2015 Audi A4 vs 2015 Infiniti Q50
Two luxury sedans, compared on what actually matters when you're buying used:
what breaks, when it breaks, and what it costs you.
2015 Audi
A4
6/10
Buy it for the chassis and interior quality, budget for it like you're dating a Bavarian accountant who bills by the hour.
VS
2015 Infiniti
Q50
6/10
The Q50 is what happens when brilliant chassis engineers and a cost-cut transmission team never talked to each other.
Dead heat: both score 6/10. The tiebreaker is which specific car you find.
By the numbers
Green is the better number — higher on every score, lower on failures, complaints and recalls.
| Audi A4 |
Infiniti Q50 |
| Known failure points | 6 | 5 |
| NHTSA complaints | 44 | 125 |
| Safety recalls | 0 | 3 |
| Service bulletins | 12 | 12 |
| Reliability | 58 | 52 |
| Cheap to own | 45 | 48 |
| Fun factor | 62 | 82 |
| Holds value | 50 | 40 |
| Enthusiast cred | 55 | 58 |
The most expensive thing that goes wrong
2015 Audi A4
Excessive oil consumption from piston ring design on early EA888 Gen3 engines
$0–$2,50040k–80k mi
2015 Infiniti Q50
7-speed automatic valve body / TCM failure causing limp mode, harsh shifts, P0720/P0500 codes
$1,800–$3,50030k–70k mi
If you buy one, buy this one
✅ 2015 Audi A4
A 2015 A4 3.0T Quattro Premium Plus with the Bang & Olufsen and Nav package — full documented dealer service history including oil consumption checks, walnut-blast records if 2.0T-adjacent work was ever done.
✅ 2015 Infiniti Q50
A 2015 Q50S with the 3.7L VQ37VHR (pre-VR30 twin-turbo years) and RWD — skip AWD to avoid driveshaft issues, and the naturally aspirated 3.7 sidesteps the earliest turbo teething problems while still being the sportiest non-turbo trim.
Narrowed it down? Get the full report
This comparison is model-level.
Milo's report goes car-level — the one you're actually looking at:
- A line-by-line negotiation script
- The pre-purchase inspection checklist
- VIN-specific open recalls
- What it's really worth right now
- Your next 15,000 miles, forecast
- Hidden features & money-savers
Run my free report →
First report free · then $10
Scores and findings blend documented NHTSA recalls and complaints with
patterns synthesized from owner communities. Always inspect the specific vehicle and
verify open recalls by VIN before buying.