lghammill

Hi,
I have had a BMW 540 in my past, then an Acura MDX with sports package-- and now need to pass on my 200,000 mile MDX to my college daughter... Have looked at Lexus (boring), Acura (hate the new grille- and even the RDX feels underpowered), Infiniti (ugly) and have it down to the 2012 Q5 3.2 versus the 2012 Cadillac SRX, which actually surprised me with having decent performance and a nice interior. It doesnt have the sex appeal, but there is also price and reliability to be considered.
My only concerns about the Q5 is that the steering seems heavy at low speeds (almost too tight?) and if I will spend every last cent of $$ and time at the shop. I like the MMI nav system way better than the existing SRX nav (Cue not out for another year), and find the blue color with the cardamom interior heart stoppingly beautiful! Also- the dealer has a cinnamon interior instock and told me if I get the cardamom that I cant wear new blue jeans in them that the color will transfer.. Any thoughts?
Looking forward to getting insight on all of this! many thanks-- trying to get the car by the weekend!!

HaveBullDogWillTravel

Jeans transfer on all leather colors. It just shows more on some. I have gray leather and about every 4 months I wipe it down with leather cleaner(although it will come off with a water-dampened rag) and apply leather conditioner. It's never a problem.
IMO, get the color you want and forget about the jean transfer.

If there's any way you can hold out for the 2013, do it!

William B. Kayen

We have a 2012 Q5 with cinnamon interior. Looks great with the black inside roof and carpeting. I found the light interior too light and went with the cinnamon instead. You will be happier with the cinnamon interior in the long run due to the less maintenance.

JohnBoyToo

The wife had the exact same 'final two' to chose from....
took a ride in the srx and the Q5 on the same day and she easily decided on the Q...

much better handling and 'presence'
and how many SRX's will you see on the road just like yours ?!?

heavy steering ? sure they didn't let too much air out the tires on your test drive ?!?

The wife's Q actually snaps around turns !

gheffty93

I really like the SRX. It is probably a better value, but the Q5 1. Drives Better 2. Gets much better MPG (2.0T) and 3. will hold its value much better. I do like the Caddy, but the Audi is better in my opinion. We are looking into getting one now, and my only gripe is tat there is no A2DP stereo streaming, which is disappointing since most fords have it now, but it isn't the end all. Also, not sure aout the transmission in the Caddy but it is a bit annoying in the Audi. Other than those two things, it is amazing.

lghammill

Thanks to all that replied! I went ahead and did yet another test drive of the Q5 and the SRX and the Q5 just won it hands down... I like the luxury of the SRX, but there is just more refinement all the way around on the Q5. I will check out the cinnamon brown and the cardamom and make a decision on the color today! I just want to thank all of you for replying so quickly. One note- I posted at the same time on both the Cadillac and Audi Forum. I got 0 responses from Cadillac owners. So excited!!

ps- I did mention to the dealership manager that I wished I could wait for the '13 with the changes-- he said the engine is the same- some other cool features and upgrades-- so I guess it wont be a huge deal that I am going to be in a '12... My daughter needs my other car-- and so it goes!

The G Man

Your dealer's manager is incorrect, the engine for the 2013 is different. the 3.2L engine will be obsolete, the new 3.0T supercharged engine will replace it. It’s a much better engine, More power and torque and better fuel economy. I would definitely wait for the 2013 if I were you.

gheffty93

The dealer is correct in the sense that the 2.0T will still be offered, albeit with a little more horsepower. if you value A2DP stereo streaming wait for the 2013. The MMI is a little different with fewer buttons, but other than that they are pretty much the same.

HarmsWay

MMI for the 2013 sounds like a big upgrade whereas I would describe the 2012 MMI as state-of-the-art 2005. If I could do it again, I'd hold out for the 3.0 TDI which is rumoured for late 2013 as I recall. Not that the 2012 isn't a nice vehicle to drive.

gheffty93

I wouldn't go as far as to say that MMI 3G is 2005 grade, I would just say that it's not the best on the market. It has most features, just not stereo streaming. I'll admit if the 2013s were coming sooner I would have held out just for that, but I figured it wasn't worth the wait.