  2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid & 2014 Lexus RX 450h. Click image to enlarge |
The Hybrids, Jeff Wilson
Infiniti QX60 Hybrid and Lexus RX450h
Some of the SUVs in this group are rugged and durable, suitable for fairly significant off-road feats. Others in the midst are capable of mind-bending, physics-defying on-road performance.
These two fall into neither category.
Instead they’re the crusaders of the People’s Environmental Front. The mileage marathoners. The pimply-faced nerds from high school who went on to launch high-tech companies.
So let’s cut to the chase: these two clearly aced our observed fuel consumption category during our two-day test session, right?
Wrong.
While the Lexus did manage to pull off the second-best consumption rate of the day (11.0 L/100 km) behind the Porsche, the Infiniti placed a few dribbles above the worst-in-test BMW, netting a second-worst showing at a rather embarrassing 14.3 L/100 km.
The normal QX60’s venerable 3.5L V6 with 265 hp has been replaced in the Hybrid model with a 2.5L, supercharged inline-four-cylinder that strains out 230 hp and 248 lb-ft of torque at a relatively high 4,400 rpm. Even with the help of a 20-hp electric motor, the 2,100-kg bus never had a chance to roll along in electric-only mode, instead wheezing unhappily under its own mass.
The Lexus at least has a less-strained 3.5L V6 thanks to an electric motor issuing 50 hp for a combined 295-hp output (on its own the V6 rates only 245) enabling the RX to move along at slower speeds on zappy-power. That more powerful hybrid system needs a lot of battery juice, contributing to the RX450h’s mass of more than 2,100 kg despite being significantly smaller than the QX60h.
The Lexus has some helpful engineering touches that make saving fuel easier – for example, one commenter noted that you have to push the pedal with concerted effort in order to open up the gas engine’s contribution, choosing to prioritize efficient electric propulsion over burning hydrocarbons. When tootling around at parking lot speeds with the engine off, the RX emits a barely audible – yet humorous – cartoon spaceship sound.
   2014 Lexus RX 450h seating & trunk. Click image to enlarge |
Handling is less objectionable than accelerating if only because the driver is fairly removed from the process. Sure it’s the driver’s will of direction that’s being met, but any sensation of being connected to what the tires are doing is almost completely engineered away in both of these machines.
The upside to this disconnect is a remarkably serene in-cabin experience. Both the Infiniti and Lexus are incredibly quiet and ride with sublime suppleness. The QX60’s ability to absorb significant bumps impressed Jacob Black who claimed, “The ride is pillow-soft, gliding over craters and potholes with total grace.”
Up to seven passengers can enjoy the Infiniti’s graceful ride versus the Lexus’s five-passenger capability, and indeed when it came time to drive our seven-person evaluation team to lunch, it was the Infiniti that was chosen for shuttle duty, its impractical cream-coloured interior least likely to cause claustrophobic panic attacks.
  2014 Lexus RX 450h & 2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid dashboard. Click image to enlarge |
However, our contingent of evaluators preferred the more luxurious Lexus interior with its pleasing saddle-brown leather contrasting nicely against the soft-touch black plastics and wood trim. And despite the Lexus mouse-like infotainment interface that proved frustrating to some, the ergonomics and gauges were voted best of the lot in this group. The RX’s stereo system produces rich, full sound and lots of power.
Of special note, the RX450h claimed the Cabin Storage category by a decisive margin (its only other outright category win) thanks to a cavernous centre console that features a false-floor revealing the “smuggler’s bin” beneath, ideal for hiding even more loot.
While the Lexus showed its strength in overall competence claiming no unshared category losses (and only a couple of shared ones), the Infiniti consistently posted the low marks in nearly every driver or driving-related rating.
    2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid seating & trunk. Click image to enlarge |
Perhaps being too closely tied to its more pedestrian Nissan Pathfinder sister, the QX60 hybrid was simply outclassed in this group, and even against its other hybrid competitor. A case could be made that with the lowest price, we ought to cut the Infiniti some slack. The Lexus – at nearly $79,000 – is almost $14,000 dearer than the Infiniti and caused it to drop from fourth place overall to fifth in this test.
While the German competitors continue to be primarily focused on the continual development of ever-increasing diesel efficiency, these two Japanese counterparts are putting their eggs in the hybrid basket. Amongst this group, failing to truly deliver on both the efficiency and the driver engagement front means these comfortable high-tech hybrids still have a way to go to be overall leaders.
Still, they are each luxurious, technologically endowed and built by companies with reputations for stellar build quality. If you are set on choosing a hybrid SUV over one of the more efficient and enjoyable diesels or the all-round capability of the gasoline utes, it is the luxurious, comfortable and efficient RX450h that wins our vote.
2nd: Infiniti QX60 Hybrid (7th overall)
1st: Lexus RX450h (5th overall)
