2004 Infiniti QX56 Review & Photos

2004 Infiniti QX56
More doesn't always mean more

When Infiniti's original off-roader, the Nissan Pathfinder-based QX4, came due for replacement, the similarly sized FX35 and FX45 crossovers had already joined the stable. This being America, the logical move was to supersize the QX replacement, making it the first Asian-brand lux 'ute to challenge Caddy's Escalade and Lincoln's Navigator head-on. Significant? You bet.

The Infiniti QX56 shares its architecture and most of its sheetmetal with the Nissan Titan pickup-derived Armada SUV. Befitting its top-drawer positioning, the Infiniti version of the Armada's four-cam V-8 is tuned to produce 10 more horsepower and five extra pound-feet of torque (315 horses and 390 pound-feet). The engine is mated to a smooth-shifting five-speed automatic and nestled in a rugged ladder frame atop a fully independent suspension, enabling the QX56 to tow 8900 pounds, trumping the Lincoln and the Caddy. Interior dimensions closely match those of the domestic rivals, with noticeably more space and comfort (especially in the third-row seat) than a standard-wheelbase Escalade offers, but a shade less room than in the Navigator.

Amortizing costs over a wide range of Titan truck-based models and local manufacture allows Infiniti to bring the QX56 to market with a starting price of just $47,400 for a rear-driver; $50,400 with four-wheel drive (2004 models). Four-wheeling Cadillac Escalades open at $56,615, Navigators at $53,985. Infiniti scores again on value.

On the performance front, the Q-ship's mighty motor receives unanimous hurrahs for its lusty and sonorous soundtrack, smooth power delivery, and ideal coordination with the slick-shifting automatic. At the track, those slick sounds pay off with sprints that run a close second to the Hemi Jeep, trailing it by only a 10th of a second to 60 mph (7.0 seconds) and through the quarter mile (15.2 seconds and 88.5 mph). And despite its staggering 5620-pound curb weight, our QX56 nearly matches the 734-pound-lighter Jeep Grand Cherokee's 0.73g lateral grip and brakes four feet shorter from 60 mph (133 feet). On our twisty mountain road course, remarkably precise steering and uncharacteristically quick chassis reflexes inspired confidence--even a bit of overconfidence, in some cases, provoking minor infractions against the laws of physics. Happily, such transgressions were modulated by the astute intervention of the truck's stability-control system.