Compare the2024 BMW 4 Series Gran CoupeVS 2023 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 4 Series Gran Coupe 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 BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe 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 4 Series Gran Coupe’s standard pretensioning seatbelts also sense rear collisions and remove slack from the front seatbelts to help protect the occupants from whiplash and other injuries. The Q50 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe has a standard PostCrash iBrake, 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 4 Series Gran Coupe’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 4 Series Gran Coupe and the Q50 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s corrosion warranty is 5 years longer than the Q50’s (12 vs. 7 years).

There are over 73 percent more BMW dealers than there are Infiniti dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the 4 Series Gran Coupe’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the 4 Series Gran Coupe third among compact premium cars in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The Q50 isn’t in the top three.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that BMW vehicles are better in initial quality than Infiniti vehicles. With 20 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks BMW higher than Infiniti.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that BMW vehicles are more reliable than Infiniti vehicles. J.D. Power ranks BMW above average in long-term dependability. With 5 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Infiniti is rated below average.

The M440i Gran Coupe’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 19 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 350) than the Q50 Red Sport 400’s standard 3.0 turbo V6.

On the EPA test cycle the 4 Series Gran Coupe gets better mileage than the Q50:

Regenerative brakes improve the 4 Series Gran Coupe’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 4 Series Gran Coupe’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. The Q50 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe higher (5 to 7 out of 10) than the Infiniti Q50 (3). This means the 4 Series Gran Coupe 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 BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the Q50.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’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.

For better stopping power the 4 Series Gran Coupe’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Q50:

For better traction, the 4 Series Gran Coupe has larger standard tires than the Q50 (245/45R18 vs. 225/50R18).

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’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 Luxe’s standard 50 series tires. The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the Q50 Red Sport 400’s 40 series front tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the 4 Series Gran Coupe offers optional 20-inch wheels. The Q50’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe has standard front and rear 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 4 Series Gran Coupe is 1.9 inches wider in the front and 2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Q50.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (49.8% to 50.2%) than the Q50’s (55.8% to 44.2%). This gives the 4 Series Gran Coupe more stable handling and braking.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the 4 Series Gran Coupe’s power liftgate can be opened or closed just by waving your foot, 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 BMW service is better than Infiniti. J.D. Power ranks BMW 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 4% lower rating, Infiniti is ranked 9th.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, 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 4 Series Gran Coupe’s 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 4 Series Gran Coupe and the Q50 have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the 4 Series Gran Coupe 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.

Laser headlights, optional on the 4 Series Gran Coupe, produce their light by firing blue lasers through phosphorus, a process that uses one-half the power of the Q50’s LED headlights. Laser headlights can have double the range of LEDs with a much smaller surface area.

Both the 4 Series Gran Coupe and the Q50 offer available heated front seats. The 4 Series Gran Coupe also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Q50.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the 4 Series Gran Coupe 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 BMW 4 Series offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Q50 doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The 4 Series Gran Coupe’s optional Parking Assistant Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Q50 doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The BMW 4 Series comes in coupe, convertible and four door hatchback bodystyles; the Infiniti Q50 isn’t available as a coupe or convertible.

The BMW 4 Series outsold the Infiniti Q50 by almost 8 to one during 2022.