Nissan created the Infiniti luxury brand quite a few years ago now and they've managed to go through many iterative designs of their premium vehicles. But mid-level luxury vehicles are a booming market with just about every manufacturer seeming to offer something in the segment, from Toyota to its premium brand Acura, BMW, Jeep, Cadillac, Lincoln, Dodge, and, for that proverbial few dollars more, Mercedes, Genesis, Porsche, even Lamborghini. But true luxury is an aesthetic, not just a fancier dashboard or higher-end seat materials, and while there's a lot to like in the Infiniti lineup, it also comes across in some aspects as a Nissan cake with a thin layer of Infiniti frosting...
When I was offered a week with the 2024 Infiniti QX50 Autograph AWD, I was quite interested to see if the company had managed to improve its luxury sensibility. And yet, here I am 48 hours after returning the car and I can only barely remember anything about the drive experience. There's nothing wrong with a vehicle that exists in the background of your life, but with a price tag of over $60,000 is that really the desired reaction from the company? Not very likely.
Let's dig into it. First off, there's nothing wrong with the look of the vehicle, here in a beautiful Slate Gray with White interior:
It's very attractive curbside, and the big air scoops on the front give it a sporty appearance. The wheels are particularly sleek, offering a sense of speed even when the QX50 is parked.
Moving into the driver's seat to check out the interior...
You can see that there's a lot going on from a design perspective. The dashboard almost looks like it was a compromise between the 'faux marble' and the 'blue suede' design groups, incorporating both, plus the white dash material, plus the brown wheel, all in rather a hodge podge when it should be unified and appealing. This also shows the mashup of Nissan and Infiniti elements with a rather small infotainment screen on the top and a lower system screen that I found of minimal value if you aren't changing vehicle settings or controls. The lower screen's interface looks exactly the same as the UI included with Nissan vehicles.
There are a few glimpses of design brilliance, however. This photo shows one of the cooler ideas in the interior:
This use of the UltraSuede is beautiful and fun, something I definitely expect to see in a high end luxury vehicle. But if Infiniti is going to utilize suede as a dominant design material and denim blue as a bright accent color, why have all the other colors and materials compete? You'll see what I mean when we examine the rear doors.
Meanwhile, here's the lower display with its array of buttons on either side and along the bottom:
Does this interface look like a modern $60,000 vehicle's user experience? I am aware that infotainment software is notoriously difficult to get right, but Infiniti has also had many generations to refine this experience. Instead, the dual HD displays end up being rather a Jekyll and Hyde experience where I could get some information on the lower screen, other information on the upper, which is where wireless Apple CarPlay lives, but couldn't configure the two screens to have the information I wanted (CarPlay routing map on the upper, detailed audio playback information and climate control data simultaneously shown on the lower).
The main gauge display is another area where some innovation would also serve Infiniti well:
The 2024 Infiniti QX50 Autograph is powered by a 2.0L variable compression turbo engine and a smooth CVT automatic transmission, so why have a tachometer? More importantly, for a gauge display that features a display screen in the center, the oil temp and fuel level gauges are pretty darn old school. Does that say "luxury" to you?
Let's also talk about fuel efficiency: After almost 200 miles of suburban driving with some highway driving, I saw 23.2 miles per gallon. The EPA numbers are 22/28 for a theoretical average of 25mpg. Infiniti, ya gotta do better with this low efficiency, and that was me mostly driving in ECO mode too.
The center console again exhibits the wide variety of materials and colors utilized for the interior, even adding another, darker brown as the trim detail on the seats. I did like the gear layout, drive mode button placement, and especially the InTouch Controller knob that offered an excellent interaction with the upper infotainment system, including Apple CarPlay. Volume was located in a different location (below the lower screen) but was easy to reach while driving.
Stepping out of the car again, check out this photo:
Legroom, as you can see, was pretty typical for a compact SUV (though Infiniti calls this a "crossover SUV"). Acceptable and decent if the front passenger or driver slides the seat up a bit. The seats were very comfortable, which is a plus, and the rear windows included integrated shades for better passenger comfort. Tilting the back seats down was interesting: There's no level on the seat back itself, instead, there's this control accessible from the very back of the QX50:
For a vehicle at this price point, I was expecting an automated process, not a simple lever that requires you to manually push the seats down to gain additional cargo space. The tie hook, however, is a smart little addition. When I did fold one seat down, here's how the cargo area looked:
Credit where it's due: The Infiniti QX50 has plenty of rear cargo space, whether you have the seats up for rear passengers or you have one or both folded down, as shown. The floor of the cargo area also featured a two-part cover, so you could lift up the closer portion and stash a laptop or purse if needed. The Tonneau cover, however, is a separate purchase.
Ultimately I enjoyed the reasonably peppy drive experience of the 2024 Infiniti QX50, finding it entirely capable in a variety of driving and traffic conditions. The exterior design is quite attractive, with a few stylish touches that help it stand out (a little bit) in a very crowded market segment. The weak point was the interior, a mishmash of luxury materials and finishes coupled with a distinctly mixed digital experience.
As with so many vehicles, you need to ask yourself what's most important to you before you decide whether to add this to your shortlist. If you want unabashed luxury that will impress when people sit in the vehicle, there are better options in this price range. But if you love Nissan and Infiniti and find the exterior appealing, the QX50 might just be a strong contender for your next drive...
2024 Infiniti QX50 Autograph AWD, with 2.0L Turbo Engine. Slate Gray with White interior. BASE PRICE: $57,900.00. Options Included: Accent Package, Welcome Lighting, Illuminated Kick Plates, Premium Paint. AS DRIVEN: $61,610.00.
Disclosure: Infiniti loaned me this QX50 for a week in return for this candid review. Thanks, Infiniti! This article also originally appeared on PlanetDave.com with the title "2024 Infiniti QX50 Autograph AWD: Yet Another SUV".
