2009 Infiniti QX56 Detroit MI

December 7, 2009   By Alison Lakin, Associate Editor


2009 Infiniti QX56

DriverSide Overview

Imagine for a moment that the vehicles classed as large luxury SUVs were members of a colony of sorts. Which of them would you deem king? It’s a tough choice, but if we had a vote in the proceedings, the Infiniti QX56 ’s chad would most likely be dangling from its resting place. Let’s review the necessary qualifications of this prestigious honor, just to be sure. First and foremost, a luxury SUV is required to be comfortable and seat at least half a soccer team. It must effortlessly glide along freeways and Westfield shopping center parking lots. And for the win: Gizmos and gadgets have to be plentiful enough to entertain the aforementioned soccer team. The QX covers all the basics and then some: seven leather-swathed seats, a smooth, comfortable ride with minimal body roll and standard navi will keep occupants on the verge of bliss. Nailed it! It seems like the luxurious and lavishly large Infiniti QX56, brother of Nissan’s Armada , displays competence in every possible category for this type of vehicle. We’re not sure how pretty it will look in a fur-lined robe and crown though.

What's to Like

Comfortable seats and a sophisticated interior design make the driver forget that the QX strongly resembles a WWII tank. High towing maximums allow the SUV to pull a trailer or boat without any worry. A laundry list of standards – including navigation and a rearview camera – ensure the price tag won’t travel far beyond the base MSRP.

What's Not to Like

Exterior design will be too jarring and aggressive for some. Angular lines make the large SUV seem like the Queen Mary II in scale. There are niggling issues with the drive, we’d advise against bringing the QX within 10 miles of any city limit, and $1,700 for a DVD system is pretty steep.

The Drive:

DriverSide Driving Impressions

As with any large SUV, there are certain sacrifices that come with its immense size and weight. The QX is no exception, and its mass is slow to get moving off the line. Direction changes aren’t quick either, despite the suspension keeping body roll down to a minimum. But once it gets up to speed, the thing is like a juggernaut, with only the 13-inch disc brakes able to slow it to a stop. Its V-8 engine has enough mid-range power to really pull the SUV along the road, with the amount of torque surpassing that of the LR3 and Mercedes-Benz GL450 . Steering is, as Pink Floyd would have contested, uncomfortably numb; the best you can do is turn the wheel and hope the tires are pointing in the right direction. We also found it unsettling that the hood is large enough to momentarily blind the driver when cresting hills.

Engine and Drivetrain

The 5.6-liter V-8 engine produces 320 horsepower and 393 lb-ft of torque. A five-speed automatic transmission puts power to the rear...

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