The Infinite QX60, the reviewer and his wife
And you can pretty much guess who loves this SUV
Driving’s Derek McNaughton is spending a month driving the Infiniti QX60 Hybrid. This week his wife finds a lot to love about the AWD SUV.
The longer the QX60 Hybrid is with me, the less I get to drive it. Each time something needs to be collected, or one of the sons needs ferrying to some sporting activity, the Infiniti gets called into duty — and not by me.
“Can I take the truck?” my wife says every time I turn around. Note that she has somehow defaulted to calling this seven-seat, AWD SUV a truck, even though the QX60 has very few truck roots, its unibody structure shared with the new Nissan Pathfinder to give it a more carlike ride. And almost every time she returns from some outing, the response is the same: “I like that truck.”
Of course, it’s hard not to like a brand new vehicle costing $62,950, but having been spoiled by a parade of $50,000-plus vehicles that have come to our house because of my work, she is not just a casual observer of cars. And while she might struggle with a vehicle’s identity, she knows what works.
And it’s not just the luxury peripherals such as heated steering wheel, bright HID projector lights and amazing backup cameras she appreciates. The Bose 15-speaker sound system is so good, each time she pulls into the driveway I can hear Bob Dylan blasting away outside, even when I’m inside the house.
Of course, an awesome stereo goes only so far if the total package is not up to snuff, and the drive quality of the QX60 that we have borrowed from Infiniti Canada for four weeks as part of our longer-term test consistently earns high marks. It is supremely quiet and well insulated from road noise — maybe even too insulated, as it can be hard to ascertain sometimes what the wheels are doing, leaving this driver, at least, feeling somewhat detached from the driving experience, although my wife says she likes the way it drives. Steering effort is light and consistent, requiring few turns from lock to lock, though feedback is equally immune from intrusions from the outside world.
Not everyone wants such detailed interaction with his or her vehicle, however, especially passengers who will find ample leg room in the heated, middle-row seats of the QX60. The rear seats are especially firm, but they do recline, plus there is climate control access (that can also be adjusted from up front). Third-row access is brilliantly simple too — one lever moves the seat up and forward. Space in the third row is big enough for those under age 14, though adults can fit for short trips. The power tailgate is fine for closing, but too slow to open (and I’m not sure the four-way flashers really need to be automatically activated when opening or closing).
Visibility is neither excellent nor poor, and with the large side mirrors properly adjusted (blind-spot warning included), I’ve had no issues changing lanes or reversing. Aided by four cameras that provide an all-around view while backing up, as well as sensors that beep with increasing intensity when nearing an object, plus colour-coded graphics on the backup monitor, the QX60 may be impossible to dent — the system will even apply the brakes when it detects a collision.
The beeping and flashing can be shut off when backing up to hook up a trailer, and an integrated receiver is standard, but the trailer wiring is only seven-pin round.
Perhaps the safety net of reversing is one of the other reasons my wife is secretly in love with the QX60 Hybrid.
That, and the killer Bose sound.