With Nissan on the brink of bankruptcy and Infiniti just outright "lost in the abyss," the writing is on the wall so to speak. Much as I wanted to like the Q60, I am highly skeptical of the platform given all its issues and especially now that is on its last legs...

 

I've been following Nissan as well (Infiniti wont survive unless Nissan is profitable). Seems that they finished their fiscal year (ends March 31) with their head above water: https://global.nissannews.com/en/rel...ive%20business.
The fact that Renault reduced their stake in Nissan from 43 to 15 percent tells me that the partner is not as bullish. Without Carlos Ghosen at the helm (he saved Renault as well), it seems that they are a brand trying to seek an identity other than "the lowest cost Japanese car".

Fan of the Maxima and Sentra, but their CVT even gets bashed by Scotty Kilmer. My sister is on her second gen of Maxima and has never had an issue with the CVT. Not sure how they will survive unless they can build low cost, reliable EVs for 25K. The Ariya looks promising and the Z appears to be an icon in the making. I also see alot of advertising for the Frontier, which is a nice looking truck that lives in the shadow of the Tacoma.

Same Service Advisor I mentioned above also told me that the 2024 Q50 will be an EV. I saw some concept car information on this new EV, but it wasn't necessarily a Q50. We've also been burned a few times on Infiniti concept cars that never come to fruition.

 

I wish them well... I know that my next car will not be Nissan/ Infiniti. Or, electric for that matter.

 

This is correct. I believe Honeywell acquired Garrett all the way back in 2004. I've been selling to Honeywell Turbo Technologies R&D lab in Torrance since about 2010 and even back then they had already acquired Garrett and were designing the turbo's side-by-side in the same facility. They have since created Garratt Advanced Motion in the same location and closed Honeywell Turbo Technologies, This new company is a spin off of their transportation systems group, which included their turbo group, but they are still in the same location right next door to Honeywell Aerospace and almost all of the same people that I deal with are still working there. I was told that this was done so Garrett could operate independently so they would be free from any of Honeywell's liability that was related to their asbestos issues they had with some of the brake pads that they used to make.

 

Between those I'd go IS500 then M340i then Q50.Reliability in a decade will be far better on the Lexus I'd bet, and it'll probably be worth a ton more than the Q50 by then.

 

They've been doing quite a few things to turn the ship around but it will take years for them to gain back market share.

 

Z1 goes into some detail here how the turbos are different in the Z from the Q. At a high level, the housing is different as the Z has speed sensor to let the ECU know the RPM the turbos are spinning at which helps with turbo lag. Skip to 13;25

 

@ILM-NC G37S I've tried to educate myself on the "Porous Block" issue, but what it really sounds like is coolant disappears into the engine of the VR30 by means of the turbos and often mixes with the oil; some claim that it escapes through a crack in the block, and I've even seen a few say that it is released through the radiator caps, which need to be replaced every two years. Is that your understanding as well? I recall that the belt issue was resolved and I have not seen any infotainment issues on the Q50 reddit sub. Leaking injectors sound like a safety issue.

Note that the B58TU in the M340i appears to be more reliable at this point (released in the 2019 model year).

 

Admittedly, I was not even aware of the issue myself until a fellow forum member here recently brought it to my attention. I am not interested in the C/V37 platforms so I have not fully vetted them. Traditionally, a porous block refers to a error in the casting process whereby voids in the metal develop. This can be due to impurities in the metals, improper curing/ cooling, etc. In a finished block, these voids weaken and cracks can develop which allows for coolant or oil to seep from their respective passages. Unexplained fluid losses , especially coolant (water flows easier than oil) without signs of a external leak or smoking often point to the block.

To be fair, every new engine has details that need to get ironed out in successive production runs: the oil gallery gasket on the early VQ's, the IMS bearing on early Porsche Boxsters, EGR ports on older Acura's, the list is endless. While the other VR30 issues like the injectors and the belt seem to have been addressed, affected engines are still out there and are susceptible to developing issues.

I do not think even Nissan really knows what the issue is with these blocks. From what I have gathered reading online in different forums, every dealership/ repair facility has their own explanation/ theory, etc. No official word was ever released from Infiniti, which is normal for them (Infiniti never acknowledged the oil gallery or steering lock issues either). However, given the sheer number of engines that have been replaced leads me to believe this was not a one-off in a single production run. As I have mentioned before, I do not know if the issues have been addressed with the new RZ34 or not. Time will tell.

As for the infotainment: I do not know about any reddit comments, but peruse the Q50 forums and you will read countless issues with the setup. The DCU (upper screen) is the actual brain of the system and is notorious for freezing up and randomly rebooting. The lower screen, which is nothing more than a digital switch display (no processing power), is also known for exhibiting glitchy behaviours. A fellow forum member reported his lower screen flickers when he adjusts his steering wheel position. It is slow, outdated (took 5 years to get CarPlay), clumsy/ clunky.

I'd be interested to know if these issues exist on the JDM 400R- which is the same Q50 but in Japan... (the Q60 was never available in Japan at all).

Just my 10¢, but the Q's just do not "wow" me. Then again, with the current trend in the industry, nothing else does either.

 

The Q50 doesn't even register in my brain when I see one. Nice car and all, but it does nothing for me.

The Q60 however... probably because it's so uncommon (around here), that when I do see one, I'm like, "Oh wow, what is that?" And then I realize it's a Q60. And then after first impression and recognition wears off, I look at it critically and don't care for what I'm seeing.

R.I.P. Infiniti. Your car enthusiast days are over.

 

I've seen a few q cars that dont look bad from the front but i can't like the altima rear end. Especially on the sedan. I think thats the issue with a lot of newer cars in shared brands, they look too similar. The g37 and altima looked different enough when they were out, so did the m37 and the maximas. The Chrysler 300 and the charger look different even though the bodies are somewhat interchangeable. Not to mention cars in general look similar. I seen a blue sedan from the side the other day and couldn't tell whether it was a fusion, a Hyundai, a kia, or a nissan.

 

Similar to @BillyTheMan , I think the front and side lines of the Q50 are handsome; the Q60 stands out for sure, but like you said that when look at with a critical eye, the same flaws as the Q50 exist. If you remove the badging on the rear of the Q50, I bet you would have a hard time finding 3 people that even know it's an Infiniti as it looks closer to a Malibu; even the OEM spoiler they make for the car look utilitarian while drawing more attention attention to the rental car look of the rear-end. But like Billy said, most sedans today resemble one another. I think what continues to draw me back to the Q is a sense of brand loyalty since I have owned two different soon to be iconic Infiniti Gs for almost 20 years now (7 years and now coming up on 10). However, once I come back to my senses and consider that I'd be making $500-600 a month payments on a car that has no roadmap and is plagued with serious problems that are hard for even car guys to figure out (i.e. "porous block"), I lose the emotional attachment and start questioning my logic and gravitate back towards the ultimate appliance, the Tesla Model 3 Performance. Ambivalence sets in at this point and I revert back to why would I ever sell my current ride. I think I need a therapist :-)

 

Look at the packaging, too. Those top-mounted air/water intercoolers and associated plumbing will make mods and maintenance a nightmare.

 

Tesla...

You know, irrespective of the first half of his life, and all the idolizing white washing (no pun) throughout the last century, by all accounts Henry Ford ended his time on this earth as a truly awful person and an unapologetic ****. And yet I have no ill will today towards Ford Motor Company. So with that in mind, I could probably see my way to buying a Tesla in about 80 years.

 

I can't really think of another car I'd like more for a daily at the moment. I need the awd in the snow, power is good especially after getting tuned, fun to drive, and I'm familiar with everything. I can see myself putting a new engine in before getting something else. With needing to upgrade the transmission soon anyway i might just throw a stillen supercharger on it one day. From what I've heard the reliability will still be there too. I always tell people at work i can't think of another reliable na awd car that's somewhat fast and can be had for under $8k.