aj6

Hi all,

My wife's Nissan Rogue was destroyed in a car accident, so we're looking at replacements and the Q5/SQ5 is first choice.

I'll scour the forums here but off the cuff are there any model-specific quirks or attention-getters that I should know about prior to buying a used 2014 SQ5?

Thanks!

SQive

I now have about 8000 miles on mine...no issues at all...so far.

The only other concern might be the 21" wheels. They look great, but as I begin shopping for replacement tires...DAMN! 20" or 22" would be cheaper and easier to find.

big residual

That ^^. The 21s are great looking. Love them. But if I were doing it over I would get 20s and use them as winter tires and put on 22s. I'll end up doing the same and using my 21s as the winter set which means I can pick from about 2 tire options, if that.

The 21s are goofy size. I hate the 20 look, but it might as well come with 22s rather than the odd tire size of the 21s.

aj6

You would think they'd be more mainstream now with the influx of larger wheels on crossovers and SUVs. That will make it easier to accept the smaller wheels if I have to.

I also meant to ask about the TDI... apparently it's got a heck of a lot of grunt off the line (430 ft/lb) and saves a tremendous amount of fuel. Any gotchas associated with that particular engine?

Thanks!

Dustin Fennell

I have 15k miles on my SQ5 and have not had any issues. The only concern I have are when it is time to replace my 21" tires. Not looking forward to that bill. :-) ...but you gotta pay to play!

Transfer

SQ5 vs TDI is going to depend on your driving preferences. The TDI will have more shove down low, but won't have the upper rev range power that the SQ5 has. So if you want the sportiest dynamic, the SQ5 is preferred. If you want to balance economy with power, the TDI is probably the better bet. SQ5 suspension is noticeably more stiff than standard Q5 so make sure you compare and see if it matters to you. To most of us with SQ5s, the stiffer suspension is not an issue and adds to the fun. Overall, be sure to drive both and they have pretty different driving dynamics.

Regarding SQ5 quirks when considering an order, I think 20" wheels are great on it, but the styling of the OEM wheels is lacking. I bought 19" winters and use the OEM for summer but if I were to do it again, I would use the OEM 20s for winter and buy aftermarket 20x10" wheels for summer. Also, if you plan to use a hitch, see if you can get it installed prior to delivery. It runs ~$1200 if they install it later.

BlackSVT

Great advice above. You really need to drive both if you're considering SQ5 vs TDI. Despite advances in diesels, they are still much different to drive than a gas engine in terms of power delivery. The 8 speed does go a long way toward keeping the TDI in its narrower operating range, but it is a different driving experience if you're accustomed to the typical "performance" gas engine behavior of: want-more-power? spin it harder!

The TDI is almost unbeatable, on the other hand, if you typically never drive-it-like-you-stole-it and keep RPM low anyway. You can't touch the MPG with anything else.

Good luck

luv2golf

I recently took delivery of a 2015 TDI Sline (previously had a 2011 3.2 Sline). I test drove both a TDI and SQ5 and while the SQ5 felt more responsive in normal city driving (I attribute this to the difference between gas and diesel) there was minimal difference in the more important (IMHO) passing speed bracket of 50 to 80 MPH (80 to 130 KMH). I tested both on a highway merge lane and the time difference between the SQ5 and the TDI (measured by my Audi sales rep sitting in the passenger seat) was negligible. However, the biggest difference is in fuel economy both city and highway and it is for this reason I selected the TDI. I have the 20's and the Adaptive suspension option and am very pleased with the overall driving dynamics, the one exception is that I miss the Servotronic Steering (i.e. hydraulic) that was on my 2011 Q.

aj6

Thanks everyone for the input, we bought a used 2014 Q5 TDI with only 4k miles. The TDI is extremely impressive for many reasons and I'm looking forward to keeping this beast for a long time.

BlackSVT

Nice! Congratulations. Was it a dealer loaner or something? I would think a used 2014 TDI is a rare find. Mind if I ask what you paid for it?