Compare the2026 Infiniti QX80VS 2026 Cadillac Escalade

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 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The QX80 Autograph has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Escalade doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Both the QX80 and the Escalade have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, 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, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available all wheel drive.

The Infiniti QX80 achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2026 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated moderate overlap front crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, pedestrian crash prevention testing, and vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention testing. The Escalade has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2026.

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’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’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.

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.

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’s 6.2 V8.

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

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

The QX80 Autograph handles at .78 G’s, while the Escalade Platinum Sport 4WD pulls only .67 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The QX80 Autograph executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.2 seconds quicker than the Escalade Sport 4WD (27.9 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 30.1 seconds @ .53 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the QX80 Pure has a 1.6 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Escalade (9.6 vs. 8 inches), allowing the QX80 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The QX80 Luxe/Sport/Autograph’s minimum ground clearance is 1.1 inches higher than on the Escalade Air Suspension (10 vs. 8.9 inches).

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the QX80 Autograph is quieter than the Escalade Sport 4WD:

The QX80 has 2.3 inches more third row hip room and .4 inches more third row shoulder room than the Escalade.

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

The QX80 has a standard third row seat which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The Escalade doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

The QX80’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Escalade’s (8500 vs. 7900 pounds).

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Escalade, the QX80 Sport/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 heated front, second and third row seats; a heated third is standard on the 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.