Compare the2024 Volvo XC90VS 2023 Infiniti QX80

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

Safety

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Both the XC90 and QX80 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The XC90 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The QX80’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Volvo XC90 offers an optional built in child booster seat. It’s more crash worthy than an added child seat because of its direct attachment to the seat. Infiniti doesn’t offer the convenience and security of a built-in child booster seat in the QX80. Their owners must carry a heavy booster seat in and out of the vehicle; XC90 owners can just fold their built-in child seat up or down.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the XC90 deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The XC90’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The QX80’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The XC90 has standard Post-impact braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The QX80 doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the XC90. But it costs extra on the QX80.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the XC90’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The QX80 doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The XC90’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 QX80 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the XC90 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 XC90 and the QX80 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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 Volvo XC90 is safer than the Infiniti QX80:

	XC90	QX80
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	3 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	2 Stars
HIC	137	384
Neck Injury Risk	27%	36%
Neck Stress	252 lbs.	439 lbs.
Neck Compression	18 lbs.	95 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	567/631 lbs.	983/651 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	3 Stars
HIC	217	285
Chest Compression	.4 inches	1.2 inches
Neck Injury Risk	31%	37%
Neck Stress	177 lbs.	219 lbs.
Neck Compression	25 lbs.	78 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	383/334 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 Volvo XC90 is safer than the Infiniti QX80:

	XC90	QX80
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.7 inches	1 inches
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	16 inches
HIC	209	437
Spine Acceleration	29 G’s	39 G’s
Hip Force	383 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 XC90, with its four-star roll-over rating, is 2.8% to 7.8% less likely to roll over than the QX80, which received a three-star rating.

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 XC90 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The QX80 has not been tested, yet.

Warranty

The XC90’s corrosion warranty is 5 years longer than the QX80’s (12 vs. 7 years).

There are over 39 percent more Volvo dealers than there are Infiniti dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the XC90’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the XC90 has a standard 210-amp alternator. The QX80’s 150-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the XC90 has a standard 800-amp battery. The QX80’s 780-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

The battery on the XC90 is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the XC90’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The QX80’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

Engine

The XC90 T8’s standard 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid produces 55 more horsepower (455 vs. 400) and 110 lbs.-ft. more torque (523 vs. 413) than the QX80’s 5.6 DOHC V8.

As tested in Car and Driver the XC90 B6 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder is faster than the Infiniti QX80:

	XC90	QX80
Zero to 60 MPH	6 sec	6.5 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	15.5 sec	17.8 sec
Quarter Mile	14.6 sec	15.1 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	97 MPH	94 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the XC90 running on electricity gets better mileage than the QX80:

			MPGe
XC90
	AWD	T8 Electric Motor	59 city/57 hwy
QX80
			MPG
	RWD	5.6 DOHC V8	14 city/20 hwy
	AWD	5.6 DOHC V8	13 city/19 hwy

On the EPA test cycle the XC90 running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the QX80:

			MPG
XC90
	AWD	2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cyl. Hybrid	26 city/27 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/27 hwy
		2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cyl.	20 city/26 hwy
QX80
	RWD	5.6 DOHC V8	14 city/20 hwy
	AWD	5.6 DOHC V8	13 city/19 hwy

The XC90 T8 Extended Range can travel with zero emissions for 33 miles. The QX80 can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the XC90’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The QX80 doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the XC90’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. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip (not available Recharge). The QX80 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The XC90 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

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Volvo XC90, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the QX80.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the XC90 T8’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the QX80:

	XC90 T8	QX80
Front Rotors	14.4 inches	13.8 inches

The XC90 stops much shorter than the QX80:

	XC90	QX80
70 to 0 MPH	167 feet	185 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	113 feet	130 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	137 feet	155 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The XC90’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 QX80 Luxe’s standard 60 series tires. The XC90’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the QX80 Premium Select/Sensory’s 50 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The XC90 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 XC90 B6 Core handles at .84 G’s, while the QX80 AWD pulls only .72 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The XC90 B6 Core executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.8 seconds quicker than the QX80 AWD (26.8 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 28.6 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the XC90’s turning circle is 1.6 feet tighter than the QX80’s (39.7 feet vs. 41.3 feet).

For greater off-road capability the XC90 w/Air Suspension has a greater minimum ground clearance than the QX80 (9.9 vs. 9.2 inches), allowing the XC90 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Volvo XC90 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1000 to 1100 pounds less than the Infiniti QX80.

The XC90 is 1 foot, 3.2 inches shorter than the QX80, making the XC90 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Unibody construction lowers the XC90’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 doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

The design of the Volvo XC90 amounts to more than styling. The XC90 has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .33 Cd. That is significantly lower than the QX80 (.367) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the XC90 get better fuel mileage.

Passenger Space

The XC90 has 1.3 inches more front legroom and 3.1 inches more third row legroom than the QX80.

The front step up height for the XC90 is 6.6 inches lower than the QX80 (15.8” vs. 22.4”). The XC90’s rear step up height is 6.8 inches lower than the QX80’s (16” vs. 22.8”).

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the XC90 easier. The XC90’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 30.8 inches, while the QX80’s liftover is 35.8 inches.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the XC90’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 XC90 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

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the QX80, the XC90 Ultimate has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The XC90 offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, warning 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 QX80 doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The XC90’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The QX80’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The power windows standard on both the XC90 and the QX80 have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the XC90 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.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the XC90 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The QX80 doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the XC90 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The QX80 doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The XC90 Ultimate offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the QX80.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the XC90 is less expensive to operate than the QX80 because it costs $37 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the XC90 than the QX80, including $753 less for a timing belt/chain and $103 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

The Car Book by Jack Gillis recommends the Volvo XC90, based on economy, maintenance, safety and complaint levels.

Motor Trend selected the XC90 as their 2016 Sport Utility of the Year. The QX80 has never been chosen.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the XC90 as the 2016 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The QX80 has never been chosen.

The Volvo XC90 outsold the Infiniti QX80 by almost five to one during 2022.