2019 INFINITI QX80 vs 2020 Toyota Sienna

Maybe you’re considering a giant SUV with a fancy badge. If so, you presumably enjoy an unlimited gas budget. You’ve peeked at the Cadillac Escalade, Range Rover, and Mercedes-Benz GLS, and maybe the brand new Lincoln Navigator and BMW X7.

The QX80 is anything but new. Yet, unlike the equally old Lexus LX 570, it still moves off the shelves in decent numbers. This model hasn’t seen a major overhaul since it arrived as the QX56, its previous name, in 2010. Renamed and refreshed for 2015, and refreshed a second time for 2018, the QX80 enters 2019 as a more lavish—and pricier—vehicle. Can this Infiniti SUV stand a chance?

Since the second half of the 20th century, each decade has had a hot-topic family car, and, as we’ve noted in a number of reviews this year, the crossover is our current darling vehicle. Before the crossover, there were big, truck-based SUVs. Before that, there were station wagons.

And for the past 35 years, there's always been the minivan.

The Dodge Caravan has been widely considered the Patient Zero of the minivan segment. From there, seemingly everyone joined the party, including Toyota, Nissan, Ford, Chevy, GMC, Volkswagen, Oldsmobile, Ford, and more. Heck, even Mercury had a “Nautica Edition” version of the Villager.

The minivan was king once, the crossover is king now, and some other type of vehicle will likely dominate in the near future. But in all this, the 7- and 8-passenger minivans will always represent the ultimate in versatility. The crossover is an image-forward fad with a dash of usability, but the minivan continues to prove itself as the pinnacle of practicality.

The 2020 Toyota Sienna is neither the newest nor flashiest minivan out there, but when you absolutely need space for people and gear, there’s nothing better. Additionally, the Sienna is the only minivan to offer all-wheel drive (AWD), which is something specifically desired by many car buyers.