I'm a lurker from over at the EX35 board who's still sportin' a 2008 model and really needs to upgrade. Right now, I'm looking for a 1-2 year old Q50 Sport. The majority of cars I'm seeing for sale online seem to have the Touring Package (including DAS), so I was wondering how bad it really is from the perspective of someone who's a driving enthusiast--albeit a pretty mild one these days. Recently, I have heard mixed reviews about DAS, including some stating there have been some software updates which have improved it greatly. I'm just not very confident a brief 30 min test drive would be enough time to formulate my own opinion...unless of course it's just really that bad.
As some comparison, I grew up with old bimmers, and although there's no way in hell I'd consider a new(er) one, I have witnessed that even their steering has very little feel to it nowadays; specifically, it feels very numb "on center" and doesn't make one feel particularly connected with either the car or the road.
I'm also a little disappointed that (to my knowledge anyway) the Infiniti Apps functionality is still a bust and it's been about 2 full years since it was introduced. Really I only care about Waze and Pandora/Spotify, but I digress...
Anyway, I'd love to hear from some of you guys/gals who've had the Q50 a while....including whether there's any compelling reason to shop for a 2015 model over a 2014. Thanks in advance.....Tim
Sooo...how bad is DAS (Direct Adaptive Steering) really?
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TimGinCentralNJ
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RicerX
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Re: Sooo...how bad is DAS (Direct Adaptive Steering) really?
Hey Tim!
I did painstaking research on all of the stuff you're contemplating with the Q50 - I found myself with a new offspring last February and ended up trading my beloved 370Z for a 2015 Q50S.
First thing - I looked into a used one, and I found out about the InTouch system's issue. For MY2014, that is the single greatest issue with the car. Infiniti has released some software updates for it that helped some issues, but the root cause to most of the issues is insufficient hardware, and that issue was rectified for the 2015 models. The InTouch unit is still a bit of a culture shock for someone who has used analog controls for HVAC and Audio, among other things, for years, but it is much improved in the 2015s. Sadly, I don't see how saving a couple grand on a 2014 model would justify dealing with issues from the camera system (around view or rear view, depending on equipment), all of the apps, slow navigation, and overall laggy responsiveness during other normal use. It's pretty bad.
Now, the other elephant in the room - Direct Active Steering. The DAS car I test drove was a loaner car at my local dealership with 8,000 miles on it. It was my first experience with the system, and I must say, it's nowhere near as bad as many auto journalists made it sound (some of them even admit that they liked the steering in the car until they realized it was steer-by-wire, and then they didn't like it). However, after driving a car with a traditional rack-and-pinion setup, I decided my purchase would be equipped with the old-school setup. I've driven my car on the Tail of the Dragon, and I was happy with the steering system. Is it as good as the steering in my 370Z? Absolutely not. It is, however, appropriate for the car and what it is meant for. My advice is to drive both back-to-back if possible and decide for yourself. There have been a couple updates to DAS, but I wouldn't know what to tell you as far as what improvements there were with the updates. The 2016 model has gotten a massive revision, and everyone that has reviewed the car has had nothing bad to say about the new version. Many preferred the new DAS system on the 2016 to the optional rack-electronic power steering setup that is standard equipment.
Some other feedback from my ownership experience:
1) I wish I had gotten the Rays wheel package (that comes with the spare tire kit as well). Sadly, for you, this is irrelevant as you are going after an AWD car and this is not available.
2) I hate the stock tires (Dunlop Run-flats). They suck. They're not good for what is supposed to be the "sports" trim of the lineup. If/when you buy, look at a set of tires. You may be the type of guy that runs snow tires during the winter and swaps during the summer, in which case, I recommend neither of those sets use the Dunlops. They're awful. Did I mention they're awful? They're awful. The good news is that it's an easy fix.
3) The aftermarket is fun for this car - quite a few things if you're into it. This car is pretty big in Japan, and the aftermarket has responded accordingly. Some stuff from the 370Z carries over (they still share the same platform) like front sway bars and front end exhaust components.
I do love this car. A lot. It's one of my favorite cars I've ever owned. To put that into perspective, it's my first luxury car, and the largest car I have ever owned. I have had many Nissans (Sentra Spec V, Altima Coupe, three Zs) and a Mazdaspeed3, a Jetta (bucket of crap), and a Chevy Cavalier (less of a bucket of crap than the Jetta, but didn't look as nice). So yeah, there may be some placebo effect there for me, but my longtime love has been my 370Z (I do want another one, but I don't want one enough to get rid of my Q50 for one), and going to this car from my Z has really been great.
I did painstaking research on all of the stuff you're contemplating with the Q50 - I found myself with a new offspring last February and ended up trading my beloved 370Z for a 2015 Q50S.
First thing - I looked into a used one, and I found out about the InTouch system's issue. For MY2014, that is the single greatest issue with the car. Infiniti has released some software updates for it that helped some issues, but the root cause to most of the issues is insufficient hardware, and that issue was rectified for the 2015 models. The InTouch unit is still a bit of a culture shock for someone who has used analog controls for HVAC and Audio, among other things, for years, but it is much improved in the 2015s. Sadly, I don't see how saving a couple grand on a 2014 model would justify dealing with issues from the camera system (around view or rear view, depending on equipment), all of the apps, slow navigation, and overall laggy responsiveness during other normal use. It's pretty bad.
Now, the other elephant in the room - Direct Active Steering. The DAS car I test drove was a loaner car at my local dealership with 8,000 miles on it. It was my first experience with the system, and I must say, it's nowhere near as bad as many auto journalists made it sound (some of them even admit that they liked the steering in the car until they realized it was steer-by-wire, and then they didn't like it). However, after driving a car with a traditional rack-and-pinion setup, I decided my purchase would be equipped with the old-school setup. I've driven my car on the Tail of the Dragon, and I was happy with the steering system. Is it as good as the steering in my 370Z? Absolutely not. It is, however, appropriate for the car and what it is meant for. My advice is to drive both back-to-back if possible and decide for yourself. There have been a couple updates to DAS, but I wouldn't know what to tell you as far as what improvements there were with the updates. The 2016 model has gotten a massive revision, and everyone that has reviewed the car has had nothing bad to say about the new version. Many preferred the new DAS system on the 2016 to the optional rack-electronic power steering setup that is standard equipment.
Some other feedback from my ownership experience:
1) I wish I had gotten the Rays wheel package (that comes with the spare tire kit as well). Sadly, for you, this is irrelevant as you are going after an AWD car and this is not available.
2) I hate the stock tires (Dunlop Run-flats). They suck. They're not good for what is supposed to be the "sports" trim of the lineup. If/when you buy, look at a set of tires. You may be the type of guy that runs snow tires during the winter and swaps during the summer, in which case, I recommend neither of those sets use the Dunlops. They're awful. Did I mention they're awful? They're awful. The good news is that it's an easy fix.
3) The aftermarket is fun for this car - quite a few things if you're into it. This car is pretty big in Japan, and the aftermarket has responded accordingly. Some stuff from the 370Z carries over (they still share the same platform) like front sway bars and front end exhaust components.
I do love this car. A lot. It's one of my favorite cars I've ever owned. To put that into perspective, it's my first luxury car, and the largest car I have ever owned. I have had many Nissans (Sentra Spec V, Altima Coupe, three Zs) and a Mazdaspeed3, a Jetta (bucket of crap), and a Chevy Cavalier (less of a bucket of crap than the Jetta, but didn't look as nice). So yeah, there may be some placebo effect there for me, but my longtime love has been my 370Z (I do want another one, but I don't want one enough to get rid of my Q50 for one), and going to this car from my Z has really been great.
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TimGinCentralNJ
- Posts: 199
- Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2011 7:00 am
- Car: 2008 Infiniti EX Journey AWD
Re: Sooo...how bad is DAS (Direct Adaptive Steering) really?
RX-
Immensely helpful feedback. The justification in favor of a '15 model makes perfect sense...even if I have to wait a few months to find one. I, too, would tend to go for the traditional steering system if asked on the spot (IMO, they're trying to fix something that's not broken) but if I find a really great deal on a '15 which has it, maybe I owe myself an opportunity to drive it and see if it would be manageable.
Again, thanks for all the insight. With any luck, I'll be back here as a contributing member. I will say the EX35 forum has gotten really stale over the last 5 years I've had mine. Time for a new scene
Cheers,
Tim
Immensely helpful feedback. The justification in favor of a '15 model makes perfect sense...even if I have to wait a few months to find one. I, too, would tend to go for the traditional steering system if asked on the spot (IMO, they're trying to fix something that's not broken) but if I find a really great deal on a '15 which has it, maybe I owe myself an opportunity to drive it and see if it would be manageable.
Again, thanks for all the insight. With any luck, I'll be back here as a contributing member. I will say the EX35 forum has gotten really stale over the last 5 years I've had mine. Time for a new scene
Cheers,
Tim