Question: Macan vs Audi Q5 - Anyone considering moving?

[VanB]

Having had a Macan and a Q5 at the same time there is no comparison. Although both use the same platform the Macan (don’t know about the new one) has over 70% different components and drives completely differently. IMO the Macan is in a totally different league and far superior to the Q5.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Leesparky]

I had the Q5 3.0 TDI for 2 years and upgraded to the Macan SD last June.

It’s a totally different car in every respect.

Quality, drive, feel, look, and, above all; the handling. The Q5 rolled and tipped round corners. The Macan drives round them like a sports saloon. I still don’t understand how the laws of physics don’t seem to apply to the Macan - it’s almost magical!

I now have the TDI tuning box on, so my Macan is now an SQ5 eater too


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[peter7]

I had the Q5 3.0 TDI for 2 years and upgraded to the Macan SD last June.

It’s a totally different car in every respect.

Quality, drive, feel, look, and, above all; the handling. The Q5 rolled and tipped round corners. The Macan drives round them like a sports saloon. I still don’t understand how the laws of physics don’t seem to apply to the Macan - it’s almost magical!

I now have the TDI tuning box on, so my Macan is now an SQ5 eater too


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Did you fit the tuning box yourself ... do you use it just for performance or efficiency too?
What benefits have you seen ?how long have you been using it ?

[Leesparky]

I had the Q5 3.0 TDI for 2 years and upgraded to the Macan SD last June.

It’s a totally different car in every respect.

Quality, drive, feel, look, and, above all; the handling. The Q5 rolled and tipped round corners. The Macan drives round them like a sports saloon. I still don’t understand how the laws of physics don’t seem to apply to the Macan - it’s almost magical!

I now have the TDI tuning box on, so my Macan is now an SQ5 eater too


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Did you fit the tuning box yourself ... do you use it just for performance or efficiency too?
What benefits have you seen ?how long have you been using it ?

Just got a local mechanic to fit it (£30) to be on the safe side.

It has 7 levels (done via Bluetooth on the iPhone app). I keep it on level 1 for better fuel efficiency (and it’s still faster on level1!)

Level 7 is pure SQ5 eating silliness


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[peter7]

Thanks for that ... so you would recommend ? Any one else got thoughts on this ?
( sorry if this topic is covered elsewhere)

[Leesparky]

Thanks for that ... so you would recommend ? Any one else got thoughts on this ?
( sorry if this topic is covered elsewhere)

Yep, would recommend. I only have experience of the TDI Tuning box though. Looked at a few reviews online first.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[RichardS]

My SD is coming up for 5 years old soon.

Have my eye on a new GTS but in an idle moment took a Q5 55 hybrid for a test drive this week and was surprisingly impressed. The performance is pretty good in hybrid mode, not quite as punchy as the GTS but probably satisfying enough most of the time. I like the interior, the dash is more modern than in the Macan. Not much feel in the steering which is were the GTS is superior. Q5 feels lighter, but cornering not in the same league as the GTS.

There are some good deals around at the moment on the Q5 and I am unexpectedly tempted!

However I have loved my SD and not sure about the leap from Porsche to Audi. I have never owned an Audi.

Any views to dissuade me welcome! Would be interested if anyone else has tried the Q5 hybrid. One thing none of the reviews mentions is what happens when the battery has no range on its own. Does the regenerative system still provide electric power to boost performance or are you just on the petrol engine alone, presumably with a noticeable drop in performance?

Richard

[Madelvic]

I have just moved from an Audi S4 avant (estate) to a Macan. The S4 has superior handling but it's not an SUV and I am still pleased I made the move for all the other benefits that the Macan brings.

I also moved to a Macan from an S4 Avant (the supercharged B8). The Macan was bought as it ticked the most boxes as a very nice jack of all trades family wagon with 4wd, 95% of the time I’m happy with it, but the other 5% of the time I sorely miss the attitude and ability of the S4.
Back to the original post, after 7 years of Audi ownership I’ve been to a fair few Audi dealers, I don’t think I’ve ever even sat in a Q5. I know they are loosely in the same category as a Macan but they are squarely aimed at, and bought by, a totally different customer for the most part. I know many who have considered a Q5 but quickly dismissed the idea as they felt they were not good enough or premium enough to justify their price which, as you correctly point out, is pretty close to the cost of a Macan.

Me too: previously a B6 and B8 Audi S4 then a B8 RS4. I probably would have stayed with Audi as my daily if they had kept the petrol engines in the S4s. I enjoyed all three Audis but they were not drivers cars IMO. My Macan GTS rides and steers better than any Audi I've owned and in particular I think the V8 RS4 is much overrated. It did have a fantastic engine mind you.

I would consider a B9 RS4 (I had one on an extended test drive) but definitely not a Q5. The Macan drives better than it should and it is the finish that sets it apart for me. Autocar recently tested a £130k Audi RS6 but it is still an A6 with all the options.

As for parts sharing - that is just a fact of life that has been going on for a very long time - and makes economic sense.

Other factor - and you pay for it - but Audi service is not a patch on Porsche, again in my opinion and experience. Audi is a volume brand and it feels like it when you are in a dealership.

Actually one more thing - I'm a huge fan of PCGB and that alone is enough to keep me in the marque. I've attended many brilliant events. Nothing at all for Audi drivers

[MikeM]

My SD is coming up for 5 years old soon.
I like the interior, the dash is more modern than in the Macan.
Does the regenerative system still provide electric power to boost performance or are you just on the petrol engine alone, presumably with a noticeable drop in performance?

Richard

A hybrid setup can always drive power through the electric motors irrespective of held battery power as the increased engine revs when you accelerate creates electricity straight into battery and out to motors. Whereas electric only range is a wholly different affair, very limited with non plug in SUV’s. Had 4 Lexus RX over ten years, very refined and reliable but when you hit the gas always seems like a fight between both sources, if you like an engaging drive you are already driving the best SUV. Just IMHO re interior, I don’t get that all seem to want to stick a tablet on the dash to suggest it’s modern. I know which interior I would pick every time .

[On-Track]

A hybrid setup can always drive power through the electric motors irrespective of held battery power as the increased engine revs when you accelerate creates electricity straight into battery and out to motors.

The first law of thermodynamics states "energy cannot be created or destroyed". If the battery in a hybrid drive system is exhausted then the only available energy is the output of the internal combustion engine.

In a hybrid, the usual location of the electric motor is within the transmission where it will either take power from the battery to supplement that from the ICE or take power from the ICE to recharge the battery. I assume there is something in the control software that stops it draining power from the ICE during periods of maximum power demand.

In normal traffic conditions, it will be very hard to drive the car in a way that will totally prevent the engine from giving up some power to recharge the battery. But if you drive in electric mode until the battery is exhausted, until a degree of recharging has taken place the performance will be no better than a similar car fitted with an ICE only.