10-06-2018, 05:24 PM | #23 |
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11-11-2018, 05:10 PM | #24 | |
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11-12-2018, 06:57 AM | #25 |
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five years ago before buying my first x4 I test drove what all the car magazines claimed were its competition, Audi sq5, Macan, Mercedes. I found things about each one that I did not like but in general I agree the audi did not feel like it was in the same league. for me, at the time as I do not know what its updated design is, the macan had a serious issue with knock out dummy switches right smack in front of you along both sides of the gear shift and it wasn't like a knock out or two it was like 11. felt like a mazda GLC from my childhood. there was also a weird issue of body weight transition at the crest of and bottom of hills with turns which in my area is damn near every road. the mercedes had too much chrome on plastic and it felt like a dollar store special, they were going for glitzy but landed on old las vegas flamingo hotel chintz. like others here I too have certain things that are non starters like dummy knock outs and trying too hard to be something else.
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11-12-2018, 11:17 AM | #26 |
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Excellent write-up.
Both vehicles are on my shopping list next year...however Audi is in the lead for me. To run through this quickly... BMW looks better on the outside and has real exhaust tips. The BMW 6 cylinder is better than the Audi's IMO. BMW driving dynamics are slightly better...I was amazed at how good the audi was in this regard especially when pushing hard. The V6 in the Audi is world class just not as good as the BMW. Where Audi really knocks it out of the park is interior design, quality and refinement. It feels like a much better built cabin. The audi will also have significantly better resale value if history is any guide. For me personally, the BMW dealer here is also hard to overcome. At the end of the day, both vehicles are really impressive and I don't think you could go wrong with either one. The M40i is supposed to be great on the racetrack as well.
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12-07-2018, 10:09 AM | #27 |
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Thanks for such a great write-up! I remember seeing your post over in the Audi forum. I'm looking forward to taking delivery of our X3 M40i and having both the SQ5 & X3 in the driveway. It will certainly be a difficult decision every day!
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12-07-2018, 10:45 AM | #28 |
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Congrats on the X3! Yes, it's still on there but with a lot less visibility since they moved the OP to another forum. I have an X5 50i on order right now because I wanted something a little bigger. My X3 has been great for the past 13k+ miles and I'll be sad seeing it go in the next month.
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03-17-2019, 11:32 AM | #29 |
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I wanted to bump this.....
Bec, I was just given a X3 M40i as a loaner and did not even know what it was.
Pretty impressive vehicle and I was pleasantly surprised with it. Most of the tech discussed here is what BMW is offering these days so I won't get into it. I was very impressed by the exhaust note, acceleration and the size of this thing. BMW did a very nice job with this. US spec tail lights really bugged me (combined brake and turn signal indicators) but so does the one on SQ5. I swapped both the headlights and tail lights to Euro Specs. Euro spec headlights made a very big difference as their aim is different than what DOT allows. I wanted to add a perspective from MKI SQ5 point of view as I think Audi nailed it with the 1st gen SQ5. I custom ordered a 2014 SQ5 when they 1st came out and still loving it to this day. My test drive of the gen 2 SQ5 was pretty short as I was very unimpressed by it and as a geared, I am not buying a vehicle with fake exhaust tips! Technology aside, if one is considering X3 M40i, I recommend test driving a MKI SQ5 as a comparison. Performance wise its all there and it might save you tons of $$$ by going with a used SQ. Its interior quality is impressive, they still look good and performance is definitely up to par with the X3. But if you are one of those folks who are more interested in buying an electronic gizmo vs a vehicle of course go with the new X3. It sure was a very impressive vehicle.
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03-17-2019, 12:38 PM | #30 | |
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03-17-2019, 02:46 PM | #31 |
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On the first gen SQ5 the rear view camera takes an eternity to start working right after you start the car. Same for the nav system. Highly do not recommend (I had one for 3 years). The worst part is Audi had access to faster tech, they just didn’t bother to use it.
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03-17-2019, 03:27 PM | #32 | |
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May not be quite as good performance wise as the X3M40i but it's also a tremendous daily driver with a better cabin.
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03-17-2019, 06:14 PM | #33 | ||
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03-17-2019, 06:23 PM | #34 |
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Beyond being kind of odd (or ugly, depending on your perspective) like a tablet glued to the dash, SQ5 infotainment screen is NOT a touch screen. That turns me off as old tech, considering what they charge for the car.
In any event, it is not quite as bad as the 'obviously' fake exhaust. They did not even make an attempt to make it tasteful to fool the eyes of most people. This was the deal killer for me and I did not even consider doing a test drive. |
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03-17-2019, 09:53 PM | #35 |
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I have to put my 2cents in as I just got a new X3 M40i .
I had a Jaguar F-Pace S that recently got bought back due to lots of electrical problems as well as an engine failing. I've been researching cars for almost 3 months and never even gave the BMW X3 a choice as I didn't think I could afford it, but for an extra $70 a month it was a no brainer. I looked at : (I did not look at Porsche as the one I'd want is over $100K to be comparable). Alfa Romeo Stelvio Ti Sport Audi Q5/SQ5 BMW X3 30i/m40i Lexus RX350 Porsche Macan Land Rover Velar S/380S Mercedes GLC43 Until I test drove the X3 M40i, the Audi Q5/SQ5 was the best choice.. Until I had a more in-depth test of the voice recognition system and infotainment system of it. Tops : Performance : BMW X3 M40i, nothing even came close. Driveability (light throttle, in town, torque feel): BMW X3 M40i & Audi SQ5. Stereo : Audi SQ5 Digital Infotainment : This is 2 tiered. The Audi has the BEST digital cluster system (virtual cluster setup only). The BMW has the best voice recognition and adjustable options on any car. When I press the voice button I can daisy chain commands like google voice and it works 100% of the time. No other car was able to do this. The digital cluster in the BMW is also nice, but has no navigation/map display like the Audi. HUD Display : BMW, hands down. Exhaust Sound : BMW X3 M40i Headroom (I am 6'3" tall) : BMW X3 M40i Rear Legroom : BMW X3 M40i Rear look : BMW X3 M40i since it uses a REAL exhaust, not fake like Audi. Price : Audi and BMW were the most expensive (Other than Velar S380), but BMW gave me a deep discount on their last M40i on the lot with 70 miles. It was only missing the Adaptive Cruise Control, Wifi Hotspot/Wireless charging and HK stereo upgrade and still got it for $5K under the price the Audi SQ5 was going to be from 2 dealers in the state. I drive a lot and love driving, this BMW is my first but man, o man. I am impressed. Hopefully the electronics will keep working and no issues come up. Last edited by maximumeffort; 03-17-2019 at 10:08 PM.. |
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03-18-2019, 02:44 PM | #36 | |||
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Overall, X3M experience is so much better than Audi which was super nice to see. If X3M was around when we ordered the SQ, it would of been in our garage now. Heck, might convince Mrs to upgrade to X3M as it is her car...... I don't ever see myself driving an Audi.
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03-18-2019, 02:56 PM | #37 | |
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03-18-2019, 03:25 PM | #38 | |
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I prefer the BMW for some of the other reasons mentioned here, but trim quality, fit and finish, and overall build quality is just downright impressive on the Q5/SQ5 platform.
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03-18-2019, 06:43 PM | #39 |
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Never liked the Q5/SQ5. I like the A4/5/6/7 but never got into their SUVs, and while they have a modern interior design, their materials are of much lower quality than BMW and MB, they use more rubber and plastic specifically on the door panel (BMW/MB will put leather w/ stitching here while audi uses cheaper rubbery leatherette) and the door tops/dashboard where it seems to be a harder material compared to BMW/MB.
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03-18-2019, 08:19 PM | #40 | ||
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03-18-2019, 08:28 PM | #41 | |||
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03-18-2019, 09:02 PM | #42 | ||||
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