10 Infiniti Q50 Competitors to Consider

2018 Infiniti Q50 bridge driving ・ Photo by Infiniti

This list of 10 Infiniti Q50 competitors to consider tells us the Q50 has a problem. Although it’s a perfectly good premium compact sedan with attractive styling, good driving manners, decent engines (more on that in a second), a fine reputation for reliability (it is Japanese, after all), and a reasonable starting price of $36,545 for the 2019 model, this category has some genuinely amazing contenders.

Where the Q50 really shines is in the upper power levels. Its Red Sport 400 version (also available in other colors) has, unsurprisingly, 400 hp. That’s a figure few rivals can match without being called an M or an AMG. As always, the winners in this competition are the buyers. Let’s see what’s out there.

2019 Acura TLX

Not only does the TLX come with a lot of standard equipment for the price (from $33,995), including an array of advanced driver aids, it also has the solid dependability that makes an Acura (and a Honda, Acura’s parent company) such a sensible choice. The TLX also has received a recent styling upgrade, so it’s not the anonymous sedan it once was.

Even though the TLX is first in our list because we’re working alphabetically, it would also be at or near the top if we were actually buying this kind of car. The base 2.4-liter 204-hp engine is nice enough, but the 290-hp 3.5-liter V6 is more desirable with its silky yet strong power delivery.

Photo by Acura

2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia

The Alfa Romeo Giulia starts out somewhat pricey, around $39,000, and the brand is still working to rebuild its reputation in the United States. But just look at it. The Giulia is evocative, stirring and graceful. Whereas the designs of some rivals can be sigh-inducing in their predictability and others are just weird, the Giulia has a classic Italian bearing.

Luckily, the rest of the car brings substance to this style. The blistering 505-hp Quadrifoglio is outside our current frame of reference, but the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine in the lower trims still produces a highly respectable 280 hp, while the Giulia’s chassis is more than able to contain and exploit that power. Leather upholstery is standard, too.

Photo by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

2019 Audi A4

It’s seems like this generation of A4 only has been around for a few months, and yet the new model year has prompted Audi to make minor styling changes to the nose and tail. The rest of the car remains as awesome as ever, offering lofty levels of high technology.

We’d pass on the least-expensive Ultra version, unless fuel economy is a top priority. The next step up is the “regular” A4 with all-wheel drive as standard and a meaty 252 hp under the hood. The cabin is simultaneously elegant and welcoming, while standard equipment is generous. The Premium Plus trim is eligible for the Virtual Cockpit digital driver information display (standard in Prestige trim), which is a cool feature.

Photo by Audi

2019 BMW 3 Series

At the time of writing this list of 10 Infiniti Q50 competitors to consider, the 2019 3 Series — an all-new generation — has not yet reached the market (it’s due spring 2019). But it’s hardly an unknown quantity.

The outgoing 3 Series is, like the several generations before it, the benchmark of its class. As well as being a segment leader, it’s among the best cars in any category. And BMW only is going to make the new version even better. That means impressive technology, superb driving manners and gorgeous engines. The new 3 Series also is said to be lighter than its predecessor, which will have benefits in handling and fuel economy. We'd say the new 3 Series definitely is worth waiting for.

Photo by BMW

2019 Genesis G70

Many premium compact sedans have pedigrees that help form halos of desirability around them. The Genesis G70 has none of that positive baggage (it’s not even based on a former Hyundai model, like the G80 and G90), so it has to impress in other ways.

It does so by being really good at delivering driving thrills, sporting a design that doesn’t imitate any other marque but works in its own right, and offering loads of standard equipment. It also helps that it’s based on a shortened version of the Kia Stinger’s platform (the Stinger earns rave reviews from enthusiasts), and engine choices include a 365-hp twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6. With the G70, Genesis has really arrived.

Photo by Genesis

2019 Jaguar XE

In the well-to-do parts of most cities and suburbs, it feels like premium German vehicles are everywhere. A Jaguar XE will break that monotony. Here is a luxury compact sedan with styling that’s modern, without looking awkward or appearing to try too hard.

This seems to be an overall XE philosophy, since it also has a suspension that provides a comfortable ride mixed with exquisite control, but does so with such deceptive ease that it comes across as perfectly natural. The optional 340-hp supercharged V6, meanwhile, makes effortless power. Our only complaint is the less-than-upscale quality of some cabin plastics, but the XE is still younger and more compelling than the Infiniti Q50.

Photo by Jaguar Land Rover

2019 Lexus IS

The Lexus IS perhaps is in the twilight of its current generation. But there are so many positive attributes to any Lexus, that not including the IS in a list of 10 Infiniti Q50 competitors to consider would be a disservice to buyers and Lexus alike.

Attributes like exemplary build quality, reassuring reliability, tranquil transportation, strong resale values and an enjoyable dealer experience are just some of the reasons to put an IS on the short list. The engine spectrum has a 241-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder unit (in the IS 300) at one end, and a 311-hp 3.5-liter V6 (in the IS 350) at the other. All-wheel drive is available with the latter. The styling is, um, distinctive.

Photo by Lexus

2019 Lincoln MKZ

Now that the Cadillac ATS is available solely as a coupe in 2019 (a possible rival to the Infiniti Q60), the Lincoln MKZ becomes the only marque to fly the American flag in this fray. Many rivals endeavor to bring out the sporty sides of their sedans, but the MKZ makes a point of being a true luxury car.

The ride is tuned for comfort, the cabin is insulated against noise, the options list includes multi-contour front seats, and the 2019 model has more safety equipment as standard. Lincoln doesn’t charge a premium for the hybrid version, which is laudable. And this is the only Q50 rival to bring 400 hp to the segment with an optional V6.

Photo by Lincoln

2019 Mercedes-Benz C-Class

The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is one of the company’s most popular cars. It contains the kind of refinement and sophistication (though not all the gadgetry) found in the S-Class large flagship sedan, but in a more compact package.

This generation of C-Class is only a couple of years old, so it’s much fresher and can offer more advanced technology than the Q50, whose base model, incidentally, only has 208 hp; in comparison, the 2019 C 300 comes with 255 hp. To drive the C-Class is to be reminded of the depth and breadth of engineering expertise that can only come from making luxury vehicles for decades. Sure, the C-Class is ubiquitous, but there are strong reasons for buying it.

Photo by Mercedes-Benz

2019 Volvo S60/V60

Although Lincoln is the sole American marque on this list, there’s another made-in-America contender. The 2019 S60 represents a new generation of Volvo’s premium compact sedan, and it has the distinction of being the Swedish company’s first vehicle to be built in the United States.

With 250-hp and 316-hp engines in the mix, the S60 enjoys a strong family resemblance to the larger S90 sedan, which is generally seen as a looker. The cabin is similarly attractive and, like every other Volvo, the S60 has some great safety equipment. If anyone wanted some more cargo-carrying versatility, there’s always the all-new wagon version, the 2019 Volvo V60 (made in Sweden).

Photo by Volvo