2023 Infiniti Q50

Pros:

• The engine is a powerful V6 with a turbocharger.
• The seats in the front and back are both comfortable.

Cons:

• The design of the inside seems to need to be updated.
• Some of the most recent driving aids are too sensitive.
• Most of our competitors charge more for services that are similar to ours.

How do you move the Q50? With its basic V6 turbocharged engine, the Q50 still has some life. It has a lot of power and revs up and down quickly. The Q50 is also faster than the typical small luxury sedan. In our tests, it took 5.4 seconds to reach 60 mph. You can join the flow of traffic relatively quickly. Even though the Q50 doesn’t stop as well, its brake pedal makes it easy to come to a smooth stop in everyday driving. For our emergency stopping test, our test vehicle had to stop at 123 feet from 60 miles per hour. Most of your opponents stop about 10 feet shorter than you.

The steering is hard to turn and needs to respond better. The Q50’s system is entirely electronic, so there is no mechanical link to the front wheels. This takes away feedback and accuracy. There may be a real sport sedan in the Q50 somewhere, but it’s annoying computer systems make it hard to drive smoothly or with joy.

What is the Q50 like in terms of comfort? Even on long trips, you can sit comfortably in the front seats. Backseat passengers will have a good time. But the Q50’s ride comfort, or lack of it, is a problem. If the road could be more perfectly smooth, the Q50 almost always feels crowded. Even tiny cracks cause a noticeable jolt when you drive over them.

Most of the sounds inside a car come from the road and other vehicles, especially when driving on the highway. Narrow windows and doors that don’t have enough insulation could be to blame. Even when the engine runs at full speed, it makes a pleasant, quiet buzz. The climate control system does an excellent job of keeping the room at the right temperature, but the settings need to be set up logically.

How does the inside look? You can move the Q50’s front seats and the steering wheel in many ways, so you and your front-seat passengers can find a comfortable spot. When getting into the car, taller people in the back should be careful with their heads and feet. The Q50’s thin roof pillars make it easier to see the front and sides. However, the short back window and high trunk lid make it hard to see out the back.

In this case, the Q50’s controls are at the heart of the problem. The strange dual-screen format makes it much harder to find and use controls than needed. Infiniti should get a second chance.

How good is the tech? By far, this is the most annoying thing about the Q50. Most customers who are used to technology that works well together will need clarification on the dual-screen infotainment system’s patchwork of different fonts, resolutions, and menus. We spent hours trying to remember how the menus worked, and we made many navigation mistakes. Even though Android Auto and Apple CarPlay make it easy to connect a smartphone, managing the Q50 is challenging.

Some of the Q50’s driver aids were too sensitive, so we had to turn them off. Even though Infiniti’s Active Trace Control, which uses predictive technology to help drivers improve their performance, is annoying and pointless, adaptive cruise worked well.

What about putting things away? Even though the trunk has a big opening, there is little space for cargo because the wheel wells are so big. Because the box’s hinges are outside the chest, you can fully load the Q50 without worrying that the lid will break something when it closes. When the back seats are collapsed, the interior cargo area of the car expands, which may be of great use.

Since there’s nowhere to put something as big as a smartphone, the cup holders must do most of the heavy lifting daily. In front of the shift lever is a door that opens up, but it’s better for access cards or small items like a pack of gum. USB and power interfaces make the central console less able to store things.

How well does it use gasoline? The EPA says the non-Red Sport all-wheel-drive Q50 gets 22 mpg (19 city/27 highway). Results from competitors with V6 engines are the same. Luckily, our test vehicle easily beat those expectations. On our 115-mile evaluation route, it got an impressive 25 mpg. The gas tank in the Q50 is also pretty big.

Should I get the Q50? The Q50 is stylish and powerful, but it doesn’t have any high-end features. At first glance, the cabin has everything a modern driver might want or need. However, looking more closely, you’ll see that it’s behind several competitors in terms of technology and amenities. Even though the fit and quality are great, the different materials and styles must work better with a more straightforward, appealing design. The crowded approach takes away from the luxurious look of the car.

Even though Infiniti says the Q50 has both thrills and elegance, more than its turbocharged V6 engine and redesigned leather seats are needed to make it feel luxurious or sporty. Under the mountains of modern technology, you can find the bones and feel of the old G37 sedan. But time and a lack of real progress and fine-tuning have led to a chassis that works well but could be more exciting.

You should choose the Luxe trim level. Even though the Luxe is the least expensive trim, it comes with a wide range of standard comforts and a complete set of high-tech driver aids. The extra money you pay for the Sensory decoration only gets you a little more.

Infiniti Q50 models

The 2023 Infiniti Q50 comes in three trim levels: Luxe, Sensory, and Red Sport 400. The 3.0-liter V6 engine in the Red Sport 400 has 400 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque, up from 300 hp and 295 lb-ft in the first two versions. An automatic transmission with seven gears drives the back wheels. All of the models have all-wheel drive.