Doug DeMuro recently had the opportunity to review an Infiniti Q50 400 Red Sport, and while the car still looks pretty good, it’s hard to recommend over its rivals.
Nissan’s luxury brand introduced the range-topping Q50 Red Sport 400 version in late 2015 with a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 that features a bespoke turbine speed sensor and overhauled turbine blade design for the turbochargers. It delivers an impressive 400 HP when spinning at 6,400 rpm and 350 lb-ft of torque between 1,600 and 5,200 rpm.
Also Read: Infiniti Q50 Drops The Turbocharged Four-Cylinder Engine, Goes V6-Only For 2020
That’s a lot of power for a sedan of this size and makes for a car that’s quite accelerative. However, no one buys a sedan solely for performance. After all, you’d be better off buying a two-door coupe if you want just that. Vehicles like these also need to be comfortable, practical and loaded with technologies that make them easy to drive – and this is where the Q50 Red Sport 400 loses points.
For starters, the infotainment screen is absolutely horrible as it is laggy and, according to DeMuro, feels like it is 10 years old. There is also a second screen directly below that, where other car functions can be controlled from, which is insanely slow to respond to touches and absolutely infuriating to use.
In the end, buying an Infiniti Q50 in 2019 is difficult to justify, especially since much more well-rounded alternatives have hit the market since its launch, such as the Kia Stinger and Genesis G70.