• by Tanya Gazdik , Staff Writer, 6 hours ago

All of the automakers have luxury car divisions, and there is usually some crossover between vehicles. 

Toyota has Lexus, Honda has Acura, Ford has Lincoln, Hyundai and Kia have Genesis — you get the picture. 

In Nissan’s case, there’s Infiniti. The brand is still in its “infancy” compared to Nissan. 

Nissan has been selling vehicles in the United States for 68 years, dating back to its arrival in 1958, while Infiniti has been around in the U.S. for 36 years, having officially launched on 1989.

Many Infiniti cars use the same underlying structures, engines, and parts as Nissan cars.

I recently spent time driving both the Nissan Pathfinder and Infiniti QX65. The vehicles both share the same underlying D-platform and powertrain architecture, which is to say they are built similarly and at the same plant in Smyrna, Tennessee. 

The QX65 is a two-row midsize luxury SUV designed for the heart of the premium segment, representing the next evolution of Infiniti’s design and engineering philosophy, according to the automaker. 

It went on sale in early summer 2026, with manufacturer’s suggested retail prices starting at $53,990. 

The starting price of the base Nissan Pathfinder is $39,990, but in reality the attributes of the base Infiniti match up better with the Pathfinder Platinum 4WD, which starts at $51,790. Every Infiniti QX65 is all-wheel drive.  

The Nissan Pathfinder Platinum 4WD I test drove had literally every bell and whistle imaginable -- and, added all up, totaled $56,285. 

I loved the lighting package ($1,025) which includes illuminated kick plates and welcome lighting. i also appreciated the heated and ventilated seats. If I’d had any second-row passengers, they could have also experienced heated seats along with manual sunshades. 

Music sounded excellent through the Bose premium audio system with 13 speakers -- standard equipment. 

The 3.5L DOHC 24-valve 6-cylinder engine produces 284 hp and 259 lb-ft of torque. In other words, freeway merging is not an issue. 

As for the Infiniti QX65 Autograph AWD, it starts at $62,590 but options brought the total price to $71,355. That includes a $3,700 technology package featuring ProPilot Assist 2.1, which is limited hands-free driving. 

Unfortunately, I had some issues engaging it. Either there was a software update needed, or else the freeways I drove on were not mapped. It was disappointing since I have enjoyed using this technology in the past. 

Ultimately which vehicle a customer chooses (QX65 vs. Pathfinder) may boil down to what is available at their chosen dealer and if they are willing to wait on a special order. Both models are worthy of consideration.