I once went to a charity event at place called Vizcaya in Miami. Vizcaya is one of those opulent mansions built at the turn of the last century by a guy who had way too much money and didn’t have anything else really to do with it, except spend it. Vizcaya is so big I suspect that “back in the day” someone could have surreptitiously moved into one side of the place and lived there all their life without the owner ever being the wiser. ‘No, I’m just the gardener sir.’
Vizcaya remained so luxurious through the years that the President of the very United States at the time, Ronnie Reagan, met the Pope there, which is sort of odd since I’ve always thought that religion should not be full of signs of excess. Indeed, I’m not sure any of the original apostles would have worried about who was taking care of their Mediterranean style mansion when they were off following Jesus around the countryside.
So, there I was part of a charity event many years ago, feeling way out of place. Not sure how I ended up there, but I wanted to see how the other side lived and took advantage of the offer. A room full of Barbies in designer gowns strutted around and I remembered thinking how proud they must all be of their breasts since all seemed to have their individual pair displayed with little in the way of any sort of expensive fabric covering them. While the Barbies looked like they could have been a meeting of a girl’s sorority, the men looked like a group who had escaped from a retirement home to play bingo. I remember hoping none of the men would suddenly suffer some sort of cardiac arrest and wondering how many of them would not be waking up in the morning.
Of course, I stood out, despite me wearing my finest suit from the famous designer JC Penny (if you say it Jacque C Pen-Nay it sounds better by the way). I could have picked up a tray full of those dainty little glasses of champagne or hors d’oeuvres and canapes, strolled around handing them out. I would have probably been happier, and heck might even have made a couple of bucks in tips.
I was very uncomfortable and was glad to leave that night, especially since I didn’t have to perform CPR on any of those old guys. But it was sort nice to be part of the upper crust if even just for a short time.
Those thoughts came rushing back to me when I spent a week with Infiniti’s newest QX60. Weird, but true. That’s because, while I’ve always thought the Infiniti brand is luxurious, my latest week with this new SUV showed me how they’ve taken it up a notch, or two, maybe three.
I’ve had plenty of weeks to spend time in Infinity products through the years and I’ve always found them to be fine, maybe a bit boring, but in a good way.
That’s what I expected when I got my latest Infiniti for a recent week. That’s not however, what I got.
You see, the QX60 for 2022 has been redesigned. There are more luxury and convenience features; a design that is a bit more upscale. It’s a little more upright, less boxy.
In 2015 (the last time I had a QX60) the QX60 trims were designated, 3.5, 3.5 AWD, Hybrid, and Hybrid AWD. Now the trims consist of the base Pure, followed by the Luxe, Sensory, and Autograph. You can still opt for front or all-wheel drive.
The base is equipped with such things as 18-inch wheels, a panoramic moonroof, a power liftgate, heated steering wheel and front seats, rear parking sensors, a 12.3-inch center touchscreen and high beam assist. Moving up to the Luxe adds 20-inch wheels, front parking sensors, a 360-degree camera system, a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display, rear side window manual sunshades, front ventilated seats, a power-adjustable steering wheel, and a navigation system.
From here up the ProPilot Assist is included and this adds adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, lane departure mitigation, traffic sign recognition, and blind-spot intervention.
The Sensory adds upgraded exterior and interior trim including an upgraded leather-wrapped steering wheel and upgraded ambient lighting; there’s also massaging front seats, an air purifier, a 17-speaker Bose audio system and wireless smartphone charging; heated second-row seats, power third-row seatbacks and hands-free power-opening rear hatch.
The top-of-the-line Autograph tops everything off with black roof with black roof rails, adaptive headlights a 10.8-inch head-up display, upgraded leather upholstery, second-row captain’s chairs, digital rearview mirror, a removable center console, and if you opt for AWD a tow package.
No longer is this a Nissan Pathfinder with a bit of lipstick. Sure, it shares the same Pathfinder powertrain; a 295-hp 3.5-liter V-6 engine and a nine-speed automatic, and the interior layout is the same as the Pathfinder with the same sort of steering wheel, center stack design, console layout and open cubby below the shifter, but in the QX60 the dash is covered in leather and the seats in quilted upholstery, all accented with satin chrome trim elements.
The seating is also higher, and my Autograph for the week had the second-row captain’s chairs. Inside this interior is a really nice place to be. The stitched leather seating is very comfortable, and since my week included working for a week at the Daytona 500, and since it’s a 45-minute trip each way, I got a chance to really enjoy the experience of this new QX60.
Maybe it was the comforting leather smell accented by the seat massagers, or the Bose sound system, but it was a luxurious experience that made me feel, if only for a little while, that I was part of the upper crust, once again wandering around Vizcaya.
The boring is gone from the QX60 and it’s ready to compete alongside the Lincoln Aviator, Mercedes-Benz GLE-class, and BMW X5.
And while I might now be an old man, I certainly didn’t feel like I just escaped from a retirement home to play bingo. No, the QX60 allowed me to enjoy a drive in a very nice SUV for a week and made me wish I had it for just a bit longer.
It can be best summed up in one word: BINGO. (Yup I did that).
2023 UPDATE. Just over a year after my first week with this QX60, Infiniti sent me a 2023 Autograph in March of 2023. Being that the newest generation debut in 2022, for MY23 there were only a few minor changes. A wireless smartphone charging pad is now standard, and there’s now a frameless rearview mirror design. The QX60’s bumpers come with gloss-black accents on Luxe models and dark-gray accents on Sensory and Autograph trims. Another year, another very nice week indeed.
The 2022 Infiniti QX60 Autograph
MSRP: $63,250
MSRP (as tested): $64,965
Engine: 3.5-liter V6, 295 hp @ 6,400 rpm, 270 lb-ft torque @ 4,800 rpm
Transmission: 9-speed shiftable automatic
Fuel Mileage (EPA): 21 city, 26 highway, 23 combined
Fuel Mileage (as tested, mixed conditions): 27 mpg
Curb weight 4,393 lbs.
Interior Dimensions
Front head room 40.8 in.
Front hip room 58.8 in.
Front leg room 42.1 in.
Front shoulder room 60.6 in.
Rear head room 37.5 in.
Rear hip Room 56.7 in.
Rear leg room 37.7 in.
Rear shoulder room 59.7 in.
Cargo capacity, all seats in place 14.5 cu.ft.
EPA interior volume 155.1 cu.ft.
Maximum cargo capacity 75.4 cu.ft.
Maximum towing capacity 3,500 lbs.
Exterior Dimensions
Height 69.7 in.
Length 198.2 in.
Overall Width with Mirrors 86.0 in.
Turning circle 38.1 ft.
Wheelbase 114.2 in.
Warranty
Basic 4 yr./ 60,000 mi.
Drivetrain 6 yr./ 70,000 mi.
Roadside 4 yr./ 60,000 mi.
Rust 7 yr./ unlimited mi.
Greg has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.