hyboost

Picked up an SQ5 a few weeks ago to replace the wife's aging Cayenne and immediately had all sorts of plans for it. I wanted it lower, I wanted it wider, but had to keep it relatively tame since it is her daily. So the upgrades started right after delivery. Here is a quick list of mods:

KW V2 Coilovers
Alu Kreuz
SPC Control Arms
21x10.5 AG590 Brushed Gunmetal Bespoke III Custom Offset
Yoko Advan Sport 295/35/21
Caractere Flares (custom trimmed for OEM bumper)
Dynavin DVN-A5 headunit
Veyron V-Link MirrorLink
Euro Sunvisors

A few people to thank that contributed to all this:

Jason @GetYourWheels - worked with me patiently as we figured out the offsets and custom finish
Alex @TAGMotorsports - helped me to source the Caractere parts quickly
The guys @USPMotorsports - supplied various suspension pieces

And of course my old man and the guys @MRAutoClinic. I keep coming up with stuff and they spend a crazy amount of time to carefully install everything. They do their magic on my E30 M3 race car, my IS-F and now the SQ5. Couldn't do any of this without their help. Now on to the pics...

Delivery:


Parked at home:


Lowered:



And here are the pics with it all installed...






















And here are some close-ups of the wheels. I've been running HRE and ADV1 on all my cars in recent years but I have to admit that these are great looking wheels for the money. GetYourWheels gives you the option of custom offsets and custom finishes and the AvantGarde wheels and the cost for all 4 was pretty close to what 1 ADV1 wheel cost me. Can't beat that and if the wife curbs it, I won't cry about it.

scrmorling

Great pics. Looking very good. How much did the coil overs lower it? Steve

hyboost

We set it down exactly 2" but may adjust it a little more. I wasn't sure how much clearance I would need for the wide wheels. I need to make sure that under full compression, the fender and flares don't make contact with tire.

Nick3753

Looks amazing. How is the ride quality compared to stock?

2014Q5

Beautiful.

USAVAGEU

Really nice job! First mod Im looking to do is lower mine just about an inch...or to whatever the Euro spec is, and I'll also be adding about 10mm spacers, as I very much like the factory 21" wheels.
I'm curious about how much more lateral g forces you'll be able to grab with the lowering and wider stance. I keep looking for skidpad numbers for the Macans because I'm starting to wonder just how much better the Macan is.I hear a lot of people talking but the fact is, not many of them have driven either an SQ5 or a Macan, and most comparisons I've seen are the Macan and the Q5.....Apples and oranges.
So I'm thinking that with a little bit of work, I just might end up with a Macan beater.
Yeah, I know Porsches are just so damn awesome, but there are reasons I wanted the SQ5 instead of a Macan, and I happen to think this car is pretty damn awesome too.

4ondafloor

Best looking Q5 I've seen! Nice job!

Coolieman1220

And how does the adaptive suspension work when lowered?

scrmorling

No adaptive suspension on the SQ5. Steve

hyboost

Thanks guys.

The suspension changes really tightened up the ride. Stock wasn't bad, but a little loose and top heavy in tight corners. Now its flat. I followed my wife into a 90 degree corner a couple days ago and she did her best to leave me behind. Watching the SQ5 from behind, it took the corner at a pretty fast rate and it was completely flat with no body roll.

As far as how it feels...I would say its a lot more precise. Not harsh at all and not floaty (as I have experienced with other suspensions on other cars in the past). Rebound on the KW's is amazing. When you hit a hard bump or surface change at speed, it takes it well and bounces back very quickly. When you roll through a larger dip, the car doesn't sway or bounce. It stays planted.

Best way I can compare is if you ever drove a regular BMW 3 series and then got into the same body style M3. That's stock SQ5 vs KW with Alu Kreuz. Its slightly firmer, less floaty and MUCH quicker to respond to anything on the road.

I love it and the wife was pleasantly surprised. She was expecting to give him a lot of the comfort and even with the 21" wheels, its very smooth.