I sat inside of a pre-production version at a preview event, and I have to completely disagree.

The car looks fantastic in person, very taught and athletic, although perhaps the hood is a bit too long. My main complaint, actually, is how small the cabin is relative to how large the car looks. It's a bit bigger than the 2IS, but feels much smaller than my B8 S4. (This is tough though because the B8 S4 has more headroom than even an A8, going by Audi's official measurements - the seat it in can sit so low).

I did find the seats not as comfortable as mine, but the adjustable side bolsters were very nice. The main problem was the adjustable thigh support was a little too high relative to the seat itself.

The interior is a gigantic step up in appearance. We had a 2012 G37 as a loaner a few months ago, and it just looks old - not cheap, just old. The Q50, of course, looks much better, and interior materials are superb. IMO they took a page right from the JX, which IMO has the best interior materials in the class, especially when you consider leather isn't even standard on its competitors.

The media screen was not really functional - you could scroll around, but it was quite slow and many things didn't fully work. I'd expect it to be completely different on the production model.

Overall it's a nice car. However, the interesting thing to me about going to the event was not to see the car itself, but the reactions of people to the car. The people who are not enthusiasts, and don't even know what a Q5 is. Most of them were extremely impressed, and many found the Q50 moniker quite a bit friendlier and easier to say/remember than G35/G37.

The re-branding is not for people who read about cars every day. We have no problem remembering model names, both past and present. It's to create a sense of advancement through their model range. To pull people up into the bigger, more expensive model. And to instantly be recognized as an Infiniti. EX/FX/JX/QX was really confusing to non-car people. G and M were simply a casualty.

*edit* pics

 

Very,very nice.
I love the wheels.

 

I agree. As with most new cars I need to see them in person but these pics are looking good.

 

I think it has great presence, especially for an entry level car.

 

agreed. gf just bought a 2 year old g37 coupe and it's awesome.

not sure what you mean by pedestrian standards, but g37 is far nicer than say, oh, a mazda 3. not that there's anything wrong with a mazda 3!

 

there is nothing in the cabin of the Q50 that looks cheap. The G37s were fine and comparable to its competitors imho.

 

Your post are hilarious, now back to the Q50

 

If you guys think the current G37 interior is fine, then I don't know what to say. Fake aluminum trim, questionable surfaces, cheap hardware. Not saying its a bad car, but it doesn't really feel premium.

 

Och

My IS350 has plasti aluminum in the interior.

If you haven't t sat in the new IS, you're in for a surprise.

The F Sport I sat in had an LFA look steering wheel. The vertical element covering the center spoke was a huge chunk of plasti aluminum. Just give it a tap and the cheapness will resonate through your day

 

3.7 Liter threw me a bit. I would think with the m37 and g37 already boasting those motors they would make a larger sedan with a 5.0 v8 to compete with the lexus LS

 

This is not a flagship. It's the entry level infiniti. The Q70 (M) still has the 3.7 and 5.6. It's still not LS category.

 

Have you sat in the new ES350 yet?
I think you are forgetting that the G37 is entry level class. You cannot expect LS460/S Class type quality of materials in an entry level luxury vehicle. Are you saying that the ES350, IS, A4, 3 Series, TL, etc, are using higher quality materials than the G37?

 

I'll do an actual review (between Q50 3.7 vs IS350 head to head) as soon as we have a IS350 again (only 250s) but I just sat inside a Q50 and a 3IS and material wise the Infiniti wins. I'm not happy with Lexus. Guess the 3IS really is more about drive and handling and "fun" than upholding the "Luxury" banner.

 

Yeah, I'm not impressed with the current generation IS350 either, but the new one at looks great on pictures. Of course press pictures often do not tell the whole story.

My biggest issue with the new G/Q is the whole dual screen control system - it just looks dated compared to modern control interfaces.

 

The g interior is of decent quality, at least since the 2011 refresh. The interior is dated, but so is the 2nd gen IS. Both are head and shoulders above the e90 3 series. The fact is, all companies skimp on interiors in this class, with the possible exception of the ATS.