Prime Time

My wife and I are expecting our first child in July. We currently own a 2009 A4 3.2 P+ which will be my primary car and we are currently looking to replace my 2001 Mercedes C320 with a SUV for my wife. We love the Q5 but are concerned that it won't be big enough for a kid (and potentially a 2nd in a couple years) and all the stuff that comes along with kids.

We've driven the Q5, Q7, BMW X5 and Acura MDX and some others that we've ruled out (MB ML, Volvo XC90..).

We love the size of the X5 but not the price, the Q7 seems a little long, the MDX was loaded for the price but I'm not a fan and the Q5 is great but just seems like we'll outgrow it.

Any Q5 owners out there (or Q7, X5, MDX) that can weigh in on this decision? I just wish the Q5 was a tiny bit bigger. Thanks!

The G Man

Depending on what kind of stuff you have for the two kids, it might be tight in the Q5's trunk area. For example, you will have a hard time putting two full size stroller back there.
You are right about the Q7 being too long and the X5 being over-price. The MDX is just not in the same league.
Have you ever consider a A6 Advant, the RX350 or the VW Toureg?

Reggie

A lot depends on your own personal lifestyle. My brother has two Q7 TDIs - one for his wife and one for him. His kids are all grown and out of the house. He loves the size. My wife felt it was too big for her to drive.

I for one had a RX300 for ten years with my youngest daughter and that car was great for us and all the trips (Florida and Ca) and soccer games. It was always enough room for us going skiing etc. The Q5 dimensions are almost identical to that car. I sold that car to my oldest daughter with two boys who are around ten. She called to say it was not enough room for them to go camping (yet she never had a vehicle with anywhere near the room the RX held.)

GaryZ

I'd +1 for the Toureg as well, or Cayenne for that matter (might be a bit pricier)

Prime Time

I personally don't want a Lexus but my wife wants to look at them. On the flip side I want to look at the Toureg but she doesn't.

We don't do a lot of outdoor activities other than golfing but I'm thinking
with a stroller, golf clubs, suitcases (when we travel), etc it might get full. What about having a car seat in the back with two other adults sitting back there? Is there enough shoulder/leg/hip room?

sjuhawks19

I just upgraded to a Q5 and I have two small kids. I feel we can fit what we need to in the Q5 with the kids. The only issue we've run into is with the infant carrier car seat. The infant carrier seats are long. With one kid it wouldn't be an issue at all becuase you would put the base in the middle of the back seat. But with 2 kids the infant seat is behind the passenger seat and when the baby is in the car it required moving that passenger seat up some. For regular driving it's no big deal, but on a longer trip it would probably get uncomfortable for whoever is in the passenger seat.

That being said, the kids are only in the infant seats for 6-8 months, then they go in a regular car seat which isn't anywhere close to as long, my 2 year sits behind me and there is no issue with room up front. We can fit what we need to in the Q5. The trunk is actually pretty spacious, my wife has a Murano and it's not much bigger. We have a double stroller we can fit in the Q5 trunk with no issues.

Also the Q5 gets top safety ratings, something to keep in mind with the kids.

cprg2011

Hm. That is a bit of a difficult question to answer. I went to the Q5 from an A3 based on the same issue — new tiny human — so to me I was upgrading space to a hefty degree, but the reality is that the Q5 is NOT a big vehicle, and is not intended to be a big family carrier. So far it seems plenty big to me, but it depends on your specific needs. I live in the city, so my need for transporting big items (a big running buggy, for instance) needed to be balanced with not wanting to be lumbering around in the city in a giant bus. While I am sure I will find there is not enough room at some point—camping will perhaps be a challenge—I just did not want anything bigger; certainly nothing like a Q7 or MDX.

I view my Q5 choice as riding the line on size. I would say that with one child you could pull it off (which was my own conclusion, obviously): split the seats and you have reasonable room. With two kids? I'm dubious, though remember you can always put a carrier on top.

The G Man

The Lexus' trunk is much bigger because of the electronic AWD system which allow the trunk floor to be lower. The Japanese always design more available space into their cars anyways. The RX is 5" longer than the Q5 and it feels like a much bigger car than the Q5 inside.
The Toureg is a nice SUV, but very heavy. Again you will run into VW's terrible relaibility.
There is no way you will fit two adult and a full size baby seat in the 2nd row of the Q5.
Again, I know most people dont like station wagons, but the A6 advant's trunk is roomy enough for your needs and it is wider than the Q5 so you might fit two adult and a full size baby seat in the back seats. The 3.0T is world class and the car is smooth like a Lexus and handles better than a Q5.

Reisen

Weird, I had the exact opposite impression. Of all the vehicles we looked at, the RX felt like it had the highest trunk floor.

On paper, it certainly has more cargo space than the Q5. It definitely felt wider in the cargo area.

ronyn78

we were thinking about space as well but no kids just yet. I am with G Man.. A6 Avant is very nice. Its a bit pricey but def a good choice esp with the 3.0T engine

numbers on space from audi site:

a6
Cargo volume 63.8 cu. ft.

vs.

Q5
Standard Luggage Capacity (EPA) 29.1 cu. ft. 2nd row folded 57.3 cu. ft.