Compare the2024 Lexus ESVS 2023 Infiniti Q50

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Lexus ES have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Infiniti Q50 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Lexus ES has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help 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 ES has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Q50 doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The ES’ 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 ES and the Q50 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the ES the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 54 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Q50 does not qualify as a “Top Safety Pick.”

There are over 20 percent more Lexus dealers than there are Infiniti dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the ES’ warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the ES third among midsize premium cars in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The Q50 isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are better in initial quality than Infiniti vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus above average in initial quality. With 41 more problems per 100 vehicles, Infiniti is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Infiniti vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus above average in long-term dependability. With 33 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Infiniti is rated below average.

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

The ES can travel with zero emissions on a full charge for 1.6 miles. The Q50 can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the ES Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Q50 doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the ES Hybrid’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. The Q50 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Lexus ES uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Q50 requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Lexus ES higher (5 to 7 out of 10) than the Infiniti Q50 (3). This means the ES produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Q50 every 15,000 miles.

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

The ES 300h has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Q50 doesn’t offer a CVT.

The ES 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 ES 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 ES is 2.2 inches wider in the front and 1.7 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Q50.

The ES F Sport uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Q50 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The ES has 1.8 inches more front hip room, 1 inch more rear headroom, 4.1 inches more rear legroom and 1.8 inches more rear hip room than the Q50.

The ES has a larger trunk than the Q50 (13.9 vs. 13.5 cubic feet).

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the ES’ power trunk can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Q50 doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening trunk.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than Infiniti. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in service department satisfaction. With a 35% lower rating, Infiniti is ranked 9th.

The ES offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, warning 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 ES’ power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Q50’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The power windows standard on both the ES and the Q50 have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the ES 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 ES’ headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Q50’s headlights are rated “Marginal.”

A power rear sunshade is optional in the ES and manual rear side window sunshades are standard in the ES Ultra Luxury to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Q50 doesn’t offer a rear or rear side window sunshades.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the ES 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 Lexus ES offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Q50 doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the ES is less expensive to operate than the Q50 because it costs $18 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the ES than the Q50, including $104 less for a muffler, $28 less for a fuel pump, $89 less for front struts and $21 less for a power steering pump.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Lexus ES and the Infiniti Q50, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Lexus ES outsold the Infiniti Q50 by almost 9 to one during 2022.