Lexus LX570 v Infiniti QX80 head-to-head review
Luxury SUVs are largely the domain of European brands like Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi, but are generally confined to within the boundaries of the urban jungle.
For those that need to venture further off the beaten track, and don't want to compromise on comfort or convenience, you'll need a genuine bush-basher like one of these, the Lexus LX570 or the Infiniti QX80.
Both are essentially luxurious versions of arguably the toughest donor vehicles on the planet, the Toyota LandCruiser and Nissan Patrol respectively.
Value
Lexus: Neither of these machines lack for anything when it comes to having the latest in luxury conveniences.
The LX570 starts this contest behind the eight ball, costing $143,160 (plus on-roads) but it does come equipped with a full leather-lined eight-seat cabin with four-zone climate control, a chilled centre console to keep drinks cold and a 12.3-inch colour infotainment screen with high-grade sat nav, Bluetooth connectivity and a premium Mark Levinson audio system with rear-seat tablets.
There's also nice touches like sunblinds in the rear doors, wireless phone charging and an optional pack that brings heated and cooled seats for the front and rear rows.
The Lexus is covered by a four-year/100,000km warranty and owners are entitled to a free loan car or concierge program when having the vehicle serviced every six months.
Infiniti: The QX80 is significantly cheaper, at $110,900 (plus on-roads), and yet matches the Lexus for equipment in most areas. It too has a leather-lined eight-seat cabin with heated and cooled front and middle row seats, power adjustment for everything you need, sat nav, Bluetooth and a Bose audio system with standard rear-seat entertainment.
The infotainment screen is slightly smaller though – measuring 8.0-inches – and it only has three-zone climate control.
Infiniti also offers a four-year/100,000km warranty and owners can pre-purchase a servicing program with regular maintanence required every 12 months or 20,000km.
Winner: Infiniti
Inside
Lexus: The LX's capacious cabin masks the utilitarian roots of the regular Toyota LandCruiser on which it is based quite well, and presents with a genuine degree of luxury.
The T-bar layout to the dash has some modern design touches, the widescreen infotainment sits proudly on top, the instrument cluster is clear, and the woodgrain highlights don't look as cheap and chintzy as previous Lexus models.
There's acres of space, a commanding view of the road from any seating position, and it all feels like its screwed together with the precision of a Swiss watchmaker using high-grade materials.
The mouse-style controller for the infotainment screen, however, is fiddly and the third-row seats flip-up electrically to each side of the boot, reducing its useable space.
Infiniti: The QX80 feels equally as spacious, offers a similar view over the top of the traffic and has supremely comfortable seats in both the front and middle rows. Those in the back will also appreciate the standard entertainment system with high-resolution screens and HDMI inputs that allow DVD players or game consoles to be connected easily.
But it all looks more like a tarted-up Patrol, and a generation older, than the Lexus with cheesy old-school wood trim highlights and a selection of parts-bin knobs and buttons that don't present with the same degree of exclusivity.
If you're looking to use the third-row more often, the Infiniti provides easier access for small kids. If not, the boot is more useable when in a five-seat configuration.
Winner: Lexus
Under the Bonnet
Lexus: As the badge denotes, the LX570 is powered by a 5.7-litre naturally-aspirated V8 that produces 270kW of power and 530Nm of torque, driving a permanent all-wheel drive transmission through an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
It's a silky smooth and beautifully refined powertain combination that is whisper quiet when cruising yet produces a husky growl when you dig into its rev range.
It does like a drink though, and you'll be lucky to see anything close to resembling its claimed average fuel consumption of 14.4L/100km if you mostly trundle around the suburbs.
Infiniti: The QX80 creates more from less, with its slightly smaller 5.6-litre naturally aspirated V8 generating higher outputs of 298kW and 560Nm.
It drives a more conventional part-time four-wheel drive transmission through a seven-speed automatic transmission and has a claimed average fuel consumption of 14.5L/100km, which is also an optimistic figure if predominantly driven within the confines of the urban jungle.
While not quite as refined, it immediately feels more energetic than the Lexus, particularly from a standstill, and is more willing to rev higher to overcome its sheer mass and keep up with traffic.
Winner: Infiniti
On the Road
Lexus: This is a battle between two of the biggest, heaviest machines you can buy, and, as such, neither is particularly dynamic, nor as pampering as you might expect.
Both are built using separate body-on-frame construction methods to ensure they can go almost anywhere, which we will take their word for.
But that brings compromises to how they handle within urban areas, and you certainly needs your wits about you when driving the gargantuan Lexus in heavy traffic as it not only feels like a big car but acts like one too, with a huge turning circle, vague steering and suspension that rolls through corners and pitches under braking.
While it is supremely comfortable in most situations, the massive 22-inch wheels are heavy and the softly-sprung suspension struggles to arrest their movement when hitting a hard-edged bump.
Infiniti: The QX80 is, in most regards, no better or worse. It is a big, hulking beast that towers above the rest of the traffic. While that does provide a degree of invincibility from behind the wheel, you also have to be constantly aware of how much road you are taking up.
Everything in the QX80 does feel a little more connected than in the Lexus though; the steering has a better weight across the ratio and the suspension doesn't wallow as much over undulations, or lean quite as drastically when cornering.
Winner: Infiniti
Safety
Lexus: There is no doubt that driving something so big creates a sense of confidence in traffic, but I'm positive everyone would rather avoid an accident in the first place – particularly those around you in smaller machines.
To that end, the Lexus has a pretty comprehensive suite of safety features, including a cabin that is fitted with 10 airbags plus a myriad of active driver aids such as active cruise control with autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alerts.
Infinti: The QX80 matches the Lexus with the latest in semi-autonomous driver aids that can potentially avoid a collision, but it doesn't have as many airbags with just six that cover all three rows.
What it does have though is an innovative rear view mirror that can use the camera to display a high-resolution picture of the traffic behind the car.
Winner: Lexus
Verdict: Picking the better of these tanks is like choosing between a Nokia or a Motorola phone. Neither of them are as modern, as convenient, or as stylish as popular alternatives, in this case similar-sized large SUVs from legitimate luxury brands. However, both are dependable, simple and will get you further off the beaten track than most anything else.
The Lexus justifies it price premium a little easier than the Infiniti – and separates itself from the donor LandCruiser more obviously than the QX80 does to the Patrol – with a beautifully-presented cabin and a few more toys.
The Infiniti though is the lesser of the two evils in terms of its driving character and, while not as flash inside, at least no longer looks like Quasimodo's vehicle of choice on the outside.
Ultimately there's not much separating them, other than the fact you could buy a fuel-efficient small car to use around town – or a year or two worth of petrol – with the price difference, which gives the Infiniti a narrow win here.
2018 Lexus LX570 Price and Specifications
Price: From $143,160 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 5.7-litre V8 petrol
Power: 270kW at 5600rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 3200Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed manual, 4WD
Fuel use: 14.4L/100km
2018 Infiniti QX80 Price and Specifications
Price: from $110,900 (plus on-roads)
Engine: 5.6-litre V8 petrol
Power: 298kW at 5800rpm
Torque: 560Nm at 4000rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic, 4WD
Fuel use: 14.5L/100km
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