Hello out there. First time poster on this site. Have been a member of the 6MT site for many years.

I have a 2006 G35 sedan, 6 speed manual. I love the car. I am the original owner, it has about 145,000 miles on it now and I have only done two repairs to it in the 11 years I have owned it. it still runs perfectly. However as the mileage is starting to get up there I am thinking about giving the car to my son (who really wants it) and getting myself something else. I have been looking at the Q50 Red Sport and the C43 AMG. Of course the C43 is a lot more money but I wanted to consider it to see if it might be worth the extra $$$. Anyway, to my question; I am wondering if anyone out there can tell me the difference in feel and handling from my current car (G35) and the Q50. I know that the Q50 has electronic steering which is a negative but I m wondering really if this is a big deal or not. I love the way my G35 feels even now after all of those years and miles - it is still completely solid and has very good feel. I took the Q50RS out for a test drive the other day but could not really throw it around the way I might normally like to. I seemed to notice that the steering feel was lighter than my G35 but I would love it if somebody could comment on the quality of steering/handling of the Q50. I know it's not hard core sports car - I don;t want that but I would really like to know how it would compare to my G35 in the feel and handling departments. Any comments? Thanks in advance.

Anybody out there???

Hmm. Guess I asked a bad question. Never been skunked this before on forums. I'm out of here.

If you are still out there I have some insight to this topic.

I bought a 2014 Q50 Hybrid AWD with DAS last April My wife got a 2014 Q60S AWD in September, so we have one of each to compare. They are both awesome in different ways.

I use the DAS and especially the adaptive cruise control all the time, I do a lot of highway driving and those features make it effortless. The DAS does have a floating feel though, almost like being on a boat, it tends to seek the center of the lane and you feel the motion as it corrects.
Some will find that annoying. You can simply turn it off and the floating goes away and you are fully in control. I love the different drive modes and being able to set a personal drive mode is really nice. The car is quite different with each setting available from the center console switch. So if you like tech then going to the Q50 is the way to go.
The Q60S is the older G series platform and totally different. It is a performance driving machine, limited tech and older feel to the cabin and all electronics. But it is sooo much fun to drive! It's steering is really tight and responsive. Still really easy to drive but it is not as effortless as the Q50 with DAS and I really do miss the adaptive cruise control when I drive the Q60.

So bottom line drive both and decide if you want to be in the past or move to the future!

HI there. Thanks for the reply. Nice to know there is someone out there! I had asked this same question on another forum and everyone there said that they really liked the Q50 but that it would not be the same type of handling as my G35. I have not heard however about the noticeable difference in handling between the Q50 and the Q60 so that's quite interesting to me. I assume that difference is still there with the 2018 models? If so then I might have to take one of those out for a spin as well. I tried the Q50 and liked it but as the other people told me it does not have the same feel as my G - still liked it though and wow it was fast (I am looking at a Red Sport). Anyway, thanks for your reply.

It's been a little slow out here recently - sorry for the delay in the reply.

Qsession's 2014 Q60 is still using the G37 hydraulic steering rack as it is still a G37. Completely different cars to the current Q50. (Infiniti's stupid naming convention change has done nothing but confuse people).

The 2017 Q60 is the brand new coupe, and it gets the same systems in the Q50s as they share a platform. The Red Sport Q50/60 are available with a standard "rack electronic" steering system (standard rack and pinion steering setup with electric assist), and the optional Direct Adaptive Steering is available (full steer by wire). Some people actually prefer the Q50 over the new Q60 with respect to handling, but I feel they're so close it's really subjective. They're not that different on paper. With where life is for me, I'd prefer the sedan over the coupe for a daily driver, but the coupe is pretty gorgeous.

I will tell you - platform and handling will be a culture shock to you coming from a G35 when you really get into it. The Qs are very different cars, and will offer a more disconnected driving experience to the older G35s and G37s. The Red Sports have gotten better with regard to the steering (the early 14s and 15s feel number and lighter overall), but the pick for me is still the non-DAS version of each.

The Red Sports also do not have true LSDs, so expect that to be a big difference in handling if you're the type that likes to really push your cars. The Q50 otherwise is a pretty good handling car. I had a 2015 and liked it (but came from a 370Z and that was culture shock for me - the Z is very much opposite in terms of driving experience, even though my Q and Z had the same 3.7L engine). The C43 is a completely different class of car, and I recommend trying it out but keeping it in perspective. The Q50 is a great car, but there are certain preferences with respect to the car's drivability that aren't there (it's not a raw driver like my Z was, and not quite a scalpel like a BMW M or AMG car, but is a pretty good all-around luxury sport sedan for the money).

Key differences to look at - 2016 was the first Red Sport model, and they had issues with the engine, specifically shredding accessory belts. I believe there is now a recall, but you're better off with a 2017 or newer. The 2016 got a DAS revision, and the 2018 got another. Also as of 2018, there is no way to get a Red Sport without Forward Emergency Braking.

I'm back around more frequently now as I have been stupid busy with life lately, so prod us with any more questions regarding your search and we'll get you squared up faster. Welcome to the forums!

If you're still around -
I drove a '14 M235i, '06 G35, M56, G37S, '15 Q60, '14 Q50S Hybrid, and '18 Q50S 3.0T back to back last weekend. I agree with what the others have said. The 2017 Q60's and newer are the only ones that have the tech package. The steering response and tightness, from greatest to least, was
M235i -> 2006 G35 -> 2013 G37S -> 2015 Q60(non-DAS) -> 2018 Q50S(non DAS) -> 2014 Q50S Hybrid(DAS) -> M56. A friend You can personalize the stiffness with the DAS, but it's mostly just stiffness and sensitivity and you still won't feel the minor road changes. The 2017 and onward Sport packages include the dynamic digital suspension (DDS) which made a noticeable difference in comfort over some rough heavily patched and pothole pocked roads compared to the other Sport models. The Q50 in general is softer and more of a fun but still comfortable sedan than the G37, especially the G35. I like the tech package and have it on my M and G, using the adaptive cruise control for long trips.

What did you end up deciding to go with?

I had a G37IPL, it was a lot more sports car-ish than my new 2018 AWD Q50 Red Sport. (Non DAS)

The Q feels heavy, it is, at 4100+ lbs., and higher and just larger. It IS very capable for its size n weight though. I enjoy driving it but miss the light more nimble G37 IPL. I loved that car. I also LOVED the sound. The IPL had a real SS twin exhaust, not the huge pillow silent muffler the Q50 has.

400 hp in the Q vs 347 hp the IPL.. no difference. The torque in the twin turbo Q is better, but the IPL felt quicker. It also had better throttle response.

So why did I get the new Q? Good question. At times I really regret it, but the seats killed my hip bones (I'm a tall guy 6'1" 220) in the IPL its metal adjustable wings dug in to my hip bones. The New Q is more comfortable, has much more room, fits 3 people well, and has 4 doors. It's way easier to get in and out of in tight parking lots. The shorter doors open wider with less space between cars.

A new exhaust, lighter wheeles, and a tune will make my Q more like my G37IPL. Granted my Q50 will never be a GTR or a Z.. oh well

The Q50 feels like a much bigger vehicle when compared to the G35 (but it's not really). My '14, from a steering perspective, feels much like the G37-style cars I had in the past. I test drove a Q50 with DAS before I purchased my current Q50 and simply didn't like it, but, it may have been on the lightest and most aggressive setting at the time. Steer improved much more after I replaced the factory run flat tires (which are crap) with a better set. Suspension on the Q50 may be a bit stiffer than the G35 but it also seems to wallow more in the curves than the prior G35s that I owned, but, that may be simply AWD configuration vs. RWD I had with my G35s. The Q50 has a completely different rear end than the G35/G37's and at times I can feel the movement over dips in the road which is kinda weird, but, you really have to pay attention to notice. As mentioned before it does not come with a LSD which is more of an issue with a RWD than a AWD vehicle.

My Q60 has the 3.0T motor and thus far I'm happy with it. There have been issues with shredding belts and such in the past but that seems to be more of a belt alignment issue than anything and has already been addressed via Infiniti. I do have DAS and to me it still feels too light, but, I think that has more to do with the crappy run flats than DAS itself. Time will tell when I order new wheels and tires. IMO these cars should all come with more aggressive sway bars. The tech package is great, but, I rarely utilize any of the nanny controls. Active Lane Control does a great job as long as the curves on the highway are not too tight and there are well-painted lines (assuming you are hands-off on the wheel). It will somewhat lose its way on sharp curves and when you are going past off/on-ramps since the lines tend to go away. If I'm on long trips I may use Active Lane Control but do not use it daily as you can constantly feel it trying to adjust the vehicle through the steering wheel and that's annoying. The Around View Monitor and Blind Spot Warning systems are great.

Infiniti nav does a good job but they tend to be really slow at offering updates for road changes. My '14 does not have updates available in my area although there are 2 new bridges. NavTraffic monitoring is absolutely worthless so I don't bother paying XM for it. Honestly I don't even use the nav system at all as I prefer Waze due to traffic monitoring and rerouting.

Q50 trunk space without a spare is decent. With the spare (which I have) it's relatively limited, but, you can still get a full cart or more of groceries in there. It can hold 5 large bags of mulch too. Large suitcases? Maybe 1 and a carry on.