I recently spent a week test driving the 2023 Infiniti QX55 Essential with Intelligent All Wheel Drive. The luxury compact CUV seats five people comfortably, while also offering plenty of cargo space for all your gear. The Essential is the middle trim for the QX55, in a lineup that starts with an MSRP of $49,150 and goes up to $57,800 for the top Sensory trim.
Driving an all-wheel-drive vehicle like the QX55 always makes me feel secure, since it means safer driving in any type of weather or road conditions. The MSRP for the Essential trim was $54,250, but the manufacturer had added optional features like illuminated kick plate ($485) and welcome lighting with logo ($650) which raised the price slightly. The QX50 has a more coupe-like exterior than the QX50, which is priced about $10,000 less that the QX55. The two crossovers share the same platform.
QX55 Engine
The QX55 operates on a 2.0 liter variable compression turbo engine that produces 268 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque, with 20-inch dark painted, machine-finished aluminum alloy wheels and all-season run-flat tires. The 2023 edition of the QX55 added leather seats and adaptive cruise control as standard features. Other features include a power moon-roof, roof rails, and a power rear Liftgate. The cabin is attractive, with its dark aluminum trim accents and a power tilt/telescopic steering column, leather-wrapped steering wheel and paddle shifters.
The cabin also stays quiet, even on noisy highways, thanks to features like active noise cancellation and acoustic front window glass. Driver assistance tools include hill start assist, front/rear parking sensors, Around View® Monitor with moving object detection, and ProPilot Assist. Steering assist and traffic sign recognition are also featured, along with predictive forward collision warning and forward emergency braking. Rear automatic braking, rear cross traffic alert, blind spot warning and intervention, and lane departure warning and prevention are also featured.
Infiniti InTouch® dual HD display system plus Bose® 16-speaker performance series audio and wireless connections plus Wi-Fi hotspot are all featured. Navigation with premium traffic and MapCare is also a handy feature.
Fuel economy is estimated at 22 mpg in town and 28 mpg on the highway, for an overall average of 25 mpg.
