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2019 Infiniti QX50 First Drive Review | A high-tech engine flies under the radar

Update: An Infiniti representative reached out after this review was published and noted that the "Park with Easy Steering" function of the Direct Adaptive Steering system was erroneously left engaged. Infiniti says this feature "reduces feel considerably at low speeds to aid in parking", and that the Easy Steering function will be disabled by default in customer cars unless the customer chooses to engage it. This seems to explain the issues our reviewer had with low-speed steering feel, although we've had other problematic experiences with Direct Adaptive Steering in a broader sense – not to mention the fact that the drive-by-wire system has been recalled several times to fix various issues, and also recalibrated in response to criticism. We hope to get another QX50 soon, and if so we'll compare the low-speed steering response with Easy Steering on and off. Even as manufacturers rush headlong into electrification and autonomous driving, revolutionary internal-combustion engine technologies are still being developed. Consider the Mazda Skyactiv-X Spark Controlled Combustion Ignition process, for example. But Infiniti's VC-Turbo four-cylinder engine, which makes its debut in the 2019 QX50, is truly a work of engineering fortitude. The engine realizes the long-held ambition among engine manufacturers to create a way to alter the compression ratio on the fly, a boon to both power and fuel efficiency. It's a brilliant bit of science that's, unfortunately, still in search of the right car. Don't get us wrong, the QX50 is perfectly competent — it's an exceedingly quiet and comfortable cruiser. However, it's no longer the driver-pleasing machine its predecessor was. That car, originally known as the EX35, was built atop Nissan's sporty FM platform, a front-midship, rear-wheel-drive layout putting the engine aft of the front axle line and giving the vehicle the athletic driving dynamics of a sport sedan. In fact, it was basically a G37 hatchback, and it was sold as the Skyline Crossover in Japan. A shortened FM chassis underpinned the 370Z, to put a finer point on it. For those more concerned with comfort than corners, the 2019 QX50 might actually be a more useful. It rides atop an all-new front-wheel-drive chassis, which means it's able to add more space for both passengers and cargo. It trades a heap of the old QX50's sportiness for comfort and packaging efficiency. If that sounds good to you, perhaps the new QX50 is the right crossover.

2022 Infiniti Q60 gets wireless Apple CarPlay

Infiniti has announced what's new for the 2022 Q60 and the list contains one item: wireless Apple CarPlay. This is after the automaker made the most minor of changes to the 2021 Q60. We can almost imagine one of the coupes sitting outside Infiniti HQ playing a particular Ray Parker, Jr. song on repeat, with the line, "If you're not sure that you want me, let me go." Thing is, the Q60's sales figures aren't bad, not far off the Chevy Camaro's numbers since the Infiniti got refreshed in 2016. Sales have plummeted this year — and so have the Camaro's — but the freefall puts the Q60 right in line with the Toyota Supra. Rumor has it that Infiniti's only going to keep its flagship coupe around until 2023 anyway, when it will embrace electrification, meaning the Q60 could continue to follow the Camaro into the sunset. Prices for the entire range run thusly after a $1,025 destination charge:  Infiniti Q60 Pure – $42,775 Infiniti Q60 Luxe – $51,325 Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400 – $59,225 Adding AWD is a $2,000 option on all trims. And Android Auto is still included, but the phone must be plugged in for that. To recap the trim line, the Pure and Luxe run with a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 making 300 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. The Q60 Red Sport whips 400 hp and 350 lb-ft out of the same engine. All models shift though a seven-speed automatic.  Pure and Luxe sit on 19-inch wheels, but the Pure interior makes do with leatherette seating trim while the Luxe upgrades to semi-aniline leather on heated front seats and other perks such as adaptive cruise control and 13-speaker Bose Performance Series sound. The Q60 Red Sport ups the tire contact patch with staggered 20-inch wheels and upgrades the suspension to adaptive damping, further sharpening its reflexes with a faster steering rack.

Popular Science magazine's Best Of What's New 2012 all ate up with cars

Popular Science has named the winners in its Best of What's New awards, the victors coming in the categories of aerospace, automotive, engineering, entertainment, gadgets, green, hardware, health, home, recreation, security and software. The automotive category did not go wanting for lauded advancements:
Tesla Model S: the Grand Award winner for being "the standard by which all future electric vehicles will be measured."
BMW 328i: it's 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gets called out for being more powerful and frugal than the six-cylinder it replaces.