Audi1177777

Hi everyone, I have my 3.0T Q5 for a year now and as for Sline package, I got all aluminum interior inlays which I hate so much. They get ding up or scratched so easily. It bothers me so much to see many scratches and dings on it. I was wandering if anyone that had aluminum inlays have the the problem or is it just me not being careful enough to take care of it. I am thinking about changing it to all carbon fiber or different inlays. Thanks

2014Q5

I was regretted not to pick the aluminum inlay, but when I see your post I feel better. Maybe you're not careful with it.

uberwgn

Yeah, I suppose it is kinda "soft". I see a few light scratches on the driver's door panel where I must bump it with my ring. No damage anywhere else.

idale

I've seen a lot of posts about the brushed aluminum trim getting dinged fairly easily. Though you'd hope that Audi would've done something by this point to help protect it (thin clearcoat or something?) and avoid people complaining about it being relatively soft.

laakness

Haven't had an issue yet but everyone uses their car differently.

Audi1177777

yeah i know，they should of done something to protect it. My wife drives the car all the time and it gets scratched by her handbags! I mean how soft can these things get.

BlackSVT

I have aluminum, and from the few loaners I've had with wood, I am still really happy I ordered aluminum. Plastic wood in other cars has ruined that look forever for me...

That being said, after 14months and 17k miles, I do have a slight ding in the center console surround that p!sses me off. Nobody else seems to notice it, even my super-observant wife, but it does really bother me.

I know exactly when it happened - I, of all people, knowing the aluminum was pretty soft told my son I'd put his long-pole LaCrosse stick in the car because I wanted to be careful of the trim. dammit anyway if it didn't slip off the arm rest and land between the seat and console. Nobody to blame but myself I don't really see any scuffing or scratches anywhere else though. The surface coating seems surprisingly tough in that respect.

idale

I've always hated wood trim, but I actually love the ash. If it's well-done, the other 99% of wood trims out there being crap doesn't really mean I can't like this one. Walnut's the base trim, though, and I expect what you'd probably had and agree that looks like the usual wood trims that I dislike... but the ash definitely looks "real" (vs. the gloss making even real wood look fake) and I think works especially nicely with the Chestnut interior. If you have another interior color, of course, ash on its own looking nice doesn't mean it'll look as good in your particular vehicle.

BlackSVT

All good points idale. Yeah in re-reading my post, I had no intention on blasting the wood trim choice. At some point many years ago, I liked the actual wood trim. As you say, high gloss wood, even on my kitchen floor, is not a look I care for. I'll have to search out a demo with the ash and take a look.

...which makes me wonder: had I ordered wood, could i have pulled them and refinished to a dark gray-black/brown matte? Hmm... aluminum doesn't offer that possibility

Q5 Bob

The natural finish ash trim is my wife's favorite aspect of the interior in our Q5. Definitely a welcome change from some of the glossy wood trims