2021 Infiniti Q50

The more powerful 400-horsepower version of the same has been reserved for the Red Sport ($55,850) which we have covered in a separate review. Mated with a seven-speed automatic transmission, it comes with a rear-wheel-drivetrain (RWD) as standard. For getting an all-wheel-drive (AWD) you have to pay $2,000 extra in any trim. It goes up against other compact luxury sedans such as the Kia Stinger, Genesis G70, and Alfa Romeo Giulia.

The 2021 Infiniti Q50 is available in a total of 3 trims; Pure, Luxe, and Sensory. All the trims are powered by the same 300-horsepower twin-turbocharged V6 engine. The base or the Pure trim is priced at $36,600 which makes the Q50 one of the cheapest options available in the market. It comes with features such as 7- and 8-inch touch screens, dual-zone automatic climate control, keyless entry, forward collision warning, forward automatic emergency braking, and a rearview camera. 

The Luxe trim starts at $41,700 and adds features such as a moonroof, a heated steering wheel, heated front seats, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and much more. The newly added Sensory trim starts at $47,600 and adds upgraded leather upholstery, front sport seats, a 16-speaker Bose premium stereo, navigation, a power tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, and much more.

There are 2 optional packages on offer, the Seat and Sound package, and the Proactive package. The former costs $2,500 and adds features like a 16-speaker Bose premium audio system, driver's seat power lumbar adjustments, ambient interior lighting, and genuine leather upholstery. The latter costs $1,950 and adds lane keep assist, adaptive headlights, front pre-crash seat belts, an illuminated front grille emblem, and an electronic steer-by-wire system. 

Which Trim should you buy?

With the new update and more standard features, the Pure trim offers the best value for money. Coming at an MSRP of $36,600, it gets many modern-day features like the dual-screen setup, Wi-Fi hotspot, voice recognition, and forward automatic emergency braking. It also comes with an option of choosing between an RWD and an AWD just like the rest of the trims.

The standard Infiniti Q50 is powered by a twin-turbocharged V6 engine that adds a good grunt under the hood. It is capable of belting out 300 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. This makes the Infiniti Q50, the most powerful car in its segment for the price. The throttle feels responsive and you get a push-back to feel if you floor it. 

It can handle the city traffic with ease and overtaking on the highway requires minimal effort. The engine is paired to a 7-Speed Automatic transmission which provides quick shifts. Further, you get an option between choosing an RWD or an AWD with all the trims. Overall, the 3L Turbocharged V6 unit is much ahead of the rivals in terms of performance and does not leave much room for complaint. 

Even with the cheapest price tag, the Infiniti Q50 is the fastest car in its segment. It can sprint from zero to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds which means it’s ahead of its rivals in terms of performance. The Alfa Romeo Giulia on the other hand is just 0.1 seconds slower than the Infiniti Q50. This is due to the fact that it is lighter and has more torque than the Q50.

How well does the 2021 Infiniti Q50 handle?

This is the section where the Q50 needs a lot of rework. While the engine feels quite athletic, all that power does not translate into a very fun-to-drive experience. The steering feels artificially weighted and offers minimal to no feedback. Hence, the feeling of the connection to the road is somewhere lost in translation. Moreover, the optional drive-by-wire steering setup called the Direct Adaptive Steering also fails to impress with its switchable modes.

In terms of the ride, the Q50's suspension has been tuned keeping in mind the performance figures of its engine. Thus, it is a bit on the stiffer side which means that the sharp bumps and shocks filter into the cabin. The body roll is very well contained and the well-cushioned seats do a good job of keeping you away from the aftershocks. Overall, the ride and handling package is a bit disappointing considering the capable powerplant that the car comes with.

2021 Infiniti Q50 Braking Performance

When it comes to braking, the heavier than average weight of the Infiniti Q50 means that it takes a bit longer to come to a halt. Infiniti has not provided a beefier brak setup even though the Q50 is the heaviest car in its class. Thus, even though it comes with grippy tires, the brakes feel overworked under emergency braking situations. However, the brake pedal offers good feedback and a progressive feel even under hard braking.

Thanks to its lighter curb weight and bigger brakes, the Alfa Romeo Giulia offers the best braking prowess in its class. It is followed by the G70 which comes with the biggest brake rotors in its class. The Infiniti Q50 and the Kia Stinger come with smaller brake rotors even though they both are the heaviest cars here.

If you haven’t figured it out already, all that brisk performance comes at the cost of fuel economy. The Infiniti Q50 offers 20 MPG in the city, 29 MPG on the highway, and a combined MPG figure of 23. These numbers are the lowest in the segment which means that the Q50 is not as pocket-friendly as some of its rivals. The poor fuel economy numbers can be attributed to the bigger engine and the heavier curb weight of the car.

The Alfa Romeo Giulia is the most fuel-efficient car you can get here. Thanks to its lighter curb weight and a smaller engine it takes the top spot here. With its largest fuel tank capacity, the Infiniti Q50 offers the best-in-class range which means fewer fuel stops.

Infiniti seems to have focused more on what’s under the hood rather than what’s inside the cabin. Thus, the interior of the Q50 fails to impress with its outdated interior design and below-average material quality. The dual-screen setup brings a feel of modernity into an otherwise plain and boring dashboard design. Most buttons and switchgear seem to have been carried over from cheaper Nissan cars. The leather-wrapped steering feels chunky to hold and the ergonomics are well sorted for the most part.

The legroom and the headroom in the front row seats remain above average but the rear seats offer below-average overall space. The seats offer excellent overall comfort and support for the rear as well as front passengers. Storage spaces on the inside are adequate but not surplus in terms of quantity. Additional features like remote start, a moonroof, a universal garage door opener, and ambient interior lighting help to enhance the overall premium appeal of the cabin.

While the Infiniti Q50 is as large as any of its rivals, its cargo carrying capacity is not really up to the mark. With a cargo capacity of 13.2 cubic feet, it is capable of caring 2-3 carry-on suitcases. You can expand the overall capacity by folding the rear bench but it is not offered as standard. The Kia Stinger simply outclasses all its rivals when it comes to cargo capacity. Key Interior features include:

• Two-zone Climate Control
• Push Button Start
• Ambient interior lighting
• Heated Rear Window with Timer
• Moonroof
• Front Seats w/Power 4-Way Driver Lumbar
• 8-Way Power Driver Seat
• Tilt/Telescoping Steering Column
• Garage Door Transmitter
• Cruise Control w/Steering Wheel Controls
• Remote Keyless Entry

What’s there to keep you entertained?

The Infiniti Q50 comes with a dual-screen setup to meet your infotainment needs. The screen at the top is an 8-inch unit while the lower half gets a 7-inch display. It gets features such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with an in-built navigation system. It gives you the ability to choose the screen you prefer for operating any specific app. The screens feel responsive to touch and encountering a lag is not an everyday affair. However, the interface looks dated and can be updated through an over-the-air update.

Key Infotainment features include:

• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto 
• 7-inch and 8-inch dual infotainment touchscreen setup
• Six-speaker sound system
• HD radio
• Bluetooth
• In-built navigation
• Two USB ports
• Wi-Fi Hotspot
• Available 16-speaker Bose premium stereo

The Infiniti Q50 stands out in the segment with its bold and imposing looks. It comes out with a sporty appearance with its curvy lines and subtle design cues borrowed from the classic G35. At the front, the sharp and angular headlamps with a blacked-out grille make up for an aggressive look. From the side, the car looks quite proportionate with its subtle cuts and creases. The rear looks a bit plain with sleek headlamps and a multi-layered bumper. Overall, the Q50 manages to mask its outdated interior with a mature and contemporary exterior quite well.

In comparison, the Kia Stinger offers the best road presence with its longer wheelbase and larger overall dimensions. The Alfa Romeo Giulia on the other hand is the shortest car here. The Infiniti Q50 is the tallest car in its class. However, none of them can be called outdated in terms of looks and come with similar if not identical, exterior dimensions. Exterior features include:

• 17” alloy wheels
• Chrome Side Windows Trim and Black Front Windshield Trim
• Light Tinted Glass
• Fixed rear window w/ defroster
• Speed sensitive rain detecting variable intermittent wipers
• Trunk rear cargo access
• LED brake lights
• Perimeter/approach lights
• Auto on/off projector-beam LED low/high beam daytime running auto-leveling
• Front Fog Lamps

The 2021 model year adds more safety equipment as a standard to the Infiniti Q50. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has awarded the 2021 Q50 the highest rating of Good in all four crash tests conducted. Even the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the 2021 Infiniti Q50 five out of five stars rollover test. Overall safety ratings are yet to be revealed by the NHTSA. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Key Safety Features include:

• Forward collision warning
• Forward automatic emergency braking
• Rearview camera
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Reverse automatic emergency braking
• Adaptive cruise control
• Lane departure warning
• Lane keep assist
• A surround-view parking camera system
• Rear parking sensors
• Adaptive headlights

2021 Infiniti Q50 vs 2021 Genesis G70

The 2021 Genesis G70 and the Infiniti Q50 have a lot in common including the cheap price tag. Both are priced considerably lower than their German counterparts. However, the G70 is overall a better car with its more upscale interior, better features like and excellent safety scores. The Q50 on the other hand gets a more powerful engine and beats the G70 in zero to 60 mph figures. Still, the G70 feels like a more refined product out of the two.

2021 Infiniti Q50 vs 2021 Kia Stinger

The 2021 Kia Stinger costs much cheaper than the Q50 in its base trim. For an unbeatable price tag, it offers a better ride and handling, more room on the inside, a bigger cargo area, and even a better infotainment system. Thus, it certainly is a more value-for-money product than the Infiniti Q50. However, in terms of straight-line acceleration, it is no match for the Q50’s excellent pulling power. Overall, the Stinger still wins the race with its cheaper price tag and a better interior.

2021 Infiniti Q50 vs 2021 Alfa Romeo Giulia

The 2021 Alfa Romeo Giulia brings a lot of exclusivity factors to the table. Also, it is the only car in this comparison that can actually match the performance levels of the Q50. While it is almost as quick as the Q50, it is much more fuel-efficient and gets a better gearbox. However its hefty price tag and not so luxurious interior hold it back from taking the top spot. It is a joy to drive but the Infiniti Q50 feels like a more value for money package out of the two.

The 2021 Infiniti Q50 is one of the cheapest entry-level luxury sedans you can get today. It offers an excellent range of powertrain options along with a mature styling. With its brisk acceleration figures and comfortable seating, it can accommodate 5 people on board without any issues. However, its outdated interior design, small boot space, mixed interior quality, and deft handling characteristics make it less desirable than most of its rivals.