The recent redesign of the QX60 has made this midsized three-row luxury SUV better equipped to compete with its rivals, thanks to its refined and robust powertrain, modern infotainment system, and the cabin’s high-quality look and feel. But its Overall Score suffers because of below-average predicted reliability due to Infiniti’s history with redesigned models.
As with the previous model, the QX60 shares its basic platform with the Nissan Pathfinder, which was also redesigned for 2022. The QX60 is available with front- or all-wheel drive, and the sole engine is a 295-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 which delivers plentiful power. The hearty engine allows the QX60 to make quick work of highway onramps, steep uphills, or passing a slower car on a two-lane road. The switch from a continuously variable transmission (CVT) to a conventional nine-speed automatic transmission has improved the QX60’s drivability. Gone is the rubberbanding sensation of the old CVT, which caused the engine to rev discordantly high at times vs. the QX60’s actual acceleration; instead, the nine-speed shifts smoothly and stays mostly in tune with the terrain. We measured 21 mpg overall on the required premium fuel, which is a commendable showing against the competition’s typical 20 mpg.
The new QX60 has a slightly sharper handling feel than before, in part due to the steering’s quick initial turn-in. But body roll still creeps in noticeably if you pick up the pace on a curvy road, and the steering doesn’t give much in the way of feedback to the driver. The ride is softer and more compliant than the overly-firm Pathfinder; it feels steady and absorbent on highways and secondary roads, where the suspension is capable of soaking up ordinary bumps and cracks in the roads well. But the QX60 suffers from some of the same firm kicks into the cabin that plague the Pathfinder when encountering harder-edged potholes or freeway expansion joints. Panic-brake stopping distances were unimpressive, particularly on our test track’s wet surface.
The cabin has a luxurious look and feel that gives it an upscale air compared with the related Pathfinder, with lots of soft-touch surfaces, felt-lined bins, and fine stitching. The standard 12.3-inch infotainment system is fairly easy to navigate, by utilizing either the display’s touch screen or with the center-console-mounted controller knob. The touch-capacitive climate controls proved a sore spot, though; it can be hard to target the item you want—such as the seat heaters or fan-speed “buttons”—while you’re driving, which makes it almost impossible to accomplish tasks without taking your eyes off the road to look at the screen. The haptic feedback when you touch an icon is oddly intense—each press comes with a “clunk” that you not only feel but hear, though we prefer that over no feedback at all.
The front seats are comfy, with just enough bolstering to hold you in place through corners. Seven-passenger seating comes standard on the lower three trims; the top Autograph version brings second-row captain’s chairs, which lowers capacity to six occupants. The second-row seat is raised, stadium style, yet there’s still plenty of headroom. It’s fairly comfortable, although the seat has little in the way of contouring to hold you in place. As with most midsized three-row SUVs, the rearmost row is fit for only small children or preteens. The low seat forces adults’ knees to be uncomfortably high in the air, and headroom is tight. At least a handy button easily slides and folds the second-row seat forward to create an easier path into the back row.
Forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic warning, reverse automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and automatic high beams come standard.