hmn4858

I read somewhere that they're going to start building Q5's in India for this very reason.

LT2BLT2A6

boring. predictable. and oh so beige.

Coolieman1220

Audi & VW fall under "german" VW build quality (when assembled in Europe, not Mexico) is superior to that of a japanese car. Japanese cars are priced competitively but that shows their mark up. Which new technologies appeared on a japanese car first?

Just recently i took my G35 in for service. I was given a G37x loaner. drove it and loved it. always loved the G's. When i went back to the dealer i took the new 2011 M37x for a test drive. Gorgeous interior, gorgeous exterior. However it drove JUST like the G37x, although its a different chasis the power train is the same and the car felt the same. I could not justify the additional almost 15 grand cost difference. However i could get a 5 series BMW albeit a 528 for cheaper which drives much nicer and doesn't feel like a 3 series.

My 2007 Lexus RX350 premium package (no nav) and my 2009 Audi Q5 Premium Plus 2 years age difference and the Lexus cost more. a car built not as nice, and steals parts from the old design gen 1 lexus RX300. that doesn't make sense to me.

The build quality of a german car is much higher in quality then a japanese. a german car handles better then a jap. a german car is built better and safer too.
...they just have electrical problems. and other reliability issues lol

wanderer1980

Oh please! I test drove the RX350 and found it to be:

1. Very unattractive with both the exterior and interior styling - the overdone styling of the recent Toyotas just has to stop! All these crazy swoopy lines everywhere on the body are just ridiculous... oh, and did I say that the dashboard design was really UGLY?

2. Too floaty for my liking. In fact, the suspension was so soft that it was nauseating. I meant that I was literally nauseous because I felt sea sick in this floaty thing! I am dead serious! Oops, don't turn too fast or you may roll over...

3. Full of Geriatric design cues - did that wooden steering wheel thing come out of the Buick School of Design?

If you like this sort of things (sadly, many people in America apparently do) then this car is for you. Otherwise, I prefer something more stylish, younger and sportier, i.e. Q5.

The only saving grace about this car was the dealership. The Lexus dealer was AMAZING. Audi, MB, BMW, Acura, Infiniti etc. all need to learn something about how the Lexus dealerships are run! Wow, I was impressed (and trust me, I am not easily impressed! LOL)

hmn4858

You sure you weren't driving a GX?

audihonda

There seems to be too many hyperboles, generalizations and exaggerations here.

First, there is this myth about German quality and uniqueness, about how German cars always handle better than a Lexus, or how sporty they are, or how they are unique, and that no Japanese car can emulate them. Well, I don't buy into that. Car making is very global, and many parts (whether it's a small part or an entire transmission) are shared among multiple brands.

I recently test drove the Q5 and the RX350. To my surprise, the RX did not feel floaty like so many people claim. I think Lexus has taken that criticism to heart years ago, and firmed up their suspension recently. In fact, for most driving situations, I really did not feel any appreciable difference between the Q5 and RX. They both feel comfortable and handle well. The RX is not like a Buick or Cadillac from many years ago, which obviously felt like driving a boat.

The main reason I'm getting a Q5 over the RX is what I believe to be a software problem somewhere in the millions of line of code that afflicts Toyota/Lexus, that on rare occasions, causes sudden acceleration.

I also like the more compact dimensions of the Q5.

Lastly, as I've never owned an Audi before, I thought I'd give this brand a try. My goal is to own a vehicle from every major car brand eventually.

The G Man

There seems to be two extremes here when comparing the RX's handling to the Q5. While they are not exactly the same handling wise, the new RX is not boat like either. Lexus have re-tune most of their new models and they now handles better but pays the price of being less smooth. There is no question the Q5 handles better than the RX350, but like the old saying goes, it’s not your grandfather's Lexus anymore
Another misconception is that the Japanese luxury cars are cheaper in price. In the old days, I would agree with that statement, but if you compare a top of the line Lexus RX350 now, it can cost upward of $50000+, about the same price as a top of the line Q5. The Lexus GX460 can cost close to $65000, about the same price as a Q7. The same goes for A4 vs. ES350 and A8 vs. LS460. As far as parts go, the Japanese parts are no long cheap, in fact I think some German parts are cheaper now. A few years ago, I price out a pair of side mirrors with signal light for a GS350, it cost $1800 installed.

Coolieman1220

Thats exactly what i'm saying...however did you know you can take your lexus acura infiniti to a toyota honda nissan dealer and get the car serviced for cheaper? Luxury OEM parts are more expensive but wh not buy OEM lower end parts that are the same? Now not every dealer will service them but some do. Japanese cars are expensive no matter how you put it.

Most luxury cars arn't just luxury anymore they have elements of sport as well. you need to have a mix of both.

DrV

Variety is the spice of life

audihonda

You're right. People seem to think BMW or Audi maintenance is more expensive than Lexus. As an example, BMW and Audi require oil change / maintenance about every 10k to 15k miles, due to their use of synthetic oil, whereas Lexus and other Japanese brands still recommend every 5k miles. Over a year's time, there's no significant difference in price.

Of course, there are plenty of BMW and Audi owners who still get their oil changed every 5k miles, but there is absolutely no study to show that their cars will last longer or run better. It's just a waste of money and bad for the environment to be dumping all that used oil.