Compare the2023 Infiniti QX50VS 2023 Buick Envision

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 Buick Envision doesn’t offer pretensioners for its 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 Envision doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The QX50 has standard Rear Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Envision doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

Both the QX50 and the Envision have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, 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 side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Infiniti QX50 is safer than the Buick Envision:

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

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 Envision’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 24,000 miles sooner.

Infiniti’s powertrain warranty covers the QX50 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Buick covers the Envision. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Envision ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The QX50’s corrosion warranty is 1 year and unlimited miles longer than the Envision’s (7/unlimited vs. 6/100,000).

Infiniti pays for scheduled maintenance on the QX50 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Infiniti will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Buick doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Envision.

The QX50’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 40 more horsepower (268 vs. 228) and 22 lbs.-ft. more torque (280 vs. 258) than the Envision’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Infiniti QX50 is faster than the Buick Envision:

The QX50 has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Envision doesn’t offer a CVT.

For better stopping power the QX50’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Envision:

The QX50 stops shorter than the Envision:

For better traction, the QX50 Sport/Sensory/Autograph’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Envision (255/45R20 vs. 245/45R20).

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 Envision’s standard 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the QX50 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Envision.

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 Envision 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 Envision doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The QX50 has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Envision doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the QX50 is 1.1 inches wider in the front and .7 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Envision.

For better maneuverability, the QX50’s turning circle is 1.6 feet tighter than the Envision’s (36.4 feet vs. 38 feet).

The QX50 has 4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Envision (104.4 vs. 100.4).

The QX50 has 1.4 inches more front headroom, .5 inches more front hip room, 1.2 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, 6.4 inches more rear hip room and 1.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Envision.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the QX50’s rear seats recline. The Envision’s rear seats don’t recline.

The QX50 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Envision with its rear seat up (31.4 vs. 25.2 cubic feet). The QX50 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Envision with its rear seat folded (65.1 vs. 52.7 cubic feet).

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the QX50’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Envision doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the QX50. The Envision doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Maximum trailer towing in the Buick Envision is limited to 1500 pounds. The QX50 AWD offers up to a 3000 lbs. towing capacity.

The QX50’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Envision’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the QX50 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Envision can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The QX50 has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Envision doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

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 Envision’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Consumer Reports rated the QX50’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Envision’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

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

The QX50 has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the Envision.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Infiniti QX50 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) for the front seat. Only the Envision Avenir offers wireless charging.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Infiniti QX50 and the Buick Envision, based on reliability, safety and performance.