lsbxhavok

Hi guys. Thinking of getting this car in a few months but need to decide between an 2010 and 2011.

I have read over extensively on this forum and read some great information on this site such as chipping the 2.0 Turbo to give it more torque, HP and better gas mileage. Also info on how it does not feel underpowered. But overall how ride quality. To be honest i was not impressed with the ride quality. Did you guys notice that the ride quality is not the best. I know that Audi are meant to drive with the feel of the road in mind but I swear I felt every road imperfection and was shaking my head at some points. I guess i am spoiled by the lexus RX smooth ride and ease over rough roads. I am going crazy or was it pretty bad compared to other luxury brands out there.

Also I test drove the 2010 3.2 and felt it was better over roads because it was heavier and therefore less suspectible to road imperfections. I think I am going crazy but help me out here.

Those that drove the 2010 and 2011 did you feel a difference in road quality?

Thanks for the feedback. I love to hear from this well-knowledged Audi group here.

Coolieman1220

i'll always sacrifice ride quality for a vehicle that can turn. my 2007 rx, that thing screeched tires soo easily. it was a shame. that super light steering, u felt nothing!

prs4

If you have the chance to go back to the dealer, and test drive the Q5 once again, it would be a good idea to check the tire pressure of the Q before a test drive. You will probably find that the vehicle with the unusual bouncy ride had its tires over inflated. This is a pretty common oversight on the initial inspection. Good luck!

story76

Agree with prs4. I did test Q5 in two different diealerships and got two completely opposite impressions. Did the same experiment again with indentical result. Along with that the tires size and pressure are two important contributors to the ride quality.

That is on top of the two month research I've done on the automarket before I'd narrowed down my options to: Audi Q5 11, Subaru Outback 11, BMW X3 10, Volvo XC60 10, Jeep Grand Cherokee 11, Toyota 4Runner 10. These are different vehicles but comparable by their quality, utility, technology, running costs, residual value - all for their price. I will not go through the whole story about making my choice. Will just say that at the moment I still have Audi Q5 11, Subaru Outback 11 and Jeep Grand Cherokee 11 on my list. Will give a shot to BMW X3 11, but it does not sound like it's really gonna happen.

quattro v1.0

First of all, if you wait a couple of months, you aren't going to have a choice between 2010 and 2011. The longer you wait the higher your chances of obtaining a 2011 - provided you are purchasing new...

kleinbus

It is not about the car...

It is the sh#tty roads here in States (road guys here seem to get diploma to make em' more crappy than in any other continent I have driven)

The worst is that how in one States they can make it smooth and all you hear is hump - hump going over the expansion seams across the road but you can't feel the hump itself.

While like in Kansas, it is so uneven then it bounches the car and makes my empty trailer jump around. California and hwy 118 is another good example (when I lived in there), it is so bad that I couldn't drive our 335i there as it with its stiff suspension almost knocked my teeths off . Even my Ram Mega Cab's tail was jumping around.


No wonder American cars and some others have so freaking soft suspension to live with these crappy roads, hit the dip and they keep lolling back and forth next few miles...

EricSLine

I have to say that the ride is spot on. I remember living in Maryland and trying to drive into Baltimore. If I didn't drive my Suburban, the car would shake us apart. The Sub had that truck suspension with larger tires, bigger suspension, etc. Over here in Germany, I love the Audi's suspension and I wouldn't want anything soft when it comes to control and responsivness and braking. As you can tell by my signature, I have the s-line with the 20's so I probably have the stiffest suspension of the '10 choices just based off of the shorter sidewall. Some folks like that soft ride so maybe the Audi just isn't for you. I love the Audi's ride just the way it is, responsive and in control. It isn't harsh or rough and it is well composed in just about every situation I've had it in. The small turning radius is awesome as well.

Good luck with your decision.

john1r

Ditto for NY. Roads here are just horrible, but my Q5 handles it quite well given how bad they are. On smoother roads with minor bumps it's fantastic, and on roads that are awful it does pretty good as well.

manup

+1, as FitzLA, TIME and others out here in sunny California can attest the roads are probably the worst they have been in many years. I think the the Q5 does very well indeed!

Kozmo

I agree -- tire inflation pressure was over 40 when I took delivery of my s-line. I lowered it to spec and much smoother. PA roads are bad here but the car is better than my acura was with bumps and bad roads. I have the 20" wheels and it is fine here in Pittsburgh, PA.