Help! .. Q5 or A4?
10-26-2010, 01:18 AM
#11
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Vanrocco, yeah, don't listen to NMW, he hangs around the site just to add his experience-less comments.
Anyway, back to your question, I actually own both of the vehicles you are considering although my current A4 is a 2006. It is my second A4. I purchased a 99 A4 new and after 120K miles of great performance purchased another one. My 06 now has 60K miles on it and is doing great. All 4 cylinder engines. I think Audi makes a fantastic 4 cylinder which provide great performance and excellent fuel economy. You really have to look at your lifestyle to determine which one is for you and what you are looking for out of a car. The A4 (mine is an s-line with a 6 speed manual) is a car and behaves like one. The Q5, although a crossover, provides you that extra utility and ground clearence. Do you drive in snow? All things you have to consider. Both great vehicles.
Anyway, back to your question, I actually own both of the vehicles you are considering although my current A4 is a 2006. It is my second A4. I purchased a 99 A4 new and after 120K miles of great performance purchased another one. My 06 now has 60K miles on it and is doing great. All 4 cylinder engines. I think Audi makes a fantastic 4 cylinder which provide great performance and excellent fuel economy. You really have to look at your lifestyle to determine which one is for you and what you are looking for out of a car. The A4 (mine is an s-line with a 6 speed manual) is a car and behaves like one. The Q5, although a crossover, provides you that extra utility and ground clearence. Do you drive in snow? All things you have to consider. Both great vehicles.
10-26-2010, 03:00 AM
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From the measurements, the Q5 seems to be slightly roomier than the A4 Avant both in the cabin as well as the trunk. Despite of it being about 7cm shorter than the A4 Avant, but it is 8cm wider!!
Its higher ground clearance makes it a better car to drive in the snow/rough and provides a higher driving position and improved visibility. It is also more practical to load/unload & easier to get in/out of.
The draw back would be -0.5 sec in the 0-60mph performance, and 8% increase in fuel consumption on the combined cycle.
I would say the Q5 is the better car, but that's just my opinion. There are also much fewer Q5s than A4s on the road
and in terms of styling, i'd say the Q5 looks the part. In the UK the Q5 is about £2,000 more than the equivalent A4. That said, some reviews suggest the cabin quality of the Q5 is better than the A4, but i find this hard to believe.
Its higher ground clearance makes it a better car to drive in the snow/rough and provides a higher driving position and improved visibility. It is also more practical to load/unload & easier to get in/out of.
The draw back would be -0.5 sec in the 0-60mph performance, and 8% increase in fuel consumption on the combined cycle.
I would say the Q5 is the better car, but that's just my opinion. There are also much fewer Q5s than A4s on the road
and in terms of styling, i'd say the Q5 looks the part. In the UK the Q5 is about £2,000 more than the equivalent A4. That said, some reviews suggest the cabin quality of the Q5 is better than the A4, but i find this hard to believe.
Last edited by the-oneil; 10-26-2010 at 04:14 AM.
10-26-2010, 04:43 AM
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10-26-2010, 04:55 AM
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I hate to say it, but NMW1982 is right. Just look at your priorities Vanrocco, "dont care about handling, relaibility is very important". People usually buy Audi knowing they are giving up some reliability for Audi's performance and handling. You seem to be looking for the opposite.
10-26-2010, 04:56 AM
#16
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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!! I would especially like to hear from anyone who has racked up a lot of miles on a later model.
I will add I have owned an 02 A4 Avant with 140K miles and still own an 06 A4 Avant with 114K miles. While my experiences have not been completely trouble-free, the problems are within reason and I have been very satsified with the long term costs of ownership, reliability, and performance.
Early this month we drove the 02 A4 Avant (140K miles on the vehicle) from Maine to Idaho without a thought about how it would perform- it still felt like a new car to me- that is one measure of how well the car is made and performs.
10-26-2010, 06:33 AM
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Vanrocco, I shopped at Danbury, Hoffman, and Wallingford and went to my local dealer last, Fairfield. They beat the best price I had by $100 so they got my business. I purchased my 99 new from them. My 06 I got on eBay with only 2,000 miles on it but it was out of TN. Fairfield does all my "above me" service on the car. We also purchased our Q5-replace 02 MB ML320 new from them so they will give you good prices.
Jeff
Jeff
fairfield is closest to me as well albeit now that much closer than Danbury. How is their service department? Can they get you in and out same day most times? Do they ALWAYS provide a loaner vehicle even during scheduled maint.?
10-26-2010, 06:33 AM
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Okay, here's a funny update. ... I was up early this AM looking at more auto reviews and I was almost sold on the new Volvo S60 sedan. The lease price wasn't great but the financing rate was good. I had my mind made up that I was going to go to the dealer on Friday and drive it. ... 30 minutes later I'm driving my son to school and what do I see on the side of the road? An Audi and a Volvo with their flashers on. It was a husband and wife and she had an issue with the gas gauge on her Volvo. I asked their opinions and the guy couldn't stop telling me how good his Audi (A4) is and how he will drive it until the day it dies! 60K miles and not a single problem! ... The woman then told me how great her Volvo was and that she had 150K miles on it BUT it has been in for repairs on and off since the 75K mile mark. The car she had today was a loaner from the dealer and it was having a gas gague issue. ..... I just thought it was funny how I happen to find the two cars I'm looking at parked next to each other on the side of the road only minutes after reading about them both on the internet. ..... Anyway, .... I still haven't made up my mind! I'm going to test drive them all this weekend.
10-26-2010, 06:41 AM
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I hate to say it, but NMW1982 is right. Just look at your priorities Vanrocco, "dont care about handling, relaibility is very important". People usually buy Audi knowing they are giving up some reliability for Audi's performance and handling. You seem to be looking for the opposite.
10-26-2010, 06:47 AM
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Jeff