The Infiniti Q50 is one of Nissan's better models. It's a sports sedan that's enjoyable to drive and comes close to the spirit of the established German competitors. Viewed against its peers, the Q50 offers V6 power for the price of competitors' four cylinder engines. As such, the Infiniti has an edge in outright acceleration but sacrifices fuel economy. Moreover, the Q50 isn't as polished when it comes to noise isolation, ride comfort, interior appointments and infotainment systems.
The 3.0t model, with all-wheel-drive puts it right in the hunt with an Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. That German trio, however, has more comfortable seats and nicer trimmed cabins. Plus, the infotainment systems in the Audi and BMW are much better.
The Q50's punchy, 300-hp V6 turbo gives it oodles of reserve power, making it satisfying to drive. It also shoots from 0-60 mph in a commendable 5.7 seconds -- about half a second quicker than its rivals. Of course, there's a price to pay for this. At 22 mpg overall, the Q50 isn't nearly as frugal as an Audi, BMW or Mercedes competitor which register 26 to 29 mpg in our testing.
Handling agility is a high point for the Q50. The car likes to be driven and it corners with alacrity. Combine that with a strong engine and it makes the Q50 a legitimate sports sedan that's fun to drive. Ride comfort is agreeable but not a standout, especially for a car costing this much. Some road and tire noise is noticeable, too; there are some $30,000 midsized sedans that are quieter than the Q50, let alone most of the competition.
Interior ambience is also half a notch behind the Germans in terms of material choice and fit and finish. Front-seat comfort is good but the lack of a four-way lumbar adjustment is inexcusable particularly in this price bracket.
The Q50 has a slight edge in terms of rear-seat room, though it's far from generous. The trunk is rather small.
While controls are mostly simple, the infotainment system is cumbersome and behind the curve. Many tasks require multiple taps on the screen because some functions are hidden under a particular menu. The upper screen always shows the navigation map which may be distracting.
Pricing out a Q50 with desired options requires getting expensive packages, wiping out any theoretical price advantage Infiniti might have against its competition.