2016 Infiniti Q50 2.2d S Premium review
I've been researching a while, and feature for feature (there are heaps) and value with a full suite of safety tech, the Q50 in S Premium is hard to beat.
- Economy
- Performance
- Luxury
- Safe and quality build
- Lack of storage (door pockets) in the rear – being picky now
The Q50 is literally a mobile office on the road. Emails, calendar and text at your fingertips and on the fly. The car can read the info back to you, and you can reply via preset responses. Internet access to Google. User screen interfaces that are simple, bright, easy to use and access. A great GPS showing speed zones, prompts for cameras, and local live traffic info, DAB, great Bose sound, and climate systems. It's a nice place to sit and drive, with great headlights, interior dash and back lighting at night too.
Yes, an excellent car. Nice, quality feel and build. I tested both the turbos, petrol and diesel, with petrol promising decent economy. Power was good and tempting, but on the same test-drive loop the petrol did late nines to 10L/100km economy, whereas the diesel on the same route with very similar drive performance and the same driving style achieved early 6L/100km. Yes, the diesel is a bit noisier, but the flow of torque is great. And since purchasing it, I'm easily getting 5.8L/100km combined, and even better on the motorway at 4.5L/100km!
Electric steering – I like the Standard setting as it's most realistic with good weight and feel, and the car steers very well with a quick, direct steering response, but not darty or over-assisted. I think the harsh reviews of the electronic steering are over-exaggerated. Perhaps reviewers are racecar drivers or purists, but for me, I have owned lots of different brands and types of cars from $40–$200K and I think the Infiniti electric steering is fine. I was concerned from reading all the negative reviews, but as an owner it's not even a concern now, and you can fiddle with the system's settings if you want.
The rear seat can be a bit of a squeeze if the front passenger is 6ft plus. The boot is a good useable size. The Q50 has run-flat tyres, so no spare needed. Also there's four years roadside assist.
Overall, the Q50 is a great car for the price/package. Good warranty, a great buying experience through Infiniti, the car is well built with no rattles, and everything works as it should. It's always tempting to take the longer way home to enjoy the drive more.
I researched a lot of cars on the market ticking off all the boxes and the Q50 came up trumps. It's a good car to be in. It feels solid and sure-footed on the road, well built and supremely safe with the tech on board, and great value for money.
Absolutely well worth your consideration.