sard

Hi. Was trying to decide between the X3 35i and the Q5 3.2L so I went to the dealers and did a quick test drive in both cars. I drove the X3 first since I'm partial to BMW's (own an M3). Here were my first thoughts and the initial pricing I got. Please share how your experiences were comparing the two also.

Driving Experience: X3 seems to have this strange acceleration from a dead stop. I'm sure it's something I'll get used to then forget about. It's like you're at a stop, let go of brakes, step on gas a little bit, but it doesn't seem to start rolling forward until you press it further down, but then it kinda launches forward. I think I just have to get used to it. Reviews said the Q5 has more torque which would be better at accelerating from a stop, but the X3 felt like it had a quicker acceleration for some reason. The Q5 definitely felt like I was driving a bigger SUV around vs the X3. I felt more confident driving the X3 around tighter areas. The X3 felt more agile. I only drove on smooth roads so I couldn't tell if the X3 had a harsh ride. It felt fine, but the Q5 did feel like it had a softer suspension. I know with all the options and settings it's hard to compare as I'm not sure what each car's exact package/settings were.

Exterior: The Q5 looks more refined/classy. The X3 more angular. I think I prefer the Q5's looks a little more over the X3, but this is so subjective. The X3 has the cool new bright halo rings, but the Q5 has the cool Audi LED's in front. If you're into moon/sunroofs, the Q5 has a HUGE sunroof, much larger than the X3. Doesn't matter much to me. The Q5 has the dual mufflers which I like a lot more.

Interior: The X3 interior feels more spacious than the Q5 even though they both are the same width on the outside (measuring from widest point inside the side mirrors). The Q5's interior felt a little more luxurious, but then at the same time I felt as if there were too many buttons and would prefer the X3's simpler design. The X3's iDrive/nav display was nicer than the Q5's. They both seemed about the same comfort level in the seats. One first impression that I had when first getting into the Q5 was the large front windshield, but it has a small rear window to see through vs the X3. Not sure if it was my seat height, but even though the Q5 has a larger front windshield, it seemed easier to see the road in the X3. You seem to see more of the front end of the Q5 through the large window instead of the actual ground. The Q5 has a lot larger side view mirrors (notably in the vertical aspect) which made it feel more like a big truck. I think i preferred the X3's side view mirror.

Pricing: These were quick prices I obtained from the sales manager from BMW and a sales rep for Audi.

BMW told me $800 over invoice and didn't seem to want to budge at all even though I bought my M3 from them. Brought the fact of throwing in floor mats into the equation. Finance APR of 4.9% (BMW bank). They do offer a balloon payment which sets aside $19,000.

Audi told me the best they can do was $1000 off MSRP and that their invoice cost was a smaller margin to the MSRP compared to BMW. No balloons offered. Finance APR of 2.9%.

BMW offers 4 year 50k mile warranty including brakes (full warranty). Audi offers 4 year 50k mile warranty excluding brakes (service warranty).

Order time for X3 = 6-8 weeks. Order time for the Q5 is about 12 weeks.

In the end I think I prefer the X3. The expecting wife also prefers the X3 who the car is ultimately for.

Thanks.

TIME89

Here is few post with the same discussion. If you and your wife like X3 - go with X3. Happy wife - happy life!
Good luck!
https://www.audiworld.com/forums/sho....php?t=2807769
https://www.audiworld.com/forums/sho....php?t=2804701

HotRodW

We drove them both and we liked them both. For us, the 35i wasn't a consideration, however. It was fast - much faster than the Audi, but the 28i was plenty powerful for my wife. And then there's that ongoing issue with the fuel pumps on BMW's turbo six. We both found the seats in the Audi to be far more comfortable. The optional BMW sport seats likely would have been better due to the adjustable thigh support, but we had no way to know for sure. The Audi interior felt more upscale, while the BMW was bit bland and too business-like. The price difference was substantial when comparing the 2.0T to the 28i when the vehicles were configured similarly. It's nice that BMW includes scheduled maintenance for 4 years/50k miles, although I'd prefer they discount the price and offer it as an option as Audi does. I do like that the BMW's are built here in the States, and that the wait is significantly shorter. I also liked the BMW color offerings . . . particularly vermillion red. (Audi really needs to address the color choices, or lack thereof!) But in the end, my wife went with the car she liked better. The fact that it was less expensive and more efficient was simply icing on the cake.

Stillgoing

I had my heart set on the X3 and the whole Spartensberg delivery experience, but have to agree with much HotRodW's observations. You certainly had to pay a lot more to get equivalent options on the X3 because of the way they have them packaged. I also found the seats much more comfortable in the Q5, especially the passenger seat which, for some reason I was very uncomfortable in the X3.

I actually think Audi would be better off including the $750 4-year maintenance - they would still be noticeably less expensive.

Stillgoing

...and, I thought the interior was much nicer - as someone else said, the X3 interior seemed very austere and the seats didn't look like real leather - although they were.

TIME89

Should get European Delivery experience with your Q5.

rfmassa

I leased a 2007 X3 for 3 years, and experienced the same issue with the transmission lag or delay when you put your foot down. In several cases, it would roll out into traffic and then lurch fast. Sometime it did not get up and go fast enough after leaving you in oncoming traffic! Scary. This happend to me and my wife. If you go to BMW forum, Bimmerfest, there is a large thread about this issue.

It seems they have not resolved it, and I got rid of mine for just this reason. I had planned on buying it since I only had 17,000 miles on it. BMW never owned up to a problem either, which made me a bit mad for the money they cost. I also owned a 325xi wagon at the same time and did not have this trans issue. But I got rid of both, as I felt the 325xi was a bit samll feeling in the cabin and not too comfortable for long trips (it had run flats also, which are the WORST, and very expensive to repair - if you can repair them at all).

I bought two 2010 Q5's right after the X3 and 325xi, one S-line for me and one for my wife and we could not be happier. I looked at the new X's the other day, and for me, I'd never go back to it. Just my opion of course. Good luck with whatever you choose.

Stillgoing

Maybe next time.

The G Man

I just priced out a X3 xDrive35i with a Q5 P+ with similar options, the X3 was $3-4K more, which is closer than I thought.

windyctyaudi

My girlfriend and i are both in the market for new a SUV so i have test drove both the Q5 3.2 and the X3 35. While I love Audi's the X3 was a magnificent vehicle it has a lot of options not available on the Q. I honestly did car for the interior much compared to the Q except for the very hugging seats in the X3. However is you ever get a flat or blowout you are screwed because since BMW's don't have spare tires but run flats. The BMW did seem very quick but i also was a big fan on how everything was a drive by wire system with the tranny it seems so unnatural but i think that is just something you would get used to after a while. on the other hand the BMW comes with maintenance package and a fully loaded X3 is a better value then a fully loaded Q5. So in the end She ended up ordering a X3 35 Msport package and i ended up ordering a 2012 S4 Prestige