buckeyewalt

I am a current owner of a X5 50i xdrive looking to get into a Audi SQ5 maybe even a diesel. I tried your usual search and come up with some stuff but not what I was looking for. I went on the Audi website and it wasn't much help either, that why I came here.

Looking to get out of my 2011 X5 and was looking at both the Q7 and the SQ5. To be honest, I really don't know too much about Audi's especially when you get into the engines and mechanical things. My wife is into the looks part, me into sport and performance of the vehicle. I will assume that the SQ5 is the performance model of the SUV/crossover line. Is the performance that much greater in the SQ5 than the normal Q5? Would you be sacrificing much with a diesel? Finally is the performance the same in the Q7 as in the Q5 with the same engine. I really like the looks of the SQ5, but the seats in anthracite looks like that they would not be as comfortable as leather.

Bottom line is that I like the X5 50i and the performance with the xdrive a lot, so I really don't want to give up much. Looking at some of the pics of the Q5's here and they really look sharp.

Thanks for all that responded...!

scrmorling

The SQ5 is substantially quicker than any Q7 model. The only independent road test numbers that we've seen for the SQ5 is Motor Trend and they show 4.8 secs 0 - 60 and 104 ft for 60 - 0 braking.

I believe those numbers would beat your current X5 5.0. The Q5 is a little smaller than the X5; I believe most people cross shop the Q5 and the X3 or the Q7 and the X5.

I have the Black Nappa seats so I cannot comment on the Alcantra but there are several posts on here about that.

Good luck,

Steve

soonerfan

Q7 seats 7, Q5 seats 5 for starters. Have no idea what your requirements are of course, but the Q7 shares the same platform as the Porsche Cayenne and the VW Touareg, Q5 shares the platform with the new Porsche Macan and the Audi A4. 3.0 TDI engines are shared in the Q7 and Q5, both with 8 speed transmissions and Quattro.
My Q5 TDI is utilitarian, sporty, fast and the mpg is stellar for what it is........and I love this vehicle. Go drive both the 7 and the 5 and see which one suits you and spouse the best.

buckeyewalt

Guys, thanks for the reply. I will test drive both the Q7 and Q5, my only real requirement is that they perform as well as my X5 50i, that said, my wife is in it for the looks (women??)! I have read where there is a lot of crossing between Audi, Porsche, and VW on the chassis, but since I am only interested in the "Q" series, I will look no further. Next is dependability, since I live in west Tennessee about an hour+ from a dealer are there any issues that I need to know.

Again, Thanks!

MP4.2+6.0

You should drive them. I suspect you will have your answer very quickly. The Q5 is much more "car like" though with the higher seating and ground clearance. You'll get that with the Q7 height wise, but "car like" and "nimble" won't likely follow.

Q7 much more trucky feeling. The Q5 is no lightweight, but the Q7 is a really bloated porker in my book, and with many an Audi owned and enjoyed. So much so that it registers for the "heavy" SUV tax breaks (as do X5's, GLs, Land Cruisers, Range Rovers, Suburbans, etc.) It has the third seat of course if you need it, but it's not terribly roomy. The design is also very long in the tooth--its really quite overdue for a major revision, and its stablemates the VW Touareg and the Porsche Cayenne were revv'ed some years ago. I think the Q7 is the only Audi left with a longitudinal front motor that is not yet on their current MLB platform (as in, Audi's current modern design); it came off the prior A6 platform back at the C6 generation, but the A6 has moved on to the C7 generation and MLB.

The Q7 is also in a different price bracket than the Q5. The Q7 is priced conceptually like the A6 and A7, while the Q5 is priced akin to the A4's and A5's. Except, the Q5 is bigger in the interior than those are, and actually measures out on the inside close to an A6. Given this pricing, you can go well up on the spec on a Q5--Prestige levels, SQ5, etc.--and still be under the higher priced/nicely equipped Q7's.

Back on the test drive: on lots around me there are Q7's galore...just sitting there. Much harder to find Q5's on the lot, and often to test drive they need to get it out of their service loaner fleet. Nonetheless, if you don't need the third seat, I suspect a nicely eqipped Q5/SQ5 may have you smile. And if not big enough, honestly even as a long time Audi fan, I would either wait for the Q7 re do (very soon now), or look at a Cayenne but be very careful with the option boxes. The Cayenne TDI is very much an Audi TDI actually, including the quattro set up rather than the typical Porsche flavor used with its (non-hybrid) gas motors. You do have to be careful option wise, but a nice Cayenne can be had for pricing in the Q7 zone; the Q5 will come in cheaper in most any flavor and even the SQ5 will price competitively but be a performance screamer unless you go well upmarket motor wise on the others.

buckeyewalt

Thanks for your detailed response. You're right about test driving the vehicles which I will, I don't know about you but I like to have as much information about the vehicle when I do test drive it so that the sales person won't have the upper hand.
Coming from an X5, I really do like the added room but do I really need it, nope, just like the convenience of it, however, that might change. I have already optioned a Cayenne on the website, not really too keen on paying that much for a SUV. Almost everything is an option on the Porsche, wow! One thing for me that is a must (more so with me than my wife) is that I don't want a sled, my X5 has the 400hp twin turbo. That said, that's why the SQ5 is looking really nice. One other thing that I really don't know that much about is the difference in Audi's engines. I know that the SQ5 is a supercharged V6, and you can get a diesel in a Q5, but in the Q7, you can't get the new diesel? Strange! Also you mentioned that Audi is going with their next Gen Q7 by the end of this year? IS that factual, or just a rumor? I tried doing a search on the board here, and there is very limited information about the new Q7, like engine choices and body shape, so if anybody could point me in that direction, let me know!! Finally, not knowing much about Audi's, are there any issues that I need to made aware of before I try and buy.

Thanks Again..

MP4.2+6.0

1. No, I don't have a known release date for Q7, other than sense from the automotive publications it is not too far off. No "final version" or "spotted testing" spy shots that are reliable though. Perhaps you also know as an X5 owner though that the new revised X design seemed to drag a long time too. I know a few who gave up waiting on X5's when it was that model's turn for a major revision.

2. We both agree on the crazy Cayenne option pricing, as many do. At least in the U.S., the Q5/SQ5 seems priced aggressively to other luxo-choices, since size wise it can almost make that step to the next ones up.

3. Audi diesels: The Q5 3.0 TDI (not the SQ one in Europe either to be clear; see next point) is a slightly higher power one than used in the rest of the Audis with the same motor, and likewise the same motor borrowed for the Cayenne. I saw a recent story though that the 3.0 TDI is getting that same slight uprating in the A8 and others.

4. Reading this post a few times, I'm not totally sure where you are located, since it bounces back and forth between SQ and TDI. Some of the responses assume you are in the U.S. where is is a gas SQ and is quite fast but then somewhat thirsty too. If you are elsewhere, most of the world has a biturbo TDI SQ. Also highly regarded (and desired by more than a few in the U.S., and of course not as thirsty. Knowing which country/SQ it is might help in the responses.

buckeyewalt

I am located in West Tennessee, being an Ohio guy, yep this sometimes feels like it's overseas! The main reason I am bouncing back and forth on this is that I love my X5 performance, and hence, really don't want to loose that much of it, that's the main reason there is interest for the SQ5.

Coming from an X5 to something smaller like the SQ5, do I really loose that much space. I guess going to a dealer and taking it out for a test is the only way to make sure.

As far as the engines go, I never had a diesel before so I really don't know too much about them except the fact that produce a lot of torque. Also living about and hour and a half from a dealer, reliability would also play a major in my decision.

Looking at the new X5, I really didn't think that there are that many different changes that would warrant going into that model. I mean my 2011 is really the same as a 2012, in which the 2013 only has minor changes and the 2014, although there are some changes, it still looks the same, I am ready for something different.

Thanks again for your insight. My next move will be to a dealer and test both vehicles very soon and maybe by that time, there will be information on the new Q7.

mwaarna

for the TDI vs the SQ5, it really depends on how much power/speed you want.

the SQ5 is officially rated in the 5 second range where as the TDI is 6.5s.

The TDI is a good second slower to 60, but much more frugal.

Off the line feels great in the TDI, but the performance gets capped when the RPM's climb and it is not a linear progression in power.

The SQ5 has power that seems to never give up.

There are some exclusive items in the SQ5 that are not available in the rest of the line.(Nappa Leather, 21" Wheels, exclusive grill, side mirrors, etc..)

buckeyewalt

By the way, how do you like your TDI?