One month with 2012 Q5 2.0T

[cwdonahue]

We've had our 2012 Q5 2.0T Premimum Plus (Teak Brown over Black) for just about a month. Very happy with the purchase. We downsized from a 2008 Acura MDX given we don't need a family summer vacation hauler anymore. We also wanted to improve fuel economy, too. I own a boat that gets towed around on occasion. Given it's a 20 year old boat, the repair shop is its most frequent destination. I ordered the factory installed towing package and took a picture for those that would like to see how it looks. I am very happy with the appearance. Much cleaner than the MDX. I took the Q5 on its first road trip yesterday and rolled up 560 miles of highway driving over a very familiar stretch of Interstate 94 between Chicago and Ann Arbor, MI. The car reported 25.5 mpg one way (windy at that time) and 27.6 mpg coming back when their was no wind. When I filled it up before the return leg of the trip, I checked the miles driven vs. the fuel I pumped into the car and the reported fuel mileage was accurate. The Q5 has a firmer, more connected feel than the MDX and the steering feels more direct and centered. The ride is firmer and it was very apparent on a stretch of I94 that is clearly a candidate for repaving. You felt the bumps more. In general, the feel of the driving experience is fairly similar to my BMW 335xi. Doesn't quite handle like the BMW, but the Q5 is much taller with a higher center of gravity, so the laws of physics aren't in its favor. One thing I've noticed about the Q5 is the progressive throttle tip-in. You press down and you start off at a controlled pace. If you want more power, you need to press further. Given this, it makes it easy to stay "off the turbo" during city driving. I wouldn't classify the sound of the engine as throaty or thrilling. It's pretty tame even when you do get into the turbo. We've been getting 20-21 mpg around town which is very good. Press harder, the turbo kicks in, and the mpg drops accordingly. The eight speed automatic is very seamless which also makes it easy to stay out of "stop light racer" mode. The Q5 has lived up to its promises so far. Having owned three Audis in the past (1986 4000S, 1998 A4 2.8, 2002 A6 4.2), I was happy to be coming back to Audi and having another good ownership experience with the brand. Pictures below...

[cwdonahue]

OOPS. Had a picture fail. I need to try that again.

http://www.photoshop.com/users/cwdon...993f16112e2d1a

[Techm8n]

Love the color.

I also had a 2007 Acura MDX Sport/Ent Package. Then sold it for my Q5. Same reasons, didn't need the extra space anymore and wanted better gas mileage. And the love the exterior design of the Q5.

I had the Sport suspension on the MDX so it actually handled better than the Q5. But the steering is way better on the Q5. And the torque on this turbo is amazing.

[gat821]

Congrats! The Q5 is perfect for long drives. Still can't see pictures on the link you gave though. The page just throws an error.

[2012A4Q5Owner]

We've had our 2012 Teak Brown Q5 since September. My wife loves it. Here's a picture of it after we had it washed and detailed.

The other pictures are when I took it to the dealer to get the 5,000 mile oil change. I ordered Amsoil on-line and brought it to the dealer and they put it in for me. I need to get the differentials changed over as well. So far so good! Oil consumption has went away since switching to Amsoil. Glad to see that after seeing the complaints about the 2.0T TFSI having this issue.

The car is very comfortable to drive. The handling isn't bad. Doesn't sway so much like other SUV's around corners. Almost feels like driving a car as it stays pretty flat. It's so nice having the 4-cylinder with today's gas prices. On the highway with the cruise control I can see MPG in the low 30's at 55-60 MPG. That's amazing to get that kind of highway gas mileage. I rarely drive this vehicle. My wife uses it to go to work. She was driving it to school for several months. She used to get compliments all the time from her fellow students at the school.

[Cains10]

My wife gave up a 335xi (stick) for the Q5. You are correct, it handles like a sports sedan; major reason we got the Q over the competitors.

[2012A4Q5Owner]

Originally Posted by Cains10

My wife gave up a 335xi (stick) for the Q5. You are correct, it handles like a sports sedan; major reason we got the Q over the competitors.

The X3 also handles like a sports car as well. The X3 drives like it's on rails for an SUV. Germans do such a great job at making SUV's handle so well. I don't see why Asian and Domestic cars can't do this. It's not rocket science. Take a Hyundai Santa Fe and try to take corners at speeds that you'd take in a Q5 or X3 and listen to the tires squeal. That's not just a lack of fun, that's a major safety hazard. All SUV's should handle like the Q5 and X3. It's not a question of making the vehicle fun to drive, it's a difference of saving lives. Often putting a sway bar that's a few millimeters thicker will make a tremendous impact on the cornering. I wish I could pick up the phone and speak directly to the decision makers of car manufacturers to ask them questions about why they do or don't do something. It's like consumers have absolutely no say in the matter. All you can do is wait for a car maker to build the car and hope that it meets your expectations. They take zero feedback from the public on constructing the cars.

[Cains10]

I would like to be on Audi's survey list, if they have one; other manufacturers too. I do believe most follow forums of their makes and their competitors. So keep giving feedback.

I didn't even consider the X3 because of towing capacity and the X5 drove like a whale.

[2012A4Q5Owner]

Originally Posted by Cains10

I would like to be on Audi's survey list, if they have one; other manufacturers too. I do believe most follow forums of their makes and their competitors. So keep giving feedback.

I didn't even consider the X3 because of towing capacity and the X5 drove like a whale.

Why do you need towing capacity for? If I were going to tow anything, I'd buy a pickup. I would not be buying a small SUV.

I did not know the X5 handled like a whale. I thought it would handle pretty good. I test drove a 750i and it was amazing how such a large, heavy car could handle. BMW did a good job.

[HarmsWay]

Originally Posted by 2012A4Q5Owner

Why do you need towing capacity for? If I were going to tow anything, I'd buy a pickup. I would not be buying a small SUV.

??? I can't answer for Cains10 but why would I buy a pickup when I can drive a Q5 instead? I have a nice utility trailer and a tow package for those dozen times a year I need to haul something bigger than will fit.