Like pretty much every luxury company out there, Infiniti sells a lot of crossovers.
Specifically, they sell a lot of this crossover, the QX60. But maybe you don’t know what a QX60 is?
Perhaps you’d know it better by its old name, the JX35. Infiniti went through a pretty comprehensive re-naming strategy not long ago, with all their cars getting Q-based variants. Q means sedan, QX means crossover or SUV. The QX60 sits right in the middle, with the QX50 below and the QX80 above. No, you can’t use any of these names to get a Scrabble high score.
The idea behind this sort of marketing strategy is to get people saying they drive an Infiniti rather than a G35 or a JX35 or what-have-you. Call it whatever you will, the QX60 is the backbone of Infiniti’s range: fully one-third of Infiniti’s yearly to-date sales are of this seven-seater crossover.
A rose by any other name, as The Bard said, would smell as sweet. So what kinda whiff do we get off the QX60?
Design:
Infiniti’s design language may be best described as swoopy. Where Lexus gets all angular and aggressive and BMW goes nuts with M-badges and a glue gun, Infiniti makes its presence known with a little more feminine flair.
It’s no secret that the bones of the QX60 can be found in the more rugged-looking Pathfinder. Parent company Nissan takes that mud-spattered platform, hoses it off, gives it a haircut, takes it to the spa for a mani-pedi, and takes it shopping for some fancier duds.
The makeover is pretty good, especially on the front end of the car. Both Lexus and Acura really feel like they’re trying too hard by comparison – the QX is aggressive enough, but doesn’t look like it’s pulling a face.
I’m less convinced by the little squiggle at the rear glass of the car. This is a design feature that Infiniti is working into all of their models, a similar feature to BMW’s long-running Hofmeister kink. On the QX it feels a little forced.
But that’s just nitpicking. Overall the QX60 is nicely cohesive, with 18-inch alloys as standard and 20-inch on the optional Touring trim.
Environment:
As a father of two, I would never recommend that any parent buy a car with a light interior. In fact, if some sort of Rubbermaid option is available, then check that box.
Even so, the cream-coloured leather of my QX60 tester contrasted nicely with its dark blue exterior, and really lightened up the interior. And at least the carpets were dark-coloured.
The QX60 has a number of improvements over the old JX35, while retaining the latter’s sensible packaging. The maple wood trim is subtle but pleasing to the eye, there’s extra padding in the armrests and elsewhere, and a giant pair of moonroofs add further airiness to the cabin.
The best part about Infiniti basing their mainline crossover on the Pathfinder is that the Nissan was optimized for people with kids. The mid-row seats are comfortable enough for adults, but they slide very easily. The third row seats are completely fine for even teenaged kids, and each side gets its own USB charger. Tell ’em to pipe down and start catching some Pokemon, and enjoy the peace and quiet.
Performance:
What’s not-so-great about basing the QX60 on the Pathfinder is that it’s a very soft vehicle. If you look at the rest of the Infiniti range, most of the company’s machines seem to be aimed at taking a bit out of BMW’s performance-based image. As an example, the new Q50 sedan can be got with a twin-turbocharged V-6 making 400 horsepower – that’s like a luxury version of the mighty GT-R!
The QX60, on the other hand, gets a transversely-mounted 3.5-litre V-6 making 265 h.p. at 6,400 rpm and 248 foot-pounds at 4,400 rpm. Those power figures aren’t too bad, but then Infiniti attaches their V-6 to a continuously variable gearbox.
So, if you grew up driving a Nissan 350Z or a G35 coupe, and are looking at the QX60 to provide some of those same thrills while hauling a couple of kids around, lower your expectations. Such is not this crossover’s mission.
Instead, the QX60 backs up its comfortable seats and feature-laden interior with a supple suspension and muted engine noise. The suspension and steering have been tuned this year for a little more poise, but there’s still little sportiness to be found.
Your kids, busy catching Pikachus and Squirtles, will thank you for the way the QX60 sort of irons out your driving, the shiftless CVT working smoothly with the V-6. There’s no choice but to settle back in your seat; while the power available is enough to accelerate up to highway speeds on an on-ramp, the way that power is delivered is relaxing.
Features:
Along with a well-polished drive, the QX60 sets itself apart from the competition with a laundry list of features in relatively affordable packages. The basic car is $47,400, but for around $52,000, you’ve got one equipped with navigation, voice-recognition, keyless entry and the excellent 360-degree Aroundview camera system.
CVTs aren’t the performance enthusiast’s choice, but they do deliver solid economy. Official ratings for the QX60 are 12.2 litres/100 kilometres city and 8.9 l/100 km on the highway. Observed economy in mixed driving was smack in the middle.
Green Light:
Smooth ride; bright, useful interior; value-friendly options packaging.
Stop Sign:
Not very sporty handling; acceleration only adequate for the class.
The Checkered Flag:
Popular for a reason, the QX60 is nice enough to wear an Infiniti badge, but still a sensible choice.
Competition
Acura MDX ($53,690)
A favourite of Canadian families since its inception, the MDX is arguably more important to Acura’s identity than its reborn supercar, the NSX. Like the QX, it’s a V-6-powered three-rower with seating for seven.
Unlike the QX, the Acura’s actually a bit of a performer. While it can’t match the forward steam of turbo-charged BMW and Mercedes offerings, the MDX is quite a sprightly drive for such a large car, and light on its feet. It’s a little less cushy than the Infiniti, and the QX does have a simpler approach to onboard infotainment.
