2020 Infiniti Q50

There are plenty of reasons to consider the 2020 Infiniti Q50. The comfort is segment-leading, interior space is generous, and offers buyers plenty of trims to choose from. However, what it lacked and still does, is the refinement and the badge value of the competitors like the BMW 3-Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and Genesis G70. Having said that, it has the premium touch expected from the class, but it certainly lacks the refined and updated manner in which the very same premium interior is laid out in some of its competitors. The 2020 Infiniti Q50, still follows the same path of the small revisions around trims and standard features in an attempt to keep things updated and fresh for the buyers. But will they be enough this time around? Let's check that further below.

Where the Japanese excel, is the wholesome premium package and modest pricing. Just like other premium Japanese products, the 2020 Infiniti Q50 can be picked from the available four trims, with prices kicking at $36,400 for the base and stretching up to $50,500 for the 3.0t Sport. There is also the bonkers Red Sport 400 trim, which we have reviewed separately. The base Pure comes standard with a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine. All the trims of the 2020 Q50 can be bundles with the optional all-wheel-drive system.

We Recommend

The 3.0t Pure is the best variant to go for in the Infiniti Q50 lineup while those having a more flexible budget can also look at the Edition 30 trim which offers a host of convenience features along with more driver aids.

The star of the show is the potent 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6, which is urgent yet docile. You'll never tire of exercising it.-Edmunds

With the dropping of the 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 motor, the sole engine on the 2020 Infiniti Q50 is a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine that cranks out a decent 300 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. The setup comes mated with a seven-speed automatic that does its job well. All variants can be had with either an RWD (as standard) or AWD. The latter is extremely smooth and has sharp handling characteristics.

The Infiniti Q50 is a comfortable car yet when called to action the 2020 Q50 goes from 0-60 mph in 5.4 seconds and covers the quarter-mile in under 14 seconds. The V6-powered Q50 is also a great handler. The power band is flat with plenty of oomph everywhere. Put your foot down and the turbo powers you across the tarmac.

Higher trims (3.0t Sport and Red Sport) get adaptive dampers, but the standard suspension offers great ride quality. There is an optional steer-by-wire system, which is a lighter electronic steering system. Although the system sounds good in theory, it robs the driver of any feel and feedback, which makes it a feature you should not opt for.

Braking statistics for the 2020 Q50 haven’t been declared yet, but it gets a decent braking system that should perform well under panic braking situations. The front and rear disc are averages for this class, 12.6 and 12.1 inches in the front and rear respectively. Although being heavier than the rival sedans it is at a disadvantage when it comes to shedding speed.

All the cars in this segment are currently less powerful than the Q50 as it is the only sedan that comes with a twin-turbo V6 under forty grands where the rest of the sedan offers a turbo-four motor. What's surprising is the fact even though the 3-Series is powered by a smaller and less powerful turbo-four motor it matched the 0-60 mph timing of the Q50 and was only one-tenth of a second behind the latter in the quarter-mile run.

Having a twin-turbo V6 under its hood the Infiniti Q50 isn't the most fuel-efficient sedan. The 2020 Q50 has an EPA estimated gas mileage of 20 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway. Going for the AWD version of the Q50 sees a drop of 1 mpg in the city and 2 mpg on the highway. With a 20-gallon fuel tank, the Q50 in RWD configuration on a full tank can go up to 400 miles in the city and 580 miles on the highway before requiring a fuel break.

The little turbocharged motor-powered sedans are more frugal than the V6 powered Q50. The 3-Series is the most efficient returning 6 mpg more in the city and 7 mpg more on the highway compared to the Q50. The Q50 gets the biggest fuel tank while the 3-Series has the smallest among all. Although when it comes to the best range from a tank full of gas the C-Class is the one to look at. 

The Q50's interior features quality materials like available maple wood trim and standard leatherette upholstery, but its cabin doesn't match the opulence of some competitors.-Cars.usnews

Inside the 2020 Infiniti Q50, one can comfortably seat 4 adults, and 5 too if the need arose. The gently sloping roof restricts headroom a little, but shorter passengers wouldn’t even notice. Higher trims get even better interiors with soft leather covering prominent touchpoints and seating surfaces. The front seats are great too, and the large glass area makes the cabin feel airy and roomy. The low hood frees up the viewing area upfront, improving road visibility.

The infotainment system on the Infiniti comes with dual display system screens, (8-inch upper and 7-inch lower). It supports voice commands too. The upper screen is used for infotainment and navigation while the lower is used for HVAC and other control. The Q50 also gives the user the flexibility to choose which app to display on which screen. That said, both the screen runs on Infiniti's InTouch infotainment system which isn't the most intuitive out there.

The trunk space in the 2020 Infiniti Q50 is 13.2 cubic feet, quite average for the segment. The space is plenty for groceries and similar cargo. Anything more than two briefcases, and the rear passengers will have to scoot over to make space. The rear seats fold flat in the lower trim and only the higher trim gets the luxury of 60/40-split folding rear seats.

On paper, you will notice the Q50 has the best legroom in the front as well as the rear seats. Also, the headroom and the shoulder room are among the best in the Q50 as for the rival sedans the BMW 3-Series is the closest in terms of cabin space. Likewise, the 3-Series offers almost similar trunk space as the Q50 while the G70 has the smallest trunk among all. 

Interior Features:

• Power-adjustable front seats
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Simulated leather upholstery
• Six-speaker stereo
• Available 16-speaker Bose surround sound system
• Available real leather upholstery
• Available heated front seats and steering wheel

The exterior of the Q50 is punctuated by a sharply creased hood up front and exaggerated haunches in back. A revised front bumper opens wide at the bottom, swallowing up road and spitting out wonderful exhaust notes from the dual tailpipes.-The Car Connection

The 2020 Infiniti Q50 has a striking and upmarket look. The front end is kept sharp with lots of angular design elements and cuts. The long and low hood gets strong character lines that start at the front grille and merges into the roof pillar. This lends to this already muscular car a visually striking front. The headlights and taillights are uniquely shaped and complement each other. The front grille is unique too and quite large with honeycomb mesh. Move to the sides, the roofline slopes gently, and the C-pillar increases in thickness around the shoulder line.

Overall, the Q50 feels more premium in design and stands out from the crowd. Weighing at 3,685 pounds it isn't the lightest and is also moderately long just under 190 inches. The wheelbase is a generous 112.2 inches, freeing up precious legroom in the rear. Although the 5-inches of ground clearance isn't the best in the class and while going over big bumps requires careful planning when fully loaded.

Dimension wise except for the width and the ground clearance the Infiniti Q50 is an overall big sedan. The result is in the form of a spacious cabin and more than generous boot space. While the rest of the three rivals are surprisingly almost similar in length but vary in terms of width, height, and wheelbase by an inch give or take.

Exterior Features:

• 17-inch alloy wheels
• LED headlights
• Available 18-inch alloy wheels
• Available moonroof
• Available front and rear parking sensors

When it comes to safety the 2020 Infiniti Q50 doesn't offer much in terms of standard features although the optional ProAssist package can be had to add some advanced driver aids to make it a safer ride. As for the safety score, the NHTSA hasn't fully crash-tested the 2020 Q50 as of this writing and only tested it for the rollover mitigation where the Q50 scored a perfect score of 5 stars. As for the IIHS, it gave the Q50 the highest rating of 'Good' in the four parameters it was tested.

Safety Features:

• Forward collision warning w/ forward emergency braking
• Rearview camera
• Available front and rear parking sensors
• Available lane-departure warning w/ lane keep assist
• Available blind-spot monitor
• Available adaptive cruise control
• Available automatic high-beam

2020 Infiniti Q50 vs 2020 BMW 3-Series

The 2020 BMW 3-Series is an all-rounder. It boasts a smaller turbo-four engine which is fast and fuel-efficient both at the same time. The handling of the 3-Series needs no introduction. While when compared to the Q50 except for the slightly better cabin space, a lower price tag, and a twin-turbo V6 engine there is hardly any talking point here.

The cabin of the Q50 is no match to that of the 3-Series in terms of luxury and material quality. While the performance of the 3-Series from the smaller motor is similar to the Q50 and at the same time the 3-Series is more fuel-efficient. Add to that the standard safety features offered on the 3-Series are more and reassuring for the buyer compared to the Q50.

2020 Infiniti Q50 vs 2020 Mercedes-Benz C-Class

The 2020 Mercedes-Benz C-Class is all that the BMW 3-Series offers over the Q50 minus the performance and handling part. Although it raises the ante when it comes to cabin comfort and luxury.

So even though the C-Class commands a steep five grand premium over the base Q50, it gives you more than enough reason to consider it over the Q50.

If you are thinking of buying the 2020 Infiniti Q50 then you are looking at an extremely comfortable sedan that offers a generous amount of space on the inside and gets a powerful twin-turbo V6 as standard. The efficiency is mediocre in front of the turbo-four powered sedan but it's worth the sacrifice. If you can buy the performance variant, the Red Sport 400, then it is a practical yet exciting car thus making it a winning combination.

More from Infiniti:

• We gathered the latest details on the upcoming Infiniti Q50, read the article to find out what's expected in the 2022 Q50
• The 2022 Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400 sedan is expected to come with no major change but is that all? Click on the link to find out

FAQs on the 2020 Infiniti Q50:

Is the 2020 Infiniti Q50 a reliable car?

The 2020 Infiniti Q50 got a reliability score of 82 out of 100 from J.D.Powers and ranks in the third position under the top ten consumer-rated luxury sedans.

How much to pay for the 2020 Infiniti Q50?

The 2020 Infiniti Q50's MSRP ranges from $36,400 to $50,500.

What's new on the 2020 Infiniti Q50?

The 2020 Infiniti Q50 has dropped the base engine this year and now comes only with a twin-turbo V6 engine. Other addition includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto along with a new infotainment system.

How fast is the 2020 Infiniti Q50?

The 2020 Infiniti Q50 powered by the 300 hp, twin-turbo V6 goes from 0-60 mph in 5.4 seconds and covers a quarter-mile in 13.9 seconds.