Compare the2022 Buick EnclaveVS 2021 Infiniti QX80

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages

Safety

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The Enclave has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The QX80 doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Enclave uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The QX80 uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Enclave and the QX80 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Buick Enclave is safer than the Infiniti QX80:

	Enclave	QX80
OVERALL STARS	4 Stars	3 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	2 Stars
HIC	216	384
Neck Injury Risk	15.6%	36%
Neck Stress	198 lbs.	439 lbs.
Neck Compression	77 lbs.	95 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	53/40 lbs.	983/651 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	3 Stars
Chest Compression	.9 inches	1.2 inches
Neck Injury Risk	35.2%	37%
Neck Stress	128 lbs.	219 lbs.
Neck Compression	51 lbs.	78 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	258/133 lbs.	452/534 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Buick Enclave is safer than the Infiniti QX80:

	Enclave	QX80
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.9 inches	1 inches
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	16 inches
HIC	251	437
Spine Acceleration	34 G’s	39 G’s
Hip Force	554 lbs.	684 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Enclave, with its four-star roll-over rating, is 5% to 8.7% less likely to roll over than the QX80, which received a three-star rating.

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and with its optional front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Enclave the rating of “Top Pick” for 2017, a rating granted to only 213 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The QX80 has not been tested, yet.

Warranty

There are almost 10 times as many Buick dealers as there are Infiniti dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Enclave’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Enclave has a standard 170-amp alternator. The QX80’s 150-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Buick vehicles are better in initial quality than Infiniti vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick 7th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 23 more problems per 100 vehicles, Infiniti is ranked 15th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Buick vehicles are more reliable than Infiniti vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick fifth in reliability, above the industry average. With 37 more problems per 100 vehicles, Infiniti is ranked 23rd.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Buick vehicles are more reliable than Infiniti vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Buick fourth in reliability. Infiniti is ranked 11th.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Enclave gets better fuel mileage than the QX80:

			MPG
Enclave
	2WD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/26 hwy
	4WD	3.6 DOHC V6	17 city/25 hwy
QX80
	2WD	5.6 DOHC V8	14 city/20 hwy
	4WD	5.6 DOHC V8	13 city/19 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Enclave’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. (Start/Stop isn’t accounted in present EPA fuel mileage tests.) The QX80 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Buick Enclave uses regular unleaded gasoline. The QX80 requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Enclave has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The QX80 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Buick Enclave, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the QX80.

Brakes and Stopping

The Enclave stops shorter than the QX80:

	Enclave	QX80
70 to 0 MPH	179 feet	185 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	130 feet	139 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	141 feet	155 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The Enclave has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The QX80 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

The Enclave offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The QX80’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Enclave Essence handles at .82 G’s, while the QX80 AWD pulls only .72 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Enclave’s turning circle is 2.3 feet tighter than the QX80’s (39 feet vs. 41.3 feet).

Chassis

The Buick Enclave may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1250 to 1300 pounds less than the Infiniti QX80.

The Enclave is 5.4 inches shorter than the QX80, making the Enclave easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Unibody construction lowers the Enclave’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The QX80 uses body-on-frame design instead.

The front grille of the Enclave uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The QX80 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Enclave uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The QX80 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Enclave has 4.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the QX80 (157.3 vs. 152.5).

The Enclave has 2.7 inches more front headroom, 1.6 inches more front legroom, .8 inches more third row headroom and 4.7 inches more third row legroom than the QX80.

The front step up height for the Enclave is 4.4 inches lower than the QX80 (18” vs. 22.4”). The Enclave’s rear step up height is 4.1 inches lower than the QX80’s (18.7” vs. 22.8”).

Cargo Capacity

The Enclave’s cargo area provides more volume than the QX80.

	Enclave	QX80
Behind Third Seat	23.6 cubic feet	16.6 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	57.7 cubic feet	49.6 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	97.4 cubic feet	95.1 cubic feet

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Enclave easier. The Enclave’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 30.5 inches, while the QX80’s liftover is 35.8 inches.

The Enclave’s cargo area is larger than the QX80’s in almost every dimension:

	Enclave	QX80
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	26.2”/54”/90”	18.4”/48”/81”
Max Width	52.7”	50”
Min Width	48.5”	49.8”
Height	30.8”	36”

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Enclave’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The QX80 doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Servicing Ease

The Enclave has a maintenance free battery for long life without checking the battery’s water level. The QX80 doesn’t have a maintenance free battery, so the water level in the battery’s cells must be checked often to prevent damage.

Ergonomics

The Enclave Premium/Avenir has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and tachometer readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The QX80 doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Enclave’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The QX80’s parking brake has to released manually.

The power windows standard on both the Enclave and the QX80 have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Enclave is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The QX80 prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Enclave’s available exterior PIN entry system. The QX80 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Emergency Call with Automatic Collision Notification can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Enclave Premium/Avenir has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the QX80.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Buick Enclave has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The QX80 doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Enclave owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Enclave will cost $3285 to $7030 less than the QX80 over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Enclave is less expensive to operate than the QX80 because typical repairs cost much less on the Enclave than the QX80, including $74 less for a starter, $66 less for front struts and $500 less for a timing belt/chain.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Buick Enclave will be $24623 to $34721 less than for the Infiniti QX80.