Used 2021 INFINITI Q60

Time has been kind to the 2021 Infiniti Q60 premium compact coupe. The essentials of a good chassis, superb engines — and fundamental luxury touches like comfortable, supportive front seats — have kept the Q60 in contention against newer rivals.

But the passing years have also left some aspects of the Q60 in their wake. The cabin looks dated, especially the instrument cluster. And in our current crossover-obsessed era, the very notion of a coupe seems almost quaint.

This might be the final year of the Q60’s existence. Infiniti is expected to announce a new generation for 2022, but with some companies deciding to concentrate on crossovers, we shouldn’t expect a new Q60 coupe to be a sure thing.

In the meantime, the 2021 Q60 continues to bring a certain style and power levels that are impressive for the class. The Q60 is also priced competitively. Unless the lure of a 400-horsepower machine is too great to resist, we recommend the Luxe trim starting at just over $51k, especially now it has more standard equipment, including several advanced safety features.

The 2021 Infiniti Q60 is larger and heavier than many competitors, but agile and exciting nonetheless. It isn’t short of thrust and is a delight to drive on a twisting mountain road.

The base engine’s 300 horsepower feels totally acceptable for everyday use, reaching freeway speeds with ease and achieving reasonably quick acceleration times.

The 400-horsepower V6 in the Red Sport 400 really brings the Q60 to life and gets pulses racing. Wearing grippy summer tires, this version bolts from standstill to 60 mph in under five seconds, accompanied by a sweet-sounding exhaust note.

The 7-speed automatic transmission works well enough. The paddle shifters and rev-matching technology both add to the fun factor, but this transmission is still not as satisfying as a traditional manual.

In general, the Q60’s ride isn’t as compliant as, say, an Audi A5’s, but it’s not harsh. The Red Sport 400’s ride quality is on the stiff side, though, so some people will prefer the Q60 Luxe as a daily driver.

Attractive, comfortable, and finely crafted, the interior of the 2021 Infiniti Q60 is a pleasing mix of technology, design, and strong ergonomics. Control placement is excellent, aided by touchscreens for the navigation and infotainment systems.

The Q60 has a quiet cabin. At this luxury level, however, leather upholstery should be standard, not optional. At least the mid-range Luxe trim (the best-selling Q60) gains semi-aniline leather seating surfaces this year. It also receives heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, power-adjustable lumbar and bolsters for the driver’s seat, and a remote engine start function.

The Red Sport 400’s cabin now comes with an advanced climate control system, and the carbon fiber trim accents change from gloss to matte black.

Seat comfort is among the best in the class, and although a tall driver might feel a bit cramped, the Q60’s sightlines are surprisingly good for such a stylish coupe. Rear headroom is not really suitable for adults, but there’s decent legroom in the back if the driver is short. The less-than-cavernous trunk can take a couple of midsize roller bags.

The Q60’s low-slung stance, enhanced by the rear-drive Red Sport 400 model’s staggered-width tires (255/35R-20 up front, 275/30R-20 at the back), sends all the right messages. The 2021 Q60 is styled artfully, benefitting from details like a 3D grille badge, drilled exhaust tips, and an intriguing little kink at the rear side windows.

This kind of coupe styling, however, seems to have less relevance these days. For better or worse, the fresher Audi A5 and BMW 4 Series have more assertive looks. And the Mercedes-Benz C-Class at least has some classic lines. It will be interesting to see what Infiniti does with a new generation, should the company decide to sell it in the United States.

One change for 2021 is that the Dynamic Sunstone Red color that was exclusive to the Red Sport 400 is now available on the Q60 Luxe. New colors are Slate Gray and Grand Blue. The Red Sport 400 also gains power-folding side mirrors and gloss black exterior accents.

DYNAMIC DIGITAL SUSPENSION
The optional Digital Dynamic suspension can transform the Infiniti Q60 from a comfortable cruiser to a precision corner-carver. It makes continual adjustments to deal with rough surfaces and/or twisty roads.

DRIVE MODES
Using a rocker switch on the center console, the Q60 driver can select among Standard, Snow, Eco, Sport, Sport+, and Personal driving modes. Each setting brings different responses from the engine, suspension, and steering system.

The 2021 Q60 Pure has LED headlights and taillights, 19-inch alloy wheels, push-button ignition, dual-zone automatic climate control, brushed-aluminum interior trim, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone integration, and satellite radio. This year sees the addition of rain-sensing wipers, Wi-fi, two more USB ports (making four in total, including one Type-C), and automatic collision notification/emergency call.

The Q60 Luxe has automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, a power moonroof, and an upgraded Bose audio system. As well as the features mentioned above, Luxe trim now comes with adaptive cruise control/distance control assistance, lane departure warning, blind-spot warning, automatic high beams, backup collision intervention, a 360-degree camera system with moving object detection, and a haptic steering wheel.

The Red Sport 400 has the 400-horsepower twin-turbo V6, red-painted brake calipers, staggered-width 20-inch alloy wheels, and satin-finished exhaust tips. All-wheel-drive versions of the Q60 Red Sport 400 have all-season tires instead of summer tires.

Apart from all-wheel drive and a few things like ambient cabin lighting, the Pure trim is not eligible for many options.

The Essential package for the Q60 Luxe ($2,050) adds voice-controlled navigation, SiriusXM Traffic, an advanced climate control system (with a special air purifier), power-folding side mirrors with reverse tilt-down function, power-adjustable steering column, plus memory settings for the driver’s seat, steering column, and side mirrors. The Q60 Luxe with this options bundle is probably going to be most buyers’ preferred combination.

The Red Sport 400 is also available with a ProActive package that includes Direct Adaptive Steering — a steer-by-wire setup.

The 2021 Q60 range has two engines, both direct-injected twin-turbocharged V6s displacing 3.0 liters. And both requiring premium gasoline.

The Q60 Pure and Luxe trims enjoy 300 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. In the Q60 Red Sport 400, output ramps up to 400 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque.

All Q60s have a 7-speed automatic transmission with a manual shift mode and rev-matching technology. Rear-wheel drive (RWD) is the standard configuration; all-wheel drive (AWD) is optional at every trim level.

3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 (Pure, Luxe)
300 horsepower @ 6,400 rpm
295 lb-ft of torque @ 1,600-5,200 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 19/28 mpg (RWD), 19/27 mpg (AWD)

3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 (Red Sport 400)
400 horsepower @ 6,400 rpm
350 lb-ft of torque @ 1,600-5,200 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 20/27 mpg (RWD), 19/26 mpg (AWD)