Q50 Hybrid sport vs non-sport differences, fuel economy

[Celidor]

I am curious if anyone knows what the main difference between the sport and regular versions of the Q50 hybrid are. I have not been able to find out any information on the specifics.

If you look at the fuel economy estimates between sport and non-sport there is a large difference both in city and highway.

I know that the sport model comes with different suspension and paddle shifters. But the power output is the same. And I didn't think there was much else different.

Are the gears in the transmission set differently?

There is a very large difference in fuel numbers! (Picture from fueleconomy.gov included.) The AWD sport model says it burns almost 1 whole litre more per 100km on the highway (4 mpg less).

Also, is there a big improvement in acceleration to warrant such vastly different fuel economy numbers?

 

[Celidor]

Looking at automobile-catalog for the 2014 year it says all 4 models have the same setup for gears. But I also found that the weight of the sport models was a lot more than the non-sport. The non-sport also had thinner tires and smaller wheels.

Q50 Hybrid RWD - - - - - - 3913 lbs - 225/55 R17
Q50 Hybrid Sport RWD - 3973 lbs - 245/40 R19
Q50 Hybrid AWD - - - - - - 4085 lbs - 225/55 R17
Q50 Hybrid Sport AWD - 4149 lbs - 245/40 R19

So I suppose the sport models' larger wheels and wider tires are the main reason for the extra weight and it also makes sense why they have worse fuel economy. Apparently it also means the sport models are slower in a straight line than the non sports.

Despite the large amount of torque the wider wheels don't help with acceleration since these cars are so heavy. Though you would expect the sport models to be faster than the non-sport...

It's too bad that Infiniti didn't tweak the gearing for the sport models. Lowering gears 3-6 would have made the sport models quicker than the non-sport. Keeping 7th the same for highway cruising.

 

[QX70S]

I owned a 2014 Q50 Premium RWD for 5 in FL and took it cross-country several times.

It was stock CPO from INFINITI of Tampa with a ridiculous unlimited mileage Warranty for 5 years, I couldn't pass it up. At the time the Hybrids were slightly quicker that the TT models due to instant torque, not sure if that still holds true.

OVERALL:

It was an excellent vehicle with ZERO major occurrences until the 167mi. mark, which apparently is quite common among G-model transmissions. If I remember correctly it was the shift positioning sensor located deep within the trans, and the Hybrid just complicated things. In the end it was a $2,500 fix (with part).


HYBRID:

I don't think INFINITI had "Economy" in mind when they introduced this model. I'll admit, it does help in some city conditions...but not by much. Without a way to control the HYBRID tech, you learn to drive in a way to predict Hybrid behavior and utilize it in a way that benefits your driving habits. It's a performance sedan with assisted electric motors that will have you zipping along quicker than the majority of cars on the road.

• In EV mode (electric) I was lucky to get 2 miles before the engine kicked on and began charging.
• Seamless transition from electric to engine 99% of the time. The other 1% of the time it would slam and or make a knocking sound. Had it checked and they never found anything. Flushed seal trans at Infiniti and it never happened again.
• Awesome sound when in EV in the dead of night

FUEL ECONOMY:

City Avg: 17
Hwy Avg: 28 (sometimes in the 30's)

I will preface this by saying I'm a habitual Cruise Control user and abuser. If there is an opportunity to lock in 8-12mph over then it's in cruise. Doing this substantially increases your MPG in any car but more so in the hybrid. After being a bit curious as to know what other Hybrid owners were getting noticeably less, after further digging, the great majority of them were not using cruise control. Always premium gas and on long road trips some Lucas oil treatment on fill-ups took me into the 30's on the open road.

DIFFERENCE:

Performance Change: None

Primary differences are trim in and out. Premium Wheels, Iconic S Trim Seats with leg bolsters and cooled seats and Ground FX.


RECOMMENDATION:

I would NOT have purchased this vehicle had I not been offered such a robust warranty. Despite this car taking me 167k miles worry-free, I would not recommend it to anyone.

Reason: Hybrid in these vehicles is a performance novelty and was used as a segway into fully electric vehicles. Also, battery replacement will supersede the cost of the vehicle when it comes time.....and the time will come.



Hope this helps!