INFINITI QX80

The Nissan Juke is so ugly that it is beautiful. Its design is polarizing, the dimensions seem too short, but this tiny crossover sport utility vehicle is simply a hoot to drive. That’s something I can personally confirm, having spent three times in the past four years driving one.

The Juke is now in its fifth model year and a second generation model should debut in 2016. That’s important to know because the segment Nissan essentially helped get started has since been joined by a slew of new models, including the Chevrolet Trax, Honda HR-V, Jeep Renegade, Fiat 500X and very soon the Mazda CX-3. Auto Trends expects Ford and Toyota to join the fray in the near future as well.

Other Juke competitors include the Kia Soul and the Mini Cooper S. The Volkswagen Golf SportWagen is yet another model that might also be considered.

Consumers who opt for the Juke are all in — they either like or look past the exterior styling and focus on the performance. Consider the Nissan Versa’s mass when sizing this model and you will realize just how small it is. That there are only 99.6 inches between the wheels amplifies its limited interior, but the NISMO (NISsan MOtorsports) version seems roomier thanks to the front Recaro seats as they’re thin, thereby making the rear seat bearable for two, perhaps even for three in a pinch.

2015 Nissan Juke NISMO RS

My most recent time with this model enabled me to experience the best of what the Juke has to offer: a NISMO RS joy toy. Instead of supplying the standard 188 horsepower and 177 foot-pounds of torque, Nissan tweaked the 1.6-liter turbocharged engine by optimizing the engine control settings and revising the exhaust system for improved air flow. With these changes, Nissan lowered the compression ratio, effectively upping the performance quotient to 215 horsepower and 210 foot-pounds of torque.

So, what sets the NISMO RS ($28,020) apart from the S ($20,250), SV ($22,300), ($25,240) and NISMO ($24,830) trim levels? A number of things, including 215 horsepower versus the standard 188; improved aerodynamics and with the front-wheel drive model a helical-geared limited-slip differential, what sends more power to the front wheel with the most traction — effectively helping the car maintain acceleration during cornering.

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2015 Nissan JUKE NISMO RS

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My experience with the Juke confirmed Nissan’s claim that the rear differential enables the driver to maintain control what serves a dual purpose of mitigating torque steer. Just when you think that the wheels are about to slip beneath you, the differential kicks in to maintain composure.

Front-wheel drive is standard across the model line; all-wheel drive (a $2,000 option) is available. In the Juke NISMO RS, all-wheel drive (AWD) gives you torque vectoring to enhance handling. Besides moving power between the front and rear wheels, the AWD system automatically transfers power to the left or to the right. You also get the continuously variable transmission with standard paddle shifters.

Styling, Speed and Control

As tested, the NISMO RS with front-wheel drive quickly picks up speed and zips down the road with authority. Its compressed mass and sub-3,000 pound stance mean that you will fool not a few people by its agility. The NISMO RS also benefits from changes to the front fascia and grille, modified to enhance airflow to the engine. The front end is lower and more aggressive with a more prominent upper grille. Additional changes to the wheels, body skirting and rear fascia provide a 37 percent boost in aerodynamic efficiency over other Juke models.

Inside, the most noticeable difference between the NISMO RS and the standard NISMO edition are the front seats. As mentioned earlier, they are Recaro seats, specifically the Sportster design. Consider these seats ideal for holding you and the front passenger in place as you make your maneuvers — they are just about as bolstered as any seat you will find and come trimmed with red-leather side bolsters and black suede center inserts. Embossed Recaro and NISMO logos and red stitching provide further showmanship.

Other details that set this top-end model apart from the pack is an “RS” design on the speedometer, a charcoal gray suede meter hood with red stitching, privacy glass, keyless entry with push button start, and automatic climate control.

Slip behind the wheel and you’re ready to embark on your NISMO RS adventure. But be forewarned: its off-the-mark acceleration won’t astound you and shifting between the first and second gear seems downright plodding. But, once you move up through the higher gears this model awakens and provides a lively kick.

Enhanced performance aside, the chief shining point for the NISMO RS is its sprightliness. Where you might otherwise feel inclined to brake as you corner, the Juke invites you to keep your pedal to the metal and keep moving. Despite its higher profile, the NISMO RS always seems grounded — much credit must be given to the improved chassis bracing and the limited slip differential. Without these two features you’d be fighting to maintain control.

Additional standout points include a super tight turning radius for excellent doughnut maneuvers and augmented braking that is fade free.

NISMO: Performance Suited

To sum up, if you can overlook or accept the exterior design and focus on the NISMO embellishments, you will be rewarded with a capable and fun sports model costing you less than $30,000. That’s about $3,000 more than a Ford Focus ST, one of several performance models to be considered.

And as far as choosing front-wheel drive over all-wheel drive, it comes down to this: what importance do you place on shifting? FWD offers the manual and comes with the rear-diff. AWD gives you a CVT with paddle shifters and torque vectoring. If I were a betting man, NISMO fans would go with FWD and the four horsepower edge it provides over AWD.

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2015 Nissan Juke NISMO RS Sticker price from $28,020 Price as tested: $29,315 Seats 5 occupants 1.6-liter 16-valve four-cylinder gasoline engine 215 horsepower @ 6,000 RPM 210 foot-pounds of torque @ 3,600 to 4,800 RPM 3.14 inches bore by 3.19 inches stroke Engine compression ratio: 9.5-to-1 6-speed manual transmission Wheelbase: 99.6 inches Length: 163.8 inches Width: 69.7 inches Height: 61.8 inches Passenger volume: N/A Storage volume: 10.51/35.9 cubic feet Towing capacity: 8,500 pounds EPA: 25 mpg city, 31 mpg highway Premium grade gasoline Fuel tank: 13.2 gallons Curb weight: From 2,969 pounds IIHS safety rating: Good, except Poor in small front overlap test Limited vehicle warranty: 3 years/36,000 miles Powertrain warranty: 5 years/60,000 miles Corrosion warranty: 5 years/unlimited miles Vehicle assembly: Oppama, Japan

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Strike a Pose: Nissan Rogue

2015 Nissan Juke NISMO RS photos copyright Auto Trends Magazine.

When taking to the road, you need a reliable car. A meaningful bonus is any model that gets you there in style.

This past week an Infiniti QX80 was my weekly driver and I also received an added bonus of my own: permission to take it Washington, DC, and back, covering 700 miles with my two teenage sons who were along for the ride. It was a boys weekend out and the strapping QX80 supplied everything we needed to make the trip a thoroughly enjoyable one.

The Infiniti QX80 is the brand’s largest model, offering room for seven or for eight when the middle row seats are replaced with a bench seat. It was originally known as the QX56, with the “56” pointing to the model’s 5.6-liter, V-8 engine. Briefly, it sported the QX moniker alone before assuming its current name.

Beginning with the 2014 model year, Infiniti overhauled its naming convention and the big SUV assumed its current QX80 moniker. It is a second generation model, introduced in 2012 and eight years after the first model rolled out.

Notably, the first generation model was underpinned by the same platform powering the burly Nissan Titan pickup truck as well as the large Nissan Armada SUV. The current model is related to the Nissan Patrol, a vehicle that is not sold in the US.

In the QX80, Infiniti offers a compelling response to consider it over large, opulent SUVs such as the Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator. It also competes against the Audi Q7, Mercedes-Benz GL-Class, and the Lexus LX 570.

2015 Infiniti QX80

The QX80 is one of four SUVs sold by Infiniti. A fifth model, the QX30 is on its way. The two-wheel drive model is priced from $63,250; the all-wheel drive model starts at $66,350.

Typical of Infiniti, you get one trim level and can build it out from there. But beginning in 2015, Infiniti has rolled out the Limited package to take this model to where no Infiniti has gone before. In other words, Infiniti has upped the craftsmanship quotient a notch to convey a vehicle that matches the top-of-the-line editions for what its competitors offer.

You will pay for this package too. Ultimately, it unites five distinct packages — driver’s assistance ($2,100); theater ($2,400); deluxe technology ($5,500); Limited ($10,000); and tire and wheel ($2,450). That’s about $22,500 of goodies that we’ll inspect at length later.

Infiniti pairs the QX80’s V-8 engine with a 7-speed automatic transmission. The engine makes 400 horsepower and bangs out 413 foot-pounds of torque. That’s puissant performance you need to move this three-ton beast. Thankfully, the powertrain is up to the task.

Tight Storage Space

Loading the QX80 means making an immediate decision: do I pack in the tiny storage area (16.6 cubic feet) behind the third row seat alone or make use of some other option. Folding the third row seat is possible if there are no more than four of you present, otherwise you will need to place your extra luggage on top. A long weekend away meant we brought with us a lot of stuff and what didn’t fit in the back we put on the floor in the third row.

Once you are packed, then get settled in. One of the goodies found in this model is an innovative DVD entertainment system with bright, 7-inch screens affixed to the back of the front seat headrests. My boys used it, loved it and you probably would too. The $2,400 price tag seems steep, but the theater package adds heated outboard second-row seats and remote tip and flip middle row seats too — an excellent feature to help you access the rear row.

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2015 Infiniti QX80 Limited

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The Limited package took an already above the conventional model and makes it extraordinary. On the exterior, Infiniti matches the all-season rubber with natty 22-inch, dark chrome finish wheels. The “dark” leitmotif continues with the lens around the headlights and tail lights as well as to the exterior trim and roof rails. Stainless steel running board caps and illuminated kick plates add further lift to the visage.

Inside, take note of the upscale cabin replete with leather, ash wood trim, and an ultra suede headliner. Distinctive quilting on the seats, the storage compartments and door inlays add further luxuriance to the interior.

Power and Towing Capabilities

Press the accelerator and the engine immediately responds with every horse that you need. The transmission shifts smoothly through all seven forward gears and brings this SUV up to highway speed without delay. It is easy to rely on the power to get the job done. Furthermore, that power provides 8,500 pounds of towing capacity if you are so inclined.

What the QX80 doesn’t do is deliver pleasing gas mileage numbers. In fact, each of my earlier tests of the Lincoln Navigator, Cadillac Escalade and an assortment of Chevrolet and GMC trucks reveals the same thing: you would be hard pressed to get better than 15 mpg. This SUV is EPA-rated at 14 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway. We averaged 15.5 mpg and that was with cruise control active along the interstate.

Washington, DC, is not a vehicle-friendly city. The District does everything to discourage driving, by providing an excellent mass transit system composed of subways and buses. Trouble is, when you’re riding underground you miss what is going on above ground. And in DC that means everything.

And to emphasize matters, driving around the city is a BEAR, especially during the week. Fortunately, Saturday and Sunday were the days when we were in the city proper, staying 12 miles outside of The District each night.

Eschewing Mass Transit

Although mass transit was relatively close by, we chose to drive and headed straight to the National Zoo in the upper northwest part of the city. You can pay for parking or you can save $20 and park on the local streets. We chose the latter and found a space about four blocks away from the entrance. There was no need to parallel park this time around as we located an empty spot near a side street.

After the zoo, we drove through the city and stopped near Howard University for lunch. The GPS was precise, presenting clear instructions along the way, although we did figure that the Chick-Fil-A was located in the university, which was closed. Subway was another option and we managed to find a free parking lot nearby.

Once lunch was done we headed to the National Mall area. Our trip was composed of mostly Smithsonian destinations, which meant hunting for parking. Oh, there is plenty of off-street parking in our nation’s capital, but we managed to find a spot on the street directly across from the Smithsonian National Museum of American history.

Parallel Parking: No Problem

Two things to keep in mind: you’ll be parallel parking a big SUV and you’ll also have to feed the meter.

The parallel parking wasn’t all that dramatic and you always have the rear view monitor to guide you. I ended up parking a foot out from the curb, then decided to move the QX80 within six inches to avoid a ticket from a pesky traffic attendant. Pay close attention to the meters too: we were limited to just two hours and made our plans accordingly. It was the only time we had to pay up. Fortunately, it took a credit card to cover my $4 fee.

There are plenty of other places around DC, where meters aren’t acting as sentinels in a bid to drain you of your cash. The National Mall area has on street parking sans meters and usually someone is pulling out as you want to pull in. You just may become a parallel parking pro, but please avoid curbing the beautiful wheels.

Safety Features Galore

Safety is a big deal for any model and the QX80 has you covered. You get backup collision warning, backup collision intervention (to apply the brakes if you don’t), blind spot warning, blind spot intervention (to move you back to your lane), lane departure warning, lane departure prevention, forward collision warning, and brake assist.

SUVs in this class routinely have some sort of adaptive cruise control. Infiniti calls it intelligent cruise control with full-range speed. The system adjusts the QX80’s speed according to your distance needs. You can also shorten or lengthen the space between cars, an entirely useful feature in heavy interstate traffic.

One feature we didn’t use because I am stubborn as a mule, is the Infiniti Personal Assistant. This service supplies a live assistant 24/7, an individual who will help you book hotel and restaurant reservations, make flight check-ins, and handle general trivia. If it works according to plan, you may have a better and more pleasant source than Siri. Infiniti offers this service to customers for the first four years of vehicle ownership.

As far as seating goes, the first and second row passengers have it all. When you get to the third row, the seat is best used by the smaller people in your family as the thigh support goes wanting and padding is not thick. This deficiency is typical in most three-row SUVs and should be kept in mind when considering the segment. One workaround is to explore the slightly smaller, but roomy Infiniti QX60, a crossover SUV with room for seven.

Off-Road Stoutness Too

Lastly, the body-on-frame Infiniti QX80 is entirely suitable off road as it is around town. To aid you in your quest, there is a big dial located between the stick shift and the storage compartment, one that controls four-wheel drive modes at the push of a button and a flick or two of the same. You get snow and tow modes here too — and for the sport-minded among us, you can turn off the stability control, if desired.

To sum up, the 2015 Infiniti QX80 meets expectations for the large, luxuriant SUV segment. In addition, it does this by offering an ideal blend of creature comforts, technology and performance, in a package that is evocative, swanky, and intrepid.

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2015 Infiniti QX80 Limited Sticker price from $66,350 Price as tested: $89,845 Seats 7 occupants 5.6-liter 32-valve V-8 gasoline engine 400 horsepower @ 5,800 RPM 413 foot-pounds of torque @ 4,000 RPM 3.86 inches bore by 3.62 inches stroke Engine compression ratio: 10.8-to-1 7-speed automatic transmission Wheelbase: 121.1 inches Length: 208.9 inches Width: 79.9 inches Height: 75.8 inches Passenger volume: 167.9 Storage volume: 16.6 cubic feet Towing capacity: 8,500 pounds EPA: 14 mpg city, 20 mpg highway Premium grade gasoline recommended Fuel tank: 26 gallons Curb weight: From 5,888 pounds IIHS safety rating: Not rated Limited vehicle warranty: 4 years/60,000 miles Powertrain warranty: 6 years/70,000 miles Corrosion warranty: 7 years/unlimited miles Vehicle assembly: Yukuhashi, Japan

2015 Infiniti QX80 and Washington, DC, photos copyright Auto Trends Magazine.

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See Also — Sport Luxury SUV: Infiniti QX50