Infiniti says the steering’s been upgraded and while
it’s more accurate, it’s frightening to drive fast in wet
conditions on Dunlop run-flats. Rubbery steering weight
and numbed feedback make it sometimes impossible to
judge how much lock is needed.
Then there’s the rear axle, which has to deal with 475
newtons without any sort of torque vectoring technology.
Even small throttle inputs make the stability light strobe
like a disco. It has some grip, but a lack of composure.
And after a crack, you bail out of the Infiniti exhausted,
confused and disappointed.
While the Infiniti’s dynamics wash up terribly in
wet conditions, the Lexus’s suspension isn’t so one-
dimensional. The 350 F Sport is more comfortable at a
brisker pace, as its chassis gizmos and stiff body give its
Bridgestones a better side-step than its outright heft and
nervous ride might suggest.
Variable-gear steering at both ends means it slices
tighter corners with only a little lock. It doesn’t ride
perfectly on its thinly padded 19s, even on adaptive
suspension, and no matter what mode you pick (there
are four to choose from) it struggles to settle after striking
mid-corner bumps. But healthy damper travel and body
roll are there to help extract more grip.
Switching to the BMW is like dropping a weight class.
It’s not only the lightest and most balanced, it’s also
the most supple and communicative. The updated
suspension works better the faster you go, revealing
feedback so you can barrel in with more confidence that
the Pirellis will hang on.
The adaptive setup rides fine, and absorbs initial
impacts well, even in Sport mode. However, it lets the car
bob a little over bigger stuff. And with so much grunt so
soon, the multi-link rear axle calls on the stability system
often. But it’s at least worth trusting.
The variable steering rack isn’t the sharpest, and suffers
from a typical lack of feedback under load, however, it’s
geared well and feels more natural than the Lexus. This,
combined with lush suspension compliance, make the 4
Series the easiest to snake through urban environments,
too, with crisp throttle response and that silky ZF auto at
the core of its driveability.
Without the bulging torque of the turbo cars, the Lexus
feels a touch lethargic around town. You constantly dig
deep into the throttle, even in Sport or Sport Plus modes,
to wake a powertrain that prefers to zip through the
eight-speed’s shortly stacked ratios as quickly as possible
in search of a fuel-saving rpm.
The Infiniti’s the complete opposite, riding the V6’s
tidal-like thrust the moment its turbos hit positive
pressure. It’s laughable that the Q60 comes fitted with an
This trio offer three
very different
propositions despite
being packaged in
similar coupe clothesThe BMW is the lightest and most balanced of the trio.
It’s also the most supple and communicative
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