2010 Infiniti QX56 4WD

Full-sized luxury SUV with off-road capability

By Nina Russin

Infiniti QX56

The QX56 is the big kahuna of sport-utility vehicles. Stepping inside the expansive passenger cabin, I am humbled by its scale.

Just how big is it? The QX56 measures seventeen and a quarter feet end-to-end. The wheelbase is 123 inches. Curb weight is just over three tons. The QX56 can tow up to 9000 pounds: over twice our ALV minimum towing standard.

Power comes from a 320-horsepower V8 engine and five-speed automatic transmission. The QX accelerates surprisingly well for a vehicle of its size. The down side is poor fuel economy. On the test drive I averaged 13.7 miles-per-gallon: slightly lower than the EPA estimate. Read the rest of this entry »