QX 60 Infinity – A family wagon that feels cavernous inside
in van-like proportions; and handles like a car.
What’s to like
about this vehicle?
With lots of
family utility vehicles marketed, it is questionable why we make another
competitor to elicit portions of our car market from the former – Big Three –
auto makers. But Infinity technology speaks
for itself. Makers of sleek luxury
performance vehicles, they left no rough edges on its only CVT, UTV vehicle
marketed for highway driving. That means
spontaneous speed; a constant thrust to upper speed limits. It delivers performance with smooth
acceleration and about a one second speed difference, behind Infinity sedans –
sixty in about seven seconds – sixteen second quarter miles. Nothing spectacular when compared with many
of today’s cars; except for quicker, quitter, smoother acceleration; because of
the constant CVT single speed transmission. Handling is, ho-hum uneventful. Steering is spontaneously supple with input. Light and agile, the ride seems effortless. The sport-tuned suspension connects the road
while ironing out bumps; and the quiet interior environment, comforts as many
as eight passengers.
Except for
exceptional quiet ride and spontaneous handling, it feels like any other car,
but with a lot more accessories than most.
A superb navigation unit instructs and communicates. In fact, almost all functions except actual
driving can be done with voice control.
The fully automatic does everything from adjust temperature and seat
settings upon entrance, to taking pictures and noticing lane changes. It uses both sonar and radar to detect
vehicle movements both front and rear.
Parking is
easy. The camera assists, showing all
angles, and advising which way to turn the leather wrapped steering wheel.
Leather covers
much of the interior. A stitched dash
board blends with seats and other refinements like ceiling and arm rests. It is pleasing to smell and exceedingly
comfortable.
Pleasant looks
draw passengers and viewers alike; but, the real car purpose is purely
performance. An aerodynamic design adds
speed; and with better gas mileage than most vans, SUV’s, and even many
cars. Performance depends on driver and
mood. Press a start button. There are no car keys. An inconspicuous fop can be anywhere inside
the vehicle; that includes a jacket or shirt pocket. In fact, everything including steering, gas
pedal and transmission shift happens by remote control; so handle them
lightly. The shift is a modular unit
that costs one-thousand dollars or so, if you ever need to replace it, should
it break or malfunction. It’s hard to
imagine that you’re driving a vehicle that is almost completely void of any
mechanical input from the driver, other than thousands of electric pulses,
sensed by driver impulse, and sent to each wheel.
The floor console
shifter consist of reverse, neutral and drive, with a type of manual mode that
imitates shifting. These controls and
others including radio, are also set into the steering wheel; small buttons
with hieroglyphic impressions, and easily understood. But there is too much to gloat about or
describe in a few sentences. In short,
QX has everything contained in any other car, and more than most; like having
an office inside your car. It can be
with an optional computer and built in internet reception.
Reclining seats,
both front and rear offer rest and even a short nap to some between
commutes. If you are used to hemi
growls, and sharp thrusting, this vehicle falls short of expectations; until
you factor in facts. Pound for pound, QX
60 out performs most power vehicles – remember, this is a station wagon that
resembles other UTV’s in looks. The
boxy front end, traditional on most is sculpted and curvaceous, designed to be
aerodynamic. It gets between 22 and 26
miles per gallon – I averaged about twenty six, in normal mode, driving
normal. But the price will floor you –
base price around 45G; the top edition gets closer to sixty thousand, with tax
included, and that includes the navigation and lane change controls. In fact, there is so much built into this
vehicle, I’d recommend sitting and reading the manual; which I did not. If you’re a normal driver just interested in safe
arrival to a destination, it delivers you albeit in style, without being
pretentious. Set the seats for comfort
and they return to that position, next time you start the car. It is a good ride for a family of two to four
children.
But the
difference between QX60 and its competitors, is simply speed and agility. The five-thousand- plus pound vehicle will
out maneuver most comparably priced cars; even keeping up with and passing some
faster . In addition to an automatic
shifter, it has a dial in mode for snow driving, economy, normal and sport
style. The ergo mode sounds weaker, like
a lesser four cylinder, but performance is marginally better. Sport mode emits tunes – little growls – that
increase in volume with speed and RPM’s.
It feels a bit quicker initially, as if there is more thrust. But, if you like the quiet car effect, stick
with Normal, as I did. Normal is
impressive. Other similar looking
vehicles look limp in comparison, weaving through highway traffic. There you control everything. Most vehicles are governed to speeds anywhere
from eighty miles per hour, to around the 110 speedometer mark. Hit that speed and the vehicle does weird
things, pitching violently, and coughing and sputtering while speed takes a
nose dive, and you look foolish with everybody passing you, the show-off
want-to-be. Not so with QX60. In eighty mile per hour traffic, just floor
the gas pedal and it instantly accelerates past everybody, with a speedometer
that can read 160mph; forget the governor, most people will never get to find
it. They will pass lots of cars while
trying.
A sad point
limiting normal SUV performance in twisting turns, is their top heavy
stature. Infinity is lighter on top and
more weight gets distributed closer to ground, with a wider wheel width than
many, giving greater agility around corners; and adding to ho-hum uneventful
deception that one can get even more courageous in twisties, all-wheel-drive
wheels adjusting and individually breaking upon sensing slipping. Too close to a forward vehicle earns the same
respect, almost to a complete stop. That
sounds scary. Imagine riding on the trunk
of a fast car you wish passing when the sonar kicks in and the car
automatically applies your brakes. Now
somebody is on your tail. But it doesn’t
act that way. You don’t need to crowd those
you plan passing. That’s the beauty of
Infinity. Stay back and enjoy the
ride. Follow the road or track rules and
be forgiving. There is plenty of time to
be impressed. The throttle is always
ready to please any driver with instant inputting rewards. Cars disappear rearward. Even slower vehicles tend to move over as you
approach; maybe because it has a subtle police car look about it; I’m not sure
why, they just do. When you do
accelerate, that speedometer heads beyond triple digits in seconds, and
hopefully there are no police to witness the performance; probably a good
reason to use your own radar and detect them first.
Tires mean
everything in performance. Best tires
are not uniform for each vehicle. Gas
mileage and tire miles can hinge on the design function. Tires are rated as on and off road. Those tires are designed and rated for speed
and handling capabilities; the best off-road tires perform poorest on highways,
they weren’t made for it. Put an
off-road tire on a vehicle with that intention and it will amaze you; climbing
over rocks and tree stumps, and plowing through mud and water. Infinity works best in highway and some city
driving. Michelin all-weather tires work
much better on that car. It was made for
the road.
Cavernous was my
best word for the inside, until viewed from rear-view mirror. For as spacious as it feels, you can sit
upright and front and side vision is great, rear vision is tunnel vision. It gets narrower, the further back you go. Four doors make easy access for four or five
passengers. You need to bend for the
rear seat. Although adults can
comfortably use the third row, it might not be for an extended time
period. Personally, I’d fold that seat
and forget about it; stowage my main concern.
There’s plenty of it; not quite as much as a pickup truck, but enough to
haul family and cargo, and power to tow one and a half tons behind you; more
than most trucks might haul. That and
the standard sunroof could eliminate need for a truck costing half as much,
with roll down windows and canvas seats.
It’s the lifetime question, do you want the truck or a lifetime
opportunity to abandon crass country for sophistication? Make that decision, and the truck is
historical until first payment comes on a new vehicle. Then you might ask if it were worth it. That’s a tough decision to choose between,
two good products; each with similar purpose perhaps, but not quite the
same. Pricewise, if it amounts to about
the same, the family crossbreed might make sense. Loners or empty nesters could opt for the
pickup bed; something strictly used for hauling but nothing else. Gas mileage could range from 12 to 20mpg with
regular formula; while the wagon would get almost ten miles per gallon more with
normal driving. Premium fuel carries a
steeper price. Is it really worth
spending twice as much on a vehicle that uses more expensive gasoline? That cuts into the gas guzzling pickup
theory. A unit costing half as much, getting
eighteen miles per gallon, using regular gas, becomes cheaper to operate than
the upscale UTV. Is speed and
performance really a factor for factory commuting? Common sense says that’s a myth. Following rules of the road, observing speed
limits, being courteous takes time; maybe a few seconds or minutes, but never
hours. Think about it. Assuming everybody gets to work on time,
perhaps it makes little difference what you drive there. Some people want more than that. They can spend extra money for refinements
and performance, and might refrain from hauling their own trash; but need
something roomier than a car, and QX60 becomes practical. Lots of cars have similar characteristics
mimicking more luxurious makes. For half
the price and manual functions, you get canvas seats and cheaper carpet. For a couple thousand dollars, they’ll
undercoat and weatherproof it. Keep
oiling it every couple thousand miles and keep it clean. It will last a lifetime. That’s the car you want. Backup cameras and other fashionable
implements can be applied later. But, if
you enjoy wearing a suit on occasion, traveling and meeting people, that
Infinity might be an ice breaker.