In the world of over-$100,000 flagship luxury SUV’s, one name has long stood above them all: the Cadillac Escalade. This luxury SUV has not only been tearing up the sales charts since it first launched, but also is an iconic vehicle in pop culture. but there are always rivals lurking around the corner, the newest of which we have today: the all-new Infiniti QX80! So, who wins in a 2025 Infiniti QX80 vs. 2024 Cadillac Escalade battle? Well, that is what we are going to find out today!
Pricing and Equipment
While it’s not as much of a consideration for people spending well over 6-figures on a vehicle, we will still go ahead and mention the pricing quickly before we get into all the exterior, interior, cargo and driving elements.
Starting with the Cadillac, we have the fully loaded Sport Platinum trim level which gives you the most possible features and luxury. All in, we’re sitting at a steep $120,000.
MSRP (Sport Platinum 4WD): $113,695 | Options: $3,075 | Destination: $1,995 | Total: $118,795
Pretty much everything about the QX80 is new for the brand, but this loaded Autograph also represents a new ceiling for pricing. Its price tops out at $112,590, all in.
MSRP (Autograph 4WD): $109,900 | Options: $695 | Destination: $1,995 | Total: $112,590
By the way, if you want to get the best price from local dealerships and access to invoice pricing info for these two models or any vehicle, we have a tool on our website to do just that. Click here for more information!
Exterior Design
Now walking up to these two can be somewhat akin to wearing Gucci clothing. They are both big, bold, and fancy which starts in the front. It’s practically a segment requirement to have huge grilles, and they do, although now they are less flashy than in years past with backed out or smoked chrome finishes.
As expected, both have full-LED projector headlights, with entry and exit animations. Neither of them has fog lamps though, and only the QX80 has an illuminated front logo.
Heading on around to the side, this is a great place to get a sense of just how big these two SUVs are. Lengthwise, they are both over 211 inches long, although it should be noted here that the Escalade also offers an extended wheelbase model called the ESV. You’ll see later on in this comparison just how much space these SUV’s have on board, but the QX80 does not give you the ability to choose even more space, if needed.
Regardless, 22-inch alloys attempt to fill out the wheel wells, and the QX80 Autograph also gives you two-tone roof options. This is something we’ve seen a lot of Escalade owners do after market, but from the factory, only the Infiniti will let you have that sleek black roof.
In the rear, their overall shapes vary quite a bit, but the feature sets are largely the same. They have spoilers, hidden wipers, and gigantic fully-LED taillights.
As body-on-frame SUV’s, they also have tow hitches in the back with a large amount of capability: 8,200 and 8,500 lbs of towing. While that is more in the Infiniti, that’s below the 5% difference threshold we use to award points.
Escalade: 8,200 lbs. | QX80: 8,500 lbs.
Additional Features
Now as far as other features, both have fully loaded mirrors, and they both also have every single active safety system as standard equipment in these loaded trim levels. Both also have advanced systems that allow for some hands-free highway driving, but the Escalade’s SuperCruise system is significantly more capable that the QX80’s ProPilot system. SuperCruise works at high speeds, on pretty much all highways, has automatic hands-free lane changing and even works on many secondary roads this year.
Warranty-wise, both models are covered longer than their German rivals, but the QX80 has some additional benefits. It’s basic warranty last 10,000 more miles and it has 3 years of complimentary maintenance over the Escalade.
INF: Warranty: Basic Warranty: 4yr/60k mi | Powertrain: 6yr/70k mi | Comp Main: 3 years
ESC: Warranty: Basic Warranty: 4yr/50k mi | Powertrain: 6yr/70k mi | Comp Main: 1 Visit
Anyway, that’s the end of the exterior, but I promise there are very impressive cabins coming up.
Interior Design
So, walking up the vehicles, both are obviously going to have smart entry systems to unlock the doors, but it is worth noting that only the Escalade has power running boards, which makes entry and exit easier due to the width.
But Escalade fights back by being the only one with soft closing doors.
Now glancing inside the interiors of these two, you’ll see very different design themes. And let’s start the details off with the seats.
In both luxury SUVs we have elaborate quilted semi-aniline leather seating which is one of the nicest grades of leather. Of course, they are also heated, ventilated, have memory functions, and are highly adjustable with 16 settings. The other nice thing both have is power massaging for relaxation after a long day at work.
Now getting inside and breaking down the bigger point of overall material quality, these two both impresses. Both of them have liberally applied leather, real wood and aluminum surfaces to practically anything you can touch. Everything feels super solid, and we even have suede headliners on the roof and metal speaker grilles galore. These spaces certainly feel befitting of their price tags.
Now let’s start to look around and assess individual items, starting with our gauge clusters. Both have moved to large reconfigurable 14-inch clusters with tons of options. You can even make both screens live camera feeds of the front of the vehicles. As you’d expect, they also have head-up displays.
Both SUVs have heated, power-adjusting, leather wrapped steering wheels, as well as rain-sensing wipers.
Storage and Technology
Next up is the major point category of interior storage, where, as you might expect, both excel. In addition to a lot of storage, each model has opted for the cool box console refrigerator to keep drinks cold. Those are effectively the same size and they both have wireless charging pads, but the QX80 space advantage kicks in with the center pass through space under the console.
That could be due to the compact nature of the QX80’s push-button shifter, although the Escalade’s is also electronic. When you shift into reverse, both SUV’s have some fun tricks up their sleeves. There are practically endless views to switch between, including that expandable front view I already mentioned on the Infiniti. Both can spin around the vehicles in a 3D view as well.
But before we get into other tech, it’s time to talk audio. It goes without saying that these high-end audio systems both sound awesome, with speakers all over, but, using incorrect English here, the Escalade sounds awesomer. It has elite-tier sound quality and its AKG is one of our all-time favorite audio systems.
QX80: 24-speaker Klipsch Reference Premiere Audio
Escalade: 36-speaker AKG Reference Premium audio
Moving on from that, let’s talk climate controls. The new QX80 has opted to give the climate controls its own separate screen, and the Escalade uses physical metal switches for its system which is easier to use when driving.
But the QX80 has an industry-first trick up its sleeve: biometric cooling. This system uses sensors to monitor the driver and passengers body temperatures and adjusts the climate according to that instead of just cabin temperature. This would eliminate the need to adjust the temperature after a workout for example.
Alright so now it’s time to talk about the screens. Escalade has been rocking a 38-inch curved screen system for a few years, of which 16.9-inches are dedicated to the infotainment system. The QX80, on the other hand, has gone from very old-school tech to fully modern, with its 14.2-inch display, also part of a curved screen system. Escalade does have the size advantage, but I have to mention the fact that AA and ACP don’t take up the full screen due to the slope like they do in the Infiniti.
As far as the software itself, the QX80 has Google apps built into the system, while the Escalade hasn’t added the latest software to the Escalade yet from the LYRIQ. I do want to mention that the Escalade is rumored to be getting a larger screen system next year but that is unconfirmed at the time of this video.
Finally, for the front of the cabins, both have rear camera mirror systems, and panoramic moonroofs.
Rear Seats and Cargo
Now let’s head for the important back areas, starting with the seats. Both go for the executive feel with captain chairs but that’s basically where the similarities end. First of all, while still spacious, the Escalade has a legroom and headroom advantage over the QX80 of about 10%. That’s a meaningful difference greater than the 5% threshold to score a point.
QX80: 37.6-inches of legroom | 36.2-inches of headroom
Escalade: 41.7-inches of legroom | 38.9 -inches of headroom
Space-aside, when you are sitting in the seats, you will be spoiled more in the Infiniti. Its seats are power adjusting instead of manual, heated and ventilated instead of just heated, and they even have lumbar and massage.
While some may prefer the accessibility of the gap between the seats, the Infiniti also has a center console with storage and a screen to adjust all kinds of settings.
There are still even more features to mention: you have rear seat entertainment screens on the Cadillac only, lots of rear plugs on both, and neither have sunshades for the side windows.
Alright, now let’s move to the next row. Previously, the QX80’s third row was not a great place to spend time, but with this new model, they have largely caught up to Escalade. That being said, just like with the second row, the Escalade still commands a space advantage of about 6% more leg and headroom.
QX80: Legroom: 32.9-inches | Headroom: 36.2-inches
Escalade: 34.9 inches of legroom | 38.2 inches of headroom
Both SUV’s seat 3 across back here, and still coddle you with premium leather seats and very good comfort in terms of thy support. There are chargers and vents back here, but only the Infiniti gives you heated third row seats.
Moving around back to the cargo, both have hands-free power tailgates, but only the Escalade can pop the rear glass independently.
Once open, the Escalade’s extra length pay dividends, with the max cargo capacity being larger in all three seating configurations. At the maximum level, there’s about a 7% difference between the two of them, although this is a big improvement over the old QX80.
QX80: Behind 3rd Row: 22.0 cu.ft. | Behind 2nd Row: 59.0 cu. ft. | Maximum: 101 cu. ft.
Escalade: 3rd row: 25.5 cubic feet / Behind 2nd row: 63.0 cubic feet / Max: 109.1 cubic feet
Both have power-folding third row seats and spare tires.
So now let’s take this fight to the streets and see how they stack up there!
Powertrains
As we head out on the streets, you’ll find completely different experiences that begin with what’s under the hoods. The Escalade continues with the classic luxury SUV formula: a large naturally aspirated V-8 under the hood, while the QX80 goes for a new approach with a 3.5L Twin-Turbocharged V-6 engine. This smaller engine actually makes more horsepower and torque, at 450 and 516 vs. 420 and 460 in the Escalade, respectively.
QX80: 3.5L Twin Turbo V6: 450 hp | 516 lb.ft
Escalade: 6.2L V-8: 420 hp and 460 lb.ft
As far as the transmissions are concerned, the Infiniti has a 9-speed automatic and the Cadillac a 10-speed automatic. Having more gears doesn’t make a transmission better, per say, and in this case, they are both smooth and responsive. Power is put to the ground via 4WD systems.
Test Drive and Fuel Economy
While these may occasionally need to tackle a light dirt road, these are luxury SUVs designed for the road first and foremost. To deliver the best possible ride qualities, these two are rocking adjustable air suspensions and adaptive dampers. This allows both to eat up road imperfections without disturbing the occupants, and they really do a great job of disguising their truck-based roots.
It’s also important that luxury SUVs are very quiet, which is why here at Car Confections, we take a sound level reading of every vehicle we test out. Decibel readings are on a logarithmic scale and the smallest difference an adult can usually discern is 1 dB, which this has. We tested the QX80 on a press drive in California so we can’t officially score this area until we have it back home in Kentucky on the same roads.
QX80: 53.7 dB @ 55 MPH
Escalade: 55.4 dB @ 55 MPH
One thing that might surprise you is that neither of them handle badly despite their size, especially the new Infiniti. It’s Dynamic Digital Suspension system works hard to reduce body roll and it is quite effective when you take this beast on a backroad.
Finally, when it comes to fuel economy, you might be surprised to learn that the QX80’s smaller displacement engine is only providing 1 MPG better combined than the Escalade’s burly V-8. Neither of them has any kind of hybrid assist, and the way to go for the best efficiency would be the Escalade’s available diesel engine which gets 23 MPG combined.
QX80 3.5TT 4×4: 15/19/17 MPG
Escalade 6.2L 4×4: 14/18/16 MPG
Resale and Reliability
In our reviews and comparisons, we are also adding in reliability and resale information to give you a better picture of the overall value beyond just the original MSRP.
Beginning with reliability, we developed the Combined Reliability Index, which takes into account several studies from trustworthy sources, and combines them in a way that gives a more realistic picture. Cadillac ranks 3 slots ABOVE the industry average for all brands in reliability, while Infiniti is below industry average reliability, 5 slots BELOW average to be exact.
We also put Mason’s economics degree to work to develop a detailed Predicted Resale Value tool. After 5 years and 60,000 miles, both brands get very similar results. Cadillac retains a predicted 40.7% of its value and Infiniti comes in at 41.2% after 5 years.
Resale is obviously important because it determines how much money you get back, but we can’t forget about the price difference at the original purchase. The Cadillac costs $6,205 more than the Infiniti, BUT according to our scale this isn’t worth considering with points due to how expensive they are.
I want to emphasize that if money, reliability or resale value matter less to you personally, feel free to disregard these points. And if you’d like to check out all our data about reliability and resale values, as well as learn about our methodology, make sure to head to www.carconfections.com/resale and www.carconfections.com/reliability. Buying a car is a big decision, and this is a great place to compare all the makes you might be cross-shopping.
2025 Infiniti QX80 vs. 2024 Cadillac Escalade winner!
Wow so that was a close one! These two fought hard and which one you choose really is going to come down a lot to personal preference. Now let’s discuss who should be “your” personal winner based on those preferences…
Pilot:
- Bench/captain chair on demand
- Better predicted resale and reliability
- More spacious
Pathfinder:
- Semi-analine leather seats and other materials
- Power-adjusting steering wheel
Now we want to know your opinions, so make sure to head to the comment section and let us know which one you would pick!
Thanks for joining us for another Car Confections Comparison! We’ll catch you next time as we sample the latest automotive delicacies!
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