North Georgia Ford Compares 2017 Ford Explorer VS 2017 Infiniti QX60 Near Jasper, GA

The middle row seatbelts optional on the Explorer inflate when a collision is detected, helping to spread crash forces over a much larger area of the body and limiting head and neck movement. This can help prevent spinal and internal injuries. The QX60 doesn’t offer inflatable seatbelts.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Explorer 4WD’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The QX60 doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the Explorer and the QX60 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front-wheel drive, height-adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all-wheel drive, collision warning systems, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, front and rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Ford Explorer is safer than the Infiniti QX60:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

There are almost 25 times as many Ford dealers as there are Infiniti dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Explorer’s warranty.

The Explorer has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The QX60 doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without their vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports predicts that the Explorer’s reliability will be 124% better than the QX60.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2016 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Ford vehicles are better in initial quality than Infiniti vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford 11th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 1 more problems per 100 vehicles, Infiniti is ranked 12th.

The Explorer has more powerful engines than the QX60:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Ford Explorer uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended on Explorer Sport/Platinum for maximum performance). The QX60 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Explorer has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The QX60 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

For better stopping power the Explorer’s brake rotors are larger than those on the QX60:

The Explorer stops much shorter than the QX60:

For better traction, the Explorer has larger standard tires than the QX60 (245/60R18 vs. 235/65R18). The Explorer’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the QX60 (255/50R20 vs. 235/65R18).

The Explorer Base/XLT’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the QX60’s standard 65 series tires. The Explorer’s optional tires have a lower 50 series profile than the QX60’s optional 55 series tires.

The Explorer has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The QX60’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Explorer is 1.3 inches wider in the front and 1.3 inches wider in the rear than on the QX60.

The Explorer Sport 4WD handles at .83 G’s, while the QX60 3.5 AWD pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Explorer Limited 4WD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.6 seconds quicker than the QX60 3.5 AWD (27.7 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 29.3 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Explorer has a 1.3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the QX60 (7.8 vs. 6.5 inches), allowing the Explorer to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The front grille of the Explorer uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The QX60 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Explorer has .7 inches more front headroom, .6 inches more front legroom, .5 inches more front hip room, 1.2 inches more front shoulder room, 2.3 inches more rear headroom, 1 inch more rear hip room, .6 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.3 inches more third row headroom and 2.5 inches more third row legroom than the QX60.

The Explorer’s cargo area provides more volume than the QX60.

Pressing a switch automatically lowers or raises the Explorer Sport/Platinum’s optional second and third row seats, to make changing between cargo and passengers easier. The QX60 doesn’t offer automatic folding second row seats.

The power windows standard on both the Explorer and the QX60 have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Explorer is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The QX60 prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Explorer XLT/Limited/Sport/Platinum’s exterior keypad. The QX60 doesn’t offer an exterior keypad entry system, and its extra cost Infiniti Connection can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

Standard SYNC AppLink for the Explorer allows the driver and passengers access to select programs on their smartphones, including playing internet radio stations and other connected activities without taking their eyes off the road or their hands from the wheel. The QX60 doesn’t offer factory integrated smartphone program access.

The Explorer (except Base/XLT/Sport)’s optional Enhanced Active Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The QX60 doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Explorer is less expensive to operate than the QX60 because it costs $531 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Explorer than the QX60, including $20 less for a starter, $83 less for fuel injection, $381 less for front struts, $609 less for a timing belt/chain and $2273 less for a power steering pump.

The Ford Explorer outsold the Infiniti QX60 by almost six to one during the 2016 model year.