I will add more to this post as i think of things but here are some of my first impressions:

AMAZING!!! For this segment of car, i don't know how anyone would buy any of the other cars. Leave pricing out (which the Q5 will be competitively priced for sure) no other car in this segment (X3, EX35, RDX, GLK, RX350, LR2 HSE, XC60) is as well engineered, thought out, fun to drive, and as advanced as the Audi.

The new MMI 3G is simply stunning, and will go head to head and toe to toe with the gadgetry of the Acura and Infiniti. The graphics, resolution, and features the MMI 3G has are unmatched by any NAVI system on market let alone in this segment of Luxury Crossovers. The 3-D rendering of downtown big cities is cool, the smoothness of the graphics and screen changes is way nice, the availability of the 40GB HDD with USB/Mini USB/SD/iPod is trick, and the ability to play DVD Movies (when parked) with 5.1 surround is a nice touch.

more to come later and pics probably tonight. I got in late last night and was tired. I have a bunch of pics with about 40 minutes of video from my FlipVideo MinoHD that i have to sort through.

check back later for more or feel free to ask questions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hhvFAfl_6Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...annel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...annel

Modified by ProjectA3 at 7:47 PM 1/23/2009

Modified by ProjectA3 at 7:47 PM 1/23/2009

Modified by ProjectA3 at 11:00 PM 1/23/2009

Cross bars will be standard equipment on all cars because of how they detect a load on top of the car and recalculate the ABS system and traction control.

Once the crossbars are installed a circuit is complete and the cars knows to compensate for the extra weight on top of the vehicle. Even if you do not have a bike/skis/cargo box on there the car still compensates.

We did an active lane change manuver in a car without crossbars installed first and then in a car with them installed. WHAT A NIGHT AND DAY DIFFERENCE. With the bars off it feels like a normal ABS system and allows the car to slide and be a tiny more exagerated. But do it with the bars on and the ABS comes in sooner, gives the car more control and direction and brings things back to normal quicker. You could really tell what it was doing different right away. And remember this is a STANDARD feature on all of the Q5's while nothing else in its segment has anything like it. the roof rails will also support up to 220lbs of weight where most other will only do about 140-180lbs.
It will also tow 4,400lbs which is also segment leading.

I understand you might not be able to answer this since the "official" pricing hasn't been unveiled (to the best of my knowledge), but what is in the base package? I can probably extrapolate the cost of the package levels.

Thanks for posting your impressions

super

Audi Q5:
Wheelbase (in.) 110.6
Length (in.) 182.2
Width (in.) 74.8
Height (in.) 65.2


Modified by ed j at 1:47 PM 1-25-2009

Q5: 7.87 inches
Tiguan: 7.3 inches

http://privatelabel.carsoup.co...yles=
Not sure what kind of this site is but info looks correct.

Tiguan is 6.9, not 7.3. You can get this info right on vw website.

http://www.audiblog.nl/?p=10166

You'd be surprised...most of them will be elderly folks deciding that the D and R should be switched and plow on over some parking bumpers and say "well gosh golly, good thing this station wagon is set up so high!"

Coming: Custom Quad-Tips

You'd better add "NOT" in your statement since people come to SUV, ground clearance must be good. Otherwise, it looks like wagon station.

Plus Q5 and Tiguan has off-road capability so ground clearance must be appropriate.

c'mon now, do you really believe that ground clearance measurement differences are a make or break point in the target segment?

Luxury "SUV" shoppers are looking for creature comforts and the overwhelming majority will never see "off road" use. My 65+ yr old mother driving a Lexus truck is a perfect example

but no, no one will really ever use them that way unless they are driving a dirt road to go mountain biking or cayaking.

the 3 spoke steering wheel will only be in the S-Line package.