As someone whose day job has long been in advertising, it’s easy to notice that Infiniti seems to continually miss the mark. But as someone who loves cars, they have occasionally piqued my interest.
This is the brand that, mind you, launched in 1989 – alongside Toyota’s Lexus – with the wonderful first-generation Q45. A far more interesting and fun-to-drive car than the Lexus LS400, Lexus’ Mercedes S-Class clone, the Q45 barely moved off dealer lots. The Lexus became a sales sensation. Some people blame the marketing. And indeed, the “rocks and trees” campaign at the car’s launch was a bit too…cerebral? Devoid of content? Choose your preferred descriptor.
Full disclosure: I just purchased a Q50S Red Sport 400 (yes, a mouthful and sounds like it came from a focus group comprised solely of five-year-old boys). And it’s not the best car I’ve ever driven. But it’s also not the worst, so, hey, that’s something. Instead, the top-shelf Q50 sits somewhere in that vast middle space of consistently-evolving, ever-better entry luxury sports sedans.
I don’t make new car commitments lightly. I was determined to get a deal on this car, and I did – but I’m someone who generally enjoys haggling. Apparently, most people do not.
But in terms of features and content, you can still generally get more for your dollar with a Japanese car than you do with the equivalent German offerings.
And in this case, there’s a reason for that: this is no M3 competitor. It is more subdued, less raw and less of joy to pummel into switchbacks and deserted, undulating two-lanes. You could consider it an S4 competitor (note that when Audi brought the RS Audis to these shores, the S Audis became a little less hard-edged by comparison). But even if one were to pit it against the S4, or the Benz C43 AMG, the Germans are the superior cars. Period. (note: the V8-powered C63 AMG is significantly more expensive and plays in a different league).
So does that mean the Infiniti doesn’t have the right stuff? In my estimation, no. Nissan has continually improved the car since it was introduced for MY 2014, when it was, let’s say an underwhelming successor to the great G35/37. And the addition of the new Q50 engine family for 2016 – a 3.0L TT V6 producing either 300 or 400 horses – significantly upped this car’s game. This, folks, is a world-class engine (Ward’s 10 Best), much like Nissan used to make back in its ’80s/early ’90s heyday.
And to be sure, the Q50S RS400 is a vastly improved version of the improved, base Q50. Whereas the base car still lacks any semblance of serious sporting pretension, the RS version is a straight-line rocketship that thoroughly enjoys the juvenile hi-jinks available from vintage RWD American muscle. Want to light up the rear tires on demand? No prob. You can defeat the traction control with the push of a button to the left of the steering wheel. And in Sport and Sport +, the car allows the tail to safely step out with nary but a jab at the throttle and the application of some good ol’ opposite lock.
Part of this rambunctiousness might be due to the lack of a limited-slip differential, which is a bit of a head-scratcher on a 400-hp car. And there are times when this particular omission cause some, um, problems. When accelerating on broken pavement, for instance, there is disconcerting axle bounce and momentary loss of traction to one wheel, which might affect you if you live a place with crumbling roads. Like, you know…anywhere in America. You can see the traction control light blinking frantically as the system attempts to restore power to both wheels, but it all serves to sap the driver’s confidence – clearly, not what you want in a performance machine with 400 ponies.
Actually, the car likely makes north of the advertised 400, which isn’t surprising. If you remember, there was controversy back in 2009 when Nissan first claimed the then-new GT-R made 480 hp – (see, e.g. http://www.motortrend.com/news/2009-nissan-gt-r-dyno-test-2/) – with some suspecting they downplayed the actual power output based on that car’s insane acceleration and speed. And don’t forget, until 2005, the Japanese manufacturers traditionally had a “gentlemans’ agreement” to limit engine horsepower to no more than 276 (http://www.caranddriver.com/news/japan-dumps-276-hp-pact-car-news). However, Stillen, the longtime Nissan tuner, dynoed a Q50S RS400 – on California 91 octane, mind you – and measured 379 hp at the rear wheels. With driveline losses factored in, this indicates that the car likely makes more than just 400hp at the crank.
What about handling? Opt for the 2nd-generation Direct Active Steering (DAS) system, and you will be presented with a litany of possible adjustments to steering feel, but none of them engender much confidence. Or feel even remotely natural. With DAS, there is actually no mechanical or electronic connection between the steering column and the front axle whatsoever. Actually, there is no steering column at all. In case of failure, a mechanical system is there to serve as a backup. But while this DAS has legitimately been improved over the first-gen 2014 system, it all still serves to feel artificial. You can tell the computer is approximating. Helpful technology should feel seamless.
Needless to say, I removed that from the option sheet.
By way of contrast, the base electronic steering, which can be adjusted between “Sport” and “Standard”, delivers a progressive and natural feel in Sport, though I wish it would give more information about what is going on with the contact patches below to the driver. The Standard mode, which you can really just one-finger at low speeds, is overboosted and twitchy. Keep the wheel in Sport, and you’ll find it agreeable, predictable and stable.
Truly, though, if you want to have fun, leave the car in Sport +. It comes much more alive – a throatier exhaust (the standard mufflers on the car are a tad too quiet in the other modes), sharper responses from the chassis and a much looser leash on the stability control contribute to this sense. Unfortunately, the downside is an observed MPG of 15.5 on premium unleaded, though admittedly mostly in stop-and-go LA driving. On the other hand, what the hell – you don’t buy a high-horsepower luxury sedan to up your green cred.
All Red Sports come with Infiniti’s Dynamic Digital Suspension system, which adjusts the shocks in milliseconds to react to variations in road surface. You do feel a difference between “Comfort” and “Sport” here. On LA’s pockmarked pavement, I usually default to comfort (which is used in Eco and Standard modes), setting the steering to Sport via the “Personal” setting on the InTouch interface. In Sport and Sport+, the suspension firms up nicely, and the car feels eager, if not exactly as chuckable as an M2. For a largeish luxury sedan, it feels nicely at home in the corners, and can put down power with a little rear-wheel slip added in for some zest. It all feels safe enough, though again I wish the steering would contribute a bit more to this dialog.
The Q50s plentiful power is routed through Nissan’s 7-speed automatic, which was a class-leading transmission in smoothness and shift-quickness..albeit ten years ago. Transmission technology has evolved rapidly, in step with the entire industry. ZF’s 8-speed automatic, ubiquitous at this point because nearly every manufacturer uses some version of it, is a superior gearbox, and regardless, while the transmission is quick enough in Sport+, it’s not as smooth or seamless in its operation as the ZF. Nissan missed an opportunity to marry this great engine to a phenomenal transmission here.
The interior gets a B. The front seats are superb, comfortable and adjustable in all the right ways. There is a manually adjustable thigh support, which is nice, as well as electrically adjustable side bolsters that can really hug you during aggressive driving. The wheel tilts and telescopes electrically. There could be more rear seat leg and knee room, considering the exterior size of the car. The rears do fold down in a 60/40 split, however, enabling the loading of larger packages. The trunk easily holds a set of golf clubs and two small carry-on suitcases without the seats folded, though. The Bose sound system can get loud, but its clarity is certainly not nearly on the level of competitors’ Harmon, Burmeister or Bowers & Wilkens systems. In life, usually you get what you pay for.
Sadly, the Infiniti InTouch infotainment system is a mixed bag at best. It’s too reliant on the touchscreen to do basic things – like turn on the heated steering wheel. And that’d be one thing if the processor were fast, or the menus were intuitive, but they’re not. At least it does provide you a wheeled controller to scroll through options and notifications while driving. Speaking of the nav, its graphics seem at least half a decade behind current competitors’ systems. And the piano black trim too easily shows fingerprints any time you touch anything. But overall fit and finish are good, if not quite Lexus-level superb. Cheap black plastics are relegated to the appropriate places on door bottoms and under the driver’s side of the dash.
There are some oddities that you learn to live with – like the fact that the power mirror switch must be set to the left or ride side in order to have the mirrors angle down when putting the car in reverse. And the fact that my $55K car doesn’t have power retracting mirrors is somewhat inexcusable in my book. On the plus side, the birds’ eye monitor and camera system do an excellent job of showing the entire car when pulling into tight spaces, helping you avoid curb rash, at least in theory.
So why, then, do I think a clearly flawed car is any good? Because it represents a step forward for Infiniti, yes, but more importantly, offers a sweet spot above a BMW 340i or A4 while being a step less hardcore than an Audi RS or BMW M.
it has all the right components of a great car, and if you adjust it right, it’s a fast and pretty luxurious way to transport you and yours in style and offers the driver a variety of ways to have fun. Do I wish it were this way in every mode?You likely don’t need even this level of power and speed on public roads. But that’s exactly why you should have it. And when optioned correctly, the RS400 can definitely bring a smile to your face.
So it’s no M3 competitor. More directly, it’s perhaps an S4 analogue, but with poorer fit & finish and interior materials (note: 2019 + 2020 models have improved on this with optional quilted leather packages on the seats & doors/armrests). But as a car that can be nearly fully loaded for only a few thousand above a base S4 (M3 starts at about 10K more), it does represent something of a value.