2017 INFINITI Q70 Review

Go for the Q70 5.6 for its big-hearted power delivery. Skip the all-wheel drive unless you live in a persistently slippery environment. Don't bother with the Q70L unless backseat legroom is of paramount importance. While we like all of the hardware and improved seats of the Sport package, be awar...

The transmission serves up precise rev-matched downshifts in manual mode, yet it operates unobtrusively in the daily slog. While passing or merging, however, downshifts can be slow to engage in Drive. Overall, the Q70 is a smooth driver that rarely annoys.

The big V8 accelerates effortlessly at full throttle, although low-rpm power is soft compared to what rival turbocharged engines produce. The sprint to 60 mph took 5.2 seconds — unremarkable for 420 hp — but there's plenty of real-world punch. This is a fast car.

Reassuringly firm pedal that's easy to modulate. Feels expertly calibrated and inspires confidence. In our emergency braking test, the Q70 stopped in a short 114 feet on all-season tires. Note that the Premium Select Edition includes upgraded brakes.

It's responsive and accurate in quick transitions, giving you the sense that the Q70 can be placed precisely on the desired line. Effort is fingertip-light in parking lots yet firm and steady on freeway slogs. Very good for the segment.

The Q70 feels narrow and agile on winding roads, turning in eagerly and generally comporting itself like a smaller car. The base car has too much bounce in the suspension for real sporty driving, but a Sport package is available and would provide improvements.

The transmission serves up precise rev-matched downshifts in manual mode, yet it operates unobtrusively in the daily slog. While passing or merging, however, downshifts can be slow to engage in Drive. Overall, the Q70 is a smooth driver that rarely annoys.

On the freeway, the 2017 Q70's ride is calm and isolating, though imperfect surfaces can make the car feel jittery. The V8 makes inspiring noises while accelerating yet never intrudes, unlike the coarse base V6. The seating is spacious and plush. It's a pleasant car to be in, but not much more.

A Q70 strong suit. The seats are soft yet drive-all-day supportive, lacking only lateral support for brisk drives (note that this test car lacked the Sport package, which includes sport seats). The rear seats have excellent under-thigh support.

The Q70 lacks the composed suppleness on rough roads that shoppers in this segment rightly expect. The structure too readily quivers and shakes. This is partly down to the big 20-inch wheels and tires, but rivals with similar equipment exhibit more refinement.

It's adequately quiet on most surfaces. Tire noise can intrude at times, but that's par for the course with 20-inch rubber. We noted some gentle shaking from the big V8 at idle; some might call it "character," but others will wish for more isolation.

The straightforward controls include simple up/down rocker switches for temperature on each side. The entire bank of climate controls is angled up toward the front occupants, enhancing visibility and accessibility. Quiet fan and cold air-conditioning in triple-digit heat.

The Q70's cabin has very good ergonomics overall, including a curved central control stack that falls readily to hand. The dashboard and console wrap snugly around the driver. Even this standard-wheelbase model has generous rear legroom. The outdated tech interface is the main drawback.

The control layout is mostly user-friendly, from the sensible climate buttons to the proper knobs for volume and tuning. But the touchscreen is too small and too far from the driver, and the redundant control knob is less intuitive than those in rivals.

The seats are conveniently high relative to the floor, so you slide onto them more than plop down into them. Despite the stylized exterior, the roof inside is high enough to stay out of your way, even in back. The door openings are more than adequate.

The wraparound dashboard and elevated center console make the Q70 feel more like a sports car from the driver seat, and that seat has plenty of adjustments for taller or shorter drivers. The power steering column has plenty of tilt-and-telescoping range.

The Q70's interior dimensions will likely feel just right for many shoppers. Four 6-footers can travel in comfort, and those in back will enjoy the elevated bottom cushion, which gives great thigh support. The rear middle seat is only for emergencies.

Front visibility is excellent, and it's framed entertainingly by the curvaceous front fenders — kind of like in a Corvette. The rising beltline and rakish rear roofline conspire to inhibit rear visibility a bit, but it's still manageable.

The cabin is nicely trimmed with lots of leather and interesting industrial-metal accents. Material quality overall is high, and assembly tolerances seem tight. The control knob and adjoining seat-heater knobs feel downmarket, however.

The Q70 generally underwhelms on the utility front, but good child safety seat features redeem it somewhat. If you don't care about child safety seats, the lack of small item storage and a power trunklid might give you pause.

Poor. Only two cupholders and an ashtray on the center console. Nothing in the way of thoughtful smartphone nooks or crannies. At least the center-console storage box under the armrest is reasonably spacious and handy.

The trunk capacity is about average at 14.9 cubic feet. There's a wide opening, but it narrows at the wheelwells. No power closing, just power release, and the release takes an extra half-second for some reason. The rear seatback is fixed, so you can't fold it down to gain extra cargo capacity.

Two sets of LATCH anchors with three tethers on the rear shelf. Access is user-friendly, and ALR (automatic locking retractor) belts come standard. A rear-facing seat could be a squeeze behind a long-legged driver (but the Q70L should work just fine).

If you're wondering why the Q70 rates relatively poorly overall, this section is the answer. Infiniti has largely left the Q70's touchscreen interface untouched during this decade, and its advanced age is readily apparent. The car's rivals, meanwhile, have decisively pulled ahead.

The most dated infotainment interface you'll find in this class. The touchscreen is small and square — a throwback to a different era. The graphics are low-resolution and lack flair. The Bose stereo sounds pretty good, but otherwise the Q70 system is a mess.

The infotainment system debuted well before Bluetooth audio became ubiquitous, and that's painfully obvious. Our Q70 had a hard time remembering paired phones from drive to drive. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay simply aren't offered. Dinosaur grade.

Our test car lacked the Technology package, which contains just about every high-tech safety feature the Q70 offers. It's almost unheard of in this class for items such as blind-spot monitoring and forward collision warning to be optional.

Not surprisingly, the Q70's voice command system is also getting on in years. We couldn't figure out how to control Bluetooth audio without consulting the manual. Spoken commands must be perfectly precise; there's no "intelligence" that we could detect.