spijun

If you compare Q5 / Q7 vs. Edge / Explorer / F150, why do not you do not add Kia Sorento, Hyundai Santa Fe, Mazda CX9, Nissan Pathfinder, Toyota Highlander....

ex-quattro PETE

Because the rebates/discounts/incentives on American cars in the US are very good. This makes them very attractive from the price point perspective, even if they are not in the same class/category.

I recently rode in my friend's top of the line Edge. I must say I was pleasantly surprised with the quality product Ford currently makes here.

eric strauss

… is beautiful and like most Mazdas, feels like a jewel to operate.

Q5 Bob

The new CX 9 is receiving very good reviews. Good for Mazda, they are the little guys among all the big boys. The Sorrento is no slouch either.

marnes

I so very nearly pulled the trigger on the 2017 Explorer Platinum, but I just couldn't do it. For $56k CDN, it's a really great deal... but the interest rates are high at 4%, so that's where they make money back. Good deal if you could just pay cash for it. But I could have bought a more expensive F-150 Platinum at 2.9% and paid less for it after only 4 years.

My plan was originally to save for the new 2018 SQ5. We already have a CRV which is the same size as the SQ5, and it would be nice to have a larger 7 seater for family road trips, and my wife is more supportive of getting a Q7 over a SQ5. I know the SQ7 is coming out, and that would ideally be the perfect car for me... but I can't justify the $100k+ for it. I'm not _that_ rich. Hard enough to justify $70k on a car. Also I'm nervous about eTurbos and 48V electric systems, and also new SQ5 built in a new Mexico factory is slightly worrying.

The 'plain' Q7 is still plenty fast with 0-60 at 5.5 seconds, which is still 0.5 seconds faster than the Explorer.

But in the end, there were a few things about the Explorer I didn't like:

• Platinum Exterior is really quite nice.. very Range Rover looking, especially black paint with all the chrome accents. But the mandatory wood trim inside was a real turn off.
• The sport version has a nice interior but without the upgraded leather -- more modern with the brushed aluminum. But I hated the exterior with the blacked out everything.
• 6 speed clunky and bigger displacement engine with turbos not faster than Audi's smooth 8 speed supercharged engine. Audi is more fuel efficient too.
• There's really no comparing inferior handling of the Explorer compared to the Audi.
• Fit & finish in the Explorer was pretty bad -- uneven details in the upholstery, especially the backings. Literally the 2nd/3rd row back seats are made of carpeted particle board.
• While loaded to the brim with tech, it just isn't as efficient nor as nice as the Audi, with a Sony 500W system that isn't particularly good.
• The ambient lighting is very cool at first glance, but it's not as subtle and tends to bleed light around in weird uneven ways. However the cupholders and illuminated door sills are very premium looking and Audi doesn't have that. More of a Mercedes thing.
• Aesthetically inferior to the Audi in pretty much every way.

I think what I'm really going to do is continue to wait for the Q5/SQ5 announcement and possibly pounce on a lower interest 5 year finance on a Q7. Maybe when the 2017s clear out to make room for the 2018s, or even a CPO. Smarter use of money I think

If I bought the Ford, I probably would have eventually regretted it, because in the end... prestige also matters and also Audi's depreciate slower than Fords.

Another thing that made me nervous about Fords is the very high MSRP that's heavily discounted. Normally they are $60k, and just came out, but are already on sale for $55k. It's just weird that a brand new model would be on sale already. But they do it every summer for pretty much all their cars. But comparing a $60k MSRP Ford to an $80k MSRP Audi... it's not that far off.... so when Audi Q7s go on sale and are discounted, that'll be more comparable.

Also saw the Lincolns. Can't imagine ever buying a Lincoln over an Audi -- they are the same price, and Lincolns are offensively ugly.

marnes

So in an interesting twist of fate, I decided to get a new 2017 Ford Explorer. It's been sort of a weird ride... here's how I've pivoted since I first started looking at cars:

• Used BMW 335i -- I used to own a 325i and loved it
• New Audi S4 -- Had me at virtual cockpit
• New Audi SQ5 -- Wife suggested I should get an SUV. Been on waiting list for a year.
• New Audi Q7 or some other 7-seater SUV -- Wife suggested I get a bigger SUV and very much liked the Q7 when I test drove it.

I really tried to make the numbers work for the Q7. But Canada is not the greatest place to buy cars. Banks here don't provide competitive independent financing, and the new Audis are in high demand so you can't really negotiate them down. Plus they have high interest rates at 3.9% over 5 years. Granted, price for cars in Canada are currently cheaper than cars in America after exchange rate.

I had two options, wait a year -- save up a bigger down payment and maybe go for a CPO or wait for a good interest promotion, then I could get "reasonable" $1200/month payments. I imagine many people just pay cash for these cars. I'm not rich enough nor smart enough to do that.

Or buy something cheaper, now. And that's where the Explorer comes in. I was able to get one out the door after fees & taxes for under $60k and 1.9% financing with $1200/month payments and $6k down. ($1000/month if I go 5 years). It was perfect storm of timing -- 2017s are literally showing up now, under the Ford Employee Pricing Promotion (-$5000+), with a Costco rebate of another -$1000, and low finance rates too. The rates were 4% just a month ago. It's almost like they have a toddler playing with slider bars somewhere in HQ. So I'm effectively getting 12% off MSRP, which is not easy to do in Canada, though Ford does this every year.

The Audi similarly equipped was $90k out the door after fees, taxes, luxury tax -- +3% in BC for anything over $57k), and a high 3.9% interest rate. If I put $24k down, my payments would have been $1200/month for a 5 years.

It's not that I couldn't swing it, but I do live in Vancouver and do have a wife, family, mortgage, and retirement to worry about, so I felt spending that kind of coin would have been pretty selfish and stretching myself too thin.

I do love Audis and hope to own a proper one in the future. I think they are the perfect balance of performance, luxury, aesthetics, and tech -- perfect for me, the video game developer. My ideal car that would keep me smiling is the SQ7, but that's definitely currently out of my price range.

Also, I ended up going for the Sport edition -- it has red accent stitching and brushed aluminum/carbon trim inside -- no wood anywhere! That was more important to me than lane assist / park assist / top-tier stereo / massaging seats. Sport also got me below the luxury tax threshold which starts at $55k, so it won. The wood on the Platinum steering wheel made me very sad.

Picking it up in 90 minutes and looking forward to the many ski trips this winter.

HotRodW

Good for you, and congrats! The Explorer is underrated - especially in Platinum trim. There is a reason they're all over the place. I'd still go for the EcoBoost Flex myself, but only because it suits my needs and personality better.

Fords may not be quite Germanic in refinement, but I think they're the best of the domestic brands, and have far more personality than the Japanese competition. (CX-9 excluded, but I have other quibbles with the newest Mazda.) With the rumored return to a RWD layout, I'm actually pretty excited about the 2019 Explorer. If it does in fact go RWD, it will get the new 10-speed auto. But even Ford's FWD models will start rolling out the 9-speed gearbox soon.

Enjoy your ride!

smooth 1

The Ford Ecoboost engine is years behind VW/Audi. Not to mention your also giving up transmission refinement, and the fit and finish. Ford makes a good product, don't get me wrong....but the old adage you get what you pay for is very true when it comes to autos. Ford is cutting corners to make that lower price happen.

The biggest place I think you will find the most differences are as the years go by. Audi interiors just hold up way better. The creaking and popping Fords start to make just drive me insane! Not to mention their plastic parts are almost GM cheesy flimsy. Then the next place you'll find the difference is in resale. Fords are cheap when new...and cheaper when used. Take a look at auto trader for the same Fords and Audis....You'll see for yourself. The money you save when new...is almost all lost when you sell it.

HotRodW

Audi's aren't Toyota's ... they do depreciate. And they cost a whole lot more to maintain. If you factor in total ownership costs, he will pay a LOT less over five years for an Explorer Sport than he would an SQ5. ($0.68 US/mi vs $0.92 US/mi.)

Compare 2016 Ford Explorer vs 2016 Audi SQ5 • Edmunds

marnes

Yeah, it's not really a debate. If I had the money, I would have bought the Q7 even though I initially intended on buying the SQ5. The Audi is a much nicer car, hands down. Here are a few pics for the unaware. I will nickname my new explorer "Ghetto Q7"!

Also I managed to wrangle a 10 year extended bumper-to-bumper warranty for under $3k. So that'll save me in the long run and help any potential future sale. Their maintenance was super expensive, even more expensive than Audi Care, so I completely declined it. They wanted to charge me $3k for 4 years of oil changes, etc... but it would have also covered brakes... but I don't see the value in that.

I got it in Smoked Quartz, which I think might be an underrated color. My insurance papers say I have a "blue" car, and the website makes it look way more blue than it really is. It's kind of a cross between Daytona Gray and Midnight Blue, but almost no blue.