[jkay]

So I finally got to sit in and mess around with a Q50 tonight at a local preview event. No test drive - just sitting in the car in the showroom.

Outside is really nice! Headlights are awesome! One of the salesmen said 'how would you like to see those in your rear view mirror' and I said 'the goal is to get me looking out at them not picturing being in front of one of these'

It definitely feels like a step up from the G in a lot of ways. Nice finish and feel to the leather and dash. The wood is SUPER nice compared to my current G's.

A leather panel looked like it lost a clip and was pulled away from the center console. Again, preproduction stuff I'm sure.

Now for the disappointing things:
The sport seat was not very comfortable. My current G sport seats have these annoying metal pieces that you can feel through the padding on the side bolsters. The Q seat was really flat and I could feel an obtrusive metal cross piece under my thighs. I'll need more time driving a production model.

Steering wheel felt nicer than my G's but it didn't feel super meaty and the leather didn't feel particularly high quality. Nice but not great.

The trunk seems to be more roomy and the opening seems larger. Back seats seemed to have more space. They sculpted the back of the front seats to make extra leg space for your knees. Simple but effective.

So here's the bottom line : I may be grumpy because I'm sick so I'll have to revisit this but as of right now, I think the Q is going to fall short of hitting the mark of high quality interior feel like a Lexus GS350 or Audi. Definitely a step up from the G but much more evolutionary than revolutionary. I think Infiniti needed revolutionary to go up market.

If this car leases close to the upper 4's to low 5's I'm in like you wouldn't believe. I think it's a great value prop with awesome tech for that money.

But for $600+ on a 12k lease for 39 months, I think there are other cars to consider.

Right now the only thing drawing me to the Q is the tech. Everything else feels great just not in the league of the pricing they are trying to get.

Sorry if I disappointed anyone, and I certainly don't dislike the Q - quite the opposite. I just can't see spending so much in a lease and not feeling that I'm in as substantial a car. So much so, that I would have probably leased an M tonight if they had my color with the tech package available. They didn't even realize they were that close to a sale at the dealership.

To be fair, I need to drive this thing. I also need to see the infotainment system in a production car with the bugs worked out (hopefully). This puppy was lagalicious!!! Some things worked great - others froze the system for a minute or more with no ability to intervene - just sit there and wait.

So maybe I'm just being a baby and wishing I could get a fully loaded Q50 for around $500-$550/mo now. Not going to happen in the near future but if I score that with no money down I'd be happy as a clam.

Right now looking in the mid 600's/mo just doesn't do it for me. Too many other options at that price.

Darn, I thought I had this next car thing solved. . . We'll see after the test drive. Early to mid-July is what the dealer said they were told for delivery.

Thanks for letting me vent and go easy on me folks. Just sharing my thoughts.

 

[chicagokevo]

So I finally got to sit in and mess around with a Q50 tonight at a local preview event. No test drive - just sitting in the car in the showroom.

Outside is really nice! Headlights are awesome! One of the salesmen said 'how would you like to see those in your rear view mirror' and I said 'the goal is to get me looking out at them not picturing being in front of one of these'

It definitely feels like a step up from the G in a lot of ways. Nice finish and feel to the leather and dash. The wood is SUPER nice compared to my current G's.

A leather panel looked like it lost a clip and was pulled away from the center console. Again, preproduction stuff I'm sure.

Now for the disappointing things:
The sport seat was not very comfortable. My current G sport seats have these annoying metal pieces that you can feel through the padding on the side bolsters. The Q seat was really flat and I could feel an obtrusive metal cross piece under my thighs. I'll need more time driving a production model.

Steering wheel felt nicer than my G's but it didn't feel super meaty and the leather didn't feel particularly high quality. Nice but not great.

The trunk seems to be more roomy and the opening seems larger. Back seats seemed to have more space. They sculpted the back of the front seats to make extra leg space for your knees. Simple but effective.

So here's the bottom line : I may be grumpy because I'm sick so I'll have to revisit this but as of right now, I think the Q is going to fall short of hitting the mark of high quality interior feel like a Lexus GS350 or Audi. Definitely a step up from the G but much more evolutionary than revolutionary. I think Infiniti needed revolutionary to go up market.

If this car leases close to the upper 4's to low 5's I'm in like you wouldn't believe. I think it's a great value prop with awesome tech for that money.

But for $600+ on a 12k lease for 39 months, I think there are other cars to consider.

Right now the only thing drawing me to the Q is the tech. Everything else feels great just not in the league of the pricing they are trying to get.

Sorry if I disappointed anyone, and I certainly don't dislike the Q - quite the opposite. I just can't see spending so much in a lease and not feeling that I'm in as substantial a car. So much so, that I would have probably leased an M tonight if they had my color with the tech package available. They didn't even realize they were that close to a sale at the dealership.

To be fair, I need to drive this thing. I also need to see the infotainment system in a production car with the bugs worked out (hopefully). This puppy was lagalicious!!! Some things worked great - others froze the system for a minute or more with no ability to intervene - just sit there and wait.

So maybe I'm just being a baby and wishing I could get a fully loaded Q50 for around $500-$550/mo now. Not going to happen in the near future but if I score that with no money down I'd be happy as a clam.

Right now looking in the mid 600's/mo just doesn't do it for me. Too many other options at that price.

Darn, I thought I had this next car thing solved. . . We'll see after the test drive. Early to mid-July is what the dealer said they were told for delivery.

Thanks for letting me vent and go easy on me folks. Just sharing my thoughts.

I've been thinking quite a bit over the last few weeks ever since I put in my official preorder about the lease PMTs w/ the Q50 upon delivery. I'm totally with you on the $600+ PMTs being a tad bit ridiculous when, as you mentioned, there are several other killer lease offers on the market for cars that are even in the next class up. I'm in no rush--love my '11 G37x; if the lease offers suck upon delivery, then I'll wait until the deals (inevitably) start to roll in towards year-end.

As for the laggy InTouch system, I totally agree. When I played around with it a few wks ago, I couldn't believe how slow to respond it was; I venture to say at the initial CUE level of lagginess. Obviously, Infiniti has to be well aware of this & as everyone here has presumed, I am confident the final production vehicles will be much more tolerable.

I appreciate the review!

 

[jkay]

I've been thinking quite a bit over the last few weeks ever since I put in my official preorder about the lease PMTs w/ the Q50 upon delivery. I'm totally with you on the $600+ PMTs being a tad bit ridiculous when, as you mentioned, there are several other killer lease offers on the market for cars that are even in the next class up. I'm in no rush--love my '11 G37x; if the lease offers suck upon delivery, then I'll wait until the deals (inevitably) start to roll in towards year-end.

As for the laggy InTouch system, I totally agree. When I played around with it a few wks ago, I couldn't believe how slow to respond it was; I venture to say at the initial CUE level of lagginess. Obviously, Infiniti has to be well aware of this & as everyone here has presumed, I am confident the final production vehicles will be much more tolerable.

I appreciate the review!

Thanks Chicagokevo. I think you summed up my feelings in one sentence where it took me a whole post to try to convey that feeling. I think the models without the tech package might be mid $5's with nothing down but once you add the tech package, you are looking in the $6's easily. It's actually making me consider the ATS again - and I've pretty much crossed that off my list because of the microscopic trunk and virtually non-existent back seat room. But at roughly the same MSRP (maybe even about $900 more), I could get into a lease for well under $550 for a fully loaded premium, 3.6 engine and all of the option packages.

I rarely use my trunk or drive more than a single passenger around so it seems that I may have to give the ATS another look. Plus the new CTS is due out in September so I may be waiting for that too.

My guess is that I'll end up with a Q50. I'll likely have to extend my current G leases month to month until some incentives hit so it won't be for a while but that may appear to be the only way to get into the one I want at a payment that feels better for me.

 

[brianch]

What other cars would you consider over the Q50?

 

[jkay]

What other cars would you consider over the Q50?

Initially, I wasn't considering anything. If the lease payments will be as high as I suspect they will be for a fully loaded Q (which is the only way I would lease it)

So if I'm looking mid $6's plus per month I'll at least consider:
Audi A4/A6
BMW - probably will look at the 5 series (likely more per month but feels like it should be) and I'll check out the 3 but it's definitely not in my short list.
Caddy ATS and the CTS should be out around September so I might check that out too.
Obviously the M is on my short list as well.
Maybe Mercedes - C or E class.

I know some will have higher payments. The payment itself is not what I'm bothered about. It's the value you get for the payment. Don't know if that makes sense but it does to me and its my money

I likely will end up with the Q50, just not as early as I wanted to. I think it will be great if Infiniti has a super seller on their hands. Look what they did with the latest M type. Around 800-1000 sales per month - ouch! Same with e EX - great idea, love the front seats and cockpit but too small on the backseat and cargo space.

They need a price point and lease point on these Q's to get them sold or they risk losing a lot of market share in the G-class segment. My fear is that they are pricing many of those buyers out of this car and not quite hitting it out of the park to merit the high lease payments.

Again, not bashing and I hope I'm wrong. Just kind of confused about where they see this car fitting in against its competition.

Sportier than a Lexus ES but not as nice interior as a GS
Bigger than a C class Merc but not as nice finishing as an E class
Bigger than a 3 series but not quite as spacious or having the level of cache of the 5 series

Maybe they have a whole new segment on their hands but I don't think you can qualify the Q50 as an entry level sports sedan when you can get into the C and 3 series for right around $30k (I know, I know, those are stripped down but isn't that the start of entry level?).

I saw an Impala on the road the other day. Actually a nice looking car. Went online to build one out of curiosity and in the end, it's just an Impala with a bunch if extra stuff from the GM parts bin.

Most likely to compete for my $$ with the Q50 are:
Infiniti M
Caddy ATS or CTS ( 2014 when it comes out).

 

[Gandhi]

Initially, I wasn't considering anything. If the lease payments will be as high as I suspect they will be for a fully loaded Q (which is the only way I would lease it)

So if I'm looking mid $6's plus per month I'll at least consider:
Audi A4/A6
BMW - probably will look at the 5 series (likely more per month but feels like it should be) and I'll check out the 3 but it's definitely not in my short list.
Caddy ATS and the CTS should be out around September so I might check that out too.
Obviously the M is on my short list as well.
Maybe Mercedes - C or E class.

I know some will have higher payments. The payment itself is not what I'm bothered about. It's the value you get for the payment. Don't know if that makes sense but it does to me and its my money

I likely will end up with the Q50, just not as early as I wanted to. I think it will be great if Infiniti has a super seller on their hands. Look what they did with the latest M type. Around 800-1000 sales per month - ouch! Same with e EX - great idea, love the front seats and cockpit but too small on the backseat and cargo space.

They need a price point and lease point on these Q's to get them sold or they risk losing a lot of market share in the G-class segment. My fear is that they are pricing many of those buyers out of this car and not quite hitting it out of the park to merit the high lease payments.

Again, not bashing and I hope I'm wrong. Just kind of confused about where they see this car fitting in against its competition.

Sportier than a Lexus ES but not as nice interior as a GS
Bigger than a C class Merc but not as nice finishing as an E class
Bigger than a 3 series but not quite as spacious or having the level of cache of the 5 series

Maybe they have a whole new segment on their hands but I don't think you can qualify the Q50 as an entry level sports sedan when you can get into the C and 3 series for right around $30k (I know, I know, those are stripped down but isn't that the start of entry level?).

I saw an Impala on the road the other day. Actually a nice looking car. Went online to build one out of curiosity and in the end, it's just an Impala with a bunch if extra stuff from the GM parts bin.

Most likely to compete for my $$ with the Q50 are:
Infiniti M
Caddy ATS or CTS ( 2014 when it comes out).

So you want fully loaded Q but want it for around $30k which is what will buy you a stripped down C class or 3 series.

Okay.

Your money, your logic. Only thing I can think of is that the Infiniti badge is not worth that much to you in this segment.

 

[jkay]

So you want fully loaded Q but want it for around $30k which is what will buy you a stripped down C class or 3 series.

Okay.

Your money, your logic. Only thing I can think of is that the Infiniti badge is not worth that much to you in this segment.

Um, no, not what I was saying at all. If you read my post again I think that will come across more clearly.

I'm happy to share any additional information about why I feel the way I do if you want to ask me something more specifically.

Thanks for the feedback though

 

[brianch]

I think there is a reason manufacturers have cars that don't directly compete with each other (like you said)

They don't want to be targeting the exact same market.

 

[jkay]

So I was inspired to broaden my search after seeing the Q50 at a this preview event and figured I would update my thoughts in case anyone cares

I stopped by a BMW and Mercedes dealer yesterday to see if my feelings are in line with my expectations regarding the Q, payments and other offerings. Here are my updated thoughts:

BMW: sat in a 3 series and got right out. Not my cup of tea. Did not like the interior that much and, frankly, the GPS sticking out if the dash looks incredibly like an afterthought. Why in the world they designed it that way baffles me. I'm guessing cost cutting to save on dash materials and to differentiate it from the 5 series where it looks much more integrated. 3 series is ok but the Interior of the Q blows it away. Didn't test drive it but I've driven the 3's before everyone complained about the reduced driving dynamics so I'll remember it for what it was since even the fanboys are a bit down on the handling these days. 3 is out.

Sat in a 5 series. Much nicer interior - especially with the M sport package (for anyone that doesn't know, it's just an appearance package with some interior changes - not an 'M' that everyone drools over). Much nicer interior than the 3 series. Didn't feel that much nicer than the Q50 or M interior though. I have to say I was surprised. Fit and finish seemed nice. No surprise though - nickels, dimes and options to get it close to the Q50's options ended up well into the $70's and I just didn't see the value of even driving one for that price difference.

One quick note abut the iDrive - um, WOW- I'm sure BMW drivers get used to it (kinda like you can get used to walking around with a stone in your shoe until you have a chance to take it off and shake it out) but yuck! I'm fairly tech savvy and before I even bothered taking a BMW out for a test drive I asked to demo the iDrive system since I remember it being bad years ago and I had a difficult time understanding it. I'm actually baffled at how odd some of the choices are for entering information. For example, it only displays some letters and some numbers when you actually start to enter an address. I'm not talking about narrowing down the letters with only remaining possible combinations - I'm saying when I started to enter info. The 'speedometer' style letter choices in a circle is just confusing. I didn't even bother test driving because of a number of the things above, and I didn't try voice command, etc but I was hugely distracted just trying to enter an address or changing to a non- memory radio station.

Ok, BMW is out.

Next - Mercedes: looked at the C class and, like the 3 series, just not polished enough for me, very nice and way better than anything I remember seeing a few years ago but not my style.

Now, the New 2014 E class - have to say I was pretty impressed. Power is nothing compared to my G but adequate. No smile on my face from the driving dynamics (again, sport package is mainly cosmetic with a few suspension and interior upgrades-it ain't no AMG!!) but there was a lot I liked about the car. The dash is much nicer than I have seen on a Merc and the fit and finish was very nice. Their infotainment system was a bit bulky to use with the dial only Input but much more intuitive than the BMW system. One thing Mercedes did that is just ridiculous - they have what looks like a 7 inch (or maybe smaller) nav screen but it sits in an opening in the dash for a larger screen. Mercedes has these cheap panels that make the screen look bigger when the car is off as they try to measure up with the competition, but the screen gets swallowed by the setup when its on and its very noticeable. A One inch larger screen would have made this a much nicer interior feel. Good resolution on the screen just really small. I really liked the upgraded lighting package too - first I've seen that comes close to the Q.

Would have to wait until September to get the distronic cruise, safety interventions, etc like the tech package on the Q - starting production in July on those options. Won't have the backup collision intervention available though so the Q edges this out for me - we have a lot of huge SUVs in our parking lots out here and when you're surrounded by them trying to back out of a parking space it would give me some comfort having that available. Not a deal breaker but worth mentioning.

Now for the pricing comparison - if you are looking to BUY a Mercedes and don't need the safety tech right now you can get a deal. I was about $3-$4k under invoice on a brand new 2014 as their first offer (some money could be lease support so double check that YMMV) but that was a walk over, printed number from the sales manager before I uttered one sentence about any negotiations.. Still, equipped the way I would want, with all of the safety tech, etc. I'd be looking at about $200 more per month than what I'm expecting on the Q lease and that just doesn't make any sense to me.

If Mercedes is your thing, it's worth checking out the new E but I think I'll be passing on that.

So I'm quickly narrowing down my decision making back to a Q50 or an M and leaning toward the Q50 again unless the lease rates are ridiculous.

After seeing the interiors of the E and 5 series, I do feel better about some of my initial thoughts on the Q50's interior. I'm definitely feeling good about the in-touch system if they can work out the lag and bugs from the preproduction cars- which I'm sure they will. The nav screen in the Infiniti is just hot and the input screen is such a better implementation than Merc and BMW.

May go check out Audi and another look at Caddy again but I think I'm getting on the list to wait for the Q50 at this point and see where they lease.

Thanks for not beating me up too badly on my initial impressions here. I still feel strongly about they should support the leases to get the Q's on the road, and I still think they are going to be outpricing a lot of their G buyers but once the new Q70 comes out I guess they won't have the confusing mid-segment identity crisis any longer.

I guess I'll be building and ordering one online today to get my apple gift card in case I take the plunge soon

 

[Habanero]

Not to knock anyone else's preferences but I too went to a Q50 preview and just felt underwhelmed emotionally. This is one of the few cases where the pictures stirred me within more than the actual car, and for me normally pictures don't do a car justice. I'm also feeling let down about the engine being the same as the outgoing model, and this was an easy opportunity to one up BMW in a big way because the 3 series has been out for awhile.

And that's my comparison personally - a custom ordered 335 Msport without many of the luxuries that are included on cars on dealer lots. Prices on ordered cars can be found near invoice if you look hard and the prices are just too similar when I spec a 335 Msport rather minimally (to my preferences) vs. the Q50 MSRP debut price. If I'm going with a Q50 it needs to be a significant bargain for me in terms of lower price or a lot more goodies for the same money. Much of this is subjective, of course, but I think the 335 Msport is a better choice for me.

 

[QFiddyS]

I'm kind of with Habanero. I saw the car last week in person. I saw a tweet about a dealer having it from 12-6. Showed up and there was a sliver hybrid sport just sitting in the show room. No one looking at it, no sign, no salesmen hassleing me either. Now granted, I think the silver isn't the greatest color so I wasn't expecting to be blown away by that but I was kind of like, ok it's nice. Then again, I've been looking at pictures for the last 6 months so what was I expecting?

Anyway, the beauty of the visit was I got to sit it in and play with all everything. Compared with the G, it's a nice step up in fit and finish. Much more refined. The seats seemed more comfortable and the leather a little nicer. The major thing is obviously dual touch screens with the control knob moved to the traditional spot. The lag was there on the touch screen, but I expected that. The real problem though: I think it may just be too much. It may just take some getting used to, but it wasn't immediately intuitive like their current setup. That said, it's not a game changer and may actually be really nice once you get used to it. I guess by biggest take away was that, yes it's a better car, but is it so much better to justify the price increase? I paid 43-44ish for my 2010 Anny Edition, and I'm guessing my comparably equipped Q50S is going to run me 47-48.

To put that in perspective, I test drove an S4 last week as well and really liked it. It's smaller, and it's an Audi, but aside from that it was a great drive, the interior is top notch, the bang and olufsen 10 speaker system is fantastic, super intuitive setup, just a really good car. Out there door I could probably get that for 49ish (Premium + Nav). The main downsides are just the small interior cabin and the reliability reputation that Audi has.

So at the point I'm kind of in a wait and see until my Q50S comes in. Knowing the drivetrain hasn't changed, if I'm not blown away by the looks, I may have to give the S4 a go.

 

[jkay]

Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one left a little less than blown away. I was worried I would be in the minority for sure. Still a nice car and the more I've driven others, the more I think the Q might be for me but its all going to depend on how it leases out.

Fingers crossed that It'll all work out!

 

[brianch]

I'm kind of with Habanero. I saw the car last week in person. I saw a tweet about a dealer having it from 12-6. Showed up and there was a sliver hybrid sport just sitting in the show room. No one looking at it, no sign, no salesmen hassleing me either. Now granted, I think the silver isn't the greatest color so I wasn't expecting to be blown away by that but I was kind of like, ok it's nice. Then again, I've been looking at pictures for the last 6 months so what was I expecting?

Anyway, the beauty of the visit was I got to sit it in and play with all everything. Compared with the G, it's a nice step up in fit and finish. Much more refined. The seats seemed more comfortable and the leather a little nicer. The major thing is obviously dual touch screens with the control knob moved to the traditional spot. The lag was there on the touch screen, but I expected that. The real problem though: I think it may just be too much. It may just take some getting used to, but it wasn't immediately intuitive like their current setup. That said, it's not a game changer and may actually be really nice once you get used to it. I guess by biggest take away was that, yes it's a better car, but is it so much better to justify the price increase? I paid 43-44ish for my 2010 Anny Edition, and I'm guessing my comparably equipped Q50S is going to run me 47-48.

To put that in perspective, I test drove an S4 last week as well and really liked it. It's smaller, and it's an Audi, but aside from that it was a great drive, the interior is top notch, the bang and olufsen 10 speaker system is fantastic, super intuitive setup, just a really good car. Out there door I could probably get that for 49ish (Premium + Nav). The main downsides are just the small interior cabin and the reliability reputation that Audi has.

So at the point I'm kind of in a wait and see until my Q50S comes in. Knowing the drivetrain hasn't changed, if I'm not blown away by the looks, I may have to give the S4 a go.

S4 is nice car. Audi is on the rise.

Personally I am not a huge fan of how they look.

If you know how the G37 drives I don't think there will be much of a change in the Q50...

You are just buying it for the nicer interior and updated exterior + tech.

 

[Infiniti Chick]

So I was inspired to broaden my search after seeing the Q50 at a this preview event and figured I would update my thoughts in case anyone cares

I stopped by a BMW and Mercedes dealer yesterday to see if my feelings are in line with my expectations regarding the Q, payments and other offerings. Here are my updated thoughts:

BMW: sat in a 3 series and got right out. Not my cup of tea. Did not like the interior that much and, frankly, the GPS sticking out if the dash looks incredibly like an afterthought. Why in the world they designed it that way baffles me. I'm guessing cost cutting to save on dash materials and to differentiate it from the 5 series where it looks much more integrated. 3 series is ok but the Interior of the Q blows it away. Didn't test drive it but I've driven the 3's before everyone complained about the reduced driving dynamics so I'll remember it for what it was since even the fanboys are a bit down on the handling these days. 3 is out.

Sat in a 5 series. Much nicer interior - especially with the M sport package (for anyone that doesn't know, it's just an appearance package with some interior changes - not an 'M' that everyone drools over). Much nicer interior than the 3 series. Didn't feel that much nicer than the Q50 or M interior though. I have to say I was surprised. Fit and finish seemed nice. No surprise though - nickels, dimes and options to get it close to the Q50's options ended up well into the $70's and I just didn't see the value of even driving one for that price difference.

One quick note abut the iDrive - um, WOW- I'm sure BMW drivers get used to it (kinda like you can get used to walking around with a stone in your shoe until you have a chance to take it off and shake it out) but yuck! I'm fairly tech savvy and before I even bothered taking a BMW out for a test drive I asked to demo the iDrive system since I remember it being bad years ago and I had a difficult time understanding it. I'm actually baffled at how odd some of the choices are for entering information. For example, it only displays some letters and some numbers when you actually start to enter an address. I'm not talking about narrowing down the letters with only remaining possible combinations - I'm saying when I started to enter info. The 'speedometer' style letter choices in a circle is just confusing. I didn't even bother test driving because of a number of the things above, and I didn't try voice command, etc but I was hugely distracted just trying to enter an address or changing to a non- memory radio station.

Ok, BMW is out.

Next - Mercedes: looked at the C class and, like the 3 series, just not polished enough for me, very nice and way better than anything I remember seeing a few years ago but not my style.

Now, the New 2014 E class - have to say I was pretty impressed. Power is nothing compared to my G but adequate. No smile on my face from the driving dynamics (again, sport package is mainly cosmetic with a few suspension and interior upgrades-it ain't no AMG!!) but there was a lot I liked about the car. The dash is much nicer than I have seen on a Merc and the fit and finish was very nice. Their infotainment system was a bit bulky to use with the dial only Input but much more intuitive than the BMW system. One thing Mercedes did that is just ridiculous - they have what looks like a 7 inch (or maybe smaller) nav screen but it sits in an opening in the dash for a larger screen. Mercedes has these cheap panels that make the screen look bigger when the car is off as they try to measure up with the competition, but the screen gets swallowed by the setup when its on and its very noticeable. A One inch larger screen would have made this a much nicer interior feel. Good resolution on the screen just really small. I really liked the upgraded lighting package too - first I've seen that comes close to the Q.

Would have to wait until September to get the distronic cruise, safety interventions, etc like the tech package on the Q - starting production in July on those options. Won't have the backup collision intervention available though so the Q edges this out for me - we have a lot of huge SUVs in our parking lots out here and when you're surrounded by them trying to back out of a parking space it would give me some comfort having that available. Not a deal breaker but worth mentioning.

Now for the pricing comparison - if you are looking to BUY a Mercedes and don't need the safety tech right now you can get a deal. I was about $3-$4k under invoice on a brand new 2014 as their first offer (some money could be lease support so double check that YMMV) but that was a walk over, printed number from the sales manager before I uttered one sentence about any negotiations.. Still, equipped the way I would want, with all of the safety tech, etc. I'd be looking at about $200 more per month than what I'm expecting on the Q lease and that just doesn't make any sense to me.

If Mercedes is your thing, it's worth checking out the new E but I think I'll be passing on that.

So I'm quickly narrowing down my decision making back to a Q50 or an M and leaning toward the Q50 again unless the lease rates are ridiculous.

After seeing the interiors of the E and 5 series, I do feel better about some of my initial thoughts on the Q50's interior. I'm definitely feeling good about the in-touch system if they can work out the lag and bugs from the preproduction cars- which I'm sure they will. The nav screen in the Infiniti is just hot and the input screen is such a better implementation than Merc and BMW.

May go check out Audi and another look at Caddy again but I think I'm getting on the list to wait for the Q50 at this point and see where they lease.

Thanks for not beating me up too badly on my initial impressions here. I still feel strongly about they should support the leases to get the Q's on the road, and I still think they are going to be outpricing a lot of their G buyers but once the new Q70 comes out I guess they won't have the confusing mid-segment identity crisis any longer.

I guess I'll be building and ordering one online today to get my apple gift card in case I take the plunge soon

I'm so glad that I ran across this thread!! JKay, you saved me a ton of time because I too have appointments tomorrow to test drive the BMW 328i, the Mercedes C300 and the Volvo S60. Your assessments were basically what I had assumed by all the research I've done online. So now I've narrowed my options to the Q50 and the Audi A4. I haven't been inside/driven an A4 yet but I have always loved the look of them. For me to get the Prestige package, it would be about $4000 less than the Q50! That's a big difference. I just worry that the power/get up and go won't be as impressive as the Q50's V6! Any thoughts on the A4 since that is one you mentioned that you'd possibly go check out (of course you may have meant the S4 or A6).

I'm getting a bit nervous of taking the plunge on purchasing a $50K car (Q50) and all the kinks not worked out. Being a techy freak, I am in love with the two touchscreens so that is a big + for me on the Q50. I'm just so confused on what to do!!! ha

 

[jkay]

I'm so glad that I ran across this thread!! JKay, you saved me a ton of time because I too have appointments tomorrow to test drive the BMW 328i, the Mercedes C300 and the Volvo S60. Your assessments were basically what I had assumed by all the research I've done online. So now I've narrowed my options to the Q50 and the Audi A4. I haven't been inside/driven an A4 yet but I have always loved the look of them. For me to get the Prestige package, it would be about $4000 less than the Q50! That's a big difference. I just worry that the power/get up and go won't be as impressive as the Q50's V6! Any thoughts on the A4 since that is one you mentioned that you'd possibly go check out (of course you may have meant the S4 or A6).

I'm getting a bit nervous of taking the plunge on purchasing a $50K car (Q50) and all the kinks not worked out. Being a techy freak, I am in love with the two touchscreens so that is a big + for me on the Q50. I'm just so confused on what to do!!! ha

There's a lot to love about all of those cars! For me the super thin sender console on the Volvos just isn't my thing. I had an S60 and it was one of my favorite cars. I really like the looks of the S60 now too - just not a fan of the interior.

The Mercedes and BMW 300 and 3 series just don't feel luxury enough to me. I definitely think the Q has an edge on those models. Just my opinion but that's how I feel. I also don't think the BMW iDrive is good at all. Too cumbersome and distracting. The Q blows them out of water with the in touch Nd the beautiful nav screen with the touch screen.

I haven't driven the Audis yet but based in experience, I think I'll have a similar feeling about their infotainment. The A4 is too small for me in comparison and I still like the Q's tech compared to what they offer.

Frankly, I don't think you can go wrong with any of these cars though. All are nice and it's nice to have options such as these and to be fortunate enough to even be able to consider them.

If Infiniti is close on lease payments, I'm an early adopter. If not, I may go month to month when my lease is up in September to wait out some potential incentives. Not sure they'll come too soon but that's my hope.

One car you left out of your list was the Caddy ATS. There are some complaints about the CUE system but it drives really nicely and has your folding rear seats

I wouldn't rule it out without at least take one for a test drive. Small back seat and truck make it a hard sell for me but there are so many positives to it, it keeps drifting back into my mind.

 

[InfinitiPlusOne]

jkay, no love for the 2014 IS350? Didn't see you mention that car yet.

 

[brianch]

Are the new IS350s even available for test drives?


I don't think the 2.0T in the Audi A4 will be the same experience as the G37/Q50 V6. I also don't find those motors to be that great. All the ones I've driven were a little bit "rough" feeling for me.

 

[GtoQ]

Are the new IS350s even available for test drives?


I don't think the 2.0T in the Audi A4 will be the same experience as the G37/Q50 V6. I also don't find those motors to be that great. All the ones I've driven were a little bit "rough" feeling for me.

They actually started showing up at dealerships 2 days ago .. A few guys over on club lexus have already picked EM up!

 

[gbert15]

They actually started showing up at dealerships 2 days ago .. A few guys over on club lexus have already picked EM up!

Yup! They are available already! Talked to a vossen rep today and said they just picked their IS350 build car up recently! Looking forward to their builds! Especially since he also said that they are picking up the Q50 too! So stay tuned!

 

[Infiniti Chick]

There's a lot to love about all of those cars! For me the super thin sender console on the Volvos just isn't my thing. I had an S60 and it was one of my favorite cars. I really like the looks of the S60 now too - just not a fan of the interior.

The Mercedes and BMW 300 and 3 series just don't feel luxury enough to me. I definitely think the Q has an edge on those models. Just my opinion but that's how I feel. I also don't think the BMW iDrive is good at all. Too cumbersome and distracting. The Q blows them out of water with the in touch Nd the beautiful nav screen with the touch screen.

I haven't driven the Audis yet but based in experience, I think I'll have a similar feeling about their infotainment. The A4 is too small for me in comparison and I still like the Q's tech compared to what they offer.

Frankly, I don't think you can go wrong with any of these cars though. All are nice and it's nice to have options such as these and to be fortunate enough to even be able to consider them.

If Infiniti is close on lease payments, I'm an early adopter. If not, I may go month to month when my lease is up in September to wait out some potential incentives. Not sure they'll come too soon but that's my hope.

One car you left out of your list was the Caddy ATS. There are some complaints about the CUE system but it drives really nicely and has your folding rear seats

I wouldn't rule it out without at least take one for a test drive. Small back seat and truck make it a hard sell for me but there are so many positives to it, it keeps drifting back into my mind.

Thanks JKay!! Honestly, a couple of my "must haves" are likely pretty silly to some. For instance I love having the power tilt/telescoping wheel. It kills me how most of the others have manual at best. Plus the keyless start! LOVE never having to use a key!! Looks like the Audi has manual telescoping although their "build your car" site is lacking so it's hard to tell what the Prestige options include. For instance, it wouldn't let me add the S package so I'm not sure if it's just included in Prestige or not. Didn't say anywhere.

I swear all these options and the amount of time that I've already spent on researching all the car options (40-60 hours) is stressing me out. Maybe it makes sense for me to just purchase my 2010 G37 (which I LOVE but wish had folding rear seating) and finance for three years. Then in three years, sell it and take that money as a down payment on a new car. Is it smart to ever purchase your leased car...financially speaking?