HaveBullDogWillTravel

My Q5 desperately needs new maps. I drive from Chesapeake, VA to Murrells Inlet, SC and back taking two slightly different routes. The amount of misinformation and the lack of any information is ridiculous. There were numerous roadways and exits that weren't recognized and I know that the roads in question have been open for more than 5 years. Without going into needless details I'll just declare the system info to be approaching obsolescence. Any word on a new map package? This system has been the same since 2009, eh? That's just too g'dam long.

JohnBoyToo

I spoke to Navteq about two weeks ago and I quote

"Thank you for contacting NAVTEQ. At this time the release date of the next update for your 2011 Audi Q5 has not been officially announced. If you would like to be notified when new releases or special promotions become available, please register with us at www.navteq.com/registration "

Next update - has there ever been one ?!?

maybe that was why Audi of America said they would pay for my map update so quickly.... because there is none available ?

Oh well, it is a pretty screen and we got along with Rand-McNally for a long time !!!

Leaving in the morning for a trip and bringing my Garmin with me at my wife's encouragement "in case it can't find anything"

tridentnyc

What I don't get is that the map updates are the hard part. I have a six year old Garmin Nuvi and I have updated the maps twice and was just notified new maps are available. If maps are available from Navteq for a $250 unit then why aren't they available for the $3000 Q5 rig? Releasing a product that expensive and three years out of date is shameless in my opinion, Audi should be leaning on Navteq harder. To have to carry around an extra Garmin just in case after dropping $3k is just ludicrous! I keep mentioning "drinking the Kool Aid on this site and I have to wonder if we're all not the biggest bunch of suckers on the planet. My Q5 is due August 8th and I keep asking myself "Is this really a good move"? Also just finished reading a rather harrowing thread on panoramic roof creaking, in addition to back seat creaking, transmission lurching, high oil consumption, etc. I'm told this is what one lives with when you have the "privilege" of driving such a wonderful German piece of machinery, that if I want reliability "get a Lexus". Really?

flybooey

Have you ever noticed the errors in distance for .....say a highway rest stop as you are entering it the distance still says 22miles

Huey52

First time fine German engineering buyer and mine came with a leaking sunroof. This despite the supposed "monsoon test" at the end of the assembly line. And now it's making a horrific grinding sound when opening/closing. No problems with my wife's Lexus. Does make one wonder.... pass me the Kool Aid.

Jusforfun

tridentnc who told you to get a Lexus? What does this person know about Lexus problems? Is this person an Audi expert? Why do you lump all the problems of all years together like you would get them in one car? Do you not think that as you have read about these problems they have already been dealt with?
The vast majority of Q5 owners are very happy with their purchase but I dont have a column for happy people

I agree with you completely about the nav, it is limited, out of date, expensive and frustrating.
It would suit us all to have a simple adaptor to let us plug our Garmins or iphones in and display on the screen.
Why do Audi have to have a finger in all pies? If they want to be a Nav provider then they need to provide a reliable up to date simple but easy to use system... or a socket for an already tried and trusted up to date simple to use reliable system!

AND yes I believe your August 8th arrival is a good move.

As someone who monitors year on year I can tell you the faults and complaints fall away dramatically with each new MY.
Audi address the issues but we carry on reading them. Like people report fails or issues in older cars only hitting them now that cannot affect newer MY cars. They just look current to you.
Best of luck, will be watching

DirkM

Rumor is that Audi is working on a software update that fixes the "no letters in house numbers" bug and this software update may require a matching map update to work properly. Will be intersting to see what software the 2012 models use, check if the bug still exists and what map database is used in those.

It's almost like the Diesel saga which says "there will be a Q5 Diesel in two years" (IIRC first said in 2009).

hawke94

Sorry to hear about your problems. The Q5 was our fourth Audi purchase one year ago and there has not been a single problem (knock on wood). She looks and drives like she just came off the lot. Our previous Audis were B6 3.0 A4s and they were relatively problem free. Except for a defective temperature sensor (replaced under warranty) and a broken window regulator, all the money spent was on regular maintenance. Prior to that, I had a Ford Contour SE that lasted for 135k miles that was also trouble free, except for a worn vacuum hose towards the end. For those who don't know, the Contour was Ford's experiment with building a "world car" and was designed by their European division. I believe it's still sold in Europe as the Mondeo. It drove and handled like a European car. So my personal experience with European designed cars have been quite good. Contrast that to my first car, a first gen Nissan Sentra SE-R, that had more problems than I can remember. Fun to drive, but there was always something breaking. I got rid of her at 82k miles. Tried some Hondas, Toyotas, and Infinitis, but didn't like them. Have never gone Japanese again.

js from nc

Not to detract from Audi dropping the ball big time on the nav issue...my prior car was an Infiniti M35. Its nav system needed updating, so I went to a supposedly approved website and ordered an updated DVD from the same company that made the original. $100 later, the 3 - 4 year old bypasses and roadways in my state were still not displayed. The problem is that manufacturers - Audi included, for sure - contracts out the system and basically washes their hands of the whole thing. My 2010 Q5 nav software was out of date from day one, not displaying a major highway extension that was some three years old. While I don't know about what Lexus does, I'd be surprised if things were any different. Good thing I have Google maps on my smart phone with me at all times...

Huey52

Lexus subcontracts out their Nav updates as well and they are also later to be updated than Garmin.

Frankly I got the MMI Nav as after a number of years of standalone Garmin (which is superior in ease of entry and update) I wanted a neatly integrated system in a higher end vehicle. Plus the HD radio, DVD, higher rez screen and backup camera that came with the package.