Our Infiniti Q60S Coupe After One Year: Would We Want to Keep Driving It?
Life with Infiniti's sporty luxury coupe
Looking back at my Arrival story, it's obvious I was more worried about the differences I would face driving a small coupe rather than the car itself. After a year, I can say my hunch was correct. Most of my issues came from the limitations and pitfalls associated with the coupe body style, not with the Q60S itself.
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A brief recap: I was concerned about comfort and ease of getting in and out of the cockpit. And yep, I had some issues with that. I overcame this with some light gymnastics, but my repetitive falling into the seat had some negative effects on the chair's leather, which didn't hold up as well as I'd hoped.
I fretted about the reduced cargo areas cramping my style. Justified? Sorta. The trunk provides a bit more space than the car's exterior dimensions suggest, but the back seats weren't great for hauling either stuff or adult passengers.
The Q60's low profile did stress me out when I approached a steep ramp, a dip in the road, or a raised curb. I had an incident where I couldn't park in a driveway without the threat of a vicious scraping. A passing pedestrian assessed the situation and offered, "Ain't gonna happen, dude." Good advice. I gave up before either of us had to hear that awful noise. Thanks, bruh. Parking on the street works just fine.
A few updates in, I also mentioned my problems with the rearview camera's resolution—or lack thereof. The low-res image really brings the whole infotainment system down and mars Infiniti's impressive Around View parking system. It's akin to watching a 4K restoration of John Frankenheimer'sGrand Prixon a 480p screen from 2005. Sure, you can do it, but you shouldn't. And Infiniti shouldn't use this kind of screen in a coupe like this.
I found the Q60's fuel efficiency to be reasonable for my 25-mile daily commute. I averaged a $50 to $60 fill-up every 10 days—enough time that it didn't make me feel like I was always needing gas or spending too much cash. With a 20-gallon fuel tank and observed 21.7 mpg, the Q60 didn't sip fuel, but it didn't chug it, either.
I recently spent a week in our Nissan Kicks, and although it's decidedly not a Q60 competitor, its 10.5-gallon fuel tank and 33-mpg EPA combined rating made me much more appreciative of the longer time between fill-ups in the Q60.
Dependability-wise, the Q60 gave me no troubles. The closest I got was the TPMS alerting me to a slow leak in the rear passenger-side tire because of a nail. Sufficiently warned, I got the tire fixed well before it went flat. Other than that and the wear on the seat leather, nothing wore down unexpectedly or broke. No problems at all. I did have some Bluetooth issues, but I chalk that up to a problem with Apple's operating system; the situation cleared up soon after my phone updated.
The Q60 qualified for one dealer check-up over its 19,826 miles in my care. That cost $106.43 and took care of a tire rotation, an oil change, and a standard inspection. The service department got me in and out quickly and painlessly. I barely had time to settle in with a magazine (remember those?) before the service was done. We haven't had a lot of coupes in our long-term fleet in recent years, but for some context, a $46,080 2016 Chevrolet Camaro SS cost $58.76 in regular service over 20,428 miles, and a $64,880 2015 Chevrolet Corvette had its service covered free of charge over our 24,957 miles.
Aesthetically, the Q60 is easily the prettiest of my long-termers. Its gentle curves and long, low form suggest elegance but with a bite. The bluish silver paint enhances its sharklike profile. No ugly angles lurk in the back, nor are there any design missteps with logos or headlights that offend the eye and could bring down its overall look. Sometimes a car's initial impression grows old after a year of driving. Not the case with the Infiniti, at least not for me.
Not to be outdone, the interior was equally lovely. All class and a hint of elegance. The white and blue color scheme keeps the cabin bright, and the leather seats make it feel special. One suggestion: I wish the steering wheel was a little thicker, like the ones in our long-term BMWs. Those wheels ignite a tactile joy when you grip them, and as pretty as the Q60 is, it could benefit from some enthusiasm in the cabin; the icy aesthetic could feel a little sterile at times. The Q60's interior might be too cool for its own good.
Behind the wheel, when I did give the Q60 some gas—I'm no lead foot—it was off and running. The seven-speed automatic transmission spins up through the gears smoothly, hitting all its marks without any lurching or delay, making it a pleasure to drive on interstates and side streets alike. The turbo works without noticeable lag or jerking, and it gets the vehicle going faster than I really have the nerve for. Our tests show our car taking 5.4 seconds in the 0-60 run and 13.9 seconds for the quarter mile, comparable to our long-term Honda Civic Type R and Alfa Romeo Giulia and better than the recently departed BMW 530i. Not bad company.
The steering was responsive, but like others on staff, I would have liked it to be a little stiffer than it was. Braking was always solid and had just enough grip to make it easy to calculate stopping distances. If a driver neglects to properly use those grippy brakes, the Q60 has an automatic braking system as a backup. I never set off the system while in drive, but I did engage it a few times when I was a little aggressive backing out of a space in a CVS parking lot. The car thought I was going to hit a curb and stopped me cold. I about had a heart attack before I realized what had happened.
So at the end of about 20,000 miles and 14 months on the road, the big questions for me, as always, are: If I'd paid for this car myself, would I have been happy with my purchase? And would I expect I'd be happy driving it a few years more? To that I say yes and yes. Once I got over my trepidation, I enjoyed all the Q60 had to offer.
Will I seek out another coupe? Probably not, but thanks to my dalliance with the Infiniti, if I do find myself in a two-seater, I won't waste precious time worrying about it.
I'll just drive it and enjoy.
