So for those of you who have bought or are considering a purchase, what kind of considerations did you make in deciding whether to go with Prestige or Premium Plus trim levels?

I originally thought Prestige would be best for me but then I took a closer look at the features list for Premium Plus and noticed that there were just a small number of differences between them. For me 19" wheels and Navigation are must-haves so once I add those as options to a Premium Plus, I think the only differences are:
- Audi key
- B&O soundsystem
- Side assist

And of course a roughly $3400 price difference. Did I miss anything? Are there other differences between Prestige and Premium Plus (besides the wheels and nav) that I should take into account?

For those that have these features, what do you think about them? Are they worth it to you?

I've heard only the B&O soundsystem so don't know how the standard Audi soundsystem performs. I'm mostly listening to radio on my commute and 256kbps MP3's on longer trips.

What about Audi key? I don't have this option on my car now so I haven't experienced the convenience to understand how much I'll really want this in the future.

Side assist sounds nice too and you can only get it on Prestige I think.

2010 Premium Plus with B&O, Nav & 19" (+ destination) = $43,651, MSRP $46,875
2010 Prestige (+ destination) = $46,256, MSRP $49,675
**prices according to Edmunds.com

For that $2605 - $2800 difference, you get Audi Advance Key & Side Assist. Nothing else that I've notice are different on the cars. Whether it's worth it to you or not is your call.

But of course the Prestige trim will allow you to order other options not available to the Premium Plus like Audi Drive Select and the new Luxury Package.

It was not much of a debate for me when I was deciding which items where must haves and which were not. I ended up getting a Premium Plus with Nav and 19" wheels. Side assist, the B&O, and the Advance Key, while very nice, seemed superfluous to me. I am very happy with the setup I have. The standard sound system should please all but the seasoned audiophile.

The Thermo cupholder also comes with the Prestige.

I ended up getting the same package, Premium Plus, Nav, and 19" wheels. I wanted the Audi advance key but that was the only thing I really wanted from the Prestige package. I couldn't justify spending that much more for one feature I wanted. The push in key fob to start is still pretty cool.

I have a Prestige with the luxury package. The Audi key- very cool. Pull the door handle, get in and push the button. Side assist- I am starting to like this feature. It makes the mirror check just that much quicker in a tight traffic situation. And the thermo cupholder is less of a gimmick than I thought it would be- actually makes cold drinks colder. Only wish there was one for the passenger, as well. These features are fun, but definitely a judgement call on if they are worth it. I think you could enjoy the Premium Plus if you're on the fence and aren't considering the luxury package. But you should definitely consider the luxury package. IMO definitely worth the added expense, especially if you live in area with extreme temperatures or are considering black seats.

What does the luxury package consists of?

I checked the Audi website and they don't have any info yet. Also, any idea on the price?

Thanks,

Hugh

Thanks for the replies so far everyone.

I forgot about the thermo cup holder. That's one I really liked and could see myself appreciating the utility of it.

I don't think the luxury package would be worth it for my needs - opting for black seats but it would be parked indoors most of the time and it doesn't get too hot here in coastal San Diego. Then again I never thought heated seats would be needed here but they come in pretty handy.

Audi Drive Select sounds nice but its just too pricey for my driving habits.

It's gonna be a tough choice. We tend to keep cars for awhile (5-7 years at least) so there's sort of a just-get-it-all mentality for options that we're trying to fight a bit. Though 5 years from now I'm likely to be happier with the car still if it has all these nice things.

What does the luxury package consists of?

I checked the Audi website and they don't have any info yet. Also, any idea on the price?

$2300. Luxury package includes leather instrument panel top and door armrests with leather color stitching, Premium Milano leather and ventilated front seats. It's a new option for 2010. The Audi Q5 configurator hasn't been updated yet, but it's in the new 2010 brochure.

I thought about this (Prestige v. Premium Plus w/ Nav 19 in wheels) for several days before ordering. I agree with the majority of responses on this topic - Key assist is the most attractive option to have. I decided to go with Prestige mainly because of the key assist. May have gone the other route if key assist was stand alone. Then I began to think how cool the upgraded radio would be. Let me tell you.....I am so glad I went Prestige. The key assist is NOT something I want to go without. I got too spoiled with it on my wife's 3 series. It is one of those things that you do not know what you are missing till you have it and We would have known what we were missing - not going to do that on a 45K ride. Plus, the key assist works on all four doors - not so on our 3 series - this is a huge plus. Plus, I must say that that B&O ROCKS!!! Loving it. I think I may have to go for another ride just to hear it jam. Haven't tried out the thermal cup holder, but am looking foward to doing so. As for the side assist, I could have definitly gone without - kinda pissed they added that standard on Presitge.

Congrats for going with Prestige, you are right about the options and the difference it makes, I don't regret the extra cost a bit! I had to put up with SA as well, but I have found it handy a couple of times when someone was approaching at high speed from behind, once you start using it, it is kind of neat.

For me while I did like the Audi Key, Side assist and thermal cup holder the decider for me was ironically the desire to spend even more moeny and get the Luxury package.

Had the Luxury package been available on a Prem+ I probably could have lived without the Audi Key, Side assist and Cup holder. Why was the Luxury package such a big deal? Well mainly the cooled seats. I live in the hot and sticky south and many folks around here wont even get leather in their cars because they know they will wind up unsticking themselves from the seats after sitting in them for awhile. That of course after having burned themselves when they first sat in them after parcking out of doors.

Audi has a nice gimic sticking some rather nifty item like cooled seats as option only ont he highest end package. Luxury package and Drive select are both features that do like that.

A petty side of me sort of wishes that S-Line was resticted to prestiges as well. There would be fewer folks out there with them and they would be that much more special. However I am glad they did not double charge Prestige owners for the wheel upgrade and made the Prestige S-Line cheaper then the Prem+.

I thought about this (Prestige v. Premium Plus w/ Nav 19 in wheels) for several days before ordering. I agree with the majority of responses on this topic - Key assist is the most attractive option to have. I decided to go with Prestige mainly because of the key assist. May have gone the other route if key assist was stand alone. Then I began to think how cool the upgraded radio would be. Let me tell you.....I am so glad I went Prestige. The key assist is NOT something I want to go without. I got too spoiled with it on my wife's 3 series. It is one of those things that you do not know what you are missing till you have it and We would have known what we were missing - not going to do that on a 45K ride. Plus, the key assist works on all four doors - not so on our 3 series - this is a huge plus. Plus, I must say that that B&O ROCKS!!! Loving it. I think I may have to go for another ride just to hear it jam. Haven't tried out the thermal cup holder, but am looking foward to doing so. As for the side assist, I could have definitly gone without - kinda pissed they added that standard on Presitge.

You don't need to get prestige for the b&o sound system. It's available on the premium plus for 2010.

You don't need to get prestige for the b&o sound system. It's available on the premium plus for 2010.

You are correct, I should have left the B&O out of my analysis. I must say, however, that it is worth the extra money as a stand alone option.

It may seem obvious but at the end of the day the value you get from it will dictate what you are prepared to spend on it. That coupled with your budget of course. We are all considering or already own Audi's in this forum, for emotional and logical reasons. That's a pretty good place to be starting from.

For example if you need constant help with directions as you are putting 20K+ miles on your ride a year and consistently find yourself in unknown territory without the luxury of forward planning then Nav will make more sense than someone at the other end of the spectrum. Likewise if it makes you feel safer and less flustered whilst driving and will do that a fair amount of the time, another good reason to make that investment as it will increase your enjoyment of an already stellar vehicle.

We recently purchased a Q5 Premium Plus with no additional options. That being said the P+ package comes with some very nice additions not least of which that beautiful sunroof and the signature (and safer) headlights. All reasons we opted for the P+ package.

Why didn’t we pop for more? We thought about Nav and B&O. As for Nav, both my wife and I having a reasonable sense of direction, our phones have GPS and quite frankly we enjoy planning our road trips out on a map (Bing) online before the trip. As such we figured Nav, whilst a “nice to have” for us wasn't really something we wanted to spend an additional $3,000 on. But again if we were different people it could absolutely make sense. As for sound, I *love* music and found the stock sound system on teh A4 was more than enough for the road. Again, I would appreciate if not love the B&O. As it happens the Q5s stock sound system is also great - esp. on the mp3's we listen to so much nowadays.

Our previous car, a 2006 Audi A4 was great and I would often note that despite a lack of options it was still an outstanding vehicle in its own right that I both loved to drive and to baby for quite some time. There were things I wished I had in the A4 like the Auto Dimming mirror, but for the large part because it was an Audi it automatically brought allot to the table; great driving, fit and finish, handling, comfort and much more.

At the end of the day if you like the Q5 even a Premium 2.0T will be a much loved, beautiful, luxury, performance crossover that you will enjoy for many years. Anything you add to that which makes sense for your logic and emotions, not to forget your budget, is your call.

Good luck with the purchase – it is an outstanding car.

I got a 2011 3.2L Prestige and I don't regret it for a minute.

The Audi Side Assist seems gimmicky at first but it can be a helpful remember to turn your head and look into your blind spot if you're not sure the area's empty. I sometimes turn it off in heavy traffic when it's needed less (since you pretty much HAVE to look) but it's helpful when you're moving along nicely and want to change lanes, as an extra sanity check.

The thermo cupholder is kinda cool. It definitely seems to work better heating up a drink than cooling one down, though I've found that getting a bottle with a wide, flat bottom (so it touches more of the metal surface) works tons better.

The real winner is the Advanced Key. I cannot understand how I lived without this for so long. Walk up, get in, push button, go. No dangling keys, no fumbling in pockets, no confusion. Stop car, get out, touch handle, walk away. Amazing. Even if you switch drivers... as long as the keys are in the car it starts up.

Also, one thing not mentioned here: The Prestige comes with the swiveling headlights that turn around corners as well as auto-level. The Prem+ comes with the auto-leveling headlights only.

Wow...talk about raising the dead!

There was another thread about these two trims months ago, when one itemized all the cost of all the options in the Prestige, there is no discount for the option bundle. That means the profit margin for Prestige trim is much higher for Audi.

We went for a 2010 Prem+ with Nav. The Prem+ was a must because I wanted the HIDs and LEDs. From a practical standpoint, I had the HIDs on my 02 A4 and they make a world of difference when driving at night, especially in lousy weather. Luckily, the wife agreed :). From a snob-appeal standpoint, one of the wow factors with the Q5 are the LEDs and there was no way I was going to pay 40 grand on a luxury vehicle w/o the upgraded lights. We got the NAV not for the NAV, but for the backup camera. We decided $3,000 was more than worth it now that we have two kids. Excellent for backing into tight parking spots also. That said, we've actually gotten some very good use out of the NAV and it's now very indispensable. Much easier than having to remember to get the Magellan.

The only thing I really wanted with the Prestige were the ventilated seats, but I wasn't about to shell out another 3 grand to get to Prestige level and then some more just for the luxury package. We didn't see the Audi Key as a must-have and Side-Assist is useless to me. After driving in NYC for many years, you develop a certain radar and YOU become the Side Assist. Checking those mirrors become second-nature, like breathing.

I really wish we could order a la carte, like other countries. I was on a business trip in South America two months ago and we had lunch next to an Audi dealership. Parked on display outside was a Teak Brown 3.0 TDI. I couldn't stop staring and thinking that that would be the closest I'd get to a 3.0 TDI for a while. I did go into the dealership later and asked for a Q5 book. There are MANY more options that we in the States are deprived of, like adaptive cruise and GSM phone setup. There's a UK book on the web that is more or less the same. Sorry for the rant. Hope this helps your decision-making.

Is the Luxury Package (ventilated seats) not available with the S-Line Package? Audi USA configurator does not allow selecting both.

There was another thread about these two trims months ago.

There was also a thread about this very topic one year ago. Oh wait, this IS The thread from one year ago. LOL!

Also, one thing not mentioned here: The Prestige comes with the swiveling headlights that turn around corners as well as auto-level. The Prem+ comes with the auto-leveling headlights only.

?????????????? I thought the cornering headlamps were Euro-only! Really pisses me off that my P+ doesn't have this feature.

I have the 2010 P+ with Nav + B&O + 19 and don't regret my decision not to go with Prestige. My favorite thing about the entire car is the sound system, so I would highly recommend the standalone option.

I also would highly recommend the all-weather floormats. I don't live in a snowy area, but they're just a fantastic thing to have all the same!

By the way, I believe the 2011 P+ comes with the 19" standard now, as well as the exterior S-Line package.

I think the swiveling headlights is a new feature to the US 2011 Q5 models.

I think the swiveling headlights is a new feature to the US 2011 Q5 models.

Indeed, and specifically part of the 2011 Prestige package.

?????????????? I thought the cornering headlamps were Euro-only! Really pisses me off that my P+ doesn't have this feature.



I think you are talking about the adaptive headlights, the headlight turns a bit when you take a turn. Cornering lights are what’s in the A6 prestige and A8, its two separate light bulb on each side that lights up and it is permanently aim to the side. The cornering lights works much better than the adaptive lights.

In Canada, you can also order them separately as a "special order". They are called Adaptive Lights and they cost $300 (maybe $275 in the US?).

I can see some changes in the future for the prestige package in 2012. They should do the same as the new '11 Q7 and put the ventialted seats in there to make it stand apart more from the premium plus. Or at least give you 20's.

It's pretty easy for customers to do the math.

Premium Plus with navigation & B&O is 47,700. Prestige is 51,050. Your esentially paying $2300 for the side assist, advanced key, and thermo cupholder.

Side assist is a $500 option on the A4. Audi had the advancey key as a $550 option on the A6 back in 2005.

IF I was in charge of the order guides, the Prestige would have

B&0
Side Assist
Advanced Key
20's
Ventilated seats

[QUOTE=The G Man;24024428] Cornering lights are what’s in the A6 prestige and A8, its two separate light bulb on each side that lights up and it is permanently aim to the side.
--------

Are these the same as the fog lights that just turn on when making a turn? I read that you can activate this via VAGCOM.

I think you are talking about the adaptive headlights, the headlight turns a bit when you take a turn. Cornering lights are what’s in the A6 prestige and A8, its two separate light bulb on each side that lights up and it is permanently aim to the side. The cornering lights works much better than the adaptive lights.

I was indeed referring to Audi Adaptive Light, which pivots around corners up to [I believe] 15° in either direction. I really love them; had them on my 2006 A4 Avant and they work just as well on the Q5.

Haven't experienced the permanent cornering lights, however. What makes them better, if they're permanent?

I think you are talking about the adaptive headlights, the headlight turns a bit when you take a turn. Cornering lights are what’s in the A6 prestige and A8, its two separate light bulb on each side that lights up and it is permanently aim to the side. The cornering lights works much better than the adaptive lights.

Indeed, my previous car (LR3) had both adaptive lights and cornering lights and I definitely miss both. The headlights in the Q are pathetic by comparison, not just because of these missing features but also in terms of sheer output... that thing turned night into day! I was talking about adaptive headlights in this case though.

Haven't experienced the permanent cornering lights, however. What makes them better, if they're permanent?

They are usually set to come on when you take a sharp turn at low speed or when you turn on your side indicators. in my LR3 they used to light up entire parking spaces to the side of the car, as well as the sidewalk when turning in residential streets (very useful for spotting pedestrians)

I was indeed referring to Audi Adaptive Light, which pivots around corners up to [I believe] 15° in either direction. I really love them; had them on my 2006 A4 Avant and they work just as well on the Q5.

Haven't experienced the permanent cornering lights, however. What makes them better, if they're permanent?

The cornering lights are aim more like 45 deg, so it lights up the road you are turing into much better.

Dev330!
You start this thread 1 year ago.
You sign show 2010 Q5 wit Prem+ ?
Where is a pics for Q5 lovers? http://forumkiev.com/images/smilies/dntknw.gif

I have the prestige in my A 5 keyless entry/start . I have premium plus in my Q 5. I really miss keyless entry.
I end up getting in the Q with key in my pocket and looking for the start button.I guess if u never had it u won't miss it.