The 2022 model year of the most-compact Infiniti arrives with more tech including a whole suite of driving assistance features and optional visual upgrades. It is one of the best you could buy for the price and is quite reliable, which is obvious coming from a Nissan brand. But it is not all perfect given that Infiniti boasts about the VC-Turbo engine while it is not quite as efficient and nor powerful.

Overview

The luxury compact crossover market is seriously crowded, not just in the U.S. but in every part of the world. We have Germany’s take on it with the successful BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class, and the Audi Q5. We have the Japanese take with the Lexus NX and Acura RDX, both of which are absolutely stunning-looking machines. We have a South Korean competitor too, the Genesis GV70, which is among our personal favorites. And then there is the Infiniti QX50 which is among the most desirable crossovers. So can it emerge as the value king among the competitors? Well, it has a few caveats like the not-so-great fuel economy, sub-par dashboard tech, and not the most responsive CVT which can make the drive sluggish. But on the flip side, there is a spacious cabin with ample rear row head and legroom, loaded driver assistance suite which includes adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and blindspot intervention are added to the list. Every QX50 now comes with wireless Apple CarPlay integration which is a nice touch. Other updates for the 2022 model year include an auto-dimming rearview mirror, LED welcome lights on the rear door handle, and USB Type-C charging port for the rear passengers. So should you consider the new QX50 over the competition? Well, this is the right place to clear your doubts.

Trims and Features

For the 2022 model year, Infiniti has chosen to keep the trim list as it was when the QX50 arrived in 2019. So there are five trims in the count: Pure, Luxe, Essential, Sensory, and Autograph. We love how Infiniti keeps the trim names without abbreviating half of them. All five trims get powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four engine with FWD and CVT fitted as standard. Optional AWD is available at the expense of $2,000. Here are the detailed trims and features list for your reference.

Pure. } }

Price: $38,050.

- LED headlights.

- 19-inch alloys.

- Power tailgate.

- Dual-zone automatic climate control.

- Keyless entry and ignition.

- 8-way power-adjustable driver seat.

- 8-way power-adjustable passenger seat.

- Leatherette upholstery.

- Six-speaker audio system.

- Type-C USB ports for the rear passengers.

- Auto-dimming rearview mirror.

- 8-inch upper touchscreen and 7-inch touchscreen lower touchscreen.

- SiriusXM.

- Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

- WiFi hotspot.

A few of the advanced driver assistance features available with the 2022 QX50 are as follows:

- Adaptive cruise control.

- Lane-departure warning.

- Blindspot monitoring.

- Forward collision warning.

- Lane-keeping assist.

- Parking sensors.

- Rear automatic braking.

Luxe. } }

Price: $41,600.

- Roof rails.

- LED foglights.

- Panoramic sunroof.

- Remote ignition.

- Leather upholstery.

- Heated front seats.

- Blindspot intervention.

Appearance package. } }

Price: $1,200.

- Heated mirrors.

- 20-inch wheels.

- Black and dark-chrome-colored exterior styling elements.

Essential. } }

Price: $44,800.

- Navigation system.

- Heated exterior mirrors.

- Automatic wipers.

- 16-speaker Bose premium audio experience. (Optional)

- Heated steering wheel with power tilt and telescopic adjustability.

- Front parking sensors.

- 360-degree surround-view surround system.

Sensory. } }

Price: $50,100.

- Driver-seat memory functions.

- 20-inch alloys.

- Semi-aniline perforated seats.

- Rear-row heated seats.

- Hands-free tailgate access.

- 4-way front passenger power lumbar support.

- Heads-up display.

- Trim-specific LED headlight design.

- 16-speaker Bose premium audio system.

Autograph. } }

Price: $54,300.

- 20-inch wheels.

- Climate package.

- Hands-free power tailgate.

- Adaptive steering column.

- Ambient lighting.

- Premium leather upholstery.

- Faux suede headliner.

- Power lumbar support for the front passenger.

- Larger fan for the radiator and oil cooler for the transmission. (AWD only)

- Tow hitch. (AWD only)

Exterior: Cleaner but meaner

Surely the exterior is something we all want to appreciate. The QX50 looks aggressive but not over-engineered like some other competitors like the new NX (sorry Lexus fans). It has a mean-looking front fascia with sleek LED headlights and the DRLs surrounding them. The mesh intake grille is huge and has the big-ass Infiniti logo at the center. The bonnet and the lower front of the fascia have more curves and creases to make it stand out in the competition. There have been a few fakeries, especially with the front brake cooling vents, which are blocked and serve as styling enhancements. LED foglights are just situated beside the lower grille and the lip spoiler is an optional add-on. Nothing groundbreaking but the new-gen QX50 which was brought to life in 2019 looks upmarket and you cannot underestimate its visual prowess. Now, there are a few tweaks that can enhance the QX50’s exterior looks and that includes electronic features. As standard, you will get 19-inch alloys, a power tailgate, rear privacy glass, LED headlights, and keyless entry. Other trim specific exterior features are as follows:

- Luxe- LED foglights, panoramic sunroof, aluminum roof rails.

- Essential- rain-sensing automatic wipers, heated exterior mirrors, front parking sensors.

- Sensory- Trim-specific LED headlight design, hands-free tailgate, 20-inch alloys.

- Autograph- Tow hitch (AWD), hands-free power tailgate.

If you take a look at the rear, it is quite attractive back there too. The taillights are sleek and quite similar to the front LEDs. The Infiniti logo captures the center of the taillights. The rear bumper gets plastic cladding along with twin exhaust pipes, making the rear look sportier. If you want to know how the QX50 is different from the competition in terms of dimensions and curb weight, it weighs the least at 3,838 pounds while the X3, Q5, and even the GV70 weigh over 4,000 pounds. The Infiniti is even 184.7 inches long, which is just the norm for the segment. It has a height of 66.0 inches and is about 74.9 inches. The ground clearance is one of the highest in the segment with 8.6 inches while the GLC holds only 5.0 inches.

2022 Infiniti QX50 Exterior Dimensions

Interior: Good quality cabin but the absence of modern tech is a major missing

Getting inside the cabin once will be enough to experience the artistry Infiniti has put into it. There is a little chance to see the use of cheap-looking hard plastics, not that you won’t find them if you search. But there is a fine line of luxury and the use of good materials that uplifts the QX50’s not-so-modern cabin. Sure there is no big fancy fully digital instrument console with loads of customizability. Instead, Infiniti has gotten away with two large dials and a smaller driver information display. Not a deal-breaker but looking at the thriving competitions like the X3 or the Q5, not the experience we have had in a long time. The dashboard has soft touches and even has a suede/leatherette cover if you choose the higher trim levels. There are two infotainment displays at the center of the dashboard and makes the usability even more complicated but more on that later. You will get dual-zone automatic climate control, eight-way power-adjustable driver and front passenger seats, keyless ignition, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror as standard. If you ladder up the trim list, you will unlock features like a heated steering wheel, wooden interior trim, multi-level heated front seats, panoramic sunroof, power-adjustable steering wheel column, a faux-suede headliner, and power lumbar support for the front passenger. For the seats, the QX50 gets a leatherette upholstery, and believe us, they are very comfortable even while taking the crossover on the rough patches. The genuine leather ones are meant to be better and they are indeed.

Comfort is something that does not frighten the QX50. Be it the seating comfort with nicely crafted seats to good cabin spaciousness. It is, in fact, one of the most comfortable crossovers you can buy which also serves a lot of luxury for the price. The driving ergonomics are excellent while making you sit quite high and that will allow you to get a clear view of the road in front of you. Getting in and out with the perfect door hinge-angle is something elderly people, as well as taller individuals, would love. Talking of spaciousness, the QX50 is among the most spacious compact SUVs if you take the thriving Germans and the Asian luxury offerings. While the segment is stuck at seating up to five people, the QX50 will seat five people without any compromise in spaciousness. The front row has 41-inch headroom while the legroom is set at 39.6 inches. The X3 and Q5 have slightly better legroom but the difference is some 0.4-0.5 inches. Interestingly, the rear row will be a happy place if you have a friend or a family member who is tall. While most of the competition failed to deliver good legroom which the QX50 has at 38.7 inches and that is among the highest in the segment. The X3 has the worst rear legroom among the bunch. Guess we are missing out on something right? Yeah right, the cargo capacity, which in our opinion, is not something you should be worried about either. While the competition packs sub 30 cubic feet of boot space, the QX50 has 31.4 cubic feet.

- Dual-zone automatic climate control.

- Leather-wrapped steering wheel with heating options.

- Leather upholstery.

- 8-way power-adjustable driver and front passenger seats with power lumbar support.

- Heated front seats.

- Power-adjustable steering wheel column.

- Panoramic sunroof.

- Rear row extended heating support.

2022 Infiniti QX50 Interior Dimensions

We are not happy to talk about QX50’s weaknesses and that includes the subpar experience we had with its infotainment system. We mean, the system is not bad, but if you consider the other options like BMW’s iDrive, Audi’s MMI, Mercedes’s MBUX, Nissan and Infiniti's system is quite mediocre but is easy-to-use though. The upper eight-inch touchscreen displays the settings menu while the lower seven-inch touchscreen display is just for the HVAC and radio services. While Android Auto was present, wireless Apple CarPlay has been integrated for the 2022 model year. Other standard features which come with the QX50 are a six-speaker audio unit, Bluetooth connectivity, SiriusXM, and a CD player. Optional infotainment features are as follows:

- Satellite navigation.

- 16-speaker Bose premium audio experience.

- Interior ambient lighting.

- Heads-up display.

Performance and Handling: High appreciation by the brand might deceive you

No doubt, the QX50’s 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four engine has a good punch with 268 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of maximum torque. The engine seems pretty refined too, and that is because of the variable compression tech which can do 8:1 when all 268 horses kick in or just make the changes to 18:1 for greater efficiency. The engine runs either the front wheels or all four wheels, you choose. What you cannot choose is the CVT which in itself is a greater disadvantage against the dual-clutch transmissions offered by the competition. If you compare the stats to the leading competition, the Germans among all offer a rather lower-powered base engine or engines for the Q5 since the compact-SUV boasts a mild-hybrid engine for better efficiency. The GV70, on the flip side, makes a lot more power than any of the taken competition with a whopping 300 horsepower and 311 pound-feet from the base 2.5-liter turbocharged engine. If you are happy about how the second place gets conquered by the QX50, think again. Infiniti has just one engine option while the others have two or three engines if you consider the GLC-Class. The GV70 has an optional twin-turbo V-6 that puts out 375 ponies and 391 pound-feet, while the X3 has a 3.0-liter twin-turbo straight-six engine connected to a pair of electric motors, hence it gets rated to 382 horsepower and 369 pound-feet. In the case of the GLC-Class, we have two engine options apart from the base 2.0-liter mess, a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 and a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 available with the AMG line. And we are talking about the above 460 horsepower. So if you have the money, the QX50 won’t allow you to swap the engines according to your athletic needs.

As for the straight-line performance, the QX50’s 2.0-liter turbocharged four-pot does decently with 0-60 miles per hour in 6.5 seconds and about 15.1 seconds to reach a quarter-mile from a standstill. But quite a bummer if you look at the competition. The X3 does a 0-60 in 6.2 seconds and a standing quarter-mile in 14.9 seconds. Meanwhile, the Q5 and GLC put out considerably less power but are faster with a very similar 5.4-5.5 seconds to 60 miles per hour and about 14.2 seconds to the quarter-mile. This concludes that numbers on the spreadsheet shouldn’t be something you can blindly trust. Don’t get us wrong though, the QX50 is not a bad performer but is certainly not the fastest among the standard offerings by the competition. As for the overall driving impressions, we are but thrilled by how the QX50 performs on the road. For starters, it is a front-wheel drive crossover while the majority of its German counterparts are rear-wheel-driven. What is more interesting is its front-wheel biased AWD system while the Germans prefer slightly more power to be delivered to the rear wheels. To be honest, Infiniti’s approach isn’t a threat to the brand since we have seen the Acura RDX’s grip and how entertaining it is to drive, the QX50 is nothing but bland.

On our short test drive of the outgoing model year, we discovered that the Infiniti has a slightly softer suspension setup (that’s good for long family drives), but the moment you think you can take down a fast corner, we are here to tell you that you will be highly disappointed. We mean, no SUV can corner like a sports car, but both the X3 and the GLC-Class, even the Acura RDX has better driving dynamics than the QX50. The steering feels weighted and lacks the feedback you need but overall you would be surprised how comfortable the QX50 could be.

2022 Infiniti QX50 Performance Stats

Fuel Economy

Not only the performance, the QX50 is not as impressive as the brand brags about its VC-Turbo engine which, on paper, improves the fuel economy. The EPA rates the QX50 with the 23/29/26 for City/Highway/Combined, which itself proves the engine’s demerits. A generously sized 16-gallon gas tank comes fitted to the Japanese crossover and that will return about 416 miles combined. Now, why are we not happy about the results? Genesis’ GV70 makes a lot more power than the QX50 but still manages to return 22/28/24 for City/Highway/Combined while driving all four wheels. Impressive, no? The other leading competitors gather similar figures with a mile give or take. The Q5 is the only mild-hybrid crossover by default.

2022 Infiniti QX50 Fuel Economy

How safe is the new 2022 Infiniti QX50?

With the 2022 model year, the QX50 gets all the missed-out driver assistance features such as lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and more. We do not doubt that no other crossover in the competition comes this loaded and that too by default. We know that it is quite exciting to learn how you can let your drive on its own but if you look past them, the NHTSA rates the QX50 with 5-star while the IIHS rates “Good” in the Crashworthiness and “Superior” in Crash avoidance and mitigation category. Here is the full list of advanced safety features that you will get your hands-on with the 2022 QX50.

- Adaptive cruise control.

- Blindspot monitoring.

- Lane-keeping assist.

- Lane-departure warning.

- Forward and rear collision warning.

- Rear parking sensors.

- 360-degree surround-view system.

Should you consider the 2022 Infiniti QX50?

It is a good option if you cannot stretch your budget and want to buy a sub-$40,000 luxury crossover which is not only well packed but is a looker too. We love how the QX50 looks and feels for a luxury crossover. It gets the most comfortable rear row, something which is a plus point if you travel with your family quite a lot. But there is a much better option if you pay about $2,000 more and that would be our personal favorite Genesis GV70. The engine is more powerful while the mileage figures are more-or-less the same, a significantly modern cabin and a decent space might capture your heart if you are smart enough to understand the value-for-money proposition.

How much does the 2022 Infiniti QX50 cost?

How fast is the 2022 Infiniti QX50 on a straight line?

Is Infiniti reliable?

How economical is the 2022 Infiniti QX50?

FAQ

Q: How much does the 2022 Infiniti QX50 cost?

The Japanese-made luxury crossover costs under $40,000, excluding the destination charges. It is one of the cheapest options available along with the Acura RDX.

Q: How fast is the 2022 Infiniti QX50 on a straight line?

The QX50 can do 0-60 in 6.5 seconds and can pull off the standing quarter-mile in 15.1 seconds.

Q: Is Infiniti reliable?

The majority of the Japanese car manufacturers are very reliable and so is Nissan. Infiniti being its luxury sub-brand has gained quite the popularity over the years and still gets rated 3.5/5, which is 16th out of 32 car brands.

Q: How economical is the 2022 Infiniti QX50?

The EPA rates this entry level Infiniti crossover with 23/29/26 for City/Highway/Combined. The AWD variants will cost a mile per gallon across the categories.