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MAZDA DEFENDS ITS LUXURY-CHALLENGE CROWN AGAINST A NEW FOE

- CHRISTIAN SEABAUGH

I love cars, but every time I’ve bought one, I have driven off with a sinking feeling and a little voice inside asking, “Did I buy the right one?”

That sense of doubt would only be magnified if I were buying a new luxury SUV. Not only are there a frankly ridiculous number of compact luxe crossovers on the market (I lost count north of 20), but there are also quite a few SUVs from mainstream brands that approximate the luxury vehicle experience rather well.

Could you get more for your money by shopping the Chevrolets of the world instead of the Cadillacs? Is that luxury nameplate really worth it?

Two years ago, we set out to answer just that with our “$40,000 Luxury Challenge” and found that in three out of four contests, the mainstream brand offered up the more compelling value. One of those upstart mainstream SUVs that vanquished a luxury stalwart was the Mazda CX-5. Filled with a champion’s swagger, Mazda is back to face a new luxury challenger—the Infiniti QX50.

The 2020 Infiniti QX50 Luxe AWD should be well-positioned to take on the suave Mazda. Introduced last year, the QX50 represents the way forward for Nissan’s luxury brand, blending the latest in technology with unique design, styled both inside and out to mimic an ocean swell (yes, Infiniti really said that).

The QX50’s party piece is its advanced new VC-Turbo engine. This 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 features a first-of-its-kind variable compression ratio, automatically raising the compression ratio when cruising for higher fuel economy and lower emissions, dropping compression to accommodate turbo boost when more power is needed. Peak output for Infiniti’s trick new engine is 268 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque. It’s paired with a standard CVT and optional all-wheel drive.