whyman

Thinking of downgrading my 2018 Q7 2.0T for a 2018 SQ5,

What will I miss?

I need your opinions,

I rarely carry more than 2 passengers, the Q7 seems too big to manuver in town, but awsome and quiet ride, I remember the Q5 2.0T had a lot of wind noise compared to Q7, will SQ5 be better?

BigKutta

I am with you. If I were to drive the Q alone daily, I'd hate it. Its too big to lug around all the time. I got a Q5 loaner last time and was pleasantly happy with the drive,
What you'd miss? The nicer materials, the nicer fit/finish, the smoother ride (I'm comparing to the 3.0 here). But if optioned right, I'm sure the Q5 would compare. If I were you, I'd get a 2 seater sports car and have fun!! I really think that will be my next dd

timshuwy

I upgraded from a 2011 2.0 Q5 to a 2018 3.0 Q7 with 4 wheel steering and adaptive suspension.. the Q7 is more nimble and easier to drive than the Q5 was. Of course it is much more expensive. The primary reason I got the Q7 was so I could tow, and still carry a Kayak on the roof, and enough stuff in the back to go camping. The Q5 just was underpowered. If i Didnt need that, I would have stuck with the Q5. I am sure that the new Q5 is even better.

whyman

You're right, the SQ5 is basically a sports car anyways , plus it has air suspension,

Maybe I''ll get a sports car as second car haha, but SQ5 might be a good downgrade

smacky

I don't know my leathers well but isn't the the SQ5 leather, maybe an upgrade, the same as the Q7 with a luxury package? It's called something else, diamond-stitched, but the quality might be about the same as the Q7 luxury?

And the SQ5 has the adaptive chassis, or just simply an air suspension, an upgrade over the coils.

Might not be much of a downgrade if you don't need the space of a Q7.

JT4

I love the Q7, but I was recently speaking with a neighbor who is considering a Q5 or XC60 and I was telling him that the next time around I may consider an SQ5. Since we really don't have a need for something as big as the Q7 the SQ5 may be the better choice...

I'm just glad I have plenty of time before I have to make that decision, in the meantime I'm going to continue enjoying the Q7,

Jimminez

I wouldn't consider the SQ5 a down grade unless you are solely talking about space. I had previous gen SQ5 and was a fantastic car, and not as small as one thinks.
Current gen has the Milano comfort seat, sport air suspension, and sport differential.

I'd say its the better of the two if you don't need the extra room, and for the times you may need space you add a cargo box.

Took my family of four on ski weekend were skis, boot and helmets went in box, and all clothing, cooler, and food crate went in trunk.

jeffrey r

I am an SQ5 owner for a few months now, and was just bouncing around this Q7 forum, so I will add my .02 cents. My wife drives the bigger car with third row (Infiniti QX60 I believe), as she does more of the transporting of the kids and their friends, etc. I had a sporty car before my SQ5, a Lexus GS 350. When driving my wife's Infiniti, sure it is fine, but it is more "car" size-wise than I need to be driving daily. I suspect I would feel the same with the Q7.

I soured on my Lexus sedan, as due to the horrendous roads in the tri-state area, I felt every bump in the road due to the low profile, was regularly bending my rims in potholes, and just generally was not able to enjoy the sportiness without the negatives.

As to the SQ5, I simply love it. It is very comfortable, very sharp, has a ton of power and pep, and is just a pleasure to drive. Now, compared to my Lexus sedan, I have a much more comfortable ride, and don't feel every defect in the road rolling through my body. I have a Prestige, so I have the air suspension, and serious flexibility to tailor my ride as I wish, whether comfort mode, dynamic mode, individual mode (my usual, customized as I want), or pulling back into sport mode on an as-needed basis.

Anyway, for someone who does not need the size of the Q7, but wants to stay in the SUV arena, and wants the extra sportiness of the S line, the SQ5 is a darn good option and choice. With the Prestige (dual-pane front windows), my ride is very quiet and comfortable, but still as sporty as I want. YMMV, and good luck.

ConservativeConsumer

I won't call SQ5 a downgrade from Q7, other than in size. It has as good finish and ride as a Q7. Price of a loaded SQ5 is more or less the same as of an average Q7. I would go for SQ5 on a heartbeat, if there will be no need to tow my boat.