utcadman

Hi!

Am placing my order for and SQ5 tomorrow. I have been going back and forth on the 20 or 21 inch wheels. I live in Park City Utah and 90% of the driving is highway there are some twisties etc... I am interested in the comfort factor. Is there a big difference in road feel (harshness) with the the 21's?. I am going whit Daytona Grey and also think the color match is good...? Then I would want the black optics... I think if I had my way I would get the Black optics with the 20s but that cant realistically happen.

So to make a long story short does the ride quality suffer and subjectively how much with the 21's.

Thanks again. I am a long time BMW guy and have had a lot of problems with my existing X3... The SQ5 made me come to the light. Looking forward.

SQive

The SQ5, although very sporty, does have a nice ride, even with the 21"s.
Funny...I picked Monsoon because of the way it matches the "titanium" wheels.
I might have preferred Daytona, but it wasn't an option in 2014.
The 21" is a beautiful wheel. I just wish it was available in 20x10.

Dustin Fennell

I don't find the ride on my SQ5 w/21's to be harsh. It is firmer than my MDX I had, but it also has a much sportier ride & handling. This past summer I took it on a long road trip from Los Angeles --> Phoenix --> Durango --> Cortez --> Phoenix --> back to LA. My buddy and I had a great time mountain biking and the ride was comfortable (not as comfy as my Lexus GS, but not overly harsh). The ride did not wear me out, so driving was enjoyable the entire time.

Got the SQ5 up to 125 on one long, lonely, straight stretch on the reservation in AZ. Sometimes ya gotta live on the edge.

big residual

I think the most common reservation for the 21s isn't the ride; it's the paucity of tire choices. I was in my inlaws X3 and an X1 over the holidays and our SQ5's (w/ OEM 21s) ride felt much more comfortable, especially the X1. YMMV, but I think it depends on where you're coming from as far as what you think is a comfortable ride.

Daytona is an excellent color choice. I have Estoril from '14, but if I were chosing today I think it would be Panther, Daytona and then Ibis White as the frontrunners. (Ibis just for low maintenance factor). Daytona is a beautiful gray and it's lower maintenance than Panther and the black options.

Recent Daytona SQ5 buyer with picks, but not black optics...
https://www.audiworld.com/forums/q5-...oving-2875469/

Here's a TDI with Daytona and black optics...
https://www.audiworld.com/forums/q5-.../#post24620670

I thought someone posted a SQ5 Daytona with black just recently but I can't find it after two searches and it's bedtime for bozo.

Transfer

Don't hesitate on the black optics with 21s. I have 20s but test drove 21s which were fine and if the black optics pack was around for '14s I would have gotten it. The tire choices are poor so if you have the dough, personally I would use the 21s for winter with Pirelli Scorpion Winters and buy a summer set to your liking at 10" wide. That's just an option though. I committed to new summer tires on my oem 20s and wish I had used them for winter due to their narrow width.

cobrar97

I've driven the vehicle with both 20's and 21's...and I opted for the 21s. There was very little difference to me, and the 21's are one of the best looking wheels out there. As mentioned, the concern is probably more about the availability and cost to replace these tires, as the are DARN expensive. You may want to research it a little, and if the tire price isn't a concern; then 21's it is.
On the HGB package...sorry, but I don't like it on the Daytona Gray. There's just not enough contrast. I love the HGB on white, silver, and black. The Daytona isn't light enough to contrast or dark enough to match...so I went with the regular trim to set it off on the Daytona...because I will say that the Daytona is one of the best colors. And it goes well with the color of the 21" wheel.
Just my 0.02

koobah

You won't be able to tell the difference between 20 and 21, but tire choices are very limited for 21. One of the best looking wheels out there, especially with a slight drop and spacers.

utcadman

Well I did it...!

Ordered today. They actually had a SQ5 on the lot and took a nice drive. Was happy. It had 21s felt great to me, so I went with that. They are good looking!

Daytona, Black Std. interior. Technology 21's. Black optics. BO Stereo. Atlas Carbon. Badge Change and Tow hitch.

62,290 less 6% no questions asked no stress. The deal I wanted and they had one on allocation so hopeful wait wont be too long.

Thanks for your help!

j

big residual

Awesome. Now comes the hard part...

But in a few months you're going to be psyched.

scrmorling

Many grats. It will be well worth the wait. Steve