2014 Panther Black SQ5
09-07-2013, 01:16 PM
#1
AudiWorld Member
Thread Starter
2014 Panther Black SQ5
Time for some car ****! 
A customer backed out of his order so my dealer called me and offered me the opportunity to purchase - saving me 2 months of waiting. It is almost identical to what I'd ordered so it's now in my garage and I couldn't be happier!
- Panther Black / Black Nappa Interior
- Prestige
- Dynamic Steering
- Radar Cruise
- Carbon Atlas Inlays
Several coats of wax later, it was ready for photos.
This Panther Black paint is unreal. It literally changes color depending on what angle you are viewing it from in the sun. In the shade it's black. In the sun it's either green, gray or purple. I took several photos at different angles so you could see the various colors in case you're trying to decide on this color for your own SQ5.
A customer backed out of his order so my dealer called me and offered me the opportunity to purchase - saving me 2 months of waiting. It is almost identical to what I'd ordered so it's now in my garage and I couldn't be happier!
- Panther Black / Black Nappa Interior
- Prestige
- Dynamic Steering
- Radar Cruise
- Carbon Atlas Inlays
Several coats of wax later, it was ready for photos
.This Panther Black paint is unreal. It literally changes color depending on what angle you are viewing it from in the sun. In the shade it's black. In the sun it's either green, gray or purple. I took several photos at different angles so you could see the various colors in case you're trying to decide on this color for your own SQ5.
09-07-2013, 01:43 PM
#5
Tony, great pics of a great car. Steve
09-07-2013, 01:51 PM
#6
AudiWorld Member
Thread Starter
After 500 miles, some driving impressions...
Overall, the SQ5 is a blast to drive. My last Q5 was a 2011 3.2, and the delta between that car and this car is substantial. Sport mode is relentless. Shifts are ridiculously quick. Normal mode is unobtrusive and an overall very pleasant and compliant ride. The suspension is firm, but it's not brutal and it does a pretty masterful job of maintaining composure on rough, uneven pavement.
The Sport seats are incredibly comfortable. The adjustable thigh support is very useful for someone who is tall like myself. Great side support as well. The Nappa leather is very high quality and the contrast stitching is a nice touch. Overall one of the nicest Audi cabins out there.
There's a LOT of tech in this car, and quite frankly it's going to take anyone (including me) quite a bit of time to find the settings that they prefer, particularly if the car is equipped with dynamic steering. Dynamic steering adjusts the steering ratio, requiring less turning of the wheel at certain speeds. The system works very well and is intuitive. I've yet to have a case where I felt like dynamic steering made the wrong decision or was doing something I didn't anticipate or more importantly, appreciate.
Radar cruise has really been refined over the years. It works incredibly well in the SQ5, and senses things like drivers inadvertently cutting you off or drifting in to your lane even when the car is somewhat parallel to mine, reacting to slow my car down quickly - faster than I could react. In Southern California I use it almost every time I'm on the freeway. Money well spent.
I've found that I like the steering settings in Dynamic mode at all times. Just the right balance of effort and responsiveness.
Sport mode is definitely an occasional driving mode for me. This is in contrast to my last vehicle, a BMW X6, where I kept the transmission in sport mode almost all the time. I'd describe sport mode in the Q5 as "abrupt". Sometimes I enjoy abrupt a great deal (like shifts while accelerating) and sometimes I don't (like downshifts when coming to a stop, which are somewhat disconcerting). There's a separate thread I started about the downshifts in sport mode where I describe the sensation in more detail, but suffice it to stay it takes some getting used to, and my guess is when car mag reviews of the SQ5 comes out, the sport mode will get dinged a bit. Compared to my BMW which handled sport mode in its 8 speed auto superbly, Audi has some programming work to do here.
Road noise at freeway speeds is a factor, although this will very much be subjective based on your own prior experiences. Coming from a car with less sound insulation than the Q5, you may find the road noise perfectly acceptable. Coming from a car like the X6 which was like a bank vault inside, the road noise in the SQ5 is noticeable.
You may have noticed I have Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires on this car. I took off the OEM Michelin Latitude's soon after purchase to compare the Latitude tires with the Super Sports for both performance and road noise characteristics. I'm taking advantage of a very accommodating local tire shop and Michelin's 30 day full refund trial offer for the Super Sport tires to see if I prefer them to the OEM Michelin's that came on the SQ5. I've had Michelin Pilot Sport tires previously and they were fantastic tires. So far, the Super Sports are the best tire in terms of road performance I've ever experienced, bar none. Just an outstanding tire in every regard and perfect for the SQ5. However, road noise is just as prevalent with the Super Sports as it is with the stock Michelin Latitude tires in the SQ5, so if you're going to do a swap down the line, do it because you want a better performing tire, not because you want a quieter tire.
If road noise is an issue for you, you'll want to look in to a combination of rubber underbody sealant coating for the wheel arches from 3M or DuPont, Dynamat for the interior doors, floors, etc., spray foam for sound deadening or some combination of those items. For most people it won't be a big issue but for others there are a plethora of products out there than can help.
All in all, it's a great car and I look forward to taking it out for a spin every day. I'll update this thread again once I get a few thousand more miles under my belt.
Overall, the SQ5 is a blast to drive. My last Q5 was a 2011 3.2, and the delta between that car and this car is substantial. Sport mode is relentless. Shifts are ridiculously quick. Normal mode is unobtrusive and an overall very pleasant and compliant ride. The suspension is firm, but it's not brutal and it does a pretty masterful job of maintaining composure on rough, uneven pavement.
The Sport seats are incredibly comfortable. The adjustable thigh support is very useful for someone who is tall like myself. Great side support as well. The Nappa leather is very high quality and the contrast stitching is a nice touch. Overall one of the nicest Audi cabins out there.
There's a LOT of tech in this car, and quite frankly it's going to take anyone (including me) quite a bit of time to find the settings that they prefer, particularly if the car is equipped with dynamic steering. Dynamic steering adjusts the steering ratio, requiring less turning of the wheel at certain speeds. The system works very well and is intuitive. I've yet to have a case where I felt like dynamic steering made the wrong decision or was doing something I didn't anticipate or more importantly, appreciate.
Radar cruise has really been refined over the years. It works incredibly well in the SQ5, and senses things like drivers inadvertently cutting you off or drifting in to your lane even when the car is somewhat parallel to mine, reacting to slow my car down quickly - faster than I could react. In Southern California I use it almost every time I'm on the freeway. Money well spent.
I've found that I like the steering settings in Dynamic mode at all times. Just the right balance of effort and responsiveness.
Sport mode is definitely an occasional driving mode for me. This is in contrast to my last vehicle, a BMW X6, where I kept the transmission in sport mode almost all the time. I'd describe sport mode in the Q5 as "abrupt". Sometimes I enjoy abrupt a great deal (like shifts while accelerating) and sometimes I don't (like downshifts when coming to a stop, which are somewhat disconcerting). There's a separate thread I started about the downshifts in sport mode where I describe the sensation in more detail, but suffice it to stay it takes some getting used to, and my guess is when car mag reviews of the SQ5 comes out, the sport mode will get dinged a bit. Compared to my BMW which handled sport mode in its 8 speed auto superbly, Audi has some programming work to do here.
Road noise at freeway speeds is a factor, although this will very much be subjective based on your own prior experiences. Coming from a car with less sound insulation than the Q5, you may find the road noise perfectly acceptable. Coming from a car like the X6 which was like a bank vault inside, the road noise in the SQ5 is noticeable.
You may have noticed I have Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires on this car. I took off the OEM Michelin Latitude's soon after purchase to compare the Latitude tires with the Super Sports for both performance and road noise characteristics. I'm taking advantage of a very accommodating local tire shop and Michelin's 30 day full refund trial offer for the Super Sport tires to see if I prefer them to the OEM Michelin's that came on the SQ5. I've had Michelin Pilot Sport tires previously and they were fantastic tires. So far, the Super Sports are the best tire in terms of road performance I've ever experienced, bar none. Just an outstanding tire in every regard and perfect for the SQ5. However, road noise is just as prevalent with the Super Sports as it is with the stock Michelin Latitude tires in the SQ5, so if you're going to do a swap down the line, do it because you want a better performing tire, not because you want a quieter tire.
If road noise is an issue for you, you'll want to look in to a combination of rubber underbody sealant coating for the wheel arches from 3M or DuPont, Dynamat for the interior doors, floors, etc., spray foam for sound deadening or some combination of those items. For most people it won't be a big issue but for others there are a plethora of products out there than can help.
All in all, it's a great car and I look forward to taking it out for a spin every day. I'll update this thread again once I get a few thousand more miles under my belt.
Last edited by TonySCV; 09-07-2013 at 07:54 PM.
Trending Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Pdvsa
Audi A5 / S5 / RS5 Coupe & Cabrio (B8)
30
01-09-2021 01:00 PM
Audi Other FS: 2007 Audi RS4 black/black CCW
ilikeit
Vehicles For Sale - Archive (NO NEW POSTS HERE)
2
01-09-2016 09:24 AM
bebopdeluxe
A6 (C7 Platform) Discussion
3
09-05-2015 04:11 PM
Audi A7 MINT M130 Wheels for RS7 - 20x9
RCCurtis
Parts For Sale - Archive (NO NEW POSTS HERE)
0
09-01-2015 03:09 PM
