ex-quattro PETE

Wow... it must have been 5+ years since I visited these forums...

Anyway, wife is looking into the Q5 3.0T. Those optional 20" titanium rims look nice, but I'm wondering how practical they are. Can you guys comment from a comfort as well as durability perspective? We have some pothole ridden roads around here, so I don't want to have to repair bent rims all the time.

If we buy it, I'll end up getting her a second set of smaller (18") rims/tires for winter, BTW.

samps

I test drove the Q5 with 19's and 20's and for me personally, the 19's gave a better ride.

I've always thought that 19's were the perfect balance of large wheel looks and ride comfort. Mind you, that's been on cars...

abcabc

I have 20" on my Sline, but had a loaner with 19" for a week. The 19" was the better ride but not by much.

Xylar5

With ADS set to comfort, we find that the 20's ride very comfortably. On Dynamic, the ride is still relatively comfortable for a sporty vehicle, but you can definitely start feeling the road.

David_BlaqueDiamond

It also depends on the make/model of the tires used, side profile (how much meat they have), and if they are run-flat or not.

Some tire brands use a harder compound; a "thin" tire has less cushion and may feel harsher; run-flat tires ride firmer than conventional tires.

AudiQ5sleeper

the bigger the size on rims the thinner the tires will get. they all will be using low profile tires. less meat on the tires you will hear more road noise and harsher ride.

Effects of Upsized Wheels and Tires Tested - Tech Dept. - Car and Driver

ex-quattro PETE

That's true if you're talking about the exact same tire model in two different sizes.

But David above has a point, too. Different tire models, even in the same size, will feel more comfy or harder, depending on rubber compounds used and how reinforced the sidewalls are. I remember using various 225/45/17 tires on my old A4. Bridgestone S03 were rock hard, to the point where tire installers had a heck of a time trying to mount/dismount them from rims. By comparison, ContiSportContact2 where very plush. They did not tramline anywhere near as much either.

Still debating which size to go with on the new Q5, but will most likely stick with 235/55/19. It's more a truck than it is a sports car, and it will be treated as such, so I want it to have more rubber between the rim and the road. Alas, I might change my mind over time... The factory 19" 5 double-spoke rims are kind of blah...

AudiQ5sleeper

summer tires are even worse on the road. stick with 19s if you drive alot. you would want a smooth ride to and from your destination. i use to be soo into low profile tires when i was young. now i complain about road noise and harsh rides lol and i am only 28! lol

as for mounting low profiles. they are a pain to do. ive seen my friends dismounting and mounting low profile tires on my rims.

ex-quattro PETE

LOL! Approaching 40, I am even further down that road.

However, my wife's current C300 sport has 225/45/17 tires, and due to that fact, the steering is very responsive, and she wants to not lose too much of that responsiveness when moving to the Q5, alas, it's a frigging truck, so you can't have it all. And she passed on the Macan due to less room and cargo space.

Reggie

Pete - my wife drives the Q5 and we have 20's on it and she is quite happy with the response and comfort - and we are old mfers. We run 19's for snow tires and they are fine and I am sure 18's will be a good if your roads are real bad in the winter but not necessary to go that small as our Colorado roads have not taken a toll on our 19's (Hartmanns)