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| Infiniti's QX60 the luxurious modern full-size Station Wagon. |
While the PR Staff from Infiniti apologized about the high miles, and that it was last year’s model, for me, it is good to see how a car holds up after the initial new car smell is gone.
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| The inside of the Infiniti QX60 features wheat colored leather and maple wood trim accents. |
This one was doing just fine! Its bright wheat beige leather
seats and black carpeting were not heading to the rough trade of being a press
car that gets a new driver every week. Hint, press fleet cars have a rougher
life than rental fleet cars.
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| The long muscular hood of the Infiniti QX60. |
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| The dash of the QX60 lacks the iconic Infiniti oval analog clock. |
While
the inside was clearly an obsessively designed Japanese dash with plenty of
buttons and controls to manage everything from the headlights, to the heated
seats. The only thing I felt was missing was the oval analog clock that
Infiniti was chastised for when it came to market in the 1990’s.
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| Infiniti's 3.5 6-cylinder engine under the muscular hood. |
What I enjoyed while driving it, was the power from 265 hp, 248-pounds
of ft.-torque, 3.5-liter, 6-cylinder engine and intelligent all-wheel drive
with continuously variable transmission. The good fuel economy (in excess of
24 mpg on this trip.) And the wide range of active safety features, such as
forward and rear collision warning systems, blind spot warning and prevention,
intelligent cruise control with distance cruise assist, which kept an eye on
the vehicle in front, and matched its speed without running up onto its tail.
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| Infiniti's Active Safety Display features lane departure and blind spot warning systems. |
Lane departure warning and prevention system was helpful during the long drive, especially in the dark, (where it continued to work, even though visual distances were impaired by rain.)
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| Blind Spot Warning light on each door. |
Blind Spot Detection was especially helpful in heavy traffic on the interstate, when drivers appear out of nowhere, though the rear view mirrors were ample in size, it was great to have the assistance of this technology.
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| The Caravan of cars to Florida featured a BMW Z3, a rare Marcos GT, the Infiniti QX60, Ford Roush Performance Mustang with Track Package and a Jaguar XKE Coupe. |
The intelligent cruise control and distance control assist was especially handy as we were part of a multi-car caravan of classic, and vintage cars heading to the Amelia Island Concours, made up of a diverse group of vehicles from a 2016 Roush Performance Mustang with Track Pack to a 1960 Jaguar XKE, from a BMW M Series to a rare Marcos_GT. A Model A Boat Tail open roadster that had recently gone on a race from New
York City USA to Paris France recreation of one done a century ago, joined the group during the trip.
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| The QX60 sporting the Amelia or Bust sign at a lunch stop. |
While one would think that our Infiniti QX60 would not seem to be in step with this Caravan of classic and exotic vehicles, organized by a Hagerty Insurance. The Infiniti QX60 took
it all in stride, holding its own, being the car that passengers from other
cars wanted to ride in, when they were being overwhelmed by the journey, or just tired of riding in an old classic.
Wonder where does this the QX60 fit in, in this modern world of vehicles? Without sliding
side doors, it can’t be a minivan! Without big tires and a discernible 4X4
drive train, it is more refined than an SUV. And its size and stature make it a
hard fit for a crossover. In reality it is a little bit of all three.
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| 2nd & 3rd row rear seats fold down to extend the cargo area. |
The QX60 succeeds as a luxurious and capable mover of people
and cargo. Like a classic full size station wagon of yesteryear, with plenty of
room, comfort and luxury. Passengers who jumped in after riding in the vintage
classics, enjoyed the infinitely adjustable, heated and cooled seats, and the
quietness of the cabin. And as the QX60 had plenty of cargo room with the rear
seats down, it ended up carrying luggage and other large items.
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| Around View® monitor gives a new meaning to backup camera. |
The QX60’s luxury appointments seemed almost like the standard
features you need. It remembered the driver’s seating position, and provided a
great view of the road, fore, and aft, as well as with the Around View®
monitor with moving object detection and front and rear sonar, which made a
simple backup camera seem like an outdated polaroid photograph, as this system
gave you an aerial view of the vehicle’s surroundings.
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| The QX60 features plenty of glass roof as well as interior space. |
Our 2015 model stickers at $56,090 with options of Roof
Rails, $95. Infiniti’s Technology Package, $2,800 (included much of the safety features
we really benefited from on a long trip like backup collision intervention,
intelligent brake assist, forward collision warning, blind spot and lane
departure warning, intelligent cruise control and distance control assist.) Deluxe
Touring Package, $3,450 (20-Inch alloy wheels, Bose ® cabin surround sound,
advanced climate control, climate-controlled front seats, heated second row
seats, power moon roof and maple interior accents, that did not appear to be
fake plastic.) Premium Package, $1,550 (Bose® 13-speaker premium
sound system, dual occupant memory system heated steering wheel and enhanced intelligent
key, and remote engine start.) And Premium Plus Package, $3K, (Infiniti
Connection™ and hard drive navigation, 8-Inch VGA Color touch screen, voice recognition, Sirius XM's NavTraffic & NavWeather, Around View® monitor and moving object detection,
rain-sensing windshield wipers.) That brought the price up from a base of
$43,800. As I used all of those packages and options on this trip, except for
the remote start, I would say they were an essential part of my positive
Infiniti experience.
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| Hagerty Classic Car Insurance's Motto "Life is too short to drive Boring Cars." |
My overall impression of this vehicle is it is a great if
you travel long distances or have people and cargo to haul. It will work as a
great family mover, or as a vehicle for a traveling business person who needs
to carry thing with them. The safety features made me feel secure and the
luxury features made the drive comfortable and enjoyable, especially on such a
long trip.
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| Infiniti Logo on the grill of the QX60. |
Nissan’s Infiniti line debuted in the 1990's bringing together what American automobile manufacturers were not providing
consumers at the time, dependability in a luxurious vehicle. Since then, they
have evolved as the American drivers looked for carry-all vehicles with
luxurious touches. At a mid-fifty’s price, this QX60 is a vehicle that gives the buyer a lot
of value for the money. The 2016 model, has been refreshed with new Infiniti
design language, the chassis dynamics have been returned for a more engaging
and comfortable drive, and the interior has been enhanced luxury for up to 7
passengers. An augmented suite of safety and driving assistance technology
which include predictive forward collision warning and emergency braking with pedestrian
detection. All of which are perfect for this or any other model.
Build your own Infiniti QX60. We built a 2016 model to the specs of the 2015 QX60 Infiniti
provide us with, and came out with a price less than the 2015 model. Price includes
the $995 destination & handling fee. As a prudent buyer, make use of your membership
in a credit union, AAA, Costco, or similar organization. Often they have
connections to local dealers which result in a lower price.
Take a test drive today at your neighborhood Infiniti dealer of the QX60, and also check out the new Infiniti Q50 Sedan, which is also a pretty nice ride.
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| The new Infiniti Q50 Sedan, a pocket rocket dressed in a nice suit. |
Remember buying from a dealer for a lower price, miles away, may not be the most prudent purchase decision. Supporting local businesses within your community is important to everyone.
Enjoy the Drive - William West Hopper
