Are you in the market for a compact luxury car with room for five and a reasonable trunk space? Better yet, how about something sporty to drive with a prestigious badge on the front grille and a relatively reasonable starting price? The 2024 Genesis G70 and Infiniti Q50 are agile and quick, not to mention loaded with many comfort and safety features like heated seats, leather upholstery, booming stereos, and the latest safety tech. While “value” and “luxury” might seem contradictory when car shopping, these two sedans prove otherwise.
Let’s compare the highlights of the Genesis G70 and Infiniti Q50.
2024 Genesis G70
The 2024 Genesis G70 rolls into another model year with a couple of key improvements. For starters, every variant is now equipped with stronger Brembo brakes. On the subject of strength, the base drivetrain is a turbocharged 2.5-liter 4-cylinder that produces 300 horsepower, or 48 hp more than the standard 2023 drivetrain. As before, a 365-hp twin-turbo 3.3-liter V6 is available.
Pricing starts at $42,750, including a $1,250 delivery fee, for a rear-wheel-drive 2.5T model. Adding all-wheel drive increases the price by about $2,100.
Genesis G70 Highlights
Strong turbocharged drivetrains: Thanks to its newly standard 300-hp turbo 4-cylinder, the Genesis G70 has considerably more power than the base drivetrains used in many rivals from the likes of Audi, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Lexus. That’s not quite the case here, however. The Q50 counters with its own 300-hp drivetrain, which we’ll learn more about shortly.
Superb warranty: One serious feather in the cap of the G70 is its 5-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper coverage, plus 10 years/100,000 miles of powertrain coverage, whichever comes first. Want more? You’re in luck because Genesis also throws in three years of 36,000 miles of free scheduled maintenance.
Top safety marks: All variants of the Genesis G70 come fitted with driver aids like blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, safe exit assist, and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection. This helps explain why it earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) Top Safety Pick+ status, the highest possible score.
Blind-spot view monitor: Speaking of safety, the blind-spot view monitor projects viewpoints from side-mounted cameras directly ahead of the driver in the instrument cluster. It’s automatically activated when the turn signal is moved ahead of a lane change. This comes with the 3.3T Sport Prestige trim.
Check this week’s Fair Purchase Price or see the G70 models near you.
2024 Infiniti Q50
The 2024 Infiniti Q50 is available in three trims — Luxe, Sensory, and Red Sport 400 — and pricing starts at $44,200, including a destination fee of $1,150. Believe it or not, this generation of Q50 dates back to the 2014 model year. While it’s not as fresh as the Genesis G70, it does come with modern conveniences like wireless Apple CarPlay, wired Android Auto, a moonroof, and a dual-screen infotainment system.
Infiniti Q50 Highlights
Driver aids: Time hasn’t stood still with the Infiniti Q50. Every variant comes equipped with a rear cross-traffic warning, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, 360-degree parking camera, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic high beams, adaptive cruise control, and rain-sensing wipers.
Twin-turbo V6: The Luxe and Sensory models are fitted with a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 producing 300 hp and stout 295 lb-ft of torque. This grunt is more than enough for most car shoppers. Yet, for those who want to make even quicker getaways, the Red Sport 400 has a 400-hp version of this same twin-turbo V6 and features an adaptive suspension system, bigger brakes, carbon-fiber interior trim, and more heavily bolstered front seats.
Available all-wheel drive: Similar to its rival, the Genesis G70, RWD is standard, though AWD can be added to either of the two available engines. This extra grip can be invaluable when roads suddenly turn slick.
Aging gracefully: We’ve had plenty of time to get used to the shape of the Q50, that’s for sure. The good news is that this sedan has withstood the test of time, at least externally. Its curvaceous and taut shape means it’s still a fine-looking vehicle.
Check this week’s Fair Purchase Price or see the Q50 models near you.
Similarities
The Genesis G70 and Infiniti Q50 appear to be technically in a neck-and-neck race to the finish line. They boast very powerful base drivetrains and even racier optional turbocharged engines. Each can be had in RWD or AWD, too. One negative they share is that neither is particularly good in terms of fuel mileage for this segment.
Conclusion
Notwithstanding its slippery shape and exhilarating engines, time is finally catching up to the Q50. A noisy freeway ride and outdated interior tech mean it’s falling further behind competing models like the G70.
We wouldn’t call the aging Q50 a bad choice, though we think there are better ones out there; the Genesis G70 happens to be one of them.
| 2024 Genesis G70 | 2024 Infiniti Q50 | |
| Starting Price | $42,750 | $44,200 |
| Popular Powertrains | ||
| Engine | Turbocharged 2.5-liter 4-cylinder | Twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 |
| Horsepower | 300 hp @ 5,800 rpm | 300 hp @ 6,400 rpm |
| Torque | 311 lb-ft @ 1,650 rpm | 295 lb-ft @ 1,500 rpm |
| Transmission | 8-speed automatic | 7-speed automatic |
| Fuel economy MPG | 21 city/29 highway/24 combined | 20 city/29 highway/23 combined |
| Also Available | Twin-turbo 3.3-liter V6, AWD | AWD |
| Specs | ||
| Basic Warranty | 5 years/60,000 miles | 4 years/60,000 miles |
| Powertrain Warranty | 10 years/100,000 miles | 6 years/70,000 miles |
| NHTSA Overall Safety | N/A | 5 stars |
| Max Seating Capacity | 5 | 5 |
| Wheelbase | 111.6 inches | 112.2 inches |
| Overall Length | 184.4 inches | 189.6 inches |
| Width | 72.8 inches | 71.8 inches |
| Height | 55.1 inches | 57.2 inches |
| Turning Diameter | 36.3 feet | 36.6 feet |
| Headroom, Front | 39.8 inches | 39.5 inches |
| Headroom, Rear | 38.7 inches | 36.8 inches |
| Legroom, Front | 42.6 inches | 44.5 inches |
| Legroom, Rear | 34.8 inches | 35.1 inches |
| Shoulder Room, Front | 56.3 inches | 56.7 inches |
| Shoulder Room, Rear | 54.6 inches | 56.1 inches |
| Cargo Volume | 10.5 cubic feet | 13.5 cubic feet |
