Escalading the segment: Ca to Az in a Qx

Escalading the Segment: CA to AZ in a QX

The only time I had spent with Infiniti’s second-generation QX56 was during our 2011 Sport/Utility of the Year competition, in which the Nissan Patrol-based behemoth impressed me and every other editor with its athletic dynamics, advanced technology, and luxurious cabin. Still, a couple hours with a vehicle is a far cry from spending a couple weeks with one. So when I had the opportunity to sign-out our long-term QX56 for an extended period, I didn’t hesitate.

Arriving at the Hotel Valley Ho

For the holidays, my wife and I went to her folks’ house in Gold Canyon, Arizona, about 450 miles from our abode in Southern California. But before departing the surprisingly wet and cold confines of SoCal, where five straight days of rain wreaked flood and mudslide havoc, I first needed to get the QX’s windshield replaced, as it had turned a small rock chip into Charlotte’s Web. With 7500 miles on the odometer, the QX was also due for its initial maintenance, so I figured I’d have that done as well.

A Radio Flyer wagon filled with gifts, a couple messenger bags – I quickly realized that the big Infiniti offers plenty of room for most families’ needs – up to 95.1 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded, in fact. I also realized that the QX’s power-folding third row is painfully slow, taking 20 seconds to raise or lower. That doesn’t sound like a lot of time, but when you’re holding down a button with one hand (it’s not one-touch) and carrying a screaming toddler with the other, it feels like a proverbial lifetime. What I would love to see in the QX is a manual one-pull release leash a la the Nissan Quest LE minivan.

For Around View, just hit the “Camera” button.

Traveling on Interstate 10 in the middle of the night (my wife and I chose this timeframe to allow our 19-month-old son to sleep; naturally, he chose to stay awake for five of the seven hours), I learned right away that the QX’s Xenon headlamps are truly spectacular. I can’t recall a vehicle whose lights – halogen, Xenon, LED, whatever – offered better coverage, intensity, or range. Perched up high, looking down upon a white-light net the size of a Little League field, I felt like I could have safely driven through a black hole.

In addition to the enlightening headlamps, the QX delivered a surprisingly quiet, luxury-car ride on the highway. For a vehicle of this mass, I was amazed at how serene the QX’s cabin remained. Even when traveling 80 mph, with strong desert crosswinds ripping over the hood, the QX just cruised along in total tranquility. Given the QX’s truck-based roots and large 22-inch wheels, I would have thought the ride would beat up the family. Negative. The fact that the QX was so quiet and smooth likely kept my son awake – some constant bumps and white noise would have no doubt knocked him out.

I found the QX’s so-called intelligent cruise control to be aptly named, proving a smart co-driver on the interstate. Working the ICC was as simple as using a button and toggle switch on the steering wheel to set a desired speed. From there, I just left it up to the laser-based system to maintain a comfortable distance (adjustable via the toggle) to the car ahead. For hours of highway cruising, I never had to touch the throttle or brake – the ICC did all the work for me. Knowing that I’d have to give up the QX in about 13 days, I began to wonder if I could live without such a convenience.

which includes traffic and weather updates as well as posted speed limits – the last is handy when setting the ICC. The 8-inch WVGA screen is clear and vivid, and even offers touch control, although I preferred to use the rotary knob and control buttons to avoid ugly fingerprints on the screen. Plus, keeping the screen clean helps when using the Infiniti’s always-awesome Around View monitor. In a rig of the QX’s size, AV is a technology I would not want to live without. Because it’s impossible to see the corners of the vehicle, AV provides an invaluable bird’s-eye view, incredibly handy for parking, reversing, or maneuvering through a tight spot. And operating AV couldn’t be easier – just hit the “Camera” button on the dash and, voilà, a 360-degree overhead view of the car.

That range, as I found out, is quite optimistic. Over 1500 miles of driving, most of which was highway, I averaged 16.5 mpg — that equates to a range of around 430 miles. Indeed, the QX’s on-board computer was often the bearer of bad news, displaying a range that seemed to drop quicker than a skydiver. After loading the QX full of sleeping baby and gear, I was hoping to make it the whole way home without stopping. Following a fill up (usually around $70), I was encouraged, the computer telling me, “Range: 488 miles.

I must say my only nits to pick are the snail’s-pace power third row and the somewhat disappointing cruising range. And the latter, mind you, isn’t even that bad, about on par with that of its competitorS.