INFINITI QX60 vs Jeep Cherokee

The KL-generation Cherokee launched as a 2014 model and almost immediately began swirling in controversy. Jeep hadn’t offered a Cherokee in the United States since the 2001 model year, when the XJ Cherokee disappeared, replaced by two generations of the Jeep Liberty.

There was great excitement for this all-new Jeep. Lots of fans were hoping for a redo of the 1984 to 2001 Jeep Cherokee that really helped to define the midsize SUV class with a unibody and legendary toughness. “The 2014 Cherokee feels planted on the road, more carlike than trucklike…” read an early review in Car and Driver. A separate review from the same publication read: “If you have eyes, you’ve noticed that this Cherokee, code-named KL, makes no design references, other than with the grille, to the iconic, rectilinear XJ Cherokee.”

But the automotive industry isn’t necessarily in the business of fueling nostalgia. It’s interested in what it can sell in great numbers in the future, not what people liked 30 years ago. And what we’ve realized over the years is that the Cherokee is really good at what it does, and it’s capable of doing a lot more than you’d expect.

Jeep sells these at a rate of 240,000 annually, in a good year. The best the Jeep Liberty it replaced ever managed was 166,883 units before dropping off the face of the Earth entirely. Clearly, Jeep knew something we didn’t when it released the Cherokee.

Based on the Nissan Pathfinder, the QX60 is neither compelling nor competitive, meeting the barest of expectations in the midsize luxury SUV segment. Moreover, it looks and feels entirely disconnected from Infiniti’s history of building stylish, enjoyable-to-drive vehicles. Updates to the 2026 QX60 don’t help, either, though its technology now meets the class standards. Reportedly, Infiniti is planning a renaissance, drawing on its roots and its most successful past models. That can’t happen fast enough.

Verdict: If you want a soft-riding and quiet luxury three-row SUV that meets most of your technology expectations, an Infiniti QX60 in Pure or Luxe trim makes sense if the three-year lease payment undercuts the competition. Otherwise, get a loaded Nissan Pathfinder or spend extra to drive one of this Infiniti’s many rivals.