INFINITI QX80 vs Nissan Armada

• Standard output favors the INFINITI QX80 at 450 horsepower, against 425 for most Nissan Armada grades
• Towing, cargo volume, and EPA-estimated fuel economy are effectively identical, since both use the same powertrain and platform
• Warranty coverage favors the INFINITI QX80 at 4 years or 60,000 miles of basic protection, against 3 years or 36,000 miles

Same bones, different finish and different coverage. That is the whole comparison in one line.

Closely, by design. Here is how the 2026 models line up in comparable four-wheel-drive form.

Put that in practice and the picture sharpens. Hitch a 7,000-pound travel trailer to either one and both handle it with a weight-distributing hitch and a brake controller. Load either full of gear for a week and you are working with the same cubic feet. Where you feel the difference is the extra 25 horsepower merging onto Route 3 with a full cabin, and the year plus 24,000 miles of coverage still in force after an Armada bought the same week has run out.

The QX80, by 25 horsepower. It makes 450 hp from its 3.5L twin-turbo V6, while most Armada grades produce 425 hp, and both deliver 516 lb-ft of torque.

You feel that margin where it counts: merging onto Route 3 with all three rows filled, or pulling a trailer up a grade. A nine-speed automatic with paddle shifters and a Drive Mode Selector handles both, with dedicated Snow and Tow settings for a South Shore winter or a boat headed to Kingston Bay.

Ride quality is the other half of the story. Every INFINITI QX80 above the base Pure grade rides on an electronic air suspension with dynamic digital damping, which settles the frost-heaved sections of Route 139 that full-size SUVs usually send straight through the cabin. The Armada answers with grades of its own: the PRO-4X adds a locking rear differential, skid plate, and all-terrain tires for unpaved use, and the NISMO grade climbs to 460 hp, above any QX80. If off-road hardware or peak output leads your list, those grades are built for you.

The QX80 is finished to a higher standard. Semi-aniline leather-appointed seating, open-pore ash wood accents, and available massaging second-row seats set the tone, against quilted leather-appointed seats on upper Armada grades.

The technology matches it. A 14.3-inch touchscreen anchors the dash, Klipsch audio fills the cabin, and available Invisible Hood View helps you place 22-inch wheels precisely in a tight lot at Hanover Crossing. Seating flexes from seven to eight depending on whether you choose second-row captain's chairs or a bench.

Credit to the Nissan Armada: it shares that same three-row space, offers Google built-in and Klipsch audio on upper grades, and gives you real room in the third row. The QX80 earns its edge on materials and quiet, which is exactly what you notice on a long drive rather than in a showroom walkaround.

• Best for daily comfort: QX80, with standard air suspension above the Pure grade and semi-aniline leather-appointed seating for a long commute up Route 3
• Best for towing: a tie at 8,500 pounds properly equipped, so choose on interior and coverage instead of capability
• Best for long-term ownership: QX80, with 4 years or 60,000 miles of basic warranty coverage
• Best for off-road use: Armada PRO-4X, with its locking rear differential and skid plate for unpaved terrain
• Best for eight-passenger duty: either one, since both seat up to eight with a second-row bench

Stuck between two of these? Ask how many miles you plan to put on it. Past 60,000, the coverage difference outweighs almost everything else on the list.