3.0T review (mine)
 

I just turned 1300 km on my Q5, and overall I'm satisfied with the following exceptions:

-Audi has moved to electric power steering for 2013, and I'm already wishing the Q5 had a hydraulic system. It seems that some manufacturers are having issues with EPS as far as steering feel and linearity are concerned, and Audi is no exception. I had a S2000 (which has EPS), and Honda got it right. In the case of the Q5, on-centre feel is very numb and I find that I have to make minor steering corrections. When turning, the response in linear and there's sufficient feedback, so all is fine there. Different ADS settings (ie Dynamic) do nothing to cure the numbness. Audi needs to do some tinkering.

-The stereo and Bluetooth doesn't work. When the car is started and still in P, everything works fine. After D is selected, the stereo cuts out. The signal (FM, Sat) is still reaching the receiver, but there's no sound. Sometimes I can reset the MMI (hold power for 12s), and sound will come back for a few minutes and then be gone. I ran a Vagcom scan and there are random speaker faults. I suspect that the problem my be as simple as a wire harness which isn't properly seated to the head end. Annoying and I've got an appointment to get it looked at.

-Get Nav. 99% of the time I know where I'm going, so I didn't bother. Non-nav MMI has not been upgraded, so it's still 2009. There's too many benefits (Audi Connect/camera) to not go with it. My fault, but I would have expected Audi to make some upgrades on non-nav units.

The good:

-Fantastic package overall. I love the styling upgrades especially the headlight change. The tail lights look great as well.

-An incredibly quiet highway cruiser. No wind noise and minimal road noise. Mine is sans pano roof which may help.

-So far the auto transmission is working well. No mis-steps at all. It really wants to up-shift (too) early in D. S is a better choice. The paddles work well. 120 kmh (75 mph) turns 1800 rpm.

-The sport seats are very comfortable and it's easy to find a comfortable position. Wide bodies need not apply, and if I were any bigger, the bolsters would be uncomfortable.

-The engine is effortless, smooth, and powerful. It is noticeably de-tuned as compared to the S4, and it may be too quiet. A satisfying engine choice, but it's only 9/10th of the way there. I think Audi is leaving room for the SQ5. A tune is on my list.


Indifferent:

-Fuel economy. I didn't buy the 3.0T for fuel economy and it's getting better. 11.5 1/100 km so far (50/50 highway, city), but it's been cold.

-Auto start-stop. It isn't enabled all the time as a certain number of parameters have to be satisfied (engine temperature, interior temperature, ambient temperature, battery charge level, etc.). Well executed, but it can also be annoying. There's an off switch.

Nice review, thanks!
So do you mean by numbness the response to minor corrections or the feel/feedback lacks but it responds to nuances whengoing straig or 'on-centre'
Please clarify a bit. So far I heard only great responsiveness from test drivers and eight reduction and fuel savings seem plausible. However I can imagine the difference to a 2010 S4 if this is comparable at all.

sorry, I mean 'weight reduction' and 'when going straight'. This forum does not allow corrections even after immediate postings.

The centre position isn't clearly defined by feel, and there's a bit too much free play just around centre.

My sales guy told me the 3.0T does not come with the auto start-stop feature. Good to hear it is. Is this a standard feature?

Yes, it's on the 3.0T (and the 2.0T hybrid of course), but isn't on the 2.0T.

How does the low end torque feel when leaving a stop sign with the 3.0T engine? Also, with the 8 speed can you comment further about how it performs? Any issues with lag or searching between gears?

Post that you want edit rights in here:
https://www.audiworld.com/forums/sho....php?t=2748703

Still not sure why it's not automatically enabled for all members when they register.

The transmission performs well. There's mimimal gear hunting, and it seems to rely on the engine's torque to get moving. Off the line performance is good, but in D, it up shifts almost immediately. D seems a bit lazy overall, so S is often a better choice. No complaint with the transmission.