Infiniti QX70

– Detroit, Michigan

The Infiniti QX70 has been around for a long time; this generation of the car Formerly Known As The FX debuted back in 2008. There’s a tendency for us car enthusiasts to knock outdated models automatically as they age and the competition gets better. Yet spending a few days driving the QX70 reminded me why I first fell for the model eight years ago. It has all the sportiness I need out of a daily-driven SUV, with side helpings of style and luxury that stand up against today’s image-driven luxury crossovers.

Pros

• Infiniti’s V6 engine is a powerful, sonorous riot. It’s the counterpoint to modern downsized turbos: energetic, always ready to respond to throttle inputs, and with a loud snarl that’s almost as alluring as, say, a Camaro’s V6. That the seven-speed automatic transmission is so eager to downshift only improves the swiftness with which the QX70 makes progress. By the way, the 325-horsepower V6 is plenty powerful, so I really don’t miss the QX70’s 390-hp, 5.0-liter V8 that was dropped for the 2015 model year.
• The QX70 has some of the best steering in any new crossover. It feeds information about the road surface and grip back to the diver, twitching and changing weight as you drive. I know I’m probably in the minority for liking those traits in a luxury crossover, but they’re part of what makes the Infiniti so engaging to drive. It’s also a good reminder that the QX70 was originally based on a great rear-wheel-drive sport sedan.
• Despite its relative ...