2022 INFINITI QX50 Review

Infiniti redesigned its QX50 compact crossover SUV for the 2019 model year, and that redesign introduced a revolutionary engine and newly luxurious interior wrapped in classic Infiniti design. The QX50's engineering and packaging also mimicked successful recipes employed by the likes of Acura, Audi, Lexus and Volvo. Turbocharging? Yep. Space-efficient front-wheel-drive platform? Present and accounted for. Available all-wheel drive? Of course, it is an SUV, after all.

Unfortunately for Infiniti, what should have been a tasty cake came out half-baked.

The variable-compression turbocharged four-cylinder engine promises impressive power when needed and great fuel economy the rest of time. But we've found acceleration to be merely adequate in our testing, and real-world fuel efficiency does not measure up to expectations. Plus, Infiniti saddles the engine with an unpleasant continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), which contributes to overly sensitive throttle response that makes the QX50 less pleasant to drive. The QX50's overly light and disconnected steering feel further dampens the driving experience.

Since the second-generation QX50's introduction, Infiniti has focused on upgrading the SUV's infotainment and safety technologies and improving its value equation by trickling down features to the more affordable trim levels. That process continues for 2022, and several versions of the QX50 gain new features and standard equipment. Option packages are out, too, except for an Appearance package for the Luxe trim.

Dynamically, the Infiniti QX50 is the same as it was in 2019, and likely will remain that way until Infiniti transitions to an electric QX50 replacement. Getting a great deal on a 2022 Infiniti QX50 might make this SUV appealing enough to overlook its significant drawbacks. Otherwise we think you'll be happier with rivals such as the Acura RDX, BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLC and Volvo XC60.

What's it like to live with?

Edmunds spent a year driving a 2019 Infiniti QX50 Essential with all-wheel drive. We found the SUV to be comfortable, technologically advanced, and roomy for cargo, but the QX50's performance left us wanting. Since that test, Infiniti has added new infotainment and safety systems to the QX50, but the fundamentals remain the same, including the powertrain. Learn more about what we thought of living with the current-generation Infiniti QX50 by reading Edmunds' long-term test of the SUV.