INFINITI versus MERCEDES
Benz looks sharper, but does its drive warrant the price premium?
Drivers in the market for a sporty and luxurious compact sedan will typically gravitate toward the German brands such as Mercedes-Benz or BMW.
But Japanese automakers have been playing catchup to the Germans, and they are getting really close to offering some seriously competitive cars. Infiniti has been working double time on nailing the formula. Here we have the 2016 Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400 and the 2016 Mercedes-Benz C450 AMG, two high-performance versions of each brand’s popular compact sedan. Both cars have AWD, a seven-speed automatic and twin-turbo V6s, and compared side by side, the two are quite similar on paper; but when driven, the two feel entirely different.
Under the hood The biggest upgrade the Q50 Red Sport 400 gets over the regular model is a higher-performing twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 that gets 400 horsepower and 350 lbs.-ft. of torque, which is nothing to laugh about because those are serious numbers. The Benz also gets a 3.0-litre biturbo V6, but with 362 horsepower and 384 lbs.-ft. of torque, which is less horsepower but more torque than the Infiniti. The C450 is also slightly more fuel efficient.
Driven back-to-back, the torque difference is very obvious because the C450 feels much quicker and more immediate, but the disparity is magnified because the Mercedes weighs about 135 kilograms less than the Infiniti. The Mercedes also sounds like a sports car with that signature AMG burble shouting all its bad intentions to the world, where the Q50 is quiet and sounds more reserved (although to its credit, the cabin is also more hushed).
The Q50 Red Sport also gets a new optional direct adaptive steering system that makes the sedan more engaging and massive brakes that are not available on other Q50 models.
The Benz’s steering is a bit too light in regular mode, but thrown into Sport mode, it gives the steering some weight. The C450 feels like a small car and is easily more nimble than the Red Sport, which feels larger because of the heavier steering and the extra weight it’s carrying. The Benz’s seven-speed transmission is also quick and really responsive, where the Q50’s takes a beat to get going. Infiniti’s system is more high-tech, however, because it has adaptive shift control, a new system that senses and learns a driver’s style and adapts the shifting accordingly.
Driven around winding roads, the Mercedes holds a line like a pro, feeling natural and confident when flung around corners. The suspension is much better sorted than the Infiniti, and it feels like the C-Class has more grip. The Infiniti didn’t feel as confident when driven quickly and, although it was far from squirrelly, we weren’t as comfortable really pushing the Q50 has hard as we pushed the Benz.
The looks
Both cars look the part of luxury sport sedan, but the Benz gives you more clues that this isn’t your standard C-Class. I wish Infiniti did more to the exterior style to differentiate it from the regular Q50 — this is the high-performance one, so it should have more aggressive looks to match. The Benz has much more aggressive flair, but it should be noted that Mercedes charges a lot of money for those upgrades.
The tech
One of the best features in the Q50 is the driver assistance technology, and it has almost every system imaginable. It’s one of the best systems on the market.
It all starts with the Q50’s radar sensor, which is so advanced it can see two cars ahead, where most systems can only see the car directly in front of you. That means that the automatic braking is extremely smooth and natural. Beyond that, the lane keep is excellent and it all pairs nicely for a high-tech, semiautonomous driving experience that has to be among the most advanced in the industry.
The Benz has similar tech, but it doesn’t feel as smooth or intuitive to use. The adaptive cruise control stalk is also hidden behind the steering wheel, and you have to take your eyes off the road to use it.
The interiors
The Mercedes has a gorgeous interior, but you pay dearly for it. Nearly every pretty finish in the C450’s cabin is an optional extra that really drives up the price. The beautiful matte silver trim on the centre console? It costs extra. The slick red leather? That’s another few grand. What about that cool head-up display and 360-degree camera? That’s extra.
Still, the Mercedes’ cabin outclasses the Infiniti’s even without those fancy trim bits. It feels more modern and has a more coherent design. The Q50’s cabin looks a bit more dated and cobbled together and the twoscreen setup is very strange. The infotainment system is also wonky and hard to use. The C450’s infotainment system isn’t the most userfriendly either, but a really advanced voice recognition system makes it much easier to live with.
The verdict
There’s no getting around the fact that the Mercedes is a hell of a lot more expensive than the Infiniti. But even if you take out all the expensive options to get the prices closer together, the Mercedes is still a better performer — it feels a lot sportier, looks much more modern inside and is still the better luxury car.
The Infiniti isn’t that far behind the C-Class, however, especially in terms of technology. When you take into account how expensive the Mer- cedes is, you really realize that the Q50 has a ton of value and it doesn’t charge you out the wazoo for optional extras, which is something we really appreciate.