Coolieman1220

I tested an ML350 blutec. It was very nice. Drove well.

ferenc

Boris, as others have said, it's a personal decision, and 'personally' I do not see any problem with you chosing the two for comparison (we did the same a few months ago - and added the BMW X to the mix :-)

To the point of your question, the ML250 had optional 360 degree view cameras that my wife would have preferred over the one her new Q5 (hybrid) came with. The additional quirk still she's getting used to is the poor user interface the Audi supplies on the NAV system. The auto lights selection dimmed the backlight(?) LCD display at inopportune times, which she was able to defeat by going to 'manual' lights. The backlight display auto dimming does come in handy when she does not want to be distracted by it :-)

One of the features she really wanted was the lane departure, but she now rarely uses it. She chose the Q5 hybrid over the ML250 because, personally: she thought the ML was too tall and too wide, and she did not like the diesel option (relatively higher cost, and lower availability).

The other items on our list were: ML250 is rated safer, has a spare tire, and is rated higher in quality control (MBZ has fewer customer complaints than Audi).

Pricewise, the markup on the ML250 was quite a bit more, so the OTD prices were comparable. It is my understanding that the service on the ML250 is costlier, so the TCO may be higher.

I'd be curious on what you decide on,
Ferenc

Dalancroft

...where, exactly?

ferenc

one more comparison comment:
the ml was more plush and comfortable (seating), but the sport seat option on the q5 we found necessary/useful (we're retired :-),
ferenc

Nolina

My Q5 TDI is one year old and I am very happy with it, great mileage, nice torque, lots of power and what I enjoyed the most is the Adaptative cruise control, this is superb, it is like someone else is watching the road for you.

If you are distracted by anything the system will monitor the distance between the car in front of you and will slowdown or will let you know that you are too close or it is going to apply the break for you. Please note the system will not function while you are driving in the snowstorm. I tested it but I had no trouble in heavy rain

I bought also the ventilate seats Milano leather.....the quality of the seat is terrible, my seat looks like very old and dirty and my car has only 15K miles.

GPS is interesting, there is a complete update that will be available shortly that will make it a real GPS...but 3000$ is too much for it...a great ipad or iphone 6 or 6+ will do the job for less.

The Beemer interior is not wow compare to the Q5 but this is a matter of taste and the taste depend to each individual...

At the end your dealer is the most important component, I have a great one and I negociated a VIP service, so I never go to the dealer, they come to me and they provide me with a loaner for the day, mostly new Q5, A5 and A6. When I need an appointment that are very good. This is imprtant, so ask the right question

This is my 2nd Q5, the first was a 2011 2.0T that I traded after 3 years.