You’d Expect More From The Infiniti QX60 But It Leaves You Hanging: Review

What makes a car worth considering? With so many models aiming to check every box, it’s easy for one to fade into the background. Yet, sometimes something leans so strongly into one defining trait that the rest becomes secondary. And, in a few cases, that’s all it takes to win people over.

The Mazda MX-5, for instance, is small and impractical and its performance is nothing to write home about, but all that doesn’t really matter because of the way it handles and the fact that it reminds people of what real driving should feel like. The classic Toyota Land Cruiser (J80 or J100) is somewhat crude, slow, and with atrocious fuel economy. Buyers don’t care, though, because it’s an off-road monster that simply cannot be killed. The Tesla Model S has its own set of flaws, from the yoke steering wheel to the panel gaps, but it redefined the electric vehicle segment and continues to be a stellar performer.

Quick Facts

These cars don’t try to be everything to everyone, and yet they shine. Unfortunately, the Infiniti QX60 is the exact opposite. It seems as though the brand tried to make this car a true jack of all trades. Sometimes, that works out just fine. In this case, it feels like the QX60 needs an entire revamp despite just arriving with a new generation.

The QX60 spent two full weeks with us, and we tested it in every way an average owner might. It shuttled groups of friends around, carried cargo, and served as a commuter car. We’ve already spoiled our verdict, so let’s dig into how we got there, starting off with its best attribute.

Styling

Very few SUVs of this size and in this segment look this good. Put simply, the QX60 commands attention. Infiniti knocked this design out of the park. The best way to describe it is that the Japanese brand took of the presence that the QX80 has and added the DNA of a gold-medal-winning Olympic athlete to the mix. 

Moreover, it borrows much of the styling that made the Q50 look so good and adds it to a family hauler. The test car we had featured Graphite Shadow gray paint with a two-tone upper half in jet black. That combo matches beautifully with the dark black grille, wheels, and fender flares. 

It goes beyond simple colors and broad shapes, though; the little details are excellent as well. Take a glance at the side skirt and how the black section tapers upward under the rear door. That same shape is visible and dovetails the rear window on both the upper and lower sections. It’s simple but ties the design together beautifully. 

The front end is even more striking. The grille is big and bold, and aggressive. The headlights, though, are sleek, sharp, and sporty. The boxed-out gills on each side of the front bumper make the entire vehicle appear wide and low despite its relatively tall ride height. 

In a world full of crossovers and SUVs that follow the same formula when it comes to design and end up looking bland rather than inspiring, this three-row people mover is one of the best-looking. 

Interior

The QX60’s cabin is a blend of both new and old-school Infiniti styling. The dash features sweeping curves, an aggressively asymmetrical center console design line, and a mix of leather upholstery and open-pore wood trim. Frankly, the black wood and the dark blue upholstery are a classic combination that stands out in a good way. 

The infotainment system is modern enough without feeling cutting edge. The upper screen houses all main media, navigation, and settings. The lower haptic touch panel manages climate control and mixes in a few physical knobs for things like temperature and media volume. We’re disappointed in the black plastic that gathers fingerprints, but at least the screen provides tactile feedback when pressed. 

The sweeping design of the dash continues on the door cards, and while some might like it, the whole aesthetic feels a bit 2010s to us. That said, all of the switchgear feels good under the finger, and the controls are logically placed. For a $60,000 SUV, we’d also love to see Infiniti include a nicer, more luxurious steering wheel. 

In addition, the third row sports a pair of headrests that stick out toward the cabin when in the ‘down’ position. When in the ‘up’ position, they block most of what you’ll see in the rearview mirror. So if you have short folks sitting back there but also want to lower the headrests to see out the back of the rear window, you’ll have to decide which is more important because doing both isn’t really possible. 

That said, the seating is mostly comfortable. Both of the first two rows get seat heating. The front row also has ventilation, though it’s not the strongest we’ve experienced. The third row is very cramped for anybody other than small children. Its existence also minimizes cargo space, but at least the third row folds down easily from the back of the car. Sadly, the only way to stow and retrieve them is via manual release. 

Doing something like lowering all of the rear seats to stow something like a mountain bike requires a lot of manual lever pressing and moving around the back half of the QX60. At least the cabin is large enough to fit something like an XL mountain bike. That was a welcome surprise since this example didn’t have a rear towing hitch. On that front, it’s worth noting that this SUV does have an impressive 6,000-lb towing capacity.

Tech Talk

Next, let’s talk about technology. This QX60 comes standard with ProPilot Assist 1.1. This tech that combines lane-centering and adaptive cruise control arrived in 2016. It feels at least that old. Having recently driven several of Nissan and Infiniti’s vehicles with ProPilot Assist 2.1, the departure is dramatic and disappointing. Version 2.1 is adept at just about everything on the highway. It’s smooth, it’s intuitive, and it’s even capable of full hands-free driving in the same way that Ford’s BlueCruise is.

1.1 is a far cry from that and seems to fight the kind of behavior that 2.1 encourages. Once on, it requires drivers to keep a hand on the wheel. That’s fine, but when it begins to drift a little too close to one lane and you, as the driver, correct it, the system often signals an alarm because you’re now steering the car toward the other lane marker. If you try to correct it again, it complains again.

Those who prefer to just let it do its thing will find that it drives over lane markings. It’s far from refined and would be far more appropriate in something like a Nissan Versa than it is in a $60,000+ family SUV. 

Drive Impressions

If there’s ever a feature that can redeem a vehicle, it’s almost certainly the way that it drives. After all, every car’s main goal is to be something people will want to drive. The QX60 comes with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine that makes 268 horsepower (199 kW), a nine-speed automatic gearbox, and front-wheel drive. 

That’s the package that everyone will get, no matter how much they spend, short of buyers who opt for all-wheel drive. This is also an SUV that weighs over 4,700 pounds (2,131 kg). On paper, that means it has considerably less horsepower than, for example, the compact Toyota GR Corolla, while weighing around 1,600 pounds (725 kg) more. That doesn’t sound like much of a performer on paper. 

Sadly, on the road, it doesn’t get much better. This is not what one would call a dynamic driver. This very clever engine is capable of and regularly engages in changing its compression ratio. In theory, that’s a great idea. It allows for more power when you ask for it and better fuel economy when you don’t. It’s the same sort of idea behind turbocharging, variable cam timing, and other modern engineering developments. 

In this engine, set in this vehicle, it feels almost like a blender with ten speeds, but only about four, two on each end of the scale, are available. Dip into the throttle and you’ll get a very middling response. Dip in a little more, around halfway, and it’ll still feel somewhat soft. Dig in a little further, though, and all of a sudden, the engine revs pick up and the entire car pulls hard for just a moment before settling in for a long, droning trundle up to whatever speed one requests. 

Every day commutes are fine in the QX60. They’re inoffensive. But they’re also far from engaging or empowering. The cabin is quiet, the seats are comfortable, and the controls are responsive enough that most drivers will be content. The gearbox is better than it would be if it were a CVT, but it’s not particularly fast to swap cogs either. It’s about as lukewarm as an SUV in the class can get, as it’s not bad to drive, but it’s not very good either. 

Fuel Economy

Perhaps though, the QX60 is a fuel-sipper which would negate the issues it has with driver engagement. Again, though, that’s also not the case. In two weeks of testing, we achieved 19.5 mpg in mixed driving. That figure seemed really low to us. 

According to the EPA, this car should get 22 mpg in the city, 27 on the highway, and 24 combined. The economy was so low in our experience that after week one, we lightened up our right foot a bit in hopes of seeing an improvement. It made no difference.

We still ended our testing with 19.5 mpg overall. Admittedly, we could’ve hyper-miled it a bit more and tried to improve that score but under realistic driving behavior, that’s what we achieved. That’s not much better than what we managed in the V6 Pathfinder Rock Creek we tested. 

Competition

The base QX60 starts at $53,200. For those in search of a quiet, comfortable, pseudo luxury cruiser that can carry four people most of the time and six in a pinch, this SUV is one of the best-looking available for that money. Beyond that, it struggles to really innovate or lead the segment in any way. 

For example, the Nissan Pathfinder we reviewed had more power, similar real-world fuel economy, similar interior space, similar luxuries, and a better driving experience than this. It also costs around $10,000 less than the QX60 Sport we drove. 

Other vehicles like the Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe offer everything the QX60 does for thousands less. Still others, like the Mazda CX-90, Lexus GX, and Acura MDX, offer more specialized and modernized driving experiences. For the same money that one would spend on this QX60, they could even get into something like the excellent Volvo XC90, the Lexus TX, or the Audi Q7. 

Final Thoughts

As I would imagine is the case for most people who professionally review things, I don’t take pleasure in calling out a product’s flaws. In this case, it’s even less enjoyable since the QX60 seems so far afield from the rest of the market. The reality is that most buyers probably won’t compare and contrast it with the cars that cast such a large shadow over it.

Despite that, it would be a disservice to everyone, Infiniti included, to pretend that this SUV is truly competitive with the leaders in this segment. It doesn’t lead the class in terms of fuel economy, luxury, technology, comfort, driving engagement, or pricing. Should Infiniti drop prices or begin to offer far more specialized equipment, it could become a solid proposition. Right now, though, it is tough to recommend. 

Credit: Stephen Rivers / Nissan