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Audi Q5: Aftermarket Modifications

There are plenty of ways to upgrade your Q5. Here are some of the more popular among Audi drivers.

By Jeffrey Bausch - March 29, 2016

This article applies to the Audi Q5 (2009-present).

While Audi’s Q5 might seem like the perfect SUV, there are still plenty of ways to upgrade it. From improving the car’s interior lighting system to the addition of a supercharger, we’ve perused the web for the best suggestions from Audi drivers and Q5 owners alike. The following is a consolidated list to help you decide which aftermarket modification(s) best suits your Q5.

Starter Modifications

LED Upgrades

DIY Cost – $100

Professional Cost – $300+

Skill Level – Easy; Involves replacing easy-to-access components within the interior of the vehicle.

One quick and cost-effective way to upgrade the look of your Q5 is to swap out the OEM lightbulbs for LEDs. Not only more energy efficient, they’re also brighter and eye-catching. Beyond the overhead reading lights, there are plenty of other locations where these bulbs can be swapped out—your best bet in going this route is to purchase an LED bulb kit and do everything at once. All told, the upgrade should take about an hour to 90 minutes at most.

Painted Brake Calipers

DIY Cost – $20

Professional Cost – $100+

Skill Level – Easy; Involves modifying an easy-to-access part of the car using relatively simple tools.

Painting your brake calipers is a fantastic way to not only clean and protect your car’s brakes, but to also really make the car itself stand out from the rest on the roadway. All you need is some high-temperature paint and the means of being able to take the car’s wheels off. Cleaning and then painting the calipers on all four wheels will take about two hours’ time.

Intermediate Modifications

Upgrade Diverters and Blow-off Valves

DIY Cost – $125

Professional Cost – $300+

Skill Level – Moderately difficult; Involves knowledge of the car’s engine and its various components.

If you have a bit of engine knowledge, then you may want to consider upgrading the Q5’s diverter and blow-off valves for some more efficient ones. The purpose of this component, for those not familiar, is to release excess boost/air pressure when the throttle plate is closed after being in boost. Basically, its job is to keep the boost from going back into turbo which, in turn, could cause compressor surge and damage the turbo option. This subtle upgrade will better protect the turbo option in your Q5.

Upgrade the Air Intake System

DIY Cost – $500

Professional Cost – $1,000

Skill Level – Moderately difficult; Involves a higher degree of knowledge of the car’s engine system.

If you have some time, money, and the desire to really upgrade the driving experience in your Q5 in a big way, then consider upgrading its air intake system. Doing this improves acceleration by way of added horsepower and torque. Also, with more air getting into the engine’s combustion mixture, the engine itself will use less fuel to power itself. Finally, a good chunk of aftermarket air intake options come with better and more effective filters than OEM air intakes.

Advanced Modifications

Replace the Exhaust System

DIY Cost – $1,500

Professional Cost – $3,000+

Skill Level – Difficult; Involves a professional level of knowledge to properly remove the Q5’s exhaust system and replace it with a new one.

If you are considering replacing the exhaust system in your Q5 yourself, then in all likelihood, you needn’t be told of all the virtues and benefits to upgrading this system. But for those unfamiliar, do know that the right aftermarket exhaust system provides improved flow throughout the vehicle’s system which, in turn, improves its overall performance. Certain models (most, in fact), are also specially designed to provide impressive sound when the car is pushed to faster speeds, and with little to no vibration feedback.

Add a Supercharger

DIY Cost – $10,000

Professional Cost – $15,000

Skill Level – Difficult; Involves an expert’s level of knowledge of the Q5 engine and its various components.

The most fun upgrade you can make to your Q5 is also the most difficult to do yourself – adding a supercharger to the car’s already powerful engine. There are plenty of options on the market right now and, truth be told, most all of them do a terrific job. The point of adding a supercharger is to improve the car’s horsepower (by a large percentage). For example—one supercharger (on the market for $9,000) recorded a 31% increase in horsepower on 91 octane fuel, and up to 50% more horsepower on race fuel. Adding this component not only requires a working knowledge of the car’s engine, but also an expertise on how to add a supercharger and how it will influence the vehicle as a whole.

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