To Pana or not to Pana...this is the question!
 

Hey All,


I am hoping to order a SQ5 and I am debating the merits of the Pana sunroof...I was told that there were some issues in the past with noise that was addressed but there is still the weight. My wife who will drive the vehicle a good chunk of the time (when we are not out as a family with the little one) seems to like the option but says if there are reasons not to get it then she does not mind going without it. I am undecided as I have never been in any variant of the Q5 without a Pana sunroof.


Would you all mind sharing your thoughts and experiences with and without it? Thank you for your time!


Cheers,


Blu

Speaking from a family perspective - my kids and their friends LOVE the pano roof!!!. It is huge and just gives the greatest vantage point (even at night). As far as noise I never experienced any creaks from the sunroof. The Pano sunroof is the one thing that really distinguishes the Q5 from the other SUVs out there.

I'll recap what I've read to date, but others will chime in and searching might get you into the more detailed threads.

Cons: heavy so impacts performance/agility/fuel economy, raises the car's center of gravity, some people have had issues with rattles and other quality issues, w/o tint it's a source of elevated heat in hot climates, tall people have mentioned more headroom without it...

Pros (you can infer which route I chose): it's a big ass sunroof that feels great when it's open and makes the car seem more open even when it's not...

Not a sunroof fan but the car just seems naked without it. I am sure resale will suffer so I got it.

Thanks all! :) I appreciate it. My dream would be lower with the euro OE suspension with the hopes that I could still tow down the road and one day chip the thing but for starters I think I will try and enjoy the car as is and work on the other items like sorting out winters on some wheels so I am ready for when it comes! :)

The no sunroof = more headroom puzzles me. During our test drive, our sales adviser is 6'8" and he was tipping his head towards the sunroof which gave him an extra inch or so.

Very happy without the pano roof. No rattles, better handling and quieter. If I need open air motoring, I will use our cab, one of two motorcycles or an open race boat. Does the lawn tractor count? Everyone does what's best for them.

If you do the Pano delete is there no sunroof at all or do you get the normal sunroof (as you would get on a B8 series sedan)?

Model Q5 has only Panoramic glass roof

http://mediaservice.audi.com/media/c...2c35dc5960.jpg

I love the pano roof and it's usually one of the first things people comment on when they ride in my Q5...especially if they're in the back seat. My friend ordered his with out the pano and he's happy without it. To each his own!

Amen. This has been beaten to death and I doubt if anyone is going to change his or her opinion on the matter.

It's great that there is a choice to satisfy any buyer.

The majority of the people buying Q5's won't be able to tell the difference in performance with or without the pano roof. If you plan on tracking or racing the Q5 then delete away, but then again why would you get an SUV/CUV for that in the first place.

My kids love staring out the pano roof (especially on a clear night)...I'd rather have them daydreaming than playing on their electronics in the car anyways. I have no regrets about the pano whereas, if I didn't have it I'd probably regret not getting it unless it was my dedicated track car and I was driving it at it's limits.

To each his own and I do understand the dilemma especially in AZ where it would bake the car even with the sunshade.
If you are really going to track the car then you might want to drive a Macon (I know this is an Audi forum), it was impressive for that purpose.

My vote is for the Pano Roof.

It opens up the car, adds more natural light and make it seem more spacious and less claustrophobic.

The resale value will take a slight ding.


If it was something you could get money back for then maybe, but you are removing a feature for no money!

The first pano roof I had was great ... for a while. But it always seems to be too hot and or too bright to really use it much. Throw in some allergy sufferers, and it rarely got used after the honeymoon period. Knowing we wouldn't use it much, or maybe at all, we wanted to delete it from the Q5, but we were disappointed there was no cost deduct. We basically took it for resale value. We haven't had any problems with it, but we also don't use it. I would like it if the roof was a standalone option on all trim levels. At the very minimum, the deduct should come with some sort of credit.

FWIW...I have <I>always</I> gone for no sunroof nor convertible for lightest weight and best handling on my cars, but despite my plans for Stage2 Tune and other mods on the Q5, this is still my daily driver SUV secondary family car (I personally like that all 6 of us can't fit in it - forces most of the abuse onto the other, larger beast...but I digress).

Anyway, I will never track this car even if capable of tuned mid 12 second 1/4 miles. Thus, the pano roof stays for purely non-performance reasons, and I will be OK with that decision :) Maybe I'm getting old, and mileage may vary and all that stuff, but for me, it adds a bit of nice "fluff" in the only vehicle I've owned where I'm not wringing out every ounce of performance.

The difference between a Pano Q5 and non-Pano Q5 at the track is the driver. Both are driving the wrong car :)

The pano is one of my favorite features. Passengers love that thing. Every time I open the shade with people in the car their reaction is priceless. So far no rattles.

I love my pano! I live in Southern California and it is a great option to have. No issues with noise for me.

I love it and I think it adds an added luxury element to the Q5. I have a black leather interior and was just in Vegas, but I really didn't notice any added heat inside from it. It was 107F so in my opinion the heat factor with it isn't an issue. Also, the pano roof makes star gazing or other gazing like, the Las Vegas strip light gazing that much better.

Plus, it helps reassure me when it comes to clearance in parking garages.

This argument to pano or not pano reminds me of the old "power windows vs. no power windows" or "a/c vs no a/c" or "cup holders vs no cup holders" arguments of days gone by.

I can understand the desire to delete if you're living in a blistering hot area, but why would anyone consider deleting because it affects handling?

If you want a car that handles like it's on rails, then you don't buy a Q5.
The new luxury "standard" in this segment is that the vehicles in this class have large glass roofs.... Just like how A/C, PW, & PDL were all once contested and finally accepted as the new norm in luxury.


IMO, the pano roof kicks up the lux of the Q5 by a few notches.... To delete it for performance reasons on an already tall and heavy CUV seems kinda loopy to me.

For those with the Pano roof.... How is wind noise at high speed with the pano roof closed? Please, be honest. ;)

On every car I have ever owned with a standard moon roof, the wind noise on the highway is very noticeable unless I close the sun shade (which acts as a sound dampener). It happens on both my current Audis. An A8 and an S6. As a result, I always tend to drive with the shade closed to block the wind noise.

The pano roof does not have a REAL sunshade like these other cars, however. It just has a thin shade that won't provide much, if any, sound dampening.

What are you experiences with the SQ5 pano and wind noise?


Thanks!

In all honesty :) zero wind noise detected on the highway with our pano roof.

I have not driven the Q5 without the sunroof, so I can't compare the noise, but I find the cabin with the sunroof (CLOSED) to be very quiet. A very quiet cabin was important to me for business calls and enjoying my B&O sound system, as my time in the car is about the only time I have to enjoy my music. I don't find the shade to have much impact on the noise at all - I find I rarely open the roof on my daily commute, as it is rather loud with the roof open, but I do enjoy the extra light and brightness in the cabin so I leave the shade open almost all the time (unless parking in the sun - vehicle is almost always garage parked). My kids really enjoy riding in the backseat and looking up at the trees, planes, stars, etc.

It's not just the wind noise, but many have complained about it creaking.
I took mine to the track this last weekend and let me tell you, it does make a difference.
https://www.audiworld.com/forums/q5-...g-sq5-2873718/

Loopy...really? What's loopy is that they don't discount anything for its deletion.

So you have no pano roof?

Don't have an S, but it's the same roof, so... I haven't personally noticed noticeable noise coming from above, but that's not to say there's not more wind noise with the pano. Haven't driven one with the sunroof delete to compare, but even then there can be other factors to how much noise you notice.

Personally I'm not bothered by what noise there is, but it's not "silent" by any means. You'll get wind noise regardless of the roof, though, so how much is the roof and how much is the other doors/windows, I can't say. And my son especially demands that the screen be opened if I've forgotten when I pick him up since he likes being able to look up at the birds and planes and stuff as we drive.

Nope. That's how I wanted it so that's how I ordered it. I've had sunroofs in my last five rides. I never use them. I don't like having sunlight from above, or wind noise, or creaking, or the heat we get here in Texas, or 230 lbs. on the roof (pano weight). I have no regrets. I understand there are a lot of people who like it and that's fine. It comes standard on all Q5's & SQ5's in the U.S., so for those who seem to think it will reduce the resale value, I just have three things to say:

1. they are very rare
2. the roof will never leak or make any noise
3. it's my damn SQ!

'nough said?

It does seem odd that Audi doesn't offer a discount for deleting the pano roof. I suppose though, that since the majority of Q5's come with them, it might cost more to build a relatively small number without the roof.

I bought mine off the lot and as mentioned, most dealer inventory has the roof. Personally I don't care either way if my car has a pano roof or not, but since it does, I'm satisfied with it. No creaks, leaks, rattles or wind noise after 2 years.

Yup.

I'm pretty much decided on no pano roof for me. :D
I never open the roof on any of my other cars with them.

Didn't want it at first (it's a 2k$ option in Canada), but the dealer had the Q5 I wanted in stock with the pano roof. So I got it, and I'm glad I did.

I almost never open it, but it makes the interior feel more spacious, and the car feel more luxurious. It can be hot in the summer, so I close the shade, but it works the opposite way: it can heat the car in the winter. ;) If you're worried about handling, get an S4.

I have not noticed any wind noise or creaking when closed. I've had my SQ5 for one year and 15k miles. I use my pano a lot!

Have noticed the occasional creak during cold weather (I'm in Canada after all:-) but have never heard any wind noise coming from the roof. Rarely open the roof but love the open, airy feel in the car with the pano.

I have had a few sun roofs and have mixed feelings about them. On my 2009 Q5, with a tan interior and tan mesh cover, in the summer the sun came right through and was uncomfortably hot. And, mine leaked - actualy, the drain was clogged and wet the interior. Took Audi a could of weeks to get the part in from Germany. And, yep, in the very cold days of winter, it creaked.
On my 2014 Q5 I have a black interior and brown sport seats and the pano. I hardly ever open in for ventilation as it is loud, but I do think it adds to the spaciousness, not to any road noise if it closed and yes, this has creaked in very cold weather.

B

Same feedback as the others: No wind noise from the closed Pano roof even at a healthy good clip on the highway.

I think it is a very nice feature with the all-black interior. Otherwise the interior gets a bit cave-like.

Love the Pano as does anyone who sits in the back. We did end up putting ceramic tint on it though to help with the heat.

Just sent my specs to the dealer for special order :D

2015 SQ5 Premium Plus
Daytona Gray
Black/Lunar Nappa Leather
Carbon Atlas
High Gloss Black Pkg. w/ 21" Wheels
Tech Pkg.
B&O Sound
Pano Roof Delete
Without front plate holder

We have a 2014 without the pano roof and are very happy with it. We have sun roofs on our BMW and Tahoe and pretty much never open them and always have the shade in place to reduce glare and heat. Sometimes leave the BMW roof open a bit when parked in the sun. And you get a bit more headroom and $1,200 in our case.
Pretty much a personal trade off.

Good for you! I just thought of another way to look at it.
If you're about 50/50 on the pano decision, consider this...
If you get the pano and have any noise, leaks, heat or light, you may regret having gotten it.
However, without it, there is no chance of any of that happening and therefore, no regrets.
Believe me or don't, but when you toss it back and forth you will notice the difference without the additional roof weight.
Kudos on your order...enjoy the wait! :p