The market for 8 passenger vehicles is a competitive one, with cars in every income bracket. Three 8 passenger SUVs that reflect the different price ranges are the Infiniti’s 2011 QX56, GMC’s 2011 Acadia, and Nissan’s 2011 Armada SUV.

The Acadia comes equipped with a V6 gas engine, while both the Nissan and the Infiniti SUVs come with V8’s. This is reflected in the engines’ displacement values. The Nissan and the Infiniti have matching 5.6L/ 339 while the smaller V6 on the GMC has only 3.6L/220. The power discrepancies in these 8 passenger vehicles are reflected in the price gaps between all of the cars. The Acadia is the most economical and the Infiniti, the most luxurious of the 8 passenger SUV vehicles. The horsepower and torque generated by each of these SUVs with 3rd row seating is also reflected in the prices. The GMC has 288 horsepower at 6300 RPM; the Nissan has 317 horsepower at 5200 RPM, and the Infiniti, 400 horsepower at 5800 RPM. The torque generated by each car is 270 at 3400, 385 at 3400, and 413 at 4000, respectively.

The GMC Acadia has a SIDI fuel injection system, which is known to correlate to more engine power and better fuel economy and fewer carbon-based emissions. The Nissan Armada has an Electronic Fuel Injection system, a comfortable system known for consistent fuel delivery as well as reduced emissions and superior fuel efficiency relative to carbureted cars. The Infiniti has direct fuel injection. All of these 8 passenger vehicles are acceptable in this department and superiority here is subject to personal preference.

The quality of these 8 seat passenger vehicle’s fuel injection systems is motivated by safety as well as by fuel economy. The GMC Acadia gets 17 miles per gallon in the city while the Nissan Armada gets 13 and the Infinity QX56, 14. On the highway the GMC gets 24 miles per gallon, the Nissan 19, and the Infinity gets 20. In this category, the GMC wins. In terms of gasoline capacity, the Nissan actually wins. It has a 28 gallon tank while the GMC has a 22 gallon tank and the Infiniti a 26 gallon tank. These details are unsurprising in light of the different vehicle’s engines.

The warranties provided for these vehicles with 8 passenger seating are fairly standard. The Nissan and GMC have manufacturer’s limited warranties on “Bumper-to-Bumper” for 36,000 miles. The Infiniti’s is a bit longer at 60,000 miles. GMC makes up for this by providing a 100,000 mile warranty on the powertrain/drivetrain, compared to 60,000 and 70,000 on the Nissan and Infiniti, respectively. The GMC Acadia also has corrosion protection for 36,000 miles and Roadside Assistance for 100,000 miles. The Nissan and Infiniti lack the corrosion feature, but the Infiniti offers unlimited access to Roadside Assistance.

Both of these 8 passenger vehicles offer spacious leather interiors. The Nissan emphasizes its sound system, which is voice-activated. The Nissan also offers safety features like the Rear Sonar System, which is helpful for navigating tight spaces. The Infiniti emphasizes its own Bose Premium Audio System, which uses the same Music Box technology as the Nissan. The Q56 does feature more advanced safety technology than the Nissan with its Around View Monitor that can provide a birds-eye view of the car using exterior cameras. The GMC has a touch screen radio that seems adequate but falls short of the Nissan and Infiniti. For safety, GMC offers a rearview camera system similar to what is offered in the Nissan. A nice feature that the GMC does have is its Head-Up Display that reflects information off of the windshield.

All 3 of these 8 passenger vehicles are good choices for their price range and provide the modern features that you need.