2020 INFINITI QX50 Review

Upon casual inspection, the 2020 Infiniti QX50 has what it takes to challenge the more established luxury SUVs. It has a low base price, a pleasing level of standard comfort and safety features, and plenty of comfortable passenger space. You'll like the look of the interior, especially if it's a QX50 with the available microsuede headliner and quilted leather seats. There's also a new infotainment system this year that comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration.

But take a drive and you'll find that all is not well in QX50 Town. Our main complaint centers around the turbocharged four-cylinder engine and its continuously variable automatic transmission. The QX50 is sufficiently powerful when you floor it, but power delivery in typical driving is maddeningly nonlinear. In stop-and-go traffic especially, it'll go from low engine rpm loafing to pin-you-to-the-seat thrust with just a little extra throttle. Then there's real-world fuel economy — which isn't nearly as good as what the EPA estimates it to be — and steering that's overly light and doesn't give you a good sense of the road.

Basically, the QX50 doesn't back up its sporty looks and, if anything, makes the task of driving harder. Be sure to give the QX50 a thorough test drive in varying traffic conditions to make sure you can live with it. At the same time, we recommend checking out other small luxury SUVs that we rate more highly, such as the Acura RDX, the Mercedes-Benz GLC and the Volvo XC60.

What's it like to live with the QX50?

For a more complete take on the Infiniti QX50 of this generation, check out our experiences from a full year of living with a 2019 Infiniti QX50 Essential AWD. We cover everything from comfort to performance. Style and technology were among the highlights, but we took issue with elements of its performance. The 2020 QX50 gets a new infotainment system with smartphone integration as well as some new safety features that weren't available on our 2019 long-term test vehicle.