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J.D. Power: Mini, Lexus again offer most satisfying sales experience

JD Power has released its annual Sales Satisfaction Index Study, and once again Mini and Lexus have taken top honors. Overall, buyers are more satisfied with the auto-buying sales experience than they were last year, with those surveyed reporting an average score of 664 points on a 1,000-point scale. That's up from 648 in 2011. Dealer satisfaction also increased by five points over last year as well.
All told, Lexus brought home an index score of 737, which was high enough to put it atop the luxury brands for the second year in a row. JD Power says Infiniti came in second in that category with a score of 728 and Cadillac rounded out the podium with it's rating of 725. Speaking of Infiniti, that brand saw the single largest jump in sales satisfaction of any brand on the survey, popping up 52 index points over 2011.
Among mass-market brands, Mini ranked highest with a score of 712, followed closely by Buick with 706 and GMC farther down the line with 683. You can check out the full press release below for more information.

2022 Infiniti QX55 First Drive Review | A gorgeous value

Looking at the luxury crossover market, you can probably guess that there’s a clear demand for fastback variants. All the German automakers offer multiple coupe-like crossovers. The rest of the industry hasn't been so sure, including Infiniti, which didn't originally plan to offer a rakish version of its QX50. Yet here is the 2022 Infiniti QX55, and it's the direct result of customer demand. The people wanted it, so Infiniti brought it.   The company didnÂ’t just stop with the low, curvy roofline, though. The front fascia features a wavy, almost sculptural grille, a deeper chin spoiler and crisp black accents around the outboard grilles. The rear gets wider taillights with pronounced LED segments and a diffuser between the tailpipes. The license plate has been moved to the bumper, too, so that you get a big Infiniti badge and proud brand lettering across the hatch. On top of that, every QX55 gets big 20-inch wheels. These detail changes, plus the new roof make this not only a much more attractive-looking iteration of the QX50 but also arguably the best-looking crossover “coupe” in the segment. InfinitiÂ’s flowing design language naturally complements the QX55Â’s shape, and it looks almost like it was designed to be this way in the first place, whereas competitorÂ’s SUV coupes tend to look like afterthoughts. Mechanically, the QX55 is nearly identical to its boxier QX50 sibling. The only main distinctions are that the QX55 comes with all-wheel drive as standard, and the new body actually improved chassis rigidity by 10%. The engine is the same turbocharged, variable-compression 2.0-liter four-cylinder from the QX50 making the same 268 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. Fuel economy is also identical at 22 mpg city, 28 mpg highway and 25 mpg combined. Power goes through a CVT, which again, is basically the same as the QX50Â’s. ItÂ’s not the smoothest engine in the segment, but itÂ’s a responsive and playful one, delivering great low-end torque. The CVT is smooth and reacts quickly to acceleration demands. It has a manual mode that works decently, too, but you never have full manual control. So you might as well let it do things automatically, which is no bad thing. As for the ride and handling, the QX55, even with its extra rigidity, feels just like the QX50. It has a soft, plush ride and an extremely quiet cabin befitting a luxury car. But when itÂ’s time to corner, itÂ’s deeply disappointing. ThereÂ’s lots of body roll and understeer.

Next Infiniti FX to gain interior volume

The Infiniti FX, soon to be renamed QX70 thanks to the Japanese brand's convoluted naming scheme, is currently in the midst of its second-generation. And while we like the compact, sporty crossover's driving character a lot, it lacks the "utility" part of the CUV moniker. That lack of cabin space will be addressed in the future, though.
Automotive News recently sat down with Nissan's global design boss, Shiro Nakamura, to talk about the future of what he called "the icon of Infiniti." And while Nakamura-san admitted the FX/QX70's worth to the brand, its sales have long been something of a disappointment. "Exterior and styling-wise, it's very strong as an icon. But to be honest, its sales volume has not been as big as we wanted," a reality Nakamura believes is due largely to its tight cabin relative to its competition.
Finding the right balance might be difficult, though. The FX/QX70 is selling extremely well in both China and Russia, according to Nakamura, because of its looks. Altering that style in order to increase interior space risks alienating a new and important group of buyers for Infiniti. The designer put it best when he told AN, " It is selling well in China and Russia because it stands out. So we want to maintain that striking look." As it stands, we'll likely be living with the current vehicle for a few more years - AN doesn't expect the third-generation of the FX/QX70 to arrive until 2015 or 2016.