2021 Audi SQ5 Review: A do-it-all performance car | CarGurus 

Agreed

That green would look sick with the black package option

Funny you should say that - when I first saw this car in this colour months ago, I hated it, but over time it really grew on me, saw one a few days ago and really love it. I live about 5 mins walk from an Audi dealership so see loads of Audi cars on the road.

agree 👍 👍

@@Mysframe Would? It has the Black Optic package.

Haha I thought I was set for a jaguar fpace S till I drove the Audi sq5 🎉😂

I agree best Audi review that i've seen

wrap it

There is a kit to swap your fake exhaust to real exhaust quad tips. It looks amazing but does cost some money. It includes the tips, the rear valance with diffuser etc. very nice.

Totally agree. GLC interiors are so bad, I test drove recently and even asked the dealer why it doesn’t feel premium. They said “we’ll if you want the best interiors, you’ve to go for AMG line”.

No one asked for fake exhaust tips. No one. Not one person ever, in the history of the Audi vehicles ever said, “please sir, I want to buy your car but it has exhaust tips…I only buy cars with fake exhaust tips”. The exhaust tip things was a monstrously stupid idea to try and make people forget that their cars have engines and burn gas…gee I wonder if it was an over reaction by a company (VW) that had recently been embroiled in a diesel emissions controversy?

Forgive my simmering rage. It’s not directed at you…it’s directed at stupid virtue signalling car companies. Even pretending they have no exhaust is just a bad idea wrapped in a bad concept. Audi somehow believed that perhaps some of their customers (rich environmentalists?) were just holding their noses in disgust as they climbed into their Audi SUV. One could only surmise that Audi concluded that their customers are so fragile and stupid as to need the equivalent of an exhaust free safe space so they could drive their Audi with a clear conscience, knowing that if you can’t see the exhaust, it doesn’t exist. OR their customers are so concerned with image that they would prefer to try and fool everyone else into thinking this vehicle must be good for the environment. It’s like a little kid who plays hide and seek by covering his eyes so you disappear. Historically it would be like removing the hilt from a sword so no one thinks it’s a sword, even though everyone knows it’s a sword and thinks it’s stupid your sword has no hilt. The exhaust finishes a vehicle, Makes it complete like guilting on a fine picture frame, or flourishes on a pendant or a ring. We seem to be counting down the years to an all electric hellscape (and it will be regardless of your view on the environment, I’m not personally concerned about CO2 on any level, I accept all criticism, but don’t anyone try and convince me that electric cars will be better for the environment or cheaper to run. The nightmare electrics represent hasn’t even been slightly elucidated and their functionality beyond equatorial living far from certain…) I’M PISSED that Audi wasted years on this design feature. It’s sad. Ya clearly I’m emotional 😂 Please know you have my deepest respect for buying this vehicle. They are awesome and truly wonderful to drive.

@@TheLumberJacked I'll be honest; I don't know why I wrote what I did about finicky customers. Knowing myself though, I probably did some research before commenting. BUT, it still doesn't make sense to me why I wrote that. I've since read or heard that using fake exhaust tips gives engineers more options in that area. Not sure why or if I agree with that because there's a "hot exhaust" option available from Audi where one can replace the fake tips with real ones. One Audi dealer who has a RU-vid channel said it's for EPA reasons. I don't know how that makes sense either. I'd love to read about the rationale behind this awful design decision right from the horses mouths though. Mazda is doing the same thing with some of their new SUVs and I just don't get it! I say eliminate any indication of exhaust before putting fake tips on. Many of us are smart enough to know the difference and it is a major blemish on the brand!

@@TheLumberJacked Very well said.

I thought the same thing. Got the Integrated Engineering Tuning Module that pushed the hp to a bit over 400hp & 500 ft.-lb tq on 91 octane. It is exactly what I thought would make this car just about perfect.

That sounds like an awesome idea.. about how much did that run you and is it a pretty common modification? I won’t lie it feels like audi could have sent it with more power from factory, it’s not unheard of for a power package like what it has to do more nowadays. Congrats on the awesome car!

@@ChrisDavis333 Best decision I made. It was $900. IE & 034 are the 2 big ones that I've heard about. Really makes this car what it should be. Install was relatively straight forward. Done within 30 min. from an app on my phone, bluetooth & the module. It's really very common because it doesn't involve adding/removing parts, just a download to the OBD port. I was thinking about putting an intake on it to add a few more hp, but all the reviews said it makes quite a bit more turbo noise, which I didn't want. The "S" line for Audi is really not their AMG/BMW M line counterpart. That is their RS line, but doesn't seem like Audi really wanted to do that with this model.

0-60 is 4.7s stock

Yes, it's an LED strip to see your groceries or whatever you put back there, at night.

I drive a 18 SQ5. I mean they aren’t really comparable cars. The Macan GTS has 85 more HP and also costs $20k more. In many ways, I think the Macan Turbo & Macan GTS are why there’s never been an Audi RSQ5. VW Group wants to avoid competing with themselves. The Q5 is Uber-luxurious with enough power for 80% of buyers. The SQ5 fulfills the need of the next 15% of buyers who want (and are willing to pay for) a bit more power. The top trim Macans are for that top 5% of buyers who want (and will pay for) the most power they can get.

@@kurtisjroush I totally agree. I was thinking from a budget perspective. I never drove an SQ5 so far. I like the exterior shape and infotainment design with buttons. I will try it when I look for new car replacement.

They’re great cars. And with a Stage 1 tuner, you can get an SQ5 near 450 hp. But that voids any remaining factory warranty, so I’m waiting until mine expires

@@kurtisjroush If you live in an area with Audi dealerships collaborating with APR. You may try APR plus. It's similar to stage 1 tune (about $300-500 more expensive) and comes with a decent powertrain warranty. I have it on my Golf R. No complaint so far.

I was actually was torn between the 2021 SQ5 and the 2021 Macan GTS. Not only was the AUDI cheaper, but the deal breaker that kept me in an AUDI (from a 2018 SQ5 Sportback), was that the Macan GTS does NOT have a HUD! Or a Virtual Cockpit. The customizable screen vs the Dials is just so appealing. Glad I made the choice, love the 2021 SQ5 with the Sport Air Suspension!

Manual is a good thing for example less things to break down , for the screen well they save that for the q7 and q8 for a sleeker look , and yea I would prefer real exhaust but they don't sound bad.

Male*

If you refuse to buy cars that have fake things, I have some bad news news for you about exhaust notes. Good luck buying any car made in the past 10 years with over 300hp that doesn’t include some level of fake exhaust note.

You can option to buy with real exhaust. About $1300.00

@@kurtisjroush YES! Those are highly annoying as well. But not so much as fake exhaust pipes.

@@Origen17 Have to agree to disagree with you there. I also don't like fake exhaust tips on the car, but see those as no worse than fake hood vents (which is increasingly prevalent on cars these days). But at least these are just asking the obsever to assume its a functional piece of equipment without actively lying to the driver. Fake engine noise is a different story. The auto maker had to go in and actively program a sound to come through the car's speakers and simulate an engine that sounds more aggressive than it is. I hate it, but if I want to buy a modern faster car, I don't know of any cars which don't do this. It exists on my Audi S-series. But it's also on BMW M's, Mercedes AMG's, all American muscle cars, etc. I hate this feature so much, but don't see how I can avoid having it.

I am on the side of the Fake Exhaust being terrible. I own the 2021 SQ5 and one of the requirements was the availability of real Tips. I was rewarded when I put them on with even better sound than the standard downward exhaust. The New tips are attenuated and that can be seen from the perforations on the inside. Sounds perfect with the new Tips. As mine was one of the first ones in the country the Tips weren't ready so they had to be added. Now they can be ordered pre-installed, or still added to one that does not have it.