2021 INFINITI QX80 vs 2021 Toyota Sequoia

You might not expect Nissan’s luxury brand to make a hulking land yacht with globetrotting off-road capability, but that’s exactly what you get with the 2021 Infiniti QX80.

The QX80 is one of the last old-school SUVs, boasting body-on-frame construction and an available four-wheel drive (4WD) system with low range. It’s based on the Nissan Armada, which in turn is a rebadged version of the overseas-market Nissan Patrol—a legendary off-roader.

As a full-size luxury SUV based on a model from a mainstream brand, the QX80 follows the same formula as the Cadillac Escalade, Lexus LX 570, and Lincoln Navigator. In size, price, and prestige, it could also be considered a rival to the Land Rover Range Rover, BMW X7, and Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class, but these SUVs have more modern unibody construction.

The QX80 gets some small updates for the 2021 model year, including an improved version of Infiniti’s Smart Rearview Mirror, and a reshuffled trim-level lineup, including base Luxe, midlevel Premium Select, and range-topping Sensory. Our test vehicle was a 4WD Sensory model.

Look around on the road today, and you are bound to see SUVs of all shapes and sizes. From three-row family haulers to subcompact runabouts. There is an SUV for nearly every need and every budget. The 2021 Toyota Sequoia might feel like it's from an earlier wave of the SUV craze, and that’s because it is. Born out of the 1990s SUV-excess-fest, the Sequoia has evolved into a niche vehicle for those who need serious space and truck-like capability.

The current generation of the Sequoia has been around for almost 15 years, and while Toyota has updated it in several ways, there’s no avoiding its age. Even with modern tech and safety features, this is still an aging beast. Can such a dated vehicle still be relevant in the modern car market? And is age really that important to buyers who are looking for tons of space and standard V8 power? Read on to find out.