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2019 Infiniti QX50 vs. compact luxury SUV rivals: How they compare

With apologies to the EX35, or whatever it was eventually renamed, Infiniti has been without a proper, competitive entry in the compact luxury SUV segment. You know, the segment that's growing faster in sales and entries than any other? To say the 2019 Infiniti QX50 is long awaited would therefore be an understatement. At first glance and drive, the new QX50 would indeed seem to be wildly more competitive than its predecessor, which come to think of it, was eventually called the QX50 as well. This one is based on an all-new front-wheel-drive platform, and although it lacks the inherent verve of the old, rear-drive- and 370Z-based one, the resulting increase in cabin space should be a welcome tradeoff. In fact, as you'll see below, the QX50 has gone from one of the smallest compact SUVs to the most spacious. How does it stack up in every other way? Say, against the segment's four best-selling entries last year: the 2018 Lexus NX 300, 2018 Acura RDX, 2018 Audi Q5 and 2018 BMW X3. On paper at least, really well as it turns out. Let's go to the spreadsheet! Discover and compare other luxury crossovers with our Car Finder and Compare tools. Comparing engines, drivetrains and transmissions With the exception of the Acura, all of the contenders come with 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engines. As you can see, the Infiniti is the heavyweight amongst the four-bangers, boasting the most horsepower and torque. The Acura V6 nips it by 11 hp, but the QX50 is still the overall torque champ. Plus, as we documented in the QX50 first drive, the Infiniti's new VC-Turbo engine is also the most technologically advanced. The Lexus is the wimp of the group and is also the second-heaviest, which isn't exactly the ideal scenario. The Infiniti is the only one in the group to feature a continuously variable transmission. That's not going to generate much applause around here. The BMW tops the gear count with eight, while the Audi is the only entry with a dual-clutch automated manual. The Acura and Lexus have only six gears, but they're good transmissions and it's not like their fuel economy is off the pace. The Audi and BMW come standard with all-wheel drive, while the others offer a choice of front- or all-wheel drive. Comparing cargo and interior space The new front-wheel-drive platform is paying dividends inside for the 2019 QX50, as it now boasts the most maximum cargo space at 65.1 cubic feet.

Mystery shoppers love Infiniti, hate Tesla

Infiniti, followed by Lexus tied with Mercedes-Benz took the top two spots for best sales experience according to mystery shoppers from the latest Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index, while EV manufacturer Tesla recorded the lowest overall score. Not surprisingly, premium brands dominated the top ranks. Including the three already mentioned, luxury brands occupied seven of the top ten spots and included Audi, BMW, Porsche, and the only American brand to crack the upper echelon, Cadillac. Toyota, Volkswagen, and Nissan rounded out the first ten positions. The news for domestic automakers isn't good. Aside from Caddy, the only other star-spangled automaker to score above the industry average is Chrysler. The rest of FCA, most of GM, and all of Ford fell below the line. But Pied Piper's mystery shoppers handed Tesla the biggest walloping – the company is ten full points below the next lowest brand, Volvo, and its score of 86 is 17 below the average of 103. It's baffling, considering the company's touted direct-sales model. "Tesla leaves me scratching my head," Fred O'Hagan, Pied Piper's president and CEO, told Wards Auto. "They own all of their stores, so you would think each one would be doing the same thing. But they're not. Tesla is consistent in its inconsistencies." O'Hagan added that there's a "huge variation" in Tesla's store-to-store effectiveness, and that in some cases, shoppers found showroom workers that acted more like "museum curators," Wards Auto reports. It might be popular to call Tesla the Apple of the car world, but based on Pied Piper's work, the brand has a long way to go to emulate the uniform shopping experience of an Apple Store. The news might be bad for Tesla, but even for the brands that scored below average, there's cause for celebration. Only Tesla and Mini lost points in this year's rankings, and only Mercedes and Lincoln held steady. Every other brand, including Infiniti, which topped the index for the first time, gained at least one point. The biggest improvements belong to Porsche, Land Rover, and Mitsubishi, which all jumped five points. Pied Piper's annual Prospect Satisfaction Index uses mystery shoppers – over 6,100 this year – from across the country to assess dealers and generate rankings from over 50 individual factors. News Source: Pied Piper via WardsAuto Green Audi BMW Cadillac Chrysler Infiniti Lexus Mercedes-Benz Nissan Tesla Toyota Car Buying Car Dealers study

Infiniti Prototype 10 single-seat speedster unveiled at Pebble Beach

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Infiniti's new Prototype 10 takes inspiration from last year's Prototype 9 concept, but instead of minimal bodywork and open wheels, adopts the long and sinuous profile of classic speedsters of the past. And the concept's electric powertrain hints at the Japanese automaker's future. Infiniti says that all new production models from 2021 onward will have some sort of electrification, spread across pure battery-electric vehicles, parallel hybrids and e-POWER series hybrid powertrains. The overall shape of the Infiniti Prototype 10 recalls classic race cars like the 1950s-era Jaguar C- and D-Types. There's virtually zero wind protection for the single passenger, but there's a prominent headrest that incorporates a fin-shaped aero element. Air intakes are plentiful and festooned with close-set vertical bars that remind us of last year's Prototype 9 concept. There are lots of striking details in the Prototype 10's flowing bodywork. Slim, almost slit-like lights up front sit below the level of an Infiniti logo highlighted by negative space. In profile, a virtual line cuts across the vehicle front to rear. We look forward to seeing how some of these elements are incorporated into future production vehicles from Infiniti. View 17 Photos We don't have any details on what's actually powering the Prototype 10 as its sits, other than the fact that it's electric, of course. But we do know that the concept uses Infiniti's steer-by-wire Direct Adaptive Steering system. We can also see that the interior compartment is minimalist in design, clearly in an effort to keep the driver's focus firmly on the road ahead. Though much of the commentary surrounding the Prototype 10 will undoubtedly be about its radical bodywork, it may be the vehicle's chassis that is most relevant to Infiniti's production electric vehicle plans. The company describes the Prototype 10's chassis as rigid, modular and flexible with a flat floor and says such a platform would underpin its future electrified vehicles, including sedans, SUVs and sportscars. Stay tuned for more on the Infiniti Prototype 10 as we meander the remainder of Monterey Car Week here in California. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.