[Harris48 cars]

Q50S with all packages including apperaence pk. Love the spoiler and black grille. Graphite Shadow. Okay, let me get the steering issue out of the way. I almost did not buy this car because of so many negative reviews about the steering. Well, maybe I'm not sophisticated enough to realize how bad it really is. Or maybe the "testers" are, too sophisticated, to understand how really good it is. It works great and I have absolutely have no problems with it, at all. I read a review where the reviewer really liked the handling of the Q50. When he was told it was drive by wire he said, "I wish you hadn't told me that". Then he changed his mind about the handling, just a little bit. I think there is a lot of that kind of thinking going on among these reviewers. Anyway, with only 500 miles on it my Q50 is everything I wanted in a sport sedan. Though I haven't figured out all the tech packages, I've got a good start. Great power just like my 08 G35 I traded in. The interior is just gorgeous. I took it over to a nearby shopping center that was closed for the evening and did a few laps around the two round abouts there. Fantastic handling. May be a little more lean than I was expecting but I was pushing pretty good and besides I want be driving like that very much. Plenty of power obviously. I didn't understand how beautiful the lines are on this car till I brought it home and went over it. It's just one darn good car. Two things I would like to see. First is an adjustible suspension of some kind. The Sport suspension is okay for me but a passenger might like something a little softer. It's pretty stiff but so was the G35. The I'd like to see a better side emblem. That "3.7" isn't going to get it. I'm removing them pretty soon. Not much left to say except I'm glad I didn't listen completely to the magazine reviews.
Gary

 

[SimpsonTide985]

Congrats! Another Graphite Shadow (but the first here with the Appearance Package I believe ). You're in good company here. It's also good to see that the reviews didn't sway you.

It's just that...for your first post...Since you've talked so much about the car, I would've preferred some photos and maybe some paragraphs instead of a wall of text.

 

[waffleman]

I agree with everything you said Gary.

My specific thoughts after one week of Q50s nav touring tech package ownership (Graphite Shadow...will post pictures after we get a good snow fall) :

I never liked the look of Infiniti cars until the Q50 came out. Overall, gives a sense of luxury but don’t mess with me attitude. Best viewing angle is from the front.
Interior fit and finish is excellent.
Seats are very comfortable. Memory associated with keys is great.
Keyless entry /keyless start is great - keys never leave my coat pocket.
Super quiet when driving on asphalt - a serene environment it makes. Road noise does go up on concrete highway, but it no intrusive like so many other cars I’ve driven in the past.
Love the heated steering wheel, and that it can be set to turn on automatically if it’s cold outside (38F I think)
Handles very well for day to day driving, regular road irregularities are well smoothed out and the ride is very smooth/serene. You WILL feel the big bumps on the road as should be expected with sport suspension and that's a trade off that should be expected if you want sports handling.
Tires: after reading the reviews/comments on this forum, I actually had asked the dealer to switch out the tires with Michelin tires but they weren't able to do it, so I've got the run flats. I don't think they are as bad as people say. The handling is actually pretty good. The car holds sharp turns better than my previous vehicle, a 2010 VW GTI which is no slouch in the handling department.
Steering: I do not see any problem at all with DAS. It's wonderful. Again, I'm coming from a VW GTI (with manual transmission) which I enjoyed tremendously for 4 years. The Q50's steering is as good, if not better than the GTI. Going through twisties, the car does exactly what I want it to do, when I want it to do. I love how I can change the settings from relaxed to sports feel depending on my mood.
Good power, especially for passing maneuvers. Push the pedal down when doing 50 MPH, blink, and you’re nearly at 80 MPH with no effort at all.

Overall, I feel the Q50s has 2 personalities -at first look, it's quiet, relaxed, serene ...but push down the metal or take it through the twisties and you get power, athleticism, and fun. For me that's exactly what I was looking for and I am very happy with the car.

What I do not like
The button to change the radio station on the steering wheel (on the left). I would have rather have set up like the volume control buttons.
I don't like that I have to wait 45-60 seconds after starting the car before the radio will work.
Nit picky, I know, but so far those are the only negatives I can think of about the car.


MPG: I reset the car's MPG calculator this morning, and after my 25 minutes drive to work in suburban/small city driving showed 24.9 MPG.

 

[brianch]

good to see another happy owner. don't listen to those crazy internet folks! the Q50 is a fantastic car.

 

[bdbaity]

We need pics! I would like to see the spoiler on a GS.

 

[SimpsonTide985]

All the things (which are few) that bother me about the car, I feel, can be easily taken care of in a few months with an update.

 

[chris2k5]

Having to wait for the apps to load before playing music is annoying.
Wish there was an adaptive adjustable suspension like Audi.
Wish there was a panoramic sunroof like Mercedes.

 

[gsam]

Having to wait for the apps to load before playing music is annoying.
Wish there was an adaptive adjustable suspension like Audi.
Wish there was a panoramic sunroof like Mercedes.

This is one option I never understood. I think drivers should keep their eyes on the road.

 

[SimpsonTide985]

Having a panoramic roof means that the entire roof has to be made almost entirely out of glass and I'm really not a huge fan of that blacked out look that the roof creates on the car from an exterior perspective.

 

[chris2k5]

This is one option I never understood. I think drivers should keep their eyes on the road.

The car is a 4-5 seater...my passengers can enjoy it. And sometimes it's great to have a little more light in the cabin.

 

[Klamalama]

This is one option I never understood. I think drivers should keep their eyes on the road.

The simple solution would be to have an angled mirror above the roof to see the road forward. Or have the forward camera send its image to your implanted Google glass, directly to the optic nerve, allowing you to catch a few zzzs while driving.

 

[volnedan]

The sunroof/panoramic moonroof option is something that I understand but never want to pay for. Unfortunately, the only option on my base model is a sunroof, which I never use. But most dealers order the cars this way.

Some people have certain options they can't live without. My wife dislikes leather, but cannot live without a sunroof. Personally, the only options I "must have" are HID headlights and window tints. To each their own.