[Sinecure]

In early December I'll get a chance to drive the upcoming 2019 QX50. Infiniti's new crossover with a VC-T engine and lots of other fun goodies. There will be plenty of press on this car in the coming weeks and months. But if you have some questions you don't think the press will cover, or just in general - ask here. I'll try to track down answers when I drive the car and post answers. I'm pretty sure that there will not be an NDA/embargo on what I see, so hopefully I'll be able to answer questions clearly and directly.

I've worked in sales for a SF Bay Area Infiniti dealer for six years. I currently drive the 2016 Q50 Red Sport AWD with every tech option. I've driven every Infiniti we've made since 2010 and quite a few of the older ones too. Happy to make comparisons.

 

[boone]

Hi Sinecure,

I remember you from my time over on the Q50 forum. I am also considering the new QX50. I am trying to decide on a crossover to replace my VW CC and Jeep GC. Can't wait to hear your impressions. I am particularly interested in the drivability of the new motor and all the tech that they will be stuffing into the QX50.

 

[Sinecure]

I'm reasonably sure we'll have a QX50 in the family soon. My fiance's nx200t lease comes up in about a year and my Q50 lease ends in late 2019. Likely we'll get her a QX50 first.

 

[boone]

That is cool. Sounds like you are nearly sold already. My only real concern is the behavior of the new engine. Infiniti does great work and their motors have been solid in my experience. Nevertheless, it is a new type of motor. Kinda like when DAS was new. Truth be told, I never had any problems with DAS in my 2014 Q50.

 

[Sinecure]

I loved driving the car. The engine/tranny felt great. Best CVT I've driven so far. Also drove the BMW, Audi, Lexus and Mercedes.

Cargo space in the car is amazing. The back seats slide forward to provide more cargo space and/or allow you to shove your kid's pacifier back in their mouth. There are significant improvements to the ProPilot (self-driving stuff) features. It looks and feels awesome. Cooled seats. I struggled to find anything in the car I didn't like.

 

[onno]

Good to hear.

Is the CVT the same that is in the QX60?

When will it ship to dealer lots?

The auto show units had sort of a light brown steering wheel and dash, that to me didn't seem to go with the light colored seats and other trim. Did they say anything about interior colors?

What is estimated pricing on the top level trim with the cooled or ventilated seats?

Any info on the AWD system? Does it have any torque vectoring?

When do you estimate that car magazine 'first drive' reviews show up?

Thanks.

 

[boone]

I loved driving the car. The engine/tranny felt great. Best CVT I've driven so far. Also drove the BMW, Audi, Lexus and Mercedes.

Cargo space in the car is amazing. The back seats slide forward to provide more cargo space and/or allow you to shove your kid's pacifier back in their mouth. There are significant improvements to the ProPilot (self-driving stuff) features. It looks and feels awesome. Cooled seats. I struggled to find anything in the car I didn't like.

This is great news. Can't wait to give one a test drive.

 

[GAMacky]

I currently have a 2006 Infiniti FX35. Have had it for 12 years now. Looking forward to the new 2019 QX50. I'll be interested in hearing/reading anything about it. So please keep posting anything new here. Thanks in advance!

 

[GAMacky]

Am I seeing things or does this YouTube video shows that the rear view mirror is an LCD screen (at 0:09 mark)? [youtube url]/watch?v=gBnPU4BnHP8 (Sorry, I can't post links yet, copy and paste to address bar and put in the url for youtube.)

 

[onno]

I'm not sure what to make of the rear view mirror, but something seems different. I'm hungry for additional info on the new QX50. Does anyone know if there will be announcements at next week's Detroit Auto Show?

 

[Sinecure]

So you guys are very observant. I wasn't going to talk about the rearview mirror/camera yet. It is a very cool feature, but one that won't show up in the first batch of QX50's. It is going to be a rolling change to the feature set in mid-year. I don't know exactly when that will be.

It is the same set up as in the new fully loaded QX80. There's an additional camera inside the rear windshield. When you flip the switch on the rearview mirror, it turns into a screen. It is wider angle than you can get from it as a mirror. It is also remarkably clear and crisp (you can see the guy behind you picking his nose and see what he does with the booger). Since the camera is behind where the rear wiper swipes, it stays clear even in bad weather. I didn't think this feature would be a big deal - but I'm really surprised by how much I like it. If I'm correct, it will only be in cars with all the Pro-Active features.

To the extent that our training videos make the rounds, this may cause some confusion. The pre-production units they let us drive, plus probably the ones trainers will be schlepping to dealers for training, all had them.


As for the CVT - it felt better than any CVT I've driven to date. Faster off the line than the Q-5.

No torque vectoring. But I expect we'll see strong snow/ice performance.

No word yet on pricing. But we should see it very soon. I'd expect a range of $40-$60K. Or just look at Q-5, X3, GLC, RX350 prices at give them a slight haircut.

They keep telling us we'll have cars in February. My guess is we get two or three then, and the rest in March. We'll see.

They've now figured out how many each dealer will get. Some formula based on recent QX50 sales and some other stuff. I know we'll have 50% more of them than any of the other Bay Area dealers.

 

[onno]

Thanks. This QX50 sounds to be a solid contender!

Good to hear your impression of the CVT. I've come to enjoy the great driving dynamics (read: torque) from driving a VW TDI Passat; a turbo diesel that is slow off the line, but delivers smooth no-drama acceleration in everyday all-day driving, say 10-60 MPH. A VC engine, paired with a fresh CVT, without the rubber-band feeling, might replicate this.


I drove a 2017 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid (3 electric motors, 1 inline, two at rear w torque vectoring), and it was a great. Its just a bit too big.

I hope the full Pro-Active features are available in cars delivered in April, even if without this cool rear view mirror.

I did read in a Mexican newspaper that production has started.

Apple CarPlay? Android Auto?

 

[onno]

As for the CVT - it felt better than any CVT I've driven to date. Faster off the line than the Q-5.

No torque vectoring. But I expect we'll see strong snow/ice performance.

Can you elaborate? How does it compare to the 8 speeds? Was it the new Q5?

 

[Sinecure]

Can you elaborate? How does it compare to the 8 speeds? Was it the new Q5?

It was the "all new" 2018 Q5 (that looks exactly like the old one). Q5 does this weird thing where it hesitates for what feels like a full second before taking off.

That said, Q5 was probably my number two choice of the cars we drove (after the new QX50). It handled well and had decent acceleration once it got moving. The BMW handled like a pig. If it had no emblems, I'd have guessed it was a VW or an American car, based on handling. Mercedes was totally boring (that's what they're going for, I think).

Cool things in the Audi:
Good looking virtual cockpit (works terribly, but looks really cool)
Heated 2nd row seats
Doors open nicely (easy in/out)
Spare tire!!
Good spot for your phone

Bad:
Same boring design
Difficult to use infotainment
Big hump in rear
lots of hard plastic
limited rear storage (because it has a spare).

 

[onno]

Thanks.

In the '19 QX50, is there a locking rear differential in the AWD? Apple CarPlay? Spare tire? If not, fix kit? I would prefer not to have run-flat tires.

 

[onno]

The 2019 Acura RDX should be competitive: with SH-AWD (torque vectoring); 10 speed transmission (well reviewed in the Honda Odyssey); turbo 4 (claimed good low end torque); 16 way sports seats; driver's safety/assistants; Apple CarPlay (seen as a selection in video of the menu). Panoramic sunroof, new for Acura.

 

[Sinecure]

Thanks.

In the '19 QX50, is there a locking rear differential in the AWD? Apple CarPlay? Spare tire? If not, fix kit? I would prefer not to have run-flat tires.

Locking diff: No
Carplay: Not yet
Spare: Lots of storage under there for repair kit, but no spare. Yes, it has RFT's.

 

[onno]

Thanks for the info.

Any idea on when they'll arrive at dealers?

 

[Sinecure]

Second week of February is my best guess. Infiniti says they're releasing them on the 6th - give em a few days to get to dealers, plus a few days for Infiniti to find a way to infuriate us by some delay or another.

 

[onno]

plus a few days for Infiniti to find a way to infuriate us by some delay or another.

Got it. ;-) Thx. I'm looking forward to seeing and driving.

Is there room underneath for a mini-spare tire? (On the MDX Sport Hybrid, folk are buying the hoist parts from Honda and a wheel/tire from Tirerack; as the room is there as it is on other MDX. Yup, I just really don't want run-flat tires. I've gotten picky on my tires these last years, realizing how much they can affect the whole ride; noise, handling.)

We may wish to cross-shop the new 2019 Acura RDX before buying. It seems like a buffed out Honda CR-V, which isn't a bad thing. Love the drive of the Alfa Romeo Stelvio itself, just not some of their misses in their offering, and their dealer.