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- Calculating Prices Please Wait
Vehicle Min Max 2008 Infiniti QX56 $27,000 $33,990 2012 Lexus GX 460 $58,000 $58,000 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Sport N/A N/A 2012 Infiniti FX50 N/A N/A Average $42,500 $45,995 
Used Car Price Range$27,000 - $33,990
Vehicle Min Max 2008 Infiniti QX56 $459 $577 2012 Lexus GX 460 $985 $985 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Sport N/A N/A 2012 Infiniti FX50 N/A N/A Average $722 $781 Based On: 10% down, 5% APR, 60 months
Estimated Monthly Payment$459 - $577 per month
MPG city hwy 2008 Infiniti QX56 12 18 2012 Lexus GX 460 15 20 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Sport 13 18 2012 Infiniti FX50 14 20 Average 14 19 MPG12 City | 18 Highway
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2008 Infiniti QX56 Review Summary
What reviewers liked most about the 2008 Infiniti QX56:
It comes standard with latest in electronic stability control, traction control and ABS technology, all of which can help you maintain control in emergency handling situations, and the available all-wheel-drive system further improves handling stability in slippery conditions.
- New Car Test Drive...the QX56 doesn't drive awkwardly despite its size and weight. It has remarkably good steering, handling and braking for such a big fella.
- MSN AutosAs expected, standard features are plentiful, including 18-inch chrome wheels, HID headlights, Bluetooth connectivity, leather seating for seven, real wood trim, a DVD-based navigation system, a 10-speaker Bose audio system, dual-zone automatic climate control, a separate rear air conditioner, one-touch power windows and a power rear liftgate.
- Edmunds.com
What reviewers liked least about the 2008 Infiniti QX56:
Fuel economy of the QX56 is not something to be talked about in polite company, although the same can be said for the economy of its rivals. This Infiniti gets an estimated 13 mpg in the city and 19 on the highway with rear-wheel drive and 13 and 18 with all-wheel drive.
- MSN Autos...the leather upholstery, beautiful wood trim and handsomely stitched and well-padded armrests boost the luxury quotient considerably over the bland Armada's...But some low-grade components, notably the dull gauge cluster and the hard plastic used on the doors and dash top, bring it down when compared to its more lavishly appointed competitors.
- Edmunds.comIt looks almost as awkward as its name sounds?
- New Car Test Drive
2008 Infiniti QX56 Comparisons:
The Infiniti QX56...is rated to tow 8,900-9,000 pounds. Nissan's 5.6-liter 32-valve engine generates more torque than the V8s in the 2006 Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator. The Lexus LX470 and Toyota Sequoia can't compete with the Infiniti's towing capability.
- New Car Test DriveBig as it feels on the inside, the QX56 has less maximum cargo capacity than an Escalade or Navigator, with just over 97 cubic feet of space.
- Edmunds.com
Best one-liners about the 2008 Infiniti QX56:
Hey, looks aren't everything.
- New Car Test DriveWas the stylist on vacation when the QX56 was created?
- MSN Autos
2008 Infiniti QX56 Introduction
There's a chance the Infiniti QX56 will not go down in history as the best-looking vehicle from the big sport utility era. Even with its 2008 revisions, it looks almost as awkward as its name sounds, but it does all the things a large SUV should.
For 2008, the QX56 gets several midcycle revisions: The front and rear fascias are new, though the designs aren't much changed. The grille is new, as are the fog lights. The roof rack is revised, and 20-inch wheels become standard in place of 18s. Inside, the instrument cluster is new and the 60/40 split third-row seat adds a power folding feature. Other newly standard features are Nissan's Intelligent Key keyless access and starting, XM real-time traffic for the navigation system, and a Burr-Brown audio system with a 9.3-gigabyte Music Box hard drive. The optional rear entertainment system also gets a larger, eight-inch screen.
The QX56 comes with the same powerful V8 it's always used. The engine has lots of power and torque, making the QX56 an excellent choice among full-size SUVs for towing a heavy trailer while hauling seven or eight passengers in luxurious comfort. It is rated to tow 8,900-9,000 pounds. And it offers serious off-road capability, an area where Nissan has a lot of experience. The QX56 is based on the full-size Nissan Titan pickup and Armada SUV.
Out on the highway, the QX56 is smooth and quiet, benefiting from a four-wheel independent suspension and a smooth five-speed automatic transmission. It feels responsive and sure-footed on winding roads. It comes with rear- or all-wheel-drive, and the latter makes it capable off road. The AWD system features a low range, and skid plates come standard. The QX56 also has electronic stability control, traction control and ABS technology, all of which can help you maintain control in emergency handling situations, and the available all-wheel-drive system further improves handling stability in slippery conditions.
The QX56 is as luxurious as the best of them. Its opulent cabin is lathered in leather and stuffed with technology. It comes standard with a navigation system, an optional feature on many vehicles. If you're looking for a large SUV to tow a trailer and haul people and cargo, the QX56 is worth a look. If you don't need the towing capacity, any of the newer crossover SUVs will get better fuel economy and offer a more agile, car-like ride.
2008 Infiniti QX56 Walkaround
The QX56 may be the best tool this side of an 18-wheeler for clearing slower traffic out of the left lane. Spying one in a rearview mirror closing rapidly will inspire most drivers to get out of the way. It's not any one aspect but the combination.
The frontal view may not be its most flattering angle, but it does embody massiveness. Perhaps it's the waterfall grille visually surrounded by large expanses of metal. Or the high, rectangular headlights. Or the huge black intake vent embedded in the bumper above the grille. Infiniti says the front fascia and fog lights are changed for 2008, but they look very much the same as they always have. The grille is changed, with the same four-bar waterfall effect but now with numerous chrome nubs between the bars.
The side view broadcasts a similar message. On most vehicles, the popular practice among stylists is to wrap ever thinner tires around ever bigger wheels, with an eye to communicating sportiness. However, in this class, where mass and perceived hauling capability is the measure, tires that look like they belong on a truck are preferred, at least in our view. The QX56 delivers on this with 60-series tires on 20-inch wheels. For 2008, 20-inch wheels became standard, in place of 18-inch wheels.
Squared off, clearly defined, barrel-like fender blisters add heft to the quarter panels. The arched roof over the passenger compartment pushes the D-pillars rearward, shrinking and reshaping the rear quarter windows in conflict with the somewhat organic outline of the front and rear door windows. Nissan's signature rear door handles are placed awkwardly on the C-pillars. The running boards seem more cosmetic than functional, but manage to pull bodywork down below the midline of the wheels, again adding to the impression of mass. As with the Nissan Armada, it looks almost like a cartoon caricature from the rear three-quarter view. The Armada makes up for this with an attractive front end.
From the rear, the QX56 succeeds in presenting a strong stance. Big tires widely spaced beneath a body that starts out broad at the lower reaches and then gradually tapers in toward the top suggests solidity and road-hugging stability. The QX56 comes with LED taillights and brake lights that light up quicker and brighter than traditional bulbs. Like the front, Infiniti says the rear fascia is reworked for 2008, but, again, it looks very much the same.
2008 Infiniti QX56 Interior Features
The Infiniti QX56 is big and roomy. Its interior space is comparable to that of the Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator, its most direct competitors. The Infiniti's second row is particularly roomy, beating the Cadillac and Lincoln by almost three inches in second-row legroom. Indeed, the second row of the QX56 feels like sitting in first class. Expansive window glass adds to the feeling of spaciousness in the QX56.
Leather is used just as expansively throughout the cabin. The leather-trimmed front seats are almost plush, nicely bolstered with adjustable inboard armrests, and heated. The second-row bucket seats are less plush, but are still adequately bolstered with adjustable inboard armrests, and they're heated. The shift knob is gloved and the steering wheel is wrapped in leather accented with wood inserts. The QX56 sits high, so the driver has a feeling of security and a clear view of traffic ahead.
Grab handles on the inside of the A-pillars and above the rear side doors offer assistance to shorter and less agile passengers getting in and out. Step-in height is a bit high, requiring a climb up to get into the big Infiniti. The second-row seats tilt forward with little effort for access to the third row, which is more bench-like with barely adequate bottom cushions. The third row is now power folding, making it very easy to lower and raise.
The dashboard is uncluttered, with broad expanses of pleasantly textured surfaces. There's no seam for the passenger SRS airbag, no Infiniti logo or label, elegant by their absence. The hood over the instrument cluster is topped with a satin finish, minimizing glare. In other words, nothing looks cheap; in fact, quite the contrary. Buttons and knobs return the expected quality tactile feel.
The center stack, with the stereo, climate and navigation system controls, is set in an aluminum frame housing large, adjustable airflow vents.
For 2008, this area is reworked and is better integrated into the dash. Inset in the top is the navigation system display, which also reports vital data about audio and climate control settings; watch for dust and other detritus to collect in the front of the opening. Also integrated for 2008 is the Infiniti Controller, which consists of a round selector knob with four arrow buttons and a central enter button. Developed along the lines of BMW's iDrive, Mercedes' COMAND and Audi's MMI central control systems, the Infiniti Controller is fairly easy to use but it might scare away some people who fear technology. The clock, an Infiniti-signature analog unit and a classic visual, is tucked away down at the bottom of the center stack, almost out of sight and therefore almost out of mind.
For 2008, the instruments have been improved. As before, they are of the floating luminescence type, but they have changed from simple orange faces on a black background to white numbers contained in blue circles on a black background. The always-lighted gauges can lead even an attentive driver into thinking the exterior lights are on when they are not. This is a good argument for leaving the headlights in automatic mode. The ignition key slot is in the dash, where we like for it to be. Real-looking, light-colored wood covers the center console.
The front windows have one-touch, auto-up/down power; a plus is that the rear door windows do, too. Another plus is the inclusion of power rear quarter windows. The brake and accelerator pedals are power-adjustable. This is especially useful for shorter drivers, allowing them to place themselves farther from the steering wheel where the airbag is housed. The memory for the driver's seat includes placement of the adjustable pedals and heated outside mirrors. Separate dual-zone temperature settings are provided for the driver and front-seat passenger. Rear passengers have their own thermostat as well. The 265-watt stereo includes a subwoofer among its 12 speakers.
Storage is plentiful, w
2008 Infiniti QX56 Driving Impressions
From the driver's seat, the Infiniti QX56 doesn't feel as large as it is. Without checking the rearview mirror, it's easy to forget just how much mass is back there. That's not to say it drives like a car, but nor does it drive like the full-size body-on-frame truck that it is.
Infiniti's full-size SUV handles quite well for such a big vehicle. There's noticeable body lean in corners, but it's not bad for a vehicle of this size. The steering feels precise, with good variable assist, but the QX56 is still a bear to handle in tight quarters. The combination of comfortable ride and decent handling comes from the four-wheel independent double-wishbone suspension with front and rear stabilizer bars. The independent rear suspension improves ride and handling on rough roads. It especially helps smooth the ride for those seated in the second and third rows.
An advanced rear auto-leveling air suspension (which comes standard) improves stability and ride comfort when towing or hauling cargo. The air suspension maintains a uniform ground clearance and departure angle by automatically adjusting the air pressure in the suspension's air bladders. The QX56 is rated to tow up to 9,000 pounds with 2WD or 8,900 pounds with all-wheel drive, more than the 2008 Cadillac Escalade (7,700 pounds), right in line with the Lincoln Navigator (8,950), and less than the Toyota Sequoia (10,000).
Nissan's 5.6-liter, 32-valve, double overhead-cam V8 offers impressive output, rated in the QX56 at 320 horsepower at 5200 rpm and 393 pound-feet of torque at 3400 rpm. When it was first released in 2004, the QX56 was at the top of the power chart in the large SUV class. Since then, Cadillac and Toyota have topped it, though it is still ahead of the Navigator. Towing demands high torque at low rpm and that's where the Infiniti's power is concentrated.
Acceleration performance is strong, but less than sparkling. The most likely reason for this is weight: An Infiniti QX56 AWD tips the scales at 5,903 pounds. That's slightly heavier than the Cadillac but a little lighter than the Lincoln. Nissan's overhead-cam engine sounds good, though, producing the appropriate big-V8 exhaust tones when you mash the gas. Not surprisingly, the QX56 is hard on gas. It is rated at only 12 mpg city and 17 mpg highway with all-wheel drive.
Braking is solid and linear, with good, manageable pedal feel. The QX56 features four-wheel disc brakes with ABS. The antilock brake system is barely felt when called upon and allows the driver to maintain steering control under hard braking. Electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD) improves stability under braking, while Brake Assist helps the driver get maximum braking performance in an emergency stopping situation. The electronic stability control system intervenes when the QX is pushed beyond the limits of grip, driving too quickly into a slushy corner, for example, and corrects the imbalance with little excitement.
Perhaps Q stands for quiet. Very little tire and road noise invades the cabin, thanks mostly to abundant sound-deadening material. Some wind noise is unavoidable, given the roof rack complete with cross rails, but it's reasonably muted.
The QX56's available all-wheel-drive system offers 2WD, 4HI and 4LO modes. A two-speed electronic transfer case allows the driver to select low ranges for 1st, 2nd and Reverse gears for seriously rugged terrain. The AWD system is designed to instantly distribute torque to all four wheels as road conditions warrant. Under normal driving conditions, the system operates in rear-wheel-drive mode for optimum fuel economy. But when conditions warrant, up to 50 percent of the power is transferred to the front wheels on demand, resulting in optimum traction. All AWD QX56s include heavy-duty skid plates for the oil pan, fuel tank and transfer case.
2008 Infiniti QX56 Final Word
The Infiniti QX56 offers exceptionally good off-road capability and a strong towing capacity. Driven on freeways and backroads where a vehicle this size is most likely to be driven, it's surprisingly and refreshingly responsive and surefooted. It's hard on gas, though, so you might want to consider any of the new crossover SUVs if towing capacity isn't important.
NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent Tom Lankard reported from Northern California; with Mitch McCullough in Los Angeles and Kirk Bell in Chicago.
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