Eric's Autos: 2025 Infiniti QX80

Until recently, big vehicles -- big SUVs especially -- generally came with big engines. The Infiniti QX80 was no exception. Since its 2004 debut -- as the QX56 -- all the way through to last year -- it has always come standard with a 5.6-liter V8.

The just-updated 2025 QX80 breaks with that tradition -- and, as is usually the case when there is a break with tradition, there are things some people will like and some things other, more traditionally minded people may not like.

What It Is

The QX80 is Infiniti's flagship -- largest and most expensive -- vehicle. It is a full-size luxury SUV with room for seven or eight passengers, depending on the configuration. Until this year, it came standard with a 5.6-liter V8 engine. It now comes standard with a new, twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine. This new engine is much smaller -- and has two fewer cylinders.

But it makes 450 horsepower -- 50 more than last year's V8.

It seems there is a replacement for displacement.

All trims come standard with 20-inch wheels, a 14.3-inch secondary touch screen mounted on the center console -- where it's much easier and much more natural to tap/swipe the surface -- synthetic leather seats (first two rows with heaters) a panorama sunroof and a 14-speaker premium Klipsch audio system.

Base price is $82,450 for the Pure trim -- the only trim that doesn't come standard with four-wheel drive. It can be added to the Pure as an option, bumping the MSRP up to $85,550.

There are three other trims, beginning with the $89,500 Luxe -- which comes with 22-inch wheels, an adaptive suspension system, real leather upholstery and power-folding second-row seats.

The $99,950 Sensory trim adds a 24-speaker Klipsch ultra-premium audio system, massaging front seats and a built-in camera that records the road ahead -- like a GoPro but without having to have the GoPro mounted on the dashboard. It can be used to prove the guy ahead of you brake-checked you and things of that nature.

The top-of-the-line Autograph trim -- $109,900 -- comes with everything the Luxe and Sensory trims come with plus massaging second-row seats and heated third-row seats, quilted leather upholstery, a refrigerated compartment built into the center console and a self-driving feature called ProPilot Assist.

The Luxe, Sensory and Autograph trims all come standard with 4WD.

What's New for 2025

The QX80 gets a complete makeover, including the new twin-turbo V6 engine, revised exterior styling and interior layout and new features that were not previously available in this model, such as the ultra-high-end Klipsch audio system and the massaging chairs.

What's Good

-- New twin-turbo V6 is 50 horsepower stronger than previous V8 and uses slightly less gas.

-- Higher standard towing capacity (8,500 pounds) than rivals such as the Cadillac Escalade (8,100 pounds), Lexus LS600 (8,000 pounds) and Jeep Grand Wagoneer (8,200 pounds).

-- Priced several thousand dollars below Escalade ($87,59 to start) and LX600 ($105,500 to start).

What's Not So Good

-- Base price is $8,300 higher than last year.

-- V6 isn't a V8.

-- Like its rivals, the Q is massive -- and the roads and parking spots out there often aren't.

Under the Hood

The big change is a change that has been happening generally. The Q's previously standard 5.6-liter V8 has been replaced by a much smaller 3.5-liter V6 -- with a pair of turbos to make up for its smaller size.

That is how the new Q's much smaller 3.5-liter V6 is able to make more power -- 450 horsepower and 516 foot-pounds of torque -- than the old Q's 5.6-liter V8, which only made 400 horsepower and 413 foot-pounds of torque. This makes it one of the strongest, smallest engines available in a full-size SUV.

The new Q's gas mileage (16 mpg city, 20 mpg highway) is about the same as the old Q's (14 mpg city, 20 mpg highway) but the upside is that you get a substantial bump in horsepower without an appreciable decrease in fuel consumption.

There's also a new nine-speed automatic transmission -- which replaces the previously used seven-speed automatic. Automatic 4WD (with driver-selectable terrain modes) is standard in all but the base Pure trim, which is the only trim where it's optional.

On the Road

The full-size luxury SUV has replaced the full-size American luxury sedan that you can't get anymore. Hence the full-size luxury SUV -- even if it's not American.

The reason why you can get full-size SUVs has to do with federal regs -- specifically, federal corporate average fuel economy regs, which impose fines for "guzzling gas" on vehicles that do not comply with CAFE mileage standards. But the standards are less strict for big SUVs and trucks, which is why vehicles like the QX80 are still available.

The chief difference between a big SUV like the Q and a big sedan from the '70s isn't length so much as height. Park a big SUV like the Q next to something like a Cadillac Fleetwood from the '70s and see for yourself. You could probably stack two Fleetwoods on top of each other and not quite reach the 76.6 inches off the ground roofline of the mighty Q. That's a slight exaggeration but not much. A '76 Fleetwood -- last of the really big ones -- stood just 56.8 inches off the ground at the roofline.

Ponder that.

Or just experience it. You have a fine view of the rooflines of other vehicles (excepting those of other big SUVs and trucks), and you'll probably have to reach down to get at the pneumatic tube at the bank drive-thru. But you will be in command -- which is ultimately what owning a massive, body-on-frame vehicle such as this is all about. As it was back in the day, when owning a big sedan like a Caddy Fleetwood made its owner feel the same way.

At the Curb

How long is the Q? How about 211.2 inches, stem to stern? That is a lot of Q. Which is why there is a lot of room inside the Q, which is part of the point of owning a big SUV. There are no cars made anymore that can carry more than six people or even five in anything that could be described as "comfort." The big Q can carry seven to eight people in the kind of comfort that heretofore was not even conceivable. Massaging second-row passenger seats, for instance. Backseaters also get their own LCD flatscreen control interface mounted between the seats, both of which can be remotely power-folded to open access to the third-row seats (which are available with heaters too).

The dash is all LCD now -- as is common in ultra-luxury vehicles now. What isn't common -- and ought to be -- is a low-mounted LCD interface for the big Q's secondary controls, as for the AC and seat heaters (and massagers, if equipped). This isn't just better-looking design; it is sound design, because the surface falls closer to hand and is thus easier -- more natural -- to use than the iPad-like LCD screen mounted Pop Tart-style on the upper part of the dash, making it necessary to reach up and forward to tap/swipe the controls. There is also a knob that can be turned by hand to make fine adjustments to the stereo's volume as you drive, without taking your eyes off the road.

The Rest

The Q has few options. Just the trims. That means if you want, say, the upgraded (24-speaker) Klipsch audio system, you have to buy the Sensory trim and -- similarly -- if you want the quilted leather seats, you have to buy the Autograph trim.

But you can buy an umbrella holder for $355 extra.

The Bottom Line

The engine's smaller. But everything else is bigger -- and that's ultimately what a vehicle such as this is all about.

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Eric's latest book, "Doomed: Good Cars Gone Wrong!" will be available soon. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.