2026 Infiniti QX60 Road Test and Review

2026 Infiniti QX60 Autograph ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Luxury cars and family cars are often built with different priorities. Many luxury cars are opulent showcases for technological progress and engineering mastery. Family cars are more about functionality, safety, and value for the money. These priorities can be hard to reconcile. 

The 2026 Infiniti QX60 gives it a try. This newly updated three-row crossover SUV starts at $51,590 – thousands less than most of its premium-branded rivals. Yet Infiniti invested heavily in opulent interior materials, high-end amenities, top crash-test scores, comfortable seats, and a quiet ride. 

For this review, we spent a day driving the updated 2026 QX60 around suburban Detroit. This isn’t a cutting-edge vehicle with an otherworldly driving experience. If that’s not your priority, keep reading to learn more about this Infiniti’s pros and cons to see if it’s the right three-row luxury SUV for you. 

This Year’s Updates

The current-generation QX60 hit the market for the 2022 model year as a luxury version of the Nissan Pathfinder, and 2025 brought a new, more fuel-efficient engine. This year, Infiniti tackled the QX60’s style. 

The QX60’s grille now has a waterfall pattern instead of last year’s mesh on most trim levels. And the grille sits atop a squared-off section of bumper rather than an empty area. The headlights and the newly illuminated Infiniti logo now light up with an LED dance as you approach the vehicle. And a new Sport trim level has some exclusive details on its grille, bumpers, and interior. The QX60 is still styled for subtle elegance over showy exuberance, with few dressy design details beyond its front end. Some folks will welcome this approach, but others may find it underwhelming. 

Other changes this year include a new hands-free driving aid called ProPilot Assist 2.1; a new audio feature that lets you play phone calls or GPS directions exclusively to the driver without interrupting passengers’ music; and improved crash-test performance that yielded the highest possible Top Safety Pick+ from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. 

2026 Infiniti QX60 Autograph ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Graceful Dashboard With Decent Controls

The QX60’s exterior may be understated, but its interior is not. The flowing dashboard is richly trimmed with leather, which is pleated on our top Autograph test vehicle. It stands apart from rivals that adopt a colder, sharp-edged, tech-focused approach – or are simply more plain. 

Unlike the newest Infiniti and Nissan models, the QX60’s 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system sits perched by itself toward the center of the dashboard. Newer Infinitis (and cars from many other brands) have a single panel holding both the touchscreen and the digital gauge cluster. Still, the QX60’s Google-based system is attractive and easier to use than many rivals. And it supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration. We liked the physical knobs for audio volume and climate temperature. The other climate controls are part of a single flush panel rather than individual buttons, which means it takes more concentration to get them just right. On the other hand, since many rivals make you go through a touchscreen menu to access these functions, the QX60’s controls win by being less objectionable. 

2026 Infinti QX60 Autograph ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Three Usable Rows of Seats

We mentioned that the QX60 is a luxury version of the Nissan Pathfinder. That means Infiniti brings Nissan’s family-friendly focus to the luxury class. The QX60 isn’t the roomiest three-row crossover – the rival Lexus TX and Buick Enclave have even more space in the back – but it has three usable rows of seats. 

One unfortunate twist is that the QX60 removed the Pathfinder’s center seating position in the third row. That means the Infiniti seats seven passengers in models with a second-row bench seat and a maximum of six with the upper trims’ second-row captain’s chairs. The QX60 didn’t even get wider outboard third-row seats, just a plastic storage tray in place of an extra in-a-pinch seating. 

The QX60 comes packed with premium comfort amenities. Heated front seats and memory settings for the driver's seat are standard. Ventilated front seats, massaging front seats, and heated second-row seats are available on higher trim levels. You can get even more from a top-trim Hyundai Palisade, like ventilated second-row seats and a heated third row. But the QX60 is hardly spartan. 

2026 Infiniti QX60 Autograph ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Plenty of Cargo Space, Too

As with its family-friendly passenger space, the QX60 also has plenty of cargo room. This is particularly true by luxury-car standards, where models are often designed around flashy styling and intricate suspension systems. Sheer space can be secondary to those considerations. Not so with the QX60. 

By the numbers, the QX60 has 14.5 cubic feet of cargo room behind the third-row seat, 41.6 cubic feet behind the second row, and 75.4 cubic feet behind the front seats. And a large hidden storage area hides beneath the cargo floor. Once again, a few fellow mid-size luxury SUVs have even more room. But most of those cost a lot more.

If you compare features against the competition, it might seem underwhelming that even a top-trim QX60 has manually folding rear seats. But we preferred the Infiniti’s quick-action handles and straps to a slow-moving power operation. The QX60 can also tow an above-average 6,000 pounds. 

2026 Infiniti QX80 Autograph ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Advanced Turbo Engine

When the current-generation QX60 debuted in 2022, it had a 3.5-liter V6 engine shared with the Nissan Pathfinder. Last year, Infiniti swapped the QX60 to a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder. It makes 268 horsepower and 286 lb-ft of torque and is paired to a nine-speed automatic transmission. Beyond the numbers, this unique variable-compression engine is designed to save fuel when you’re driving gently yet produce more power when you’re in a hurry. 

The results of its intricate engineering are mixed. The 2.0-liter QX60 sprints to 60 mph more slowly than the old V6 model, needing about 7.5 seconds. On the other hand, it’s punchier in real-world driving than the numbers suggest, since you don't have to rev the engine high to get its peak torque. We also liked the four-cylinder’s subtly aggressive growl more than some rivals' engines, though many people prefer the traditional roar of the old QX60's V6. 

In EPA testing, the QX60 gets great mileage for a gas-only three-row luxury crossover: 22 mpg in the city, 28 mpg on the highway, and 24 mpg combined with front-wheel drive and 22 mpg city, 27 mpg highway, and 24 mpg combined with all-wheel drive. That’s about 2 mpg better than the old V6. However, you can’t get a QX60 gas-electric hybrid to match a Volvo XC90 or Lexus TX. And while our test wasn’t long enough to be conclusive, we missed EPA estimates in our AWD test vehicle to average only about 22 mpg despite long stretches of open highway. 

2026 Infiniti QX80 Autograph ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Quiet and Easy to Drive

Beyond the engine, there’s nothing remarkable about the QX60’s driving manners. It’s not a sport-oriented SUV, even on the Sport model. So you won’t find the sharp driving manners of a BMW or Porsche. And yet, since it’s riding on a mainstream-grade suspension and has big 20-inch wheels on all trim levels, the ride isn’t maximum-comfort plush. 

Still, the QX60 is quiet and easy to drive. The steering feels natural and responsive in everyday driving. And the engine is much quieter than the Buick Enclave’s. 

The QX60 is also newly available with a hands-free driving system called ProPilot Assist 2.1. On select highways, you can take your hands off the steering wheel while letting the car control the steering, acceleration, and braking. This system isn’t as advanced as an Enclave’s Super Cruise, which can work on more miles of roadway and can automatically change lanes. Plus, it’s reserved for the top Autograph model, where it’s an extra-cost option. Fortunately, all but the base QX60 Pure do have a simpler ProPilot Assist 1.1 that can do essentially the same functions, just while requiring you to keep your hands on the wheel. 

2026 Infiniti QX60 Autograph ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Priced From $51,590

The 2026 Infiniti QX60 starts at $51,590 plus a mandatory $1,495 destination charge. That’s not a cheap car, but it’s less than most other three-row luxury SUVs. But our favorite model is the next-up Luxe, which starts at $56,990. 

The base QX60 Pure already has a the basics of a luxury SUV like leatherette upholstery, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, and a power liftgate, plus a memory settings for the power driver’s seat, rain-sensing windshield wipers, a panoramic sunroof, and 20-inch wheels. 

But the Luxe takes things up a notch. This is where you get luxury upgrades like a 16-speaker Klipsch stereo instead of the Pure’s nine-speaker sound system and a power-adjustable steering column. Other notable upgrades include ProPilot Assist 1.1 (adaptive cruise control and steering assistance), a surround-view parking camera, ventilated front seats, and heated second-row seats. This isn’t quite a “call over the neighbors to show off your amazing features” trim level, but it’s a comprehensive list of kit. 

The Sport model starts at $61,700 with primarily appearance add-ons, though it comes standard with all-wheel drive (which costs about $2,000 extra on the Pure and Luxe). The Autograph, like our test vehicle, starts at a steep $66,150 with some notable exclusive features: genuine quilted leather instead of leatherette; a 20-speaker stereo with the audio zones (phone calls versus music) that we mentioned earlier; a head-up display; and massaging front seats. The Sport and Autograph are also the only way to get second-row captain’s chairs, though we prefer the lower trims’ bench seats for extra passenger capacity. 

2026 Infiniti QX60 Autograph ・ Photo by Brady Holt

QX60 vs. the Competition

We’d shop the QX60 against two sets of competitors: luxury-branded rivals (which typically cost more than this Infiniti) and fully optioned mainstream-brand crossovers (which may not cost any less). 

The closest premium-branded competitors are the Lexus TX, Acura MDX, and Buick Enclave. These are also the luxury versions of cheaper front-wheel-drive-based crossovers. The Buick and Lexus are roomier than the QX60. The TX has two available gas-electric hybrid models. The MDX is sportier and more fun to drive. And the Buick costs the least. But the Infiniti has the most elegantly finished interior of the three. It’s thousands of dollars cheaper than the TX and MDX. And its engine is much quieter than the Enclave’s. The Volvo XC90 is another safe, family-friendly, opulently finished SUV, but its starting price already tops $60,000. 

The QX60 can also face some high-end mainstream-badged crossovers like an upper trim Hyundai Palisade, Mazda CX-90, and even its own sibling, the Nissan Pathfinder. The Palisade is spacious, high-tech, richly finished, and available with a powerful yet sporty hybrid model. The CX-90 is comfortable yet sporty and fun to drive, and it’s powerful yet fuel-efficient, but it has a dated infotainment system. Finally, even a top-of-the-line Pathfinder isn’t as luxuriously styled or finished inside as the QX60, and it drops a few technology and comfort features. But the Nissan uses a V6 engine that runs on regular-grade fuel; it costs much less; and it has similar interior room, ride, and handling to the Infiniti.  

2025 Lexus TX 500h ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Fancy for the Price

The 2026 Infiniti QX60 isn’t the flashiest luxury car – not visually or for its performance. But it’s ritzier than an everyday Nissan or Chevy, while still focusing on family-friendly qualities like safety and ease of use. And it strikes this balance at a lower price than most premium-branded competitors.

The QX60 isn’t the only three-row crossover in this niche. But as long as you aren’t attached to a rival that’s roomier, faster, or more extroverted, it holds its own against its highly compelling competition. 

2026 Infiniti QX60 Autograph ・ Photo by Brady Holt