Ride Report: 2019 Infiniti Q70 3.7 Luxe RWD (UXAR)
Dec 13, 2018, 10:19 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: MSP
Programs: DL Plat, Marriott Plat, National Exec
Posts: 37
Ride Report: 2019 Infiniti Q70 3.7 Luxe RWD (UXAR)
MSP ES had some interesting selections on a cold, ice-fog Monday morning. 2 Infiniti sedans parked up front in the ES aisle grabbed my attention: a Q70 and a Q50. I chose the former... and should have taken the latter.
Thumbs up
- Plentiful power, acceptable sounding engine, quiet and smooth
- Heated steering wheel
- 360-view camera
Thumbs down
- Outdated and confusing infotainment system, no CarPlay or Android Auto
- Small, short seats not for anyone over 5'10" or those with long torsos
- Vague steering, unsorted ride
Verdict
There's better rentals that don't have a premium nameplate. A loaded Fusion Titanium or Impala Premier will serve your needs better.
Let's preface this with some history. The Q70 dates back to 2011 and has seen little more than cosmetic refreshing in the years since. I grabbed this Q70 in a bit of haste, as I figured it their range-topping sedan (which is really just a midsize, aspirationally [at best] targeting the BMW 5-series). The smaller, more agile, and newer-platformed Q50 sitting next to it would have been the better choice. Infiniti doesn't have a true, large sedan to even come close to an S-class, simply a stretched wheelbase version of this. So this car seems compromised from the start.
Inside, the seats and touch-points are nicely leathered, with soft-touch dash and door panels. It's been a long time since I've been in a rental without a black interior, and I now remember why: the beige leather on this Q70 was light and airy, but the front floormats were destroyed after barely a month's worth of use. Unfortunately gone is the open-pore wood trim the M37 debuted with back in 2011, and in its place is a rather cheap looking "Japanese Ash" which looked more like glossy brown plastic. The heated steering wheel is a nice touch, but the switch is hidden way down by the driver's left knee. The switchgear had nice, meaty feel, but the turn signal was vague, so you never quite knew if your "one touch to pass" took the command, without checking the dials.
The 2 biggest knocks on the interior - and also paramount to the rental experience - are the seats and the infotainment.
Like many a Japanese car, the front seats are built for short people. Full disclosure, I'm 6'5" (1.95m). Barely acceptable legroom at full extension, a too-high hip-point when placed in the lower-most position, and a seatback that came up 6 inches short of my shoulders, which meant the headrest at full extension barely exceeded the top of my neck. Surprisingly, width was not an issue, so those with additional girth will be OK. While they weren't uncomfortable, they were ill fitting. And for a seemingly large car, the cockpit never felt large, in fact the car felt smaller than it ought.
The infotainment system is woefully outdated. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were both conspicuous in their absence. You can connect your phone via one of 2 USB ports in the center console, but it only recognizes it as "iPod". I didn't even bother to pair my phone to BT as I've found Nissan systems finicky in the past, and made do with my AirPods for the day. The satnav is of the old school, with graphics representative of 2011. Furthermore, Inifiniti's rotary knob control is still unintuitive to me (no touchscreen), and there are a million control buttons, none of which feel logically placed (except for the "back" button). The gauge cluster display was small and monochromatic, and was limited to fuel economy and trip info. No auxiliary digital speed readout was available (which I find helpful so that I don't have to recalibrate to different analog gauges at a glance).
Out of the gate and on the road, the first thing I noticed is the car is buttery smooth and quiet at idle - what I would expect from a luxury marque. Under throttle, the engine gives a nice growl, but not intrusive, and especially welcome as this same engine in Maxima applications is terribly thrashy and unrefined sounding. Thank the honest-to-goodness 7-speed automatic in the Infiniti for that, as the CVT in the Maxima always seems to amplify the worst of Nissan's venerable VQ engine sounds. 333hp in this 3.7L V6 is plenty of power, but the transmission is admittedly lazy in Standard mode. Select "Sport" on the console-mounted knob and the shifts crispen up to acceptable levels, without overly intrusive gear-holding. I wouldn't bother with Eco or Snow unless absolutely necessary. That bears mention that my rental was rear-wheel-drive. I only hit one patch of snow to try to get the car out of line, and the stability control decided otherwise, keeping the car well in check. That said, most people in snow-belt areas should pay keen attention to if the car has an "AWD" badge on the left side of the trunk.
I'm a bit of a ride and handling snob, so I'll admit that I found the fat, blobby steering wheel vague and uncommunicative, but the ratio was quick so it handled like a smaller car. Handling and poise was fine, if not a bit more sporty than I would expect from a mini-luxo-barge. The ride was not harsh, although it continuously felt unsettled. Neither creamy nor firm, it kind of continuously bounced around and never gave you a strong feeling of either comfort nor confidence. Fine, I suppose, but it smacked of indifference.
The "Protection Package" is an option - unlikely to surface in rental spec vehicles - so my unit did NOT have things like Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Spot Warning, Collision Avoidance, or Auto High-Beams. The one feature that is standard on the Luxe model is Nissan's 360-degree Park Assist cameras, which give you a view of curbs and cars around you, including a front camera. Very useful to avoid curbing your rims... as if you cared.
So overall, the Infiniti is long in the tooth, lacks basic features available in mass-market full-size sedans (like a Fusion Titanium or Impala Premier), and isn't terribly rewarding to drive or ride in. If one can salvage the Q70 from the depths of despair, is that it's actually a looker, and doesn't blend in with the drab mundane-ness of the rest of the market. Its flame-surfaced styling, muscular hood shoulders and flowing lines indicate you're in something a little bit special, and in some cases, that alone is worth the price of admission. Or, its the superficiality that drew me to it in the first place.
Specs
Class Paid: ICAR (Intermediate Car)
Class Driven: UXAR (Premium Elite)
Location: MSP Terminal 1
2019 Infiniti Q70 3.7 Luxe RWD
Chestnut Bronze / Wheat Leather
~2,300 miles
EPA Fuel Economy: 18/25 (3.7 RWD); 18/24 (3.7 AWD)
Key standard features:
- Keyless entry / ignition
- Heated and cooled front seats
- Memory driver seat
- Heated steering wheel
- 360 "Around-View" camera system
- 2 USB ports (center console)
- Bluetooth phone connectivity
- Factory navigation
- Power-fold mirrors
Missing key features:
- Apple Car Play
- Android Auto
- Advanced driving aids: Blind Spot Assist, Adaptive Cruise, Collision Warning / Avoidance
- Remote start
Thumbs up
- Plentiful power, acceptable sounding engine, quiet and smooth
- Heated steering wheel
- 360-view camera
Thumbs down
- Outdated and confusing infotainment system, no CarPlay or Android Auto
- Small, short seats not for anyone over 5'10" or those with long torsos
- Vague steering, unsorted ride
Verdict
There's better rentals that don't have a premium nameplate. A loaded Fusion Titanium or Impala Premier will serve your needs better.
Let's preface this with some history. The Q70 dates back to 2011 and has seen little more than cosmetic refreshing in the years since. I grabbed this Q70 in a bit of haste, as I figured it their range-topping sedan (which is really just a midsize, aspirationally [at best] targeting the BMW 5-series). The smaller, more agile, and newer-platformed Q50 sitting next to it would have been the better choice. Infiniti doesn't have a true, large sedan to even come close to an S-class, simply a stretched wheelbase version of this. So this car seems compromised from the start.
Inside, the seats and touch-points are nicely leathered, with soft-touch dash and door panels. It's been a long time since I've been in a rental without a black interior, and I now remember why: the beige leather on this Q70 was light and airy, but the front floormats were destroyed after barely a month's worth of use. Unfortunately gone is the open-pore wood trim the M37 debuted with back in 2011, and in its place is a rather cheap looking "Japanese Ash" which looked more like glossy brown plastic. The heated steering wheel is a nice touch, but the switch is hidden way down by the driver's left knee. The switchgear had nice, meaty feel, but the turn signal was vague, so you never quite knew if your "one touch to pass" took the command, without checking the dials.
The 2 biggest knocks on the interior - and also paramount to the rental experience - are the seats and the infotainment.
Like many a Japanese car, the front seats are built for short people. Full disclosure, I'm 6'5" (1.95m). Barely acceptable legroom at full extension, a too-high hip-point when placed in the lower-most position, and a seatback that came up 6 inches short of my shoulders, which meant the headrest at full extension barely exceeded the top of my neck. Surprisingly, width was not an issue, so those with additional girth will be OK. While they weren't uncomfortable, they were ill fitting. And for a seemingly large car, the cockpit never felt large, in fact the car felt smaller than it ought.
The infotainment system is woefully outdated. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were both conspicuous in their absence. You can connect your phone via one of 2 USB ports in the center console, but it only recognizes it as "iPod". I didn't even bother to pair my phone to BT as I've found Nissan systems finicky in the past, and made do with my AirPods for the day. The satnav is of the old school, with graphics representative of 2011. Furthermore, Inifiniti's rotary knob control is still unintuitive to me (no touchscreen), and there are a million control buttons, none of which feel logically placed (except for the "back" button). The gauge cluster display was small and monochromatic, and was limited to fuel economy and trip info. No auxiliary digital speed readout was available (which I find helpful so that I don't have to recalibrate to different analog gauges at a glance).
Out of the gate and on the road, the first thing I noticed is the car is buttery smooth and quiet at idle - what I would expect from a luxury marque. Under throttle, the engine gives a nice growl, but not intrusive, and especially welcome as this same engine in Maxima applications is terribly thrashy and unrefined sounding. Thank the honest-to-goodness 7-speed automatic in the Infiniti for that, as the CVT in the Maxima always seems to amplify the worst of Nissan's venerable VQ engine sounds. 333hp in this 3.7L V6 is plenty of power, but the transmission is admittedly lazy in Standard mode. Select "Sport" on the console-mounted knob and the shifts crispen up to acceptable levels, without overly intrusive gear-holding. I wouldn't bother with Eco or Snow unless absolutely necessary. That bears mention that my rental was rear-wheel-drive. I only hit one patch of snow to try to get the car out of line, and the stability control decided otherwise, keeping the car well in check. That said, most people in snow-belt areas should pay keen attention to if the car has an "AWD" badge on the left side of the trunk.
I'm a bit of a ride and handling snob, so I'll admit that I found the fat, blobby steering wheel vague and uncommunicative, but the ratio was quick so it handled like a smaller car. Handling and poise was fine, if not a bit more sporty than I would expect from a mini-luxo-barge. The ride was not harsh, although it continuously felt unsettled. Neither creamy nor firm, it kind of continuously bounced around and never gave you a strong feeling of either comfort nor confidence. Fine, I suppose, but it smacked of indifference.
The "Protection Package" is an option - unlikely to surface in rental spec vehicles - so my unit did NOT have things like Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Spot Warning, Collision Avoidance, or Auto High-Beams. The one feature that is standard on the Luxe model is Nissan's 360-degree Park Assist cameras, which give you a view of curbs and cars around you, including a front camera. Very useful to avoid curbing your rims... as if you cared.
So overall, the Infiniti is long in the tooth, lacks basic features available in mass-market full-size sedans (like a Fusion Titanium or Impala Premier), and isn't terribly rewarding to drive or ride in. If one can salvage the Q70 from the depths of despair, is that it's actually a looker, and doesn't blend in with the drab mundane-ness of the rest of the market. Its flame-surfaced styling, muscular hood shoulders and flowing lines indicate you're in something a little bit special, and in some cases, that alone is worth the price of admission. Or, its the superficiality that drew me to it in the first place.
Specs
Class Paid: ICAR (Intermediate Car)
Class Driven: UXAR (Premium Elite)
Location: MSP Terminal 1
2019 Infiniti Q70 3.7 Luxe RWD
Chestnut Bronze / Wheat Leather
~2,300 miles
EPA Fuel Economy: 18/25 (3.7 RWD); 18/24 (3.7 AWD)
Key standard features:
- Keyless entry / ignition
- Heated and cooled front seats
- Memory driver seat
- Heated steering wheel
- 360 "Around-View" camera system
- 2 USB ports (center console)
- Bluetooth phone connectivity
- Factory navigation
- Power-fold mirrors
Missing key features:
- Apple Car Play
- Android Auto
- Advanced driving aids: Blind Spot Assist, Adaptive Cruise, Collision Warning / Avoidance
- Remote start
Last edited by MSP_vibe; Dec 13, 2018 at 10:34 am Reason: Typos, added EPA ratings
Dec 27, 2018, 8:55 am
#2
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: BNA and FLL
Programs: National Executive Elite, IHG Diamond Elite, Hilton Gold, SW A List, Marriott Gold
Posts: 964
Q50 isn’t much better. No Apple CarPlay there either.
The Q70 is a more comfortable ride for longer drives. The Q50 is a fun sporty and fast ride.
The Q70 is a more comfortable ride for longer drives. The Q50 is a fun sporty and fast ride.
Dec 27, 2018, 11:28 am
#3
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Colorado
Programs: UA Gold (.85 MM), HH Diamond, SPG Platinum (LT Gold), Hertz PC, National EE
Posts: 5,655
My wife and I purchased a G37X new years ago, and will never purchase another Infiniti again. Had a QX60 for a rental earlier this year, and hated that as well.
Nothing wrong with reliability, but the ride isn't very refined, road noise is absurd, and the electronics are a confusing joke. I've owned and/or driven most luxury brands short of the ultra luxury (Rolls Royce, Bentley), and I don't consider Infiniti anything more than a glorified Nissan.
That said, lease rates have always been very attractive, and every year or two I bring a new Infiniti home for a couple of days and realize I still hate them.
Nothing wrong with reliability, but the ride isn't very refined, road noise is absurd, and the electronics are a confusing joke. I've owned and/or driven most luxury brands short of the ultra luxury (Rolls Royce, Bentley), and I don't consider Infiniti anything more than a glorified Nissan.
That said, lease rates have always been very attractive, and every year or two I bring a new Infiniti home for a couple of days and realize I still hate them.