Another 600 mile trip spread over a couple of days - this time in the "prestige" lineup from the rental company. I own an LS460 and an LX570 which are quite possibly 2 of the most un-inspiring vehicles to drive, so driving the Q50 which is quick and agile was a very nice change. I averaged 28.2mpg on my trip (99% highway driving). I don't quite know what this competes with size-wise (I'm guessing GS, 5 series, and not sure on MB if it's C class or E class) but if I was looking for a vehicle in this size this would be a serious contender for me as I tend to stick with Japanese brands over German due to my experience with reliability. Quick thoughts:

Like:
Almost everything about this car. Love the styling, found the seats very comfortable, nice fit & finish in the interior, driving performance was fantastic, handling and ride quality were good (road noise a bit high on rough roads). Sport mode was very fun to drive and this car has some serious get-up-and-go at almost any speed - but I found on the highway (and ramps to get onto the highway) going from 60mph to 90mph was absolutely awesome.

Dislike:
Not much really. Only 2 very minior complaints:
1) Not all 4 doors have the sensing technology to unlock when you approach - it's only found on the front doors. So to open the rear doors you first have to step up to one of the front doors to get the car to unlock. Seems strange in 2018 to not have this on all 4 doors.
2) Screen for back-up camera, nav, etc. had some glare that was a real challenge in several situations when I was backing up. Not sure if changing the brightness would help as I didn't try

I owned a couple of Nissan Maxima's in my late teens to early 20's that were a nice combination of performance and practicality. This seemed to fit into that category - this is a car that feels like it likes to be driven and pushed. I really enjoyed driving this one - makes me more intrigued about the Q70 L which is more up my alley from an interior space perspective though I have not driven one.

 

Thanks for the write up. The Q50 has slowly grown on me over the past couple of years.

I'd say the Q50 more closely competes with the IS, 3 Series, C class, A4, etc., but it's a bit of an in-betweener as I believe it's a bit larger than some of those but smaller than the GS, 5 Series, etc.

There are 3 engine options on the Q50 - the 2.0t, and two versions of the 3.0t. I would assume yours was the mid-range model. It's a great engine.

My IS also had the sensors on only the front two doors. I don't think that's uncommon for the class. My GS has it on all four doors though, and I really like that. As for the challenges you had with the touchscreen glare, that's not unsurprising. I have a coworker with a Q50 and he complains of the same thing.

Your impressions may be different, but my viewpoint is that the Q50 and Q70 are nothing alike. The Q70 feels like an ancient barge when compared to the Q50. YMMV

 

nice review.

I like the refreshed tails...

 

OP. Thanks for sharing. With the gradual improvements in this gen, I'm liking the Q50 too. It should be due for a full redesign in the next couple of years which will certainly be on my shopping list.

 

As a present 2018 Q50 RS owner, i tend to nitpick at all its faults, so its nice to hear a fresh viewpoint. Glad you liked it and thanks for sharing....

 

Pretty amazing deals on Q50's from 2.0T all the way to Red Sport.

 

Q50 is the best used buy in the segment.

 

I think it's the best new car deal too. The current deals for the Red Sport are ridiculous.

Driven them a few times as well. Just felt too similar to my old Maxima which is why I didn't go that route, but I still like these. Good vehicles.

 

Great review. It's a car that is often overlooked, but also doesn't get much attention from Infiniti/Nissan.
Which engine was in your car?

 

I forgot to put that in the review and saw someone else commented as well. Mine said 3.0t - although I read one of the comments here that there seem to be two variations of that particular engine. I'm not sure which one I had- but it felt great and was really fun to drive. Really nice acceleration.

 

Basically:
200hp 2.0T
300hp 3.0T
400hp 3.0T

 

The Re-Design should fix all of the issues people complain about, No Cooled Seats, No LSD, Navigation Update, Digital Gauges, Infotainment Update, Folding Mirrors etc. With that said, you can't beat the value. The interior is as nice as 340/440i , not as nice as Audi or the C43 AMG but nice none the less. I leased a Full Loaded RS400 for $450 a month with 15K miles per year. Audi wanted $850 a month for an S4 with 12K miles per year and would not budge. Audi is just stupid with their lease prices. I was looking at getting an C43 Next just to switch it up but I know the leases will be horrible cost wise. I'm very excited to see what comes for 2020 and with their crazy lease deals looks like I'll be getting another Q50 Red Sport or Possibly Black S. These are very cheap to Mod and make serious power too. Spend 1200 bucks on an AMS Tune and you're putting down almost 500 LB FT of torque TO THE WHEELS!!! With the Fuel Pump upgrade and down pipes and a tune people are putting out 500HP and close to 600 LB's of torque. That is insane.