5 days Ago
The first thing the product specialist said when she dropped off the Infiniti QX80 at my home for a test drive was that the grille was inspired by bamboo. I looked at the front of the humongous SUV and squinted. The shiny black slats attached to it sat at an angle not unlike the actual bamboo currently overtaking my garden, but otherwise they looked like basic plastic.
I would never have clocked them as “bamboo.” I’m sure there was an initial design note connecting LA’s most invasive plant and this big rig, but somewhere along the way, any resemblance had long disappeared. That’s how the entire QX80 feels.
As Infiniti works to upgrade itself to producing products worthy of their six-figure price tags, the space between intent and reality feels distant. The Essentials I drove a 2025 Infiniti QX80 for four days around Los Angeles. This is Infiniti’s all-new full-size three-row SUV with seating available in seven- or eight-person configurations; it’s beleaguered parent company Nissan’s answer to things like the similarly-priced Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator.
The version I drove, the top-of-the-line Autograph 4WD, starts at $109,900 but hit $113,965 thanks to upgrades like an umbrella holder ($355 as listed on the fact sheet that came with the vehicle, or $290 if the dealer installs it, or $125 if the factory installs it, according to a spokesperson, umbrella not included) and interior lighting package ($1,020, including illuminated scuff plates). It has a 3.5-liter V-6 twin-turbo engine that achieves 450 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque on a nine-speed automatic transmission.
The engine is downsized from the 5.6-liter naturally aspirated V-8 of the previous generation, though that one had somewhat less horsepower and torque. The EPA rates it at 16 mpg in the city and 19 mpg on the highway, for an average of 17-mpg fuel efficiency.
This is roughly average for a vehicle in this segment. A tow hitch and 8,500-pound max towing capability come standard, as do the electronic air suspension and 22-inch aluminum wheels. Some safety features are also included, like lane-departure prevention, blind-spot intervention, and emergency braking with pedestrian detection.
The Good If you want big, you’ve got it. At 17.5 feet long and nearly 8 feet wide, the QX80 is one of the largest vehicles on the road; driving it in traffic on the 101 South, I was eye-to-eye with UPS trucks and delivery vans.
It dwarfed the Rolls-Royce Cullinans I passed on my way to work in Beverly Hills but still somehow made it inside the office parking garage. This was a great thing and a relief to discover when I arrived. The Autograph edition includes a few cozy interior features like open-pore ash wood trim with metal inlay in a stylish pinstripe; massaging, heated and ventilated seats for the first two rows; a cooled storage box in the front console; and a power panoramic moonroof.
Basic luxury accoutrements? Check. The Bad Despite Infiniti’s marketing campaign intended to push it upmarket, the QX80 delivers performative luxury at best. Instead of an elegant, smart and glamorous SUV, the QX80 feels like the luxury option you hire for an airport run.
It’s performative like the massaging seats that make such a loud mechanical noise I could hear them churning over my Best of Sade playlist. (The back rub might have been comforting if I didn’t have to hear it.) It’s performative like the retractable door handles that failed to do just that (retract) while the vehicle is in motion, sticking out like sore thumbs as I drove.
The audio system, which routes sound through speakers encircling the two front headrests, is another discombobulating new feature. Infiniti says it was developed with Klipsch so people in the front seats can have private calls that other passengers can’t hear. As I phoned friends and family on my way to work one morning, it just felt awkward, like trying to talk to someone sitting behind me.
Thankfully, “Individual Audio” can be deactivated using the settings feature within the infotainment screen. As for operating the QX80, it feels like sitting on top of a brick on wheels. Its 3-ton heft may be desirable for some, but that doesn’t mean it can escape simple physics.
It has loose steering and a harsh ride across multiple drive modes. Even with the available Dynamic Digital Suspension, it felt rough. That system supposedly regulates vehicle motion over bouncy or choppy roads and smooths vibrations over uneven surfaces.
If this is the QX80 with Dynamic Digital Suspension, I’d hate to feel what it’s like without it—every divot in the road was a major event. As I lurched around hilly LA, its anemic-sounding V-6 lacked the thrust to make it at least feel powerful despite its size. I couldn’t help but think of and long for the other large, heavier rigs that have managed to accomplish this feat, like the Tesla Cybertruck and GMC Hummer, both of which cost around the same, depending on the configuration, as the Autograph I drove.
If You Remember One Thing There are a lot of choices out there if you want a big rig. Volvo XC90, anyone? Toyota Sequoia? Kia EV9? They’re all less expensive and better executed. Try those before you consider buying this one.
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