2025 Infiniti QX80 Is Good When It Needs to Be Great

Three-row luxury SUVs have skyrocketed in popularity over the past decade or so—and I mean big, beefy cars that can carry people. The Cadillac Escalade remains the top dog, followed by the Lincoln Navigator and Lexus LX. Plus, there are plenty of unibody alternatives from Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz.

The Infiniti QX80 often gets a bad rap. But the new 2025 model might appeal to those of you who aren’t ready to buy a Cadillac or Lincoln. The Infiniti has great styling, a premium cabin, and a powerful engine. However, there are a few things that keep this very good SUV from being one of the best.

Style certainly isn’t one of the QX80’s problems. Its overly tall body is still a bit odd, but otherwise it’s a sharp look. Slim LED running lights sit at either corner of the double-arch grille, which has a slim, vertically oriented insert. The headlights sit lower on either side of the bumper. The full-width taillight bars have a smooth, flowing design that emphasizes the SUV’s width, and the “INFINITI” wordmark sits just below them.

The interior is truly luxurious—especially this fully-equipped Autograph model. Rich burgundy quilted leather spans the seats, door panels, and dashboard, adorning the center console. Burgundy stitching on the steering wheel complements the leather, and open-pore Ash trim with brushed metal inserts tops the dash, blending seamlessly with the two upper displays.

Speaking of screens, the QX80 has two 14.3-inch displays that are combined under a single glass panel. The first is a highly configurable instrument cluster that provides details about the interior of the cabin. The center touchscreen runs Google’s native interface with a clean layout, sharp graphics, and quick touch response. The QX80 also offers a full-color head-up display with more options and a truly excellent 24-speaker Klipsch Reference audio system.

Pros: Stylish redesign, Truly luxurious interior, Smooth & powerful engine

Google Maps comes with the system, as does the “Hey, Google” voice assistant, which means you don’t have to plug in your smartphone. And there are other neat features like a built-in dash cam and an interior camera. Both can record photos or video. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard if you want to skip these systems entirely, but they take up about three-quarters of the screen. There’s a permanent menu bar at the bottom of the screen that you can’t get rid of. It’s annoying.

A third 9.0-inch screen juts out from the center console, and it instantly makes the cabin look more modern. But like other tertiary climate control screens, using it on the go can be frustrating. You have to constantly look down to adjust the temperature settings—at least the graphics on the screen are clear and each option is large. Owners will likely find it easier after a few weeks of use.

But wait, there’s a fourth touchscreen. Second-row passengers have access to a small tablet-sized display in the rear center console to access climate control and second-row seat adjustments.

The second row is very comfortable, with soft leather seats that have heating, cooling and massage functions (at least on this Autograph model).

You should be able to fit two normal-sized adults in the third row, which is easily accessible thanks to the power-folding second row. However, they won’t be entirely comfortable there. Headroom is tight there and legroom is just barely enough for my six-foot height. The 32.8 inches of legroom is a big improvement over the previous model, (28.8 inches), but the QX still lags behind the Escalade (34.9 inches) and Navigator (37.3 inches). At least the third row is heated and ventilated, and there are two USB-C chargers there.

Cons: Too many screens, the ride is a bit too stiff, and there's not much room in the third row.

From the driver’s seat, the QX80 isn’t too shabby. Infiniti ditched its outdated V-8 for a more modern twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 that’s smooth as butter. With 450 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, the V-6 has no problem moving the 5,600-pound SUV. It easily digs the QX80 out of holes and makes plenty of power at highway speeds. If you really hit it, the engine whines in protest, but otherwise most QX80 drivers will find the engine plenty powerful. The downsizing hasn’t affected the QX80’s towing capacity, either—the Infiniti can still tow up to 8,500 pounds, which is more than the Caddy (8,100 pounds).

Flipping this behemoth into a corner produces… expected results. It's as nimble as a block of Swiss cheese. That said, Infiniti did stiffen the chassis by 57 percent, making it less heavy than previous trucks. And the steering is light and responsive. If only the suspension could absorb bumps better. Even with the adaptive air suspension (available on the Luxe and above), the QX80's ride is still a little too firm; it's not as comfortable as the Escalade or Navigator.

You’ll have to shell out at least $111,895 for the top-of-the-line Autograph model. The base QX80 starts at a more affordable $84,445, but it’s not nearly as well-equipped. The good news is that the QX80 Autograph is a very good three-row luxury SUV. The bad news is that all of the alternatives are just as good or better.

The Escalade and Navigator are unmatched in ride quality and comfort, the Lexus LX was recently updated with Toyota’s excellent new truck platform and drivetrain. And while excellent unibody alternatives like the BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS have arrived, the QX80 fails to stand out from the crowd.