Ask Infiniti why they bothered to build a third generation QX at all, and they'll politely tell you that the average buyer is one of the youngest and most affluent luxury vehicle consumers out there. The average guy or gal with a QX56 fob in their pocket is 45 years old – a full seven years younger than the national average for all luxury owners – and the luxury arm from Nissan says that its SUV is a sort of brand gateway drug that will have buyers returning to showrooms for years to come.
Instead of abandoning the dwindling large SUV segment altogether, the company has given its flagship QX56 a whole new set of bones. The truck is now based on the globe-crushing Nissan Patrol instead of the Nissan Armada platform, and as such, the dimensions have stayed fairly uniform every which way but up. The new generation bears a nearly identical track compared to the 2010 model, though the truck is three inches shorter thanks to a revised roof rack system. Even so, headroom remains unimpeded. 
This isn't a segment that embraces shrinkage, so it's safe to assume that jaws won't drop when consumers discover that this big-boy SUV retains the same waist size. What is surprising is that Infiniti has let the truck's styling evolve into something that fits alongside its G and M siblings. The hard lines of the Armada DNA have been replaced with a calmer aesthetic thanks to a host of gentle curves and arches. Up front, the old blingtastic grille has been swept into a familial "double arch" design that's more cohesive with the rest of the vehicle. The QX56 still holds onto its low-mounted headlights from the last generation, though they've morphed into a much sleeker, form-fitting shape. In photos, the SUV may resemble everyone's favorite white whale, but the look is surprisingly cohesive in the flesh.
From the side, your eye is immediately drawn to those fender vents. The pieces are one part wince, one part engineered awesome, but all Pep Boys. At least the driver's side inlet is actually functional and operates as the intake point for the engine, but the passenger-side chrome is there simply for symmetry's sake. We're not quite sure what we would have preferred to show up in their place, but the vents look like an afterthought borrowed from the Buick parts bin. 
If you believe Infiniti, the interior in the QX56 was inspired by the inside of an executive jet. We'd love to be able say whether or not that's a fair comparison, but honestly, we've never gotten within whiffing distance of a private aircraft's leather chairs. We can say that should you ever find yourself fortunate enough to be skimming the skies in a multimillion-dollar airliner, we hope the cabin is as nice as what you find in the new Infiniti bruiser. The front seats are a kind of infinitely-adjustable guilty pleasure. Even at this price point, manufacturers like Cadillac have no problem supplying you with leather-dipped versions of the same thrones found in lesser trucks, but the buckets in the Infiniti are as comfortable as can be.
Infiniti has all but banished hard plastics from the cabin in favor of plenty of leather and other soft touch goodies. The center stack is trimmed in the same plush hide as the seats, complete with excellent stitching. A smoked burlwood of some exotic origin fills the spaces between the vehicle controls, and a handful of chrome accents crop up in all the right places. You won't find any design-shockers on the dash, but everything is easy to access and the controls don't require a computer science degree to navigate. 
One of the most useful features onboard is the company's Around View Monitor, a bit of tech that's been popping up in Infiniti models for the past couple of years. The system uses a total of five cameras to help you figure out exactly where the QX56 is in relation to objects around it. If it sounds like a useless piece of kit, we suggest hopping on down to your closest Infiniti dealership for a demonstration. It makes short work of parking lots, detritus-laden garages and towing a trailer in tight spaces.
The QX56 is an eight-passenger craft thanks, in part, to a second row comprised of two buckets and a console instead of the standard bench. Infiniti managed to stretch the second-row leg room to a hefty 41 inches, besting its closest competitor, the Mercedes-Benz GL450, by a full inch and a half. Even with Kareem Abdul Jabar in the pilot's seat, there's plenty of room in the second row for the long-legged. For 2011, the SUV also boasts a slick new power folding seat on the passenger side. Push a button and the unit collapses to make ingress and egress a snap for passengers in the third row. 
Speaking of the way-back seats, Infiniti has worked in a new power mechanism that can fold the third row flat to make room for additional cargo. The unit isn't exactly lightening quick, but it beats the pants off of fiddling with tethers, levers and locks.
The third row also comes equipped with a power reclining feature that goes a long way toward making the seats more habitable for well-fed adults. We still wouldn't want to spend more than an hour back there, but the space should be more than enough for kids up to tween age.
All in all, the interior is well executed no matter where you're sitting. Though, we aren't entirely without gripe.
We would've enjoyed more user-friendly steering wheel controls, as the cruise is operated by no less than five buttons and toggles, and the slew of switchgear is somewhat overwhelming as you're driving along at speed. Likewise, Infiniti has chosen to nestle the adjustments for the side-view mirrors near the driver's left knee instead of on the door panel. We found ourselves rocking back and forth like Dustin Hoffman in Rainman as we tried to find a visibility sweet-spot
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