Compare the2022 Genesis G70VS 2021 Infiniti Q50

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the G70 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Q50 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Genesis G70 has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Q50 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The G70 has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Q50 doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The G70’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Q50 and is only available on Q50 Sensory/Red Sport 400.

The G70 has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. Only the Q50 Luxe/Sensory/Red Sport 400 offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the G70 has a standard cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the Q50 Luxe/Sensory/Red Sport 400 has a cross-path warning system.

The G70’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Q50 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the G70 and the Q50 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the G70 its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 63 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Q50 has not been fully tested, yet.

The G70 comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes free 24-hour roadside assistance. The Q50’s 4-year/60,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year sooner.

Genesis’ powertrain warranty covers the G70 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Infiniti covers the Q50. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Q50 ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

Genesis pays for scheduled maintenance on the G70 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Genesis will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Infiniti doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Q50.

There are over 66 percent more Genesis dealers than there are Infiniti dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the G70’s warranty.

The battery on the G70 is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the G70’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Q50’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the G70 first among compact premium cars in their 2020 Initial Quality Study. The Q50 isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Genesis vehicles are better in initial quality than Infiniti vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Genesis fifth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 31 more problems per 100 vehicles, Infiniti is ranked 15th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Genesis vehicles are more reliable than Infiniti vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Genesis 8th in reliability, above the industry average. With 35 more problems per 100 vehicles, Infiniti is ranked 23rd.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Genesis vehicles are more reliable than Infiniti vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Genesis 6 places higher in reliability than Infiniti.

The G70 has more powerful engines than the Q50:

On the EPA test cycle the G70 gets better mileage than the Q50:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Genesis G70 uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The Q50 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the G70 2.0T’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip with its optional disable switch. The Q50 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Genesis G70, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the Q50.

The G70’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Q50 doesn’t offer launch control.

The G70 stops much shorter than the Q50:

The G70’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Q50 Pure’s standard 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the G70 has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Q50 Pure.

The G70 has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Q50; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed.

The G70 has standard front gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Q50’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the G70 is 2.2 inches wider in the front and 2.2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Q50.

The G70’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (51% to 49%) than the Q50’s (55.8% to 44.2%). This gives the G70 more stable handling and braking.

The G70 handles at .95 G’s, while the Q50 Red Sport 400 pulls only .88 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The G70 is 5.2 inches shorter than the Q50, making the G70 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The G70’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The Q50 Pure doesn’t offer folding rear seats, only a ski pass-through.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, just waiting momentarily behind the back bumper can open the G70’s trunk, leaving your hands completely free. The G70 3.3T Prestige/3.3T Sport also has a standard power trunk, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button. The Q50 doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening trunk.

The G70 Sport Prestige has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Q50 doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The G70’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Q50’s parking brake has to released manually.

The power windows standard on both the G70 and the Q50 have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the G70 is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Q50 prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The G70’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Q50’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Marginal.”

The G70 has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the Q50, and aren’t available on the Q50 Pure. The G70 Prestige/Sport also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Q50.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the G70 3.3T/Prestige/Sport keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Q50 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Genesis G70 Prestige/Sport has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Q50 doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Insurance will cost less for the G70 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the G70 will cost $1680 less than the Q50 over a five-year period.

The G70 was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” in 2019. The Q50 has never been a Car and Driver “Top Ten” pick.

Motor Trend selected the G70 as their 2019 Car of the Year. The Q50 has never been chosen.