kga1978

Hi folks,

Thanks for all of this - super helpful. I should say that I'm not totally unconcerned about reliability issues, but reading the Jeep forums I really can't get a sense of how bad it is. If the car breaks down randomly (great quote Redd ), then I would definitely be concerned - you don't want to get stuck in the mud and need a tow out. The question is - is that really a concern? Are Jeeps THAT unreliable? If you read the Audi forums, you'll see a fair number of 'reliability' complaints as well (including my own) - are Jeeps special in that regard? Forums will likely attract a lot of people that have problems.

yocubed > really appreciate your comments here. This reflects what I had in mind and I'm glad to hear it's holding up.

apoelistas > yup, thought about doing something similar, but I really can't find any good options. If I could just jack up the Audi 2 inches and put some (proper) skid plates on it, then I might actually do that. But I just can't seem to find a way to do that. Are there shops out there?

HotRodW > I have looked at the Touareg previously. Nice car for sure, but I just don't think it fits the bill. Old styling, pretty expensive, and then at the end of the day, you really don't get that good off road capabilities. I really wish they had carrying over that from the older models - then I'd be sold! I love VW products - our other car is a GTI and it's incredible (unbelievable value too!). Toyota's - yeah, don't get my started .

HotRodW

I think part of the problem with any Jeep is the dealership experience. It's one thing to have a problem, but it's like salt in the wound when you don't get good service. When I was shopping, most of the Jeep dealerships I talked to didn't even offer free loaners. Need service? You have to wait, use the shuttle, or rent a car. $50k+ and you have to rent? I don't get loaners on my Touareg, either, which I think is ridiculous. Thank goodness Audi and VW owners share a very nice waiting area at my dealership.

HBarlow

My wife has a new Jeep Grand Cherokee Overlander V6. It's a large handsome suv on the outside and a plush luxury car on the inside. It is quiet, smooth, and comfortable on the highway. The navigation/sound system is based on a touch screen and very intuitive. Much easier to use than my Audi Q5.

She won't be driving it off road and I only drive it on rare occasions but it has air suspension which will lift to increase ground clearance by rotating a dial and also computer controlled four wheel drive.

Her Jeep only has 9,000 miles on the odometer so far so we don't have an opinion on reliability but I don't have any concerns about Chrysler products. I've put 700,000 miles on three Dodge duallies with Cummins turbo-diesel engines since 2001 with very few mechanical problems. Have never replaced a door lock, window regulator, etc. on a Dodge. I've replaced one water pump, front brake pads, sealed front hub assemblies at 210k on two trucks, shocks, and wiper blades.

Redd

IIRC a Jeep is really a "Fix It Again Tony" in drag these days, isn't it? But these days I wouldn't call anything Unreliable, compared to what was around 30 years ago. Too many damned sensor failures and such, but mainly they start and at least limp home most of the time, no matter who makes them.

You are more likely to find dedicated off-road components (like skid plates) for an off-road vehicle. Bear in mind the Q5 is AWD not 4WD and diehard off-roaders will tell you that's a serious difference. Shops that deal in skid plates at all are not common.

What you certainly can do, if you don't have an enterprising mechanic around, a real mechanic, is work out a deal with a shop. Get your car in the air, and use corrugated cardboard or 1/4" thick foamcore (available in sheets up to 4'x8') or similar "sign makers" plastic to mock up the outline and position of the plates. Glue as necessary to make a rigid 3D template. That's how it always used to be done for serious use when there was no mass market. Then you take the templates to any decent welding shop or metals supplier, and say "Give me one of these in 1/4" diamondplate" or stainless, or alloy, whatever you decide on. Then it is back to the mechanic to figure out how to attach it to your chassis without making those nasty "fold on the dotted line" holes in the car.(G)
Not quick, not simple, not cheap. But effective.

Or you could just buy something like a Unimog and drive past the guys in the Jeeps who are stuck in the mud.(G)

estallido

Interesting, I'm in the market for an SQ5 but my wife drives a 2016 Grand Cherokee. She got the 75th anniversary edition last year, loaded with the lux, tech and other assist packages. It had a MSRP of about 49k but I think we closed the deal for over 7k off that. They will really deal on these if you have competing dealers in your area.

So far, we love it. 18k miles and no issues whatsoever. It's not as refined as a Lexus but it has amazing off road capabilities and we enjoy all the comforts.
Pano roof, adaptive cruise with stop, heated and ventilated seats in front, heated in the rear, good tech in the head unit that even records your favorite xm stations for rewind. You can even save favorite artists or sports team favorites and it will alert you to when a game is on. Power steering column with memory, rain wipers, auto high beams, collision braking etc, etc. It's quite loaded.

Also has acoustic glass and good sound insulation, it's very quiet on the road. My only gripe is I wish it had better bolsters in the seats but the Trailhawk does. Also, others have stated the seats are slab like and very firm and while this is true, I have not found them to be uncomfortable on extended drives. I think my longest so far is about 7 hours.

We have the v6 and average about 22mpg overall with the auto stop/start feature and we manage to exceed the 25mpg highway rating on long trips fairly easily. Power is very adequate and I do not find it lacking, pass on the hemi unless you tow. The V6 is lighter too and it drives lighter because of this. If i want speed, that's the SQ5

Too bad the Trailhawk was not out yet when we purchased, we'd have gotten that for sure but it does have the air suspension which is a bit wallowy compared to our street biased 75th. Folks have tackled the Rubicon with the Trailhawk, it will probably go places you might not ever venture to!

The instrument cluster center is a large LCD and you can cycle through many options to display but I do long for a robust HUD. Maybe 2018?

Good luck

kga1978

Folks, thanks for the additional insights - HBarlow and estallido, I really appreciate you sharing your owner experience.

I have heard mixed reviews on the air suspension, so I definitely need to consider that - haven't compared +/- that over rough roads, but it sounds like that's something I'd definitely want to do. Or hey, I'll just go with that Unimog . That'd be awesome!

SJGQ5

My vote = Yes

estallido

Be sure to drive one with and without the air suspension but to do so means a trim other than a Trailhawk, They only come with the air ride.

Since we just do fire roads and some very modest off road when we camp and hike, we went with the steel spring setup with the 20's. It's a good compromise for the soccer mom Sure, it's an asphalt lovin Jeep but can venture somewhat into the dirt in a pinch. It handles snow well but is a bit more engaging to drive daily than the air suspension. I've considered new rims for dedicated off-road tires should my ambitions change.

I'd sure like to see Audi build a beefy trail rated Q5 I bet it would do well.

kga1978

Trail rated Q5.... YES please!!!!

apoelistas

Ditto.
Spacers: https://www.spaccer.com/en_US/makes-...s/audi/q5.html

• Increased clearance - 12 mm, 24 mm, 36 mm or 48 mm (.47 in, .94 in, 1.42 in or 1.89 in)
• For 1.89" lift front and rear axle spacer kit the cost is 1,175.80 USD.
• For 1.42" lift front and rear axle spacer kit the cost is $ 881.80 USD.

Because I do not have experience in VCDs, I cannot advice if it is possible to give new tyre dimensions to the ABS/ESP controller. The aim is to increase the height of the tyres using same rims.

E.g. my Q5 tyres are 235/55R19 (8J rim). I could fit 235/60R19 or 235/65R19 (or 245 or 255 width tyre). But I am not sure if Audi gives this option in VCDs. (you do not want to have the tpms error). I dont know if the speedometer reading also gets recalibrated too.

Maybe an experienced VCDs Q5 user can advice??? Would be nice to have more knowledge on this. After searching google, It seems that the adjustment is a setting in the instrument cluster controller.

I need to check if the following is correct and applies to Q5. See picture below.
[17 - instruments]
[07 -coding]
[Long Code Helper]
Byte 3, bit 02
the setting is "05 Tire Circumference:"

Lastly:
Will the steering wheel alignment be fine (within limits)?? I dont think upto 1.5-2" lift will create any problems.
Will it look good? Mine needs larger diameter tyres to cover some distance to the wheel arches Maybe there are aftermarket wider fenders?
Will HID Xenon self adjust correctly?? (my wifes SUV did).
How will the tyre size affect the fuel economy?
Do I need to get my Car modifications legal because the tyre size is not in the COC and the springs are not OE?? Not sure about spacers if we need acceptance.

Here is my wifes SUV example with 3cm H&R lifting springs. Now I need to add higher diameter tyres in order for it to look better at the fenders (will also gain 6mm ground clearance). The Honda diagnostic, ABS controller setting, allows me to configure tyre diameter. (e.g with 225 60 R18 stock tyres (7J rim): I think I have 3 options: 225 65 R18, or 235 60 R18, or 235/65R18). Steering wheel alignment was within limits so no stability issues. It is still not an off road SUV because its clutch type rear differential has only 40% rear torque capability, and its cooling capacity is limited (overheats if stressed), and it has no center differential for locking purposes. I wanted to protect the belly because 2.0l has no engine protection while doing some off road driving, so I added the lifting springs. (you can see the floor/ground when you open the engine hood and it is really dirty from rain water) Also its torque capacity is only 192Nm but space wise it is similar to my Q5.

Maybe it will be a good idea if you will proceed with this, to start with the tyres first and the VCDS adjustment (instrument cluster). If you are happy about it, and it does not cause any issues, then you can proceed with the lifting spacers (or springs). I started with the reverse order, but either way it is fine.

On my Q5 I am concentrated at the moment in other improvements (I have a lot to do and no time).