[AWD Fan]

Today I was able to test drive a Q50 Hybrid Premium AWD

I will be brief.

Punch it when the light turns green (per order of the salesman) and you get a slight chirp from a touch of wheel spin in the rear and then it hooks up and just goes. The smoothness is remarkable and the engine just runs through the gears without any clunkiness. Before I knew it I was going 80 on a secondary road and the car felt totally at ease. The torque is nice but does not feel like the car wants to pull tree stumps out of the ground.

The brakes were solid and the car did not dive during hard stopping.

It felt confident changing lanes at speed.

Back to the initial driving moments. As folks have mentioned, turn the car on and the only sounds are from the HVAC, get out of the parking lot and give it a little gas and the ICE comes on without any clunking (well done Infiniti).

I got a few turns in at speed on slightly wet roads and the car would not break free (a good thing).

Towards the end of the drive I was coming up to a car stopped at the light and the Q stopped itself prior to me doing so. Fun to see that work.

When I brought it back to the lot, the salesman gave me a good demo of using the 360 system for parking. a cool item is that in addition to the sonar, the screen shows marks like on a football field to give you a sense of how much room you literally have behind you within the space it assumes you will park in.

I was not able to vary the steering effort as the salesman mentioned that was done via the evil screen.

On to the purchase part. I had pre-ordered a car from an East Coast dealer and have not been happy with the service (lack of service and communication) I was getting and emailed the guy to cancel the order.

The dealer here had a Hagane Blue on Graphite Q50 Hybrid Sport AWD with Deluxe Technology and Navigation (same options as my Moonlight White on Stone per-ordered car) on the show room floor. When I had called earlier in the day he said he had a deal pending on it. When I got there he said the other customer had credit issues and that he could sell me the car. if I liked it.

I had really liked the Hagane Blue when I saw one last week at another local dealer and I did not look forward to the idea of the light gray carpets that come with the Stone interior.

The dealer gave me a good offer on my trade and I said let's do it.

These folks have a solid approach to business. As soon as I agreed to buy the car, they took it off the floor and locked it up in another part of the dealership to avoid people sitting in it, etc.

I was going to pay cash but the finance guy had a 1.89% for 60 months loan from BMO that was kind of too cheap to pass up.

They believe they will be able to deliver the car to me Wednesday. Infiniti has not sent a trainer to the dealership yet to show them how to demonstrate all the whiz bang features to customers. My sales guy said he and few other sales folks will have to do some crash learning prior to my arrival and that I can come back in a month after they learn more for a full orientation.

Here is another factoid from the bizarre Infiniti Q50 release screw up. The sales manager (the same one who mentioned the delay from today was due to problems getting USB drives) said that the the local state Infiniti guy will sign off on all the cars being released for delivery to customers at once to avoid favoritism perceptions (i.e. if the biggest dealer got to release cars first and the little dealer had to wait a couple of more days).

Another funny thing was the dealer wanted my car left with him today and gave me a free loaner until I can take my new car home.

Anyway, I am happy and am looking forward to my new toy (as are many of the folks on this board).

 

[Q50Aggie]

Nice review! The power of the hybrid is awesome, isn't it!?

 

[InfinitiPlusOne]

Only if there is enough charge on the hybrid battery. Today, I test drive again on the Q50S Hybrid and notice it doesn't have the instant acceleration I experience before(even in sport mode). There was this slight delay of acceleration when I push the gas pedal hard. I was scratching my head and say what is going on. Then I check the hybrid battery and notice there was not enough battery charge for the gas and electric to work together at the same time to produce the instant acceleration. I guess the guy that test drove it before me use up all the hybrid battery. I wonder how much the battery need to be charge (%) in order for the gas and battery to work together.

Nice review! The power of the hybrid is awesome, isn't it!?

 

[JR69]

Nice review! The power of the hybrid is awesome, isn't it!?

You know one thing is interesting. We all know the advertised Horsepower is a combined 360 and is stated so on Infiniti's website, but the torque, many have said is 400+ combined, yet on Infiniti's website they list the torque at 214. What gives? It certainly feels more than 214 ft lbs

 

[AWD Fan]

I really am looking forward to a dyno run for the hybrid

I expect the dyno graph to be kind of choppy, depending where the electric motor's torque comes on and off

 

[InfinitiPlusOne]

214lb-ft is from the electric and 258lb-ft is from the gas engine.
They never work together at the same time. That's why they can't combine them and publish the total of 472ft-lb of torque. It will take 214 from the electric for the initial acceleration @ 1500rpm I think and then hand it over to 256ft-lb of torque from the gas for quick acceleration. The key is the low end torque! BMW/Audi did it on the turbo engine and Japanese I guess prefer the hybrid for the low end torque.

You know one thing is interesting. We all know the advertised Horsepower is a combined 360 and is stated so on Infiniti's website, but the torque, many have said is 400+ combined, yet on Infiniti's website they list the torque at 214. What gives? It certainly feels more than 214 ft lbs

 

[JR69]

214lb-ft is from the electric and 258lb-ft is from the gas engine.
They never work together at the same time. That's why they can't combine them and publish the total of 472ft-lb of torque. It will take 214 from the electric for the initial acceleration @ 1500rpm I think and then hand it over to 256ft-lb of torque from the gas for quick acceleration. The key is the low end torque! BMW/Audi did it on the turbo engine and Japanese I guess prefer the hybrid for the low end torque.

Ok I get it. But they do work together on the horsepower rating.

 

[afrosheen]

Protip: use the drive mode switch next to your right thigh next time. This adjusts throttle and steering at the same time. Sport is the way to go.

 

[Q50Aggie]

214lb-ft is from the electric and 258lb-ft is from the gas engine.
They never work together at the same time. That's why they can't combine them and publish the total of 472ft-lb of torque. It will take 214 from the electric for the initial acceleration @ 1500rpm I think and then hand it over to 256ft-lb of torque from the gas for quick acceleration. The key is the low end torque! BMW/Audi did it on the turbo engine and Japanese I guess prefer the hybrid for the low end torque.

Of course they work together. But you just simply can't combine the two numbers because the torque bands are completely different. You have 214 ft lb max torque at 0 rpm on the electric motor but you went have max torque on the gas motor until much later in the power bands. Though no doubt you'll achieve max combined torque over 400 ft lb torque...but it will never be 472 because the max torque for electric motor and had motor do not occur at the same rpm. But the electric motor works at the same time as gas so you'll have some overlap

 

[InfinitiPlusOne]

Yes, I do agree with the overlapping at some point. I don't think it achieve 214ft-lb at 0 rpm (impossible, right?). I know I saw somewhere in the Infiniti Q50 site that publish 214lb-ft torque at 1500rpm.

Of course they work together. But you just simply can't combine the two numbers because the torque bands are completely different. You have 214 ft lb max torque at 0 rpm on the electric motor but you went have max torque on the gas motor until much later in the power bands. Though no doubt you'll achieve max combined torque over 400 ft lb torque...but it will never be 472 because the max torque for electric motor and had motor do not occur at the same rpm. But the electric motor works at the same time as gas so you'll have some overlap

 

[Q50Aggie]

Yes, I do agree with the overlapping at some point. I don't think it achieve 214ft-lb at 0 rpm (impossible, right?). I know I saw somewhere in the Infiniti Q50 site that publish 214lb-ft torque at 1500rpm.

Yes your right probably more like 1500...one of the articles recently published combined torque of I think 402 ft lb...

 

[JR69]

Of course they work together. But you just simply can't combine the two numbers because the torque bands are completely different. You have 214 ft lb max torque at 0 rpm on the electric motor but you went have max torque on the gas motor until much later in the power bands. Though no doubt you'll achieve max combined torque over 400 ft lb torque...but it will never be 472 because the max torque for electric motor and had motor do not occur at the same rpm. But the electric motor works at the same time as gas so you'll have some overlap

That makes even more sense, but wouldn't you always have the 214 ft lbs throughout the power band as long as the electric motor is spinning? So it would be 214 plus whatever the torque figure is at the rpm you are at and increases throughout until the motor reaches max torque of 256 at whatever that RPM is, which in turn would mean that 472 or 402 is feasible at some point. Also, the electric motor is direct drive so there is no torque converter so there is no loss.

I might be totally off base in my thinking though.

 

[InfinitiPlusOne]

Find it on the Q50 hybrid torque RPM, it's actually 214ft-lb @ 1650rpm.
2014 Infiniti Q50 Press Kit - 2014 Infiniti Q50 - Infiniti Online Newsroom
Click on Spec, then hybrid.

Yes, I do agree with the overlapping at some point. I don't think it achieve 214ft-lb at 0 rpm (impossible, right?). I know I saw somewhere in the Infiniti Q50 site that publish 214lb-ft torque at 1500rpm.

 

[Q50Aggie]

That makes even more sense, but wouldn't you always have the 214 ft lbs throughout the power band as long as the electric motor is spinning? So it would be 214 plus whatever the torque figure is at the rpm you are at and increases throughout until the motor reaches max torque of 256 at whatever that RPM is, which in turn would mean that 472 or 402 is feasible at some point. Also, the electric motor is direct drive so there is no torque converter so there is no loss.

I might be totally off base in my thinking though.

hmmm...I'm not sure...I didn't think the electric motor would put out the full torque at the higher rpm's but I could be wrong...

 

[JR69]

hmmm...I'm not sure...I didn't think the electric motor would put out the full torque at the higher rpm's but I could be wrong...

No I think the max rpm for the electric motor is 2000 but if it constantly spins at that rate then the max torque would be a constant 214 or around there, PLUS whatever the torque is on the gas motor at a particular rpm. Still, I have no clue if I am correct or not, just thinking out loud.

 

[Gandhi]

Generally, an electric motor puts out max torque at 0 rpm, and stays there until the batteries begin to lose their charge.

 

[cecl]

Dealership?

I'm also in Chicago and am looking to buy a Q50 Premium Hybrid this fall.
Which dealership are you purchasing from?

 

[infmike_q50]

Same here! Chicagoland, hybrid awd premium.


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[Rick]

Clarendon Hills Infiniti for me in western burbs they got 12 Q50s 6 are sold

Put my money down last night and test drove a Q50s AWD today ....I should say my wife did. She would not let me drive so I will go back tomorrow
I am surprising her with a totally fully loaded Q50s AWD white/graphite. All the chicago dealers go to training tomorrow on the software and can install then release cars sometime Thursday

I will have dealer drive car over park it in garage and take my M away .... I will get my 08 G back ... Until I trade it in on a the Hybrid

She said she had trouble keeping under 40mph. We paired our Galaxy 3 cell phone and place a call All I can say is the sound was incredible, clear, crisp compared to any other car I have been in. I hope to do my test drive tomorrow.

She should be surprised when she walks into garage had sales guy tell her the car was sold .. A truthful statement it was

 

[AWD Fan]

I found my car at Hoffman Estates (I believe they are the sister dealership to Barrington).

I was told I can take the car home tomorrow after work though the Dealer needs a green light from Infiniti to release it.

Between the two shops they had 2 Q50S Hybrid AWD cars, the blue on graphite I went with and a black on graphite (which was at the other store).

Berman had a lower spec Hybrid AWD on the show room floor and I believe they had a Hybrid premium AWD on site

Fields had no Hybrids at all. I did see a Hagane Blue car for the first time on their back lot and really liked the color