Infiniti's First SUV | 1997 Infiniti QX4 Full Tour & Review

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This week we're going back in time to the 1990s with Infiniti's first SUV. Our retro review is on this 1997 Infiniti QX4 4x4 Luxury SUV.
A viewer of mine reached out a while ago to ask if I'd be interested in filming his 1997 Infiniti QX4. This week we met up in order to make that happen. 25 years ago Infiniti launched their first-ever luxury SUV based on the second generation Nissan Pathfinder. Back in the 90s luxury manufacturers were starting to roll out SUVs, Land Rover was the only SUV-exclusive brand, but marques like Acura, Lexus, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz were busy rolling out their own versions of luxury SUVs. Infiniti's QX4 was similar to the Acura SLX in the sense that it was a mid-size SUV with off-road capabilities but an upscale interior over it's consumer counterpart.
In this episode of TestDrive Spotlight goes over this first year of production on the 1997 Infiniti QX4 SUV along with the features, specifications, and technical information about this vehicle. We go over the styling differences over the Pathfinder along with the features that made this superior to the Pathfinder. We then take the 1997 Infiniti QX4 on a road test to see how this 25 year old luxury SUV has held up over the decades, and if it's still as good as outlets like MotorWeek said it was back when it was new.
We then go over a buyer's guide on this SUV to discuss common problems with the Infiniti QX4 and R50 Nissan Pathfinder, along with the comprehensive rust problems this vehicle suffers from, along with engine oil burning/leaking reported by many owners. We wrap up with our overall impressions of this vehicle and our final thoughts on buying and owning an Infiniti QX4 in 2022+.
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27 мар 2022

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Комментарии : 95

@paulm6481 2 года назад

The beautiful thing about that interior is it will never age. Hard to say that about most new interiors dominated by infotainment systems and lack of dedicated buttons knobs for functions. I love the looks too. ❤️

@PRNTestDrive 2 года назад

I agree with you on that! I love the simplicity of these classic interiors.

@johncollier1405 11 месяцев назад

I agree as well,we have the leather interior in our 03' infinity QX4

@shengqinxu189 3 месяца назад

@@johncollier1405 I agree too, i have a 02 qx4 with black leather interior

@issacsanchez7305 Месяц назад

I just got myself a 97 QX4 in green with the gold badging. I’ve fallen in love with it and plan to refurbish it and overland it

@PRNTestDrive Месяц назад

Glad to hear it! We spotted a QX4 this week and would have snapped a pick if I hadn't been driving. Rare vehicles now!

@AlanForde-CheyneMS 2 года назад

I drive the more potent version of this vehicle 2003....I have taken it everywhere... very smooth and comfortable, and snow cannot stop it

@PRNTestDrive 2 года назад

I bet! The larger 3.5L engine definitely sounds like the way to go, plus the interior looks sharp, more modern than this while still maintaining its charm.

@avenged7fold2425 2 года назад

I purchased a qx4 late last year. You're right, there's rust that just eats away at these old vehicles. I got it for 2 grand, and I plan on trying to restore it to some semblance of former glory. It's a beautiful vehicle, and it's a shame how rough of shape some of these are in.

@PRNTestDrive 2 года назад

Hopefully you can get it back up to top shape! These are pretty cool vehicles to own, I hope you get to enjoy yours fully!

@agimfain 2 года назад

Great video, and cool car! Thanks for featuring less remembered and under-appreciated vehicles like this.

@PRNTestDrive 2 года назад

Thanks! I love getting the chance to feature vehicles like this, the more obscure the better!

@JoesGoldenGarage Год назад

Great video man. You have a very good neutral tone and voice. You deserve more subs. Good luck man! Just subbed

@PRNTestDrive Год назад

I appreciate that, thanks!

@n_l_o 2 года назад

Man I wish mine was that clean! I have a 1997 as well and I love it. I bought it pretty cheap because it was fairly tore up but I've put a lot of work into it and it runs great now at 240,000 miles. I'm in California so no rust problems here either! I'm slowly building it into an overlander :)

@PRNTestDrive 2 года назад

Having no rust is perfect! Everything else can be fixed, but once the rust gets to it it's game over. Hold onto yours if you can!

@Tomasz-dn2jk 4 месяца назад

excellent car, I am driving one produced in 99 so still 1st generation. As you said, everything is working

@PRNTestDrive 4 месяца назад

Glad to hear it!

@tylerluu1974 7 месяцев назад

Thanks for this video. I just bought one Black 1999 with only 76k miles from original owner. Interior is like new.

@PRNTestDrive 7 месяцев назад

Glad to hear it! Hope it works out well for you, these are pretty rare SUVs.

@totalq724 2 года назад

Our family has had one of these since 2001 (the 99 model). My dad passed it down to be 5 years ago and it’s been a part of our family for so long haha. Loved this thing, but sadly we are trying to sell it now

@PRNTestDrive 2 года назад

Good luck with the sale! The owner of this just arrive on the west coast of the USA after taking this from Ontario on a road trip, he said he loved the drive!

@macheteloco3466 Год назад

Im in the process of gettin one here in México, and seeing this video motivates more to buy it 😎🇲🇽

@PRNTestDrive Год назад

Nice, hope it works out for you!

@vodoofedelin5918 2 месяца назад

You will not regreat it if you keep good maint.

@omostim2385 Год назад

Back in the day. Every misty dewy morning one of my neighbors would pass by in one of these while I was waiting for the school bus. It was in a really dark blue color. I thought it was the most beautiful suv I’d ever seen. Coming out of the fog it was like an Infiniti commercial. I was shocked when I heard how much hp they produced and the 0-60 times(I think 12.6secs). I got to drive one years later and while it was slow it could get out of its own way.

@PRNTestDrive Год назад

Never meet your heroes as they say. It's a nice SUV, and a fun little truck to own if you're not worried about modern features. I feel the 90s for premium and luxury vehicles still lacked the power we see today, it just wasn't as important back then.

@totalq724 2 года назад

after watching your video, it actually might be my QX4 you saw listed in Edmonton haha!

@PRNTestDrive 2 года назад

Possibly! I believe it was for sale at a Honda dealership though, not sure if it was being sold through there. To be fair AutoTrader gives us a complete picture of national listings, but Kijiji Autos and Facebook are limited to within 1000km, so if yours is listed there I didn't see it unfortunately.

@Ol_Curt_Reynolds 2 года назад

Just got a clean 99 qx4 off Kijiji today and I’m quite impressed! Luckily there was two in Edmonton as the 03 turned out being real rough.

@PRNTestDrive 2 года назад

Very nice! One of the limitations of Kijiji Autos is that 1000 km distance. The 03 at the dealer there looked rough, hope the one you got is in much better shape. Enjoy it!

@JonnyFiveAlive144 Год назад

I just bought a 1998 with 118,000 miles to get up to my family's remote property for camping, good trucks!

@PRNTestDrive Год назад

Very nice, enjoy it! Not many of these come up for sale so it's great that you managed to find one.

@flgeneral2697 Год назад

I just bought a 97 Infinity it does have a little bit of rust on the back hatch but I'm going to have it fixed at a body shop it feels really cool to drive the one I got is in pretty shape honestly except for that little bit of rust and the clear coat is coming off on the driver side over the back tire no big issue anyway so far I love it I've had it one day but I love it already thanks for the video

@PRNTestDrive Год назад

Glad to hear it's working out for you, enjoy it!

@Shobiz71 Год назад

I just inherited one that’s in great shape. All original parts. Still getting used to it. Much slower than I assumed. lol Thanks for the video.

@PRNTestDrive 11 месяцев назад

Definitely slow by todays standards, enjoy it nonetheless!

@Shobiz71 11 месяцев назад

@@PRNTestDrive I definitely will. 👍🏻

@dielondizzy9673 2 года назад

current owner of a qx4 2001 3.5 liter and although it sure does take up a lot of gas it remains at the upmost reliable to me i can’t complain it’s never let me down *knocks on wood* rust is the only complain i have as you explained but i’m looking to slowly but surely restore this as best as i can from the ground up

@PRNTestDrive 2 года назад

Glad to hear it! Hold onto it if you can.

@IliyanBonev Год назад

Great review! You just got a new subscriber :) I was looking for any info on there, but the information seems as rare as the cars themselves. I've found one and am considering to check it out, but to save myself a lengthy drive - how high are you(sorry for the personal question)? It's the only thing that got me concerned when you mentioned the back seats. And by the looks of it - you don't have much space on top in front as well.

@PRNTestDrive Год назад

I'm 6 foot tall, and I have a bit of extra cushion being a bigger guy. It might be tight for a regular-sized 6 foot person, and any taller you might be in trouble. I've noticed that with some other older vehicles too. I don't think this would be the SUV for me personally, but the owner of this has been doing some very long-distance driving recently and loves it!

@YourMom-vl2sp Год назад

I have a 2002 with the 3.5. love the ATESSA 4x4.

@PRNTestDrive Год назад

Glad to hear it!

@kasuraga Год назад

I have a 2002 qx4 I got a couple years ago for 2k. AZ only truck so zero rust, and very few issues that can't be fixed easily. Almost everything works perfectly, but it needs maybe CV axles or the front driveshaft rebuilt. Bought it with 206k miles and it currently has over 220k miles without any major issues The heated seats were a feature in the states if you got the performance package that came with the LSD. So if you find a model with heated seats, it most likely has the LSD too It's fun to spot these things out here. They aren't common, but where I live, there's 2 others that I'm aware of. One is all black like mine, the other is maroon and belongs to someone that works at the shopping center near my house. I see more pathfinders than qx4s

@PRNTestDrive Год назад

Definitely not common! I've spotted one since filming this, and 2 pathfinders. Enjoy yours!

@kasuraga Год назад

@@PRNTestDrive Yup, keeping this as a long term daily and maybe a project truck when I have more money. It's definitely a unique suv and one of the last good offroading suv's from that era. What's nice is a base model qx4 is as well equipped as a fully loaded pathfinder, but costs the same as any ol run of the mill pathfinder in similar condition so when you do find one for sale you know you're guaranteed a fully loaded pathfinder without getting ripped off on the price like some people like to do with the higher specd pathfinders. and considering how many pathfinders were made, short of qx4 specific body parts and interior bits, mechanically they're the same, so upkeep is cheap. Had to replace a lower ball joint. Was under 10 bucks for the part

@calambres6614 Год назад

2:52 👀 heated seats switchs right there

@PRNTestDrive Год назад

Yup on Canadian spec models, but not on US models.

@husseinadib7666 2 года назад

Infiniti has always been under appreciated. Nevertheless, this one was seriously underpowered for a 3.3 V6

@PRNTestDrive 2 года назад

Very underpowered! I’m impressed that it didn’t feel that way though. You can’t buy a compact SUV with an underwhelming engine like that today, I bet having that power in the new Pathfinder/QX60 would make it feel like you’re going backwards.

@kasuraga Год назад

Yeah, the later model with the VQ35 is definitely better. Makes almost 100hp more

@quinnycoleman7214 Год назад

Ive owned both engine options and the 3.5 is noticeably more power, but honestly the 3.3 isnt as sluggish in these as youd think. Its not great, but for a midsized 4x4 suv in this time its not bad, and incredibly reliable

@michaelmcdermed841 Год назад

what about the back seat trunk area? you gotta fold those seats down for us!

@slvr.2ur 8 месяцев назад

I got a 1999 one, for 1,800, honestly it’s a trooper 233k miles.

@PRNTestDrive 8 месяцев назад

Not bad at all!

@juancervantes9055 2 года назад

I have one of those Nids some tlc

@Mlive722 Год назад

Going to look at an 01 today

@PRNTestDrive Год назад

Hope it worked out for you!

@alpha7ization 2 года назад

The strut towers are what you have to watch for...important to have it rustproof on a yearly basis

@PRNTestDrive 2 года назад

Rust proofing helps to slow down decay but it's unavoidable. This one's gotten it since new and it's very corroded underneath.

@alpha7ization 2 года назад

@@PRNTestDrive well if you saw the condition of my 95 Gs300, Qx4 they are in amazing condition with hardly any rust. The step rails on the Qx4 have some rust but they are still relatively solid. I use Krown rust services on both cars. The Lexus is not driven in winter anymore and I did have some body work done on the Rocker panels. With the Qx I wash the vehicle after salt sprays on the road every 2 weeks and this has helped. I think in Ontario there only 5 of these vehicles that are in amazing condition for the year of which mine is one of them. Anyways I enjoy your reviews. Would love for you to do a review on a 1st Gen GS 300 if you can find one. Cheers.

@bernardclanton5087 9 месяцев назад

Question I have, I haven't one it yet, but it works good. The eng ex, but when the transmission gets hot, a won't shift. And transmission Cold I was told it was a bad Chaser

@PRNTestDrive 9 месяцев назад

Certainly sounds like a transmission-related issue. Not sure what the exact problem would be but a specialized transmission shop should be able to get it fixed for you.

@faysansari9746 8 месяцев назад

Looks just like my parents Qx4. Family sold it w 175k

@PRNTestDrive 7 месяцев назад

Pretty good mileage on it!

@XinrongLi 5 месяцев назад

Hi, very nice video. May I ask 2002 qx4 is worthy to buy

@PRNTestDrive 5 месяцев назад

If it's got the service history, sure. The owner of this ended up taking this SUV out to California and back a little while after filming and he said it was the best experience he's had. Fuel efficiency wasn't great, but overall it performed awesome for him.

@SvenQ45 Год назад

I´d say it is more like the JDM Terrano Regulus because it was more like an upmarket version of the R50. And yeah in the 80s and 90s (and also earlier) it was really about COMFORTABLE. Today it´s more like who has the most expensive, fastest...

@PRNTestDrive Год назад

Very true!

@jonathanho699 2 года назад

If I right, In US, the heat seat is same package as rear LSD. my 1997 model year have heated seat. it might mean if you have heated seat, you will have LSD, but not sure in canada.

@PRNTestDrive 2 года назад

It’s possible, one of the difficulties with doing older vehicles like this is finding accurate information as certain specs are specific to a region over another like ours in Canada.

@kasuraga Год назад

yup, that's how it was in the states according to all the marketing material I've found

@yaelramirez8089 8 месяцев назад

I am in the market but one thing im looking at one is that it won’t pass smog idk if I should cop or drop it’s also really low in miles 150,000 witch is pretty crazy

@PRNTestDrive 8 месяцев назад

Is it not passing due to an issue with the exhaust system on that specific car, or does the car just not meet the requirements due to it's age?

@paulm6481 2 года назад

I think people who like these probably buy 4-Runners now or Lexus GX. Infinity sadly is a shadow of itself nowadays.

@PRNTestDrive 2 года назад

That’s very true. The 4Runner still seems to be an off-roader at its core, where as the Pathfinder/QX60 isn’t.

@michaelcosby9124 Год назад

Here after gangsta interview 🤣

@serz1885 Год назад

is it not Vauxhall Frontera from 1991 or ISUZU from 1989?

@PRNTestDrive Год назад

That was the Honda Passport/Acura SLX, but similar design overall yes.

@urbanizeddreams 2 года назад

I literally just saw one of these today on the road and it looks superb. Such a shame what SUV's have become. Back in the 90s they all looked very cool....now most of them look like minivans since they are all so bloated looking.

@PRNTestDrive 2 года назад

It's funny, I spotted an R50 Pathfinder this past weekend in town, and a facelift QX4 on Sunday.

@JamesPoff-eu4rs Год назад

I'm in Ohio and I own a 1997 Q x4 runs and drives good has 176000 miles only problem I'm having is it walked at 45 too 70 miles per hour and when it's clod below 30 degrees the radio volume blastes me out till it warms up

@PRNTestDrive Год назад

Interesting issues, but they sound somewhat reasonable for the technology and age. Hope it continues to work out well enough for you!

@RandomlnternetGuy 2 года назад

Kinda looks like a 4Runner of a similar era

@PRNTestDrive 2 года назад

Certainly does, I feel the Pathfinder, 4Runner, and Trooper all basically shared the same shape and look.

@ericvest7279 2 года назад

Iwantfreestuff

@PRNTestDrive 2 года назад

That’s nice

@ford351cleveland 6 месяцев назад

Worst fuel economy ever 13 mpg in town driving

@PRNTestDrive 6 месяцев назад

This is a brick when it comes to fuel economy, but the owner of this one took it to California this past summer and said the efficiency wasn't too bad overall.

@ford351cleveland 6 месяцев назад

Yeah it just suck as it an awesome vhecial to drive long distance with Do you know what he ment by not too bad overall ? Like in mpg mabye ?

@anilvirginia 10 месяцев назад

There's literally heated seats in this car though 2:47

@PRNTestDrive 10 месяцев назад

Correct, those were features available on Canadian-spec models, whereas US-spec (where all our information came from) didn't have them available at the same time.

@anilvirginia 10 месяцев назад

@@PRNTestDrive So you were reading from a script and not reviewing the actual car you were filming?