As a mom of two kids who are both in forward facing car seats, I was skeptical about purchasing the QX80, but I wanted to try something different. I have been pleasantly surprised and am very happy with my decision.
What ultimately swayed me toward the 2025 QX80 were the IIHS safety results and Top Safety Pick Plus designation. With two young kids riding in the second row every day, safety was one of the biggest factors in my decision. Performance is great. It has plenty of power, drives well for such a large SUV, and the gas mileage has been surprisingly good for a vehicle this size.
Comfort is excellent in all three rows. We have two forward facing car seats in the second row with plenty of space, and adults can comfortably sit in the third row. It feels like a truly usable third row. My biggest complaint about the second row is the storage and cupholder console on the floor between the captain chairs. I would much rather have an open pass through and move those cupholders to the back of the front center console. I also wish the driver center console had an additional cupholder instead of the large dedicated phone charging slot. For everyday family use, another cupholder would be much more practical. Trunk space is not the best if you plan to use the third row all the time. For us, we primarily use the second row and keep the third row folded unless we need the extra seating, so the cargo space works well for our family. Overall, the QX80 has been a great family SUV. It is comfortable, spacious, powerful, and gets better gas mileage than I expected. There are a few interior design choices I would change, but the comfort, usable third row, performance, and especially the safety results made the QX80 the right choice for our family.