Infiniti Q50 vs Mazda 6

What's the difference?

The Q50 Red Sport is a premium sedan that's great value, with a cracker of an engine. While Infiniti has improved the ride and steering, it still feels to me that the engine is too powerful for the wheels and chassis to handle. But if you're looking for something of an untamed beast, this car could be for you. Just don't say we didn't warn you.

So, what did my family think about the Mazda6 20th Anniversary wagon? Firstly, I like that it drives well and how many luxe features are up front. The trims and body paint look divine but there's a disconnect with family practicality in the back seat. Besides the multimedia system, which 100 per cent needs to be improved, I don't mind the retro-feeling elements in the cockpit but my husband's first comment was that it looked old.

It may be better suited to a smaller and older family that isn't carting around a stack of gear but you get a lot of features for your cash in this model. So, this gets a 7.0/10 from me.

My son didn't spend heaps of time in this one but he liked the colour of it and the seats. He gives it a 7.0/10.

The Q50 Red Sport looks cranky from front on, which I like in a car. Yes, the grille is simplistic and gaping, the nose is a bit bulbous, and sure, side on the car looks like a Lexus IS 350, but those rear haunches and the aggro body kit with its front splitter and boot lid spoiler make for an impressive looking four-door sedan.

The update brought restyled front and rear bumpers, those red brake calipers and the dark chrome 20-inch rims and new LED tail-lights.

Inside, the cabin is an asymmetrical paradise (or hell, if you're a bit OCD like me) full of sweeping lines, angles, as well as different textures and materials.

The red stitched quilted leather seats are an addition that came with the update, so is the new steering wheel and the ambient lighting.

The 'Sunstone Red' colour of our test car is also a new hue which looks a bit like Mazda's Soul Red. If red is not you, there are other colours – hope you like blue or white or black or grey because there's 'Iridium Blue', 'Midnight Black', 'Liquid Platinum', 'Graphite Shadow', 'Black Obsidian', 'Majestic White' and 'Pure White'.

The Q50 has similar dimensions to the IS 350: both are 1430mm tall, the Infiniti is 10mm wider at 1820mm,  120mm longer at 4800mm, and has a wheelbase that's 50mm longer at 2850mm.

At first glance there's not a lot that separates this from its siblings, it's not until you get up close that you notice more shiny chrome accents on the grille, those special anniversary badges on the side and its limited colour options – I hope you like red or white, as those are your only choices!

The wagon manages to look sporty with its 19-inch alloy wheels, full LED exterior lights and the classic protruding nose that Mazda seems known for now.

It's far more obvious in the interior though with the beautiful tan Nappa leather seats, synthetic suede trims and special embossing on the front headrests.

Surprisingly, the dashboard is still headlined by the older 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system. There's also the traditional gear-shifter and buttons/dials to deal with. All of which manage to nod to its long history while starting to feel like relics for such a special edition.

Overall, its pleasant and handsome but don't expect to be wowed, Mazda hasn't broken new ground with this one.

The Q50 Red Sport is a five-seat four-door sedan and is vastly more practical than its two-door Q60 Red Sport sister, in that I can actually sit in the back seat. The Q60's coupe styling looks amazing, but the sloping roofline means headroom is so severely limited that it reduces the rear seats to a place to throw your jacket.

True, I'm tall at 191cm, but in the Q50 Red Sport I can sit behind my driving position with legroom to spare and more than enough headroom.

Boot space is good at 500 litres, which is 20 litres more than the luggage capacity of the IS 350.

Storage throughout the cabin is good with two cup holders in the rear centre fold-down armrest, two more up front and bottle holders in all doors. A large centre console storage bin and another big storage area in front of the shifter are great for keeping junk under control and your valuables covered.

The interior is comfortable and well-proportioned but front passengers will enjoy the most room. You'll still feel like you'll be jostling for premium armrest position, though!

Up front, the individual storage is adequate and the open utility tray is large but my phone slid around in it, making it hard to use the wireless charging pad.

There are enough charging options throughout the car to satisfy four people, with two USB-A ports in each row. Curiously, you can only utilise the backseat USBs when the armrest is down, which makes this feel more suited to a smaller family.

The 8.0-inch touchscreen is small and the graphics aren't super clear. You can use it as a touchscreen or opt for the rotary dial but I found switching between the two awkward. Especially, since the touchscreen is disabled while using the (wireless) Apple CarPlay or (wired) Android Auto.

The back seat is quite lean when it comes to amenities and storage. Although, the heated outboard seats are a nice touch, but again, you can only access the controls when the armrest is down.

You can fit up to three (skinny) child seats but with the low roofline, you might not want to be bending over to buckle them in.  The door apertures are not too wide either but my six-year-old had no trouble climbing in and out.

For this class, the boot is an okay size at 506L. There is a temporary spare wheel under the level loading space and it's great how the cargo-blind lifts up and away from the space because it's attached to the boot lid.

Unfortunately, this doesn't come with a powered tailgate and I did miss having that feature this week.

As the name suggests, this is a special edition and it bumps the Atenza from its usual 'top spot' in the model line-up. Yet, for a top-model it is spectacularly well-priced at $54,935, before on-road costs.

That places it below the Volkswagen Passat 162TSI Elegance ($57,190) and above the Skoda Octavia RS 180TSI ($53,090) wagons.

You get all of the features of the Atenza, like the luxurious heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear outboard seats, heated steering wheel and a sunroof.

Then, you'll also be enjoying the 20th Anniversary badging on the exterior, tan Nappa leather seats with that same badging embossed on the headrests and a delightful synthetic suede trim on the dashboard.

Other features include some nice tech, like wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto, dual-zone climate control and a premium Bose sound system with 11 speakers, but more on tech below.

Inside the Q50 Red Sport's nose is a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine and it is a beautiful thing. To me this car is piece of technologically sophisticated jewellery that cradles a precious gem that pumps out 298kW/475Nm.

But I have my concerns... you can read about those in the driving section.

Shifting gears is a seven-speed automatic which delivers drive to the rear wheels.

This shares the same engine with the Atenza and that's a 2.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo-petrol one. It has a max power output of 173kW and 420Nm of torque. Plenty of oomph to get you (and your gear) to where you need to go.

The 20th Anniversary edition is a front-wheel-drive and has a six-speed auto transmission. It's not the smoothest combination at lower speeds but let it stretch its legs and you'll be happy with the results.

Infiniti says the V6 petrol engine in the Q50 Red Sport should use 9.3L/100km if you're using it on a mix of highways, urban streets and country roads. We only had the Q60 Red Sport for 48 hours and after a couple of days of Sydney city commutes and a trip to the Royal National Park our trip computer was reporting 11.1L/100km.

Let's talk about efficiency. It has a combined cycle fuel figure of 7.6L/100km but I only managed to achieve 10.9L. I reckon that's pretty thirsty considering how much open-road driving I did this week but it's not outrageous for a turbo. Expect a higher figure in an urban setting.

Based on the combined figure, you should be able to get a driving range of around 816km, which is perfectly respectable for those wanting to do a road trip.

Perhaps the biggest complaint we had about the previous Q50 Red Sport, which launched in 2016, was that it felt as though the chassis wasn't up to the amount of grunt running through it, and those rear wheels struggled to transfer the oomph to the road without losing traction.

We experienced the same issue again in this new car. I was breaking traction, not just in 'Sport+' and 'Sport' modes, but in 'Standard' and 'Eco', too. That was happening without pushing it hard and with all electronic traction and stability aids on.

If I was 18 I'd declare to the world I'd found my dream car - something that always wants to 'light 'em up' given half a chance. But like that one mate who always gets into trouble on a night out it's only funny when you're young.

A truly great performance car is planted, balanced and able to deliver the grunt to the road effectively. The Nissan R35 GT-R is the perfect example – a brilliant piece of machinery, a weapon of a performance car and with a chassis matched perfectly to its engine.

And that could be the issue with Q50 Red Sport - that engine feels overpowered for the chassis, and wheel and tyre package.

We also felt the previous Q50 Red Sport's ride, with its constantly adapting 'Dynamic Digital Suspension', was overly busy. Infiniti says it has developed the suspension system further and it does feel as though the ride is more comfortable and composed.

Steering was another area that we weren't overly impressed with when we drove the previous car. Infiniti's 'Direct Adaptive Steering' (DAS) system is super sophisticated and was the first in the world not to have any mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the wheels – it's all electronic.

The new Q50 Red Sport uses the upgraded 'DAS 2' and while it feels better than before, it's only in Sport+ mode that it seems most natural and accurate.

This is a car that knows what it is and stays in its lane. It's not trying to be the best but it certainly comes close with how it handles itself.

The lower centre of gravity and responsive steering make it hug corners and the car feels firmly situated on the road.

There's enough power that this is a comfy open-roader and you're confident overtaking or getting up to speed but you do feel like you're starting to dig when you hit steeper slopes.

The suspension is a little firm but your backseat passengers will feel that more than you will. Still, it absorbs enough of the bumps that you feel cushioned, even on rough country roads!

The cabin space is fairly quiet but you will get wind noise at higher speeds. Otherwise, all passengers should be able to chat without raising their voices.

I didn't find this to be a bother to park but the 360-degree view camera is terrible. It's very blurry and on the 8.0-inch screen, the image looks small, too.

That said, I love the 11m turning circle and the front and rear parking sensors. Overall, you won't have much trouble parking this one.

Safety is important on any car, but more so on a family one. I'm happy this has the usual specs, like daytime running lights, lane keeping aid, lane departure alert, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, 360-degree view camera, front and rear parking sensors and intelligent seatbelt reminders.

I like the fact the adaptive cruise control now has a stop and go function and that traffic sign recognition and a head-up display are included.

The autonomous emergency braking (and forward collision warning) with car, pedestrian and cyclist detection, is operational from 10–80km/h (a little slower than the average 5.0km/h).

It has a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating but it was done a while ago in 2018. It only has six airbags which is a bit low for a family vehicle now but that does include curtain airbags covering both rows.

There are ISOFIX child seat mounts on the outboard rear seats and three top-tether anchor points across the back. You may get lucky with three skinny child seats but two will fit best.

A 0-4 rearward facing child seat can be installed but will encroach on front passenger comfort, especially if they're tall.

The Q50 Red Sport is covered by Infiniti's four year/unlimited kilometre warranty with servicing recommended every 12 months or 15,000km.

Infiniti has a scheduled servicing program which will cost $1283 (in total) for three years.

The ongoing costs match the purchase price for their affordability. This has a five-year/unlimited km warranty, which is pretty normal for this class.

However, on the five-year servicing plan, services average $501 per service - which is very competitive for this class! Servicing intervals are also reasonable at every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.

You're not even getting hit with the fuel pricing you can see on other mid-range models because this accepts a minimum of 91 RON petrol and is even E10 suitable.