Does the 2025 Infiniti QX80 fix what was wrong with the SUV?

I recently had the opportunity to drive the 2025 Infiniti QX80, and the big question I had going into the test was: Would it fix the myriad problems of the outgoing generation? After a week with the vehicle, I’ll say yes. Ish.

The QX80 wasn’t a vehicle I didn’t like. And yes, I meant to use double negatives there. It was a full-size SUV I just didn’t quite grasp the point of. The Nissan Armada cousin was just as big, just as well-powered and, on the high-end, just as luxurious. So, why spend more for the Infiniti version? I couldn’t come up with a reasonable answer. While I haven’t driven the new 2025 Armada yet, I’ll say visually the two vehicles finally look different on the exterior. That in and of itself is a small win for Infiniti. The QX80 has a more luxurious, upscale look with modern LED headlights, rounded corners and bold grille. The Armada in comparison looks more traditional and blocky. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

But the interiors, at least in the photos I’ve seen of the Armada, look remarkably similar. That was a problem with the previous generation and could continue to be a problem with this new one. The luxury brand should be inherently different. Yet I see the same swath of screenage that goes from gauge cluster to infotainment in both SUVs. I see leather seats and up-level materials in the Armada, just like I had in the Autograph Edition of the QX80 test vehicle. The materials may feel different, sure, but I can’t tell that from photos. The primary difference I see: The climate controls on the Infiniti QX80 are on a touch screen, whereas the Nissan Armada has physical buttons and dials. That’s not a point in favor of the QX80.

But there is a lot Infiniti did right with the 2025 QX80. Let’s start with the powertrain.

The V-8 is gone

Drivers around the world are shedding not-so-silent tears over the demise of the V-8 engine. Boo-hoo, get it out of your system. They talk about the sheer power and the visceral feel of V-8 power. Yeah, that was great and all, but the new turbo 6-cylinder engines are great, too.

The outgoing 5.6-liter V-8 delivered 400 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque. It was smooth and fast with seamless acceleration. Well, the new 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6 beats that. It delivers 450 horsepower and a whopping 516 pound-feet of torque. And it’s just as smooth and just as fast. Oh, and it gets better fuel economy.

In a luxury vehicle, you don’t necessarily want the engine noise creeping into the cabin, and the turbo V-6 is definitely muted here. But the power is always there when you want it.

So, let’s recap: The 2025 Infiniti QX80 has more power, more fuel efficiency and more interior quietness? Yep.

Better technology

All around, the 2025 Infiniti QX80 gets better tech. It adopts Google built-in for the infotainment system (subscription TBD) and does a good job of integrating the wireless Apple CarPlay into the overall infotainment. It’s easy to navigate between vehicle and CarPlay settings, and the phone mirroring system does a good job of filling out the 14.3-inch screen.

The camera systems in the vehicle are also impressive. First, the around-view camera, which is activated in Reverse or with the push of a button, is high-def, and it gives a very bright and clear view of what is surrounding the vehicle. I like the dynamic guidelines as well as the fact that it’s still bright and clear in dark spaces. Then there’s the built-in dash cam. You can activate and record easily while driving, and there’s even an in-car camera that lets you monitor what’s going on inside the vehicle as well as record – which can be great to capture those memories of your kids while they’re still young – or to use as blackmail at a later date.

Then there’s the available Klipsch audio. I’m not much of an audiophile, and even I marveled at the clarity of the sound.

It even has hands-free driving via the ProPilot Assist 2.1 system. I tested this recently in the Nissan Rogue and again with this QX80, and I think this is a really good and consistent system. Nissan and Infiniti are moving into the hands-free realm with caution, and this is a much more conservative and nascent system than what we see from General Motors in Super Cruise or Ford in Blue Cruise. While it has lane centering and speed modulation, it doesn’t allow for hands-free lane changes. Ford will let you change lanes by putting on your turn indicator, and General Motors will even change lanes automatically for you if the cruise control is set at a higher speed and it detects and opening for you to pass. But again, for what it is, it’s a good system.

Better use of space

One of the previous complaints I had heard about the Infiniti QX80 is that for as large as it was, it didn’t do a good job of fitting larger people. While I can’t say from personal experience that this has changed, a couple of my bigger and taller cohorts have said it has.

I also think the center console area has a better use of space with a specific area for your phone, a stowage space under the HVAC controls and deep storage bins in both the front and rear consoles.

I took the time to sit in all three rows, and as someone who’s the average size of a 10-year-old, I had plenty of space – even in the third-row seat. I like the lower beltline and large side windows – all of which give a more open and airy feel to the vehicle. And even though the QX80 puts three people in the third row, I would say three of me would be able to fit back there decently. Three average-sized adults, not so much. The third rows are also easy to access, and with the way the second row tilts forward, it appears you would be able to keep a car seat in place in that seat while sending someone to the way back.

Only a few misses on the 2025 Infiniti QX80

The biggest thing I didn’t like about the 2025 Infiniti QX80 was the HVAC screen. You had to hit it with some force to activate changes, and that might be distracting while driving. It also gets fingerprinted quickly and is a huge dust magnet. I don’t understand the aversion to buttons here. I also didn’t love the use of black lacquer on the dash and door panels. Again, I’ll point to fingerprints and dust, then add in scratches on the bits near the window switches.

But the biggest miss, and the reason why I answered yes-ish in the first graph, is I’m not sure the QX80 is different enough from the top trims of the Armada on the inside. I say that from pictures and press releases because I haven’t seen the Armada in person yet. I hope I’m wrong, but the behind-the-wheel cluster and infotainment screens look identical. I want the QX80 to be special enough to justify the $30k price difference, base to base. But even the top trim of the Armada is still $10k less than the base QX80, so why would you make the leap from the Armada Platinum Reserve to the Infiniti QX80 Pure? At this time, I don’t have a good answer for you.

The bottom line

I did like the 2025 Infiniti QX80. If you are looking at the Lincoln Navigator, Lexus LX or Cadillac Escalade, it’s certainly worth throwing it into the mix – especially with that Klipsch audio. But at the end of the day, I’m not sure it would beat out the other three in any category except price. So, maybe that’s the space it fills? It’s a value leader in the luxury three-row SUV segment. But is that the space it wants to be in? TBD.