Pre-Release Review of the Q50 AWD Sport Hybrid

I finished up work a little early on Friday and was out playing with my two girls in the front yard. Like any parent that is always subconsciously aware of cars going up and down the street I catch, from the corner of my eye, a glimpse of a silver vehicle slowly approach down my street and make a usual mental note of its position. A few seconds later, I turn around and to my surprise I find beautiful brand new silver Q50 quietly parked in my driveway.

It took my brain a few seconds to connect the dots and realize that my wife had actually brought home a Q50. So I took the opportunity to snap a few pictures and give it a test drive before taking it back to undoubtedly its temporary home. If you are considering a Q50, I hope you find this review helpful.  Click on any picture below to see a high resolution version.

I want to exclusively thank Mike Christian, our wonderful Infiniti Sales Consultant from Zimbrick Infiniti of Madison for giving us the opportunity to test drive the car and for keep us in tune with the updates on our Q50 order.

looks great in the driveway

First Glance - A Walk around the Q50

Upon first glance, the Q50 AWD Hybrid Sport has an amazing sporty yet refined presence. It has very bold aerodynamic lines

Infiniti Q50 User's Manuals are Available.

Infiniti posted the Owners Manuals for the Q50, which will be officially delivered to owners on August 5th, 2013.

In the meantime for those that want to read about all the goodness included in the car, these documents will come in handy. They are all in English. Click on each link, it will open the document in google drive and then click File --> Save.

Q50 Quick Reference Guide: Link

Q50 Owners Manual: Link

Q50 Hybrid Owners Manual: Link

Q50 Navigation System Manual: Link

Q50 Hybrid First Responder's Guide: Link

Q50 Hybrid Dismantling Guide: Link

The last 2 manuals are indeed interesting, Hybrid cars have High Voltage Systems and if in an accident, the First Responders (EMT, Fire Department, etc.) must be aware of that fact and safely disable the High Voltage System otherwise risk injury to themselves through electrocution.

All High Voltage Cables and Components in the Q50 operate at 346-400V DC and are covered with an ORANGE sheathing, and often marked with a Warning Triangle containing a lightning bolt.

Welcome to My Q50 Blog.

Greetings. When the Q50 was first announced, both my wife and I were excited about it. It will be replacing our trusty 2008 EX35 AWD Journey that has served us well for almost 5 years and 45,000 miles without a single issue. We ordered a Q50 Hybrid AWD Sport with Tech & Nav Packages. Reasons why we like the Q50 include but are not limited to:

• A real hybrid that doesn't put a measly 1.6L engine in it, rather the full VQ 3.5L 306HP engine. Something I have been telling Infiniti for years. Didn't really care about the M Hybrid.
• A singular car that is the best of all worlds and not an SUV or cross over. Something my wife can drive kids in and I can hit the back roads with.
• More space that the EX and FX, which we considered for that matter, for our 2 growing kids
• Lots of nifty new technology incorporated into the car - Navigation, Pandora, Calendar, etc.
• Integration with an iPhone application
• Different drivers settings for power, drivetrain, suspension and steering like a GT-R.
• Design input from Sebastian Vettel (3 time world champion) and Sebastian Buemi, both the Red Bull Infiniti F1 drivers.
• It's one sexy automobile.

As a DIY-er, I will keep this blog updated once we get the Q50 delivered.