iProductions

Hey everyone,

I am in need of some advice, as I am a bit confused right now on what to do. I have been a member of this site for a long time now, and I get a lot of great information from here, thus the reason why I am asking for some advice. Here is some history, and what I am confused about. Sorry if its a bit long.

I have been an Audi owner for the past several years. I am on my second A4 right now - a 2008 A4, s-line, quattro, pretty much loaded. Love this car, and my previous A4, but the lease is coming up soon. So I am in debates on which new Audi to get - I am in debating between a 2012 A4 prem, with s-line, or a 2012 Q5, prem plus, with s-line and Nav. Yes I know they are very different, but here is why I am thinking this way.

Throughout all of my cars (and I have had a lot), I have been between cars, and trucks/suv's, sometimes both at the same time. I love the sportiness of the A4, the handling, but I also love the room, and smooth drive of a truck. My last truck/suv was a 2008 Escalade, which I just got rid of a few months ago.

I have already had two A4's, so I though why not stay with Audi, but get something different - the Q5? I have test driven both the Q5, and new A4, and love them both. So I am a bit confused on which to get.

On the A4 pro's side, I get am amazing car, that looks great, is very sporty, great interior etc etc. On the con's side, I don't get Nav, side assist, and keyless go (which I do on the Q5).

On the Q5 pro's side, well I get the things missing from the A4, plus I get a sweet suv. On the con's side, I need to get new winter tires/rims package (more money & I already have for the A4), and I have read some mixed reviews on this suv.

In terms of pricing, the difference between the two is $50/month, with the A4 being the cheaper one. If I added the things I want to the A4 then the price jumps up by $150/month, which I cannot justify.

I am getting the dealer to throw in free tint, free winter mats, as well as the Audi Care. They are already giving me a significant discount on either car I choose. So now I just need to decide...lol. But which one?

Have any of you debated the A4 or Q5? Any thought would be fantastic! I know this is the A4 forum, but I am also putting this in the Q5 forum...

Sorry for this being long, and thanks for any advice in advanced.

Cheers!

Sundowner

It's a matter of personal preference, but I don't care for SUV's in general, but the q5 is moderately tolerable. All the same, I think in your shoes, I'd go with an A4 Avant instead of a Q5. At the end of the day, a Q5 is the exact same animal as an A4 Avant, albeit with lesser fuel economy and worse handling.

iflywoe

i like your thinking Avant!

jfo

I went through this last year and decided on the Avant. It has great visual appeal, cargo room, and of course, superior performance. I realized the crossover SUV category really didn't offer anything I needed or wanted. After looking at the various models on the road...and there are a lot of them out there...it occurred to me that they all look about the same!

iProductions

I do agree they all look about the same. For the Avant, well I love them. I love the style, but the reason why I took it out of the equation is because I would be paying the same amount, well actually a bit more that I would for a fully loaded Q5. Basically I would be paying more, but with all the cons of that I had with the A4.

I personally think it sucks that the rates offered on the Avant are so different from that of the sedan. Lease rate I am getting in the A4 is 3.9%, the Q5 is 5.43%, and the Avant is 5.91%.

jfo

I hear you. You need to find an objective way of assessing what the options, etc mean to you. I wouldn't use Nav and don't care about side assist for example. I do place a higher priority on handling and performance, as well as a style I enjoy looking at. The Q5 or SUV's don't do it for me, but that's me. I didn't really need the room in the Avant but actually like it more than the sedan and was willing to pay a premium for it.

I also keep my cars longer and want to be happy with my choice over the long term.

Good Luck!

manku

Not sure where you're getting your lease rates, but (at least in July, and I don't think they've changed much in August), the Avant MF was .00064 vs .00148 for the Q5...also, a higher residual for the avant...and, I believe, a lower msrp and usually can get a better discount...the Q5 is VERY popular-always is in the top ten of ALL cars for time on lot.

Not sure if you are male or female, or you even care, but the Q5, at least here in LA, is a woman's car - I've yet to see a man driving one!

FWIW, I love my avant...only wish I had gotten the premium plus for the B&O sound system.

gunsmoker

I don't see much of a need for 5-seat SUVs like the Q5, RX330, RAV4, CRV, etc. The only key feature is a slightly higher ground clearance than a car, which can't get you very far if you decide to go off-road. Other than that this means higher center of gravity (worse handling and safety), higher weight and stance(worse gas mileage), possibly a more vanilla appearance, and you pay more money for all that compared to a sedan. If you take that money and divide it by 5 years, see how many days of a rental that buys you.

I think these vehicles have had some success with soccer moms in the US because Nancy is rich and has a full-size SUV and Susan is not as rich and drives a minivan, in other words, they are not being sold for their own merits, but for social bracketing.

QUA77R0

This is a very serious concern.... On the one hand, we have a well balanced, quattro, vehicle that can seat 5 and carry the in-laws luggage when you drop them back at the airport. On the other hand we have a vehicle that has an impeccable interior, plenty of interior space and a cargo area that can become a master bedroom when you fold the rear seats down... That's just what's in the garage.

And in the laundry room we have a new dryer with wheels and 4 rings on it. Go Q5. Avants aren't for punters. They are a rare dying breed and as such should only be liberated from dealerships by the cognoscenti.

Gunsmoker, are you sure that Susan wants a Q5 to compete with Nancy's new Q7? I think that the dryer configuration on wheels makes Susan feel right at home...literally. And Susan knows that Nancy's jumbo loader just means more to fold when the buzzer goes off... Poor Nancy

ULTRA4

Avants should be available with manual and quattro.