Infiniti Q50 AWD Lease

"Stratos HF" (conorbennett) 10/07/2015 at 14:12 • Filed to: None

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Hey guys,

Looking at leasing a new car due to new work/housing changes and have been shopping around the NYC area for small-ish AWD sedans. Looked at 328xi , A3 2.oT Quattro, and a few others but the lease broker I’m working with has proposed a new player - the Q50 AWD which is currently the cheapest of the three to lease (when leasing 2015 model year cars). Seems like a steal and the numbers all check out to a no-brainer.

Do you have any experience with Q50’s - anyone driven them a lot? I’ve not been in an Infiniti since before the Q40/Q50 - only in G37’s - but I liked the G37 a lot. Will have to test drive the Q50 before I sign but wanted to get your take on the car.

Thanks for reading!

spanfucker retire bitch > Stratos HF 10/07/2015 at 14:29

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Make sure the infotainment system is one of the fixed ones. They issued a voluntary upgrade that required replacing the hardware unit - that’s how bad the first iteration was.

I’m not talking about Sync clunky either, I’m talking about how the whole thing would just shut off, leaving you without ANYTHING. Sometimes even the redundant HVAC controls were affected, but not in most cases. Mostly it affected everything else that lacked physical controls.

Spasoje > Stratos HF 10/07/2015 at 14:54

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I’ve driven the Q50s AWD and Q50 Hybrid AWD – this is what I noticed.

- The exhaust note you know from the G37 is completely gone. It sounds like just another big V6 car now.

- Not a fan of the dual-screen thing at all. Makes the car look cobbled together and in a pinch, you won’t remember which screen you need to look at.

- I’d avoid the steer-by-wire. All three modes felt really fake. Somehow, the most sporty mode actually felt the least sporty and the changing turning radius seemed to get tighter the further away from sport mode you go, oddly enough.

- The car feels really solid and well-finished. No doubt you’re in a luxury car here.

- I actually enjoyed the hybrid more than the Q50s: they actually use the hybrid system to increase performance, giving more exhilarating and immediate off-the-line starts without any compromise I could notice (and, since DAT ENGINE NOTE is gone in non-hybrid models anyway, you’re not compromising on sound, either). It was really, surprisingly fun.

No manual option at all is what keeps me from buying one. But if that wasn’t a factor, I’d either get a gasoline Q50 w/o the steer-by-wire, or I’d put up with that system and get the hybrid.

Stratos HF > Spasoje 10/07/2015 at 15:56

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If I was looking at a 2015 Q50 AWD Premium w/navigation would that have the steer by wire? Is it the “variable-speed-sensitive-power steering”?

drove an A3 Quattro with electronic power steering and didn’t hate it. Will mostly be a commuter car and I know I’m not getting a BMW which would be my first choice for handling and driving fun. Looking forward to actually getting some ass-in-seat time on the Q50 to see what it’s like not on google image search!

Stratos HF > spanfucker retire bitch 10/07/2015 at 15:57

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That would explain what the forum people meant by “THE upgrade” haha. Thanks for the tip! Hopefully a 2015 model as a brand new car lease would have that upgraded, but I will check. Is there any tell-tale thing to look for that I can verify incase the dealer is shiesty and lies?

Spasoje > Stratos HF 10/07/2015 at 16:24

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Nope, it’s the “Direct Adaptive Steering”, and it’s optional on all non-hybrid models. On the lower infotainment screen, see if the car has three steering modes (Heavy, Standard, Light). If it does, it’s steer-by-wire. If it doesn’t, it has the standard setup.

In terms of the Q50 AWD Premium you mentioned, the DAS isn’t part of the Nav package, but it is part of the Deluxe Touring Package.

BTW have you tried the A4? I ask b/c it competes directly w/ the 3-series and Q50 (and C-class, which is also very good now), while the A3 punches at a lower segment (Merc CLA, BMW 2-series, etc).

Stratos HF > Spasoje 10/07/2015 at 16:39

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I have, but I far prefer the newly designed infotainment controls in the A3. My girlfriend’s aunt has an A4 and it drives nicely but I don’t love the controls as much. The A3 was appealing because it was a snappy, little fun car. Time will tell how the Q50 does, but I think I’ll have to splurge to get the sport exhaust installed by the dealer after I get it from my lease broker if I choose that one.

Thanks for the tips regarding the steering, going to try and get out of work early on Friday to go test-drive them.

spanfucker retire bitch > Stratos HF 10/07/2015 at 16:40

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I don’t think there’s anything externally you could tell. You could ask on the Q50 owners forums. Basically it’ll just be more stable and actually work properly. I don’t know how you “test” for that though.

TheNeonDriver - Now with More BMW! > Stratos HF 10/07/2015 at 18:13

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I like Infinity, they get decent reviews, and they hold up well, The Q50 (to my eyes anyway) is a very nice design, and the interior seems to be made of very high end materials.

I have heard nothing but good things about the new C series.

I bought an (older) 335xi, but I have driven an F30 328xi as well. I didn’t like the stop start, and I think the interior has fallen behind some of the others, especially Merc. the power was good, and the auto isn’t bad at all. Nav and everything else is an extra, though.

All of them are great choices, it depends on how you will use the car, what lease makes the most sense to you, and if you care about brand cachet (which I did.. ish) (you show me another turbo I6 coupe with a stick and AWD) (come one, I am waiting).

Spasoje > Stratos HF 10/07/2015 at 20:40

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You bet! Also, I didn’t know about the sport exhaust kit – just YouTube’d it and, while it’s still no G37, it sounds much better than stock to my ear.