Contributed by Dan Rose, a Senior Local Business Guide Specializing in Auto Leasing Services in New York City
The Infiniti QX60 is Infiniti’s version of the Nissan Pathfinder. They are the same size, both have three rows, both tow up to 6,000 pounds, and they come off the same Nissan assembly line in Smyrna, Tennessee. So the lease decision is not really about the vehicle. It is about what the Infiniti badge adds, and what it costs you each month in New York City.
The answer is less obvious than the sticker prices suggest. A top-trim Pathfinder and an entry-level QX60 are less than $2,000 apart on the window, and on a lease the gap can close entirely or even reverse. Here is how to compare them properly.
What the two actually share
Line up the specifications and the family resemblance is hard to miss. The 2026 Pathfinder is 197.7 inches long and 77.9 inches wide; the QX60 is about 198 inches long and 78 inches wide. Both use a nine-speed automatic. Both have a third row that folds flat, and both carry roughly 15 to 17 cubic feet of cargo behind it: 16.6 in the Pathfinder, about 15 in the QX60.
The engines are where they part ways. The Pathfinder uses a 3.5-litre V6 with 284 horsepower and 259 lb-ft of torque. The QX60 uses Infiniti’s 2.0-litre VC-Turbo four-cylinder, with 268 horsepower and 286 lb-ft. The V6 has the edge at the top end; the turbo pulls harder from low speed, which is most of city driving. The QX60 is also the more economical of the two, at an EPA-rated 22 city and 28 highway against 20 and 25 for a four-wheel-drive Pathfinder Platinum.
Parking and garage fit are not a reason to choose one over the other. At this size, they take the same space.
What each one costs to start
Manufacturer starting prices for the 2026 models, before destination:
- Nissan Pathfinder — SV $39,990, SL $42,590, Rock Creek $45,090 (4WD only), Platinum $49,790. Four-wheel drive adds $2,000 on the SV, SL and Platinum, so a Platinum 4WD is $51,790.
- Infiniti QX60 — Pure $51,590, Luxe $56,990, Sport $62,190, Autograph $66,690. The Pure and Luxe are front-wheel drive as standard; all-wheel drive adds $2,100, so a Pure AWD is $53,690.
That puts the best-equipped Pathfinder and the least expensive all-wheel-drive QX60 $1,900 apart. That is the comparison most shoppers are really making, and it is the one worth looking at closely.
One timing point. Infiniti’s own site lists the 2027 QX60 in Luxe, Sport and Autograph trims, so the Pure is how you get into a QX60 on the 2026 model. Both model years can be on the lot in the same month, so ask which year a quote is for before you compare it.
Pathfinder Platinum against QX60 Pure
On equipment, the Pathfinder Platinum wins more than it loses. It has semi-aniline leather, ventilated front seats, heated second-row seats, a 13-speaker Bose system, a 360-degree Around View Monitor and ProPILOT Assist, Nissan’s adaptive cruise and lane-centering system. ProPILOT Assist is standard on every Pathfinder, including the SV.
The QX60 Pure has leather in the first two rows, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a 12.3-inch touchscreen with Google built in, and a nine-speaker stereo. It does not have ProPILOT Assist or a 360-degree camera. Those arrive on the Luxe, along with ventilated front seats, heated second-row seats and a 16-speaker Klipsch system.
So the like-for-like match on features is a Pathfinder Platinum against a QX60 Luxe, and that gap is $7,300 in all-wheel-drive form. What the Infiniti adds beyond features is the ownership package:
- Warranty. Infiniti’s basic warranty runs four years or 60,000 miles, and powertrain six years or 70,000. Nissan’s is three years or 36,000 miles, and five years or 60,000.
- Maintenance. Infiniti Premium Care covers scheduled maintenance on the 2026 QX60 for three years or 22,500 miles. On a Pathfinder, oil changes and tire rotations are yours to pay for.
On a 36-month lease at 10,000 or 12,000 miles a year, both vehicles stay inside their basic warranty the whole way. The longer Infiniti cover matters on a 39-month term or at higher mileage. The included maintenance is a few hundred dollars saved over a typical lease, which is real but not decisive.
Why the sticker gap is not the payment gap
A lease payment is built from three numbers, not one: the capitalized cost (the negotiated price), the residual value (what the lender predicts the vehicle will be worth at the end, set as a percentage of MSRP), and the money factor (the finance rate). Each month has two parts:
- Depreciation: capitalized cost minus residual, divided by the months in the lease.
- Rent charge: capitalized cost plus residual, multiplied by the money factor.
Nissan and Infiniti’s lenders set residuals and money factors every month, and a brand that wants to move a model will raise the residual or cut the rate. Here is what that can do. Suppose, for illustration only, these 36-month numbers:
- Pathfinder Platinum 4WD — price $47,500, residual 58% of $51,790 ($30,038), money factor 0.00170. Depreciation $485, rent charge $132: $617 a month.
- QX60 Pure AWD — price $49,500, residual 62% of $53,690 ($33,288), money factor 0.00150. Depreciation $450, rent charge $124: $575 a month.
On those numbers the Infiniti, with the higher sticker, is $42 a month cheaper. The higher residual does the work, because you only pay for the value the vehicle loses. Next month the numbers can swing back the other way. The only way to know is two written quotes, from the same month, on the same terms.
What New York City adds to both
New York charges sales tax on a lease once, at signing, on the total of every payment across the term, under Tax Law §1111(i). In New York City the rate is 8.875%. On the illustration above:
- Pathfinder Platinum: $22,212 in payments and $1,971 in sales tax — $24,183 over the lease, or about $672 a month in real terms.
- QX60 Pure: $20,700 in payments and $1,837 in sales tax — $22,537, or about $626 a month.
That is the number to compare: the effective monthly cost, with the tax spread across the lease. In New York City it runs about nine percent above the advertised payment, before registration and the bank’s fee. A dealer’s documentation fee is capped at $175 in New York, so if a quote shows more than that, ask why.
Which one to lease
Lease the Pathfinder if you need eight seats. It is the only one of the two offered with a second-row bench; the QX60 seats seven. It is also the one to choose if you want the most equipment for the money, or the V6’s extra top-end power for highway towing. See current Nissan Pathfinder lease pricing.
Lease the QX60 if the quieter cabin, the better fuel economy, the longer warranty and the included maintenance are worth something to you, and above all if that month’s lease support puts its effective cost close to the Pathfinder’s. See current Infiniti QX60 lease pricing, or the rest of our Infiniti lease deals.
If you are between the two, the QX60 Pure against the Pathfinder Platinum is the comparison to price. It is the one where the badge costs least, and sometimes nothing at all.
Where this goes wrong
Comparing the wrong trims
A Pathfinder SV quote against a QX60 Autograph quote tells you nothing about the brands; it compares a $40,000 vehicle with a $66,000 one. Decide first whether you are matching on price (Platinum against Pure) or on features (Platinum against Luxe), and price that pair.
A front-wheel-drive QX60 against a four-wheel-drive Pathfinder
The QX60 Pure and Luxe are front-wheel drive as standard, and advertised payments are often built on the base configuration. If the Pathfinder quote is 4WD and the QX60 quote is not, the gap on paper is at least $2,100 of sticker price smaller than the real one. Ask for both with all-wheel drive, or both without.
Judging the lease by the sticker
MSRP is only the starting point for the capitalized cost. The residual and the money factor decide the payment, and they change monthly. A vehicle that is $1,900 dearer on the window can be cheaper to lease, as the illustration above shows. Ask for all three numbers in writing, for both vehicles.
Forgetting the eighth seat
The QX60 seats seven. A family that sometimes needs eight will only find it in the Pathfinder with its second-row bench. This is the single fact that most often settles the choice, and it is easy to miss when comparing brochures.
Assuming every Pathfinder tows 6,000 pounds
The Pathfinder SV and SL tow 3,500 pounds as standard. The 6,000-pound rating needs the tow package on those trims; it is standard on the Rock Creek and Platinum. Every QX60 is rated for 6,000. If a boat or trailer is part of the plan, check the exact vehicle on the quote.
Reading the advertised payment as the monthly cost
In New York City the sales tax on the whole lease is due at signing, adding roughly nine percent. If it is rolled into the payment instead, it is financed at the money factor. Either way, compare the effective monthly cost, not the headline.
Questions we get asked
Is the Infiniti QX60 just a Nissan Pathfinder?
They are closely related: the same size, the same nine-speed automatic, the same 6,000-pound towing rating, and the same assembly plant in Smyrna, Tennessee. The QX60 has a different engine, a 2.0-litre VC-Turbo, along with its own interior, equipment and warranty.
Which is cheaper to lease in NYC, the Pathfinder or the QX60?
Usually the Pathfinder, trim for trim, but not always. When Infiniti supports the QX60 with a higher residual or a lower money factor, a QX60 Pure can lease for about the same as, or less than, a Pathfinder Platinum. Compare written quotes from the same month.
Does the QX60 come with free maintenance?
Infiniti Premium Care covers scheduled maintenance on the 2026 QX60 for three years or 22,500 miles. The Pathfinder does not include it.
Does the Pathfinder or the QX60 seat eight?
Only the Pathfinder, with a second-row bench. The QX60 seats seven.
Which has the better warranty on a lease?
Infiniti covers four years or 60,000 miles; Nissan covers three years or 36,000 miles. On a 36-month lease under 12,000 miles a year, both stay inside the basic warranty for the whole term.
This article is general information about leasing in New York, not financial or tax advice. Prices are manufacturer starting prices for 2026 models before destination and change; the payments shown are worked illustrations, not quotes. Your own lease agreement governs.
Deciding between a Pathfinder and a QX60? A VIP specialist will price both on the same term, mileage and drivetrain, so you can compare the real monthly cost side by side.
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