Compare the2023 Infiniti QX60VS 2023 Cadillac Escalade

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Infiniti QX60 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Cadillac Escalade doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The Infiniti QX60 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 Escalade doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The QX60 has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. Only the Escalade Premium/Platinum/Sport offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the QX60 has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the Escalade Premium/Platinum/Sport offers Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

The QX60 Luxe/Sensory/Autograph’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Escalade doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the QX60 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 Escalade uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the QX60 and the Escalade have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, front seat center airbag, 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, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the QX60 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Escalade has not been tested, yet.

The QX60 comes with a full 4-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Escalade’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 10,000 miles sooner.

The QX60’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Escalade’s (7 vs. 6 years).

Infiniti pays for scheduled maintenance on the QX60 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Infiniti will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Cadillac only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Escalade.

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the QX60 has an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the engine in the Escalade.

On the EPA test cycle the QX60 gets better mileage than the Escalade:

For better stopping power the QX60’s standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the Escalade:

The QX60 stops shorter than the Escalade:

The QX60 Autograph AWD handles at .85 G’s, while the Escalade Sport Platinum 4WD pulls only .67 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The QX60 Sensory AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.1 seconds quicker than the Escalade Sport 4WD (28 seconds @ .6 average G’s vs. 30.1 seconds @ .53 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the QX60’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Escalade’s (38.7 feet vs. 39.7 feet).

The Infiniti QX60 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1250 to 1350 pounds less than the Cadillac Escalade.

The QX60 is 1 foot, 1.7 inches shorter than the Escalade, making the QX60 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The QX60 is 7 inches shorter in height than the Escalade, making the QX60 much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

Unibody construction lowers the QX60’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 Escalade uses body-on-frame design instead.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the QX60’s middle and third row seats recline. The Escalade’s third row seats don’t recline.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the QX60 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Escalade doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Infiniti QX60 will be $24248 to $30831 less than for the Cadillac Escalade.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the QX60 first among midsize premium suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Escalade was rated second in its category.