ex-quattro PETE

Just curious, but what car makes/brands have you owned up until this point?

Ginalyn

Sure, I'll give you every one, in order:

Mazda 626
Jeep CJ-7 - Totaled it
Jeep Wrangler - Bought it new
Jeep Cherokee - Hand-me-down
Lexus ES300
Toyota Landcruiser (an old one/tank)
Toyota Tundra - New
Toyota Highlander - Totaled it
???

MurrayA4

Pete I'll bite I love cars :
1 VW beetle multiple 66-74 including a Superbeetle
Plymouth Fury 65
Plymouth Fury Sport 68
Chevy Malibu 65
Mazda RX3 73
Lada 1500 77
Plymouth Laser 87
Mazda 626 Turbo 88
Taurus SHO 89
Toyota Camry V6 92
Mustang GT 94
Subaru Outback 96
Audi A4 2.8 97
Audi A4 Avant 3.0L 03
Audi Q5 Tdi 14
+ multiple Alfas
I've skipped some that were less important.My last 3 cars, Audis have been by far the best most enjoyable machines I've owned.My Tdi is absolutely the best so far.

ex-quattro PETE

Thanks. Hopefully you are not expecting Toyota-like reliability from a used German car. While there is a chance it might be good, there is also a good chance it might turn out to be very expensive to keep up. Not trying to scare you or anything, just wanted to point out that people buy luxury German cars for a number of reasons, but reliability is typically not one of them.

uberwgn

Much of Gina's concerns/worrires can be mitigated by purchasing a CPO vehicle. Probably not a good candidate for buying a used Audi from the corner car lot...

Ginalyn

I appreciate the honesty, that's exactly why I'm here. Yes, the last 4 Toyotas I've had have been dreams. The Jeeps sucked, which is of no surprise, except for the CJ-7.

I have been considering a Tacoma and still am -- talk about pricey. Also the RX350, but I really don't like it's egg-shape and would also like something bigger (that can fit surfboards and skis). Unfortunately Lexus doesn't have something in between or I would go right back down that road.

The Q5 is like the sweet spot for me size-wise, and I love the looks of it, but yes, finding out more about it here has given me pause.

MP4.2+6.0

From Lexus to Audi very different if you care about road feel and dynamics. Driving an appliance vs. driving a vehicle way more attuned to the road.

If you must, the one in between would be the Highlander. The Highlander, the Sienna (oh gawd, the shame of a minivan) and the RX all ultimately come from same Toyota platform that started w/ the Sienna. They have overlapping drivetrains and set ups and such. From Tacoma to Highlander, you would definitely make the break from truck to more car based SUV like where the Q5 also falls. If you like Q5 size, then the Highlander is definitely bigger. Yet you also mention boards, so the spec shifts some. A roof rack on a Q5 will still carry these, one of seats folded down for snow boards, or center of rear seat (they do that) for skis. Surfboard feels like it would need to be on roof really. From cross shopping RX at time with wife, RX upsize seemed to be largely in the rear cargo area and she wanted to downsize more. She also tired of the prior Sienna in terms of general interior that again bleeds over to Lexus, and we saw some definitely reliability issues there too. RX has gotten remarkably ugly to me with the mine's bigger grill baloney and continued attempts at edgy styling. With the latest grill it is now honestly on my laugh list of dumb looking vehicles; personal taste though.

apoelistas

I am really happy with the Q5 2.0T choice because it is a multi tool vehicle. Sport drive, quick acceleration, Quattro is full 4 wheel drive, Cargo space, automatic transmission is one of the best, it has Audi drive select (retrofitted and programmed by me, Best technology ever) it has the ground clearance of 21cm, it has amazing firmware support by the Germans with detailed programming, has ERWIN where you can get the service bulletins the service manuals and many more, you can find online the part diagrams and most importantly it has a luxury feel and retrofit support. Love it.

Redd

The Q3 *was* in the US before 2015, and indeed is now back again--but as a totally different car. IIRC the Q3 was removed from the US market in 2012 or 2013, and that car was very different from the new Q3. But, they are both still "the Q3". FWIW.

An older Q3 is more like the Fox sport wagons of old, something like 4-1/2" of ground clearance so very different handling. Can't drive past a standing soda can without knocking it down. The pros and cons of a lower car.(G)

On the Q5, I'd suggest checking the NHTSA web site for recalls on particular years and models, as well perhaps as Consumer Reports (ask your local librarian for their reference copy). Late 2012 and newer models often had significant changes and improvements in reliability ratings.

Ginalyn

Good stuff, thanks. The Highlander is now too big for my liking actually. Great car and I was going right back to it but that cargo area is way more than I need. I don't ride longboards, so my shortboards will easily fit in a Q5. No kids either so that helps. Speaking of grills, you have got to see what Toyota did to the poor Tacoma, starting in 2016. It's hideous. I actually first saw it on a CL ad of a truck I was interested in. Everything was great about this truck until I saw the pics. I would've bet anything it was an after-market grill this guy had on it. My first thought -- after laughing -- was that I could remove it and find a stock grill to put back on. But no, it's Toyota's choice! Seriously, hideous. Go look, worth a laugh.

Of note, I did find two very nice Tacomas (even down to the color I'd want), both with meticulous owners. They are similarly priced (almost 20K!) and yet both guys were about $2500 over KBB and not budging much. That vehicle holds its value like stubborn boar.

OTOH, I found some BMW X3's -- in the same year-frame as the Tacos -- and I can find them, with like parameters (condition, milage), for 2K less, no problem. For reference, The Q5 falls somewhere in the middle, again similar model years.