SJGQ5

Hi all, I am looking at replacing my current car ('06 Lexus IS350) with a Q5 TDI.

Wondering a few things..

What kind of real world MPG are you getting with the TDI?
Always been a Japanese car guy, so going German has be a bit hesitant as they have reputation of being overly engineered, not so reliable, and very expensive to fix…Any honest feed back on the reliability/repair costs?

The Lexus isn't cheap to get fixed (esp at the Lexus dealer) but repairs are pretty infrequent…

How is the handling, acceleration, driving dynamics of the TDI?

hitchens97

I drove a 2.0T test drive and I thought that was fine.

My wife drove a 3.0T and liked it, but then the dealer said you should try the TDI, and she loved that, which is what we got.

I'd say it's a little hesitant off the mark, but once you get going the torque is unreal. One review from an Automotive magazine said they just assumed that the SQ5 had the best engine, but they thought it was much closer after they drove the TDI.

On handling, I don't like SUVs in general, but the Q5 doesn't handle quite like say a BMW sports sedan, but it's really a lot closer to that than a regular SUV.

Stiffness is perfect as well for me. Fairly firm, but not bone shaking firm.

CharlieG

My wife seems to be averaging between 25 - 26 mpg (mixed local & highway) on her 15 Q5 TDI. Really not too bad for a vehicle of this size and heft. I'd say she's doing as well if not better than her 2011 A4 Avant and the ride is much better. We did opt for the adjustable suspension and it does feel considerably different than the other Q5's we had driven (mostly loaner 2.0T models). The thing really can get out of its own way too if you know what I mean. So far we're really happy with it.

anilx783

I am using 2014 Q5 TDI from last 6 months 4K miles covered - Its my daily commute car to work average 30+ miles a day mostly stuck in Houston Traffic still I average 25 mpg - Couple of days I had to go to client office, mostly highway ride, immediately I avearage went up to 30 mpg so its truly fuel efficient.. happy so far - no repairs or complaints... I know its too early to say .. still I am so happy with overall ride.

DennisMitchell

Over one year with the TDI. Mixture of local and highway driving. One year average almost 29 mpg. I had fill-ups where I averaged 34 mpg for a highway trip.

I love this engine. First Q5 was 3.2 and it was fine. This engine is the best of worlds - power and efficiency. I would get another TDI in a heartbeat.

For my other car, I only wished the A3 TDI was Quattro. I would have gone that way instead I decided to go with the S3 for a change.

Click on my Q5 TDI Fuelly image below and you can see the fuel consumption history.

Hockeymonkey

Our '15 TDI has around 3k miles on it. We do around 60% highway. On the highway we can easily get 35 mpg (regular driving, probably 65 to 70 mph). I can hit real close to 40 mpg if I drive nice. Around town we never get below 25 mpg and that includes hills. We do not use the Auto stop feature which is easy to turn off.
Driving is awesome, very comfortable ride and if you need to pass - WOW!!! the torque is amazing. This SUV moves.
We also looked at Lexus and I am sure it is bullet proof but to me boring, reputation for old people (they are trying hard to change that). We loved the looks of the Q5 inside and out.
One final point - diesel really is the best combo of power and efficiency. My wife was so turned off by diesel but now she loves it - no smells and the engine "clatter" is no louder than the new Honda Accord DFI engines that I also have. Amazing to hear them next to each other and both are very quiet but the Audi is not more noticeable.

BlackSVT

Interesting point there on noise. While the 3.0T is on the quieter side, modern direct injection engines generally sound like clatter traps themselves at idle. IMO it's not a pleasant sound either - like a 150k+ Civic that way overdue for a valve adjustment

The recent Mercedes GLA250 loaner I had with 2.0 turbo was awful at idle, and the Audi 2.0T, while a bit better, is still very noticeable. All to say that the Q5 TDI may actually be quieter than the 2.0T and if not by raw volume, the sound is certainly less obnoxious.

idale

Can't speak for the 2.0T Q5 since it's been about 1.5 years since I test drove one, but the allroad loaner I had recently (granted really new, only 600 miles on it) didn't have as much noise (or vibration ) at idle compared to my TDI. Of course the 2.0T started getting noisy when driving as it was having to work a lot harder whereas my TDI doesn't have to over-exert itself and even when in higher RPM ranges I think isn't as noisy as the 2.0T had gotten (so the 2.0T had a larger volume range).

But of course that's just my personal impression and everyone's hearing is different so I may just be missing certain frequencies and hearing others. If nothing else, even if it sounds louder, the TDI at least assures you that there's power under the hood ready to be unleashed.

mwaarna

Loving my TDI.

Its been about a year and I have 18K miles on it so far..

Average has been about 28-29mpg real world numbers.

Check Fuelly to see what people are getting. Most of the TDI'ers here on the forum have it in their signature.

I have not been to the dealer except for regular scheduled service/oil change.

The torque/acceleration impresses people who sit in my ride for the first time. It is unexpected. Then when they ask about MPG they are quite intrigued with the TDI.

lja36

about 32-33 mpg in mixed (no stop and go) driving.. can climb up to around 37 mpg at a steady 60 mph cruise.... mpgs start dropping to lower 30s if I maintain 70 or 80 cruising speeds. Note that my mpg numbers are corrected with VAG-COM from pump calculations... It was originally 5% optimistic.

As for the noise and vibration, here's a tip guys:

I did euro delivery and the engine was butter smooth and musical like a old BMW while in europe... When it arrived back in the US and was filled I immediately noticed a deterioration in soundtrack as well as rougher running. So I started adding power service cetane enhancer and I got the engine back to the way it was when it was in europe... I find that I enjoy it a lot more when it too is happy.

Also figured I'll run it with about 2% biodiesel to keep the fuel pump happy lubrication wise. about half a gallon per fill up. US diesel is formulated more for big rigs and not as suitable for high tech diesels.