It’s uncommon for a car to end production in a better place than when it started, but every so often, it does happen, thanks to great facelifts, big tech upgrades, or new powertrains. Infiniti has confirmed that for the 2025 model year, there will be no Q50 sedan, marking the end of an impressive 11 model year run. While it hasn’t been an easy eleven model years, the Infiniti Q50 has arguably finished strong, going from a softer G37 replacement with highly controversial tech to a bolt-on and tune darling.
It’s generally good journalistic practice to kick off reports like this with a quote, so here’s Infiniti’s official statement on the discontinuation of the Q50:
Acting on our commitment to transform our vehicle line with four new products beginning with the all-new 2025 QX80, the INFINITI Q50 sedan will not be available in the United States and Canada after the 2024 model year.
The Q50 has an incredible fan base as a formidable sports sedan, while remaining one of our most popular vehicles since its introduction in 2013. The Q50’s spirit will certainly live on in our future sports sedan EV, previewed by the Vision Qe concept that made its debut last October.
You’ll likely still be able to find Q50s on dealership lots, but if you want to get your order in, that time is coming to a close. However, if you’re looking for a Q50, you’re probably looking at a used one, because over the model’s life, it became all about what you can put into it. Here’s how that happened.
When the Infiniti Q50 launched in 2013 for the 2014 model year, this G35 replacement virtually evaporated brand equity overnight. Not only did it not keep the naming scheme of its predecessor, it was overall a softer, more luxury-focused product than before. The option of a six-speed manual gearbox was gone, the standard 3.7-liter VQ37VHR V6 was a carryover unit, and the highlights of the range were a slow-to-load dual-screen infotainment setup, an optional hybrid powertrain, and a particularly wretched optional steer-by-wire setup called Direct Adaptive Steering. Just read what Car And Driver had to say about the latter system in a long-term road test of a 2014 Infiniti Q50 Hybrid:
So universal was the dislike for the steering and braking dynamics that logbook entries frequently declared them not yet ready for prime time. Specifically, the fully electric, by-wire Direct Adaptive Steering (DAS) came under fire for being completely devoid of feedback and feel and also for being “absurdly quick,” even on the Standard setting. The brakes, on the other hand, were grabby, with a hard transition from regenerative mode to friction braking under hard deceleration, making it nearly impossible to modulate them with any subtlety. As enthusiasts, we knew many of the elements required to make a decent chassis were in place, so the Q50S’s overanxious steering and braking behavior had us particularly miffed. A reflash of the steering software around the 15,000-mile mark failed to tame its harsh and unpredictable reactions.
That might sound harsh, but it really was an awful setup that would occasionally change its ratio mid-corner, spooky behavior that prevented keen drivers from ever trusting it. I hated driving every DAS-equipped press car with every fiber of my being because while there was so much potential in the chassis, the steering just killed it all. Sure, there was a mechanical steering column as an emergency backup, but when a key part of driving involves a system this bad, it really doesn’t make a bloody difference. Add in a scuttled Eau Rouge high performance model, and the Q50 started to feel like an also-ran.
Then, for the 2016 model year, things changed. While a new two-liter turbocharged four-cylinder base engine was nothing to write home about, for much of the range, Infiniti pulled out the VQ37VHR V6 and dropped in the twin-turbocharged three-liter VR30DDTT V6 engine. On paper, the standard 3.0T model was down 28 horsepower over the 3.7-liter model, but everyone knows that where turbos exist, torque exists, and a way of turning up the wick substantially is easily found. Oh, and that’s before we even mention the Red Sport 400 trim, which swapped in some new components and kicked things up to 400 horsepower. Who likes to party?
Unsurprisingly, after being deprived of a turbocharged rear-wheel-drive Nissan Motor Co. product since the end of the 300ZX, American tuners took to the revitalized Infiniti Q50 like moths to a flame. Burger Motorsports found that this engine would make 421 horsepower and 460 lb.-ft. of torque at the tires with cone-style intakes, an upgraded intercooler heat exchanger, a piggyback ECU, and a blend of 30 percent ethanol, 70 percent gasoline. AMS Performance took things even further, going to town and making a 600 wheel horsepower package for the Q50, resulting in an unassuming sedan that could beat up on Hellcats. People have pushed this platform to nine-second quarter-mile passes, an astonishing feat considering the bones of the chassis date back to the early 2000s.
Oh, and as time went on, it became easier and easier to buy a high-spec Infiniti Q50 without having to deal with the dreadful steer-by-wire Direct Adaptive Steering system. Since it still rides on Nissan’s FM platform, it’s easy enough to get one of these cars to handle well, because the biggest limiting factor is simply how well you can parse an online parts catalog.
Sure, the Infiniti Q50 wasn’t the greatest sports sedan out of the box, but with a bit of ingenuity coupled with a meaningful mid-cycle engine update eventually made it a tuner darling. Exactly what you’d expect from what was essentially a rebranded Skyline. In many ways, it was the last vestige of the Infiniti we knew and loved in the 2000s, which is why we’re sorry to see it go. At least some of its bones live on in the new Nissan Z, even if that rakish coupe isn’t nearly as stealthy as the Q50 was.
(Photo credits: Infiniti)
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I drive a 2015 Q50 AWD – here are my thoughts on the car, it having been circulating through my household for 6 years and ~105,000 miles. The interior and technology are not up to the standards of other brands, even comparing to cars released the same year. I haven’t had the chance to drive comparable sport sedans (I’m a college student living on a budget and the car was handed down to me after I handed my parents a check), but I have no doubt that they deserve their reputation for having nicer interiors and being generally better to drive. However, the car has been completely reliable. It has never asked anything of my family besides gas and regular maintenance. The VQ37 still feels powerful, the transmission still shifts quickly and smoothly, and I still think the design, especially in the deep red my car is, looks sharp. I stay on top of the general maintenance and don’t neglect any strange feelings or sounds, but those have never come up besides a bolt on the exhaust heat shield rusting out and causing an annoying rattle, as well as replacing a blown fuse that controlled the reverse camera. It may not be the most amazing sport sedan, but I trust it will always start and get me to where I need to be, and that’s not something I could trust every German car with.
The Altima for those with better credit. At least that’s how they’re driven and taken care of around these parts…
I once got a Q50 as a rental at DCA. I remember it as somehow being a luxury car in a rental fleet in 2023 that somehow did not come with Android Auto, Car Play, or some manufacturer’s half-assed equivalent. And naturally, the built-in navigation system data didn’t have my destination programmed in, because the street my hotel was on was newer than the car.
I would wholeheartedly NOT recommend trying to use phone screen navigation on the Beltway during rush hour.
They added CarPlay and Android Auto in 2020.
I envy everyone who grabbed one of these pre-pandemic when Infiniti was so on the ropes it practically gave new ones away.
Somehow a crap supply chain gave this company the shot-in-the-arm it needed to quote Mercedes C Class payments on an ancient sedan with absolutely zero brand clout. What a world!
I had an RS400 and the power was intoxicating. I got out of it quickly when it left me stranded with a no start one day and the dealer kept it for a week and couldn’t reproduce the issue, then a few days after I picked it up the entire dashboard went black on the interstate and once again the dealer couldn’t reproduce the issue.
These have never stood out to me, and even reading this, they only stand out as a bargain-bin deal with a ton of compromises to get a solid motor and tuning platform with decent looks (only in the right trim, otherwise they look like a rental Nissan).
As an alternative, I would suggest the Genesis G70 with the V6TT. Though maybe not quite down to these prices yet (can find them in the low 20s). I’m planning to buy one next week. I’ve driven one a decent bit and it’s lovely, built with generally high quality, reliability has proven above average, lots of standard features. And most importantly it’s a driver’s car first, luxury sedan second. No glaring flaws except meh fuel economy and smallish back seats.
A year ago I was in the market for a lightly used sports sedan. Tried a few out. Q50 was very interesting, as the cost is so low compared to Germans. Then I drove it; the steering was so weird and numb. It had a surprisingly harsh ride (much worse than my GTI on 19’s) and the interior was worse quality than my GTI (Mk7 FTW).
Then eventually tried a G70 3.3T AWD. Steering is excellent, you can feel road texture and it’s accurate. But it is slow to return to center (at least for me). The interior had just as nice an interior as ze Germans, but looked more classy, had ALL the gizmos baked-in, still had warranty left. The 3.3T feels much more powerful than all but the B58. Also, comes standard w/ Brembos and LSD. The equivalent German car would’ve been $15k more.
So yeah, you can probably guess what I took home. Love the car every time I sit down in it. And the dealership experience has been generally exceptional, w/ loaner cars for recalls and they’ve fixed every pedantic complaint I’ve had w/ small squeaks.
Awesome!! Giving me more confidence in my decision. Looking forward to picking it up this week
What’s the cost effective enthusiast way to get into one of these, obviously a low milage cpo red sport is the best way. Besides an unmodified turbo motor, are there certain years or trim levels that are worth looking for?
VR is so excessively overbuilt. I’ve seen unopened motors hit 800 without immediately getting a nice breeze in block. It’s the new N54, but can work longer then like three pulls at boost measured in bars. It’s a shame they seemed to spend all their clams on motor and pieced the rest out of collection of FM platform parts and whatever Nismo decided didn’t make the current GTR cut. Also, Infiniti will sell these to anyone with credit score that has a positive number. Our shop wrenches on these oddly often. As owners get denied warranty work, because it doesn’t cover slamming a curb at 60. And we are priced just below the dealer. Usually end up sitting in our lot for awhile, while the owner figures out our blood fee.
To Infinity and The Great Beyond!
I saw one of those being driven drunk on US 50 on Sunday.
An Infiniti being used as god intended
I see the Q you’re putting down.
And, yet, the first thing I ask myself until I see the worlds before me: “is that the one that was the “G35”?
It’s a serious problem with changing names of models that were strongly entrenched.
For like zero payoff too. G35 had some brand equity. They change it to the Q, QX naming scheme that still probably makes little sense to people. The executive who approved that is probably sitting on a beach with their golden parachute though.
I mean, “single letter = sedan, two letters = SUV” isn’t unique to Infiniti, but honestly, I think that’s bad in a different way
It’s the same idiot that screwed up Cadillacs naming structure.
I will never understand why they greenlit that idea.
These existed? I must’ve been taking a nap or something.
Funny timing.
I’m currently in the market for a two door sports coupe to toss around. The sister car to this (G37, first gen Q60) offered the reliable VQ37VHR V6 and has enough head/legroom for me.
Even better, these things depreciated like a rock. $15-20k for varying mileage and condition. Only challenge is finding one that has two or less owners, haven’t been thrashed to bits, and haven’t been modified to look like a Fast and Furious extra.
The coupe version is gorgeous – my neighbor had one until her kids got too big.
Lexus RC is better in every way. Also cross shopped this and ended up with a nice 2017 RCF with 60K miles.
Nothing about the RC is better except for an available V8 with less tuning potential.
Doesn’t handle better, doesn’t look better, interior isn’t nicer, and the infotainment is just as dated.
I love the way these look and they seem quite luxurious. On paper they compete with much more expensive cars. It’s just sad that they put them out half baked instead of making them the refined cars with a demon inside that they should have been.
I actually have a few things to say about the Q50, particularly in Red Sport guise. I’ll start with the bad. First and foremost, DO NOT buy one new. It will depreciate $10,000+ the moment you drive it off the dealer lot. These are not even vaguely competitive at MSRP and the market agrees. Also, be ready for an interior right out of the 2000s. The navigation screen looks like someone slapped a 20 year old Garmin to the dashboard. It’s so, so bad and it’s borderline embarrassing now. Absolutely no one you’re giving a ride to will be impressed.
You also have to be willing to live with the Infiniti stigma. As I mentioned in my comments on the Altima article yesterday, these are favorites of the hooning crowd/tooners and a good deal of them are driven recklessly, rode hard, and put away wet. The Big Altima Energy applies to Infinitis as well. I almost look at them as a Japanese Charger equivalent.
With all that out of the way, these are ridiculously good used buys. You can find Red Sports in the high 20s/low to mid 30s all day. Infiniti also has a long warranty and their certified program is excellent. Be VERY wary of just buying one of a rando or a buy here pay here lot, but if it’s at a legitimate Infiniti dealership it’s probably fine. Take a look at the Carfax and make sure you’re buying an unmodified one.
But if all those boxes are checked you’re getting a 400 horsepower, rear or all wheel drive luxury sedan that probably still has some warranty left over and will be exponentially cheaper to own and maintain than its German counterparts for WRX or GTI money. It’s also pretty attractive cars to boot.
I’ve long maintained that a certified Red Sport 400 is low key one of the best enthusiast buys out there. It’s a ridiculous amount of car for that price and you’ll be able to keep up with much more prestigious competition, at least in a straight line. And if you can deal with the compromises of a coupe the Q60 basically offers all of the same in an even more attractive body.
Folks sleep on these. If I needed a car tomorrow a certified Red Sport would be on my list. I don’t know that I’d wind up buying one, but I’d definitely consider it.
“Absolutely no one you’re giving a ride to will be impressed.”
So kick the ungrateful bastard out. Gas, grass or..something, nobody rides for free.
I meant that more in an “if you care about the flex aspect of a luxury purchase an Infiniti is NOT for you” way haha
In my year and a half at a Speed Shop in sales, we got quite a few calls about these and I sold a decent amount of stuff to them. Pretty strong performers, and I always thought they looked nice. Would never buy one though unless it was dirt cheap.
If there is a product in the lineup that exemplifies Nissan’s shit management, it is the Q50, former G35. It is summarized in the article. Take a car with a good reputation and momentum for the brand, and just suck all the wind out of it with some unneccesary rebrand and middling re-design. Then proceed to sell the same model for over a decade.
The brand is basically dead. Clearly running Nissan and Infiniti is too much for the current management.
All I know is that I’ve seen an engine replacement on one of these twin turbo jobbies run in excess of $20K. A bit steep for what it is in my opinion.
Therefore, no.
My mind associates these with jackasses doing donuts in street takeovers.
I would argue that the release of the 2013 model name change, including the Q50, was when the Infiniti nosedive gained enough momentum to be unstoppable. Underinvestment by Carlos “Long” Ghosn finally started to be evident so they hired marketing snakeoil salesman Johan de Nysschen to paper over the engineering lapses with some fancy new badges. It is sad the brand has become.
You mean the guy that also gave Cadillac a boneheaded move to New York and “Dare Greatly”?
Yes that would be the guy. Clearly better at selling himself than cars.
Hey hey New York City is a critical market for Cadillac.
Car service operators buy them by the bucket load.
Had one of these as a rental car and it was…. like the JDM version of a Dodge Journey. Disappointing in every aspect
“Evaporating brand equity” seems to be Nissan’s way of doing business, ever since the re-branding from Datsun.
I would argue that the 1990’s were Nissan’s highpoint – well after the Datsun-delete rebranding.
My question is whether Nissan Skyline will remain in existence as a JDM-only model again?
Did anyone ask that?
IMHO, peak Nissan was in the early 90’s when you could walk into a showroom and find a 300ZX Turbo sitting beside a Maxima “4DSC” sitting beside a hardbody pickup or Pathfinder
Next to a B13 Sentra SE-R, next to an NX2000 SE-R, next to an S13 240SX SE.
Their smaller cars were killer too.
So very, very true
Like the comments below, I don’t quite agree. But by the time Nissan had OBD2 ports, they had definitely passed their peak for me. I own Datsuns/Nissans from every decade 90s back to 60s. I don’t expect to own anything newer.
Yeah, my fave Nissans are also post-Datsun (Pulsar GTi-R, please), but they really tripped themselves up in ’82-’83.
I have owned something like 7 of the early 80s 720 pickups. Nothing tells the Datsun, no wait Nissan story better than looking at those tailgates and the various ridiculous ways they put their name badges on them.
A family member bought a new Q50 Red Sport 400 AWD back in 2022. They aren’t really a car person, but they wanted something quick that was also luxurious and that said “I’m a successful sales executive” when they pulled up to their potential client’s offices. Unfortunately, I don’t know how well that has worked out since the first year was mostly loaners and rental cars while the thing sat at the dealer for warranty repairs. By all accounts, the thing is great when it runs, but I have gotten more than one call asking about the best way to handle the harsh depreciation if it were to be traded in on a BMW or Mercedes.
The only thing I think when I see an Infiniti is someone must’ve gotten a good lease deal or they’d be driving literally anything else.
I looked at a CPO G37 a few years ago and the local Infiniti dealer told me 80% of the new vehicles they moved were leases, not sales.
So, there was actually a bit of friction when the family member bought the Red Sport, as I made sure to ask if they leased or bought – pointing out that the harsh depreciation would make leasing a better option, especially given the general reliability issues Nissan/Infiniti are known for these days. The family member got all mad at me, since they had purchased it and took my comments as insulting instead of cautionary like I expressed, but changed their tune after it kept going in for warranty work and they wanted to dump it.
Fortunately for them, the last I heard their Red Sport hasn’t had any issues for most of 2024, so hopefully that holds and they can keep it long enough to make being upside down on it worth it in the long run (however unlikely that may be).
I mean the Red Sports hit a floor in the 20s or even 30s if they’re well cared for. The first couple years are going to hurt, but unless they bought it with a ridiculous loan they should be able to ride out the depreciation curve.
The family member bought it with minimal down and at full MSRP. I facepalmed so hard I nearly concussed myself when they told me that.
Lay with
dogsFrench automaker, rise withfleasFrench reliability.Frenchbuilt Renaults are actually pretty reliable.
The AMC Renaults were no less reliable than other cars of their time.
Buying a new Infiniti is a fool’s errand.
Buying a used Infiniti once some other bozo has taken the depreciation to the face is actually not a bad idea at all.
I mean the 23 year old platform will still be on sale as the Z and in 2 years they can have a 25th anniversary trim
Whatever they offer would have been competitive in 2010 and I’m sure they’ll still have the audacity to charge $70,000+ for it