this car seat check was written in april 2018 about the 2018 infiniti qx80. little of substance has changed with this year's model. to see what's new for 2019, click here, or check out a side-by-side comparison of the two model years.
infiniti's qx80 full-size suv combines luxury and utility on a large scale, and for 2018, the qx80 gets an update with fresh styling, an upgraded cabin and some new convenience features, such as a rearview camera mirror. as with the 2017 model, certain car seats did better than others in the infiniti qx80 and tricky-to-access latch anchors complicated installation.
last time we tested a qx80 luxury suv, it was with captain's chairs in the second row. this time, our model had a bench seat, and there was just enough room to accommodate three car seats across using our parameters: we install the infant seat in the second row's middle spot with the booster and convertible in the outboard seats. a child sitting in the booster seat must be able to reach the seat belt buckle, and all three seats need to be at proper angles for safety -- no wedging them into the infinity qx80's rear seats.
how many car seats fit in the second row? three
how many car seats fit in the third row? two
related: more car seat checks
solid
- none
so-so
- latch, grade c: there are two sets of latch anchors in this infiniti's second-row bench seat; they sit in slits in the qx80's leather and are positioned up high, so accessing the anchor with both the chunky connectors and skinny ones requires twisting and some muscle. there are three tether anchors all the way down the suv's seatback; the outboard ones are marked but the middle one is hidden under a flap. in the third row, there are no lower anchors and only one top tether anchor.
- infant, grade b: there was ample room for this seat in the infiniti qx80 luxury suv, but connecting the seat's skinny, hooklike connectors to the anchors took some work.
- rear-facing convertible, grade b: there was ample room for this seat, but we also needed some muscle to install it with the qx80's chunky connectors.
- forward-facing convertible, grade b: after removing the infiniti suv's head restraint, this seat fit well, but installation was again complicated by the latch anchors' placement.
- booster, grade b: after removing the infiniti qx80's head restraint, the booster fit well. the buckle stalks sink into the cushions, however, making them tough for kids to use.
- third-row access, grade c: the infiniti qx80's second-row seats tumble forward with ease, but the tall step-in height will be tough for smaller kids to manage independently. also, the second-row seats don't slide, limiting their flexibility.
- third-row booster, grade b: after removing the qx80's head restraint, the booster fit well. the buckle stalks are on floppy bases, however, making them tough for kids to use.
- third-row forward-facing convertible, grade b: we again removed the infiniti suv's head restraint to get a good fit. since there are no lower latch anchors in the third row, we used the seat belt to install the convertible, which was easy. there's only one top tether anchor for the third row, and it's positioned awkwardly in the lip of the cargo area. when it's in use, the anchor cuts into cargo space. connection is awkward because you have to remove the infiniti qx80's cargo net and mat to access it.
skip it
- none
grading scale
solid indicates an a grade for optimum ease of use and fit. so-so indicates b or c grades for one to two ease-of-use or fit issues. skip it indicates d or f grades.
a: plenty of room for the car seat and the child; doesn't impact driver or front-passenger legroom. easy to find and connect to latch and tether anchors. no fit issues involving head restraint or seat contouring. easy access to the third row.
b: one room, fit or connection issue. some problems accessing third row when available.
c: marginal room plus one fit or connection issue. difficult to access third row when available.
d: insufficient room, plus multiple fit or connection issues.
f: does not fit or is unsafe.
about 's car seat checks
editors jennifer geiger, jennifer newman and matt schmitz are certified child safety seat installation technicians.
for the car seat check, we use a graco snugride classic connect 30 infant-safety seat, a britax marathon convertible seat and graco turbobooster seat. the front seats are adjusted for a 6-foot driver and a shorter passenger. the three child seats are installed in the second row. the booster seat sits behind the driver's seat, and the infant and convertible seats are installed behind the front passenger seat.
we also install the forward-facing convertible in the second row's middle seat with the booster and infant seat in the outboard seats to see if three car seats will fit; a child sitting in the booster seat must be able to reach the seat belt buckle. if there's a third row, we install the booster seat and a forward-facing convertible. learn more about how we conduct our car seat checks.
parents should also remember that they can use the latch system or a seat belt to install a car seat, and that latch anchors have a weight limit of 65 pounds, including the weight of the child and the weight of the seat itself.
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