The Infiniti M56 melds luxury and sportiness in one powerful sedan. The stiff suspension, sharp handling, and muscular engine puts it more firmly in the sport sedan camp, but there’s plenty of luxury to appreciate in this vehicle as well.
The 2012 Infiniti M56 is available as a rear-wheel drive vehicle or with all-wheel drive, and its 5.6-liter, V-8 engine makes it as powerful as just about any luxury sedan on the road.
The Infiniti M56 has a distinctive look, and it’s clear just from a glance that this is an upscale car, but you’ll really appreciate its luxury aspects once you get inside and enjoy the premium interior materials and wide array of convenience, entertainment, and luxury features.
The Infiniti M56 isn’t for everyone. Those looking for a traditional luxury sedan with a smooth, comfortable ride might not appreciate the firmer ride of the sporty M56, and those who want a pure sport sedan might find more responsive machines in the Mercedes-Benz E-350 or the BMW 550i. But for those looking to strike an almost perfect balance between the luxury and sport extremes, the Infiniti M56 may be the ideal machine, especially with options packages that let you move the needle slightly more towards luxury or sport, depending on your desires.
New For 2012
You won’t notice any revolutionary new features in the 2012 Infiniti M56. However, it should be noted that the M-series itself, which includes not only the M56 but the M37, has added a hybrid vehicle, the M35h, to the lineup for 2012.
Exterior
The Infiniti 56 has a distinctive exterior that makes it difficult to mistake it for any other car. It’s long, sloping hood, rounded roof, windswept headlamps, and bulging grille instantly demand that this car be noticed. Features you’ll find on the exterior of the Infiniti M56 include 18 inch alloy wheels, a power glass sunroof with remote operation, optional rear deck lid spoiler, and optional Midnight Black grille. You won’t find a great range of body colors for the Infiniti 56 but the available colors well suit the luxury aspects of this vehicle. They include Black Obsidian, Liquid Platinum, Moonlight White, and Storm Front Grey.
Interior & Cargo
This five seat sedan has beautiful, rich interior materials and colors, with leather front seats and alloy, leather and wood trim everywhere, including a leather and alloy steering wheel. There’s plenty of roominess in front, with a full 44.4 inches of front leg room and 39.1 inches of front head room. The rear is a slightly tighter fit, with 36.2 inches of rear leg room, but trunk space is ample, with a maximum cargo capacity of 14.9 cu. ft.
The Infiniti M56 is designed as a luxury sedan, and there are plenty of interior luxury features to appreciate. These include eight-way power bucket front seats with multi-level heating and power lumbar support, a trip computer, a heated tilt and telescoping steering wheel with audio and cruise control on the wheel and dual zone climate controls.
If you like, you can really up the luxury feel with the Deluxe Touring options package, which provides diamond-quilted leather seats, a unique wood trim, and more and more comfortable soft touch materials.
There are plenty of entertainment features in the 2012 Infiniti M56 as well, including a 10 speaker Bose stereo system for AM/FM radio, CD/DVD player and MP3 playback, along with XM Nav/Traffic satellite radio and iPod and USB connections. Bluetooth wireless data link and voice activated hard drive navigation system is standard.
Safety
While emphasizing sportiness and luxury, the manufacturers of the 2012 Infiniti M56 didn’t forget about safety. The Infiniti M56 scored the top rating of ""Good"" on all four of the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety’s safety tests; the frontal offset test, side impact, rear crash protection, and roof strength. In addition to a rear view camera, the 2012 Infiniti M56 comes equipped with front and rear head airbags and dual front side-mounted airbags. Brake safety comes in the form of front and rear ventilated disc brakes with a four-wheel antilock braking system, emergency braking assist and electronic brake force distribution. You’ll also get stability and traction control, tire pressure monitoring and front seatbelt pretensioners.
The headlight system includes fog lights, and auto delay off, dusk sensing Xenon high intensity discharge headlamps. You’ll also find an alarm system and engine immobilizer and rear door child safety locks and child seat anchors.
Driving Experience
The Infiniti M56, available in rear wheel or all-wheel drive, comes equipped with a mighty 5.6-liter, V-8 engine, linked to a seven-speed automatic transmission. This massive engine can deliver a heart-stopping 420 horsepower and 417 lb-ft of torque, while offering gas mileage of 16/24 mpg city/highway (23 mpg highway with the all-wheel drive option).
When you first look at the big, long frame of the Infiniti M56, you might suspect that it would be a challenge to drive, but nothing could be further from the truth. The steering and handling are great, and of course you have tremendous power and acceleration at your command. The M56 is designed to be on the sporty side while still maintaining some luxury characteristics, so the suspension may result in a ride that’s not quite as comfortable for those used to the easy ride of a purely luxury-oriented sedan. On the other hand, adventurous drivers who want even more sportiness can take things a step further and go with the Sport package for an even more highly tuned sport suspension along with 20-inch wheels. One test drive of the Infiniti M56 and you will probably know almost immediately whether or not this is the right sedan for you.
Key Competitors For The 2012 Infiniti M56
- Lexus GS
- BMW 550i
- Mercedes-Benz E-350