2022 Infiniti Q50

The days of limited choice in just about any segment are long gone, and the Infiniti Q50 offers a compelling alternative to the traditional choices in the luxury sedan segment. The brand itself has come a long way from its relatively humble beginnings, but while the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class continue to take things to the next level with every new generation, we've felt that the Infiniti Q50 has been somewhat lacking when compared to these trendsetters. Still, with a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 in every model, it's a relatively affordable way to get some enthusiastic performance out of a luxury car. As standard, you get 300 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque in every version except the top-tier Red Sport 400. Here, you get 400 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque, and as with every other version, power is sent to the rear wheels by default with all-wheel-drive as an option. Is the Q50 more enticing, or are its German rivals still the better choice?

The exterior design of the Q50 sedan hasn't changed for 2022. We're not complaining about this though, as the Q50 is a stylish and well-proportioned vehicle. LED headlights and taillights feature at opposite ends of the vehicle, with the front boasting LED fog lights too. An attractive profile features molded fenders that give the Q50 a sensual appearance, while a chrome window surround on most derivatives adds a touch of pizzazz. The rear features an upturned trunk lid that can be enhanced by a decklid spoiler while other standard styling features include a faux diffuser and dual exhaust tips. On the top trim, much of the chrome gets swapped out for gloss black, but carbon fiber is available too, while this model gets sporty red exhaust tips. A power moonroof is standard on all trims. The Luxe runs on 18-inch alloy wheels and the two top trims on 19-inchers.

Dimensions of the Q50 are pretty uniform across the range, with all models claiming a length of 189.6 inches and a width of 71.8 inches. The wheelbase is the same on all models too, measuring 112.2 inches. All RWD models have a height of 56.8 inches, while the AWD versions share a height of 57.2 inches. Curb weight also varies depending on the trim and the drivetrain, with the lightest model in the range (the base Luxe version in RWD) weighing in at 3,732 pounds. The heaviest model on offer is the top Red Sport 400 trim with AWD, tipping the scales at 3,998 lbs.

The Luxe and Sensory models are available in seven colors. The three standard colors are Graphite Shadow, Black Obsidian, and Pure White. Midnight Black, Majestic White, and Grand Blue are offered for $695 each and Dynamic Sunstone Red costs $900. The top Red Sport 400 trim loses out on all the no-cost color options except Graphite Shadow but gains Slate Gray - for $695. Choosing Majestic White on this top model also affects the upholstery selections.

There are very few vehicles on offer today that offer as much power in base format as the 2022 Infiniti Q50. All models are powered by a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engine that develops an impressive 300 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, but the Red Sport 400 has those numbers in its name for a reason. This model generates 400 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque, making for an estimated 0 to 60 mph time of around 4.5 seconds, but no top speed claim is made by the manufacturer. The lesser-powered variants should complete the same sprint in around five seconds. Unlike with many other manufacturers, the Infiniti Q50 offers all variants with RWD as standard and with AWD as an option, but there's no choice when it comes to the transmission. A seven-speed automatic is the only gearbox on offer, but it's a smooth and speedy setup, so we can't complain too much.

With every single version of the Q50 being powered by a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engine, there's no variant that you can say is lethargic. All but the top trim produce 300 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, and that's a lot of power for a base model. Fortunately, the power isn't hidden away at the upper end of the rev range and the throttle response low down is good. This makes acceleration from a traffic light effortless, and when overtaking on the freeway, you'll be confident regardless of which gear you're in. It also sounds decent as far as turbocharged V6s go, although something like an Alfa Romeo Giulia QV is naturally more exotic in tone. If you want more performance from your Q50, the Red Sport 400 may have the strangest name around, but with 400 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque, it'll be tough to find many other cars in this segment that can keep up. However, things aren't 100 percent perfect here, as rivals like the BMW M340i and Audi S4 are more lively and feel faster than their figures suggest. The Q50 isn't slow or sleepy, but its German rivals are certainly better tuned. All models are fitted with a seven-speed automatic that is imperceptibly smooth and responsive, but you do have to get the Sensory or Red Sport trim to get access to steering-mounted paddle shifters.

The Infiniti Q50 is an attractive proposition, but it's also a bit confusing. On the one hand, you'd expect a luxury sedan in this price bracket to have a supremely comfortable ride, but with a turbocharged V6 under the hood and sharp styling, you may also expect it to be exciting in the corners. While the Q50 does have firm suspension, it's not set up well enough to be considered alongside the likes of the M340i and S4. In addition, that suspension borders on the stiff side and can't hold a candle to what you get in a Mercedes. Nevertheless, we can report that the Q50 is a little more enjoyable to drive in Red Sport 400 guise, where sportier steering is a little more communicative. On all other models, there's still a reasonable amount of feedback, but you won't ever feel like this is a performance-enhanced sedan. The brakes, similarly, are responsive but a little underpowered. There's also a lot of noise from the tires and wind, making it less than ideal for long-distance road trips. Overall, the Q50 is a car that tries to blend performance with comfort without getting either one a hundred percent right. As with the 2021 model, we have to say that the Infiniti Q50 misses the mark, even if only just.

According to the EPA, the 300-hp Infiniti Q50 with RWD is the most economical, returning gas mileage figures of 20/29/23 mpg on the city/highway/combined cycles. Thanks to a 20-gallon gas tank, this model will return a mixed average range of around 460 miles. The AWD version is a little thirstier, with figures of 19/27/22 mpg on the same cycles. The 400 hp Red Sport trims aren't too far behind, with the RWD variant of the Infiniti Q50 achieving a rating of 20/26/22 mpg and the AWD version promising 19/26/22 mpg.

The interior of the Q50 is another letdown, sadly. In base format, you get leather upholstery and average rear legroom, with the latter trait applying to all models. In addition, while the rest of the market has moved on to digital instrument clusters, the Q50 still looks old-school with traditional analog dials. There is at least some modernity in terms of innovation with the dual-screen infotainment setup, but this attempt at innovation is not all that refined and can be tricky to operate. At least the seats are very comfortable and passengers in the first row have plenty of space. Still, you can tell that this car was not built to the same standards as that of its German counterparts.

The Infiniti Q50 seats five adults in reasonable comfort, with rear passengers only slightly inconvenienced by the amount of headroom and legroom available, although this is not uncommon for cars of this size. As is typical, the middle of the bench rear seat is better suited to a kid than a full-sized adult. Fortunately, there's a lot more space up front, with plenty of space for anyone to get comfortable. The driver will also find that the eight-way power seat offers a good view of surroundings with most controls in easy reach. That said, the large C pillars can be detrimental to visibility out of the rear three-quarter sections of the car. Nevertheless, getting in and out is a breeze, especially on the Sensory and Red Sport trims, where the power tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel will move out of your way automatically.

As standard, the interior of the Q50 features a choice of Graphite or Stone leather with Textured Aluminum trim. The Sensory trim offers only leather in the same colors with trims finished in Black Open Pore wood. This year, Saddle Brown leather becomes available on the Sensory for $500 extra. But before you start to imagine your dream color combo, it's worth having a look at the configurator first, as some leather options can only be paired with certain exterior colors. The most attractive interior can be found in the top Red Sport trim, with semi-aniline leather in a quilted finish arriving in a choice of Graphite or Gallery White. This model sees trim elements finished in a new Black Matte Carbon Fiber design. With very few soft-touch plastics and a number of aluminum accents, the Q50's cabin feels pretty good, but you can still detect that the build quality is not quite up to the same standard as what you get from a European luxury sedan.

The Infiniti Q50 may be a little disappointing initially, with the base model featuring fixed rear seatbacks that limit how much stuff you can take with you. Despite this, you get more space in the trunk than in something like an Audi A4, with an official rating of 13.5 cubic feet. That's enough for a couple of medium-sized suitcases and some add-ons. On upper trims, the seats fold in a 60/40 split, but it should be noted that the floor is never completely flat, so although the Q50 can carry quite a bit, it's not always easy to load longer items.

In the cabin, each row gets a pair of cupholders while all other storage options can only be described as undersized. The glovebox, center armrest, center console tray, and front door pockets are all tiny, making it tricky to find a place for your pockets' contents.

As you may have guessed from the sections in this review that you've read up until this point, the Infiniti Q50 is not a class-leader by any means, but it's not inherently bad either. As standard, leather on the seats, steering wheel, and shift knob, a power sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control with rear-seat vents, hill start assist, keyless entry with push-button ignition, rain-sensing wipers, cruise control, a rearview camera, lane-departure warning, blind-spot intervention, and forward-collision detection with automatic emergency braking. There are also heated and power-folding wing mirrors with automatic reverse tilt-down, power front seating, and a power-adjustable tilting/telescoping steering column - with memory settings for all of these. Available are features like enhanced ambient lighting, and exterior welcome lighting.

Based on looks alone, the InTouch infotainment system in the Infiniti Q50 is pretty cool. You get an eight-inch upper display with a seven-inch display below, both of which are controlled via touch input. In terms of features, you get Android Auto, wireless Apple CarPlay, SiriusXM satellite radio, Wi-Fi, a pair of USB ports, navigation, and a 16-speaker Bose Performance Series sound system. There's also aux input, a Wi-Fi hotspot, but unfortunately, all of the trims feature the same software, so navigating the system is a nightmare and responses are a little slower than we'd like, despite being recently improved.

Thus far, the current crop of Infiniti Q50 models seems to be exhibiting good reliability although the last recalls issued applied to the 2021 model year and there were three of them. Issues were related to a steering knuckle or rear axle housing that may deform, engine stalls, and a blank backup-camera display. The 2022 model has been recall-free at the time of writing.

While no complimentary scheduled maintenance is offered, the Q50 does come with a basic warranty for four years/60,000 miles and a powertrain warranty that provides coverage for six years/70,000 miles. Four years of roadside assistance are also included with no mileage limited.

The Infiniti Q50 reviews for crash tests are not particularly informative, as it has not been comprehensively rated by the NHTSA but did achieve a full five stars in that agency's rollover test. Over at the IIHS, the 2021 model was the last to receive an evaluation, which was positive in most respects, leading to an overall rating of Good - the highest possible. However, the headlights were rated as Acceptable at best.

As standard, every Q50 car comes with six airbags: dual frontal, side-impact, and curtain airbags. You also get a rearview camera, rain-sensing wipers, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, traction control, tire-pressure monitoring, intelligent cruise control, navigation with lane guidance, intelligent distance control, hill start assist, forward-collision alert with automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and blind-spot intervention.

The Infiniti Q50 is an interesting proposition. It's not quite as technologically advanced as many of its German rivals but has a large trunk and plenty of power. It's not as good to drive as those rivals either, but at least you don't have to spend extra money to get a strong motor. It also has plenty of space for front passengers but is lacking in terms of some features that you'd expect to find standard. Nevertheless, the understated yet attractive styling makes it an enticing choice for those who don't want to try the class-leaders. With that said, a strong engine and an attractive aesthetic don't do enough to make us forget that its rivals are better built, offer more standard and optional equipment, and are much more enjoyable to drive. For these reasons, we'd skip past the Q50.

The 2022 Q50 price range starts with the Luxe, a model that costs $42,100 before a shipping & handling fee of $1,025. Next up in the range is the Sensory model with a base price of $47,800. The Red Sport 400 finishes off the range and starts at $55,950. AWD is a $2,000 option on all trims.

With the discontinuation of the base Pure trim, the 2022 Infiniti Q50 lineup is down to three trims: Luxe, Sensory, and Red Sport 400. They all have a basic mechanical layout in common, namely a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine, a seven-speed automatic transmission, and the choice of rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The only difference is that the engine in the two base trims produce 300 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque and the engine in the Red Sport 400 has figures of 400 hp and 350 lb-ft.

The Luxe runs on 18-inch wheels and has automatic LED headlights and tail lights, LED front fog lights, a power sunroof, remote keyless access, auto-dimming and power-folding exterior mirrors with automatic reverse tilt-down, and rain-sensing wipers. Inside, it has leather on its seats, steering wheel, and shifter knob, aluminum trim, a power-adjustable tilting/telescoping steering column, push-button start, and dual-zone climate control with rear-seat vents. The dual-screen infotainment system has seven- and eight-inch displays and includes Android Auto, wireless Apple CarPlay, navigation with lane guidance, SiriusXM, two USB ports, Wi-Fi, and a 16-speaker Bose Performance Series audio system. Safety and driver assistance include six airbags, stability control, a backup camera, automatic LED headlights, intelligent cruise control and distance control, hill-start assist, forward-collision warning with automatic braking, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-departure warning.

The Sensory trim adds 19-inch alloy wheels, front sport seats, a more advanced climate control system with an air purifier, enhanced ambient lighting, black open-pore wood trim, paddle shifters, SiriusXM Travel Link and Traffic, and a 17-speaker audio system.

The top Red Sport 400 trim has the 400-hp engine, dynamic suspension, upgraded brakes, and unique 19-inch alloy wheels. Inside, it gains quilted semi-aniline leather upholstery, matte-black carbon-fiber trim, and aluminum-accented pedals.

All versions of the Q50 have access to aesthetic enhancement in the form of a carbon fiber rear spoiler that costs $785 and a pair of carbon fiber mirror caps that cost $675. If you prefer a more subtle look, a normal trunk spoiler can be had for $450. You can also add exterior welcome lighting for $465 and illuminated kick plates for $485. A blacked-out sport grille can also be added for $400. Remote engine start is a $328 option on the Luxe. With this year's improvement in standard equipment and the loss of the Pure trim, all the trims' optional packages have been discontinued. Red Sport models exclusively have access to a special radiant grille emblem for $485.

The Infiniti Q50 range comes with the same powertrain regardless of which trim you opt for, and although it would be nice to have the maximum output available, 300 hp in all but the top trim is plenty. Thus, we'd recommend going for the base Luxe spec. This gets you 18-inch wheels, a power sunroof, adaptive cruise control, leather upholstery, navigation with SiriusXM and lane guidance, a premium 16-speaker audio system, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, and lane-departure warning. We feel this is the best mix of features and price, with this trim arriving at a cost of $42,100.

The Audi A4 is one of the less exciting offerings from Germany's premium sedan market, but what it lacks in outright power (its 2.0-liter turbo-four only produces 201 hp), it makes up for in efficiency. Despite a smaller, 15.3-gallon gas tank, it offers a longer range than the Q50 with over 440 miles of mixed driving. However, the real reason that we'd choose this car is its superior build quality, beautiful and modern interior, and numerous features. Even the base variant has a power sunroof, heated front seats, ambient lighting, and tri-zone climate control. It's also a lot more comfortable thanks to a compliant chassis setup, yet is not incompetent in the bends either. Thanks to a base price of $39,900, it's cheaper too. Sorry, Infiniti, but you've got some work to do.

The Acura TLX also starts more cheaply than the Infiniti Q50, with the base model asking for $37,500. Based on looks alone, the latest TLX is far more attractive, with a modern yet attractive design that looks a little too manga to be as classy as the Germans but just restrained enough to be welcome on the red carpet. The interior is far better than that of the Q50 too, thanks to clear evidence of ergonomic design when it comes to the driver's controls for the infotainment system. Furthermore, this car handles brilliantly and its 2.0-liter turbo-four is no slouch either. Coupled with more standard features, we can't help but deny the Infiniti a win here. Hopefully, next year's version will fare better but for now, the Q50 is beaten by most competitors.