I test drove a Q50s today at my local dealer. Metro Infiniti in Monrovia, CA. They're currently selling vehicles outside of pre-orders. I currently drive a 09 G37s and I've had my eye on the Q50 for some time now. The driving dynamics are close to equal. Even with the 19in wheels I thought ride quality wasn't any worse than the G37s. As a matter of fact I drove streets and the freeway, I can honestly say it rides great. The one thing that struck me was how quiet the cabin is. Infiniti has done away with a lot of the engine noise. I love my 37s but looking at both side by side my car feels dated. The Q50s has a lot of pop to it. Pictures simply don't do it justice. Yes.. same motor.. same trans carried over from the G. Get over it! Yes, I do plan on purchasing the Q50s.
Test drive
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I guess time to call my local dealer and see if they have one for me to test drive.
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Yes, the hybrids are at dealers, I have appointment to drive Hybrid Sport fully loaded once they prep the car, will let you know.Any chance they had hybrids? No vids?
Sorry guys/gals. Was late and I was tired when I posted.
It's a bit difficult to compare my 37s to a new Q50s. For one, my car has 44k on the clock. For arguments sake I'll stick with what I thought of the Q50s.
Driving Dynamics - The Q50s inspires a lot of confidence. The steering is very direct with zero wheel play. The Q is sure of itself and planted with little to no roll/lean. This is likely due to the new direct adaptive steering. When I agrresively drive my G the car tends to hop just a bit over road(bends and straights) imperfections. Not so with the Q. I didn't play with the steering drive modes. There's no way to truly get a feel for the system while on a test drive (not my test drive anyway) With the wheel in my hands the car does feel larger but only slightly. Note, overall the Q is larger than the G. I did play with the vehicle drive modes but only Sport and Eco. While in Eco mode the car is noticibly a bit of a dog off the line but that's what Eco mode is. Seems to cuts back throttle input just a tad to save fuel. Now Sport mode is where the car truly shines. From a stop the car sprints with authority (not that different from the G) Paddle function is the same as we've come to know. I do wish shifting was a bit faster but I guess that means getting a sports car right I just feel there's more there but Infiniti is just not giving it to us. Not a bad thing just personal taste. I think they had a Hybrid in stock but I'm personally not interested..
Interior - While very upscale in fit, finish and material.. this may just be taking the vibe from the M series. Which is okay by me. Just don't expect anything fantastic unless you've never sat in the M series. Nav and app screen were not available for testing. All are due for a software upgrade which they will not apply until the car has a buyer. I've read some folks complain about the app screen being slow. No way test myself if true or not.
I made sure I was in a comfortable driving position and then sat in the rear seat behind the driver seat. Lot's more leg room I'm 5'9! The pillar has been moved way forward. In my G, all things being equal, I can't get out without kicking the door panel. I need to twist and squeeze in order not too. Huge bonus for me.. Not that I let anyone else drive my G but my daughter sits in the rear Seating is comfortable but Infiniti has done away with the thigh bolster adjustment. Leaving only the torso adjustment You're still able to extend the seat under your thigh. In the G Sport seat you're able to adjust thigh and torso. Screen, dials and buttons are all set within my reach. Rear seating is good and now sits a bit further rearward at an angle.
Exterior - The Q50s front fascia is aggressive and makes a bold statement. You either love it or hate it. The unique lighting treatment sets it apart. AWESOME! I'm not as high with the rear tails. Would have preferred they kept something inline with the G. Round LEDs but it's not a deal breaker.
It's a bit difficult to compare my 37s to a new Q50s. For one, my car has 44k on the clock. For arguments sake I'll stick with what I thought of the Q50s.
Driving Dynamics - The Q50s inspires a lot of confidence. The steering is very direct with zero wheel play. The Q is sure of itself and planted with little to no roll/lean. This is likely due to the new direct adaptive steering. When I agrresively drive my G the car tends to hop just a bit over road(bends and straights) imperfections. Not so with the Q. I didn't play with the steering drive modes. There's no way to truly get a feel for the system while on a test drive (not my test drive anyway) With the wheel in my hands the car does feel larger but only slightly. Note, overall the Q is larger than the G. I did play with the vehicle drive modes but only Sport and Eco. While in Eco mode the car is noticibly a bit of a dog off the line but that's what Eco mode is. Seems to cuts back throttle input just a tad to save fuel. Now Sport mode is where the car truly shines. From a stop the car sprints with authority (not that different from the G) Paddle function is the same as we've come to know. I do wish shifting was a bit faster but I guess that means getting a sports car right
I just feel there's more there but Infiniti is just not giving it to us. Not a bad thing just personal taste. I think they had a Hybrid in stock but I'm personally not interested..Interior - While very upscale in fit, finish and material.. this may just be taking the vibe from the M series. Which is okay by me. Just don't expect anything fantastic unless you've never sat in the M series. Nav and app screen were not available for testing. All are due for a software upgrade which they will not apply until the car has a buyer. I've read some folks complain about the app screen being slow. No way test myself if true or not.
I made sure I was in a comfortable driving position and then sat in the rear seat behind the driver seat. Lot's more leg room
I'm 5'9! The pillar has been moved way forward. In my G, all things being equal, I can't get out without kicking the door panel. I need to twist and squeeze in order not too. Huge bonus for me.. Not that I let anyone else drive my G but my daughter sits in the rear Seating is comfortable but Infiniti has done away with the thigh bolster adjustment. Leaving only the torso adjustment You're still able to extend the seat under your thigh. In the G Sport seat you're able to adjust thigh and torso. Screen, dials and buttons are all set within my reach. Rear seating is good and now sits a bit further rearward at an angle.Exterior - The Q50s front fascia is aggressive and makes a bold statement. You either love it or hate it. The unique lighting treatment sets it apart. AWESOME! I'm not as high with the rear tails. Would have preferred they kept something inline with the G. Round LEDs but it's not a deal breaker.
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Much better. Thanks for the details. Seems like me blindly preordering wasn't a bad idea.
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So this may seem like a dumb question but is the "thigh bolster" what allows the seat to go higher and lower (not forward/back)? In other words, I'm a shorty and in order to see better, really need to have my seat sit up higher (and closer)...is that what the thigh bolster does?
No, the thigh bolster makes the seat longer so that more material is under your thighs instead of just your butt
Let me clarify what I meant. The side thigh bolster adjustment in the G makes the sport seat more snug fitting. Less body roll when adjusted snug for spirited driving. The Q50 does not adjust the side thigh bolster but only the middle torso. What makes the seat "longer" is the manual slider application located at the front leading edge of the bottom seat cushion. Hope this makes sense Infiniti Chick.
There're no dumb questions
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Thank you!! Needless to say, at 4' 11" I've never had to utilize the manual seat slider for my "long" legs!! haha
Thanks guys!! Oh and I know..........there aren't any dumb questions, just dumb people.
Nice write up/comparo to the 37. I guess Motor Trend/Car and Driver are going to have to buy one so we can get an instrumented test at this point.....lol.... This car is available for sale and test drives and still no instrumented test, must be a first for a mass produced production car.....booo
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Nah, everyone will get the car once Intouch is fixed. I swear this is what's holding it back from the press. Cadillac caught he11 for the CUE system, so much so that it'll cause them to lose comparisons with Audi and BMW on a regular basis. Infiniti can't risk it. Once Joe Public picks up a copy of Motor Trend/ R&T, Consumer Reports, he must read about a car that is as perfect as Infiniti can get it, and Intouch is a big part of that.
Dealers are saying no more test drives until July 3rd (from what some have said); they don't want people getting the wrong impression. I think Intouch is critical, and will continue to grow and evolve. After all, it's basically a dash-mounted iPad that hooks into the car's guts. It can't make buyers wait through loading screens for 30 minutes just to sync a phone or display options. People will instantly think, this thing sucks, and go look at other cars. For Infiniti's "Camry", it's too important to fail.
Dealers are saying no more test drives until July 3rd (from what some have said); they don't want people getting the wrong impression. I think Intouch is critical, and will continue to grow and evolve. After all, it's basically a dash-mounted iPad that hooks into the car's guts. It can't make buyers wait through loading screens for 30 minutes just to sync a phone or display options. People will instantly think, this thing sucks, and go look at other cars. For Infiniti's "Camry", it's too important to fail.
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