Infiniti Q30 VS Subaru Forester
Infiniti Q30
Likes
- Concept car looks
- Willing engine
- Standard safety
Dislikes
- Concept car practicality
- Lacking multimedia
- Priced in the big leagues
Subaru Forester
Likes
- Hard to beat practicality
- Easy driving experience
- Ride height and capability
Dislikes
- Uninspiring drivetrain
- Price getting steep
- Potential thirst for fuel
Summary
Infiniti Q30
Welcome to the future - where your Mercedes-Benz is a Nissan and your Nissan is a Mercedes-Benz.
Lost already? Let me catch you up. Infiniti is the premium arm of Nissan, in much the same way Lexus is the premium arm of Toyota, and the Q30 is Infiniti’s hatchback.
Thanks to the state of various global manufacturing alliances the Q30 is mechanically, largely a previous-generation Mercedes-Benz A-Class, with a similar arrangement seeing the new Mercedes-Benz X-Class ute comprised largely of Nissan Navara underpinnings.
Recently, the Q30 has had its range of variants trimmed from a confusing five down to two, and the one we’re testing here is the top-spec Sport.
Make sense? I hope so. The Q30 Sport joined me on an 800km trip along the east coast in the height of summer. So, can it make the most of its German/Japanese roots? Read on to find out.
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 2.0L turbo |
| Fuel Type | Premium Unleaded Petrol |
| Fuel Efficiency | 6.3L/100km |
| Seating | 5 seats |
Subaru Forester
There’s a new top dog in the Subaru Forester family (without getting into the hybrids, that is), and it’s wearing an STI badge.
But don’t get too excited about it, because this isn’t a full-blown piece of engineering from Subaru Tecnica International - rather a slightly modified special edition based on a high-spec Forester.
Is it worthy of the iconic pink badge? Or more importantly, is it worthy of your money? We’re putting this kitted-out version of Subaru’s likeable family SUV to the test to find out.
Read more about
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 2.5L |
| Fuel Type | — |
| Fuel Efficiency | 7.4L/100km |
| Seating | 5 seats |
Verdict
Infiniti Q306.9/10
The Q30 Sport is a left-field choice in the premium hatch segment. For those who don’t care about badge equity and are looking for something different, the Q30 provides maybe 70 per cent the feel of its well-established competition while offering decent value courtesy of standard safety and spec inclusions.
The biggest letdown is how much better it could be with just a little extra in every department. Even in this top-spec the drive experience is a bit generic, and it’s missing an up-to-date multimedia experience limiting its appeal to a younger audience.
Even with its promising mixed heritage, the Q30 hardly feels more than the sum of its parts.
Is the Q30 Sport different enough that you’d consider it over its premium hatch rivals? Tell us what you think in the comments below.
Subaru Forester7.5/10
Don’t let the 7.5/10 make you think the Forester is not a good car. For the person who needs a practical, off-road-capable mid-size family SUV without too many complications, it’s extremely hard to look past this thing.
Is the STI Sport the best choice in the range? Not for most, given its higher price and relative lack of extra ability to go with it. A standard suspension tune and even a slightly less plush interior are probably a better call for most family needs, which means saving a fair bit at the purchase.
It’s also worth noting that the next generation Forester is coming soon, and with that could come a price hike. If a Forester is on the shopping list but the cost of living is starting to bite, now might be the time.
If the slightly sharper handling and red interior leather is of interest to you, the STI Sport might be worth a look, but just know the Forester’s best attributes can be had for less money in a much cheaper variant.
Design
Infiniti Q307/10
The Q30 drew more than just looks for its badge. It genuinely looks like a concept car from a motor show stand. Not the paper mache Mars rover early prototype kind, more like the six-months-before-production kind.
It’s all swoopy with curves cutting all down the sides, and Infiniti has done a good job imprinting the brand’s signature design queues – like the chrome-framed grille and notched C-pillar - on the front and rear three-quarter views.
It’s genuinely hard to tell it shares major componentry with the last-gen (W176) A-Class from the outside and I’d place the overall look somewhere between Mazda and Lexus’ design languages for better or worse.
While the front is swoopy and resolved the rear is a bit busy with lines everywhere and bits of chrome and black trim all over the place. The tapered roofline and high bumpers set it apart from your regular hatchback fare.
It might grab the eye for the wrong reasons, but it certainly gives the Q30 a slick look when viewed in profile. I wouldn’t call it a bad looking car, but it is divisive and will appeal only to certain tastes.
Inside is simple and plush. Perhaps a little too simple when compared with the new (W177) A-Class with its entirely digital dashboard or the 1 Series with its M bits. One could even argue the Audi A3 has done ‘simplicity’ better.
The seats are nice in the two-tone white-on-black trim and the Alcantara roof is a premium touch, but the rest of the dash is a bit too basic and dated. There’s a smattering of buttons down the centre stack which are replaced with more intuitive touchscreen functions on most rivals, and the 7.0-inch touchscreen looks small, distantly embedded in the dash.
The materials are all nice to the touch, with most important touch-points clad in leather, but it also feels a little claustrophobic, with the abundance of dark trim, thick roof pillars and a low roof-line, especially in the back seat. The switchgear, which is mostly dropped straight out of a Benz A-Class, feels good.
Subaru Forester
The Forester is a pretty good-looking thing in this writer’s eyes, but its design hasn’t changed dramatically in the last few years.
The mid-size SUV looks equally at home on inner-city residential streets and in the middle of nowhere, even with the slightly ‘sported-up’ black trim of the STI version. And I do mean ‘slightly’.
Aside from the fact it looks a lot like the Forester 2.5i Sport of a few years ago (without the red bits), the STI Sport is perhaps ironically unadventurous. Even its alloy wheels don’t scream ‘sports’.
For all the SUVs with their respective brands’ performance badging (and not engineering) attached to them that bear more bark than bite, maybe it’s not such a bad thing Subaru has refrained from putting the Forester in full Tecnica uniform.
Inside, however, the black and red leather seems determined to distract from the fact that not much else has changed cabin-wise. It feels visually busier than it needs to, but still falls on the correct side of the restrained/garish line.
But there’s probably a reason the interior feels a little bit ‘classic Subie’ - if it works, it might pay to avoid making big changes.
Practicality
Infiniti Q306/10
Infiniti calls the Q30 a “crossover” rather than a hatchback and this is best reflected through its pumped ride height. Rather than hugging the ground like the A-Class or 1 Series, the Q30 sits propped up, almost like a small SUV.
There’s also the QX30 which is an even more pumped version of this car complete with plastic guards in the vein of Subaru’s XV. The QX30 is also your only way to all-wheel drive now that the Q30 is front-wheel drive only.
While the extra ride height means you won’t have to worry about scraping expensive body panels on speedbumps or steep ramps you won’t be wanting to get too brave off the tarmac.
Interior space is fine for front passengers with plenty of arm and legroom, but back seat passengers are left with a small, dark space which feels especially claustrophobic. Headroom is not great no matter which seat you’re in. In the front seat I could almost rest my head on the sun-visor (I’m 182cm tall) and the back seat was not much better.
Rear passengers do score nice seat trim and two air-conditioning vents though, so they haven’t totally been forgotten.
There’s average amounts of storage up front and in the back, with small bottle holders in each of the four doors, two on the transmission tunnel and a tiny trench – useful for keys maybe – in front of the air-conditioning controls.
Even the centre console box is shallow, despite a large opening. Once I had collected enough loose objects on my trip I started to run out of room for things in the cabin.
There are nettings on the back of the front seats and an odd extra one on the passenger’s side of the transmission tunnel.
Power outlets come in the form of a single USB port in the dash and a 12-volt outlet in the centre box.
The boot is a much better story despite the swoopy roofline with 430 litres of space available. That’s bigger than the A-Class (370L), 1 Series (360L), A3 (380L) and CT200h (375L). Needless to say, it ate up two large duffle bags and some extra items we brought with us for our week-long trip.
This is due to its impressive depth, but it does come at a cost. The Q30 only has the sound system’s base and an inflator kit under the boot floor. There’s no spare for long distance trips.
One irritation I have to mention is the shift-lever, which was annoying in its tilt-shift operation. Often when trying to change to drive from reverse or vice versa it would get stuck in neutral. Sometimes I wonder what’s wrong with a shifter which locks in position…
Subaru Forester
I've heard the Forester called a ‘jack of all trades, master of none’ kind of car, and I reckon that’s unfair. Aside from having Subaru’s venerable all-wheel drive at its disposal, the Forester is a supremely practical SUV - exactly what it needs to be given the reasons most people buy SUVs.
Okay, so the interface and tech is pretty old. If you’ve been in a Forester built in the last few years, there’s not a lot new to find.
There are some deliberately large buttons, the climate controls are still very classic and tactile, even the steering wheel buttons are pretty chunky.
If you’re not used to the amount of technology in new cars, Subaru has tried to make this as easy as possible to navigate.
I hate to sound like one of those ‘back in my day’ people, but in a lot of cases I’m finding myself preferring interior layouts and controls of a few years ago rather than post-2020 screens and ‘iPad’ style controls.
Newer Subarus have a rather large portrait centre screen, and even though it works fine, this one with the buttons below it is easier.
The instrument cluster being a pair of physical dials is also welcome, even if it means the digital display looks many years older than the car really is.
It’s also a spacious cabin, if not just physically then in feeling also. The huge sunroof and high-visibility glasshouse means plenty of light comes in and makes it feel roomy while also of course being easy to see out of (and therefore, manoeuvre).
Ergonomically, the Subie is sound. The seating position, aforementioned driver visibility, controls placement and space around each passenger is practical and well thought out, plus moving back into the second row doesn’t feel like a huge comfort downgrade.
Light in the second row is also good, the seats recline and the touch-point materials are like the front seats - comfy leather and a lack of scratchy plastics unless you go looking for them.
The second row can also be folded down (in a 60/40 split) from the boot with controls near the electric tailgate, which brings the boot space from 498 litres to 1060L, though Subaru says maximum space available is 1740L up to the ceiling.
Price and features
Infiniti Q307/10
If you’re shopping in this segment, there’s a good chance you’re not looking for a bargain buy, but the Q30 shines in some areas its competition doesn’t.
A promising start is the complete lack of a lengthy and expensive options list with items which should be standard. In fact, apart from a reasonable set of accessories and the $1200 premium 'Majestic White' paint, the Q30 has no options in the traditional sense.
The base Q30 scores 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights with high-beam assist, heated leather seats, flat-bottomed leather steering wheel, leather trim on the doors and dash, Alcantara (synthetic suede) roof-lining and a 7.0-inch multimedia touchscreen supporting DAB+ digital radio and built-in navigation.
Our Sport adds a 10-speaker Bose audio system (which could have been better…) dual-zone climate control, a fixed panoramic sunroof, fully-electric front seats and Nissan’s 360-degree ‘around view monitoring’ parking suite.
It might have premium aspirations, but value-wise Q30 is still specified like a Nissan.
The standard safety suite is also reasonably impressive, and you can read more about it in the safety section of this review.
Our Q30 Sport comes in at a total of $46,888 (MSRP) which is still premium money. The price pits it against the BMW 120i M-Sport (eight-speed auto, $46,990), Mercedes-Benz A200 (seven-speed DCT, $47,200) and fellow Japanese premium hatch act - the Lexus CT200h F-Sport (CVT, $50,400).
Herein lies the Q30’s biggest problem. Brand recognition. Everybody knows the BMW and Benz hatches by virtue of their badges alone and the Lexus CT200h is known by those who care about it.
Even without the extensive options list, it makes the price of entry against such established competition tough. While you might see a couple of them around Sydney, the Q30 is a relatively rare sight which garnered more than a few quizzical looks in the towns of NSW’s mid-north coast.
The standard spec is also missing the all-important Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. It rendered the 7.0-inch multimedia screen clumsy and largely useless, although the old-fashioned built-in nav gives peace-of-mind when you’re out of phone reception range.
If you have an Apple phone you can make use of the iPod music playback feature via the USB port.
Subaru Forester
At $48,640, before on-road costs, the Forester STI Sport AWD (to use its full name) has some strong competition - there are high-spec AWD hybrid Toyota RAV4 GXLs, powerful front-drive SUVs like the Ford Escape Vignale and Hyundai Tucson N-Line hybrid, or even variants of Euros like the VW Tiguan and Renault Koleos all within $1000 of the STI Sport’s sticker price.
But those looking for the practicality the mix of Subaru’s AWD, the space inside, and perhaps even the slightly older interior can provide, there’s a decent list of features for a car coming in at just a slice under ‘fifty large’.
The STI Sport AWD is based on the top-spec (petrol) Forester 2.5i-S, so it shares plenty of standard features - read on for those - but the key additions for this variant include a suspension tune by the eponymous performance division, a combination black and ‘Bordeaux Red’ interior leather with red contrast stitching, STI badging inside and out, dark grey 18-inch alloy wheels and black exterior trim for the grille, mirrors, roof rails and light surrounds.
From the Forester 2.5i-S, the STI Sport also brings along the existing leather seats and trim, with power-adjustable fronts which are also heated, plus the other main interior features like the 8.0-inch touchscreen for multimedia with wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, an eight-speaker Harman Kardon sound system with subwoofer and amp and a large electric sunroof.
It’s lacking some more modern features like wireless phone mirroring, wireless phone charging, USB-C ports or a fully digital driver display, but the latter of those is certainly no great loss.
On the outside, the existing self-levelling LED headlights with cornering response, LED DRLs and fog lights, privacy glass, roof rails and electric tailgate all also carry over from the 2.5i-S.
There are certainly rivals with more features, but they require trade-offs in other areas that might not appeal to Subaru customers.
Under the bonnet
Infiniti Q307/10
For 2019 the Q30 has had its list of engines trimmed from three to just one. The diesel and smaller 1.6-litre petrol engines have been culled, leaving a 2.0-litre petrol.
Thankfully, it’s a strong unit producing a once-V6-range 155kW/350Nm across a wide band from 1200-4000rpm.
It feels responsive and isn’t let down by a slick-shifting seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission.
The new-generation A-Class equivalent, even in 2.0-litre A250 guise produces less torque with outputs of 165kW/250Nm, so for the money the Infiniti scores a solid serving of extra punch.
Subaru Forester
The same drivetrain as is used in the 2.5i-S is found in the STI Sport AWD.
No prizes for anyone who guessed it’s a 2.5-litre flat-four engine, but some might be disappointed to know that means no turbocharging and no sporty transmission - the STI Sport still outputs 136kW and 239Nm via a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
Subaru’s ever-present ‘symmetrical’ all-wheel drive system is, of course, here in the Forester too, but the brand’s relatively recent foray into hybrid drivetrains was given a miss for this version.
Efficiency
Infiniti Q306/10
Over my week-long test the Q30 returned a figure of 9.0L/100km. I was a little disappointed with this figure given much of the distance covered was cruising at freeway speeds.
It’s made worse when you pitch it against the claimed/combined figure of 6.3L/100km (not sure how you could achieve that…) and the fact that I left the irritating stop-start system on for much of the time.
For a leader in the luxury hatch class consider the Lexus CT200h which makes full use of Toyota’s hybrid drive and pitches a fuel consumption figure of 4.4L/100km.
The Q30 has a 56-litre fuel tank and takes a minimum of 95 RON premium unleaded.
Subaru Forester
Subaru claims a 7.4L/100km combined cycle (urban/extra-urban) fuel consumption figure for the STI Sport AWD, and while we’ve seen tests come close to that in other variants of the Forester with the same drivetrain, inner-city life can be a detriment to the Forester’s drinking habits.
On a test loop which was fairly unsympathetic to fuel efficiency, the Forester’s trip computer reported a 10.2L/100km figure, though a commute from inner-Melbourne to the CBD saw the digits nudge 13.0.
Historically, highway driving has been better for the Forester, and the STI Sport should be no different - plus its 63-litre fuel tank (able to run on 91 RON) should mean if you can approach Subaru’s claimed fuel consumption figure, you could theoretically find yourself driving more than 800km on a single tank.
Driving
Infiniti Q307/10
Thanks to its shared underpinnings with the A-Class the Q30 Sport drives largely like you would expect a premium hatch to drive. It’s just lacking a bit of character.
The engine is responsive, the transmission is fast and the availability of peak torque from just 1200rpm will lead to spinning the front wheels if caution is not applied. Power is no real issue.
Although Infiniti says it has tuned the Q30 in Japan and Europe, the ride has an undeniably Germanic flavour. It doesn’t feel quite as tight as the A-Class or 1 Series but it doesn’t feel as soft as the CT200h, so it strikes a decent balance.
The Q30 uses MacPherson strut suspension in the front and multi-link at the rear, more suited to a premium car than the torsion bar rear on the new Benz A 200.
The wheel has a nice amount of feedback, and thankfully doesn’t use the larger Q50’s strange ‘Direct Adaptive Steering’ which has no mechanical connection between the driver and the road.
If you’ve driven a decently-specified A-Class before the drive experience will feel familiar. The added ride height seems to remove a bit of feel from the corners, however.
There’s also the inclusion of three drive modes – Economy, Sport and Manual. Economy mode seems to be the default with Sport simply holding gears for longer. Steering-wheel mounted paddle-shifters could be used to mill through the seven gears in 'Manual' mode, although this didn’t add much to the experience.
The addition of active cruise control and adaptive high beams proved to be fantastic for reducing fatigue on long highway stints during the night, but the lack of a padded surface on the inside of the transmission tunnel proved uncomfortable for the driver’s knee on longer trips.
I persisted with the stop-start system to test it, but it proved slow and irritating. Under normal circumstances it would be the first thing I’d turn off.
Visibility was also a bit limited out the rear three quarter courtesy of the low, swoopy C-pillars.
Subaru Forester
Like much of the Forester STI, the driving experience is heavily borrowed from some tried and true Subaru characteristics.
That naturally aspirated flat-four engine, though underwhelming on paper, gets the job done without much fuss. In fact, it sometimes feels peppier than it should given its outputs.
Its 'S/I' (Sport or Intelligent) drive mode selector is there to adjust acceleration style, but it doesn’t make an enormous difference.
Yes, it could do with more torque, but the engine doesn’t struggle and only starts to sound laboured at high revs during the kind of acceleration you’d need for seconds at a time.
The sound of a CVT whirring away isn’t exactly auditory bliss, nor does it make for engaging acceleration.
But it’s relatively quiet under regular load below highway speed and, as long as the road isn’t too coarse, NVH is generally good in the Forester.
Road, wind and engine noise are certainly present in certain circumstances, but they’re not intrusive until you get to higher speeds.
At those high speeds is where you might notice one of the most significant changes to the STI version of the Forester - the dampers have been retuned by STI, for what Subaru hopes is a “sharper, more responsive driving experience”.
It’s hard to seriously call the Forester sharp - it’s a mid-size family SUV with enough clearance to go light off-roading - but the STI Sport holds up well for what it is.
The Forester driving experience was already likeable and easy, and in terms of cornering and handling bumpy rural (or even just bumpy urban) roads, the suspension keeps things under control without feeling too stiff.
Its body doesn’t roll as much as you might expect when cornering, but given STI’s engineers focused their efforts on the dampers, its a good thing the Forester doesn’t either waft or thud when presented with big sharp bumps, nor does it vibrate and rattle over constant rough surfaces.
Of course, it’s also got 'X Mode' controls for different surfaces like snow, dirt and mud, making it a pretty handy companion for outdoor adventuring or camping trips in regions where the weather gets a bit unpredictable. If you’ve ever tried to get a front-wheel drive hatchback out of a muddy hillside campsite…
Essentially, the Forester is the kind of SUV that, if you wanted to, you could have a medium amount of fun with on a twisty road before taking it down a particularly rough, unsealed or muddy trail, then later hand the keys to your grandma knowing she’d be able to handle everything about the driving experience, too.
Safety
Infiniti Q307/10
The Q30 scores some decent active safety goodies alongside the usual refinements. Active safety items include auto emergency braking (AEB) with forward collision warning, blind spot monitoring (BSM), lane departure warning (LDW) and active cruise control.
There’s also Nissan’s signature ‘Around View Monitor’ 360-degree reversing camera which sounds more useful than it is. Thankfully there is also a standard reversing camera.
The Q30 carries a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating as of 2015 but has not been tested to the more demanding 2019 standards.
The rear seats also benefit from two sets of ISOFIX child seat mounting points.
As previously mentioned, there’s no spare wheel in the Q30 Sport, so best of luck with the inflator kit if you end up with a flat in the outback.
Subaru Forester
The Forester holds a maximum five-star ANCAP rating from assessment in 2019, which sounds outdated but arguably the most important aspects of the ANCAP testing are the crash protection, for which the Forester scored highly - an extremely good 94 per cent for adult occupant protection and 86 per cent for child occupant protection.
Seven airbags including dual frontal, side chest, curtain airbags and a driver knee airbag keep occupants protected, while Subaru notes the engine’s low-centred nature means it’s designed to slip under rather than into the cabin cell in case of a frontal collision.
Its active safety systems have been kept up to date, with functions like lane-keep assist, driver monitoring, automatic reverse braking and the help of Subaru’s ‘EyeSight’ monitoring system are all welcome additions, particularly since they’re not as intrusive as some rivals.
The lane-keep assist, for example, only beeps (relatively calmly) and intervenes when the Forester actually approaches the lane edge, and the driver monitoring and speed warning systems don’t chime or give warnings unless something is actually going wrong.
Like the multimedia and interior layout, the active safety is one area where the most recent previous generation of common features seems to be better than those many manufacturers are now implementing.
Ownership
Infiniti Q308/10
As with all Infiniti products, the Q30 is covered by a four-year/100,000km warranty and a three-year service program can be purchased with the car. Pricing was not available for the 2019 Q30 model year at the time of writing, but its 2.0-litre turbo predecessor averaged $540 per service once a year or every 25,000km.
Credit where credit is due, the Q30 edges out the European competition by a year of warranty length and general service pricing. This market segment is still wide open for a manufacturer to take the lead offering five or more years of warranty coverage.
Subaru Forester
Subaru’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty is now considered the minimum par-for-course coverage for a mainstream new car in Australia, while some rivals are offering seven-, eight- or even 10-year warranties (though the longer one are sometimes conditional).
Subaru also offers 12 months of roadside assistance, though this is also often offered in similar lengths to warranties by competitors.
Servicing intervals for the Forester are every 12,500km or 12 months, with the first of five capped price services (aside from a free one-month check-up) costing $370.91 and the most expensive (fourth) costing $888.62.
A $1387.25 three-year service contract or a $2674.64 five-year plan are on offer.