The 2026 Infiniti QX80 – SIX FIGURES? GO FIGURE.

The 2026 Infiniti QX80

SIX FIGURES? GO FIGURE.

BULL SHOALS, Ark. – The monolithic presence in my driveway – a 2026 Infiniti QX80 wearing a $107,000 price tag – is more than just a luxury SUV. It is a rolling nod to the “K-shaped” graph of the American economy. As we enter the new year, the automotive industry has made its choice: It is vying for the affluent while politely ignoring everyone else.

Some would frame this as an affordability crisis, but the boardroom logic is unassailable. Why use a factory to build a $35,000 sedan that grosses a few thousand dollars on its best day, when lines are forming for six-figure trucks and SUVs that make ten times as much? We can bemoan the death of the budget runabout, but the market has spoken, and it is speaking in monthly payments that rival a mortgage.

According to Edmunds, more than 20 percent of new-car buyers in the final quarter of 2025 committed to monthly payments exceeding $1,000. Perhaps even more striking, over 6 percent of used-car buyers crossed that same threshold. To make the math work, loan terms are stretching toward the horizon, with nearly 21 percent of loans now running 84 months. That is seven years of payments, often on assets that depreciate faster than the ink dries on the contract.

No one is holding a gun to the consumer’s head, of course. We are happily signing the papers, and automakers are happily building the dreadnoughts we demand.

Shocking sticker

Into this gilded milieu rolls the refreshed Infiniti QX80, a vehicle with a massive grille and an even bigger chip on its shoulder. Once the value-driven alternative to the Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator, the QX80 now looks them in the eye and demands equal pay. With a starting price of $85,940 and a fully loaded Autograph trim cresting $113,000, Infiniti is no longer asking to be considered a bargain. It is, instead, asking to be considered a peer.

It is a bold strategy. At this altitude the air is thin, and the predators are apex. The Cadillac Escalade dominates with its 38-inch OLED screens and Super Cruise; the Lincoln Navigator offers a library-quiet ride; the Lexus LX 600 brings mountain-goat capability; and the Mercedes-Benz GLS defines polished restraint. Infiniti isn’t just entering a market segment; it’s entering a knife fight.

Tuxedo with Work Boots

The QX80’s restyle gives it a distinctive, handsome identity. It is a large vehicle – 211 inches of metal and ego – with a wide stance and darkened chrome details that signal serious luxury intent. But beneath the tuxedo, the QX80 is wearing work boots.

While it now speaks the design language of a modern flagship, it retains the bones of the Nissan Armada. This includes a solid rear axle – a feature that is wonderful for towing a boat, but less wonderful for passengers who must endure the “pickup bounce” over potholed roads. 

While competitors like the Escalade and Navigator have moved to independent rear suspensions and air springs to deliver a magic-carpet ride, the QX80 relies on a hydraulic system to manage the bumps. It is capable, certainly, but it lacks the isolation of its rivals. It lands somewhere between the ruggedness of a Lexus and the smoothness of a Lincoln, a compromise that feels slightly out of step with its six-figure aspirations.

Heart is Willing

If the suspension is old-school, the engine is a modern marvel. Gone is the thirsty V8, replaced by a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 producing 450 horsepower. We encountered this motor before in the Nissan Z, where it screams with delight. Here, tuned for dignity, it delivers a smooth, torque-rich shove that belies the vehicle’s mass.

Paired with a new 9-speed automatic transmission, the drivetrain is the QX80’s crown jewel. While other manufacturers struggle with nervous 10-speed gearboxes that can’t decide which gear to wear to the party, Nissan engineers hit the sweet spot. It is calm, decisive, and unhurried.

During a weeklong camping expedition into the Ozarks, the QX80 proved its mettle. It crawled up forestry roads and navigated rocky shoals with nary a wheel slip, the 4WD system shrugging off terrain that would terrify a crossover. However, the laws of physics are immutable. On flat highways, we managed a respectable 22–24 mpg. In the hills? The QX80 drank like a sailor on shore leave, dropping below 15 mpg.

Sanctuary and Static

Inside, the Autograph trim makes a valiant effort to justify the sticker price. The cabin is a sanctuary of quilted semi-aniline leather and open-pore wood, anchored by a 24-speaker Klipsch audio system that could likely reproduce the sound of a pin dropping in a thunderstorm.

However, the technology suite feels like a mixed bag of ambition and execution. The dual 14.3-inch displays are sharp, but the interface lacks the intuitive polish of GM or Mercedes. Worse is the ProPILOT Assist 2.1, Infiniti’s answer to hands-free driving. While GM’s Super Cruise drives with the confidence of a chauffeur, ProPILOT drives like a nervous teenager, constantly beeping and buzzing to tell you it has lost the plot – and you’d better grab the wheel. In the winding mountain roads, it was less an assistant and more a backseat driver.

The Verdict

The 2026 QX80 is Infiniti’s most ambitious product in years. It is handsome, powerful, and genuinely luxurious. But with the average new car loan now topping $43,000, asking buyers to stretch to $107,000 requires more than just competence; it might require magic.

For those who prioritize mechanical simplicity and a stunning interior over the absolute cutting edge of digital tech, the QX80 is a compelling, contrarian choice. But for Infiniti to truly reignite its brand, it must convince the world that this SUV isn’t just expensive because the economy says it can be. It must prove its worth.