Q5 3.2 vs. Volvo XC60 and BMW X3 (F25)?
07-29-2010, 11:15 AM
#32
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We had very high expectation of the SRX, all magazine reviews were good and some suggust that it performs better than the Q5. Well, it did not, it felt heavy and it did not even perform as well as the XC60. The interior were very nice, probably the 3rd nicest interior behind the Q5 and RX350. Overall, it just didnt stand out in any catagories and we didnt like the Cadillac shape edge design.
07-29-2010, 02:24 PM
#33
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Also on the fence with the Q5 and the XC60
Test drove in this order:
- 2010 (maybe it was a 2011?) Volvo XC60 3.0T R-Design
- 2011 Volvo XC90 I6
- 2010 Acura RDX AWD Base
- 2011 Audi Q5 2.0T Base
- 2010 Audi Q5 3.2 P+
- 2010 Lexus RX350 Premium
We eventually narrowed it down to the Q5 (both 3.2 and 2.0T), XC60, and RX350 (pure bang for your $$$ and the dealership was far superior then any dealership we have gone to... but feel like it's more suitable for our moms to drive). I have a 1 year old, so that's why we were looking into Volvo. We currently have a minivan that we will keep for those Ikea runs.
Wife and I agree, Audi is cool looking/feeling SUV that targets the younger buyers. Everyone we know is telling us to get the Audi... but something about the Volvo XC60 still has us thinking about it. Can't really say we have anything bad to say about the car. Drove well. Accelerated well. Nice and updated creature comforts... and talk about safety features. Dealer is offering $500 below invoice on the 2011 XC60 without asking since we are telling him we are looking at the Q5 and like it. Lexus off the bat threw in extra and said he can go more then $1000 below invoice. Never got a final offer.
I think we gave in to social pressures and are in the process of negotiating a price with the local dealers. We finally decided that we want a Black on Grey 2011 2.0T Premium Plus w/ NAV and 19" wheels. If that takes forever to get, then we are opting for a Black on Grey(or black) 2010 3.2 Premium Plus w/ NAV and 19" wheels that are selling at invoice pricing right now because the dealer makes (or gets?) $1000 at invoice pricing for 2010 models.
I think at the end of the day I think all of them were great cars for the money, but I guess it's all a matter of what matters more to you. Value? Safety? Conveniences? Luxury? Performance? All them gave all of them in different orders. Considering that the Q5 are selling like hotcakes, I guess people prioritized performance and luxury first.
- 2010 (maybe it was a 2011?) Volvo XC60 3.0T R-Design
- 2011 Volvo XC90 I6
- 2010 Acura RDX AWD Base
- 2011 Audi Q5 2.0T Base
- 2010 Audi Q5 3.2 P+
- 2010 Lexus RX350 Premium
We eventually narrowed it down to the Q5 (both 3.2 and 2.0T), XC60, and RX350 (pure bang for your $$$ and the dealership was far superior then any dealership we have gone to... but feel like it's more suitable for our moms to drive). I have a 1 year old, so that's why we were looking into Volvo. We currently have a minivan that we will keep for those Ikea runs.
Wife and I agree, Audi is cool looking/feeling SUV that targets the younger buyers. Everyone we know is telling us to get the Audi... but something about the Volvo XC60 still has us thinking about it. Can't really say we have anything bad to say about the car. Drove well. Accelerated well. Nice and updated creature comforts... and talk about safety features. Dealer is offering $500 below invoice on the 2011 XC60 without asking since we are telling him we are looking at the Q5 and like it. Lexus off the bat threw in extra and said he can go more then $1000 below invoice. Never got a final offer.
I think we gave in to social pressures and are in the process of negotiating a price with the local dealers. We finally decided that we want a Black on Grey 2011 2.0T Premium Plus w/ NAV and 19" wheels. If that takes forever to get, then we are opting for a Black on Grey(or black) 2010 3.2 Premium Plus w/ NAV and 19" wheels that are selling at invoice pricing right now because the dealer makes (or gets?) $1000 at invoice pricing for 2010 models.
I think at the end of the day I think all of them were great cars for the money, but I guess it's all a matter of what matters more to you. Value? Safety? Conveniences? Luxury? Performance? All them gave all of them in different orders. Considering that the Q5 are selling like hotcakes, I guess people prioritized performance and luxury first.
07-29-2010, 03:05 PM
#34
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As soon as I sat in the Q5 I knew I'd wind up getting one. I test drove the XC60 first and while it was a nice ride I wasn't crazy about the interior. Just didn't feel and clean and polished as the Q5. After test driving the XC60 a second time I felt it was lacking the sporty feel of the Q5. The handling was just so-so and the get up and go was lacking. I've always driven sporty cars and have never been one for a wagon/SUV ride but the Q5 felt like a very nice compromise and I have no regrets going with it over the XC60.
07-29-2010, 04:55 PM
#35
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Wife and I agree, Audi is cool looking/feeling SUV that targets the younger buyers. Everyone we know is telling us to get the Audi... but something about the Volvo XC60 still has us thinking about it. Can't really say we have anything bad to say about the car. Drove well. Accelerated well. Nice and updated creature comforts... and talk about safety features. Dealer is offering $500 below invoice on the 2011 XC60 without asking since we are telling him we are looking at the Q5 and like it. Lexus off the bat threw in extra and said he can go more then $1000 below invoice. Never got a final offer.
I think we gave in to social pressures and are in the process of negotiating a price with the local dealers. We finally decided that we want a Black on Grey 2011 2.0T Premium Plus w/ NAV and 19" wheels. If that takes forever to get, then we are opting for a Black on Grey(or black) 2010 3.2 Premium Plus w/ NAV and 19" wheels that are selling at invoice pricing right now because the dealer makes (or gets?) $1000 at invoice pricing for 2010 models.
I think at the end of the day I think all of them were great cars for the money, but I guess it's all a matter of what matters more to you. Value? Safety? Conveniences? Luxury? Performance? All them gave all of them in different orders. Considering that the Q5 are selling like hotcakes, I guess people prioritized performance and luxury first.
Wife and I agree, Audi is cool looking/feeling SUV that targets the younger buyers. Everyone we know is telling us to get the Audi... but something about the Volvo XC60 still has us thinking about it. Can't really say we have anything bad to say about the car. Drove well. Accelerated well. Nice and updated creature comforts... and talk about safety features. Dealer is offering $500 below invoice on the 2011 XC60 without asking since we are telling him we are looking at the Q5 and like it. Lexus off the bat threw in extra and said he can go more then $1000 below invoice. Never got a final offer.
I think we gave in to social pressures and are in the process of negotiating a price with the local dealers. We finally decided that we want a Black on Grey 2011 2.0T Premium Plus w/ NAV and 19" wheels. If that takes forever to get, then we are opting for a Black on Grey(or black) 2010 3.2 Premium Plus w/ NAV and 19" wheels that are selling at invoice pricing right now because the dealer makes (or gets?) $1000 at invoice pricing for 2010 models.
I think at the end of the day I think all of them were great cars for the money, but I guess it's all a matter of what matters more to you. Value? Safety? Conveniences? Luxury? Performance? All them gave all of them in different orders. Considering that the Q5 are selling like hotcakes, I guess people prioritized performance and luxury first.
We've narrowed it down to a 2010 XC60 R design, Q5 2.0 P+ Nav B&O plus wheels, or a 2010 A4 Avant same equip as the Q.
I have a 4 year old and an 8 month old. We're trading in an '06 A3.
And I'm 6'5" tall.
The Q is WAY smaller than the XC.
It's the seat geometry or something. I think the 2nd row sits higher or whatever because my daughter in her booster has barely 2" more room behind me than in the Avant. And far less than the Volvo.
The Audis are easily the class in the interiors. And the new Nav and Audio/MMI is just awesome.
My wife said tonight she wished she could put the Q interior inside the Volvo.
I replied "You can. It's a Q7 and we can't afford it."
But something keeps calling us back to the Volvo. It is extremely good looking outside. The interior is nice. Different design school than Audi. The materials aren't in Audi's league, but for what's it meant to be it's fine. Very comfy and roomy.
Factor in the price difference and Volvo is tough to beat.
I expect round 1 of pricing from my Audi dealer tomorrow. Maybe he'll surprise me, but I just think the Audis are going to be too much more expensive. The Volvo guy has STARTED at invoice.
07-29-2010, 07:46 PM
#36
HOWEVER, Volvo now gives 5 years/60K miles warranty, the Volvo seats don't look anything special but are very comfy, the upgraded sound (Dynoaudio?)system is VERY good, I liked dashboard in XC90 better then in XC60. The T6 in R-design XC60 can be tweaked to improve HP and torque...
I was afraid to buy XC60 after the problems we had w/ XC90...partially because Volvo dealer wasnot the best...
07-29-2010, 09:02 PM
#37
AudiWorld Senior Member
Edit to say, they actually ARE the same size. Both are exactly 182.2" long, 74" wide, and the volvo is only 2" taller than the Q5. The Q7 is more along the lines of the XC90.
Last edited by FitzLA; 07-29-2010 at 09:07 PM.
07-30-2010, 02:37 AM
#38
AudiWorld Member
I felt that the XC60 was a bit claustrophobic in the back (high window line) but the boot (sorry "trunk") seemed quite a bit bigger.
Admittedly we didn't test drive the T6 R-Design but only the D5 (2.4lt turbo diesel). We found that it handled like an SUV (coming from a regular wagon we could notice it) and we found the engine a bit noisy and slugish (only the single turbo) but not too bad (the 2010 D5 has an updated twin turbo diesel that is meant to be much better). The only thing that I really didn't like about the XC60 was the floating consol - for some reason my leg rested against it (right hand drive remember...) and it was a bit uncomfortable.
The Q5 in contrast was powerful (3.0 TDI) responsive and quiet. Not only does it handle well for an SUV but looks good and the finish inside and out is impeccable.
Admittedly we didn't test drive the T6 R-Design but only the D5 (2.4lt turbo diesel). We found that it handled like an SUV (coming from a regular wagon we could notice it) and we found the engine a bit noisy and slugish (only the single turbo) but not too bad (the 2010 D5 has an updated twin turbo diesel that is meant to be much better). The only thing that I really didn't like about the XC60 was the floating consol - for some reason my leg rested against it (right hand drive remember...) and it was a bit uncomfortable.
The Q5 in contrast was powerful (3.0 TDI) responsive and quiet. Not only does it handle well for an SUV but looks good and the finish inside and out is impeccable.
07-30-2010, 04:31 AM
#39
AudiWorld Super User
The Volvo dealers around here in the Northeast US are not doing so good. They have tons of inventory on their lot. I didnt even talk price and right off the bat, they offer me $500 below invoice for a XC60. I really think Audi and Volvo are two car companies that are heading in different directions. I like the old Volvos better, they were better built and the new Audis are are definitely better than the old ones.
07-30-2010, 05:00 AM
#40
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FitzLA:
Yes Im sure it's an XC60.
I know the cars spec out similarly. But we got an overnight loaner from Volvo and took both kids in their seats with us on a couple errands. There is definitely much more room behind my (6'5") fully reclined seat in the Volvo than the Q. It's something about the height of the bench or the angle of the setbacks or something. Put a kid seat in there and it looks tiny behind me.
All of me wishes it weren't true. My ammo was "a more practical A4 wagon".
What I really really want is an A4 Prestige. Last fall we didn't buy because of some job uncertainty at my wife's company due the company being sold. But we're back and wer'e looking at a more practical alternative. I was dismayed when the Q was nowhere near as practical as the Volvo.
The question for us is: Is it practical enough?
G Man:
I think you're right about Volvo v Audi.
Volvo was poised for a return. The XC60 is nice and the S60/V50 behind it is a lot of car. But the Ford sale is not a good thing. They are definitely behind in their US offerings. And no telling what direction they go. More investment and upward or cost cutting and down.
That said - I'm very disappointed in the packaging of the Q. As referenced in another thread, the 2.0 pricing is very close to the 3.2. Add in the standard body kit that isn't even available on the 2.0.
Volvo is going in the opposite direction on the XC. For 2011 you can get the R Design in the 3.2 FWD if you want. This would be like Audi selling the S-Line in either powertrain. I find it hard to believe that Audi wants to encourage people to the 3.2 that much.
Yes Im sure it's an XC60.
I know the cars spec out similarly. But we got an overnight loaner from Volvo and took both kids in their seats with us on a couple errands. There is definitely much more room behind my (6'5") fully reclined seat in the Volvo than the Q. It's something about the height of the bench or the angle of the setbacks or something. Put a kid seat in there and it looks tiny behind me.
All of me wishes it weren't true. My ammo was "a more practical A4 wagon".
What I really really want is an A4 Prestige. Last fall we didn't buy because of some job uncertainty at my wife's company due the company being sold. But we're back and wer'e looking at a more practical alternative. I was dismayed when the Q was nowhere near as practical as the Volvo.
The question for us is: Is it practical enough?
G Man:
I think you're right about Volvo v Audi.
Volvo was poised for a return. The XC60 is nice and the S60/V50 behind it is a lot of car. But the Ford sale is not a good thing. They are definitely behind in their US offerings. And no telling what direction they go. More investment and upward or cost cutting and down.
That said - I'm very disappointed in the packaging of the Q. As referenced in another thread, the 2.0 pricing is very close to the 3.2. Add in the standard body kit that isn't even available on the 2.0.
Volvo is going in the opposite direction on the XC. For 2011 you can get the R Design in the 3.2 FWD if you want. This would be like Audi selling the S-Line in either powertrain. I find it hard to believe that Audi wants to encourage people to the 3.2 that much.