[rev_to_redline]

Originally Posted by Aurum

my advice is to keep it under warranty as many years as you can. I recently took the extended warranty for the 6th-7th years at the end of the 5th year (cost me upwards of 2.5 lakhs) and needed it a few weeks back.

Yes, I most definitely will. I was told by the sales team that it can only be bought once I am near expiry of already active warranty.

Originally Posted by Aurum

The one long drive we did was to my parents place in Kerala and back to Mumbai in the last week of 2023.

I look forward to reading about it more. I read your Q5 review multiple times way before I was really looking for a car and always enjoyed reading through it. Your line "A joy I experience every day, every drive" stuck with me and echoes whenever I take the Q5 out for a drive. It now comes with 260 horses.

Originally Posted by Amey Kulkarni

I'm a bit surprised though on the quoted dislike. What are your references? Hyundai Verna?

With the adaptive dampers especially, the Q5 will definitely take corners with confidence. I believe you need to spend more time to realize this or maybe what you are referring to is the steering feedback which is supple and could be a bit stiff but that's just Audi for you.

Steering feedback is definitely one of the reasons. But more than that, I feel it has to do with larger suspension travel, noise insulation and not so stiff suspension. On most stiff setting, body roll is more than Verna.

It isn't too much for a SUV, but it defintitely can't beat sedans. Or maybe I am too biased towards Verna as it was my first car and have (mostly) driven it solo and hard for 5 years. Q5 trips are rather sane with wifey and kid, where I constantly keep an eye on how the car is rolling. I hope what you say is right, and with time I get to used to slight body roll.

[Aditya94]

I too have a 2019 Verna 1.6 VTVT Sx(O) with the same colour and it has been an absolute pleasure to drive it. I too upgraded the tyres to the 205 55 R16 (Continental UC6) which considerably improved the NVH, handling, comfort and grip over the stock tyres.

The Verna 1.6 VTVT is an underrated car. In spite of the covid pandemic, the car had run considerable distance. I have currently clocked 62,700 kms on it and exclusively use XP95. Why my driving style, I get 12 - 12.5 kmpl (MID indicated) on highways. And just like you, I too have an itch for an upgrade and I plan to hold onto the Verna as a beater city car.

I have shortlisted the Tiguan and Verna 1.5 DCT. I did not like the Tucson for the way it looks. I am a sedan guy and nothing handles like a sedan on inter-city commutes at high triple digit speeds. Code6 has finally cracked the ECU of the Hyundai/Kia 1.5 T-GDIs. Stage 1 pushes upward of 200 Bhp and 350 Nm of torque. I am more inclined to the Verna 1.5 DCT now because it is much cheaper to own and maintain when compared to the Tiguan. Even a toned down tune pushing 180 ponies and 320 Nm of toque is entry luxury sedan area.

Any specific reason why you did not consider the Tiguan (apart from AS&S)?

Happy motoring !

[rev_to_redline]

Originally Posted by Aditya94

I too have a 2019 Verna 1.6 VTVT Sx(O) with the same colour and it has been an absolute pleasure to drive it. I too upgraded the tyres to the 205 55 R16 (Continental UC6) which considerably improved the NVH, handling, comfort and grip over the stock tyres.

The Verna 1.6 VTVT is an underrated car. In spite of the covid pandemic, the car had run considerable distance. I have currently clocked 62,700 kms on it and exclusively use XP95. Why my driving style, I get 12 - 12.5 kmpl (MID indicated) on highways. And just like you, I too have an itch for an upgrade and I plan to hold onto the Verna as a beater city car.

A rare colour to spot even on Gurgaon roads. But glad someone has same taste. Mine is at 84K KMs in under 5 years.

Originally Posted by Aditya94

I have shortlisted the Tiguan and Verna 1.5 DCT. I did not like the Tucson for the way it looks. I am a sedan guy and nothing handles like a sedan on inter-city commutes at high triple digit speeds. Code6 has finally cracked the ECU of the Hyundai/Kia 1.5 T-GDIs. Stage 1 pushes upward of 200 Bhp and 350 Nm of torque. I am more inclined to the Verna 1.5 DCT now because it is much cheaper to own and maintain when compared to the Tiguan. Even a toned down tune pushing 180 ponies and 320 Nm of toque is entry luxury sedan area.

Any specific reason why you did not consider the Tiguan (apart from AS&S)?

Happy motoring !

Both are good cars. Verna has been and will be a very difficult car to replace.

Other reasons for not going with Tiguan are somewhat outdated interiors, exteriors and lack of badge value at 40 odd lacs (possibility of A4 spoiled me here). But most important factor for me has always been "Ohh man, I want to have this car". Tiguan (or Kodiaq) never sparked that emotion.

[Jgill]

Originally Posted by rev_to_redline

[*]Also, I don't know if it is the right assumption, but due to the slim tires and lower car body weight to tyre width ratio, the car doesn't stay in a straight direction even on smooth roads. I have to keep bringing it back in a straight line with slight steering inputs. It doesn't feel like an alignment issue, rather the slim tyres.[*] Some USB ports are of type A, some are of type C. So, I will have to buy a lot of cables considering all the combinations of guest travellers vs USB charges.

The steering inputs sounds like an alignment/balancing issue. Please get this done at a good outside tyre shop.

For the cable problem, just carry a couple of these:
https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B0CG39R957/

[Aurum]

The car came back from the workshop a few weeks back - had sent it there for coolant leakage. Audi service is just like that box of chocolates from Forrest Gump - you never know what you are going to get on the day. A few months back, when my driver went there with the low coolant issue, they had a quick look, seemed to think everything was OK, and topped up the coolant for free. So nice, I thought! If it had ended there...

Obviously, there was something else that was wrong, and so in 2-3 months, we were back to a low coolant situation. This time, I asked them to do a thorough check. After 2 days of checking, they came back indicating that there was a pipe leakage, and no option but to replace it. They'll keep the car until replacement. How long? Without batting an eyelid, they said two weeks since the part has to come from Germany. In Audi's service world, it is absolutely fine to keep someone's car for two weeks so that they don't have to keep parts (it's happened to me multiple times before). No replacement offered.

Only six months back, I had paid 2.5 lakhs for extended warranty for the 6th and 7th years. Told them to use that. They said they cant since it doesnt cover wear&tear and rubber parts. This was definitely not a wear&tear part, and I went back to read the fine print about rubber. The warranty does not say it wont cover rubber parts. Fired the service advisor. He went back and Audi thankfully agreed with me. This experience is not for beginners.

Come two weeks, and I'm following up. Parts in delhi, will come in 2 days. After 2-3 days, on a Saturday, I'm told it will be delivered on Monday. On Monday, I am told it will be delivered tomorrow. On Tuesday, the guy calls me at 10 pm saying he is leaving the workshop to deliver the car by 11 PM. Told him to come the next day, and the driver's trying to explain to me why thats not possible because his morning is booked up. Obviously, I had to go into fiery mode again.

The cars all good and fine, and continues to be a joy to drive, but every time an issue crops up, really tests your patience.

[Aurum]

Over the next 6 months, its likely that I might have to get another car, not because I want to, but because of a company perk which will be wasted if I dont use it. Budget similar to the Q5, but its going to replace the Polo, not the Q5.

The family is keen on an EV - the form factor doesn't really matter. Looks like options are the Kia EV6 (wait for the refresh?), Volvo XC40, Volvo C40, and BMW iX1. If the EV9 is ex-showroom 80-lakhs odd, that could also be in consideration, but I dont think it will be. Any other options I am missing? I think the EV6 is Ioniq 5++, so not considering the latter. i4 is just too low slung for Mumbai suburbs, based on what I read.

I should probably post this in the Electric Cars section closer to date.