mmarshall

I some ways, I agree that C&D used to be the best among the enthusiast-mags. They were more focused towards the average car buyer than some other publications, which spent a lot of time on exotics and ultra-high-performance cars. But most of C&D's best journalists and auto-testers (Patrick Bedard, Csaba Csede, Rich Ceppos, etc...) either retired or went on to other magazines. Brock Yates was the only guy at that magazine that I truly couldn't stand....he was a classic blowhard, publicly insulted people he disagreed with, and did some very dangerous things behind the wheel, even by enthusiast standards. I'm surprised the magazine kept him as long as they did.

LexBob2

I like their comparison tests too. I also like to read the Letters To The Editor when readers weigh in on where their preferred model/brand finished or when it wasn't included. Threats of cancellation etc.

I don't know how they come up with their ratings. It might be in their archives somewhere.

RNM GS3

Not sure how Infiniti dropped the ball so badly after having great momentum in mid 2000s.

The 1st gen G35 coupe/sedan, FX35/45 and M35/45 were all great cars and sold very well.
All the cars had unique styling, class leading performance, great sound, sporty character, and prices that undercut the Germans.
The only downside was interior quality.

Actually the original FX still looks great and its design inspired the Macan and new Jag Fpace.
The exhaust sound it makes still sounds amazing.

The new Infinitis are now way behind in performance and tech, styling is no longer unique, the new model names are a disaster.
Most of all they no longer have the sporty character dynamics and sound that made them special compared to Lexus/Acura.

mmarshall

Like most enthusiast mags, C&D tends to place emphasis on sport and performance rather than comfort, cushiness, winter traction, or practicality. Some of the guys at the magazine, though, as they have aged, tend to be a less extreme now in their sport-orientation than in the past, as their backs, knees, and other weakening joints get less tolerant of bone-jarring rides. They are now also taking things like fit/finish, assembly quality, and how many things on the cars break more into consideration, especially on the Four Seasons tests, where they keep vehicles for a year or more to test reliability and dealer service as miles build up.

SW17LS

I think the issue is that the heyday of the car magazine (and magazines in general) is over. Nowadays I'd much rather read Autoblog and watch YouTube reviews than read Car & Driver, etc.

mmarshall

I'd tend to agree......and, of course, Clarkson & Co. have turned some of the auto-review business into TV and video entertainment. Top Gear, though, despite all the TV/video stuff, still publishes a darn good paper-magazine....better and more thorough, IMO, than any of the American mags. A Brit friend of mind who I swim with at the rec center has a daughter in London...she sometimes gets copies, sends them to him.....and he passes them down to me.

Toys4RJill

Personally speaking, I think the styling of Infiniti is way more attractive than Lexus. At least for the sedans and coupes. Lexus LX and GX are nicer looking than the Infiniti SUVs....RX/NX look bad IMO.

dseag2

As a many-time Infiniti owner I couldn't agree with you more. We owned the several G37 Coupes/Convertibles, 2 FX35s, an M45 and 2 M35s. We loved those cars, even though they had raw edge to them. They were squarely aimed at BMW during those days, to the extent that some reviewers called them "Japanese BMWs". Infiniti has lost their way since, the competition has stepped up, and unfortunately they no longer have anything that interests us. The Q50 Red Sport is a fast bargain, but I'm sure it is coarse and unrefined compared to its competition, plus the interior compared to others in its segment????

davyjordi

haven't the q50/q60 red sport and 3.0l been reviewed rather favorably by the automotive press?

in any case, i can understand the interior being a bit blah and i can also understand one's personal preferences straying away from the mainstream automotive press but i was almost certain that the pair had been lauded.

p.s. merry christmas! i'm waiting for my niece to wake up to find that santa claus/me has brought/bought her a ton of presents!

mmarshall

On the Q50, I'd be a little leery of the Active Steering option, which uses an all-electronic, not mechanical, connection on the steering-shaft. An emergency mechanical hook-up supposedly occurs if and when the electronics fail. When I reviewed a Q50 a few years ago, I intentionally chose one with the conventional steering.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

coarse and unrefined, huh? i doubt it although i've not driven one. i think the interior design/materials and in particular the odd dual screen setup have diminished infiniti, but certainly not the drivetrains which are every bit world class competitive imo.

i think the q50/q60 look awesome (exterior), and hopefully interior will get the upgrade it needs in the refresh whenever that comes.

Toys4RJill

I agree, the Nissan/Infiniti engines are world class and very good. I listen to a lot of automotive podcasts, and recently I heard either Autoweek or Autoblog and they had the chief engineer on to talk about to talk about the Cadillac CT6 I believe, according to GM, they believe Nissan and the engines they use in their Infiniti cars are the smoothest and quietest engines in the industry, this is what GM uses to benchmark their engines. This is coming from another competitor so it is interesting to hear.

dseag2

I will be the first to admit my mistakes. I was judging by past Infinitis. My M35/45 had lots of road noise, and yes... the engine was course and unrefined. Same with the FX's, and our current G37 Vert lets in lots of road noise. I've also read recent reviews on the Q50 2.0t that use those exact descriptors... coarse and unrefined.

I guess I will have to test drive the '17 Q50 with the 6 cylinder turbo to see if that has changed. I know it is a brand new engine setup for this model. Might as well give it a chance, but still leaning toward an A5 Sportback or Q5 since we love our A4 so much. If I'm wrong and I like it, I will admit my mistake and end up with a great car that is significantly cheaper!

mmarshall

It's apples and oranges, though, in most cases, even with the top up, to compare road noise in convertibles with that of vehicles with closed, rigid roofs. Some ragtops are quite well-insulated....others, like on the Mazda Miata, are thinner, to allow for quick, easy manual- folding. Folding hard-top convertibles, with the top up, are, in general, a little quieter quieter than ragtops, but still not quite the equal of a rigid closed roof. In all but the most expansive and best-engineered convertibles, some extra noise is usually going to be the trade-off for Al-Fresco motoring and plenty of fresh air.

dseag2

My '10 and '11 S5 Cabs had soft-top roofs and they were much quieter than our hard-top G37. In fact, with the dual-layered tops up they were almost as quiet as my S5 Coupe. They also had much less body flex. It is the amount of road noise that makes it up through the floorboards of the G37 that makes the difference. Also, the body flex can cause creaks. Didn't get that in the S5. Granted, over $10k difference, so I knew what I was getting into. ;-)

I will admit that there have been times when I've driven the G37 top-down, and since the Bose system amps up in that setting it has been nothing short of fantastic. It's just with the top up that it is not a great daily driver. We won't own another one.