Best SQ5 review yet. I just got mine 1300 miles ago and you could not have done any better. Not gonna argue with you about scores because I haven't driven those cars. Audi's best selling vehicle for a while now, so Audi is staking a lot on this new model and realize what they're up against with all the other manufacturers Alfa, BMW, Volvo, Mercedes, Maserati! for god's sake. So here's the deal, if you really like this car, and I do, then play your dealer up against these other brands. I Believe Audi has given them huge incentives to move Q5 and SQ5's. Got my $63,725 SQ5 for $56,890. Happy as a clam!
Most comprehensive auto reviewer. Always excited to see your reviews on cars I'm considering, to know what they would be like for everyday use. Thank you!
Fake exhaust TIPS, thank you Alex. EVERYBODY is complaining about fake exhaust. The exhaust is real. Frankly, I love that the tips are not connected to the exhaust. Less cleaning for me!
@1:04, those grill openings do not help aero, any sort of opening creates drag. Secondly, they feed auxiliary radiators (Intercooler), you can see them in there on each side. Source- I am an Audi certified & trained sales rep. No biggie, just throwing it out there. The SQ5 is one of the best packages available period for the price, that's for sure. Love them.
@@AAutoBuyersGuide Interesting! I can see possibly if there is a large air outlet, but (for example) the E-Tron SUV, over 40 MPH closes its grill inlets to achieve a lower drag coefficient for fuel efficiency. Any openings create turbulence and disruption of air. The smoother it is, the better the result. I didn't write the rules of physics, but unfortunately they apply to everything! If they are functional beyond cooling reasons, thats awesome for sure. Great review nonetheless!
Just bought a used 2018 SQ5... the ONLY thing I don't like so far is the gas millage... anything less than 22 mpg seems "expensive and wasteful".. and this car loves to drink that premium!
Then my Buick Envision 2.0T Prem would be the cream as it is as quiet, handles almost as good, and costs much less. With a ecu tune I'm see 350 lb-ft of torque.
Good job. Only thing that needs mentioning is the part on folding the rear seats down. My Q5 has a handle next to the seat was well as the release in the rear cargo area.
Because steering wheel position adjustment is not really a daily thing for 99.99% of the owners. Once you adjusted it to your optimal position, it will stay that way mostly till the end of the ownership. Therefore, very few people will complain about it, unless you have to switch drivers who have vastly body figures, frequently.
There is a foot of height difference between my wife and I so its a big thing for me. It's just interesting that you could get things like surround view cameras in Nissan's years ago and either couldn't or had to pay a great deal more in luxury cars. Shouldn't luxury cars be luxurious? Never understood why many come with vinyl and you get upcharged just to get leather. I can get quilted leather in a Kia for $30k.
My guess is that, the luxury car manufacturers have figured out some buyers just want the brand image to impress others and care less about what's under the hood or inside the car. These buyers would just buy or lease the lowest trim with the least amount of money, as long as the exterior looks almost the same. Such configuration fits their needs. Then of course, significant profits come from all the options to reach the "fully loaded" status. Those who can afford would still opt for all the options anyway. My previous BMW 550i had MSRP of 85K. Who would know that by looking at it from outside? Ironically, the more options you put in, the more depreciation hurt you will suffer down the road. All the premium options would mean nothing when selling the car. BWT, it got oil pan leak, steering malfunction, drive train malfunction at 43K miles, 2 break downs on freeway... Needless to say, it became my last BMW.
People who can afford a SQ5 usually don't need to share a car with his/her partners. Therefore they only need to adjust the steering wheel once per ownership.
I got the Audi SQ5 sport late August this year. While it is a great fun car to drive, there are some quirky things: 1. The door handles - when you pull to open the door, the handle goes upwards instead of outwards. It's like you are trying to open a butterfly door that goes upwards. Over engineering! Just let us open the door parallel to the ground please. 2. Drive mode selection - 2 buttons up and own. However, the sequence is odd and it's not easy to reach during driving. I would prefer the BMW type right by the shift knob and you know where to go without looking. Forward, more aggressive / sport mode, downward - regular /comfort. 3. Garage opener position - this is the most visible gripe so far. Audi, why do you put these buttons all the way on the ceiling even behind the moon roof buttons? The driver must take eyes off the road, fumbling to find the right button. I have a gate before my own garage so this would bother me multiple times every day. With typical rear view mirror buttons, you just reach forward and press the right button without any need to take eyes off the road. To do it 100% safe, now you have to stop or almost stop to do this. Neat clean simplistic mirror? This is a typical example of over thinking, reinventing the wheel, trying to make something different - yest it's different, and it sucks! 4. Many buttons need 2 or more pushes. For example, Max AC / AC operation. First you need touch the lever, then pull or press to adjust. You must at least peek to make it happen! These extremely frequently used functions should have dedicated buttons! 5. Not sure if its due to being a new car, the doors are hard to fully close. I'm used to soft close doors but these doors really require slamming! 6. Wind noise - not sure if it's just this car but I feel much obvious wind noise on driver side comparing to BMW that I owned. Well, I learned my lessons so I only lease German cars nowadays - no permanent damage here... 7. keyless entry is a bit sluggish. Sometime I have to grab the door handle multiple times to get it open.
Well, the things you describe I dont see them relevant in the moment of buying a car. Im about to buy this car. IVe got this weekend to decide if I go for the SQ5 or MB GLC43. I love both but in terms of cost-benefit, the Audi is a clear winner. It is has a lot of toys included by the same price as the MErcedes. The mercedes is sportier and I find the Audi a bit more classy and sporty at the same time. What elese can you tell us about the SQ5? Should I choose that?
Agreed about the doors. Just got mine and I completely left the driver's side door ajar on the first night. They do seem like you need to slam them to close.
Your review is comical no offense but you are very picky imo.... I just purchased this exact vehicle for my wife and I have zero complaints lol Tbh my Only isssue is the cockpit type feel but I drive a full crew size Nissan titan lol.... This vehicle is loaded to the teeth and drives awesome.... Zero issue with closing doors, locks... Anything.... Love the panoramic roof...better value than the x5 awd which we tested also.. Stop hating
İ think alex Owns a MB I’ve test driven the glc43 and the sq5 and thought the sq5 was a lot better than the glc (handling sound and interior) the only minus is the exhaust trim
You say Audi prefers styling evolution, but they've had three totally different looks since the 80s; they were boxy, then they went to selling one sleek car in several different sizes, and now they have the central grill design
Awesome review, too bad you did not have much time with the car. Question: is the "B-" ride based on the "auto" suspension setting or is the ride stiff even on the "comfort" setting. Thanks!
How come you never have the Acura RDX or MDX on the vehicle length comparison charts? Ive watched countless pf your videos and Acura is never there. Its one of the most popular CUV/SUV out there. Would be great to know how my RDX compares to Outback, Q5, Tiguan, BMW, etc. Keep the great vids coming!
@Alex On Autos can I borrow your brain? Why does Audi keep the engine so far over the front wheels when it has a longitudinal mounted engine? Meaning why can't they have an add system like BMW or Jaguar where power is sent to the rear and then the front? Is it because of the chasis? Just don't understand why Audi does so much engineering to try to counteract the engine over hang. What am I not understanding? I feel most wpuld prefer a rwd based awd system anyways
It's an odd one for sure. The best reason I can think of is tradition, marketing and expense in modifying existing platforms. Remember that every Audi made comes out of either the MLB or MQB parts bin so they'd need to cook up a new parts bin to make a major change. Once upon a time there was a weight and cost savings to have the front diff inside the transmission case but Mercedes and BMW have proved you can lighten things to the point that it's no longer an advantage. Audi also seems to prefer FWD over RWD when vehicles enter a 2WD mode, this could be ease of packaging a rear axle disconnect or for traction but either way it's easier to do this with a transaxle arrangement. On the marketing side, Audi has spent so much money making this layout competitive that it seems like they'd have to stick with it. The new A4/S4/A5/S5/Q5/SQ5 shifts a great deal of weight to the rear so while Audi has not released official numbers I'd hazard a guess that they are now more around 52/48-54/46% F/R which is closer to "ideal". And lastly, suspension tuning, tires, etc can have a big impact on handling as well, which is why in Car and Driver's test of luxury SUVs the XC90 and Q7 actually out handled the comparably priced BMW X5 (although it's worth noting that the latest Volvo SPA platform cars are actually closer to BMW weight balances than Audi weight balances).
They key here is: never trust a German when he sells you HP. Most of the European options play the game BMW invented where they make more power than advertised.
I'm also a BMW guy. But Alex have mentioned BMW refused to provide a new X3 for the test. Personally, I think BMW don't want any one to test the new X3 right now.
If i loved every single thing about with car, i would not buy simply due to the exhaust tips(or lack there of) ... what in the hell were the audi engineers thinking?
Best SQ5 review yet. I just got mine 1300 miles ago and you could not have done any better. Not gonna argue with you about scores because I haven't driven those cars.
Audi's best selling vehicle for a while now, so Audi is staking a lot on this new model and realize what they're up against with all the other manufacturers Alfa, BMW, Volvo, Mercedes, Maserati! for god's sake.
So here's the deal, if you really like this car, and I do, then play your dealer up against these other brands. I Believe Audi has given them huge incentives to move Q5 and SQ5's. Got my $63,725 SQ5 for $56,890. Happy as a clam!
Picked mine up 60,500 for 54!
Most comprehensive auto reviewer. Always excited to see your reviews on cars I'm considering, to know what they would be like for everyday use. Thank you!
Instablaster
Most comprehensive auto reviewer. Always excited to see your reviews on cars I'm considering, to know what they would be like for everyday use......
Fake exhaust TIPS, thank you Alex. EVERYBODY is complaining about fake exhaust. The exhaust is real. Frankly, I love that the tips are not connected to the exhaust. Less cleaning for me!
@1:04, those grill openings do not help aero, any sort of opening creates drag. Secondly, they feed auxiliary radiators (Intercooler), you can see them in there on each side.
Source- I am an Audi certified & trained sales rep.
No biggie, just throwing it out there. The SQ5 is one of the best packages available period for the price, that's for sure. Love them.
Odd because at the launch event the Audi designers claimed they had an aero function as well.
@@AAutoBuyersGuide Interesting! I can see possibly if there is a large air outlet, but (for example) the E-Tron SUV, over 40 MPH closes its grill inlets to achieve a lower drag coefficient for fuel efficiency. Any openings create turbulence and disruption of air. The smoother it is, the better the result. I didn't write the rules of physics, but unfortunately they apply to everything! If they are functional beyond cooling reasons, thats awesome for sure. Great review nonetheless!
Just bought a used 2018 SQ5... the ONLY thing I don't like so far is the gas millage... anything less than 22 mpg seems "expensive and wasteful".. and this car loves to drink that premium!
I think you deserve a million subscribers.
GLC43 was wayyyy more harsh a ride than the SQ5. The Volvo was like butter, but in no way can be compared to the Audi.
Then my Buick Envision 2.0T Prem would be the cream as it is as quiet, handles almost as good, and costs much less. With a ecu tune I'm see 350 lb-ft of torque.
I will say that braking score is crazy impressive. Very nice
I wonder if the 2018 sq5 is still worth getting?
I think you should do a top pick of midsize and full size SUV’s as a mash up.
Great review as always. Where about a was this filmed, looks great! Never been to the US before, on the “to do list”
Good job. Only thing that needs mentioning is the part on folding the rear seats down. My Q5 has a handle next to the seat was well as the release in the rear cargo area.
Would love to see you review the F- Pace soon!
Q5 looks really good but I can't believe luxury brands don't have power tilt/telescoping steering wheels. My $30k 2003 Murano had that.
Because steering wheel position adjustment is not really a daily thing for 99.99% of the owners. Once you adjusted it to your optimal position, it will stay that way mostly till the end of the ownership. Therefore, very few people will complain about it, unless you have to switch drivers who have vastly body figures, frequently.
There is a foot of height difference between my wife and I so its a big thing for me. It's just interesting that you could get things like surround view cameras in Nissan's years ago and either couldn't or had to pay a great deal more in luxury cars. Shouldn't luxury cars be luxurious? Never understood why many come with vinyl and you get upcharged just to get leather.
I can get quilted leather in a Kia for $30k.
My guess is that, the luxury car manufacturers have figured out some buyers just want the brand image to impress others and care less about what's under the hood or inside the car. These buyers would just buy or lease the lowest trim with the least amount of money, as long as the exterior looks almost the same. Such configuration fits their needs. Then of course, significant profits come from all the options to reach the "fully loaded" status. Those who can afford would still opt for all the options anyway.
My previous BMW 550i had MSRP of 85K. Who would know that by looking at it from outside? Ironically, the more options you put in, the more depreciation hurt you will suffer down the road. All the premium options would mean nothing when selling the car. BWT, it got oil pan leak, steering malfunction, drive train malfunction at 43K miles, 2 break downs on freeway... Needless to say, it became my last BMW.
People who can afford a SQ5 usually don't need to share a car with his/her partners. Therefore they only need to adjust the steering wheel once per ownership.
Then they wouldn't offer memory seats and driver profiles but they do. It's a cheap out so they can nickel and dime for everything.
I got the Audi SQ5 sport late August this year. While it is a great fun car to drive, there are some quirky things:
1. The door handles - when you pull to open the door, the handle goes upwards instead of outwards. It's like you are trying to open a butterfly door that goes upwards. Over engineering! Just let us open the door parallel to the ground please.
2. Drive mode selection - 2 buttons up and own. However, the sequence is odd and it's not easy to reach during driving. I would prefer the BMW type right by the shift knob and you know where to go without looking. Forward, more aggressive / sport mode, downward - regular /comfort.
3. Garage opener position - this is the most visible gripe so far. Audi, why do you put these buttons all the way on the ceiling even behind the moon roof buttons? The driver must take eyes off the road, fumbling to find the right button. I have a gate before my own garage so this would bother me multiple times every day. With typical rear view mirror buttons, you just reach forward and press the right button without any need to take eyes off the road. To do it 100% safe, now you have to stop or almost stop to do this. Neat clean simplistic mirror? This is a typical example of over thinking, reinventing the wheel, trying to make something different - yest it's different, and it sucks!
4. Many buttons need 2 or more pushes. For example, Max AC / AC operation. First you need touch the lever, then pull or press to adjust. You must at least peek to make it happen! These extremely frequently used functions should have dedicated buttons!
5. Not sure if its due to being a new car, the doors are hard to fully close. I'm used to soft close doors but these doors really require slamming!
6. Wind noise - not sure if it's just this car but I feel much obvious wind noise on driver side comparing to BMW that I owned.
Well, I learned my lessons so I only lease German cars nowadays - no permanent damage here...
7. keyless entry is a bit sluggish. Sometime I have to grab the door handle multiple times to get it open.
Well, the things you describe I dont see them relevant in the moment of buying a car. Im about to buy this car. IVe got this weekend to decide if I go for the SQ5 or MB GLC43. I love both but in terms of cost-benefit, the Audi is a clear winner. It is has a lot of toys included by the same price as the MErcedes. The mercedes is sportier and I find the Audi a bit more classy and sporty at the same time. What elese can you tell us about the SQ5? Should I choose that?
Agreed about the doors. Just got mine and I completely left the driver's side door ajar on the first night. They do seem like you need to slam them to close.
If you weren't lying, the GLC43 is 5x the car of the Sq5, not even the same category.
Your review is comical no offense but you are very picky imo.... I just purchased this exact vehicle for my wife and I have zero complaints lol
Tbh my Only isssue is the cockpit type feel but I drive a full crew size Nissan titan lol....
This vehicle is loaded to the teeth and drives awesome.... Zero issue with closing doors, locks... Anything.... Love the panoramic roof...better value than the x5 awd which we tested also..
Stop hating
Revelation 22:13 I don’t see why people love to hate on Audi.
Nice Review. I love the Car.
İ think alex Owns a MB I’ve test driven the glc43 and the sq5 and thought the sq5 was a lot better than the glc (handling sound and interior) the only minus is the exhaust trim
tonkguy lmao
Its a single turbo not a twin. Its hot V and a special one tho!
Please review the Macan S for comparison.
Nah, far too ugly to compete
You say Audi prefers styling evolution, but they've had three totally different looks since the 80s; they were boxy, then they went to selling one sleek car in several different sizes, and now they have the central grill design
Great Review
I would buy the premium plus version with no extras for 54300 (before incentives)
Would like to see a video on the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport 2018. How do it compare to others
Awesome review, too bad you did not have much time with the car. Question: is the "B-" ride based on the "auto" suspension setting or is the ride stiff even on the "comfort" setting. Thanks!
How come you never have the Acura RDX or MDX on the vehicle length comparison charts? Ive watched countless pf your videos and Acura is never there. Its one of the most popular CUV/SUV out there. Would be great to know how my RDX compares to Outback, Q5, Tiguan, BMW, etc. Keep the great vids coming!
Waiting for your X3 m40i review.
is there also anrear wheel bias for the regular GLC300 and Q5??????
waiting for your x3 review plz plz plz!!!
I wonder how much the 20" wheels worsened the ride. Too bad that smaller-diameter wheels are unavailable.
Do you have a glc review?
is there also anrear wheel bias for the regular GLC300 and Q5?
please review Velar. thanks
Single turbo, not twin.
Olive View Twin scroll, not single.
Yep. Did I let twin turbo slip? I had to keep correcting myself and one may have made it through....
He had accidentally said twin turbo towards the head of the review. Later, he correctly mentioned twin scroll.
Easy mistake. You were just thinking of what they should have put under the hood...
Is it faster than the CRV?
TG for a spare and not Run Flat tires that make noise and wear irregularly
I enjoy this channel a lot, but I wonder if this review will be in 4K?
It's showing in 4K on my end.
Alex on Autos I was being a smartass, you are by far the most detail-oriented automotive TH-cam channel out there. Take care.
@Alex On Autos can I borrow your brain? Why does Audi keep the engine so far over the front wheels when it has a longitudinal mounted engine? Meaning why can't they have an add system like BMW or Jaguar where power is sent to the rear and then the front? Is it because of the chasis? Just don't understand why Audi does so much engineering to try to counteract the engine over hang. What am I not understanding? I feel most wpuld prefer a rwd based awd system anyways
It's an odd one for sure. The best reason I can think of is tradition, marketing and expense in modifying existing platforms. Remember that every Audi made comes out of either the MLB or MQB parts bin so they'd need to cook up a new parts bin to make a major change. Once upon a time there was a weight and cost savings to have the front diff inside the transmission case but Mercedes and BMW have proved you can lighten things to the point that it's no longer an advantage. Audi also seems to prefer FWD over RWD when vehicles enter a 2WD mode, this could be ease of packaging a rear axle disconnect or for traction but either way it's easier to do this with a transaxle arrangement. On the marketing side, Audi has spent so much money making this layout competitive that it seems like they'd have to stick with it. The new A4/S4/A5/S5/Q5/SQ5 shifts a great deal of weight to the rear so while Audi has not released official numbers I'd hazard a guess that they are now more around 52/48-54/46% F/R which is closer to "ideal". And lastly, suspension tuning, tires, etc can have a big impact on handling as well, which is why in Car and Driver's test of luxury SUVs the XC90 and Q7 actually out handled the comparably priced BMW X5 (although it's worth noting that the latest Volvo SPA platform cars are actually closer to BMW weight balances than Audi weight balances).
Alex on Autos you are seriously the best! Thank you so much for the insight. Love learning from you. Thank you!
Those false exhaust tips are so bad😵 worst I’ve seen.
It's so cheesy...why the hell did they do that? It defeats the purpose of having a sporty crossover. Acura made that mistake and corrected it.
At this price point, there is zero excuse for fake, plastic exhaust. Eww.
2:35 Wow. I was expecting bad, but not that. They are completely hidden. Who was the genius that thought this up?
I can understand on the regular Q5, but on the SQ5?
What the hell are you paying extra for if you can't have real exhaust tips?
Thats atrocious, how can one purchase an Audi with S in the model that comes with fake exhaust
IS THAT A TWIN TURBO V6 OR A SINGLE TURBO V6
Twin Scroll Single Turbo
fake exhaust is so stupid, they should of been legit and left it clean and told people the pipes are behind the bumper facing down,
Love your car review videos. 3:54 the belly is showing
Li Fan who cares?
Li Fan loser
hahahahahahaahah
You like pork belly bro ?
The false exhaust tips are disgusting.
It’s not a twin turbo!
Fully loaded but has blank switches and buttons. Yikes!
Where's it made? I skipped the Q5 cause it's made in Mexico for US market..
Lexus RX sucks. Toyota can't create a really fast cars like this.
John Allen I love Lexus but agree on there terrible power plants. The new 2L turbo is awful
Blake Swan The most terrible that 3.5 300hp RX is much slower than 250hp Q5...
John Allen I don't understand what you are trying to say
Blake Swan I want to say that Lexus having more hp is slower than his any German competitor with less hp.
They key here is: never trust a German when he sells you HP. Most of the European options play the game BMW invented where they make more power than advertised.
So it just a hair faster 0 to 60 than my X4 335i? That don't make any sense. Its got 60 plus more hp.
Probably weights more then ur X4
First things first congrats on the 2017 AVA award video. I’m a BMW guy so I must tell you forgot the new BMW X3 M40i in comparison.
I'm also a BMW guy. But Alex have mentioned BMW refused to provide a new X3 for the test. Personally, I think BMW don't want any one to test the new X3 right now.
Yes, you are right. Thank you.
If i loved every single thing about with car, i would not buy simply due to the exhaust tips(or lack there of) ... what in the hell were the audi engineers thinking?
Work harder and buy a Macan
Ugh, no thanks.
Those exhausts are so embarrassing, 60k car and that's what they give you..