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2018 Infiniti QX80 Drivers' Notes Review | Big, brash and big

When it comes to body-on-frame, full-size SUVs, it seems every automaker has the same strategy. Offer one version as a more affordable, workman-like model, and another one as the plush luxury model. Ford has the Expedition and the Navigator, Toyota has the Land Cruiser and the LX 570, GM has the Tahoe and the Escalade. Over at Nissan, the pairing is the Nissan Aramada and the Infiniti QX80. We recently reviewed the Nissan version, and we just had a turn in the Infiniti. So how did the Infiniti fare against its proletarian twin? Read on to find out. Associate Editor Joel Stocksdale: So here's the thing about the Infiniti QX80: It's literally just a flashier Nissan Armada. As I sat down to write my thoughts, I took a second look at what I wrote about the Nissan-badged version, and I realized almost everything on my mind I already covered. The thing is enormous. Walking up to it, it seems like it might be an inch taller than me (5'11"). It's pretty wide, too, and the width is consistent all the way up. But it is still easy to drive with light steering and very good visibility. The 5.6-liter V8 sounds lovely and seems well-matched to the truck, and the transmission shifts smoothly and picks gears well. The real problem I see is that my feelings about the QX80's interior are nearly identical to those of the Armada. They're virtually identical, especially when comparing the higher trim Armadas. They have the same infotainment, the same buttons. There are a lot of buttons, too, scattered seemingly haphazardly and are difficult to use, especially with the very dated infotainment system. The dash design and shape of the wood are the same, and so is the steering wheel. The only things I could tell were really different were the shift knob, the gauge faces and the quilted leather seats. And Nissan offers a version of the latter on the Armada Platinum Reserve. I'm dwelling on this a bit because the Infiniti QX80 is not cheap. The four-wheel-drive one we had here in Michigan had a base price of $68,845. That's a few thousand more than the aforementioned Armada Platinum Reserve, and I don't see how the Infiniti is worth that extra money. It seems all you're getting is a flashier exterior, especially with the $2,800 22-inch wheels, and a more prestigious badge. I need more than chrome and badges to spend so much money. My recommendation is just buy an Armada.

Nissan Pathfinder, Infiniti JX in transmission safety probe

Nissan may be forced to recall 110,000 Pathfinder and Infiniti JX35 crossovers, due to a number of customer complaints. Consumers report suddenly losing power, with repair facilities blaming the issue on faulty transmission cooler line connections. Both the Pathfinder and JX35 use a continuously variable transmission. As of right now, the only vehicles being investigated are from model year 2013.
Nissan has been cooperating with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, according to a report from Reuters, and it has developed a fix for the affected vehicles. It's not clear whether this will develop into a full-blown recall, as there have been no known cases of injuries or crashes. But with a potential 110,000 vehicles prone to sudden power loss, a recall seems to be a likely outcome.

Infiniti to move forward with 'Nissan-plus' strategy for its future cars

Sales at Infiniti in 2019 were down in the dumps. While the market as a whole fell 1.2%, Infiniti brand sales were down 21%. Nissan wasn’t too far behind, with its sales sliding 9.9% year-to-year. None of those numbers look great, but Nissan COO Ashwani Gupta still sees a path forward for NissanÂ’s luxury brand, Infiniti. “We will bring back Infiniti as Nissan-plus, in terms of product and technology," Gupta told Automotive News. “Infiniti will be great again.” Historically-speaking, Infiniti has been “Nissan-plus” for a long time over the years. Many vehicles in its lineup have been re-skinned versions of Nissans with some luxury thrown into the mix, and thatÂ’s not necessarily a bad thing. There have been some standouts, namely the original Q45 with its pioneering active suspension and shockingly sporty dynamics. And then there are the G coupes and sedans, vehicles that are still desirable to enthusiasts today. View 31 Photos InfinitiÂ’s current enthusiast offerings revolve around the Q50 sedan and Q60 coupe, both of which are rear-wheel-drive (or all-wheel-drive) cars with sporting intentions. ThereÂ’s no equivalent Nissan sold in America, but the Q50 is the Nissan Skyline in Japan. ItÂ’s impossible to know what the fate of these rear-drive-based cars will be, but a few possibilities lie ahead. Infiniti could really lean in to the “Nissan-plus” nomenclature and repurpose the new Altima as an Infiniti sedan. More likely, however, is a move to electrification. The Nissan IMs Concept and Infiniti Q Inspiration Concept both suggest that the company is interested in creating electric sedans. A “Nissan-plus” electric sedan sure sounds a whole lot better than a front-drive-based rebadged Nissan. InfinitiÂ’s biggest problem at this second is the lack of new product on the market. Its QX50 crossover is the most recent big redesign weÂ’ve been witness to, but it needed replacements yesterday for the QX60, Q50 and Q60 to be competitive with others in those segments. Both Lexus and Acura are outpacing Infiniti by a wide margin. The path forward as “Nissan-plus” also suggests Infiniti aims to be a premium brand, rather than a full-fledged luxury brand competing toe-to-toe with Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. ThatÂ’s consistent with how the brandÂ’s cars have stacked up in recent years, even as it collaborated with Mercedes to put an Infiniti badge on the GLA crossover.