Compare the2022 Infiniti QX50VS 2021 Lexus NX Series

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Infiniti QX50 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The Lexus NX Series doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

The Infiniti QX50 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The NX Series doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Compared to metal, the QX50’s plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Lexus NX Series has a metal gas tank.

Both the QX50 and the NX Series have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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, available all wheel drive and 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 Infiniti QX50 is safer than the Lexus NX Series:

	QX50	NX Series
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	26%	46%
Neck Stress	245 lbs.	509 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	155/130 lbs.	480/609 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	333	355
Neck Injury Risk	31%	42%
Neck Stress	161 lbs.	295 lbs.
Neck Compression	48 lbs.	70 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 Infiniti QX50 is safer than the Lexus NX Series:

	QX50	NX Series
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	98	192
Hip Force	306 lbs.	352 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	73	317
Spine Acceleration	25 G’s	49 G’s
Hip Force	227 lbs.	303 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	333	542
Hip Force	339 lbs.	828 lbs.

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

Warranty

The QX50 comes with a full 4-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The NX Series’ 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 10,000 miles sooner.

The QX50’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the NX Series’ (7 vs. 6 years).

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the QX50 has a standard 720-amp battery. The NX Series’ 580-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

Engine

The QX50’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 74 more horsepower (268 vs. 194) and 81 lbs.-ft. more torque (280 vs. 199) than the NX 300h’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The QX50’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 33 more horsepower (268 vs. 235) and 22 lbs.-ft. more torque (280 vs. 258) than the NX 300’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Infiniti QX50 is faster than the Lexus NX Series:

	QX50	NX 300h	NX 300
Zero to 60 MPH	6.3 sec	8.3 sec	7 sec
Quarter Mile	14.8 sec	16.3 sec	15.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	93.6 MPH	84.5 MPH	90.7 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the QX50 gets better mileage than the NX Series:

			MPG
QX50
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/29 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/28 hwy
NX Series
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/28 hwy
	AWD	F Sport 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/27 hwy

The QX50 has 1.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the NX Series Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (16 vs. 14.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

The QX50’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the NX Series are solid, not vented.

The QX50 stops shorter than the NX Series:

	QX50	NX Series
60 to 0 MPH	129 feet	136 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	130 feet	142 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the QX50 has larger standard tires than the NX Series (235/55R19 vs. 225/65R17). The QX50’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the NX Series (255/45R20 vs. 235/55R18).

The QX50’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the NX Series’ standard 65 series tires. The QX50’s optional tires have a lower 45 series profile than the NX Series F Sport’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the QX50 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the NX Series. The QX50’s optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels optional on the NX Series.

The QX50 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 NX Series doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the QX50 can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The NX Series doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the QX50’s wheelbase is 5.5 inches longer than on the NX Series (110.2 inches vs. 104.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the QX50 is 2.4 inches wider in the front and 2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the NX Series.

The QX50 Essential AWD handles at .84 G’s, while the NX 300 pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The QX50 Essential AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.1 seconds quicker than the NX 300h AWD (26.7 seconds @ .66 average G’s vs. 27.8 seconds @ .63 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the QX50’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the NX Series’ (36.4 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the QX50 has a 1.9 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the NX 300h (8.6 vs. 6.7 inches), allowing the QX50 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The QX50’s minimum ground clearance is 1.7 inches higher than on the NX 300 (8.6 vs. 6.9 inches).

Chassis

The design of the Infiniti QX50 amounts to more than styling. The QX50 has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .32 Cd. That is lower than the NX Series (.34) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the QX50 get better fuel mileage.

The QX50 uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The NX Series doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The QX50 has 32.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the NX Series (104.4 vs. 71.6).

The QX50 has 2.8 inches more front headroom, .5 inches more front hip room, .6 inches more front shoulder room, 1 inch more rear headroom, 2.6 inches more rear legroom and 1.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the NX Series.

Cargo Capacity

The QX50 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the NX Series with its rear seat up (31.4 vs. 17.7 cubic feet). The QX50 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the NX Series with its rear seat folded (65.1 vs. 54.6 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the QX50 easier. The QX50’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 26.6 inches, while the NX Series’ liftover is 31.2 inches.

The QX50’s cargo area is larger than the NX Series’ in almost every dimension:

	QX50	NX Series
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	39”/71.7”	36”/71.5”
Max Width	54.5”	53”
Min Width	41.5”	44.3”
Height	31.2”	27”

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Lexus NX Series is limited to 2000 pounds. The QX50 AWD offers up to a 3000 lbs. towing capacity.

Ergonomics

The QX50 Sensory/Autograph has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The NX Series doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The QX50’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The NX Series’ power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The QX50’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The NX Series’ standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the QX50 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The NX Series doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Both the QX50 and the NX Series offer available heated front seats. The QX50 Sensory/Autograph also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the NX Series.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the QX50 is less expensive to operate than the NX Series because it costs $845 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the QX50 than the NX Series, including $147 less for a muffler, $16 less for a starter, $279 less for fuel injection and $521 less for a timing belt/chain.