I am considering a used 2010, 2011 and 2012 Audi Q5 in the same price range so with each year there are more miles…any insight into the decision? Thanks!!
Insight ? Yes, buy the Red one.
Audi’s are not known for being very reliable. So any guess is a wild guess. Get a copy of consumer report and see how these models have done. Also check Audi forums.
As a rule of thumb, the 1st model year of a redesign tends to have more issues, so if all these are the same style, I will go with the newer.
None of those there unless you have very deep pockets and a lot of patience with repair shops. All three are bad news, as pointed out already.
I have driven a 2010 S4 for the last 4 years and had no issues…very reliable…do not want to sell but I need more space because the kids are getting bigger and we have a dog…i hope I can find a Q5 equally reliable!
That sounds bad, can you share your repair experiences? Consumer reports lists this vehicle as average with the 4 cylinder and above average with the 6 cylinder. What is the most common failure?
Leaning toward a 2011 Q5 premium plus with around 50k miles…
I would research carbon buildup on these, that has been an issue, might be better some years than others. I’d also ask around at Audi forums.
+1
Surprisingly, CR has shown fairly-good to very-good reliability ratings for Audis over the past couple of years.
I suspect that, in their bid to dominate the German market, they have taken quality issues to heart.
All of that being said, I would not risk the purchase of ANY European used car whose warranty coverage had already expired, as the repair costs for European models tend to be “yuge”.
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I just looked at Edmunds and I can’t understand paying that kind of money for a used expensive to maintain vehicle . That kind of money will put you in a new vehicle with warranty. Of course you might have to use the back entrance to the country club if you don’t have an over priced European luxury vehicle. Disclosure: We have a 2010 V 70 Volvo but it was purchased new.
Consumer Reports says that reliability for all 3 years is average in the segment. I would buy the one in the best condition. After 5 to 7 years, condition is the biggest differentiator for a used car. Take a good, long test drive on local streets and the highway to see if you like the ride. This is especially true for the 4-cylinder.
And, have each one inspected by your mechanic.
I can’t resist… remember,you asked for opinions.
I think you’re buying a car you cannot afford. If the Audi you want was economically realistic for you, you’d be looking at new Audis, not trying to find a good late-model used one. One problem with buying a late-model used car of ANY make is that there’s probably a reason it’s back in the market so soon… and that reason may be an unsolvable problem the car or even an accident. I’ve seen too many cases of people buying late-model used cars being stuck with the original; owner’s problem.
My son traded his year-old A4 in for a new Audi "Quattro"station wagon (cross-vehicle perhaps… I honestly don’t know the model) when he became a family man. But cost wasn’t an issue. I don’t believe people for whom cost is an issue should be looking at luxury cars.
Please don’t be offended, I’m simply trying to offer honest feedback that might help.
If I were planning to buy an Audi as new as 2012 I would buy a Certified Pre-Owned Q5. It will come with a warranty. Then your concerns about which is better, how much might repairs cost, etc. are gone. You may need to buy a newer, slightly more expensive one, but if you are shopping value, the tree up which you are barking is not your tree. A fixed cost of ownership has a value that goes beyond just the dollars and cents.
Certified Pre-Owned— All that means is that it is certified to be a used vehicle and cost more.
Costs more, that’s for sure. But CPO cars come with warranties from the manufacturer, which in the case of a used premium vehicle can be a good value. Many CPO vehicle owners can own the CPO car they buy for a few years and never have it be out of warranty. The CPO warranty can also be transferred in some cases, but it varies from brand to brand. The upside there is when you sell-on a CPO car still covered by its warranty, you get a higher return because the new owner can get anything wrong with the car repaired - at no cost.
Somehow I doubt that.
In many cases certified pre-owned used cars do come with a manufacturer warranty… but that’s only because many are very late model low mileage, and still within the limits of the original warranty. All CPO really means is that the vehicle has undergone a thorough check and usually had any problems repaired prior to being offered for sale again. Those beyond the OEM warranty often also come with 30-day dealer warrantees, not to be confused with the manufacturer’s warranty. All warrantees have limitations, even new car warrantees, and with used cars particularly it’s important to understand what they are. You might be able to get a used car dealer to show you… but the use of prybars on the salesman is soooo messy.
As already mentioned, a new car dealership checks tradeins thoroughly and offers only the best as CPO used cars. All others are sold a “closed” auctions not open to the general public. Some large used car dealers get the best of those auctioned, and the rest go to small, private, often shady used car dealers.
You pay a premium for CPO used cars at a new car dealership. Theoretically that buys you better odds. Personally, when I see a late model used car back on the market, I always wonder why. My experience has been that there’s almost always something wrong with it, and it often can’t be fixed. Your odds IMHO are not good. The exception might be when rental car agencies sell off their stock. They replace good late model cars to keep their stock fresh, and most of them should be safe bets.
A friend’s wife drives a new Lexus ES and wants it replaced every two years. He goes along with it because, well, you know why. I’m sure there are others. A lot of these late model cars are just coming off lease. There is a chance for abuse of leased cars, but I think most people keep up with maintenance.
My personal feeling is that people who keep up with vehicle maintenance is a lot less than those that do.