INFINITI Q50 RED SPORT 400 GETS NEW

TRIM NAMES, DESIGN TWEAKS FOR 2018

It seems like it was just a month ago that I got a red 2017 Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400 for review. Actually, of course, it wasn’t that recent. It was back in November.

But this year still has over four months to go, and already now I have had the pleasure of spending a week in the 2018 Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400.

Time flies, especially when you’re having the fun I did in the two vehicles.

The luxury division of the Japanese automaker Nissan, Infiniti has given its best-selling vehicle some enhancements and new nomenclature for its trim lines. For 2018 it is offered as Q50 2.0t PURE and Q50 2.0t LUXE, Q50 Hybrid LUXE, Q50 3.0t LUXE, Q50 3.0t SPORT and Q50 Red Sport 400.

As was the case when I drove it late last year, my time was spent in the Q50 Red Sport 400, which is the sportiest of the group (natch) with a 3.0-liter, twin-turbo V6 engine that sends 400 horsepower (hence the 400 designation) and 350 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels via a seven-speed automatic transmission. (All-wheel drive is also available.)

With a likely zero-to-60 time of well under five seconds (the 2018 clocking wasn’t available and the website zeroto60times.com caught the 2016 Red Sport in 4.5 seconds), the Q50 Red Sport gets high grades when it comes to performance.

In addition to the tweaks to the trim level names, Infiniti also refreshed both the interior and exterior with some styling tweaks to the front and rear fascias and a new steering wheel. Designers also added another color — Mocha Almond. In plain English, I’d call it light brown, but I don’t know for sure. Both of the Red Sport models I had were, appropriately enough, red. Dynamic Sandstone Red. I like red.

Visually, other than that, there isn’t a lot of difference. And that is a good thing because the Q50 has a rather sexy profile, not coupe-like but close, and the cabin is attractive with high quality materials throughout. Also, it is comfortable and quiet.

Mechanically, a refined electronic power steering is new, and Infiniti’s Directive Adaptive  Steering is available as an option. With either one, the car pretty much goes in the direction you point it, and isn’t that the idea?

Frankly, as I have mentioned before (somewhere in previous blogs), it’s hard to get much in the way of feedback when it comes to steering driving South Florida’s mostly straight roads with 90-degree intersections and the occasional expressway on-ramp.

The Red Sport rides on new, 19-inch aluminum wheels that are slightly wider (9.5 inches) in the rear in RWD models and the same all-around (9.0 inches) with AWD. That’s the same as last year’s Red Sport as are the EPA numbers of 20 miles-per-gallon city, 26 highway combined with RWD and 19/26/22 with AWD.

MSRP for the 2018 Q50 starts at $34,200 for the 2.0t PURE (not including destination and delivery) with the 3.0t Red Sport RWD listing at $51,000 or $53,000 for AWD. That’s a slight bump up from the $33.950 for the 2017 2.0t (the base model) and $48,750 for the RWD Red Sport and $50,700 for the 2017 Q50 Red Sport 400 AWD.

I’m thinking that a dealer who is looking to get 2017 models out of his showroom might be willing to haggle, but then what do I know? I may be the only guy who started to pay retail for a golf bag in Mexico.

What I liked about the 2018 Q50 Red Sport 400: Pretty much what I did about the 2017 model, which among other things was its driving performance. I like the idea of a two-screen center stack — one for the navigation map, the other for audio and other systems — and the intuitive way they operate.

What I didn’t like about the 2018 Q50 Red Sport 400: I’d like to see a knob for surfing the radio dial instead of pushing a button. Yes, I know you can set presets for local radio but what about when you go out of town? I also had an issue with taking and making calls despite hooking up my cell via Bluetooth. You can blame me for that. A techno-whiz I am not.

Would I buy the 2018 Q50 Red Sport 400? Yes. But if you can get a good price on a 2017, the changes are so subtle you might want to take advantage of that. Frankly, I don’t think that this car, whether 2017 or 2018, gets the respect it deserves.

WHATEVER YOU CALL IT, INFINITI’S Q50 SEDAN

RED SPORT 400 HAS A LOT TO OFFER

I like red cars. Unless you count a maroon Ford Falcon Sprint convertible I had back in the mid-1960s, though, I’ve never owned one, but I do like them.

Thus when a red 2017 Infiniti Q50 sedan showed up in my driveway recently, it had me at first look. That it happened to the top-of-the-line Red Sport 400 trim just added to the anticipation.

If you don’t recognize alphanumeric Q50 tag, it is what Infiniti now calls its smaller luxury sports sedan these days. Before the company went to the system of designating its convertibles, sedans, and coupes with the “Q” badging and crossovers and SUVs with “QX,” the Q50 was the G37. (The G37 coupe/convertible goes by the moniker Q60.)

It wasn't a direct line from one to the other as there was the short-lived Q40 sedan, which the company took out of production in 2015 after one model year, kind of in between, and for a while the company sold both. But that’s how it has ended up.

Whether it was a reluctance to accept the new naming system or genuine criticism, the Q40 and later the Q50 got a rather lukewarm reception among many reviewers, who preferred the G37 to the redesigned model that replaced it.

Wards Auto called the 2014 Q50 not “a big leap forward over the G37” that it replaced but added that it wasn’t “all bad.” Edmunds.com praised it for its technological features and interior quality, but wasn’t as enthusiastic for its handling and ride quality. In its analysis of reviews, U.S. News & World Report rated it no better than No. 11 out of 20 luxury sports sedans.

Though the competition is tough (Audi A4, BMW 3-Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, etc.), I think that is underrating the Q50 a bit. Its exterior is striking, especially in what the company calls its new “Dynamic Sandstone Red” color, its roomy cabin coddles riders with high quality materials, and the response from the 3.0-liter, turbocharged V6 engine in the Red Sport model is equally up to the competition.

That engine is rated at 400 horsepower and delivers 350-pound feet of torque to the rear wheels via a 7-speed automatic transmission that can shifted manually through paddles mounted on the steering column and also can be adjusted to Snow, ECO, Standard, Sport, or Sport-Plus modes depending on conditions or your own personal wishes at the time. It’s also available with all-wheel drive.

A slightly milder version turbo V6 that is tuned for 300 hp and a 2.0L turbo 4-cylinder engine are also offered as well as a gas-electric hybrid drivetrain on other trim levels.

EPA mileage ratings for the 2017 Q50 Red Sport 400 are 22 miles-per-gallon city, 26 highway and 22 combined, and premium fuel is required.

Standard equipment on the Q50 Red Sport 400 includes automatic on/off LED headlights, LED fog lights, 19-inch wheels, leather-appointed 8-way adjustable sport seats with driver’s side lumbar support and side bolsters, dual zone climate control, rain-sensing windshield wipers, power sliding glass moonroof, rearview monitor, InTouch dual display system with two screens, Bose premium sound system, Bluetooth hands-free phone communications, and two USB connection ports.

That’s included in the MSRP of $48,700.

Other good stuff, like special seating, adaptable cruise control, blind spot warning and lane departure warning, Infiniti’s InTouch infotainment system with navigation, etc. is available in option packages that, along with the $905 destination and delivery fee, ran the total cost of this 2017 Q50 Red Sport 400 up to $60,220.

There are five other trims with the base starting at about $25,000 less.

What I liked about the 2017 Q50 Red Sport 400: Other than the driving performance — the website zeroto60times.com clocked the 2016 Q50 Red Sport 400 in 4.5 seconds — I liked the idea of having two screens on the center stack. One displays the map for navigation and is operated by the knob on the console. The smaller, lower screen, is for audio, climate, and other functions. Being able to make adjustments without having to change screens is a nice touch that I have seen only here and on some Honda/Acura models.

What I didn’t like about the 2017 Q50 Red Sport 400: The manual offered little in the way of help, and it took a while, but I finally figured out to change the clock from EDT to EST. There could be issues with instructions for other functions as well, but I find that this isn’t an issue exclusive to Infiniti but to auto owners’ manuals in general. Also, call me a traditionalist, but I don’t see what was gained in the name change from G37.

Would I buy the 2017 Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400: It would be my choice from among the other trims for sure. And I would make sure it was red.

YES, ANOTHER AUTO REVIEW, 

BUT THE INFINITI QX50S DEMANDS IT

When I decided to revive this blog, I really didn’t plan to make it always about car reviews, but recently, that seems to be the current trend. Of the 14 blogs before this one, eight were car reviews, and this one will be the fourth in a row.

A couple of reasons for that.

One is that college football season is upon us and writing reports for the Sports Xchange (yes, there “E” at the start is dropped) has impinged on my time. But I expected that and built that factor into my decision to resume the blog in the first place. So that’s no excuse.

Of more import is that recently I really have had the privilege of driving some pretty fine vehicles that have seen significant updates, like the 2016 Infiniti Q50S I had last week. It’s better when you have something new to write about than starting a review with “The Hupmobile is basically unchanged this year from 2015.”

That happens from time to time, of course.

In fact, it happened to the Q50 for 2015. After being introduced as a new model in 2014, essentially taking over the G Series with the company’s new nomenclature (Q for passenger cars, QX for crossovers and SUVs), it was basically unchanged for last year.

For 2016, however, it gets some subtle and some not-so subtle changes. One of the former not obvious to the naked eye is an updated version of the Direct Adaptive Steering system that works out some of the kinks of the previous system and available adjustable suspension dampers. (If you want to know more about DAS, go to www.http://bit.ly/1exOvaN.)

Among the latter are three new turbocharged engines and a new Red Sport 400 model that takes performance to a higher level. It gets the more powerful version of the two 3.0 turbo V6s, upping horsepower to 400 and torque to 350 pound-feet over the 300/295 of the 3.0T and 3.0T Premium trims. The base engine in the 2.0T and 2.0T Premium  is a 2.0-liter turbo four rated at 208 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Rear-wheel drive is standard with all-wheel drive also available on each trim.

There is a hybrid drivetrain available as well. 

All the engines are mated to a seven-speed shiftable automatic transmission. Sport models get extra long paddle shifters mounted on the steering column rather than the steering wheel so they don’t move with the wheel when you turn. Frankly, I’m sure I see a big advantage over having them mounted on the wheel itself, but it’s not a major issue. I have to wonder how many drivers actually use them in normal street conditions. I suspect not many.

My version for the week was the Q50S Red Sport 3.0T 400. With the most horsepower and torque available, driving it was a great experience even when the transmission was set in standard mode. Setting to Dynamic and Dynamic-Plus further enhances the throttle response. For the fuel conscious, there’s also an Eco mode and also a “Personal” mode to suit your style.

Speaking of fuel conscious, EPA mileage numbers for the Q50S are 19 city, 28 highway, 23 combined drinking premium fuel.

Infiniti designers have given the Q50’s cabin an elegant, clean look with lots of gee-whiz technology offered either as standard or in the optional Premium Plus package. The center stack features two screens with the upper one devoted mostly to navigation functions, which also can be adjusted by turning the knob on the center console.

The lower screen is used for some settings for navigation, such as entering a destination, and for other systems such as phone and audio. Hard buttons control climate, making it easier.

I have seen some critics who pan the two-screen approach, but I like it. Too often when everything works off one screen you have to switch from the navigation map to audio to change the radio station. So far, though, I have seen this setup only on Acura and now Infiniti models

Reviewers also picked at the comfort of the seats in the Q50, but the Q50 Red Sport gets eight-way adjustable, leather sport seats with manual thigh extensions and power lumbar and side bolsters, so comfort was not an issue at all with them.

Pricing for the Q50 starts at only $34,855 for the base 2.0T model, but the top-of-line Red Sports starts at $48,855 for RWD models and adds another $2,000 for AWD.

Option packages that add such features as blind spot warning, predictive forward collision warning, front and rear parking sensors, surround view camera (rearview is standard) or Infiniti In-Touch with navigation can add another couple of thousand dollars or so.

What I liked about the 2016 Infiniti Q50S Red Sport 400: I liked that it is big enough to be comfortable while agile and responsive enough to make for a fun driving experience.

What I didn’t like about the 2016 Infiniti Q50S Red Sport 400: The voice command system allows you to push the button again to skip the introductory message and go directly to your command, which is good, but a couple of times it took a second and even third try to get to the correct radio station. At 13.5 cubic feet, the trunk is kind of small.

Would I buy this car? Sure. It’s a nice package of practicality and fun driving experience.