The 2014 Infiniti Q60 Coupe is a powerfully fun sports car, giving more power and comfort than is expected form the luxury sport coupe class. With 330 horses jumping from the efficient VVEL through its top-shelf speed-matching, 7-speed transmission, the acceleration and highway comfort the 2014 Q60 offers is beyond expectation.
Specs:
- Manufacturer: Infiniti
- Year, Model: 2014 Q60 AWD
- Class: Luxury Sport Coupe
- Powertrain: 3.7L VVEL V6, 7-spd auto
- Base Price: $40,400 (RWD)
- MSRP as tested: $52,055
- Availability: Now
Overview
The mid-level luxury coupe market is a tight one, with buyers being as finicky as the rear seating is cramped. Infiniti has brought the new 2014 Q60 to the arena with a beautiful combination of muscle and finesse. Entries into this market are normally either over-powered or under-designed, but the Q60 finds a nice sweet spot for both of those without sacrificing the smooth highway drive and sporty road feel sport coupe buyers in the luxury market expect.
Infiniti is renaming its vehicle lineup as it renews the brand’s look and refines its place in the premium vehicle market. The former G37 Coupe is now the 2014 Infiniti Q60 Coupe and the rename came with a much-needed and well-executed refresh of the car. Interestingly, however, Nissan plans to keep the G37 on the market until 2015 by building it alongside the Q50 sedan for at least another year.
At all trim levels, the new 2014 Q60 utilizes a happily grumbling 3.7-liter V6 that produces a memorable exhaust note as the 330 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque denote this luxury coupe’s sporty underpinnings. Unlike many in this segment, the Infiniti Q60 sounds out beautiful track roars when pressed – sounds that will instantly endear it to any speed lover. Despite that track-ready feel, however, this coupe also provides an unusually high level of highway comfort for this class as well.
Much of this highway happiness comes from the seven-speed transmission’s top gear, which cruises at low RPM for better economy and reduced noise and vibration for a smooth driving experience at speed. The automatic is standard, but a six-speed manual in the 6MT model option is available for those who prefer to use all four limbs in their driving.
Highway comfort is matched by the excellent interior refinement the Infiniti Q60 boasts, with exceedingly comfortable seating for driver and passenger and just enough room in the rear to accommodate a set of golf clubs or (gasp!) a couple of car seats. The trunk is respectable for this class, but not cavernous. The rear seats fold down to allow some expansion of that space, though.
Three trims are offered in the Q60 for the 2014 model year: Journey, AWD, and 6MT. Each come standard with leather seating, heated front seats, power-adjustable driver’s seat, dual-zone automatic climate controls, proximity key, rearview camera, and so forth. Model designations change little except the powertrain, with AWD bringing traction-enhancement in a full-time four-wheel setup plus paddle shifting and the 6MT swapping the Journey 2WD model’s auto trans for a six-speed manual. Five different option packages are available in the Journey and AWD models to add enhancements like a power sunroof, Bose premium audio (the 11-speaker Bose is much-recommended), and a Sport Package for performance enhancement, which our test model included (badging ads an “S” after the Q60).
Fuel economy in the 2014 Infiniti Q60 Coupe is good for the class, with the all-wheel drive (AWD) we drove returning EPA numbers of 18/25 city/highway and the rear-wheel drive (RWD) base model getting slightly better at 19/27. The Q60 6MT rates 17/25 mpg. In a three-hour drive to Denver, Colorado and return trip of the same, we managed to average 27 mpg each way in our 2014 Infiniti Q60 Coupe AWD review vehicle.
Speed and drive testing included a freeway on-ramp run with the merging speed being at 100 miles per hour even and a quarter mile test boasting a 109 mph speed from zero. Handling is excellent, with strong curve characteristics and excellent road-hugging from the AWD Sport.
Competition
Key competition for the 2014 Infiniti Q60 Coupe include the BMW 4-Series Coupe, Cadillac CTS Coupe, and the Audi S5. Both the Beamer and Audi offer sportier driving experiences over the Infiniti, but only the Cadillac can beat it for highway smoothness. The Infiniti is the most balanced of the three, especially in the Sport Package we drove. Headroom in all four of these models is relatively limited, as is the norm in the sport coupe class.
Strong Points
- Excellent combination of sport driving and highway comfort in this car give the 2014 Q60 a balance rarely seen in this segment.
- Simple, but beautiful styling denotes a more refined car than some of the competition to the new Q60.
Weaknesses
- Not as sporty as some, with less pavement-peeling power compared to some competitors.
- Something of a gas guzzler given its size, though not over par compared to others in the segment.
Conclusions
As a daily driver or weekend speedster, the Infiniti Q60 Coupe is a great drive. It competes well in this class and has a well-rounded offering that should appeal to a lot of buyers in this segment. After a week in this car, we definitely found it to be a nicely-done entry into the market with a well-balanced sport and comfort combination. Our 2014 Infiniti Q60 Coupe review was a happy surprise in that regard.
Test Period Length and Limitations
The 2014 Infiniti Q60 S AWD Coupe was driven for seven days as a manufacturer’s loan. Conditions included rain and dry weather on highways, freeways, and in the city, including a 300-mile round trip roadtrip to Denver from Wyoming. A total of 478 miles were put on our test vehicle.
