Long Term Update
 

Hello everyone. I don't check in all that often here anymore, but still browse the forums every couple of months. I know many times we come on here to complain about this or that.

I wanted to come in to tell fellow Audi owners how happy I still am with my car. I bought it in November 2009 (2010 model). It is a Q5 3.2 Premium Plus. It now has 174,000 miles and is still going strong. Normally in all my past cars, I would start looking for something new. Not with this car. I am just as happy with it as the day I drove it home.

I have never had an engine fault for the exhaust port cleaning that was a heavy topic on here years ago. I buy my gas (top tier) at either Mobile or Unocal mostly.

Engine still tight, doesn't leak oil or any other fluids. I have kept up with regular service, although I usually go to an independent service technician for most things, but occasionally (once a year or so) go back to the dealer for certain services that independents can't do.

Performance is still great for a SUV (or CUV whatever they call it these days). I have noticed the gas mileage has gone down a little bit (2% or so). Might need another set of plugs? (Last set replaced at 90,000 mile service if I remember correctly - need to check records). Also, it has started to consume about 1/2 a quart of oil every 7,500 miles or so. Just about the time it is ready for another oil change. Still nothing major for this many miles.

A few months ago I changed the brake pads to the Hawk HPS pads. I can say I am very happy with performance, and they are certainly cleaner than the stock pads.

Over the summer purchased the Carista app/dongle thingy and added the courtesy windows and a few other things. Love it, hope they add the gear shift selector display soon.

When I originally bought my Audi, I was really worried about long term reliability. I generally keep my cars a little while and drive plenty of miles. I must say that I have been pleasantly surprised, and I wouldn't hesitate to buy another (even if they do cheat on their emissions tests.... but that is another thread).

The few faults:

The rear bumper has many scratches/gouges from putting stuff in and out of the back. Not really an Audi issue. May look into getting this resprayed soon.

The interior "leather" (on the panels, console etc - not the seats or armrests) is really just a very thin coating that has started to peal or bubble in many places (for the first 4 years, car sat outside as old townhouse didn't have a garage, so it got lots of Southern California sun). Once it is peeled off, the plastic underneath looks almost just as good, and the difference isn't all that noticeable.

The "chrome" on the grill is just a paint or coating. It has started to bubble up in a spot where a rock chip had struck the grill. From a distance not all that noticeable, but something that has happened. Also the "high gloss" front filler panel (front license plate holder delete - shhhh don't tell anyone) has started to flake off next to one of the parking sensors.

Speaking of the parking sensors, the front right one occasionally comes loose and falls out of its hole. Usually after being cleaned at the car wash or something. A quick reach through the grill area and it can be pushed back in place where it stays for another few months. I suspect the rubber has just worn or dried out. Simple fix if it keeps happen more frequently. Hasn't happened much since I wash the car myself most of the time nowadays.

Anyway, hope everyone has as good of luck with their cars as I have had with mine. I'll report back in from time to time. I anticipate to be at 200,000 miles by the end of next summer, maybe before.

Good to hear of your long term performance. Amazing you haven't had carbon build up problem. Sad that the esthetics of the interior and exterior finishes are breaking down.

Assuming you are up to it, love to see you get to 1,000,000 miles.

Given you have put a lot of tires on the vehicle, which tires have you gone with?

Thank you for the objective report! I'm a new SQ5 owner and was hoping to get at least 5 good years from it.

Great read! Good info to know, thanks!

I am planning to keep my new (about to order) SQ5 until the RS Q5 comes to Canada (if it ever does hahaha)

Hopefully before the 5 year mark otherwise may look for something else.

Originally for the first few sets I went with the tires that came on the car (S-Line package). They were the Bridgestone HP Dueller. They are a good performance tire for the highway. However on one trip to the mountains they acted like an ice skate (at slow speeds in an ice covered parking lot). I know they are not a snow tire, and I was going slow (3-5 MPH). (only problem I had with those tires).

A year and a half ago (Feb 2014) (at 127,000 miles) I bought a ski pass and started going to the mountains more. I changed out the tires to the Continental Extreme Contact DWS tires. I have been very happy with them. They have outstanding tread wear and all 4 still show the S (for snow) symbol in the tread. The majority of my miles are put on highway use, and we don't get snow here in Southern California. It handles the trips that I do to the mountains with no trouble. Haven't slid on parking lot ice with these tires. Of course being California, I always carry chains (in the mountains), but have never put them on (except to test fit when I got them).

Great review. I bought a Q5 TDI March 2014. I'm at 51k miles. Love to see how this engine holds up vs the 3.2 over time. The Diesel engine is fine. It's the other crap that makes it a clean diesel that scares me...

Thanks, Thanks, Thanks:) Really good to see how well the Q is holding up.
Now for the carbon builtup, I think it is not how much you drive, or what gas you get, but rather how you drive. How is your driving? Long drives? Mountains? Pulling something? Thx

About 2850 miles per month??? Wow!!

That certainly may be the case. As I have said, most of my miles are freeway miles. I do give it a good "Italian Tune" every few days (a redline a day keeps the mechanic away), once the engine is up to temperature. I have heard that winding up a car occasionally will help "blow out" any carbon deposits or exhaust debris.

Overall I would say I would drive a little more aggressively than others, but nothing really crazy. Most drives (except running to the store or such) are at least 1/2 an hour, so everything has time to get good and hot. A few trips to the mountains, in the winter, but never tow anything.