Q 50 vs BMW 328 personal comparison
09-08-2013, 11:00 AM
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Q 50 vs BMW 328 personal comparison
Suddenly got the new car bug real bad, currently driving g-37xs.
I was really on the fence regarding the Q 50.
Had an afternoon test drive of new BMW 328 with Turbo Direct Injection.
First time driving a BMW; the balance on the car is incredible...all the power you want too.
Downside....creature comforts and appointments...
I had black on black on a 90 degree sunny day....felt the air conditioning struggle in town driving, especially when the engine auto shut down at stops. (annoying but deletable).
The information center display is perched on the dash like a cheap Garmin unit.
The sound system was yuk, XM available from dealer, $499 add on.
Seating ok but less than memorable. Building one, everything was optional at a cost.
Had the use of a Q 50 s for 2 hour test drive....air conditioning, my ears had frost on them, power, plenty in all modes, (eco, sport, normal) comfort, definitely. Seamless integration of information center
The sound system, really good...cabin quietness improved over my g-37.
An awful lot of bang for the buck.
For an extended period at 85mph I was showing 23mpg.
It was a tough decision, I a 63 years old, if I was 43 it would have been the BMW for pure driving fun.
Ordered a basic, no frill, Q50s Graphite shadow, NO awd...got $1500 off sticker (Driving a BMW test driver got their best deal)
On a side note...drove the Q50 to the BMW dealer to tell him of my final decision.....the manager Larry was at the front door as I drove up.
His jaw dropped when he saw the Q50, he had not seen one in person...I told him he could to sit in it and look it over.
He tried to find something he did not like, sat in the back seat for leg room, played with the electronics, got out and looked it over...and said...
"BMW doesn't get it, that car with those 19 inch wheels is SEXY, SEX sells"
Shook my hand, walked away muttering to himself...
I was really on the fence regarding the Q 50.
Had an afternoon test drive of new BMW 328 with Turbo Direct Injection.
First time driving a BMW; the balance on the car is incredible...all the power you want too.
Downside....creature comforts and appointments...
I had black on black on a 90 degree sunny day....felt the air conditioning struggle in town driving, especially when the engine auto shut down at stops. (annoying but deletable).
The information center display is perched on the dash like a cheap Garmin unit.
The sound system was yuk, XM available from dealer, $499 add on.
Seating ok but less than memorable. Building one, everything was optional at a cost.
Had the use of a Q 50 s for 2 hour test drive....air conditioning, my ears had frost on them, power, plenty in all modes, (eco, sport, normal) comfort, definitely. Seamless integration of information center
The sound system, really good...cabin quietness improved over my g-37.
An awful lot of bang for the buck.
For an extended period at 85mph I was showing 23mpg.
It was a tough decision, I a 63 years old, if I was 43 it would have been the BMW for pure driving fun.
Ordered a basic, no frill, Q50s Graphite shadow, NO awd...got $1500 off sticker (Driving a BMW test driver got their best deal)
On a side note...drove the Q50 to the BMW dealer to tell him of my final decision.....the manager Larry was at the front door as I drove up.
His jaw dropped when he saw the Q50, he had not seen one in person...I told him he could to sit in it and look it over.
He tried to find something he did not like, sat in the back seat for leg room, played with the electronics, got out and looked it over...and said...
"BMW doesn't get it, that car with those 19 inch wheels is SEXY, SEX sells"
Shook my hand, walked away muttering to himself...
09-08-2013, 11:43 AM
#2
The 335i is more comparable to the Q50 but as we all know performance wise the 335i walks away from Q. How's the power on the Q I test drove it once it feels the same vs the G, but other people are saying it is much faster??? Ever since the Q came out I've been building a 335i compared to the Q online and it seems I am leaning a bit towards the Bimmer now since the Qs price is way up compared to the G where it was a affordable performance car.
09-08-2013, 12:35 PM
#3
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I have gone through this scenario 100x in my head (and read through more detailed arguments online than I care to recall) and reached the conclusion that there is really is no right answer when it comes to comparing the F30/E90 based 3 Series to the FM based G/Q. Both are great cars, but it's obvious once you drive a BMW that many of the tradeoffs they make in their designs are geared towards performance and squeezing every nth of a degree out of everything that goes into the base platform.
Direct vs. port injection (there are advantages to each), individually programmed injectors that are designed/assigned to specific cylinder, forced induction vs. NA, programmable batteries that cost $300 to replace, etc., etc.
I think they deserve to poke their chest out and tout their cars as "the ultimate driving machine".
The downside of this approach however is that pushing the envelope like this wears 'little' things out faster and reliability after 4-5 years tends to come into question, which then hurts resale and scares off people like myself that tend to own their cars for 7-9 years.
For people like me, the Japanese luxury car makers offers more advantageous tradeoffs with a bundled value proposition that promises to come within about 90% of what the Germans offer. Can the Japanese auto makers close this gap? Off course they could, but they realize that there will be a trade-off in doing so and I'm not sure they want to give up the "brand" (i.e. bulletproof reliability and rock solid resale value with low TCO) that afforded them massive success over the past 40 years or so. Likewise for the German auto makers as well.
The tradeoffs are essentially what defines them as an automaker.
A friend at work summed it all up the other day when he said that he was looking for a late 70s/early 80s car to tinker around with on the weekend and restore. He basically limited his search to Japanese cars from this period because he felt domestic cars were horrific during this period (which is true IMO) and German cars, while many cool models to choose from, are simply not reliable outside the warranty period and parts/repairs would turn his little hobby into a money pit. And this is coming from someone that has only driven Mercedes and VWs (all with a warranty, they are sold once warranty expires) for the past 10 years.
Direct vs. port injection (there are advantages to each), individually programmed injectors that are designed/assigned to specific cylinder, forced induction vs. NA, programmable batteries that cost $300 to replace, etc., etc.
I think they deserve to poke their chest out and tout their cars as "the ultimate driving machine".
The downside of this approach however is that pushing the envelope like this wears 'little' things out faster and reliability after 4-5 years tends to come into question, which then hurts resale and scares off people like myself that tend to own their cars for 7-9 years.
For people like me, the Japanese luxury car makers offers more advantageous tradeoffs with a bundled value proposition that promises to come within about 90% of what the Germans offer. Can the Japanese auto makers close this gap? Off course they could, but they realize that there will be a trade-off in doing so and I'm not sure they want to give up the "brand" (i.e. bulletproof reliability and rock solid resale value with low TCO) that afforded them massive success over the past 40 years or so. Likewise for the German auto makers as well.
The tradeoffs are essentially what defines them as an automaker.
A friend at work summed it all up the other day when he said that he was looking for a late 70s/early 80s car to tinker around with on the weekend and restore. He basically limited his search to Japanese cars from this period because he felt domestic cars were horrific during this period (which is true IMO) and German cars, while many cool models to choose from, are simply not reliable outside the warranty period and parts/repairs would turn his little hobby into a money pit. And this is coming from someone that has only driven Mercedes and VWs (all with a warranty, they are sold once warranty expires) for the past 10 years.
Last edited by socketz67; 09-08-2013 at 12:56 PM.
09-08-2013, 12:37 PM
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The 335i is more comparable to the Q50 but as we all know performance wise the 335i walks away from Q. How's the power on the Q I test drove it once it feels the same vs the G, but other people are saying it is much faster??? Ever since the Q came out I've been building a 335i compared to the Q online and it seems I am leaning a bit towards the Bimmer now since the Qs price is way up compared to the G where it was a affordable performance car.
drivers mode Sports, Eco, Standard, (even has a "personalized" setting I did not play with due to lack of time") you can pick and choose at the flick of a switch.
I am shedding almost 150+ lbs in weight losing the AWD which is fine if you live in snow, figure it will be quicker.
Only option I bought with S package was a rear spoiler. (They tossed in $400 illuminated kickplates, as the build would not delete it)
Sport model came in OTD 43,225
The 328 with M package, pretty much stripped to the bone...no moonroof, standard 18"wheels, basic radio with XM add on, standard interior $41,749
09-08-2013, 01:37 PM
#5
The 335i is more comparable to the Q50 but as we all know performance wise the 335i walks away from Q. How's the power on the Q I test drove it once it feels the same vs the G, but other people are saying it is much faster??? Ever since the Q came out I've been building a 335i compared to the Q online and it seems I am leaning a bit towards the Bimmer now since the Qs price is way up compared to the G where it was a affordable performance car.
Last edited by P Casey; 09-08-2013 at 03:13 PM.
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Seraphix (09-26-2013)
09-09-2013, 11:12 AM
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I have gone through this scenario 100x in my head (and read through more detailed arguments online than I care to recall) and reached the conclusion that there is really is no right answer when it comes to comparing the F30/E90 based 3 Series to the FM based G/Q. Both are great cars, but it's obvious once you drive a BMW that many of the tradeoffs they make in their designs are geared towards performance and squeezing every nth of a degree out of everything that goes into the base platform.
Direct vs. port injection (there are advantages to each), individually programmed injectors that are designed/assigned to specific cylinder, forced induction vs. NA, programmable batteries that cost $300 to replace, etc., etc.
I think they deserve to poke their chest out and tout their cars as "the ultimate driving machine".
The downside of this approach however is that pushing the envelope like this wears 'little' things out faster and reliability after 4-5 years tends to come into question, which then hurts resale and scares off people like myself that tend to own their cars for 7-9 years.
For people like me, the Japanese luxury car makers offers more advantageous tradeoffs with a bundled value proposition that promises to come within about 90% of what the Germans offer. Can the Japanese auto makers close this gap? Off course they could, but they realize that there will be a trade-off in doing so and I'm not sure they want to give up the "brand" (i.e. bulletproof reliability and rock solid resale value with low TCO) that afforded them massive success over the past 40 years or so. Likewise for the German auto makers as well.
The tradeoffs are essentially what defines them as an automaker.
A friend at work summed it all up the other day when he said that he was looking for a late 70s/early 80s car to tinker around with on the weekend and restore. He basically limited his search to Japanese cars from this period because he felt domestic cars were horrific during this period (which is true IMO) and German cars, while many cool models to choose from, are simply not reliable outside the warranty period and parts/repairs would turn his little hobby into a money pit. And this is coming from someone that has only driven Mercedes and VWs (all with a warranty, they are sold once warranty expires) for the past 10 years.
Direct vs. port injection (there are advantages to each), individually programmed injectors that are designed/assigned to specific cylinder, forced induction vs. NA, programmable batteries that cost $300 to replace, etc., etc.
I think they deserve to poke their chest out and tout their cars as "the ultimate driving machine".
The downside of this approach however is that pushing the envelope like this wears 'little' things out faster and reliability after 4-5 years tends to come into question, which then hurts resale and scares off people like myself that tend to own their cars for 7-9 years.
For people like me, the Japanese luxury car makers offers more advantageous tradeoffs with a bundled value proposition that promises to come within about 90% of what the Germans offer. Can the Japanese auto makers close this gap? Off course they could, but they realize that there will be a trade-off in doing so and I'm not sure they want to give up the "brand" (i.e. bulletproof reliability and rock solid resale value with low TCO) that afforded them massive success over the past 40 years or so. Likewise for the German auto makers as well.
The tradeoffs are essentially what defines them as an automaker.
A friend at work summed it all up the other day when he said that he was looking for a late 70s/early 80s car to tinker around with on the weekend and restore. He basically limited his search to Japanese cars from this period because he felt domestic cars were horrific during this period (which is true IMO) and German cars, while many cool models to choose from, are simply not reliable outside the warranty period and parts/repairs would turn his little hobby into a money pit. And this is coming from someone that has only driven Mercedes and VWs (all with a warranty, they are sold once warranty expires) for the past 10 years.
I have a neighbor with an 04 M3, competition package....he calls it his baby and puts a thousand miles a year on it. I have seen it out of his garage twice in the past 3 years.
He owns a repair shop, so maintenance is no serious issue for him....he did grumble about a $450 battery a couple months back.
American cars in the mid- seventies started
a very serious decline... coupled with "gas price shock" thats where Japan stepped it up and the rest is history.
It has finally forced American cars to step it up to todays realities, I think Ford gets it.
09-09-2013, 12:19 PM
#7
you're saying the 328 is more comparable to the Q vs the 335i? Then which car in the Infiniti lineup is comparable to the 335i then? Back then it was the g37 vs 335i now its the Q50 vs 328i?
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09-09-2013, 12:21 PM
#8
agree with you, American cars are making some pretty impressive cars especially Ford. I was actually considering getting a Ford as a daily pos driver. Too bad German cars are never as reliable as any Japanese counterpart, they seem to put performance first and then reliability...
09-09-2013, 05:09 PM
#9
The Infiniti line up doesn't have many car models to choose from.... Whereas BMW has pretty much a model in every category. If Infiniti wants to try and compete with the new 435 coupe or have their G37S/Q60S compete with the 335IS or Im sure a 435IS, it wouldn't be very smart and somewhat laughable.
As far as mods and tuning software such as DINAN, Cobb, BMS, etc. it's not even close by any means. But that's not what we are talking about.
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Seraphix (09-26-2013)
09-11-2013, 02:06 PM
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I just test drove the new Q50 premium yesterday and came out with mixed feelings. Overall, the car has a lot to offer and a great daily drive by Japanese standards. The new model is a bit roomier, definitely more refined, the engine is much quieter and smooth. The engine is the usual 3.7L that we all love and used to, so no surprises there.
The layout and sitting position is pretty good and buttons are easy to read and find. Played around with the touch screen and found it sluggish and non-responsive at times. I do not think it is safe to use it while driving as it will take your eyes off the road looking downward. So YES it is a awesome idea to follow IPAD like feel to it but the results are only half way from the goal.
When it comes to comparing this car to other competitors, we got to be careful not to mix apples with oranges. This car sits in its own class, it is essentially bigger than an IS350 or 3 series but smaller than a A6 or 5 series. further more, comparing it to a 328i is just not fair judgment. I test drove both the 3 series and 5 series and I can only say that as far as refinement and feel of quality is far superior than Infiniti. It is a no brainer. You just know and feel quality when you are in it. The 3 series handles amazing well and just feels solid whereas the new Q50 feels like a collage of parts and body structure. Anyone who knows about automotive industry has a clear picture that the building process of German cars is very different than the Japs. Germans use stronger steel and heavier cars but I do see that the Germans are starting to move to more cheap plastics to save costs. VW is a good example, they used to make solid cards, now they feel as you are driving a paper cardboard on wheels.
My summary on the subject:
Infiniti or Lexus buyers are responsible drivers looking for value and price. Q50 will beat any car in its class comparison because it offers loads of technology and features.
Now the price, it will run you around 50k depending on the model and extra packages. IMO, the car as new does not worth 50K and will refuse to spend that kind of money on an Infiniti or Lexus for that matter. I was seriously considering getting one but the price got me so turned off. I no longer see value/price factor in its favor nor mine. I am noticing more and more that luxury Japs have become expensive and closer and closer to the Euro cars. My advice to anyone is buy this vehicle used after a year and with low mileage and save yourself the hefty tag price. If you willing to pay 50K for a new car then seriously consider a 5 series, A6, or E350 Merc for the extra $5,000. A friend of mine picked up an E350 in Houston fully loaded and brand new body style for $55,000 out the door after strong negotiations. Sorry but I would pay the extra 5k for even better car. Q50 is no near the class of quality and refinement these real German Sedans. Sorry Infiniti you just lost my business and going to a BMW 5 Series.
The layout and sitting position is pretty good and buttons are easy to read and find. Played around with the touch screen and found it sluggish and non-responsive at times. I do not think it is safe to use it while driving as it will take your eyes off the road looking downward. So YES it is a awesome idea to follow IPAD like feel to it but the results are only half way from the goal.
When it comes to comparing this car to other competitors, we got to be careful not to mix apples with oranges. This car sits in its own class, it is essentially bigger than an IS350 or 3 series but smaller than a A6 or 5 series. further more, comparing it to a 328i is just not fair judgment. I test drove both the 3 series and 5 series and I can only say that as far as refinement and feel of quality is far superior than Infiniti. It is a no brainer. You just know and feel quality when you are in it. The 3 series handles amazing well and just feels solid whereas the new Q50 feels like a collage of parts and body structure. Anyone who knows about automotive industry has a clear picture that the building process of German cars is very different than the Japs. Germans use stronger steel and heavier cars but I do see that the Germans are starting to move to more cheap plastics to save costs. VW is a good example, they used to make solid cards, now they feel as you are driving a paper cardboard on wheels.
My summary on the subject:
Infiniti or Lexus buyers are responsible drivers looking for value and price. Q50 will beat any car in its class comparison because it offers loads of technology and features.
Now the price, it will run you around 50k depending on the model and extra packages. IMO, the car as new does not worth 50K and will refuse to spend that kind of money on an Infiniti or Lexus for that matter. I was seriously considering getting one but the price got me so turned off. I no longer see value/price factor in its favor nor mine. I am noticing more and more that luxury Japs have become expensive and closer and closer to the Euro cars. My advice to anyone is buy this vehicle used after a year and with low mileage and save yourself the hefty tag price. If you willing to pay 50K for a new car then seriously consider a 5 series, A6, or E350 Merc for the extra $5,000. A friend of mine picked up an E350 in Houston fully loaded and brand new body style for $55,000 out the door after strong negotiations. Sorry but I would pay the extra 5k for even better car. Q50 is no near the class of quality and refinement these real German Sedans. Sorry Infiniti you just lost my business and going to a BMW 5 Series.
09-26-2013, 07:37 AM
#11
Second, I would think people would buy the Q50 based on the tech features only and not the performance. "Sexy wheels" what car are we talking about again?
Third, Infiniti currently doesn't offer any car that's performance competitive to BMW.
I test drove two Q50's. They both sucked big Mandingo.
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Seraphix (09-26-2013)
09-26-2013, 09:29 AM
#12
I'm sorry guys but when I bought my G37S I was looking for a car that competes with the 335is and the S4. This is part of the reason I may be looking at another brand when I upgrade unless Infiniti ups there game soon with FI soon. BMW increases the speed of their cars every year while Infiniti has taken a break.
09-26-2013, 09:40 AM
#13
And my friend has a 335 coupe 6mt with the m sport package and i ha ve the sedan G37 S 6mt and we are neck and neck everytime. He doesn't pull on me and I don't pull on him. We've stopped racing because its boring. We now leave racing to the motorcycles .
10-10-2013, 07:17 PM
#14
Registered User
Yea, the Q50 now and G37 still and always was trying to compete with the 3 series (328i and 328xi).
The Infiniti line up doesn't have many car models to choose from.... Whereas BMW has pretty much a model in every category. If Infiniti wants to try and compete with the new 435 coupe or have their G37S/Q60S compete with the 335IS or Im sure a 435IS, it wouldn't be very smart and somewhat laughable.
As far as mods and tuning software such as DINAN, Cobb, BMS, etc. it's not even close by any means. But that's not what we are talking about.
The Infiniti line up doesn't have many car models to choose from.... Whereas BMW has pretty much a model in every category. If Infiniti wants to try and compete with the new 435 coupe or have their G37S/Q60S compete with the 335IS or Im sure a 435IS, it wouldn't be very smart and somewhat laughable.
As far as mods and tuning software such as DINAN, Cobb, BMS, etc. it's not even close by any means. But that's not what we are talking about.
Motortrend is a pretty reliable source, maybe not, but why did they do a comparison of the G37S with a 335i and not a 328i? I do realize that the video is 5 years old.
Last edited by IcemanVQ37; 10-10-2013 at 07:22 PM.
10-14-2013, 02:38 PM
#15
Yea, the Q50 now and G37 still and always was trying to compete with the 3 series (328i and 328xi).
The Infiniti line up doesn't have many car models to choose from.... Whereas BMW has pretty much a model in every category. If Infiniti wants to try and compete with the new 435 coupe or have their G37S/Q60S compete with the 335IS or Im sure a 435IS, it wouldn't be very smart and somewhat laughable.
As far as mods and tuning software such as DINAN, Cobb, BMS, etc. it's not even close by any means. But that's not what we are talking about.
The Infiniti line up doesn't have many car models to choose from.... Whereas BMW has pretty much a model in every category. If Infiniti wants to try and compete with the new 435 coupe or have their G37S/Q60S compete with the 335IS or Im sure a 435IS, it wouldn't be very smart and somewhat laughable.
As far as mods and tuning software such as DINAN, Cobb, BMS, etc. it's not even close by any means. But that's not what we are talking about.
First, a better comparison to the Q50 is the 335i. The 335i out performs the Q50 in the straights, corners and even sitting in the damn garage.
Second, I would think people would buy the Q50 based on the tech features only and not the performance. "Sexy wheels" what car are we talking about again?
Third, Infiniti currently doesn't offer any car that's performance competitive to BMW.
I test drove two Q50's. They both sucked big Mandingo.
Second, I would think people would buy the Q50 based on the tech features only and not the performance. "Sexy wheels" what car are we talking about again?
Third, Infiniti currently doesn't offer any car that's performance competitive to BMW.
I test drove two Q50's. They both sucked big Mandingo.
Different price ranges should not be compared. Keep it in the same price range.
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