I test drove one also this past summer and by the test drive itself I knew it wasn't for me. I had my heart set on a G37 now for roughly 2 years but last year when I was ready to purchase I knew the q50 was right around the corner but I couldn't wait that long so I went with the GS... And never looked back lol. I did go for a test drive for the hell of it though. This is what I noticed:
1) I still prefer the vq over the the Lex engine. It sounds great and has plenty of power. Purely from a sport intention. Lex still has them beat in buttery smoothness of their v6.
2) the steering did feel a bit numb.
3) lower touch screen interface was a joke. It froze every time I touched it. I'm sure that has been fixed by now though.
4) besides the laggy touch screen, the technology offerings is above that of Lexus right now. I'm just not sure if I like the double screens Infiniti and Acura are implementing right now.
5) while Lex went sporty on the 3IS, Infiniti turned the Q into a cruiser and watered down what the G has been about since it's creation.
5) acceleration is still fun, but unfortunately without as much singing the vq did before.

Other than that I thought it was a pretty nice car overall.

 

Have you test drove an S4? I skipped Audi, because I hate the lines on the car; moreover, the body of the car just looks plumpy. I should have at least given it a test drive - ah well.

With that said, I am here to live vicariously through you! Report back good sir!

 

I cross-shopped the Q50 (hydraulic steering version, non-S) before settling on the IS 350 F-Sport. The Q50 has a lot going for it: looks (IMO), great engine, and price/value. I didn't feel it to be competitive with the F-Sport though, in the areas of ride (the run-flats are awful), steering, transmission, overall refinement, and front seat comfort--those were the deciding factors for me.

 

there will never be one car that does EVERYTHING better than another in the same class (well most of the time).. just have to see which car has more pros than cons over another. Obviously many factors are mostly subjective like looks, handling, infotainment so you just have to see what works best for you.

Even though the infiniti may utilize nice materials/good build quality in the interior, it just looks too "old" for my tastes (I'm in my mid 30s)

The exterior is too bubbly as well and doesnt have sharp angles which reminds me of a Hyundai for some reason...

 

Meh.... The new ATS looks a lot nicer not to mention way cheaper.

 

I drove a Q50S hybrid early on, drove a bunch of other cars. Here is by drive list. I drove many three or four times. Especially the IS350f and the Q50S nav.

Order and initial thoughts:
IS250 - is this a 92 acura clone with a wicked body?slow as a snail.
Q50S - Hybrid. Fast!, Nice but something odd. (drive by wire touring package). Just weird. I thought about the interior for days though. just loved it.
IS350 - Loved this test drive, wow. Super duper fun.
328i - Really like this but BMW has like early 90's interior. I like my tech. Felt like a Douche Bag yuppie in it.
MKz - JC what a mess. It felt like a fat dude trying to fit into 31/30 inch jeans.
S60 - impressed but bored. too much money.
CLA250 - wut? front end looks awesome. Thats about it.
IS350F - F** yeah! - missing some basic options...WTH? Seats are epic. love it.
IS250 - confirmed - this is an underpowered wast of money. a great looking comfortable honda accord. Total dung IMO - you buy car = this you just got hammed. Needs to be priced in the low 30s.
CLA250 - Confirmed - seats...suck. no room. weird interior. great MPG.meh.
Q50S - Navigation package only (rack and pinion steering) - Holy smokes this car rocks. IS350 more comfy but Q50 has a soul. Better in city and highway driving. Run flat tires...omg those things suck nuts.
IS350 F - I still like it. But it feels like its soulless. Doesn't outperform the Q50S nav on the streets. Its a wash. Nowhere as classy as the BMW or Q50.

It came down to IS350/F and the Q50s Nav.
I drove them all at least 3 more times.


IS = handles Better, softer seats, **** options, better tires, very refined..pretty much to the point of no soul to be honest. Cramped interior. Still too small. Sounds fake. bad visibility. Nice paint. Atomic silver is epic. Nice dashboard. Not good for four adults.

Q50 = Nicer interior, dashboard not as nice. AWD way better than IS by a mile. Sounds better, better MPG, better stereo (by far), run flats (yuk..why??? just why???), faster, can carry 4 adults who aren't under 5'9". Q50S NAV way more fun than IS350F. Better visibility. a much classier car overall. Darker colors much better.

Looks = Draw. I like them both. A whole bunch. The back ends of both need work. I really like the radical angles of the IS.

IS350F - About 3k overpriced.
Q50 - About 5k over priced, however...drop the drive by wire package (technology and touring packages) you save 6k and you still have the equivalent of the IS350F for 46k. vs 49/50k for IS. The performance difference will only be evident on a track. period. so its a non- factor.


Verdict:
IS350F - Super awesome refined but entirely a soulless machine. It's the car a sport tuner would buy if they ran into some money, got a good job, or turned 35. I'm not that guy. I drive a 1969 mach1 mustang, less refined makes a car feel alive. a little body roll is a good thing. The IS could use more of that. Cruddy options, forces compromise. Doesn't feel sporty like a BMW or ATS. Radical Design. Awesome grill starts to look old after a month. I started getting annoyed by it. Quieter than the Q50 72-75db @75mph. Sticks to the road like velcro. Great car overall though.

Q50 - Drop some of the packages (tech and touring) and you get way more car for the money. Don't get the drive by wire, the car handles great with the rack & pinion. The whole "drive by wire sucks" arguments are bunk....just don't get it....its not the only option. Get the R&P instead. No amount of street driving will prove the IS or the Q50 is a better handling machine.You feel the road more with the Q50s R&P. The IS wins on a track (who drive a track?). Without the touring package the Q50s feels like a great sport sedan. 2nd IMO to the ATS. Profile is too subtle that back window area needs some love its a little boring. Louder 76db @ 75mph. Great handling sticks to the road very well. Better tech apps.

Winner. Q50S Nav with Rack and Pinion steering.

After being a day away from buying and IS350F I turned around and ordered a Q50s. I am extremely happy with the decision. I'm sure I would be equally as happy with the IS350F. But, the IS 3350F needs something to really push it over the edge. maybe its just a new engine away. I can't put my finger on it. One more year and i'll bet Lexus gets it right. Both are great and are winners vs. the competition.

 

great review and breakdown of your test drives... really felt like i was there with you during them

I went with the IS350 Fsport mostly because I loved the interior more, and exterior suits my tastes better. The spindle grille actually had to grow on me in the beginning, but now i love it.

The rioja red on ultra white interior is what really got me (in the looks dept).. fits the body of the 3IS like a glove IMO.

also maybe because i'm that 35 yo with a pretty good job

not sure what you mean by the lexus being "soul-less" though... it had plenty of soul on my testdrive in the twisties and taking it up to 125 on my testdrive on the freeway

 

machmike - Awesome write up. Almost wants to make me do the test driving and decision making all over again. That had to take some time . . . . . all of the test drives . . . . .and your write-up! Hope you enjoy the Q. Thanks for sharing!!!!!

 

Agree, that was a good write up, minus the 250 being a snail. Understandably, this is definitely relative experience coming from a Mach 1 Mustang.

For me, the Q was out as it's 4-5 inches too long (not a luxury COMPACT sports sedan) , the rear too bulbous, and dash styling too derivative ("waterfall" design) like so many cars out there. ATS and Sonata come to mind. Besides my personal styling preferences, it's a great car despite the harsh reviews from the automotive journalists.

 

i didn't drive any of the other cars, i looked at the ATS and drove a 6 speed audi S4
my last car was a 2012 corvette Centennial edition Z06 trust me I've had more power than a pair of is 350's combined!
but ive owned lexus before and just about 4 months ago i leased a 2013 GS 350 F sport. love the car, love the power and its an AWD!
i know from the past 2007 IS 350 i used to have how much quicker it was then our old 2008 GS 350 AWD the new GS feels faster than i remember the old GS!
as a matter of fact, i have not even driven the new IS in ANY TRIM! and i don't need to!
quite frankly infinity / nissan never made anything that impressed me much, nor has AUDI / VW , cadillac, mercedes (Unless your talking AMG) i like the BMW it has a lot going for it exterior wise, and they can make some pretty good power but the interior is plain and ugly and i hate the red illumination, not to mention the price of the BMW and Audi for an equally equipped car doesn't even come close for the bang for the buck
as for mikes comparison, i like the fact that he drove several. but i would never drive an infinity or a ford for that matter so that makes my drive list a lot shorter.

based on the reviews along of the IS i don't think there is much I'm not going to like about my new IS 350 F sport.
i will agree hole heartedly with 1 thing mike said. i did years ago drive an IS 250 RWD as a rental in florida. you folks who live at seal level don't appreciate how lucky you are! because you have AIR where you live.
an AWD IS 250 in colorado (where Mike looks to be from) would be a pathetic waste of money! ive heard several who live here who have owned one comment about the lack of power.
the 350 is the ONLY way to go at 6500 feet we loose 25% of the output up here!

just for example my 505 hp corvette makes about 400 hp with a loss like that. we loose an entire second off the 1/4 mile up here! and a civic SI with a 2.0l engine could spank an AWD IS 250 here because it has nearly the same power and a lot less weight! course thats true anywhere you live. sorry im not going to buy a 30-40k car to get walked by a rice boy!

 

I love my S4 and have absolutely no buyers remorse over not getting a Q50 or IS350 Fsport (or a 335i for that matter). Best performance you can buy in a sedan under $50k. If you want more options, you can get a 1-2 year old CPO (because it's an emotional car, people tend to take them on very short leases so there's quite a few in this age range available) at the same price as a new stock model.

The 2012 is the last model year with hydraulic steering. Avoid 2013s; I read that the 2014s made major fixes to the electronic power steering.

On the Q50 - Infiniti certainly went in a different direction from the trajectory of the G35/G37. The Q50 appeals to a much broader range of customers, those who care less about the sport credentials, and more about the comfort and technology. It is a great looking car, it has a solid interior, and it has features you really simply can't get in its competitors. I think this is the car Infiniti needed to make to revive their brand. Let's remember that it has so much new technology, it may take a model year or two before they really refine the software in the steering to get it right.

The development of a Q60 should hopefully bring with it an improve in the Q50S.

 

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...id_first_test/

Another pretty dismal review... I might go in detail with my experience in 3,000 miles....

 

FBW or R&P steering? Would like to hear your feedback...

 

Wait, #notsureifserious. Do you have some source to substantiate the claim that Toyota modeled the GR V6 after the VQ? I've never heard that and am quite sure it's not the case.

Lexus, Toyota, nor any other manufacturer I know of has come anywhere close to replicating Nissan's "dying cow" exhaust note...well...because it's awful.

 

You'd think huh ? if the complaints in the q50 forums are to believed, the nav still randomly locks up, but less often than before

Do it