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From the driver's seat, the Infiniti QX56 doesn't feel as large as it is. Without a regular check in the rearview mirror, a driver might forget just how much there is back there. No, it's clearly not a car, but neither does it drive like the big body-on-frame truck that it is.There's a modicum of body lean in corners. Understeer, where the QX wants to go straight when the driver wants it to turn, is the default dynamic when a corner is entered at too high a rate of speed. But until understeer arrives, steering feels precise, with good variable assist. Acceleration, given the almost 3 tons of vehicle, passengers and cargo, is less than sparkling, but at least it's accompanied by appropriate, big-V8 exhaust sounds. Braking is solid and linear, with good, manageable pedal feel. The antilock brake system (ABS) is barely felt when called upon, and knowing electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist are standing by is comforting. Only when the Q is seriously pushed or the road conditions turn slushy does the electronic stability control system intervene, and then with little excitement or imbalance. 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. No opportunity presented itself to explore the QX's four-wheel drive, with ultra-low ranges for 1st, 2nd and Reverse gears. But previous experience with four-wheel-drive Nissans invites the assumption it will handily subdue any terrain short of Rubicon-level grades, rocks and boulders.
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