Compare the2025 Infiniti QX80VS 2024 Cadillac Escalade ESV

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Infiniti QX80 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 ESV doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The Infiniti QX80 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 ESV doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The QX80 has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. Only the Escalade ESV Premium/Platinum/Sport offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the QX80 has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the Escalade ESV Premium/Platinum/Sport offers Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

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

Both the QX80 and the Escalade ESV 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, around view monitors and available all wheel drive.

The QX80 comes with a full 4-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Escalade ESV’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 10,000 miles sooner.

The QX80’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Escalade ESV’s (7 vs. 6 years).

Infiniti pays for scheduled maintenance on the QX80 for 3 years and 45000 miles. Infiniti will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Cadillac only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Escalade ESV.

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the QX80 has an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the engine in the Escalade ESV.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Infiniti vehicles are better in initial quality than Cadillac vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Infiniti above average in initial quality. With 27 more problems per 100 vehicles, Cadillac is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Infiniti vehicles are more reliable than Cadillac vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Infiniti 3 places higher in reliability than Cadillac.

The QX80’s 3.5 turbo V6 produces 30 more horsepower (450 vs. 420) and 56 lbs.-ft. more torque (516 vs. 460) than the Escalade ESV’s 6.2 V8.

On the EPA test cycle the QX80 gets better mileage than the Escalade ESV:

For better stopping power the QX80’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Escalade ESV:

The QX80 is 1 foot, 3.8 inches shorter than the Escalade ESV, making the QX80 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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

The QX80 has 2.3 inches more third row hip room and .3 inches more third row shoulder room than the Escalade ESV.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the QX80’s middle and third row seats recline. The Escalade ESV’s third row seats don’t recline.

The QX80’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Escalade ESV’s (8500 vs. 7800 pounds).

While the Escalade ESV 4WD Diesel can only tow 7700, any QX80 can tow a minimum of 8500 pounds.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Escalade ESV, the QX80 Sensory/Autograph has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The QX80 has standard front and second row heated seats; a heated third row is standard on QX80 Autograph, which keep the driver and passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Cadillac doesn’t offer heated seats in the third row of the Escalade ESV.

Standard air conditioned seats in the front and second seat rows keep the QX80 Luxe/Sensory/Autograph’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The Escalade ESV doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

Both the QX80 and the Escalade ESV offer available massaging front seats. The QX80 Autograph also has standard massaging second row seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging second row seats aren’t available in the Escalade ESV.