gb20

I've had my Q3 for four days and I'm loving it overall. There are a few things that are bothering me though:

• When you accelerate out of a stop, the Q3 has somewhat jerky/not very smooth shifting behavior. Once you get going, it's great, but the initial shifting out of a stop is strange.
• Wind noise coming from the driver side window area when you are moving above 50mph or so. Almost sounds like the window isn't all the way up even though it is.
• Mediocre standard sound system. I knew it wasn't going be like the Bang & Olufsen system but the standard one is pretty disappointing when it comes to playing music.

Has anyone had similar observations?

Tccox

Mine shifts beautifully, very smooth in auto mode, a bit harsh in dynamic mode.
wind noise, that’s not normal. See dealer
i think standard sound system is fantastic. But that might be because I’m comparing it to the one in my old CX-5 or my wife’s Honda Accord

ULflyer

Only 300 miles on ours but would say same as Tccox above. Try diff drive modes to see if that works for you. Dealer had ours set on Dynamic (didn't even know there were diff settings at first) and noticed the slight jerky take off. Still, hardly enough miles to even have a feel for it yet.

Speakers sound wonderful, and we thought the Accord was good! Still do, since I "inherited" it and my wife claims the Q3!

MP4.2+6.0

On wind noise, look at door and window frame fitment very carefully. It was also the one I had the questions about, though mine were the opposite. Both my wife and I noticed it was harder to close than expected, suggesting it was aligned a little too tight.

In particular, both visually and using your hand by touch/ feel as a guide:

• Feel back edge of front door against leading edge of rear door. Is driver's door out a bit? If so, you (or dealer) can move striker plate in slightly to pull it in tighter.
• Look critically at how the bright chrome strips at top and bottom of driver's door window frame line up to door behind, as well as the strong seam in the sheet metal above outside handles. Does it seem a bit low? Again, striker up/down adjustment can compensate.

Do those two steps and checks before next two:

• How does upper back corner of window frame seem compared to front upper corner of rear door. Is it out? This one is harder, and properly it should be done by shims inside door assembly. In practice, with window down and some decent force you can probably tweak it a bit, especially if it also seems out a bit in front (next bullet)
• How does front sloped edge of window frame match up to A pillar? Compare it to passenger door. Is it too far out? This one can hard to set without shimming. If lower back corner of door near lower corner of rear door is somewhat in, it is another sign this one is not quite right.

One other check you can use if really bad. Try to fit the corner of an index card between A pillar and door window outer seal, so it only sticks in the thickness of the seal. Now, if you can move it laterally with door closed, it is seriously wrong. If you can move even a piece of paper thickness stock back and forth without binding it is still too loose, though paper often tears (a good sign) when you use literally paper thin material.

Stereo: I have B&O so can't compare to yours. Seems solid. Be critical though of how you input music. Sirius has a lot of compression, though sounds decent in Q3 to me. Typically bluetooth in as compared to hard cable also compromises sound some. If streaming, obviously need to look at bit rate there. Ditto if using recorded tracks if they aren't a high bit rate copy.

Hesitation: Not really feeling either, though some on line posts mention IIRC. If any issue is there for me, its more connected to start-stop. When I turn that off, I like general responsiveness and feel better. Still going easy on motor, so not pushing it hard or for long.

gb20

Thanks for the tips on the wind noise! I'll go through those steps.

It's pretty subtle but noticeable for me. One review noted, "The biggest shortcoming of the new Q3 is with transmission programming: Shifts are somewhat jumpy when accelerating at lower speeds." I think that's what I'm experiencing.

TurboBlue5150

I only have 250 miles on mine, but I'm not having any of the issues you've mentioned. No hesitation, no excessive wind noise, and I'm pleased with the standard sound system. I heard the B&O in one I test drove, but didn't think it was worth the extra scratch. I'm not an audiophile though, so I could understand how one would pony up the cash. So far, so good...really like the vehicle. The Turbo Blue paint is beautiful, and my only complaint at this time is the excessive brake dust. It's been a few years since I got rid of my BMW, so I forgot about that German trait.

gb20

After reading up a little about this, it sounds like turbo lag might be a better way to describe what I'm experiencing. Does that make more sense? It's not bad, just takes a little getting used to after driving a Lexus IS for so long.

TurboBlue5150

I've never noticed anything even remotely similar to turbo lag.

MP4.2+6.0

If your IS was normally aspirated and a especially if a six for torque, maybe. Anything turbo in a 4 or other inline (or non hot V) and the Audi 2.0T is very competitive on minimizing lag.

My old R56 Mini S 1.6T was a classic lag machine, especially with a stick. One thousand one, one thousan....woah, light off! I feel it a little more on the Golf R 2.0T, but older motor series (EA113) design, likewise a six speed AND Stage 1+. There it is less about lag and more like major kick in pants--turbo pulls hard headed to 330+ HP AND ft lbs. The difference is really pronounced at that kind of power and a lower weight body. R's and counterpart Audi S's in 2.0T (stock) use a bigger turbo for the power, which also means a bit more lag than I expect on a stock mid tune 2.0T like this.

One easy idea to try. Are you on regular fuel, especially the CA 87 octane? Maybe try a tank of premium? Car is rated for regular--very unusual for an Audi. Wife likes that and drives it easy anyway. A little more power and torque though w/ the premium IIRC.

John1

Definitely not a refined transmission in my vehicle. It’s very clunky and anything but smooth in mine, no matter the drive mode. I guess results will vary since these forum reviews and “professional” reviews are all over the map regarding the trans. I’m gentle on my vehicles. Doesn’t feel like it should in my opinion and I wouldn’t be surprised if mine fails at some point down the line.