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Exactly the way I think...
And this is what I like from Audi... if you dont know these cars, you will have a hard time telling the difference between a A4/S4 A5/S5 Q5/SQ5..
But guys like us know what is the difference between a Q5 and a SQ5 and we know that the little S gives you alot of smile at the end
In winter here... Snow Driving Performance over look all the way.
and I dont want to damage the 21 by all the stuff they put on the road.
I will have a smile on my face this winter! even with my 18" rims. BTW..
In winter here... Snow Driving Performance over look all the way.
Agreed. During winter, it's safety over beauty. Or else you might be sitting pretty... in the ditch.
and I dont want to damage the 21 by all the stuff they put on the road.
That, plus potholes which can be quite nasty, at least over here. I'd rather have a little more rubber between the road and the rim, at least during winter.
I'm just saying that with all the expense I've been reading about for the winter wheel/tire combos, I'm so very glad that I don't have to mess with it.
In fact, prior to owning this Audi, I'd never even considered seasonal tire swaps.
Now, you must understand that this is the trade-off for those 100+ degree summers (plus very high humidity) that we have here.
I got the first set installed on my 2015 this weekend, so I figured I'd chime in. My SQ5 has the 21" summer wheels. For the winter set, I went with relatively cheap 20" ASA GT5s and the not-so-cheap Dunlop Winter Sport 3Ds. Even though I'm in NY, I generally don't have to drive in snow unless I want to, and was mainly looking for a tire that liked the cold weather and wouldn't mind getting chewed up a little by the salt and gravel that always seems to be around during the winter.
Had a small issue with one of the valve stems on one of the wheels that I think we corrected, but otherwise they seem to be doing okay. Definitely more comfortable on rough roads, but fast cornering seems a little bit softer. Tons and tons of brake clearance. Probably the best I could have hoped for.
Clearance **** below:
Thanks for the update JeremyZ!!! Could you post a side profile shot! It looks nice with the black!
Enjoy your tires! I have those tires on my wife's A4 (soon to be mine as she is driving our 2015 SQ5, with the baby) I have enjoyed them very much. Esp with me being mostly a Pirelli guy.
Front S-Bumpers
SQ5 Grill
SQ5 Badge
SQ5 4 Exhaust
S Mirror
SQ5 Sideskirt
I think that your SQ5 can be beautiful and unique without the 21...
For the sake of argumentation, we enthusiasts have a trained eye for these cues, the rest see the same Q5 on the road since 2008.
As I said, the main differentiation are the 21" and quad pipes, when people notice the car its because of those huge wheels, those pop up to their attention... and then they look and see the SQ5 badge, and start asking questions (happened many many times).
In winter here... Snow Driving Performance over look all the way.
and I dont want to damage the 21 by all the stuff they put on the road.
For the record, I had the 21 wheels for a complete winter, and there's zero damage on them because of the salt and other nasties on the road. Thats more urban legend (and selling tactics) than anything else (3 different cars in the last 12 years with OEM wheels, no issues).
Also, the main factor affecting winter driving is the driver, then come the tires. With a powerful car such as the SQ5, its really easy to lose control with a lead foot on icy-snowy road, no mater the tire brand or size. I think also the 18s would drive better than 21s, but the difference is minor at best, not worth making the car look like a run of the mill Q5.