66 APRIL 2020 ~ CAR AND DRIVER
Modern automakers aren’t in the habit of bring-
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testing and validation—and certainly not some-
thing so core to the function of a vehicle as the
engine—but we had to see for ourselves if it
would really hold together.
A 2019 QX50 with no options runs $37,675,
but we loaded ours with almost every option
available. The all-wheel-drive Essential model
starts at $46,145 and includes a two-pane sun-
roof, blind-spot monitoring, leather, navigation,
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Monitor. We added the $7500 Sensory package
(highlighted by heated and cooled front seats,
a power tilting and telescoping heated steer-
ing wheel, a 16-speaker Bose sound system, a
motion-activated hatch, and 20 -inch wheels),
the $2000 Autograph package (white quilted
leather seats, blue fake-suede accents), and $2550
worth of active safety/driver-assistance tech in
the ProAssist and ProActive packages. The only
thing the factory installs that we didn’t order is
the towing package. But since the QX50 can pull
only 3000 pounds, it wouldn’t have been much
use to most of us.
The 2.0 -liter never so much as hiccuped, and
neither did anything else on the QX. During the
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scheduled service visits at 7500 -mile intervals.
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key-fob-battery replacement, and inspections,
these stops tallied $1029.
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periodically to mimic an eight-speed auto-
matic, it turned 14.9 seconds at 94 mph in the
quarter-mile, solidly midpack for the class.
Loosened up after 40,000 miles, things worked
a little better. The numbers improved to 6.1 sec-
onds to 60 mph and 14 .7 seconds at 96 mph in
the quarter-mile.
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linear powertrain is unclear. Neither turbos[\_ 0CA` N_R X[\d[ S\_ aURV_ YV[RN_Vaf(
add in the moment-to-moment variability
of a changing compression ratio—and the
changing boost levels necessary to accom-
modate it—and the QX’s accelerator some-
times felt as though it were attached to a
TheraBand looped through a bungee cord
tied to a rubber band. Under wide-open
throttle, the “gearchanges” are such drawn-
out interruptions to the power delivery that
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is powerful enough that if you just let the
transmission hold the redline for another
second or two, you could be going whatever
speed you want. Senior editor Rich CepposRants
and
Raves
Looks luxurious,
feels luxurious, but
the powertrain’s
jerky behavior
totally breaks the
luxury spell.
—RICH CEPPOS
Large enough to
haul people and
stuff but not too big
for city parking and
maneuvering about
town. I did not enjoy
the nonlinear
acceleration at
all—and neither did
my passengers.
—JULI BURKE
The seats are
comfortable. The
rest is meh.
—MIKE FAZIOLI
A rather attractive
and luxurious little
ute—comfy, quick
enough, and mostly
inoffensive.
—MIKE SUTTON
Many aspects of this
car are fine, but I
would be perfectly
happy to never
drive it again.
—ANNIE WHITE
2019 Infiniti QX50
Essential AWD
Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive,
5-passenger, 4-door wagon
Base/As Tested ....................... $46,145/$59,085
Engine: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC
16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head,
port and direct fuel injection
Displacement ......... 120–122 in^3 , 1971–1997 cm^3
Power ..................................... 268 hp @ 5600 rpm
Torque ............................... 280 lb-ft @ 4400 rpm
Transmission: continuously variable
automatic
Dimensions- Wheelbase ................................................. 110.2 in
- L/W/H ..................................... 184.7/74.9/66.0 in
- Curb Weight .............................................. 4164 lb
Warranty
4 years/60,000 miles bumper to bumper
6 years/70,000 miles powertrain
7 years/unlimited miles corrosion protection
4 years/unlimited miles roadside assistance
Model Year Changes
2020: Infiniti adds two trim levels, Sensory
and Autograph, above Essential. Lane-depar-
ture warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear
automated emergency braking, cross-traffic
alert, and automatic high-beams become
standard fare. A new generation of Infiniti’s
infotainment system with Android Auto and
Apple CarPlay capability runs on carryover
stacked console screens.test RESULTS
New 40,000
miles
Rollout, 1 ft ................. 0.3 sec ........... 0.3 sec
60 mph .......................... 6.3 sec ........... 6.1 sec
100 mph ........................ 17.2 sec .......... 16.1 sec
130 mph ........................ 41.5 sec .......... 37.9 sec
Rolling Start,
5–60 mph ..................... 7.3 sec ............ 6.9 sec
1/4-Mile ........................ 14.9 sec @....... 14.7 sec @
94 mph 96 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph ... 173 ft ............... 166 ft
Roadholding,
300-ft Skidpad ......... 0.84 g ............. 0.83 g
Top Speed (gov ltd) ................................ 137 mph
EPA Fuel Economy- Comb/City/Hwy ........................ 26/24/30 mpg
C/D Fuel Economy - Observed .................................................. 22 mpg
PHOTOGRAPHY^ BY^MARCURBANO