modocrat
Well-known member
I’m no expert at this thread business so don’t grab your popcorn…
So with the X3 having turned 7 (owned it for 4, also the first car to have found a place in the stable for more than 1.5 years), the thought of replacing it with something newer crossed my mind a few times. I advertised the car, got some hits but was in two-minds of actually selling it. This is the first time this has happened to me, yes, that’s how much I actually liked it. As most of you know, the F25 20d is an amazing car. It’s extremely hard to fault, except when your foot is flat out at 170km/h and you need some extra grunt.
Some (minor) electrical gremlins had crept-in in the last few weeks prior to me selling it which sped up the decision to upgrade. Replacement options were limited, it had to be an SUV as you can’t really go back to a sedan. Cock-blocks, I mean children and their school fees together with bond repayments mean cheaper toys for Dad.
So why the Q5 you ask… ok maybe you didn’t ask but I’ll tell you anyway..
One of the main reasons being; Audis Freeway plan can be extended up to 10 years and 300,000km and costs approximately R15k a year (time only), compared to BMWs 7 years @ R25k P/a.
I looked at a few G01s; I don’t particularly love how they look without the Adaptive LEDs and most of them in my budget (MSport) were specc’d poorly, looked drab and only had about a year of plan or so left.
Enter my (November) 2020 Q5 40 TDi Quattro Sport S-Line Black Edition, with 44k km. Don’t ask me why Audi went ahead with this silly KW/power numbering thingamajig system. Everyone asks if it’s a 4.0L, LOL.
This is probably my 11th Audi, I think. I’m not new to the brand but it’s my first SUV with four rings. My previous Audis (except for my four TTs) did experience the infamous S-Tronic box issues, thankfully they were all still on plan at the time. This didn’t deter me from owning another one as I still have just under 2 years of plan left and I intended on extending it… If I still have the car.
S-Tronic VS ZF 8-Speed….
Chalk and cheese.. or Caitlyn Jenner and Gigi Hadid. You get the gist.
The S-Tronic (IMO, I think it has to do with efficiency and to save fuel) can be erratic and somewhat inconsistent on take-off. At times it doesn’t know if it wants to be a tortoise or a hare. The ZF wins this one, hands down. Not between your legs please.
Interior quality is excellent, controls and buttons are of a high quality and the seats are comfy. My biggest gripe is finding my optimum driving position when I drive the car after the wife, as it has the silly pull-up/push-down lever to adjust the seat height which is now also found in the G-Series models. My F25 was perfect WRT this as I just had to lift the lever and my ass would drop to the floor, back-rest straight-up of course. Electric memory seats would have been great.
Finding a nicely specc’d Q5 with virtual cockpit is like hen’s teeth so when this one popped up, I didn’t waste too much of time. The virtual cockpit is just perfect, you can rotate between different screens and minimize the dials if you want to.
The ride quality with the lack of run-flats is noticeably softer than the F25.. It’s like driving on a bed of soft boobies.. The Q5 runs a square setup of 255/45 20 compared to 245/45 and 275/40 19 on the X3.
Luggage space seems to be about the same as the X3 but I’ll truly know how much it can swallow (stay with me) on a weekend away with the family.
The LED lights (optional extra) look much better than the standard xenons and are superb at night.
Power is the same as the 20d; 140kw and 400nm however they deliver their power differently. I did a few highway runs and it didn’t disappoint.
Consumption is on par with the F25.. Pathetic on short runs, which is what the mommy-wagon is mainly used for. The dealer had given me a full tank upon delivery and the range was a whopping 930km. I found myself at the bowser 500km later 🥲🤣
I hope this excerpt from Fifty Shades has not left you wanting more coz I’m no novelist.
So with the X3 having turned 7 (owned it for 4, also the first car to have found a place in the stable for more than 1.5 years), the thought of replacing it with something newer crossed my mind a few times. I advertised the car, got some hits but was in two-minds of actually selling it. This is the first time this has happened to me, yes, that’s how much I actually liked it. As most of you know, the F25 20d is an amazing car. It’s extremely hard to fault, except when your foot is flat out at 170km/h and you need some extra grunt.
Some (minor) electrical gremlins had crept-in in the last few weeks prior to me selling it which sped up the decision to upgrade. Replacement options were limited, it had to be an SUV as you can’t really go back to a sedan. Cock-blocks, I mean children and their school fees together with bond repayments mean cheaper toys for Dad.
So why the Q5 you ask… ok maybe you didn’t ask but I’ll tell you anyway..
One of the main reasons being; Audis Freeway plan can be extended up to 10 years and 300,000km and costs approximately R15k a year (time only), compared to BMWs 7 years @ R25k P/a.
I looked at a few G01s; I don’t particularly love how they look without the Adaptive LEDs and most of them in my budget (MSport) were specc’d poorly, looked drab and only had about a year of plan or so left.
Enter my (November) 2020 Q5 40 TDi Quattro Sport S-Line Black Edition, with 44k km. Don’t ask me why Audi went ahead with this silly KW/power numbering thingamajig system. Everyone asks if it’s a 4.0L, LOL.
This is probably my 11th Audi, I think. I’m not new to the brand but it’s my first SUV with four rings. My previous Audis (except for my four TTs) did experience the infamous S-Tronic box issues, thankfully they were all still on plan at the time. This didn’t deter me from owning another one as I still have just under 2 years of plan left and I intended on extending it… If I still have the car.
S-Tronic VS ZF 8-Speed….
Chalk and cheese.. or Caitlyn Jenner and Gigi Hadid. You get the gist.
The S-Tronic (IMO, I think it has to do with efficiency and to save fuel) can be erratic and somewhat inconsistent on take-off. At times it doesn’t know if it wants to be a tortoise or a hare. The ZF wins this one, hands down. Not between your legs please.
Interior quality is excellent, controls and buttons are of a high quality and the seats are comfy. My biggest gripe is finding my optimum driving position when I drive the car after the wife, as it has the silly pull-up/push-down lever to adjust the seat height which is now also found in the G-Series models. My F25 was perfect WRT this as I just had to lift the lever and my ass would drop to the floor, back-rest straight-up of course. Electric memory seats would have been great.
Finding a nicely specc’d Q5 with virtual cockpit is like hen’s teeth so when this one popped up, I didn’t waste too much of time. The virtual cockpit is just perfect, you can rotate between different screens and minimize the dials if you want to.
The ride quality with the lack of run-flats is noticeably softer than the F25.. It’s like driving on a bed of soft boobies.. The Q5 runs a square setup of 255/45 20 compared to 245/45 and 275/40 19 on the X3.
Luggage space seems to be about the same as the X3 but I’ll truly know how much it can swallow (stay with me) on a weekend away with the family.
The LED lights (optional extra) look much better than the standard xenons and are superb at night.
Power is the same as the 20d; 140kw and 400nm however they deliver their power differently. I did a few highway runs and it didn’t disappoint.
Consumption is on par with the F25.. Pathetic on short runs, which is what the mommy-wagon is mainly used for. The dealer had given me a full tank upon delivery and the range was a whopping 930km. I found myself at the bowser 500km later 🥲🤣
I hope this excerpt from Fifty Shades has not left you wanting more coz I’m no novelist.
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