Vanrocco

I am looking for a little advice from current Audi owners on which model they think fits my needs better. I'm considering purchasing an Audi (my first one) and without yet driving one but having done significant research on them I think I have it narrowed down to two models. First off, I put a fair amount of miles on my cars 17-25K per year so I am looking for something that is reliable and dependable and will accept the pile up of miles and not need constant service. I also want to be able to pass at highway speeds with ease. I'm open to a 4 or 6 cylinder engine but I don't want to feel the traditional drag of the engine when the AC is turned on. I need AWD or 4WD since I live in a cold weather climate and I travel in snowy conditions often. ... I'm looking at the A4 and the Q5. I would be leasing with plans to purchase the vehicle after the lease is up so I lan on owning for 5-7 years. I need something that will stand the test of time and mileage. ..... I realize that the Q5 is an SUV and the A5 a sedan but I'm open to either since the purchase price after the lease is almost identical. .... Any thoughts or advice is appreciated!!

Realgrippy

Or get the best of both worlds with an Avant. It best performing wagon around. Check out some of the Avant fanatics on the forum.

Prime Time

We bought an A4 last year but really wanted a Q5. After driving the Q5 it was hard not to buy it but we got the A4 for $6k - $8 less as they weren't dealing on the Q5's. Don't get me wrong I love my A4 and would always get the 6 cylinder no matter which car I bought. It gets great gas mileage (just got around 32 mpg this weekend doing some freeway driving) and has plenty of power to spare.

If we were doing it all over today I would get the Q5 for a little bit more space.

JD15

Do you need an SUV or a sedan/wagon? A sedan will always handle better than an SUV and I would not use the extra cargo space afforded by the Q5, so the A4 was an easy choice for me. If you may need the extra cargo space, you should consider the Avant as others have suggested; it drives like a sedan, but has extra cargo room like an SUV.

Prime Time

Another thing I should have mentioned, I believe the Q5 is built on the A4 frame and to me it seemed to handle similarly to the A4.

a4-bob

I used to feel that way about 4 cylinders but the A4 doesn't exhibit this; I would not have bought it if it did.

Loafer123

It is also my understanding the Q5 is built on the A4 platform. I have driven both the A4 and Q5 and to me the two handle differently- the A4 has more quickness (comparing 2.0 to 2.0TFSI) and the Q 5 has a higher center of gravity than the A4 which makes it slightly more top heavy. That said, the Q5 is the most sporty SUV I have ever driven, it handles slippery road conditions with excellent predictability.

The major difference is the utility of the space and higher ground clearance of the Q5.

Vanrocco

Thanks for the replies. .... I don't need the extra space but with a 9 year old son who plays sports it could always come in handy. I'm not too concerned about handling. I'm more concerned with reliability and which engine will be able to take the abuse of mileage better. Reliability, dependability quality and engine longevity are my most important factors. I drive an SUV (8 cyl Jeep Grand Cherokee) now so I'm used to the way an SUV rides but I'm not opposed to driving a sedan. .... The Avant is a possibility but there are not any lease deals on it right now. The A4 sedan and the Q5 have decent lease deals until November 2.

snagitseven

No disrespect intended, but this like asking a bunch of strangers which one you should buy before you try tasting a raisin or a grape. On the A4 forum you'll get more "votes" for the A4. On the Q5 forum you'll get more votes for the Q5. All the reading or opinions in the world can't hold a candle to test drives and your personal priorities. The A4 or Q5 are purposed differently.

The only way to get an answer that will make sense to you is to drive both back to back, look them over carefully, determine your priorities and see which you prefer. Engine-wise, the 3.2 is only available on the Q5 and the 2.0t on both. Again, drive both Q5 configurations if you can. The two engines will exhibit the biggest difference in feel. Aside from engine choices and some MPG, pricing and storage space differences, the interiors and other parts and pieces are very similar.

Since both the A4 and Q5 share mostly the same components, reliability should be roughly the same on both. I've owned three Audis and the reason I keep coming back is not due to exceptional reliability - they've all had their flaws and are not the most problem free or least expensive to repair vehicles out there - my 2009 A4 has had it's share of issues despite the general belief that newer Audis are theoretically more reliable than before. That said, I keep buying them because they are well designed and a lot of fun to drive.
Only you can decide what's best for you. Go and taste the fruit!

Vanrocco

No disrespect taken. I fully expected to get biased opinions on each model when I posted in both the A4 and Q5 forums. I'm not looking for someone to make my mind up for me, I'm just looking for opinions based on experiences from people who own either model. Like I said, I intend on keeping the vehicle for a long time and I wanted to know which model & engine current Audi owners feel would hold up the best based on my driving needs. I guess I'm a little skeptical about a 4 cylinder engine holding up over 5 to 7 years with 17-25,000 miles being loaded on it every year. I fully intend on driving all of them before I make my mind up however, taking one on a test ride can't substitute for the past experiences people have had. Having never owned an Audi before, I guess it's like I'm the student looking for knowledge from the teacher(s) before I venture out on my own. .... Thanks for taking the time to reply.