AUTOWEEK Article
2004 Infiniti QX56
The Bold and the Not So Beautiful: Infiniti’s Monster SUV Goes Like Stink—And Looks It, Too
AUTOWEEK
Published Date: 9/27/04
LIKES
Monster power
Lots of standard features
Quiet ride
DISLIKES
Cruise, sunroof buttons not lit
Few stand-alone options
Smallish cargo space
OTHERS CONSIDERED
GMC Yukon Denali/XL
Lexus LX 470
Lincoln Navigator
We don’t forgive Infiniti’s big ute its gawky styling (nor that of its Nissan Armada sibling). The way the squared-off rear end kicks out from the bulging passenger cabin hardly endows the QX56 with a "taut, athletic stance," as claimed in Infiniti’s press materials. Rather, the crooked roof-line gives the SUV the look of a cap welded askew on the back of a pickup—which it is, sort of.
Owners, however, don’t seem to care what the big Infiniti looks like. For the most part they seem too dazzled by the SUV’s engine performance to complain about much else. Quite frankly, we are, too.
It takes the Infiniti just 7.34 seconds to reach 60 mph from a standstill, made all the more impressive given the QX56’s 5360-pound curb weight. That’s a lot of heft for any engine—even a workhorse like the QX’s 5.6-liter V8—to handle.
"This is an amazing engine that hauls this large vehicle around smartly," wrote one owner, echoing the sentiments of everyone from whom we heard.
You’ll find that same engine, only with 305 horses and 379 lb-ft of torque, under the hood of Nissan’s Titan pickup truck, on which the QX56 (and Armada) is based. In our July AutoFile on the Titan, we reported a 0-to-60-mph time of 7.53 seconds from the 341-pound-lighter pickup. Yet whatever performance the Titan might have gained in curb weight, it gives away in power: The QX56 makes use of 10 more hp and 11 more lb-ft than the Titan.
The QX56 reinforces its straight-line might down the drag strip, turning in a quarter-mile best of 15.7 seconds at 87.8 mph. That beats the Titan by 0.19 second, but the pickup catches up with the big ute down the stretch, finishing with a higher top speed of 90.9 mph.
Other makes we’ve tested, however, can’t compare.
Toyota’s Sequoia, saddled with the silky but undersized 4.7-liter V8, made the most of its 240 horses and 315 lb-ft to run 0 to 60 mph in 10.5 seconds when we tested it just over two years ago. Similarly, Ford’s Expedition managed only 9.29 seconds to 60 last year; that may change, though, as the Expedition just got 40 more horses and 15 more lb-ft of torque for ’05.
It’s not all about getting away from stoplights with the QX56, even if most owners we heard from mentioned the engine first and foremost. "The powertrain is [the QX56’s] biggest asset, followed by its luxury," said one owner. Indeed, most owners appreciate the luxury appointments that come packed in this $50k-plus SUV, notably, the rearview camera, adaptive cruise control, Bose audio system and onboard DVD entertainment system.
The Infiniti comes chock-full of standard features that cost much more in its competitors. More than that, we found the real luxury feel of the QX56 came not from all the stuff you can get in the SUV, but one thing you do without: noise.
For such a large vehicle the QX56 allows very little noise to creep into the cabin, even at speed on the highway and over rough asphalt. Our tester called it "one of the quietest rides I’ve experienced in a vehicle this size, [and] better than most cars."
We would have appreciated the same degree of attention directed at some of the interior materials. The greasy "wood" trim and the cheap, plastic control knobs take more away from the luxury experience than Infiniti seems to realize. Or some owners, for that matter.
"The interior appointments... are second to none," claimed one owner. We beg to differ.
Owners didn’t take issue with the brakes or the steering, either, though we feel those are two areas Infiniti could really improve in this mountain of a sport/ute. The brakes tended to fade quickly during testing—and we’re not talking brake testing. They started to smoke at the end of our acceleration runs and required extensive cool-down periods, after which the space required to stop the vehicle continued to grow. And the steering felt as numb as any vehicle we’ve tested this year.
Still, with as much go as this beast has got, it’s hard to argue with the QX56 if you’re in the market for two-and-a-half tons of ute.
OWNERS SAY...
My wife and I test-drove the Lincoln Navigator, GMC Yukon Denali XL and Toyota Sequoia, but we really enjoyed driving the QX56. The rearview backup camera and intelligent cruise control are nice features, and the interior is very spacious and comfortable. The interior styling feels more like the inside of a plane rather than a full-size SUV. Although my wife and I love our QX56, we wish Infiniti had installed a separate video input for the DVD player. Another speaker for the third-row passengers would also be a sound idea because it’s hard to hear the radio or a movie when you’re sitting way in the back.
Gabe dela Cruz, Aurora, Ill.
The Infiniti QX56 provides the best value in this market. We’ve owned early fuel-injected Corvettes and Hemi-powered Mopars, but this is the most impressive engine of the lot.
Paul Millen, Omaha, Neb.
Nothing in this class compares to the raw power of the QX56’s 5.6-liter V8, especially on the freeway and for passing. It also handles well, with very little pitch and roll, and trailers very well. The cabin is quiet with no rattles and squeaks, and for 12,000 miles it has been absolutely problem-free. Although this is a luxury SUV, there is never any doubt it is a brute of a truck and well prepared for any task.
Richard Harrison, Eufaula, Ala.
I needed a family vehicle that could tow my 6000-pound boat, seat six or seven passengers, and that had enough off-road capability to survive outdoor weekend excursions. The QX56 has exceeded my expectations. It has all the luxury expected of high-end SUVs, the versatility of a Chevy Suburban, and the power and utility of a Ford pickup. In the future I would like to see auto-locking doors, cellphone-ready connections, and maybe sacrifice a couple of more inches in the monstrous passenger space for more cargo room behind the third row. Just don’t touch the chassis.
Joe Pasquale, Metuchen, N.J.
