Skip to main content

Joy ride: 2014 Infiniti QX70

2014 Infiniti QX70 joy ride front right
Image used with permission by copyright holder
“With the bones of a true rear-drive sports car, the QX70 takes four-door crossover family hauling to an all-new level of corner-hugging merriment.”
Pros
  • Sports car-like driving dynamics
  • Horsepower-heavy, naturally aspirated V6
  • Smooth-shifting seven-speed automatic
  • Available in rear-wheel drive
Cons
  • Interior lacks modern luxury refinement
  • Infotainment quickly becoming outdated
  • Excessive road noise at highway speed

“Why you can trust Digital Trends – We have a 20-year history of testing, reviewing, and rating products, services and apps to help you make a sound buying decision. Find out more about how we test and score products.“

With the bones of a true rear-drive sports car, the QX70 takes four-door crossover family hauling to an all-new level of corner-hugging merriment.

Recommended Videos

Waking up at 2AM to drive for an hour and a half to the airport is no fun. Doing it after having gone to bed at 11PM because you’re high on adrenaline from a day on Laguna Seca in the 2015 Subaru WRX STI is even worse.

But that’s what I found myself doing last month. I had to race the hour and a half from the hills of Carmel, California to SFO for a 7AM flight.

While I cursed myself for booking such an early flight, I delighted in the car that carried me there: the 2014 Infiniti QX70.

Infatuation

I first became infatuated with the QX70 when it was called the FX37. You know, before Infiniti implemented its new model nomenclature.

The Infiniti QX70 is powered by – as its old name would indicate – a 3.7-liter V6 producing 325 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque. This horsepower heavy naturally aspirated V6 is mated to a seven-speed automatic, which sends power to either the rear or to all four 18-inch wheels, depending how it’s spec’d.

The FX37 originally launched in 2002 as a 2003 model, and the refreshed in 2008. Since then – aside from a new name – it hasn’t changed much.

The interior is fine, with leather seating, a round-y wood adorned dash, and a simple navigation system.

For the $46,000 base price, though, it doesn’t well compete with the likes of the Mercedes-Benz GLK or BMW X3 in terms of luxury and refinement.

Where it does compete, though, is handling. The QX70 might look like its simply an uprated version of the Nissan Murano, but it isn’t. No, the QX70 actually rides on the same platform as the Infiniti Q60 (formerly G37).

That means that this five-door family hauler has the bones of a racecar with the body of a bubbly CUV body on top.

Canyon lands

Blurry-eyed and mind full of track-day images, I rallied through the canyons of Napa down to Highway 101 with the high beams blazing the way.

At first, I was trepidatious, not keen to smack into a deer or roll off road into a ravine. After finding my early morning footing in the rear-wheel drive QX70, I rallied the mid-size family-hauling CUV through the corners.

QX70 was sure-footed and nimble in the twisties.

Even in the cold, foggy weather of early morning Napa, the QX70 was sure-footed and nimble in the twisties. Yes, it wasn’t as grippy as the STI but it was just as chuckle inducing.

For me, the QX70 combines the versatility of a high-riding family hauler with the tarmac clutching characteristics of a sports coupe.

While the Infiniti QX70 won’t win any awards for design, it’ll surely outshine its competitors in terms of driving dynamics and long-term reliability.

So if you’re the kind of buyer who values interior space, sharp road-handling characteristics, and dependability above cutting-edge design and features, you’ll find much to love in the QX70.

Now, if you’re more of a rubber-burning family man, Infiniti also sells the QX70 5.0 powered by – you guessed it – a 5.0-liter V8 that makes 390 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque and 50:50 weight distribution.

Again, against BMW X5 M ,the 5.0 won’t win any awards for refinement but it sure will hold its own in a straight line … and in the corners, too.

Highs

  • Sports car-like driving dynamics
  • Horsepower-heavy, naturally aspirated V6
  • Smooth-shifting seven-speed automatic
  • Available in rear-wheel drive

Lows

  • Interior lacks modern luxury refinement
  • Infotainment quickly becoming outdated
  • Excessive road noise at highway speed
Nick Jaynes
Former Automotive Editor
Nick Jaynes is the Automotive Editor for Digital Trends. He developed a passion for writing about cars working his way…
Waymo recalled 1,200 robotaxis following collisions with road barriers
Waymo Jaguar I-Pace

Waymo’s autonomous-car technology has made great advances over the years to the point where it’s now allowed to offer paid robotaxi rides in select locations in the U.S.

But the development of the technology is ongoing, and the robotaxi rides continue to gather valuable data for Waymo engineers to pore over as they further refine the driverless system to make it as reliable and efficient as possible. Which is why glitches will sometimes occur.

Read more
Apple CarPlay Ultra looks stunning in Aston Martin supercar debut
Apple CarPlay Ultra

Apple CarPlay Ultra is the next generation of the Cupertino, California-based firm's smartphone projection system for your car, and it's available in new vehicles in the US and Canada.

When we say "new cars", your options are very much limited to one brand... Aston Martin. So you'll need deep pockets if you want to experience CarPlay Ultra for yourself.

Read more
Archer’s flying taxis head to LA for the 2028 Olympics
archer air taxi la28 inglewood aerial a final

Remember the buzz about flying taxis zipping through Paris for the 2024 Olympics? That sci-fi fantasy never got off the ground —Germany’s Volocopter dream was denied certification, leaving fans staring at the same old ground traffic. But now, the skies are opening again for a second shot at glory—this time over Los Angeles.
Archer Aviation, the California-based electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) company, has been named the exclusive air taxi provider for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Archer’s Midnight aircraft, a piloted electric air taxi designed to carry four passengers, will be whisking around VIPs, fans, and stakeholders between venues and key locations like LAX, Hollywood, Santa Monica, and even Orange County. Think 10-20 minute flights that skip the infamous LA gridlock and land you right where the action is—on the roof, basically.
“We want to transform the way people get around Los Angeles and leave a legacy that shapes the future of transportation in America. There’s no better time to do that than during the LA28 Games,” said Adam Goldstein, CEO and founder of Archer Aviation.
And Midnight isn’t just a pretty rotor. It’s a whisper-quiet, emission-light aircraft with 12 rotors and a redundant, airline-level safety design.
What’s more, Archer and LA28 are working together to electrify vertiport hubs around the city—think futuristic sky stations—to serve not only Games-time needs but also to plant seeds for a post-Olympic air mobility network.
The air mobility market has been fast developing over the past few years, featuring the likes of Hyundai partnership with China’s XPeng HT Aero and Toyota's backing of Joby Aviation, a U.S. venture. Joby bought Uber Elevate in 2020, hoping to someday pair its air taxis with Uber’s ride-hailing app.
Archer, for its part, has been busy building a strategic partnership with United Airlines, which has already placed orders for the aircraft and is helping with logistics to integrate air taxis into airport-to-downtown travel. More than a demo for the cameras, the LA28 partnership will showcase urban air travel for real-world daily use, starting with one of the most high-profile events on Earth.
After raising false hopes in Paris, the air taxi dream is aiming for liftoff in LA—and this time, it might just stick the landing.

Read more