rendart

Going to purchase a 2015 SQ5 soon and was wondering if it might be worth putting off until the 2016 models which are supposed to the new makeover.

I heard the 2016 Model will have a lightweight MLB-evo platform, which Audi says will improve fuel efficiency and handling, as well as many other changes including engine and headlight changes.

My buddy who is a car enthusiast told me its better I just go ahead and get this years model for 3 reasons:

1) New models usually but not always have teething problems which might affect the first batch (which I would definitely purchase from cause I don't have the patience to wait for the 2017 models)

2) The batches of cars coming out of the new factory in Mexico are untested by the masses, not as though an average joe like me would be able to tell any differences in build quality, but it would still bother me if the 2015 line was superior in anyway and I waited for nothing.

3) The 2015 batch is the last release of the old model, but its the most tested and refined version that should have the least issues because of the number of years in production.

Anyways, what do you guys think.

And Thanks for reading.

HOiYA

For me, these 3 reasons were too much to overcome and thus pulled the trigger on a Q5 now.

spijun

New SQ5 coming in 2018

rendart

seriously?

spijun

Seriously, the new Q5 comes out in mid-2016 ( from factories in Mexico) , it will be MY2017 and a year after that comes SQ

rendart

I guess that settles it then, Thanks for your time Spijun.

MP4.2+6.0

Like other companies, Audi generally lags the intro of its high performance models after a major body change by at least a year. It also gives the marketing promo types a second shot at stimulating more buying interest, including the occasional trade up even by buyers just a year or two earlier with lots of $ on their hands.

They may intro the new model (like the next gen Q5) earlier than the typical early fall change over, but then not get the S type version out until the next model year. That makes the effective delay to get to the next gen S model 15-18 months. That's what happened on the A8 vs S8 for example on its most recent change, and it was almost three years on the generation before that. The S6's have also lagged compared to A6 counterparts; don't recall offhand on the A4/S4.

-hef-

this is the reason why i typically dont buy the 1st model year. i have only done this one time, and i got mildly burnt on it. it was the 1st model year for the STi hatch in the States. some had engine issues, which i luckily didnt experience. but they all had paint issues where the front tires would kick stones back onto the rear wheelwells and chip the paint. the next model year had 3M-type material on the rear kick panel and up onto the wheelwells.

idale

The VW plant in Puebla's previously made cars that even the masses would notice falling apart. Hopefully the VW plant's better these days (I haven't kept up since the Mk5 gen came out), and it sounds like Audi's got an eye toward QC on their factory with requiring suppliers recertify for the Audi factory (just being a VW supplier doesn't get them in) so hopefully it won't be a major difference if any, but certainly the Golf/Jetta/NBs that were being made in the sister factory a while back were pretty terrible by all accounts (my wife's Golf is Brazilian, so it's only "meh" on quality).

I'd be especially wary of the combination of new generation and new factory, as each can contribute to the potential issues of temporarily-poorer quality. Usually best to give it a couple of years for any issues to come to light and hopefully be addressed. Which would seem to imply either buy now (strong platform and well-known factory) or wait until MY2020+ and hope that everything's turned out well.

ex-quattro PETE

Not SQ5 specific, but the above are actually some of the reasons why we are buying the current Q5 rather than waiting for 2016/2017 or rather than buying the new Porsche Macan right now. Seems like the Macan has plenty of quality issues - typical on a first model year, but even more so on a high end vehicle packed with a ton of electronic gizmos. The first customers are the guinea pigs. Eventually all the issues should get sorted out. It's just a question of how many service visits it'll take.

We currently have a 2008 C300, which was a first model year as well, and it certainly had its fair share of problems, big and small. Certainly glad we had an extended warranty on it - it has paid for itself 10x over. And now that the extended warranty is about to run out, it's time to dump it.

By the way, the new 2015 C-Class will now be made in the US, too, so that should probably also be avoided the first year or two. I remember when MB first started making the M SUV in the States, the quality/reliability took a major downturn. I think by now they've figured it out.