Test drive Infiniti Q50s vs Subaru WRX STi
"Mechanics" or "automatic", comfort or controllability, speed or efficiency? Two opposite poles of the automotive industry, but the distance between them is much less than it seems
I've been tossing between Subaru and Infiniti for a very long time in this test. Drive, pure emotions and "mechanics" versus comfort and refined sensations. In 2019, alas, we lost the habit of clicking relays and the smell of a burning clutch, and we prefer tiny turbo engines with exorbitant efficiency to large aspirated engines. The Japanese to the last resisted (and some desperately continue to do so until now) the general trend, but still gave up. Toyota and Lexus now also have mass turbo engines, supercharging is used by Mazda and Mitsubishi, and Infiniti has almost completely switched to turbocharged engines. Moreover, the motor in the Q50s is another story altogether.
Infiniti hasn't had a really fast, charged sedan for a long time. The G37 with 333-horsepower aspirated claimed this role in the 7s, but it was very heavy and with not the fastest "automatic", so it hardly went from 50 seconds to "hundred". Q6s supplied an aluminum V30 with a very complex and long index - VR405DDTT. There are two turbochargers and two cooling pumps at once. This decision made it possible to remove as much as XNUMX horsepower from three liters of working volume.
The motor sounds great in the middle range, spins up to 7 thousand rpm and is not too gluttonous in the city - only 14-15 l / 100 km with a quiet ride. With it, Infiniti gains 100 km / h in a little over 5 seconds, and the maximum speed is limited only by electronics - at 250 km per hour. Acceleration to a hundred, according to feelings, could have been faster - either environmentalists intervened, or the features of a seven-speed "automatic". Q50s transforms just after 100-120 km / h: acceleration is absolutely linear up to the cutoff, and the car keeps the road as if it is rolling in a traffic jam, and does not fly at prohibited speeds.
A few years ago, the BMW 3-Series F30 was the benchmark for proper handling in the D-class. With just one button, the car turned from a measured and economical sedan into an aggressor and a terrible provocateur. In "Sport" she shook all the little things out of her trousers, and in "Eco" she annoyed her with excessive thoughtfulness. The new "three-ruble" G20 is not at all like that: it is nervous in any of the modes, regardless of the type of suspension. Six years between the latest BMW 3-Series and the Infiniti Q50s, an eternity by auto industry standards. At the same time, the Japanese looks much more lively, real against the background of the cool, but overly synthetic "troika".
Q50s are three entities in one. He can be soothingly calm, deliberately harsh, or he can simply adjust to the driver's mood and change masks at an amazing speed. This is the merit of the DriveSelect system, when the settings of the electric booster, gas pedal, gearbox and motor algorithms are changed.
Magic steering, powerful engine and powerful brakes are what the Q50s are chosen for. Everything else in this sedan will have to come to terms. For example, with a grainy multimedia screen, lurid glossy buttons on the center console and too simple tidy. In the end, the Q50s looks, even in a sporty body kit, not as aggressive and fresh as its classmates. During the long test, I heard a question six times that was wildly annoying: "Is this a Mazda?"
Q50s are the most affordable 300+ option right now. Dealers offer generous discounts even for cash purchases. You can find a new sedan right now for $ 39–298. On the secondary market, Infiniti's liquidity is no longer the same as it was five years ago. Low-mileage two to three year old Q41s are selling for $ 918 - $ 50. Before buying, we recommend that you carry out a full diagnosis at one of the AvtoTachki car services.
For the first time, a sports version of the Subaru Impreza called the WRX STi appeared as a homologation series of a combat vehicle built for the World Rally Championship. Naturally, this left a certain imprint on the general concept of the civil model. Loud, tough, uncompromising - this car required a fair amount of skill from the driver to go fast. But after the 2008 crisis, the Japanese brand left the WRC, and the iconic model that has become during this time is still alive.
After just a few hours driving the new WRX STi, you come to the conclusion that comfort in this car is still secondary. Perhaps the plastic on the front panel has become softer, and the seats are a little more comfortable, but this does not significantly affect the overall perception of the car. Like 20 years ago, the Subaru WRX STi is, in fact, a sports equipment that has only been slightly adapted for civilian use.
Already after 60 km / h, road noise in the cabin is present so clearly that it seems that there is simply no sound insulation. An incredible amount of vibration comes to the body and steering wheel, and you are just driving along a suburban highway. The ultra-short-stroke gearshift rocker forces you to be especially selective when changing gears - and yes, they still need to be driven in by force. And in traffic jams, the hard clutch pedal will not let you get bored.
But maybe this is a special thrill for those who are tired of soulless boxes isolated from the outside world with a pile of electronics on board? What other car in 2019 will make you work like a gym behind the wheel? And if you go to the race track, you will have to sweat twice.
However, this is where the WRX STi's strengths are fully revealed. From the first laps you understand that this is still a very honest and fast car, capable of giving a lot of pleasure. In addition, it noticeably increased in speed in corners. The torsional rigidity of the body has increased, stiffer springs have appeared in the suspension, and the stabilizers have become thicker. The all-wheel-drive sedan also has a traction control system that brakes the inner wheels in a corner, making it easier to steer the car into the apex.
The 2,5-liter boxer engine was not changed. EJ257 is the brightest representative of the old school supercharged engines. These modern units with tiny turbines have taught us that the moment is already available from 1500 rpm. Everything in Subaru is grown-up: there is no traction at all at the bottom, but after 4000 rpm an avalanche of torque falls on the wheels. At the same time, the car weighs only 1603 kg, which is almost 200 kg lighter than Infiniti. In an amicable way, the result of our duel with Roman was known on paper. On the straight line, the Q50s were closing the gap with a more powerful V6, but in corners the WRX STi was completely out of reach.
And yet, is such a car needed today? And if so, to whom? Over the past two decades, the audience for Subaru vehicles with the STi badge has changed little. First of all, these are car enthusiasts who are in love with the brand and thirst for a primeval thrill behind the wheel, who at the same time want to service their car under warranty from an authorized dealer. But for such a pleasure you will have to pay a lot: Russian dealers have a WRX STi in the only available Premium Sport configuration for $ 49. That's almost half a million more expensive than the more versatile Infiniti Q764s, but of course you can't compare them directly.
If you add only $ 157 to Subaru's price tag, then you can swing at the base Porsche Cayman - a car that, with comparable dynamics and involvement in the control process, is head and shoulders above the WRX STi in terms of ride comfort and quality of interior trim. I'm sorry, what? You say the Cayman is very tiny and there is little space inside? So after all, the WRX STi is not bought for a spacious interior and a spacious trunk (the lid of which does not even have an internal handle). This means that the question of choosing between these two cars is by no means hypothetical.
| Infiniti q50s | ||
| Body type | Sedan | Sedan |
| dimensions (length, width, height), mm | 4810/1820/1455 | 4595/1795/1475 |
| Wheelbase, mm | 2850 | 2650 |
| Curb weight, kg | 1878 | 1603 |
| Cargo space, l | 500 | 460 |
| engine's type | Petrol V6, twin turbo | Gasoline R4, turbocharged |
| Working volume, cubic meters cm | 2997 | 2457 |
| Power, hp with. at rpm | 405/6400 | 300/6000 |
| Max. cool. moment, Nm at rpm | 475/1600-5200 | 407/4000 |
| Transmission, drive | AKP7, full | MKP6 full |
| Max. speed km / h | 250 | 255 |
| Acceleration 0-100 km / h, s | 5,1 | 5,2 |
| Fuel consumption (mixed cycle), l | 9,3 | 10,4 |
| Price from, $. | 43 817 | 49 764 |
The editors are grateful to the ADM Raceway administration for their help in organizing the shooting.
