I dreaded test-driving the 2023 Infiniti Q50

2023 Infiniti Q50 Sensory AWD vs. 2023 Genesis G70 3.3T AWD Sport Prestige: Small sedans, big prices.

This week: Infiniti Q50

Price: $53,550 as tested. Welcome lighting added $675; radiant grille emblem, $485; cargo package, $270; rear USB ports, $195. More below.

Conventional wisdom: It slots 10th out of 10 small luxury sedans on Edmunds’ best-of list.

Marketer’s pitch: “Luxury that moves you.”

Reality: Still quirky after all these years.

Competition: Audi A4, BMW 4 Series, Genesis G70, Acura Integra, Lexus IS 350

What’s new: Not much. Infiniti introduced this version of the Q50 in 2014.

Sometimes I get a test car and I just don’t even want to get in it. It might be a manufacturer that I’m generally not fond of. Or there are too many other things to do, and I don’t commute for work anymore.

But in all fairness, I always hope examples from my least-faves will be the game changer. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by Chevrolets, GMCs, and Fords over the last three or four years, and Kias and Hyundais improved by leaps and bounds in the early teens.

The Q50 was not one of those.

Up to speed: The 3.0-liter turbo V-6 engine creates 300 horsepower. It moves pretty quickly up to speed, getting to 60 mph in 6 seconds, according to Motor Trend. A better-tuned version creates 400 horsepower and shaves a second and a half from that time but costs more, of course.

Shifty: The 7-speed transmission was only shiftable through the gearshift, although paddle shifters are available with the 400-horsepower engine. It feels wholly unsatisfying to move from gear to gear, pushing it like it’s in Jell-O.

In automatic mode, the Q50 behaved much, much better, both shift-wise and drive-wise. The acceleration was more responsive and smoother.

On the road: Sport mode usually means fun handling, and sometimes a harsh ride is the price of admission. The Q50 offers all the harshness and none of the fun. The steering also remains somewhat vague, which is usually what sport mode aims to tighten up.

And speaking of aim, that vague steering meant I never felt like I know where the Q50 was going to go.

On the bright side, the other four modes are not that much worse.

At one point I hit a pothole hard and kept staring at the dashboard to see if the tire was going flat, because the steering was not going to give me a strong indication.

Driver’s Seat: The accommodations in the Q50 are on the firm side of comfortable but no spines were stiffened in the making of this review. The premium saddle brown interior ($500) looked handsome, and the wood trim added a nice touch as well.

Gauges are simple dials, which I prefer, but they do seem kind of basic for this price point. Ebony coverings on the dashboard add to the elegance.

Friends and stuff: In a small luxury sedan, the rear seat was never expected to be spacious, and the Q50 lives down to those expectations. People riding in the corners will be snug but not cramped, with room for legs and feet, but just enough. The center seat should probably not have a seat belt; the hump and the shape of the seat make this spot difficult .

Cargo space is 13.5 cubic feet, not terrible for a small sedan.

Play some tunes: The Q50 comes with one screen for the map and a second screen to handle all the other functions, a nice setup, especially when you’re lost while driving. Three buttons switch the second screen between tunes, menu, and HVAC. You heard this song before; nothing is new here.

The Bose 16-speaker system provides nice playback but it’s on the other side of awesome. (I think 19 speakers is the minimum for awesome.) The equalizer offers just treble and bass controls, which may be part of the problem. I’d grade the sound between a B+ and an A-.

Keeping warm and cool: Although most of the intense functions are handled through the touchscreen, some buttons up and down the side of the console allow for basic operations, like temperature, some source functions, and defrosters.

The tall narrow vents offer almost nothing in the way of directional control.

Night shift: The headlights sit a bit low, while map lights are subtle to the point of being dim.

Fuel economy: I averaged about 21 mpg in less than 100 miles around Chester County and Delaware.

Where it’s built: Tochigi, Japan.

How it’s built: Consumer Reports gives the Q50 a reliability rating of 4 out of 5.

Next week: 2023 Genesis G70