Modern throttle-by-wire systems increasingly filter driver inputs through layers of software. A week with Infiniti’s QX60 prompted questions about low-speed throttle response.
OBD logs mirrored our impressions, though they stop well short of proving a problem.
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Luxury vehicles of the past had a straightforward recipe. They focused on isolating occupants from noise, vibration, and harshness outside of the vehicle.
Today, software plays a role, and not a small one either.
Increasingly, automakers filter, shape, and reinterpret driver inputs in the name of refinement, fuel economy, smoothness, and effortless performance.
That’s especially true with throttle-by-wire systems and a week in an Infiniti QX60 made that physical disconnect so apparent that we had to dig into the data.
In most modern vehicles, pressing the accelerator no longer directly opens anything.
Instead, your right foot sends a request, the computers interpret it, and then the vehicle decides how much throttle, transmission response, torque delivery, and urgency to provide.
In theory, it’s smarter. In practice, it can sometimes create a strange sense of disconnect.
What The Pedal Felt Like
In the Infiniti, the first 15-20 percent of accelerator pedal engagement seemed to produce almost no thrust.
It felt like I’d request some power and then a committee had to debate about whether or not I should get it.
Then, just above those percentages, it felt like suddenly I was getting far more throttle than I asked for.
It didn’t necessarily feel broken or defective, just far from the more linear throttle response I’m used to.
