What’s really unique about the Infiniti QX30 is that it’s essentially a Mercedes GLA swapped out with Infiniti badges, as part of Nissan’s recent partnership with Renault and its Daimler subsidiary. The QX30 shares the same 2 liter turbocharged engine and 7-speed dual clutch transmission straight from the Mercedes GLA, and it doesn’t feel or drive like an Infiniti product at all. Even the base Q50 with the 2.0 engine feels very different from the QX30 in almost every way. Not only that, but the QX30 surprised me, in that it drove very different from how I was expecting it to drive. With a base price just shy of $30K, the QX30 gives you a good sense of European luxury for a good value. Does the QX30 drive as good as it looks? Below are some of my driving impressions.
When I first got in, I was expecting this car to feel and drive like a premium, solid Mercedes product. The exterior is very unique and the interior both looks and feels luxurious. However, I was a bit surprised when I got the QX30 out on the road. It does have some premium undertones to the driving experience, but for the most part it felt somewhat coarse, even a little jerky and unrefined at times. It wasn’t quite what I was expecting out of a vehicle that was built by Mercedes Benz. The QX30 struck me as more of a “love it or hate it” type of vehicle, and I would certainly encourage you to test drive one for a little while if you are thinking about buying one. I could definitely see why people might like the QX30, but if I was in the market for a vehicle in this class, I would probably opt for the BMW X1 or even a slightly cheaper Volkswagen Golf GTI instead.
The first thing I noticed when getting this car out on the road was the throttle response. It feels more vague and mushy than I would have expected it to. The accelerator feels quite loose, and you need to give it a good shove before the tachometer starts moving. It doesn’t quite have that responsive, tuned in, effortless feel that I was really looking for.
The 2.0T engine also has somewhat of an unrefined power band. The torque feels soft off the line, and there is noticeable turbo lag. I think the feeling of turbo lag is also exaggerated due to the 7-speed DCT. It’s not until you hit around 2,500-3,000 RPM that the torque kicks in, but at that point it kicks in a little too abruptly and makes the QX30 feel a bit jumpy and unrefined under acceleration. I could see how some people might enjoy the more brash feel from the engine, but I would personally like the power band to feel more streamlined and linear. The power does feel pretty strong in the higher revs once the turbocharger kicks, but with 208 horsepower and 258 lb. ft. of torque, normal acceleration will feel a little soft, and it won’t really surprise you. The engine is pretty loud and it intrudes into the cabin a good amount as well. I think the engine sounds decent, and it feels pretty fun to wring it out, but I was really expecting more refinement out of it. Even when I drove the Q50 sedan with the same 2.0T engine, the power band felt little smoother and the engine was much quieter.
The 7-speed dual clutch could also use some improvements. Many people complained about the lack of refinement in the Mercedes CLA’s dual clutch, and it seems as though the same thing is happening in the QX30. It feels a little rough, and it doesn’t quite “listen” as well as a VW/Audi dual clutch. Sometimes it shifts smoothly, but I was also feeling a good amount of harshness from this transmission. If you’re in a situation where you slow down almost to a dead stop and then get back on the gas, the transmission will hesitate and then slam into gear a little too abruptly. It feels a little slow to engage off the line as well. The upshifts are pretty quick, but also a little jarring and disruptive.
I also noticed that this transmission had a tendency to upshift really early, which gives a feeling like the transmission is restricting you from using the engine to its full potential. Even with my foot deep into the throttle, the transmission would still upshift before the tachometer would cross 3,000 rpm, and it didn’t feel very intuitive at reading to my throttle inputs. Downshifts require a good amount of accelerator input, and even then it takes a few seconds for the transmission to recognize what you’re trying to do before delivering a downshift. The downshifts tend to lurch a little bit, and sometimes it gives you too low of a gear and you’re abruptly greeted with more power than necessary. The transmission just doesn’t have the quick thinking that you would normally expect from a dual clutch, and it doesn’t have the refinement or the predictability that you would expect from a vehicle at this price point. It’s still an okay transmission, and I think much of it is just a matter of getting used to the car and learning how to drive it. That said, the dual clutch transmissions used in Volkswagen products feel much better than this one.
The steering in this car is pretty nice. It is heavy enough to feel premium and communicative, and light enough to feel comfortable and refined. It has the smooth response that you would expect from a luxury vehicle. It’s easy to tell where the front tires are pointing, and the steering feels precise when going around corners. While the steering in this car felt fine for the most part, I felt that the response could have been a little sharper and more graceful. It has a little bit of raw muscle to it, which somewhat tags along with this vehicle’s “rough around the edges” persona. While the steering does a good job at blending that raw muscle feel with comfort and luxury, it also makes the steering feel a little crude and non-linear. It lacks a little in elegance compared to the QX30’s competitors. The steering also feels slightly cheaper compared to higher end luxury cars, so it doesn’t totally fool you into thinking you’re driving something super expensive. If you prefer a slightly more polished feel, you might not like the steering in the QX30.
The handling of the QX30 is pretty good. It can carve out corners with sport sedan levels of performance. The vehicle feels a little heavy at times, but the chassis remains flat around turns and the QX30 does a good job at inspiring you to drive a little faster. It feels pretty eager, and the chassis feels strong and rigid. The QX30 doesn’t necessarily feel like its on rails, but it holds its position on the road with good solidity. You can drive this thing pretty quick down winding backroads and it will do its thing without breaking a sweat. As I mentioned, I think the steering could feel a little sharper and more tuned in through turns, and the chassis could feel a little lighter and less prone to wheel hop, but overall the QX30’s handling is synonymous with its European roots and its $30K price tag.
In terms of ride quality, the QX30 feels refined over smooth road surfaces, but this car does crash pretty hard over bumps. It’s type of car that sacrifices ride quality for handling to a certain extent. Other luxury cars, even the ones in Infiniti’s lineup, seem to balance ride and handling a little better. If you’re okay with having good handling without the most refined ride quality, the QX30 will be fine. I think the Volkswagen GTI rides better than the QX30, which is a bit disappointing considering that the QX30 is branded as more of a luxury SUV than it is a 5-door hot hatch, but the QX30 will feel fine over most road surfaces.
The brakes feel nice and powerful, but the braking feedback and stopping power could be a little more refined. The brakes engage pretty quickly, but the pedal resistance is on the lighter side and the bite is somewhat vague. The brakes also transmit some unwanted vibrations through the pedal. There is some slight jerkiness in the drivetrain under braking, and the body rocks back a little aggressively upon reaching a complete stop as well. The overall braking feel is just a little twitchy at first, but I could probably get used to it over time.
The visibility in the QX30 is fine. The exterior styling doesn’t seem to intrude, despite the vehicle having more controversial styling cues. The front hood is a little bit curvy, but the windshield feels close to the driver and the mirrors are large. The higher ride height is also a nice addition to the driving experience, as it just gives you that extra amount of confidence out on the road. The back window seemed really small at first, but your rearward visibility still appears open and unobstructed for the most part.
The road and wind noise are about average. The QX30’s noise levels are more subdued compared to a non-luxury vehicle, but you can still hear some road noise and wind from passing cars. The engine note does get a little loud at times, but other than that, the noise levels seem to be decently competitive.
The Infiniti QX30 is a good car, but it’s lacking the refinement and the road manners that competing vehicles seem to do a little better. Technically the Volkswagen GTI and the QX30 are not direct competitors, but both vehicles have 2 liter turbocharged engines, dual clutch transmissions, similar performance specs, options, and dimensions, and the GTI actually has more cargo room than the QX30 with the seats folded down. The GTI is also front-wheel drive, as is the QX30 in most trim levels. Not only that, but the GTI has slightly more horsepower than the QX30, and the starting price is a little cheaper. The GTI just feels quicker, more intuitive, and it balances ride quality and handling better. It really all comes down to personal tastes, though. If you like a car that sacrifices some refinement for enthusiasm and raw connectedness, the QX30 might just be the car for you.
And that about covers it. Driving the QX30 was a totally different experience from what I was anticipating, and it didn’t quite meet my expectations in certain areas. It feels more like a coarse muscle car than the refined German engineered hot hatch that I originally envisioned it as. I think it definitely feels unique and it captures some of those core strengths that you would typically only find in a European luxury car, but the refinement isn’t all there and it falls short in certain areas. The engine’s power band could feel smoother with less off-the-line turbo lag, the ride quality could be better, the throttle response could be a little more responsive and well defined, and lastly, the 7-speed DCT needs work. The steering could feel a little more refined and punctual, but it still had a good solid feel to it, and the overall handling of the QX30 was great. For a starting price of $30K, you’re still getting a pretty good car for the money. The interior looks and feels expensive, and the exterior styling would make you believe that you paid far more than $30K.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEIyKM6Nzf8