westcedar

Need a little bit more room and thinking of trading in my 2010 Q5 for a new Q7. Any former Q5 owners out there that want to share their impressions on differences?

kip1

Hard to say. No comparison. Old technology vs new technology . The new Q7 feels a lot like the Q5 in size when driving on the road, but is substantially larger. Q5 lacks (atleast the 2010) I owned all a ctive safety equipment + night vision, matrix leds, virtual cockpit, auto braking, hud, park assis, 4 wheel steering,lane assist , air suspension. Q7 fits 7. Boot is huge, fits the same large trolly longitudinally that goes in the q5 only sideways. Q7 isofix in 6 seats vs q5 useless rear middle seat. Q7 interior is top in class. Q5 fits all parking spaces, surprisingly q7 almost fits. Q7 has a plugin gybrid variant. Q5 looks better from ourside, q7 from inside. Q7 has lost weight and almost weighs like the q5. 8 speed auto is better than 7 speed dsg.

discogone

I did not own a Q5, but I had a 2015 Q5 loaner when my 2017 Q7 was in service last month, my 2-day impressions were:

1. Q5 is nimbler and steers easier, I am sure it is due to its smaller size and lighter weight.
2. At low speed, Q5 moves quicker. At high speed, Q7 is so smooth and the power feels endless.
3. Q5's engine is noisier, Q7 is really quiet.
4. Q7's new MMI beats Q5's.
5. High quality soft interior materials for Q7, Q5 has lots of hard plastics.
6. Of course other differences with sizes.

Again, these are just my personal quick impressions, other people may feel differently.

dghdgh

The main difference at the minute is the technology and engineering. The current 5 is yet to get the new pot for etc, when it comes Along latter this year early next year it will be a real choice with size coming mainly into the equation. The 5 has always been a higher volume seller so when it comes out of the door discounts will be like rocking horse ****.
Question are can you wait?
Will the extra space be an advantage or fuel eater?
Prestige?
Best of luck working it out I went for the 7 and love it too bits.

zekeman

Source tells me the new Q5 has been delayed and won't come out until next year and will be a mid-year release. Apparently something about gearing things up in Mexico since that is where it will be built.

larryV

We currently have a '14 SQ5 and will be trading it in for a '17 Q7 that we ordered and set to arrive at the dealership in a few weeks.

The SQ5 is definitely more nimble and feels quicker, thanks to its obvious weight advantages, but it's not as significant of a difference as you might think. The Q7 is plenty quick in its own right and ultimately, the handling is just about as balanced and capable as the SQ5's with just slightly more body roll. The trade-off is that the Q7 has a far more compliant ride and quiet interior and is superior in just about every other aspect, and at least for me, this more than offsets any handling and acceleration disadvantage it has against the SQ5.

In addition to being more luxurious, quiet, and having a ride that rivals and perhaps even betters the the current A8, the new Q7 blows away the SQ5 in the tech and safety department; with additional driver assist features and accidence avoidance systems, a nice HUD, the awesome virtual cockpit, and a nicer sounding audio system (the Q7's Bose 3D is even better than the SQ5's B&O). Icing on the cake for me was the fact that it can tow up to 7700 lbs... which means I can use the Q7 as my tow vehicle for my sportscar trailer on track days. Couldn't do that with the SQ5.

asm777

We had a 2010 Q5 and now a 2013 Q5 and a 2017 Q7.

Impressions on differences:
- For the additional space you get, the new Q7 doesn't feel as "big" as the outgoing generation.
- Middle seat is actually usable in the Q7 with two carseats on either side.
- The Q7 ride seems more refined than that of the Q5.
- Q7 materials seem more luxurious than the Q5.
- Technology is definitely better in the Q7.
- 3.0T engine paired with 8 speed transmission makes for better power delivery compared to the 3.2 FSI with 6 speed transmission of the 2010 Q5.

When you say "need a little bit more room", what is lacking in the Q5?

Traded in my S4 for the Q7 because we wanted the ability to transport additional passengers with 2 car seats... Q5 could seat 2 adults and 2 car seats... middle seat was almost useless.

westcedar

Had 2 kids with the Q5, now have 3- 9,5,3 yr olds. We have the mini van but I am am now lugging friends around and hockey equipment. Would rather not take my wife's mini van so looking at 3 seaters (q7, XC90, used 450/550). So "need a little bit more room".

paul07834

I just turned in my 2013 Q5 for the 2017 Q7. I would echo the comments made above. I think the Q5 had peppier acceleration but the Q7 has a smoother ride. Nicest change for me is that now I can lay my golf bag with all of the clubs horizontally in the cargo area. In the Q5 I had to take out the driver for the bag to fit.

Paul

asm777

Don't know anything about the XC90 but we have access to a '14 GL450 when we really need to haul people/stuff. I was actually debating between the Q7 and leftover GL450 but the price difference as well as the fact that we already have one in our extended family made the Q7 the right choice for us.

Not sure if you've checked out the Q7's 3rd row seats but we consider them "emergency" seats (for when we have no choice but to take extra adults) or "kids" only seats as they aren't really that big. The Q7 feels more like just a slightly larger Q5 with 3rd row seat added (by removing spare tire) than a true 3-row SUV (kind of like the X5).

Check out this comparison of specs:
2017 Audi Q7 vs 2016 Mercedes-Benz GL Class - The Car Connection

Almost 6" less legroom and 3" less headroom in the 3rd row and cargo volume is a lot less in the Q7 vs the GL (though not so much if you've got all 3 rows occupied with passengers).

No issues going on a 3+ hour roadtrip with adults in the 3rd row of the GL. I wouldn't even want to subject any normal-sized adult to more than 15-20 mins in the 3rd row of the Q7. =)

The Q7 is a fantastic car for our family with 2 kids... with 3 kids, might be a tougher decision... (though with older kids, you don't have the car seats issue and the middle seat in the Q7 is actually usable compared to the Q5 as previously mentioned).

The GL on the other hand... if you're looking at used... 2012-2014 MY 450s have the detuned version of the V8 550 engine which can be tuned to produce almost AMG level of performance... =)