How do you prove you succeeded in life? Simple, monocle. Failing that, buy a luxury
car like this Infiniti Q50. Sure you could buy another, a more predictable
small luxury sedan like the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Cenz C-Class, Audi A4 or Lexus
IS, but there are reasons to choose Infiniti. Style is one with its handsome
sharply pinned design the Q50 looks like nothing else.
Interior accommodations are another highlight. It's soft yet sporty with
supremely comfortable seats, a pleasantly shaped steering wheel, and nicely
positioned arm rests. This when you have to reach. Four normal humans fit fine up
front, but rear seat passengers fare well as well. Knee clearance is good for
myself seated behind myself though foot clearance and headroom might be tight
for taller occupants. Elsewhere this bulkhead slightly intrudes on the
driver's right leg. Interior cargo storage is limited and look, an
old-school foot brake. Quaint for hauling gear there's more than 13-cubic feet of
trunk space. Choose the Q50 Hybrid and that number shrinks to a cozy 9.4-
cubic feet thanks to its lithium-ion battery pack. Hybrid models
also lack a 60/40 split folding seat. Strangely split fold seats are optional
on the Lux trim and simply unavailable on the roughly $36,000 2.0T Pure trim.
What the Pure trim does offer are dual zone automatic climate control, LED
lights all around, passive entry with push-button start where instead of just
grabbing the handle you semi annoyingly have to push this button to unlock the
car, and an infotainment system with eight-inch upper and seven-inch lower
touch screens. With navigation, climate and entertainment responsibilities
spread among two screens a controller and a few random buttons operation may
not be intuitive for all drivers or I might just be stupid.
Either way time should smooth any digital confusion. A bigger challenge is
the lack of modern smartphone integration. Infiniti does have plans to
add Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in the future, but until that happens I'm
just gonna wait right over here with my arms folded impatiently.
For us impatient types the Infiniti Q50 comes in a racy rendition called the Red
Sport 400. That 400 refers to the 3-liter turbocharged V6's output, and you'll be
shocked to learn it's ferociously quick. Thanks to a standard sport-tuned
suspension, the Red Sport 400 rides firm even with the adaptive suspension in
normal mode. Nonetheless it corners tenaciously. The brakes deliver confident
deceleration and the 7-speed automatic transmission included on every Q50 model
knocks out assertive yet refined shifts.
Our tester also came equipped with Infiniti's high-tech direct adaptive
steering system with zero mechanical connection between the front tires and
the steering wheel. This digital steer-by-wire system
provides a range of steering ratios and efforts depending on driving conditions,
and the drive mode selected. In an SUV the system's unnatural feel is apparent
but in offensive but in a sports sedan. Nope,
this is not better than a physical connection. The optional Pro Active
package bundles direct adaptive steering with full-speed dynamic cruise control,
lane departure prevention, and other goodies, but I personally skip all that
for normal steering feel. If the roughly $52,000 Red Sport 400 is too rich or
racy for your blood there are cheaper smoother riding Q50's to chose from. A
less powerful version of the Red's 3-litre V6 can be had in both Luxe and
Sport guises. There's a spunky and reasonably efficient 2-liter
turbocharged four-cylinder, and there's the previously mentioned hybrid whose
3.5-liter V6 electric motor and lithium-ion battery pack generate 360
net horsepower along with a modest bump in fuel economy.
Heads up, the hybrid has a lofty $51,000 asking price, but it comes pretty well
loaded with a 360-degree camera system, a 16-speaker Bose audio system, and leather
seats that are heated but not ventilated. I sure do love that ventilation.
Regardless of trim rear-wheel drive comes standard with the all-weather
attraction of all-wheel-drive available for an extra $2,000. Base
prices for the Infiniti FQ50 Audi A4 and BMW 3-Series land within a stone's throw
of $36,000 including destination charges. Meanwhile the Mercedes-Benz C-Class
though lovely tops $41,000 in cheapest form. If you're shopping for
luxury sedans then you probably want the sedan, but I will mention that the
stylish Infiniti QX50 is a roomier way to luxuriate and it only cost $1,300 or
so more than the Q50. Of course where a luxury is concerned image reign supreme
and for many image starts and ends with the badge.
If all you want is an instantly recognizable bauble to project your
affluence feel free to scuttle off to one of those German marques. They gone?
For everyone else the Infiniti Q50 encases comfort performance technology and
value and a tantalizing package. It's not perfect but the beautiful things rarely are.