2014 Infiniti Q60 S Breaks The Comfortable Sports Car Oxymoron

In the sport coupe arena, there is a long-held understanding that a “comfortable highway drive” isn’t possible if the car is a true sport coupe. The 2014 Infiniti Q60 destroys that notion, proving that you can have both a comfortable highway commuter and a powerful, sporty coupe at the same time.

The Infiniti Q60 is a continuation, under the luxury brand’s new naming theme, of the G37 Coupe, though the company will continue selling the G37 through 2015 alongside the Q60. For the 2014 model year, a refresh was given to the Q60, adding some technology and comfort items to bring the car up to date. The simplified beauty of the car was kept intact, but a new-generation of suspension tuning for the Sport model means far more refinement in everyday and highway driving.

The 2014 Infiniti Q60 has a beautiful-sounding 3.7L V6 that puts out 330 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque virtually on demand, thanks to the excellent seven-speed automatic it couples with. The muscular track sounds that this car produces when pressed are one of its greatest attributes in the sport sector, giving a wonderful accompaniment to the car’s seat-pressing push as it accelerates. Our quarter mile test put the 2014 Q60 at a whistling 109 mph from zero and the AWD Sport tuning means that the Q60 holds the road well in the curve.

On the highway in everyday driving, though, the 2014 Infiniti Q60 is surprisingly comfortable, feeling more like a sport sedan on cushy springs than a tiny sport coupe on tight coils. The seventh gear of the transmission plays a big part in that, keeping RPM low to reduce noise levels and vibration. Add to that the well-fitted interior with nicely-designed and very comfortable bucket seats that are almost infinitely adjustable and you can feel the difference a luxury coupe like this can make to your daily drive.

As with most coupes, the back seat is mainly for show and insurance purposes, but it is large enough to accommodate a suitcase, set of golf clubs, or even a car seat or two if need be. The seats fold down to allow a pass-through from the nice-sized trunk as well and Infiniti thought to put a tight seal and noise dampening back there so that when it is open, the interior noise comfort does not get out of whack.

Speaking of interior noise levels, the near-perfect 11-speaker Bose system is a must-have addition to the 2014 Q60. In the small passenger space, those eleven speakers really put out the sound and have a great resonance and tone. From classic headbangers like Mozart to newcomers like eXquire, the Bose system in the Q60 is audio candy.

Price tags for the 2014 Infiinti Q60 start at about $40,000 and range up to about $61,000. Our model was the 2014 Q60 Coupe S AWD in a top trim fitting. The S denotes the Sport Package addition for suspension tuning and aerodynamic additions while the AWD is the always-on all-wheel drive option for better stability and track handling as well as improved road performance in inclement weather. Fuel economy in this package is rated at 18/25 city/highway MPG and we achieved 27 mpg highway in a three-hour freeway road trip. In all, we drove our manufacturer-supplied press loan for a week, putting more than 478 miles on the odometer.

Other package options include the Journey base model, which is a rear-wheel driven option with the same engine and transmission. The 6MT package is the Journey with a six-speed manual transmission, which some may prefer if you enjoy driving with all four limbs in the mix. The manual has the lowest fuel efficiency, thanks to losing that seventh gear, while the Journey returns 19/27 city/highway MPG.

Compared to competition like the BMW 4-Series Coupe and Audi S5, the Infiniti Q60 is not as speedy or track-ready, but offers a far better daily driving experience for comfort. The Cadillac CTS Coupe rivals the Q60 in comfort, but does not have the same get-up-and-go. The 2014 Q60 aims for a balance between sport and comfort and hits it well.

For all around class and comfort in a luxury sport coupe, the 2014 Infiniti Q60 is an excellent offering that destroys conventional thinking about what is or isn’t sacrificed in this segment. For the luxury car buyer who wants the excitement and prestige a sport coupe offers, this is a great choice.