--- title: "2026 Infiniti QX80 Sport Review: Great Seats, Frustrating Controls" url: "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2026/11/2026-infiniti-qx80-sport-review/" publisher: "Pickup Truck + SUV Talk" content_signal: "search=yes, ai-input=yes, ai-train=no" author: "Tim Esterdahl" published: "2026-11-02T11:00:00+00:00" image: "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2026-qx80-sport-78.webp" --- # 2026 Infiniti QX80 Sport Review: Great Seats, Frustrating Controls By Tim Esterdahl Published: 2026-11-02T11:00:00+00:00 ![Featured image]() After a week with the 2026 Infiniti QX80 Sport, including repeated drives to and from Denver, I came away impressed by the seats, the design and the powertrain. I was much less convinced by some of the controls. At roughly $107,000 as tested, those small frustrations carry more weight. I initially called this a $108,000 SUV in the video, then corrected myself while reading the sticker. The point remains: this is an expensive three-row luxury SUV, and I expect the everyday experience to feel as polished as the cabin looks. These are the details that stood out during my time behind the wheel. ## The design and V6 are big improvements to me ![Rear exterior of the 2026 Infiniti QX80 Sport test vehicle]() Dark exterior details help distinguish the QX80 Sport. (Tim Esterdahl) I was not a big fan of the previous QX80’s styling. This one is a substantial improvement to my eyes, from its grille and lighting to the dark accents around the body. The Sport’s 22-inch wheels fit the overall look, and I like the way the exterior avoids relying on bright chrome for its presence. The cabin makes a similarly strong first impression. The blue upholstery, trim and broad display arrangement give it a more appealing atmosphere than the prior generation. I also like the driving position and the flat-bottom steering wheel. Under the hood is a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 rated at 450 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic. It felt smoother to me than the old V8 and made for a better overall driving experience. I felt it suited the way I drive, but this review does not include a controlled fuel-economy comparison with the previous engine. ## The seats are the feature I appreciated most ![Blue second-row captain’s chairs inside the QX80 Sport]() The test vehicle’s captain’s chairs and blue cabin trim carry the luxury feel into the second row. (Tim Esterdahl) Seat comfort is the strongest part of the QX80 experience for me. After long stretches behind the wheel, I was not dealing with a sore back or the fatigue that some seats leave me with. That matters more to me on a road trip than a long equipment list I rarely use. The second-row captain’s chairs have power adjustment, with passenger controls, cupholders and USB connections nearby. The seven-seat layout in this vehicle places two people in each of the first two rows and three in the back. I showed the third-row arrangement, but I did not conduct an extended third-row comfort test in this video. I would have liked built-in rear-door sunshades. Tinted glass is useful, but it does not offer the same convenient adjustment as a shade that a passenger can pull up. That is a small omission, yet it stands out when the rest of the cabin feels this upscale. ## At this price, the controls should be easier to live with ![Touchscreen climate and seat controls in the Infiniti QX80 Sport]() The lower touchscreen handles climate and comfort functions. (Tim Esterdahl) The screens look good together, but their operation did not always feel natural to me. In guest mode, I repeatedly encountered prompts and phone-connection frustration. I did not complete an owner-profile setup, so I would not turn that experience into a claim that every owner will have the same problem. It was still an annoyance during my test. I also wanted more convenient, redundant controls for the massage function and a heated-steering-wheel control closer to the driver. The seats have massage capability; my complaint is about finding and using it, not its absence. An owner may learn the layout with time, but I think expensive vehicles should make these common functions easy to reach. The driver-assistance interface was another frustration. There is an important equipment distinction here: Infiniti’s [U.S. 2026 QX80 brochure]() lists ProPILOT Assist 1.1 for the Sport through its inherited standard equipment and ProPILOT Assist 2.1 with hands-off assistance for the Autograph. My desire for hands-free highway assistance in this test vehicle should not be read as saying no QX80 offers it. These are driver-assistance systems, not autonomous driving. ## There is plenty to like, but the value needs a close look ![QX80 cargo area with one section of the third row folded]() The split third row lets the test vehicle carry luggage while retaining a rear seating position. (Tim Esterdahl) At the back, the split third row gave me room for my suitcase while keeping part of the seat available. Cargo-area seat controls and an air-suspension height control add convenience. I appreciated being able to adjust the arrangement without treating every trip as an all-seats-up or all-seats-down decision. My final impression is that Infiniti improved the major parts of the QX80 I care about: appearance, cabin presentation, powertrain feel and seat comfort. The remaining complaints are mostly about how I interact with those features. That does not erase what the SUV does well, but it makes the price harder to overlook. For a buyer considering this Sport, I would spend real time with the screens, phone connection and seat controls during the test drive. Check the equipment on the exact vehicle as well. The QX80 made long drives comfortable for me; whether its controls and price make sense for you is the part to settle before bringing one home. ## Structured page information ~~~json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Article", "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2026/11/2026-infiniti-qx80-sport-review/#article", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2026/11/2026-infiniti-qx80-sport-review/" }, "author": { "name": "Tim Esterdahl", "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/#/schema/person/82b06f99329f69a069a5ab6caed18593" }, "headline": "2026 Infiniti QX80 Sport Review: Great Seats, Frustrating Controls", "datePublished": "2026-11-02T11:00:00+00:00", "mainEntityOfPage": { "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2026/11/2026-infiniti-qx80-sport-review/" }, "wordCount": 853, "commentCount": 0, "publisher": { "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/#organization" }, "image": { "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2026/11/2026-infiniti-qx80-sport-review/#primaryimage" }, "thumbnailUrl": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2026-qx80-sport-78.webp", "keywords": [ "infiniti", "infiniti qx80", "luxury suv", "suv reviews", "three-row suv" ], "articleSection": [ "Buyer's Guide", "Featured on Home Page", "Reviews" ], "inLanguage": "en-US", "potentialAction": [ { "@type": "CommentAction", "name": "Comment", "target": [ "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2026/11/2026-infiniti-qx80-sport-review/#respond" ] } ] }, { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2026/11/2026-infiniti-qx80-sport-review/", "url": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2026/11/2026-infiniti-qx80-sport-review/", "name": "2026 Infiniti QX80 Sport Review: Comfort vs. Controls", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/#website" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2026/11/2026-infiniti-qx80-sport-review/#primaryimage" }, "image": { "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2026/11/2026-infiniti-qx80-sport-review/#primaryimage" }, "thumbnailUrl": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2026-qx80-sport-78.webp", "datePublished": "2026-11-02T11:00:00+00:00", "description": "Tim’s 2026 Infiniti QX80 Sport review finds excellent seat comfort and a smooth V6, but frustrating controls complicate its roughly $107,000 price.", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2026/11/2026-infiniti-qx80-sport-review/#breadcrumb" }, "inLanguage": "en-US", "potentialAction": [ { "@type": "ReadAction", "target": [ "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2026/11/2026-infiniti-qx80-sport-review/" ] } ] }, { "@type": "ImageObject", "inLanguage": "en-US", "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2026/11/2026-infiniti-qx80-sport-review/#primaryimage", "url": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2026-qx80-sport-78.webp", "contentUrl": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2026-qx80-sport-78.webp", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "caption": "The QX80 Sport combines bold styling with a blue luxury cabin. 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His work has appeared on CBS Sunday Morning, NewsNation, MotorTrend and The Boston Globe, and he has tested hundreds of new vehicles across North America.", "sameAs": [ "https://www.linkedin.com/in/testerdahl?trk=hp-identity-photo" ], "url": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/author/testerdahl/" }, { "@type": "VideoObject", "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2026/11/2026-infiniti-qx80-sport-review/#videoobject", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2026/11/2026-infiniti-qx80-sport-review/#WebPage" }, "name": "$108k 2026 Infiniti QX80 Sport, Top Likes, Dislikes on Luxury 3-Row SUV", "description": "In this video, I’m breaking down the pros and cons of the 2026 Infiniti QX80, one of the most talked-about full-size luxury SUVs coming to the market. The 2026 QX80 brings bold exterior styling, a redesigned interior, updated tech features, and serious capability that puts it in conversation with other large SUVs and trucks from brands.\n\nJoin our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/pickuptrucktalk\n\nCheck out our Forum: https://forum.pickuptrucktalk.com/\n\nSubscribe for more Pickup Truck and SUV videos: https://www.youtube.com/c/pickuptrucktalk/?sub_confirmation=1\n\nJoin this channel to get access to special perks:\nhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxO2h83kcVBaLFjjCLer3AA/join\n\nInterested in owner reviews? 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