I'm looking for a new family hauler and thought these were interesting. Used Suburbans are ridiculous and I haven't found the right Expedition either.

What am I missing about the big infinity? I'm looking at a 4x4 2017 with 40k miles for $40k. Similar suburban would have 100k more miles at that price and likely fewer options.

Do infinity have a minivan board?

My wife has some very deep emotional scars from driving a a crap brown minivan as a teenager. Not a battle I want to fight.

I also like being able to tow travel trailer and not be sitting three across both seats of the crew cab.

Nissan Armada is the exact same if you want to save a bit more.

The only thing I can think of that you may be missing is that the big Infinity is uglier than sin.

So ugly you said it twice!

I can't really argue that they look a bit like something Dr. Seuss would create, and maybe that explains the difference.

I think the Q56 is the same as the Q80, Infiniti just changed the name one year.

My wife had a new 2019 and I don't know if it was a lemon or what, but it was a piece of junk. The battery constantly died. They replaced it no it would still leave her stranded. They couldn't figure it out so we dumped it and got a Navigator. Best car we've ever owned.

My wife has a 2013 QX56, the year before they changed to QX80 I believe, and it's been good for her. 135K miles and the only issue we've had is the CEL has been intermittent for the past few years throwing a code for both cats. I get it inspected as soon as the CEL is off within two months of registration expiring.

Big 22" rims have ample rubber so she can hit most curbs without damaging the wheels, awd is great for Houston floods (she's driven through deeper water than I would attempt in my leveled Tundra) & Colorado ski trips, and it's a smooth ride.

I'd prefer an LX570 but this was much cheaper. We had to get it quickly after Harvey and I remember Navigators were pretty cheap compared to other big luxury SUVs but she said she's not an 80 year old man so the Lincoln was out. I thought she was crazy but the only people I knew with Lincolns were my 80 year old grandparents.

Yes, the 56 and 80 are the same. Biggest thing that scares me from the 'luxury' brands is the huge amount of electronics which can short out and drain a battery, but I guess even a stripped down f150 has a ton of electronics these days.

I had typed up something snarky in reply, but thought better of it. To each his own.

I have one after years of driving a ton of other kid haulers, trucks, and smaller SUVs and for some reason or another not liking the vehicles (in general we have a vehicle problem..lol). I LOVE it. The only thing I would ever give it up for is a full-size Bronco.

When comparing the Infiniti QX80 and Armada look at the warranties. For me, the cost differential wasn't worth lower warranty mileage. I have a 2017 and wished it had AppleCarplay. You'll have to get a 20's or later for that. Look for CPO - in my experience the warranty is great and the cars are in great condition (typically exec or leased).

LMK if you have any specific questions.

I had a 2015 qx80 and loved it, with the only issue being the battery issue mentioned above.

I now have a 2020 armada platinum reserve 4wd, and I think the finishes are superior to my qx80. It's a sweet spot of nicer than the qx, but cheaper, but the platinum reserve is harder to find.

Power train is great, technology is good, and got upgraded in 2021 even more so.

I thought I'd do a navigator for my next one, but couldn't justify almost 2x the price.

Thanks for the responses. We are looking at a couple of 2017s that are available in our neck of the woods. I have looked at couple of Armadas which led me down this rabbit hole. I'm not too concerned about resale value, as we tend to drive to 200k miles. I'm just scratching my head over why these seem to be a 'value' right now.

One question that I asked the salesman was whether this was a dealer only service vehicle like some to the German brands. He assured me that things like brakes and oil changes could be done by anyone who was handy--any word on that?

Also, what about the creature comfort type items like AC, heated/cooled seats, power seats, etc? Any problems with those?

Ever tow anything with these?

Hungry Ojos said:

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I had typed up something snarky in reply, but thought better of it. To each his own.

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Lol I really like some of the new Lincoln models but they're def not her style. She's never had an American car.

I've done brakes and oil changes on ours and it's easy enough. Same drive train as the Armada so other maintenance is straightforward. I changed the plugs too, other than back drivers side it wasn't too bad.

No issues with electronics but don't have cooled seats.

We'd probably get another, she's happy I'm happy.

2010 QX56 here. 172k miles and still going strong. It's been a great, reliable vehicle for us. Bought it with 63k miles for under $30k. Good thing about Infiniti is that it doesn't hold value like Lexus so buying used can be a great deal.

My generation shared engine with armada and titan so parts are plentiful and 5.6 engine is rock solid.

I believe 2011 and 2012 may have had transmission issues (first years on new platform) but newer than that I believe is reliable.

I also agree with poster above that fit and finish is nicer on the Infiniti, at least the ones I've driven.

"Also, what about the creature comfort type items like AC, heated/cooled seats, power seats, etc? Any problems with those?"

AC is great -- especially if you have kids. Most of the time we're all too cold and turning it down before we're ever hot. Even now... I live 40 min away from my work and when I get in it's 110 on the temp gauge and by the time I'm 10 miles down the road I'm either turning the fan down or the temp up. The ceiling vents help push air throughout -- no one gets hot. Power seats are good. My driver's seat feels a little "high" and a little softer than I was originally used to but I came from a Mercedes where the seats are tight, hard, with minimal "give"... if that makes sense.

One thing - if she is short have her test drive for sure, first... the pedals do not move and the steering wheel doesn't move down a ton -- if she's really short the wheel may be in her face. I like the auto seats -- my husband and I both can drive and push a button and everything adjusts but the rear view mirror (he's over 6' and drives high and tight, I'm 5'6" and drive like a gangster). Heated seats and steering work well but I don't use it much -- when I do it's great.

Highly recommend the captain's 2nd seat if you don't need to fit 7-8. It's been a lifesaver with the "he touched me" bull***** Also, there's plenty of room when traveling to have kids have a meal and a drink and devices without something getting messy. It's the little things

My 2017 has 72,000 miles and as I said, my next car will either be a newer model of the QX80 or a full-size Bronco (not for any of the space or layout considerations but because I am one of those "roll with the top back kinda girls"). This thing would go forever I feel like -- think about how many old armada's and infiniti's you see on the roads with the 5.6 v8.

Have not towed with it but would do well based on what I know of the car. The turn radius is really good and it's nimble for the size, IMO.

One more thing if you care about this stuff -- the QX tends to not make a ton of changes, which can be good and bad depending on your outlook. Unless someone knows, my car doesn't look 5 years old inside or out. Despite the Armada being the same bones, I can see them from the last 20 years and tell you which years the model was -- they're that different. The interior is lush, leather is very comfortable, and woodgrain makes it feel nice.

Horse with No Name said:

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So ugly you said it twice!

I can't really argue that they look a bit like something Dr. Seuss would create, and maybe that explains the difference.

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He said twice and I starred each one!

Archaic platform same as the Titan was until recently. Solid vehicles though, go for it.

Wife had the smaller QX for 8 years. We had major issues with the sunroof drains (which go through the firewall) blocking up and leaking into the interior. It's a somewhat common Nissan problem.

We looked at the '21 Armada/80 last summer. Loved the tech (wireless charging, huge screen) and it was the most comfortable seats and cockpit. Car seat was super tight in 2nd row and 3rd row was nearly useless and seats don't lay completely flat. Pedals don't move and it was a big problem for a short lady with a big rack


Almost bought it anyways but went with Sequoia.

"Car seat was super tight in 2nd row and 3rd row was nearly useless and seats don't lay completely flat"

I wonder if they're narrower than the 2017 year QX/Armada model and that's why it's different? All my 2nd and 3rd rows go totally flat and I have big ol kids in big ol seats with no issue.

AGGODDESS said:

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"Car seat was super tight in 2nd row and 3rd row was nearly useless and seats don't lay completely flat"

I wonder if they're narrower than the 2017 year QX/Armada model and that's why it's different? All my 2nd and 3rd rows go totally flat and I have big ol kids in big ol seats with no issue.

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Rear seats only go down to a 4.5 degree angle so not technically flat.