SQ5 Ride?
 

I am finding myself falling in love with an SQ5 after going through alot of other cars...Lease rate on this one is very good...My only question for anyone else driving the SQ5; do you find the ride too harsh or stiff at all for city/urban driving? The one I am looking at has the 21" wheels and with the stiffer suspension...anyone experience this who does primarily city driving? TIA

2015 SQ5 with 21" set about 40psi front and 36rear. I've owned it 2 weeks and all of my driving is city/rural on roads that "ain't the smoothest." I find it good. Obviously it's not super smooth like many options out there with the oem tires and the 40 sidewalls. I am 5'10" and 165# so not a lot of meat on the seat, but I race endurance mtb, road bicycles (over 10,000 miles last year) and spend a lot of time on a KTM Super Duke 1290R so I'm used to a little vibration, sudden impacts, etc.

Compared to the new Mustang GT V8 the SQ5 is luxury smooth in stock form.
Compared to my Q3 with 19" and oem tires the SQ5 is a little less smooth.
Compared to my A5 with 18" oem tires the SQ5 is a little less smooth.
Compared to the Macan S with 20" wheels, air and adjustable everything the SQ5 is noticeably a little less supple....and considerably less $$$$.
Compared to my Toyota Tacoma 4 door short bed unloaded the SQ5 is buttery smooth.

I drove two elderly passengers around town looking at their daughter's new home. Roads were typical country rough and some newer pavement. Not one pip from anyone about the lack of comfort.

I probably would've purchased adaptive suspension, or whatever it's called, but the SQ5 in its US-condition (not lowered, higher center of gravity) is a very good median of sport aggression with comfort. The spring rate and dampening is near spot on. Maybe I'm glad $1000 wasn't optioned on the adjustable suspension.

Should add I have a herniated disc from college. I can only drive a 5 with sport seats. The luxury seats even with 18 or 19 wheels and thicker sidewalls set on comfort put me in pain no matter the road or distance. The sport seats with any wheel size, tire, pavement or driving aggression is near spot on.

Your mileage may vary.

Thanks alot, man, that helps alot. Very succinct...Sounds like the base Q5 is sort of biased toward "luxury" so even a more "firm" isn't too bad ass...I'm almost toying with the idea of asking if the dealer would swap the 21" on the one I'm considering for the base 20"...but sounds like I won't feel like I'm driving a go cart even in the city streets here in LA? Again, thanks alot, man. You love the SQ5?

I bought my SQ5 on the lot. No special order. It had the 21" with summers and I've already had to buy 19" winter setup. I don't know if you need snow tires, but factor in the cost. If I had to special order I'd probably go 20" just for option of having less expensive all seasons or even summer depending where you live. They say "anyone who is buying a $$$ Audi can afford new tires and wheels or 21"...." but that's not the point. If you don't have to then save the cash.

Do I love the SQ5? Let me say I am a firm believer new cars are a horrible financial decision, but I work hard and live "right" and my money was going toward something fast, fun, sporty, not so obvious, luxurious and not common. I was torn between the Macan S and a custom build with many good options and no frivelous ones was about $63,000 on a website build. In my opinion the Macan S with the torque vector option thingy and air suspension would've been a far superior track or super aggressive driving machine. I don't track (who would track these things??) and I don't drive balls to the walls 24/7. The Macan was so composed and aggressive it teased me into going super hard all the time. That gets tiring. Who knows what would've been outcome if I'd had the patience for a special order or there was a less costly Macan on the lot. I drove the $69,000 Macan and it almost came home, but the rear seat was a little tight and the cargo was a little tight. I drive solo 99% of the time, but seeing the SQ5 internal space was a huge plus for me plus it was about $12,000 less! And I didn't like the Macan's turbo lag. It's minimal but I was tired of driving turbos no matter how many, what size or where they were located. The supercharged SQ5 made me smile and laugh on every test drive. The sound is intoxicating.

It's not "the best" whatever that means. In fact the Q5 TDI with S-Line and similar spec almost came home. But it had a tiny bit of turbo lag (I'm very sensitive to lag), I don't tow, I don't do highway miles and I have a lead foot an value 0 to 80mph so mpg was not an issue for my driving (recently moved in new home closer to town so my yearly mileage will drop at least 35%). I wish the SQ5 had the new A4 digital cluster or whatever it's called. I wish the MMI was touchscreen like a Ford. I wish the air/heat was easier to make changes (one touch instead of two steps that always confuse my passengers, ha). I wish the 20" wheels would've been on. These are all first world problems, huh.

If I had to do it again the Macan S and Q5 TDI would still be tied for second for my needs as a daily driver.

That is very helpful again. I may ask if they can swap "down" to the 20" wheels. We live in LA so no snow tires but we do have a cabin in the mountains where we may have some snow from time to time. I suppose the Summers might be a bit problematic in the snow...maybe swap for 20"'s and all weather tires...

Oh? What are the differences? I suspect I will not be pushing 130 very often...;)

I assume that would be the case with either the 21" or 20" wheels/tires...


Thank you!

I'd like to know. My dealer had all four tires at 33 or 34psi then I read the manual and went up. Figured the low psi was from months on the lot and not checking.

I always tend to go to the upper end on tire pressure but this may be a case where I err to the lower end...I have to say, firm ride concerns, notwithstanding, I am kind of getting real excited about this car...and I have only driven the 3.0T, not the SQ5...:)

My quick observation (as a passenger, it is my wife's new car!) after 1 week ownership of a 2015 SQ5, with 21's driven about 1000 miles on really choppy New England roads...
This suspension is a very nice mix of ride and handling. It is firm yet not bone jarring. It is responsive but not "busy". It is one of the most livable suspensions I have ever encountered...
I have made my living maintaining and repairing European autos (retired now!) and I've sampled a lot of them. I have owned a number of MINI's (tiring to drive on NE roads) BMW's in various trims and I've never experienced such a livable "sport" suspension... It is that good in my book!
I really am impressed...

Thanks alot my friend...I am getting a super lease deal on this vehicle...I honestly didn't think I could (or wanted to) afford the SQ5 and the only concern I had was the stiffer suspension with large wheels. I am driving a BMW X1 now (had an A3 for about 7 years before then and a Passat before that) and I drove an X1 with M-Sport suspension and 19"s and it was rough but it sounds like the Q5 (and SQ5) have dampened that harshness really nicely...I'll be driving the car next Wednesday so that will tell but appreciate the long term impressions very much...