2018 Infiniti Q50 Sport AWD

 
 

We were super hyped to try out first Infiniti. When they first launched they made a name for themselves as the Japanese BMW but their reputation has gotten mixed opinions now. In 2018 Infiniti has given the Q50 Sport a minor cosmetic refresh. Nothing under the hood has changed.

Disclosure: Infiniti Canada provided me with the 2018 Infiniti Q50 for a week to test drive, and photograph. All photos in this blog post was taken by me.

ACCELERATION: 10/10

  • 3.0L Turbo V6 400 HP@6400 / 350 lb-ft @1600-5200
  • 3.0L Turbo V6 300HP@6400 / 295 lb-ft @ 1600-5200
  • 4.5 seconds 0-100 km/hr (400 HP)
  • Highlight of my driving experience is the acceleration. It has so much power off the line.

BRAKING: 7.8/10

  • Fairly decent braking ability but could be improved with wider tires.

HANDLING: 6.8/10

  • Was not confident in turns. The steering feels very video game like and not very engaging.

RIDE: 7.5/10

  • Not as comfortable of a ride as some of the competitors in the segment but not overly firm suspension feel.
  • I like the firmness when wanting to be in sport mode but in normal mode I would like to see it softer.

ECONOMY: 7.5/10

  • 20/26/22 (City / Hwy / Comb) 3.0T (400HP)
  • 20/29/23 (City / Hwy / Comb) 3.0T (300HP)
  • 23/31/26 (City / Hwy / Comb) 2.0T
  • 27/32/29 (City / Hwy / Comb) Hybrid
  • Fuel economy isn't the goal with such a powerful engine.

CABIN NOISE: 7.5/10

  • For a car in this class I would expect a quieter cabin but personally I like hearing the road noise.
  • Engine noise sounds pretty exciting and puts a smile to the drivers face when stepping the pedal all the way down

EXTERIOR: 8.5/10

  • Aggressive yet classy and sporty exterior look

SAFETY|SECURITY|TECH: 8.5/10

  • Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Lane Departure Prevention (LDP) Systems, LDW sounds an audible warning when you start to drift out of your lane and LDP lightly applies the brakes to help ease you back between the lines
  • Forward Emergency Braking (FEB)
  • Predictive Forward Collision Warning (PFCW)
  • Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) with Traction Control System (TCS)
  • Brake Assist (BA)
  • Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD)
  • Zone Body construction with reinforced passenger compartment and front and rear crumple zones
  • Front seat belts with pretensioners and load limiters, driver’s seat Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) & passenger’s seat ELR and Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
  • Infiniti Advanced Air Bag System (AABS) includes dual-stage front supplemental air bags with an occupant-classification sensor which adjust their inflation rate depending on crash severity. If the front-passenger’s seat is empty, a sensor will deactivate the air bag
  • Emergency inside trunk release
  • Slide-away brake pedal assembly
  • Infiniti Intelligent Key backup slot to start vehicle if keyfob battery is depleted
  • Vehicle Security System
  • Infiniti Vehicle Immobilizer System
  • Remote keyless entry system with door handle touch selective unlocking of driver's door or all doors
  • Blind Spot Warning (BSW)
  • Back-up Collision Intervention (BCI)
  • Front seat Pre-Crash Seat Belts
  • Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) provides specific information for each tire and low pressure warning
  • 4-wheel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) 
  • LATCH System (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) helps simplify proper installation of compatible child restraint seats
  • Second-row 3-point seat belts with ELR and ALR
  • Roof-mounted curtain side-impact supplemental air bags for front and rear-seat outboard occupant head protection
  • Driver & front-passenger side-impact supplemental air bags
  • Blind Spot Intervention® (BSI®) System

INTERIOR FOR DRIVER: 8/10

  • Fairly comfortable seat. Could be improved with lumbar controls
  • Doors are mainly made with soft touch plastics
  • Like how they moved the shift paddles to be connected to the steering wheel instead of  steering column. They have a history of putting the shift paddles on the steering column but I actually prefer it on the steering wheel.

INTERIOR FOR PASSENGERS: 8/10

  • Front passenger seat does not have as much range of control as the driver.
  • Back seat has a generous amount of leg room for the class.
  • Found it strange there is no panoramic sunroof but the Nissan Maxima includes it.

INTERIOR STORAGE: 7/10

  • Not much storage space in the trunk since they focused on making the rear passenger area have so much leg room.

INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM: 6.5/10

  • Two screen infotainment system and both are touch screen. 
  • Not a fan of how certain temperature controls can only be accessed via the infotainment which make it a hassle to change. 
  • Design is feels dated. Also no Android Auto or Apple Car Play.

OVERALL IMPRESSION OF THE 2018 Infiniti Q50 Sport:

In the compact luxury sedan segment the 2018 Infiniti Q50 Sport offers great value for what you get. While there are cheaper options than the Q50 it comes with much less features. Anyone offering something comparable in features is going to costs a lot more. The V6 twin turbo delivers on power and easily overtakes anyone on the highway. Especially with the 400 HP version. This is the best engine in the Japanese segment however Infiniti still needs to refine the steering feel. I feel like I'm playing a video game at times. While it is not the most practical car with it's limited storage capacity and lack of modern features like Android Auto and Apple Car Play, it a really fun to drive on the straight way. I'm sure it will put a smile on your face every time you push the pedal.

 
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