First Drive Review
Long-wheelbase mid-size luxury sedans: they’re big in China, not even a thing over here. Sure, we have large cars with big back seats, but stretched luxury mid-sizers—cushy cars that are long but not terribly wide—make no sense here in America, where the roads are wide and our population even wider.
Or maybe they do. Really, how often do we put three people in the back of a luxury car, anyway? Do we need that extra width after all? Wouldn’t it be nice if we could get a foot massage back there?
These are questions we found ourselves asking when being shuttled around in the back of the new long-wheelbase 2015 Infiniti Q70L, after which we concluded that 5.9 inches of added rear knee room (along with some mechanical updates, which we’ll get to later) can indeed go a long way toward turning a relatively mediocre luxury car into a more compelling proposition. The livery-oriented Cadillac XTS, for example, has nearly two inches less stretch-out space in back, while the Q70L comes within 1.2 inches of the rear legroom of both the Mercedes-Benz S-class and Audi A8L limousines. Especially when said space is upholstered in the Q70’s available semi-aniline leather, that big back bench does a remarkable seat-of-the-pants impression of the Lexus LS460L’s rear quarters, sans available footrest and center console, of course. The new long-wheelbase Infiniti also looks better proportioned and more elegant than the standard Q70 on the outside, with the long front and rear doors visually appearing the same length. Better still, the stretch adds less than 100 pounds to the car’s weight.
Even in short-wheelbase form, the 2015 Q70 is a more attractive conveyance than last year’s model (which as recently as 2013, was known as the M sedan). Mild styling enhancements have brought new front and rear fascias and redesigned lighting. The interior carries over relatively unchanged, and while it is starting to feel dated—the gauge cluster and infotainment system in particular are both begging for more contemporary presentations of their facts—it is certainly comfortable, with fabulous front seats and an even more fabulous optional 16-speaker Bose surround-sound system. Also, the contoured, four-spoke steering wheel feels great in the hands.
The two cars we drove came from opposite ends of the Q70 spectrum: a rear-drive Q70L 3.7 and an all-wheel-drive Q70 5.6 with the $4500 Sport package. Equipped with the 330-hp 3.7-liter V-6, the Q70L cruises quietly and makes a fuss only at full throttle. Unfortunately, with this much car to lug around, full throttle is utilized often. Indeed, it could be time for Infiniti to turbo- or supercharge the Q70’s V-6, if only to raise torque from its meager 270 lb-ft rating. The torque deficit can be remedied, of course, by springing for the optional 5.6-liter V-8 (with more than 400 lb-ft of twist), which turns the Q70 into a silent, low-flying cruise missile, albeit at considerable cost (about $13,000).
At least the seven-speed automatic transmission demonstrates, for the first time, a genuine willingness to play along in both applications. Infiniti recalibrated the transmission to retain its comfortable shift characteristics in Standard and Eco settings while making the Sport mode decidedly sportier, with rev-matched, predictive automatic downshifts and throttle response that is crisper, if a bit front-loaded. Snappy manual shifts may be summoned via the shift lever or, on Sport package–equipped models, column-mounted magnesium shift paddles.
Ride harshness, something we’ve reported in previous M37/M56 drives, has been addressed for 2015; it is now all but eliminated from the Q70’s repertoire, particularly in the long-wheelbase version. Models equipped with the sport suspension communicate more road feel, naturally, but at no point did the one we drove feel harsh, and it was always grippy and composed. On twistier sections of road, both long- and short-wheelbase models exhibited sure-footedness, and the well-weighted steering presented a modicum of feel. Also praiseworthy are the sport model’s brakes—four-piston front and two-piston rear calipers grabbing huge 14-inch front and 13.8-inch rear discs—which haul the Q70 down from speed quickly with a beautifully linear pedal feel. We must note, however, that our testers rolled on optional 20-inch wheels with summer rubber and that all but the rear-drive Q70 models with the Sport package will come standard with all-season tires.
The 2015 Q70 starts at $50,755 for the base 3.7 and now includes last year’s Premium package contents (navigation, telematics, a 10-speaker Bose sound system, leather, and a 360-degree parking monitor). Adding all-wheel drive will cost another $2150. The Q70 5.6 models start at $63,755, with all-wheel drive adding another $2500 to the tab. As for the big rear seat, it will set you back between $1500 and $1700, and we think it’s money well spent. Unfortunately, long-wheelbase models cannot be ordered with the Sport package.
With the Q70, Infiniti has demonstrated a willingness to take action on past criticisms and make improvements. While it’s unlikely that Infiniti’s mid-lux sedan will unseat the leaders in the segment, in the new long-wheelbase Q70L form, it certainly out-legrooms them all.
