sure about buying a vehicle with first generation hybrid tech?

What are your thoughts?

And how the heck do you guys get such good mileage in the city.

City alone, i average only about 24.. Highway i get good/great mileage but not city.

I bought mine, but probably would have preferred a lease, as I imagine there will be even more choices available in a few years. But I drive about 18K a year, so not as easy to get a good lease deal w/ higher miles like that.

And although this is Infiniti's first hybrid of their own design, it's actually more advanced than the Toyota Prius, which is in its 3rd generation, so I'm not sure it's fair to call this a "first-generation" hybrid. Li-Ion batteries rather than NiMH, only a single motor/generator rather than two, 7-spd transmission w/o torque converter rather than a CVT, 169 lbs less weight in the drivetrain than the Prius, etc.

24 MPG isn't bad in the city, EPA rating is only 27, and I get about 27-28. I think the main key is to back off the gas a bit as soon as you get up to speed to allow it to slip into EV mode. I like the "Gas Pedal" display between the gauges for this, as it gives very sensitive feedback as to how hard you're pressing on the accelerator. Just easing off the gas a minuscule amount while cruising makes no difference on your speed, but a noticeable difference in your MPG (maybe 1-3 MPG). On strictly city or rural roads below 50 mph I can stay in EV mode about 50% of the time if I try (and w/o driving or accelerating ridiculously slowly). Continuous stop and go traffic will pull you down to 27 MPG or below no matter what you do, other than maybe using ECO mode and ECO pedal with unbearably slow acceleration. The car weighs over a 1,000 lbs more than a Prius and has double the engine size and almost triple the HP, so there's no way to overcome those physics compared to a smaller hybrid w.r.t. overall fuel consumption.

Hi guys,

Yes, Baxter, I'm really enjoying the discussion and hearing other experiences with the car. I agree, hard to talk about the car with others...don't want to seem like we're "showing off." For me, it's really about a love for cars and getting something special. I'm not an "uppidy" person...but I love cars, so I don't see a reason to get a Camry Hybrid just because it's more practical or conservative. And really, this is a special car...almost to the point of an "exotic" car. I know it's technically not, but it's close to the line, if you know what i mean... And, when the main car this car competes with is the Porsche Panamera Hybrid (and "beats" it), you've got something special.

Anyway, all that being said, I do have to remember, this car isn't just about the gas mileage. Sure, that's what we really want, but at the end of the day, there is going to be some compromise here, because we have such a power, amazing car. So, true, pulling 24 in the city with such a car is nothing to really worry about, but it'd be much nicer to get 27 all around. Also, I do think the technology is there, so in the right conditions, this amazing car can get those high mpg's...but as I'm learning, there are so many factors. One thing I've noticed is that where we live, when we head out, we're heading up hill on an interstate...this is just a drag on the car, especially from a "cold start"...this means...every day, our first ten miles could be 21-24 mpg highway... That also means, for the rest of the day, we're fighting that number on average to bring it up...meaning, we have to start getting 30 around town, just to get the average up to 27 for the day. If we lived uphill and started our day with 30 mpg and it came down a bit, I think psychologically, it'd be easier to stomach. So, what we've started to do is reset the navigation MPG average screen for many trips...to see the difference leaving, coming back, etc. And, it is surprising. Coming home one day, not even thinking about it, 29.8 mpg...same day heading out was only 21 or so. I think I'm just more surprised by the differences in so many factors and resetting the MPG often allowed me to see the trips in more detail...and then I could factor in what was happening at the time, such as the weather, hills, EV time, etc. I also think, I just never noticed these things before because I had a car in which I didn't care. Got about 17-22 mpg...but maybe it was worse sometimes, or better others, but I really didn't pay attention like this. Eventually I think I'm just going to drive the car, ECO or Standard, not think about it, and hope to average 24-26 mpg and be happy...maybe a few higher tanks as the car break in...then I'll enjoy the other aspects of the car more.

Okay, more later...I have some thoughts about the technology, lease vs buy, and Tesla.

Update:

So far, I'm really enjoying this car more and more...the more I learn about it and understand what it can do. The frequent checks and resets of the MPG's has really helped me understand the conditions, as well as "give the car a break," understanding that we don't live in perfect conditions. If I were not getting any high MPG drives, I'd be more nervous, but to see the differences upon different rides, I'm learning more about the car, what it can do and what to expect.

For example, the other day, we head out for lunch...before noon...high heat hasn't hit yet, but around 95-100 degrees outside... Still coming out of the garage (not sitting in the sun) and a pretty smooth drive out to lunch, we average 27+ mpg. Go to lunch, about an hour later, it's now 104 outside and the car has been sitting in the direct sunlight (so the car really thinks it's about 120+ outside). Now, we get in, we're all hot, and basically the car is fighting to cool itself (the engine, batteries, etc.) and us off. In a minute of driving, the MPGs fall to 23 from 27. On the way home, we make a few stops at nearby stores (which also hurts the mpg's) and end up at 21 mpg for the trip. Obviously, not great, but getting the 27 mpg to start, on basically the same route showed me what's possible, and then watching the computer in the conditions really made me understand what was happening. Basically, the high heat is grueling on the car in many ways, especially when the batteries are built to support every aspect of the car with no gas at all.

Then, we have had some cooler days and some of the rides have been very high, as you'll see in the images below. These rides were one-way, on a long in town main road...can't go much faster than 50 and a lot of 35-40 mph coasting between lights...if you don't hit them. Also, this is driving normal, not really trying any special "high mpg" tricks, like barely touching the pedal, etc. Obviously, these runs are very high...and they're also the result of resetting the computer from the "return trip" back home. Heading out on this trip, you'd see anywhere from 24-27 mpg...so on average for the "cooler" day, you'd see 30-33 mpg. So, these numbers are very encouraging and I think others with this car that are wondering about their averages should try to reset the computer a few times...because on average, you may see 24-27, but to get that average, you're probably getting 30+ on some rides and 24 on others, etc. This may also help in choosing a route to take if you consistently get much higher numbers...or learning why some rides don't perform as well, as you can compare conditions.



Quick note: talked to a Prius owner...getting about 45 mpg in the high heat...and if they actually touch the gas pedal, they're getting about 41 mpg. Yes, more than us....but not much more!

I would not be against purchasing this car after the lease runs out... For me, it will really depend on resale value at the time and if I can stay right-side up. If the car is worth more than I owe, then I'd buy it in a second and then decide what to wait for. My concern is that Infiniti won't have something new in the way of higher MPG or Hybrids or (realistic) EV's within the next three years.... That means, if I return this car and lease another (or something like it) for three more years, I don't think I'll be getting any advancement in technology. That would mean, buying it out and waiting till the next best thing would be a reasonable option...because I'd have more options to get into something say in four years that may be better.

I would love to see a realistic Electric Vehicle option that's similar to this, or maybe even a plug-in hybrid version, though I believe both options are not in the 3-year Infiniti radar. So, this may be our best bet for the next 5 - 6 years, if not longer. All Electrics, like the Tesla, sound amazing, but are not yet practical (even if you load them up with all the bells and whistles to get the super charge, etc), and unless the public really embraces recharging stations, all electric, etc...I don't think all electrics will be practical for quite some time. Note, my brother has pre-ordered a Tesla and after a recent test-drive told me all about it. It sounds amazing, but again, for my driving needs, I don't think it's a practical option, not to mention the six-figure sticker price to get a car that even pushes the ability to be practical. On the other end of the EV spectrum, I've seen the Nissan Leaf, and I do believe Infiniti will release their "luxury" concept of this golf cart...I mean car...within a few years. But really, there is another car that is completely not practical for my life, family, driving needs/distances, etc. And besides all that, I can't imagine now what those all electric cars would do in this high heat...I'd probably get 30 miles/day out of them! Only other option I can foresee in the near future, a plug-in hybrid...and for the next ten years, that may be our best bet. You've got the gas when you need it, but can take advantage of more electricity than a hybrid alone. I know Ford has the Fusion plug-in coming out soon... I considered it, but at the end of the day, sadly, my wife hated the Lexus, let alone a Ford...

So, my hope is that Infiniti does something amazing in the next three years that I can get into after this one...but my expectation is that we'll probably have Round 2 of an M hybrid before we see or can get anything new. IMHO...

Frequently resetting the MPG display works great to show you how much the mileage varies over different time periods and routes. You can also get similar info from the History graph in the Energy Flow display to show your MPG over the last 12 minutes in two-minute increments (I think you need the Navigation system to have this option available). That way you don't need to constantly reset your MPG display. Also the graph in the Fuel Economy History display shows your MPG in-between your reset intervals (I use this to display my tank MPGs, since I reset the trip odometer each time I fill up).

Evan,
I suspect you're right about the future timetable for full electric-car acceptance. For most of my driving, a Tesla Model S w/ 300-mi range would do very-nicely; but when I have to make a long trip it would be more problematic. And I can't figure out how I'd ever be able to make my semi-annual 500-mile trips down to FL even with Supercharger stations available. So for those longer trips, I'd still need to rely on a second car, which I do have available, but obviously it'd be better to have a single car that can handle all circumstances. I'm envious of your brother being in-line for a new Tesla; it'll be an amazing car, and the future of all cars, though maybe not fully realized for another 10-20 years.

I was on vacation in Cancun last week, and did a road trip along the Yucatan coast driving an Audi R8 and a Mercedes SLS AMG for about 75 miles in each (plus driving a Ferrari F430 on a private track). The rental agency has an "arrangement" w/ the Mexican Federales to leave them alone in exchange for driver training on their private track; I can't vouch for the veracity of that claim, but I do know that we seemed immune from all speed limits, hitting over 150 mph at times w/o any worries, and tooling along at 170 km/h in 40 km/h zones w/ impunity. A great experience – maybe not available anywhere else – and it really brought-home the incredible choices we have in vehicle technology these days.

The Audi R8 was my favorite car, extremely well-balanced and road-worthy, although it's acceleration is honestly not that much-greater by-the-numbers than our M35h (0-60mph in 4.1s vs. maybe 4.8s in the M35h). But the Audi (and Mercedes & Ferrari) are so much more visceral & exciting, they feel >100% faster; the sound of their engines is totally intoxicating.

When I was in high school my dream car was a 427 Corvette, and now my M35h daily-driver is faster, better-handling, way-more-luxurious, infinitely more-reliable, and gets triple the mileage of that car. But ya know, the Corvette would still be much-more exciting to drive…

After driving the Audi R8, I could really see it as a viable daily-driver, and they can be picked up used for maybe $75K-100K right-now, and a lot less in a few more years; that'd be pretty sweet, and an option I may consider in the future as a "play-car" after I dispose of the C55 AMG. But I also noted the R8 and SLS AMG MPG was less than half that of the M35h, albeit a totally irrelevant comparison. But these are really nice tradeoffs to have available me-thinks…

wow..

i love the r8..

did you see the rear seats of the tesla?

it fits 7!!! can you believe that.. those two rear facing seats are very highly rated safety wise..

Silver,

Yeah I was truly blown-away by the R8, and as I said I liked it the best and could easily see it as a daily-driver. Comfortable, 4-wheel-drive, beautiful engine note, etc. The auto-tranny was a bit "slippy" off-the-line & at low-speeds, but they may have improved that by now, & I could live w/ it in-any-event. And I was very impressed by the Audi's automatic "kick-down" response. If you press gently on the accelerator, it'd shift-down one-gear, and if you pressed harder it'd shift down yet-again. I was grinning ear-to-ear when it shifted down to 4th and quickly hit red line at 170 km/h several times along the trip, along w/ the beautiful engine sounds.

The Tesla rear-facing seats are very ingenious, kinda like the old 60's station wagons, but now actually safe for their passengers. I'm incredibly impressed by Tesla Motors, they really do seem to have thought out all the essentials and are producing a truly world-class car (and not just a world-class electric car). I really hope they succeed, and if they do, they may be the new Ford of electric cars.

Hi guys, some how missed these posts. Those cars you drove are amazing. Reminds me of the "test tracks" you can drive in Las Vegas and test all the super cars...plan o try it there one day.

I think Tesla is amazing in concept, but the price is really too high compared to other vehicles that are already making great gains. To pay the high price today, it better blow us away... Funny about the seats though, because the first thing I thought as well was about the old station wagons we'd ride in as kids. Actually, I think Tesla's look less practical, but I guess a couple of kids will think they're cool! Personally, I can barely ride in the backseat without getting sick! However, I will say, the M's backseats are extremely spacious and comfortable...and I'm 6'1...maybe not as big as my dad's old Cadillacs, but certainly big enough... (which is something I was looking for in a new car).

For me, the second car option right now is an SUV...we just need it too often. I've been looking at the Infiniti LE concept a lot...thinking it would be a great second car for around town...with the M Hybrid being the better family touring car... http://www.infinitiusa.com/now/future-vehicles The LE is expected to be "real" in 2014, and apparently at least 85% the same as the concept shown. Also, very cool, the wireless charging...check it out if you haven't seen it. However, again, I keep coming back to, I need an SUV option. So hanging on to my Volvo XC90 for now...and apparently they have a new version coming out soon, all gas, but expected to hit 30 MPG (I completely doubt that in reality, but we'll see). It has been an excellent SUV however. Another thing I've been looking at, Toyota's new RAV4 EV...and apparently it's only available in California...so it's an option for me: http://www.toyota.com/rav4ev/index.html

Latest notes on the M Hybrid. I had my best fill up on Saturday...24 mpg. Still hot as ever here, so we'll see as we head into October. Many runs have easily hit 27 mpg on the computer, which I'm fine with (as rated) in the City. Still surprised on the highway numbers, but oh well, don't use the true highway (interstate) that much.

Also, I've been keeping the car in Standard mode now full time. I'm pretty much convinced that ECO mode was not made for the M Hybrid. I note that the ECO mode is the same in the regular M as well, so nothing about it is really part of the Hybrid system. In the gas car, it makes sense, but the in Hybrid, it's limiting our gas engine too much in which I believe the batteries and the overall system are not benefiting. Basically, if you leave the car in ECO, you constantly have your foot pressing on the gas, trying to build. In city driving, by the time you build up enough speed in the slow ECO mode, you have to stop at the next light and start over again...the car never gets enough time to truly use the electric engine. When you're maintaining speed, that's when you can really go in and out of EV. I also note when I'm in a slow area, say 35 mph...with Standard, I can quickly get to 35 and quickly go into EV and drive for quite some time in EV at 35 - 40, etc, rather effortlessly. In ECO mode, it takes me longer and more effort to get to 35 mph and maintain the speed, which means less time to benefit from the EV mode.

Anyway, more I could say about it, but again, I'm pretty much convinced Standard is the better option. I would also assume, when they were designing the hybrid system, they were functioning in Standard and not on a limited "ECO" engine...which really isn't "ECO" like a true Hybrid engine.

Ever happen to you?

Odd this morning... Turned on the car in the garage...auto lights were on because it's darker in the garage. Pulled away...about 10 minutes later, daytime, on the highway, noticed the lights were still on and that my mpg gauge (the yellow on the touch screen that goes up and down), was not working...never came on. I think noticed my average MPG begin to fall quite quickly, after 150 miles. Went from 27.7 to 26.5 in about 10 miles on the highway... Turned off the car and restarted at a light (off the highway now)...and the problem remained, no MPG gauge. Did it again at next light...now everything is working. Checked the dash MPG display and now, it's 1 mpg higher than touch screen. Thinking now, touch screen was averaging in the 0 mpg for those miles and pulled down my average. So far, this tank is my best yet...seeing now 26.9 on the touch screen, 27.9 on the dash. We'll see how the real numbers look when I fill up.

Evan,

I sort-of agree w/ you about ECO mode being out-of-character in the M-hybrid, especially without the ECO-pedal feedback. W/o the ECO-pedal, I'm sure that ECO-mode is very frustrating. With the ECO-pedal feedback, it's still frustrating, but I can see it as perhaps being viable if you really want to squeak an extra 10% or-so MPG out of your 360 HP luxury sport-mobile. Not for me under normal conditions, but maybe when the apocalypse comes and we're in Mad-Max mode fleeing from zombies, or if I've passed the "Last Gas for 100 Miles" sign and am trying to make it to the next civilized outpost…

My last five tanks have all been over 30 MPG, so I'm pretty happy w/ that. One tank was at 31.5 MPG, so rounding up to even integers, I'm right at the max EPA mileage. I have to say that this is one well-tuned, fast, powerful, fat-a** hybrid.

I haven't had your experience with the lights, but I'm not surprised. The software does have a few bugs. About 1 out of 20 times I'll get no trajectory lines after I start the car and put it into Reverse. Just straight lines on the backup-camera. Kill the engine & restart -- no change. Kill the engine and wait a minute or two, and everything works correctly. Of course, it never happens at the dealership to show them, but I hope it'll eventually get fixed in a software update.

One thing that now bugs me: after driving those great sports cars in Mexico with fantastic exhaust notes, and driving my own C55 AMG, I do love to hear the exhaust burble from a high-output engine. The Nissan 3.5L V6 has a nice exhaust sound when you step on it; but have you tried revving the M35h engine in Neutral? You get a beautiful sound of -- exactly nothing. The engine doesn't respond, the tach doesn't budge, absolutely nothing happens. WTH??? What genius at Nissan/Infiniti decided to decouple the accelerator from the engine in Neutral?? There's no way to show off the wonderful engine note, and probably no-way to test this thing on a dynamometer. You also can't engine-brake this thing to load up the tranny for a fast start on a quarter-mile run, so that might be disappointing as well when I get around to taking it to the drag-strip. Obviously this car isn't targeted for that, but I'd like the freedom to do it if I want to… Decoupling the engine from the gas pedal is a huge step backward for a car that's targeted toward performance enthusiasts IMO. This car is supposed to be a "Hybrid Without Compromise".

And yeah, yeah, I know it's not good to over-rev in Neutral, but a few blips of the throttle isn't going to kill anything. How about maybe a 5K RPM shut-off, huh, is that too hard to implement? Nissan, Infiniti, anyone listening? Really, and again, WTH??

Anyone know of a way to back-door bypass this via some sneaky button-presses like in Mercedes, BMWs, or other sports cars?

Hi Baxter,

Excellent timing. I'm very encouraged by your 30 MPG on the last five tanks, as my most recent fill up was my best yet, and I'm presuming the two factors you mentioned before are coming into play: 1) the heat here is wearing off, and 2) I've now got 6000 miles on the car, so we're getting up there, starting to break in. (I can't believe we've put over 3000 miles on this car in less than two months...crazy!)

Here are some details of the recent fill up...let me know how your numbers seem to compare:

Total Miles before fill up: 351.2
Electric Only miles: 122.6
% Electric Only driven of tank: 35%
Gallons filled: 13.81

Dashboard Display reading (reset upon last fill up): 27.5 mpg (average speed for tank = 27.9 mph)
Touch Screen Display reading (reset upon last fill up) 26.8 mpg

ACTUAL Total MPG: 25.43

Obviously, the displays were a little generous? Do you have this issue as well?

Benefit of Hybrid Engine: Gas Miles Only MPG = 351.2 - 122.6 = 228.6 / 13.81 gal = 16.55 mpg (I'm assuming this is quite accurate...about 17 mpg for standard M?)

Thoughts on any of these numbers? Do you go about 420 miles/tank? Are your numbers actual or dash readings? How many gallons do you usually fill up? How far down do you let the tank go (like well into the red, or do you go by miles range remaining before filling up)? What is your average speed per tank?

Funny about the engine sound...I was just saying, I was getting used to the space ship EV sound when you first accelerate or back up. My ONLY issue with the hybrid drive, and it's minor, is that slight delay from EV to gas when accelerating..and I mean, when you're already moving, not from take off. You can bypass this by kicking the pedal hard, but that whips everyone back...which isn't a normal way to drive when you just want to get ahead a bit, but not race. Doesn't bother me too much, but I find, next to other cars, sometimes they're already going, and I'm just getting going from EV to gas...obviously, I could blow anyone away, but it just takes me that extra second to go if I don't want whiplash.

That being said, I did pull up by a BMW Alpina B7 the other day...seen one of these? Here's a link: http://www.caranddriver.com/news/2013-b ... -info-news This guy was taking off fast and flying! I thought, well come on, I can keep up with him. He got held up a bit and I took off at one point but maintained the speed limit...in a few seconds he blasted by me (speeding, and obviously annoyed), but I had to make him eat some dust. Still, he's got a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8 with 540 hp...can't do much about that!