2017 Infiniti Q70L 5.6 AWD

Over the last decade or so, our expectations for luxury sedans have been honed and defined by high rollers from Europe, particularly those boasting Teutonic pedigrees and autobahn development. So when a $70,000 sedan rolls onto the scene with more than 400 horsepower on tap, we’re conditioned to anticipate athletic responses and zero to 60 mph in a pretty serious hurry.

The Q70 resides at the top of Infiniti’s sedan hierarchy, and the long-wheelbase Q70L is at the top of the top—unless you place a higher value on the Q70 hybrid. In all, the Q70 offers five trim levels, two wheelbases, two engine options, and the choice of rear- or all-wheel drive.

It’s hard to find fault with the Q70’s interpretation of luxury. The Q70’s list of standard features includes heated leather seats with power lumbar adjustment up front, a heated leather steering wheel with power tilting/telescoping adjustability, ash wood trim, puddle lamps, an 8.0-inch touchscreen with navigation and voice recognition, and a 10-speaker Bose audio system.

Roominess is a component of luxury, and that’s what the L version is all about. The 120.1-inch wheelbase is 5.9 inches longer than that of the standard Q70, and the car stretches 202 inches in length overall. All of those additional inches have been deeded over to the rear cabin, yielding stretch-out legroom in the rear seat. The $1700 upcharge ($1500 on the V-6 Q70) for that extra space works out to a little more than $288 per inch. If you’re NBA-size, it’s definitely worth it.

Relaxed Performance

But on the performance part of the performance-luxury equation, the Q70 scores as just okay. Equipped with the optional 420-hp V-8 engine (a 330-hp 3.7-liter V-6 is standard) and all-wheel drive—plus the additional wheelbase—our Q70L test car weighed more than two tons: 4174 pounds. That’s substantial, but an Audi A6 with a turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 and all-wheel drive is even heavier.

So burdened, the Q70’s V-8 propels it to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 14.1 at 103 mph. Oddly enough, the A6 we tested—4242 pounds, 340 horsepower—was quicker: 5.2 seconds to 60, 13.7 at 105 in the quarter-mile. In fact, the six-cylinder Q70L with all-wheel drive that we tested in 2015 trailed the V-8 version to 60 by only 0.1 second.

The V-8 asserted itself versus its V-6 stablemate as speeds climbed, but the Q70 competes in a market awash with rides capable of 60-mph runs of less than five seconds. Some of them substantially less.

The Q70’s performance-sedan credentials also are diminished by the absence of shift paddles. The seven-speed automatic is smooth and responsive in full-automatic operation, and it delivers brisk shifts manually, achieved by moving the lever fore and aft. It’s at its best in Sport mode, but paddles would improve its operation. We suspect that most owners put the shift lever in drive and forget it.

Unhurried Responses

Like the transmission, the Q70’s all-around operational character isn’t exactly what we associate with contemporary sports sedans, luxury or otherwise. Even in Sport mode (the other choices are Snow, Eco, and Standard), the suspension allows a little more up-and-down motion than is common among the autobahnmeisters, turn-in isn’t exactly eager, and braking distances—178 feet from 70 mph—are so-so. That distance, incidentally, was achieved with the optional high-performance brake setup (part of a $3300 Premium Select package) that includes four-piston front calipers and two-piston rear calipers.

With the V-8 engine, the Q70L has a hefty forward weight bias, 55.4 percent on the front wheels. Predictably, it contributes to understeer. Our Track Sheet describes it as mild on the skidpad, but vigorous public-road flogging moves the understeer needle up to moderate or high moderate.

All the foregoing is rooted in how the Q70L stacks up against contemporary sports sedans. Assessed simply as a pleasant, handsomely furnished way to get from home to wherever, the story is more positive. The steering rates better scores for effort and tactility than in our 2015 test, ride quality is supple, interior noise levels are low, and the V-8 emits a satisfying snarl in Sport mode.

The dynamic bottom line is a car that rates as okay for those who prioritize luxurious comfort above other attributes. But it’s not so okay if one aspires to a higher dynamic standard.

Cosmetics are important, too, and the Q70’s styling can be characterized as attractive and distinctive. However, that characterization has been true since the car’s 2011 introduction. The look was freshened for model year 2015, but even so it’s becoming a little too familiar. And the Q70 will roll into 2018 unchanged.

Through July, Infiniti has sold 3658 Q70s in the United States this year, almost identical to the same period in 2016. It’s the weakest sales performance by any of the brand’s products. In a softening sedan market, it will be interesting to see what Infiniti has planned for its flagship four-door.

Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan

PRICE AS TESTED: $71,605 (base price: $68,305)

ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection

Displacement: 339 cu in, 5552 cc
Power: 420 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 417 lb-ft @ 4400 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 7-speed automatic with manual shifting mode

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 120.1 in
Length: 202.0 in
Width: 72.6 in Height: 59.6 in
Passenger volume: 111 cu ft
Trunk volume: 15 cu ft
Curb weight: 4174 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 5.5 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 13.1 sec
Zero to 130 mph: 23.2 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 5.6 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 3.3 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 4.3 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 14.1 sec @ 103 mph
Top speed (governor limited, C/D est): 150 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 178 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.83 g

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA combined/city/highway: 18/16/23 mpg
C/D observed: 18 mpg