Infiniti Q50 review: a genuinely good chassis Bahrain has overlooked
3.8/5MotorsSouq Editorial Team
Buy a facelifted (2018 onward) Q50 in 3.0t Luxe trim with conventional hydraulic steering rather than the optional Direct Adaptive Steering, and it is one of the most underrated used sedans in Bahrain: quick, well-built, and priced like a car nobody wants. That last part is exactly why it is worth wanting.
Pros
- VR30 twin-turbo V6 (post-2018 facelift) is genuinely strong and eager
- Rear-wheel-drive chassis with real steering feedback on hydraulic-steered grades
- Priced well below comparable 3 Series and C-Class used examples
- Shared Nissan mechanicals keep independent servicing affordable
Cons
- Direct Adaptive Steering option (early cars) is numb; avoid it if you can
- Infotainment and switchgear feel a generation behind German rivals
- Weak resale value, which helps the buyer but hurts the seller later
- Thinner authorized service network than BMW or Mercedes in Bahrain
The Q50 arrived in 2014 wearing Infiniti's most confident styling in a decade and, from the 2018 facelift onward, a properly good engine to match it. The VR30DDTT twin-turbo V6, shared with the Q60 and the more expensive Red Sport grades, replaces the earlier Mercedes-sourced four and makes the standard-tune 300 hp version the one to actually shop for.
The steering decision that matters
Early Q50s offered Direct Adaptive Steering, a steer-by-wire system with no mechanical link to the front wheels in normal operation. It is numb and inconsistent, and it is the single biggest reason enthusiast reviewers wrote the car off before driving a hydraulic-steered example. Cars without it corner with real feedback and a rear-wheel-drive balance that a contemporary 3 Series does not embarrass.
The cabin is where the age shows. The double-screen infotainment stack dates to the car's launch, wireless Apple CarPlay only arrived on the very last facelift cars, and the switchgear feels a generation behind a comparable BMW or Mercedes of the same age.
Bahrain ownership is straightforward if not glamorous: the VR30 shares enough architecture with Nissan's mainstream range that independent workshops handle it without drama, and parts pricing sits closer to Nissan than to German-badge levels. What it does not have is the dealer footprint of the brands it competes with, so budget for an independent specialist rather than assuming factory-authorized service everywhere.