Beyond: The 2025 Infiniti QX80 Sensory 4WD

Was it something I said?

It's been almost five years since my last review of an Infiniti vehicle, the 2020 Q60, for the Los Altos Town Crier, a car they discontinued after the 2022 model year.

Anyway, things are changing at Infiniti, Nissan's luxury brand for---36 years.

In those three-and-a-half-decades-plus-a-year, Infiniti has made unique vehicles that had little to do with Nissan and found little success, and then took a whole lotta heat for not being different enough from Nissan with its next round of cars and SUVs.

The 2025 QX80 is here to change all that. Yes, it's based on the Nissan Armada, but the Cadillac Escalade is based on the Chevy Tahoe and the Lincoln Navigator is based on the Ford Expedition.

It's where you go from that starting point that counts, and in the new QX80, Infiniti has created a luxury SUV that can go toe-to-toe with the competition---not just the two big-dog domestics, but also prestige pieces like the Range Rover, BMW X7, Mercedes GLS and Lexus LX.

What's it take to compete in that rarefied space? The three "Ps"---Presence, Power and Price.

The QX80 certainly has presence. It doesn't pull up to a house, it arrives. Less than an inch shorter than an Escalade, more than an inch longer than a Navigator, it conveys substance and means---who's behind all that privacy glass?

Power? Check. 450 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque from a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 with a nine-speed automatic transmission and Infiniti All-Mode Four Wheel Drive. Towing capacity 8,500 pounds, hitch, harness and trailer sway control as standard equipment.

None of these vehicles is a fuel miser. The QX80, though, is a bit thirstier than the rest of the group, with an EPA fuel economy average of 16 city/19 highway.

22 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third-row seat is small-ish, but if you fold that down, you're working with a very competitive 59. And if you don't need the second row of seats either, there's a massive 101 cubic feet of space.

Second-row passengers get limo-like legroom---39.2 inches.

And that brings us to the third "P"---Price.

In this class, top-of-the-line trim levels are six-figure vehicles, and the SUV in question needs to deliver on some lofty expectations. Again, check.

The base price of the 2025 Infiniti QX80 Sensory 4WD is $99,950 ($101,945 including destination). As you can see, the interior backs up the bucks-up image, and the standard content list helps seal the deal:

Electronic air suspension, dynamic digital suspension, 22-inch aluminum alloy wheels, sequential welcome lighting, roof rails, Infiniti Light Path, Infiniti Raidant Silver illuminated kick plates, personalized 64-color ambient lighting, open-pore ash wood trim, a power panoramic moonroof, a dash cam recorder, auto-folding heated outside mirrors, motion-activated tailgate, a heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel, advanced climate control system, biometric cooling, semi-aniline leather-appointed first and second-row seats, heated and ventilated first and second-row seats, second-row captain's chairs with power slide and recline, power-folding and reclining third-row seats, careted floor mats, a head-up display, frameless auto-dimming smart rear-view mirror, hill start assist, dual 14.3-inch screens (instrumentation and infotainment), a nine-inch lower front touchscreen control panel with haptic feedback, the first-ever Klipsch automotive audio system---a 24-speaker Reference Premiere Premium, with Google built-in (including navigation), Alexa built-in, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, wireless device charging, individual audio with speakers built into the headrests and a comprehensive suite of active safety features.

Our test vehicle also had some extra-cost options: Pro Pilot Assist 2.1 with Information Support Lighting ($3,200), an Interior Lighting Package with silver illuminated cargo scuff plates and a panoramic illuminated headliner ($1,020), the Premium Cargo Package, with a carpeted cargo area protector, cargo blocks/stabilizers, a soft-sided carbo cooler, cargo shelf/barrier and console net ($850), an umbrella holder ($355) and the Grand Blue paint ($695).

Bottom line on the window sticker: $108,065.

In the 36 years since Infiniti's launch, the action in the luxury market has shifted from big sedans to full-size SUVs. The 2025 QX80 can more than hold its own in that group and belongs on your short list.