I was pleased to drive the volume selling 3.0T model of the Q50. I was mostly curious about the engine performance and the direct adaptive steering system before driving the Q50, as well as whether or not the Q50 made a good case for itself against the other offerings in the class. Below are some of my driving impressions.
The direct adaptive steer-by-wire technology was not nearly as bad as I had anticipated. If I didn’t know it was direct adaptive steering I probably wouldn’t have been able to tell, as it feels more normal than a steer-by-wire system with no direct connection to the front wheels would lead you to believe. Granted, it is very light even in its sport setting and doesn’t provide much feel, but there are some strengths to the direct adaptive steering system. You notice when steering counteracts against crosswinds and uneven road surfaces, providing you with a nice dead-on straight feel no matter what type of road surface you’re on. It doesn’t “tramline” over creases or bumps, the wheel doesn’t have any forms of shaking or vibration, nor does it steer off center under braking. It’s all just very smooth and linear. The steering doesn’t have any weight to it, but it is still a predictable system and it holds the vehicle’s position on the road with solidity. Around turns it feels decently matched to the front tires, even a little better than the Q50’s hydraulic steering at times, and the assists allow the vehicle to carve out a corner with precision. It also seems to pull towards center decently well, so it mimics a normal power steering system pretty well. Like most vehicles in this class, the direct adaptive steering in the Q50 feels decently solid, but it doesn’t necessarily feel like its on rails. The only problem I have with direct adaptive steer is that it’s in the Q50. It doesn’t feel terrible, but it doesn’t live up to the standards of other vehicles in the class. I recently drove a Kia Stinger, and the steering in that car feels out of this world compared to the Q50. The direct adaptive steering would fit better in a Nissan Altima or Maxima, or possibly one of Infiniti’s larger and less driver-oriented crossovers. Not Infiniti’s best selling 300 horsepower sport sedan. The light and numb nature of the direct adaptive steering doesn’t do this vehicle any justice. Between “sport”, “normal”, and “comfort” modes, I didn’t notice much of a difference in the steering feel.
As you would expect, the 3.0 liter twin-turbocharged V6 rockets the Q50 up to speed and shoves you in the back of your seat when you get on it. The engine has 300 horsepower and 295 lb. ft. of torque. It’s really the heart of this car. It sounds really good and it transforms the Q50 into a great enthusiast’s vehicle. It would be so easy to rack up speeding tickets in this car, because the power just comes on so effortlessly and before you know it, you’re doing 65 in a 40. It has plentiful amounts of torque no matter what gear you’re in, and the engine is far more linear and refined than the previous 3.7 liter V6. There is some initial lag under 2,000 RPM but it’s not that noticeable. Once you get past that 2,000 RPM mark, the torque kicks right in and takes you by surprise. It sounds different from the older Infiniti engines, and it does have a touch of that artificially injected engine noise, but overall the engine has a fierce unique growl to it. Combine that with the sound of the twin-turbochargers spooling up, the engine definitely sounds like nothing else in the class. Skip the 2.0T model and get the 3.0T, it’s worth the extra money. The 3.0T is a stunning engine that puts the Q50 right back up there with the German competitors.
The 7-speed automatic feels fairly well matched to the engine. Some people may not like it, as it can feel somewhat dated, however I didn’t have any issues with it while driving the Q50. The transmission feels more aggressively tuned than most mainstream automatics, but it may be lacking the true engagement that other various automatics and dual-clutch automated manuals that are found in competing vehicles. There were also situations where it seemed like I wasn’t in the optimal gear, but this engine has so much torque to the point where you hardly notice these minor occurrences. Even riding 7th gear at 1,500 rpm on the highway will give you more than enough torque to pass. The 7-speed auto shifts fairly smooth, it is quick to downshift, it shifts snappy and authoritatively, and overall it does its job well.
In terms of handling, the Q50 feels stiff, rigid, and heavy. It’s not quite as connected to the driver, mainly because of the direct adaptive steering, however the chassis remains agile around corners. The Q50 in general feels dense and solid. The cabin feels more driver-oriented, and the dimensions feel quite small and narrow when driving down the road. It definitely gives off sport sedan vibes and has an attitude like it wants to be tossed around corners.
Like most floor-hinged accelerators, the feel of the accelerator in the Q50 is pretty stiff and it has a bit of a dead-zone right at the beginning of the travel. I think the accelerator response could feel more relative to the engine, but that’s a minor gripe. The brakes are also slightly on the vague side and the pedal transmits some vibrations, but they do a good job at stopping the car smoothly and assertively. The interior isn’t everyone’s favorite, however I think from just sitting in the Q50 and driving it, it feels classy and luxurious to spend time in. In person it definitely feels more expensive than your average mainstream family sedan. The visibility is great all around as well.
Overall, the 3.0T is the one to get, if you can’t quite live with the $51K price tag of the Red Sport 400 model. With an MSRP just shy of $39K, the Q50 3.0T represents a really good value in this segment. A BMW 330i costs $2K more, and you get 248 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, 52 less horsepower and 37 less lb-ft of torque than the Q50. The comparable 340i costs nearly $49K, $10K more than the Q50 3.0T, and you don’t even get real leather as standard in the 340i. The Q50’s driving dynamics may be a little behind, but the value it delivers makes it very competitive.