What's New
INFINITI's compact luxury crossover was last redesigned in 2019, so changes for the 2021 INFINITI QX50 are minimal. New wi-fi hot spot capability, laminated side glass, and rear side airbags, and newly standard safety features on all but the base trim make up the brunt of what's new.
Choosing Your INFINITI QX50
Five trim levels comprise the QX50 lineup: Pure, Luxe, Essential, Sensory, and Autograph. Pricing starts at $38,975 for the base Pure model and stretches up to $55,225 for the Autograph.
Engine Choices
INFINITI set out to change the world with their variable-compression engine, but since introducing the technology in the 2019 QX50, it has proved less than revolutionary. Its marginal fuel economy benefit and middling performance has rendered this engine more of a curiosity than anything else. It's maybe for this reason that INFINITI hasn't yet used this engine elsewhere in their lineup.
That leaves the QX50 as the only model to sport this unique 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder motor. It makes 268 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, which is about on par with the rest of the competition and their less fancy turbo-four engines. A continuously variable transmission sends power to either the front or rear wheels. Front-wheel drive is standard, but all-wheel drive is a $2,000 premium on all trims.
Fuel economy is rated at 23 miles per gallon city, 29 mpg highway, and 26 combined, or 22/28/25 mpg (city/highway/combined) with all-wheel drive, according to the EPA.
Passenger and Cargo Capacity
The QX50 seats five passengers. The back seat has a generous 38.7 inches of leg room, and its 57 inches of shoulder room make three abreast a not-so-bad arrangement.
The 31.4 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat is more generous than most of the competition in this segment. Fold down the back seat and there's 64.4 cubic feet to work with.
Safety Features
INFINITI equips every QX50 with automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, rear parking sensors, and reverse automatic emergency braking.
Moving up to the Luxe trim brings adaptive cruise control. The Essential and above get a surround-view camera, front parking sensors, and traffic sign recognition.
Connectivity
Dual touchscreens share the infotainment and climate functions in the QX50. The upper screen measures 8 inches and handles radio duty; the lower 7-inch screen is reserved for the climate controls. Some controls, such as the heated steering wheel settings, can only be altered or adjusted via screen inputs.
The infotainment system encompasses a wi-fi hot spot, Bluetooth, voice recognition, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability. Four USB ports and three 12-volt outlets provide direct connectivity.
The Essential and above add navigation, while the Sensory and Autograph get a head-up display and a 16-speaker Bose audio system.
The cheapest QX50 includes features such as leatherette upholstery, eight-way power front seats, 19-inch wheels, automatic headlights, a power liftgate, dual-zone automatic climate control, a tilt-and-telescoping steering column, push button start, and remote keyless entry.
Stepping into the Luxe brings additional amenities such as remote start, a panoramic moonroof, heated seats, roof rails, fog lights, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and adaptive cruise control.
A $1,200 Appearance Package consists of darkened trim and wheels.
The middle of the lineup is the Essential. It gets luxuries like navigation, a surround-view camera, front parking sensors, traffic sign recognition, heated side mirrors, and rain-sensing windshield wipers.
Its $1,650 Convenience Package adds extras like leather upholstery, a power tilt-and-telescoping steering column, a heated steering wheel, and memory functions for the driver’s seat, steering wheel, and exterior mirrors.
Crossing the $50,000 barrier is the Sensory. It brings 20-inch wheels, the 16-speaker Bose audio system, head-up display, leather upholstery, a heated steering wheel, a power steering column, and memory settings for the driver's seat, steering wheel, and side mirrors.
The $1,050 Climate Package adds to that list ventilated front seats, tri-zone automatic climate control, and rear sunshades.
The priciest QX50 is the Autograph. It gets nearly all features as standard, including the aforementioned ventilated front seats, three-zone automatic climate control, and rear passenger sunshades. It also gets adaptive front headlights, a hands-free liftgate, real wood trim, semi-aniline leather, a suede headliner, interior ambient lighting, and power lumbar support for the passenger seat.
Compare QX50 Trims Side-By-Side
In our eyes, the 2021 INFINITI QX50 Essential is the best choice of the lineup, as it best balances features, price, and luxury.