LOOKS

The test of a true luxury vehicle is that before even opening the doors and examining what the interior has to offer, you get a sense that this is something special and not your average ride. The QX60 passes that test easily, with a smooth-shaped and high-end exterior design.

Inside you get plenty of head space and a strong overall setup with easy to use controls throughout. Materials used are top-notch -- from the slick wood on the dash and center console to plush leather-appointed seating.

Even the third row is a bit roomy, something you rarely find on a three-row ride -- usually that last row is fit only for a very tiny human being and will mostly go unused, but it’s actually practical in the QX60 and accessible too.

In case you didn’t know this was intended for families, the vehicle has more than a dozen locations to place your cup and bottles in case you want to stay hydrated on a short or long trip. That’s just one of the little touches families who get the QX60 will appreciate, along with the versatility of the seating and the optional rear entertainment system to keep the kids occupied watching movies on long trips. Storage space in the rear is adequate, but a bit shy of some of the competition.

ENGINE, HORSEPOWER

The QX60 features a 3.5-liter, 6-cylinder engine and boasts of 265 horsepower and 248 lb.-ft. of torque. It features an automatic (CVT) transmission, with a manual shift mode.
I had an all-wheel-drive version of the QX60, but that is an option (FWD is standard).

So how do these numbers translate to the road? Overall, tremendously well. The car drives as smooth as a knife through butter, and is very quiet too.

The only complaint you might have about the QX60 is that it’s not the most powerful SUV in its class (Acura and others beat it in this regard), so you won’t be speeding away from any stop lights and leaving others in your dust.  But the QX60 is hardly a slowpoke so that’s a minor quibble. It’s just not as fast as some other vehicles. It even features a Sport Mode if you’re in the mood for punchier ride.

TECHNOLOGY, SAFETY

Infiniti’s tech interface on the QX60 was adequate and easy to figure out, responding well to voice commands and easily controllable by hand.

Standard tech features include: Heated and power-folding side mirrors, power liftgate, keyless entry, push-button start, heated front seats, tri-zone climate control, Bluetooth connectivity, 7-inch touchscreen with rearview camera, satellite radio and an iPod/USB interface.

Infiniti also continues to do great things in the safety arena; A backup collision warning system lets you know if you’re going to hit anything or anyone, and the 360-degree Around View Monitor with Moving Object Detection is stellar -- offering multiple angles. Camera quality and features is one tech area where Infiniti has been ahead of the competition for some time.

Many safety features are standard, such as antilock brakes, stability and traction control. There’s a lot more offered as options:
-- The Infiniti Connection telematics service, including automatic collision notification
-- Speed and geo-fencing notifications (very cool, and slightly Orwellian, feature that allows you to get alerts if your car goes above a certain speed or outside a certain area; aimed at those who want to monitor how and where their kids are driving the car).
-- Front and rear parking sensors
-- Adaptive cruise control (slows down for you if a car darts in your lane while on cruise)
-- Forward collision warning
-- Lane-departure warning and prevention system

The net effect of all this tech and safety equipment is that you’ll feel supremely confident in your ability to remain accident-free in the QX60 if you equip it properly.

MPG
Official fuel mileage numbers on the QX60 are 19 city/26 highway/22 combined; I fell a little bit shy of them during my testing. Still, the numbers are competitive with similar-sized vehicles from Acura, Audi and Lincoln.

PRICE
The all-wheel-drive QX60 starts at $43,800. The base (front-wheel-drive) version starts at $42,400. My AWD test vehicle was $56,090 once options were added. The price will grow quickly if you add a lot of the tech upgrades to the vehicle, as you can see by the steep jump.

These are luxury prices and similar to some luxury competitors, but not quite as high as some luxury brands (Audi/Benz/BMW trend higher). If you like the size of the QX60 but not the price, there are some non-luxury brands with decent offerings in this size range -- such as Buick (Enclave) and Toyota (Highlander).

BOTTOM LINE

The 2015 edition of the Infiniti QX60 is not much different than past versions, and that’s a good thing; It feels spacious, looks attractive, drives smoothly (especially in Sport Mode).

I truly enjoyed my time in the vehicle and would put it near the top of the list of vehicles I would consider owning in this class.

Since I first drove its predecessor, the JX35 three years ago, this has been one of my favorite luxury SUVs on the marketplace. It just feels right in terms of head space, leg room and comfort for all passengers. The seats and vehicle are high quality, the speed and agility are there if you are in the right mode, and top luxury sellers like BMW and Mercedes should be aware that there are some strong competitors out there -- and the QX60 is one of the best.

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Matt Myftiu can be found on Twitter @MattMyftiu.