The Infiniti QX 56 is an immense, very powerful SUV that aims to eat the lunch of the massive Escalades, Navigators and (Toyota) Tundras. Made-in-the USA (surprised?), it shares the sophisticated 315 hp, 32 valve V-8 engine with Infiniti’s Q45 luxury sedan. Unlike the ‘Slade and Navigator, however, this one inexplicably draws mostly appreciative looks and comments from people of all ages and economic circumstances. So far, anyway. MSRP for AWD: $50,400; Warranty: 4 yrs/50,000 mi..

First Glance

This huge vehicle is a real attention-getter. Its appeal seems to cut across both age and economic class barriers. The young, recently-arrived-in-Canada attendant at a downtown Toronto parking lot almost fell out of the booth checking it out. He asked me all kinds of questions about it – including whether it offered a diesel engine option in Canada. (Alas, not.) A close friend’s son – a newly minted ear, nose and throat specialist - who is living with his gorgeous fiancé in an upscale suburb north of Toronto wanted to know when he could buy one. (Tellingly, he didn’t ask the price.) And the attention didn’t stop there. Two young guys in a 10-year old Dodge minivan gave us a friendly smile and a hearty thumbs up at a stoplight. Maybe it was the big slab sides. Or maybe it was the chrome door handles and the big chrome wheels set off by the several dozen coats of high gloss black paint. Truth be told, I haven’t received this much attention in a test vehicle since the 2003 Sorrento Red Porsche C4S. I still don’t understand why but there’s something about the looks (or size) of this thing that attracts surprisingly admiring looks from the most unexpected quarters. Incidentally, the above anecdotes are exactly as they happened.

In the Driver’s Seat

Not unexpectedly, the QX 56 offers a full load of toys. It comes standard with everything you can get in its sedan equivalent – the Q45. Well, OK, the DVD entertainment system is an extra 1400 bucks or so. Best of all these toys is the rear-facing camera. When you put the shifter in reverse, you get a ground level view of the road behind. Did I mention the QX 56 is humungous? You can’t see anything out back. But with this camera device, I was able to tuck it into an on-street parallel parking spot that allowed me perhaps 18 inches front and rear clearance. I could see everything out back. The view allowed me to pull up to within a few inches of the car behind without fear of touching him. Although it is huge, this is a very people (if not earth) friendly vehicle. The brake and accelerator pedals are adjustable. Both the driver’s and front passenger’s leather covered seats have full power adjustment and the stupendous Bose sound system with big sub-woofer will set car alarms to chirping. There are three rows of seating. Both the second and third rows offer theatre style seating yet fold flat for storage. Occupants of all three rows are protected with supplemental side impact air bags.

On the Road

During the course of a week in Toronto, I put over 600 miles on this the latest version of the QX 56. While most of my mileage was freeway, there were also about 50 miles of loose gravel road. I was delighted with the handling on both these surfaces. The incredibly powerful, virtually silent 315hp (390 lb-ft of torque) DOHC aluminum block V-8 was a joy to use. The 5-speed auto with floor mounted shifter and shift gates provided the control of a manual transmission. The standard all wheel drive system allows the driver remarkable control over just how much traction he wants to put down. You can dial in AUTO for poor highway or rural road conditions, 4WD for deep snow or mud or 2WD for economical highway or city driving on clear roads. It’s even got an electronically controlled transfer case position (4LO) if you want to go rock climbing. Get in over your head in a corner or on a slippery road surface and the standard vehicle dynamic control system (stability control) will bail you out. Probably. In short, this is one very capable, very sophisticated automobile. It’s not, however, an inconspicuous one. Nor is it inexpensive. But that’s the whole idea of this type of vehicle.

Journey’s End

I already mentioned my favorite QX 56 toy was the rear-facing camera. My second favorite toy was the standard navigation system, which proved invaluable one weekend in locating a family picnic in Blackstock. I had never heard of Blackstock. It’s a tiny hamlet with a lot of century (heritage) homes some 60 miles northeast of Toronto city center. The directions I had been given were vague in the extreme. However, about half way to my destination – with the most puzzling part of the trip still ahead - I decided to try to use the Navigation system. Without consulting the (inch-thick) instruction manual, I was able to program in my exact destination (a first for me) and was directed most expeditiously to the picnic. I fell in love with the QX 56 at this point but I still must emphasize this is not a vehicle for a city driver. It’s way too big and it would be a pig on gas in short haul conditions. This thing is at its best on the open highway where you can expect about 15mpg. It cruises nicely at 80 mph plus and is able to handle the roughest rural roads you’re likely to encounter behind the wheel of a $60,000 plus vehicle – trick ATTESA-ETS 4WD control system or no.