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1955 Ford Crown Victoria2023 Infiniti Q50 Review
The 2023 Infiniti Q50 gets a lot right but competes in a large luxury segment. We look at powertrain, interior options, trim levels, and more.
What’s new for the 2023 Infiniti Q50?
The Infiniti Q50 is almost a decade old as this first generation dates back to 2014. Today, it comes with a twin-turbo V6, a seven-speed automatic transmission, and the choice of either rear or all-wheel drive.
All models come with an extensive warranty package, three years of complimentary maintenance, and an excellent safety suite with adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and more.
The 2023 Infiniti Q50 gets just a few very light updates for the new year. They include a Black Opal paint for the Red Sport trim level, an illuminated badge on the Sensory trim, and a Saddle Brown interior upholstery option for the base level version.
2023 Infiniti Q50 – infinitiusa.com | Shop 2023 Infiniti Q50 on Carsforsale.com
The Breakdown
Great engine
Outstanding warranty
Comfortable front seats
Frustrating steering
Dated interior
Unintuitive infotainment system
Underperforms in its segment
2023 Q50 Specs
- 300 horsepower from base engine
- 295 lb-ft of torque from base engine
- 3 available trims
- 13.5 cu-ft of cargo capacity
- Android/Apple Connectivity
- Lots of standard driver aids
- 3 years of free maintenance
2023 Infiniti Q50 Powertrain
We love a good luxury sports sedan and enjoy it even more when one comes from an unsuspected brand. Sadly, that’s not what we have with the Infiniti Q50 as much as we do the promise of something that could be great maybe sometime in the future. The engine, a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 is fun and responsive. In each of the first two trim levels it makes 300 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque.
On the top trim level Red Sport 400 it makes 400 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque. We prefer the punchier one but both have the same problem: steering feedback. Infiniti uses a steer by wire system with no physical hardware connecting the steering wheel to the front tires. Infiniti still hasn’t figured out how to communicate what’s happening at the tire level to the steering wheel with any sort of accuracy or consistency.
Other systems in the Q50 are decent enough though. The brakes are solid and linear and the ride quality itself is fine. The adaptive dampers on the Red Sport are nice too.
We also like the seven-speed automatic transmission which feels about as close to a dual-clutch version as it could get. All-wheel drive is available across the lineup but rear-wheel drive is standard.
2023 Infiniti Q50 Fuel Economy & MPG
According to the EPA, the Q50 can get up to 20 mpg in the city and 29 on the highway. The Red Sport version doesn’t axe much from that figure either with ratings of 20 and 26 mpg respectively. AWD drops city mpg to 19 and highway to 16 or 27 depending on trim level. That’s not bad for this segment.
Interior, Comfort, & Cargo Space
For the first few seconds inside of the Q50 it feels and looks quite nice. The asymmetrical center console, contrast stitching, and dual infotainment screens look impressive.
Dig a little deeper and things aren’t as impressive. Some of the controls feel completely out of place. For example the HVAC fan speed is set far from the front passenger and two of the most prominent buttons on the center console are for the camera system and the voice/map control – things that most people likely won’t click very often.
On the positive side of things, the front seats are objectively quite comfortable and we love the inclusion of leather upholstery, powered seats, and a power tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel. Still, there are simply too many misses in here like a lag of rear-seat legroom and a very diminutive trunk, to really give the Q50 a strong recommendation.
Entertainment & Technology
Beyond the telegram-like steering feedback the other area where buyers will immediately notice a deficiency in the Q50 is the infotainment system. Despite looking quite advanced with a pair of screens, the user interface itself is a chore. It doesn’t actually look all that good and the menu system is clunky and difficult to navigate.
Thankfully, the upper screen is also navigable through physical controls and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity are standard. That takes at least a bit of the headache out of the equation. Still, Infiniti has a lot of ground to gain here.
Safety Features
Every Infiniti Q50 comes with a full suite of driver aids. That includes adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, automated emergency braking, and more. It’s worth noting though that it didn’t receive any awards from the IIHS or the NHTSA during safety testing.
2023 Infiniti Q50 Trims & Pricing
Luxe – $43,800
The base Q50 comes with 18-inch wheels, run-flat tires, a sunroof, a dual-zone automatic climate control system, leather upholstery, a heated steering wheel, heated front seats, a dual-screen infotainment system, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, 16 speakers, forward collision mitigation, a surround-view camera system, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-departure warning.
Sensory – $49,500
Step up to the Sensory experience and you’ll get sport seats, high-performance summer tires, an air purifier, integrated navigation, and interior ambient lighting.
Red Sport 400 – $57,650
The Red Spot bumps power from the V6 to 400 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque. It also adds better brakes, adaptive dampers, premium leather upholstery, and unique exterior trim bits.
Warranties
If there’s one thing that Infiniti does better than its rivals in this segment, it’s warranty coverage. The Q50 is covered by a limited warranty for four years or 60,000 miles which is pretty standard. What’s wild is that the powertrain is covered for six years or 70,000 miles and Infiniti also covers the first three years of maintenance no matter how far one drives.
What we think
2023 Infiniti Q50 – usa.infinitinews.com | Shop 2023 Infiniti Q50 on Carsforsale.com
The 2023 Infiniti Q50 isn’t a bad car. In fact, we’d drive it over a plethora of compact cars, crossovers, or SUVs just based on its decent fuel economy, interior appointments, and horsepower.
Still, it’s not just gunning for good enough. It’s aimed squarely at big luxury names from BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz. Despite that, it’s not really anywhere near those brands.
In fact, we’d have a Kia Stinger or a Genesis G70 3.3T over the Infiniti in a heartbeat. If you are in the market for a 2023 Infiniti Q50, check out the current new car incentives for a good deal.
