Hi there, new (well soon to be) B9 SQ5 owner

[Hostile]

Hey there, new member. Ok, well not really. I joined 11 years ago for a iphone 4 case group buy and came back to lurk a bit when I was thinking of buying a B9 a4 allroad.

For the last year 2 years or so my wife and I had talked about replacing my 2015 Launch Edition STI with something a little bigger that could do double-duty as a more comfortable daily driver for me and also to take over as a trip car for Mrs. Hostile's Mk7 Golf R. I was ready to get out of the STI but I wasn't thrilled with our options. We didn't want a big SUV but the way the market is going it looked like I was going to end up there but we also wanted whatever we got to fit in our garage. I had a feeling I was going to end up missing having a fun car...

In December of '19 the STI went into the shop for a engine replacement. The dealership was a bit backed up so it sat for a month or so. Then Covid hit hard and by March I was working from home. In the beginning of April the car was done and afterwards I had to return to the dealer 3 times for them to fix stuff related to the engine rebuild, one of which left me stranded and the car had to be flat-bedded back. I was really not thrilled to be coming and going at a dealership during the height of a pandemic. It was at this point that we decided maybe it was time to sell the car. I was going to be home for the foreseeable future and we really didn't need a second car. I plugged it into Carvana and their price wasn't great, citing the market conditions due to the pandemic. Given that we just decided to keep and see what happened. Come December, Carvana emails me claiming "hey, we want your car and we'll pay you more" and sure enough, they were asking $4k more than they were back in March. This was now a pretty good price and seemed like a great time to sell. So away it went.


(By the way, the transaction could not have been easier.)

My parents have a spare car so they offered to loan me one to use in the mean time. They had just traded in their '13 Highlander for a '20 Telluride EX (really nice btw) and have a practically-new '19 Accord Sport 2.0t. I asked for their old, beat-up '02 4Runner Limited but my mom uses that for her antiquing business so they gave me the Accord. Honestly, they aren't really big fans of the Accord. Being a sport model it's a bit harsh for them and actually a little too low for them to get in and out of.

The Accord has been sitting in our garage since then and been driven once a week or so for the occasional errand.

BTW, the Accord is a HUGE car. It's 16' long! It's 3" longer than the 1999 E-Class my parents traded it in for. It's a freaking barge. The amount of interior room is insane, especially the back seat.

Anyway, I really wanted a wagon and I immediately gravitated to the new Outback XT Touring but the Mrs didn't want us to buy another Outback after I sold the last one after 2 years to buy the STI (oops!). She also wanted us to get something nicer than another Subaru. That pretty much left us with 2 cars, a Volvo V60/V60CC or an a4 allroad. The new 4-door Bronco was also on the list but it was just too big for our garage and was a $53k truck the way I wanted it (Outer Banks with the V6 and a few boxes checked). So while looking at other vehicles and inevitably crossing them off the list I kept coming back to the A4 allroad, a car that I've been wanting on for a while. Specifically a Premium Plus in Navarra Blue metallic with brown ventilated sport seats, gray oak wood inlays, full paint finish, extra rear airbags and the Bang & Olufsen system.





So on Monday I'm about to text my GSM buddy to see about ordering the allroad and my wife says, "So...how much is the SQ5?"



Back in 2017 we had test driven an SQ5 when we had stopped into our Subaru dealer on the way to my parents house. We had become chummy with the sales manager there who sold us the STI and were dropping in to say hi. They had a '16 SQ5 on their used lot and we took it out for a spin while we were catching up with him. It was a beast. We had the Golf R at this point and it really felt like a big Golf R. We liked it and actually thought about trading in the STI right then and there (what the hell is wrong with me?) but it was expensive for us at the time and I would have had to buy winter wheels, it didn't have a backup camera, etc. After that test drive I've always had a desire for the SQ5.

Flash forward back to this past Monday.

me: "Huh?"
Mrs: "Hello..? How much is the SQ5?"

We start ticking some boxes to get it basically where the allroad would be and it's a bit more expensive but still doable. So we end up calling my guy and we ask some questions about options, incentives, etc. He mentions that Audi is dealing on left over 2020s so we leave him to it to see what he can find with the options we want. We follow-up quickly via text with some more questions and then we think about it for a few days. Basically there are no 20's left with what we want and we just didn't want to compromise on the stuff we wanted just to save a couple grand.

So Friday we call my guy back and we give him an order to put in on this:

• FYGS4A - 2021 SQ5
• WPS - Premium Plus
• M4M4 - District Green metallic
• EI - Black Leather/Dinamica seats
• PFW - Black optic package
• Q29 - 255/45 R20 all-season tires
• 9VS - Bang & Olufsen 3D Premium Sound System
• 5MK - Carbon Atlas inlays
• 4X4 - Rear side thoracic airbags

I had really wanted my next car to have ventilated seats but I just could not bring myself to get them in the S. You don't get the S embossing and the seats themselves just seemed less special since they are the same seats used across the entire brand for ventilation. I also bounced back and forth between the B&O system and the Nappa leather diamond-stitched seats. If I could have gotten the red seats it would have been a harder choice but they only offered it in the boring colors- white, silver, black. We stopped into a local Audi dealership on Thursday so I could hear the standard stereo and the B&O back to back. The B&O is being absolutely worth it, even the Mrs agreed it sounded way better. She also saw a TTS on the lot and had visions of it replacing her Golf R. We also saw an SQ5 there in Ultra Blue metallic which was another color we were slightly considering. It's a nice color but the green is just too damn special to pass up on.

We're looking at 4-5 months for delivery. If we can both get vaccinated by then we might consider flying up to get it and drive it home but more than likely we'll end up shipping it.

It's going to be a long 5 months...

Updates:
03/19/2021 - Order Created and submitted to factory
03/31/2021 - Frozen to changes
04/09/2021 - My car is in the build queue!
04/23/2021 - Delivery ETA is 7/7-7/27
05/17/2021 - In Production!
07/27/2021 - Production Complete
07/28/2021 - On the boat
07/30/2021 - It's done!
08/07/2021 - It's on a boat!
08/09/2021 - Houston, the eagle has landed!
08/12/2021 - On dealer site
08/13/2021 - Holy crap, it's already at the dealer!
08/26/2021 - Docs signed and shipper booked!
08/30/2021 - Driver assigned!
09/03/2021 - It's here!
09/19/2021 - OBDEleven changes!
09/23/2021 - Tint and Res delete
02/16/2022 - ABT HAS kit
02/26/2022 - Spacers
03/11/2022 - JB4
05/05/2022 - RocEuro Intake
04/09/2023 - Wagner Intercooler
12/05/2023 - 034 SuperDuper Insuction Bundle
12/09/2023 - 034 Strut Tower Brace

[subaruski]

Welcome, recognize ya from Vortex.

Did you pass on the sport pack? I'd highly recommend it for the sport diff and air suspension.

[Hostile]

Oh hey! I did pass on it. While it would have been nice to have, it would have stretched our budget a bit too far.

[cyclezib]

Oh hey! I did pass on it. While it would have been nice to have, it would have stretched our budget a bit too far.

Having owned a SQ5 without the sports package and now owning a B9 SQ5 with it, the two cars drive completely differently with the sports package resolving much of the handling issues. The car drives much more like a S4 than how the non sports package car drives like a SUV.

There is a reason why we are allowed to spec out our cars. Some options are more important to some people than others. While, I'd skimp on special colors and optics in favor of drivability, my choice is not more valid or reasonable than somebody else's choices. My point is that if you are buying the SQ5 for a performance driving experience, you may want to test drive the car with and without the sport suspension.

[subaruski]

Yup, regrets will be had.

Having owned a SQ5 without the sports package and now owning a B9 SQ5 with it, the two cars drive completely differently with the sports package resolving much of the handling issues. The car drives much more like a S4 than how the non sports package car drives like a SUV.

There is a reason why we are allowed to spec out our cars. Some options are more important to some people than others. While, I'd skimp on special colors and optics in favor of drivability, my choice is not more valid or reasonable than somebody else's choices. My point is that if you are buying the SQ5 for a performance driving experience, you may want to test drive the car with and without the sport suspension.

[SctsOut06]

Hey there, new member. Ok, well not really. I joined 11 years ago for a iphone 4 case group buy and came back to lurk a bit when I was thinking of buying a B9 a4 allroad.

For the last year 2 years or so my wife and I had talked about replacing my 2015 Launch Edition STI with something a little bigger that could do double-duty as a more comfortable daily driver for me and also to take over as a trip car for Mrs. Hostile's Mk7 Golf R. I was ready to get out of the STI but I wasn't thrilled with our options. We didn't want a big SUV but the way the market is going it looked like I was going to end up there but we also wanted whatever we got to fit in our garage. I had a feeling I was going to end up missing having a fun car...

In December of '19 the STI went into the shop for a engine replacement. The dealership was a bit backed up so it sat for a month or so. Then Covid hit hard and by March I was working from home. In the beginning of April the car was done and afterwards I had to return to the dealer 3 times for them to fix stuff related to the engine rebuild, one of which left me stranded and the car had to be flat-bedded back. I was really not thrilled to be coming and going at a dealership during the height of a pandemic. It was at this point that we decided maybe it was time to sell the car. I was going to be home for the foreseeable future and we really didn't need a second car. I plugged it into Carvana and their price wasn't great, citing the market conditions due to the pandemic. Given that we just decided to keep and see what happened. Come December, Carvana emails me claiming "hey, we want your car and we'll pay you more" and sure enough, they were asking $4k more than they were back in March. This was now a pretty good price and seemed like a great time to sell. So away it went.


(By the way, the transaction could not have been easier.)

My parents have a spare car so they offered to loan me one to use in the mean time. They had just traded in their '13 Highlander for a '20 Telluride EX (really nice btw) and have a practically-new '19 Accord Sport 2.0t. I asked for their old, beat-up '02 4Runner Limited but my mom uses that for her antiquing business so they gave me the Accord. Honestly, they aren't really big fans of the Accord. Being a sport model it's a bit harsh for them and actually a little too low for them to get in and out of.

The Accord has been sitting in our garage since then and been driven once a week or so for the occasional errand.

BTW, the Accord is a HUGE car. It's 16' long! It's 3" longer than the 1999 E-Class my parents traded it in for. It's a freaking barge. The amount of interior room is insane, especially the back seat.

Anyway, I really wanted a wagon and I immediately gravitated to the new Outback XT Touring but the Mrs didn't want us to buy another Outback after I sold the last one after 2 years to buy the STI (oops!). She also wanted us to get something nicer than another Subaru. That pretty much left us with 2 cars, a Volvo V60/V60CC or an a4 allroad. The new 4-door Bronco was also on the list but it was just too big for our garage and was a $53k truck the way I wanted it (Outer Banks with the V6 and a few boxes checked). So while looking at other vehicles and inevitably crossing them off the list I kept coming back to the A4 allroad, a car that I've been wanting on for a while. Specifically a Premium Plus in Navarra Blue metallic with brown ventilated sport seats, gray oak wood inlays, full paint finish, extra rear airbags and the Bang & Olufsen system.





So on Monday I'm about to text my GSM buddy to see about ordering the allroad and my wife says, "So...how much is the SQ5?"



Back in 2017 we had test driven an SQ5 when we had stopped into our Subaru dealer on the way to my parents house. We had become chummy with the sales manager there who sold us the STI and were dropping in to say hi. They had a '16 SQ5 on their used lot and we took it out for a spin while we were catching up with him. It was a beast. We had the Golf R at this point and it really felt like a big Golf R. We liked it and actually thought about trading in the STI right then and there (what the hell is wrong with me?) but it was expensive for us at the time and I would have had to buy winter wheels, it didn't have a backup camera, etc. After that test drive I've always had a desire for the SQ5.

Flash forward back to this past Monday.

me: "Huh?"
Mrs: "Hello..? How much is the SQ5?"

We start ticking some boxes to get it basically where the allroad would be and it's a bit more expensive but still doable. So we end up calling my guy and we ask some questions about options, incentives, etc. He mentions that Audi is dealing on left over 2020s so we leave him to it to see what he can find with the options we want. We follow-up quickly via text with some more questions and then we think about it for a few days. Basically there are no 20's left with what we want and we just didn't want to compromise on the stuff we wanted just to save a couple grand.

So Friday we call my guy back and we give him an order to put in on this:





2021 SQ5 Premium Plus
District Green metallic
Black Leather/Dinamica seats
Rear side thoracic airbags
255/45 R20 all-season tires
Bang & Olufsen 3D Premium Sound System
Black Optic package
Carbon Atlas inlays

I had really wanted my next car to have ventilated seats but I just could not bring myself to get them in the S. You don't get the S embossing and the seats themselves just seemed less special since they are the same seats used across the entire brand for ventilation. I also bounced back and forth between the B&O system and the Nappa leather diamond-stitched seats. If I could have gotten the red seats it would have been a harder choice but they only offered it in the boring colors- white, silver, black. We stopped into a local Audi dealership on Thursday so I could hear the standard stereo and the B&O back to back. The B&O is being absolutely worth it, even the Mrs agreed it sounded way better. She also saw a TTS on the lot and had visions of it replacing her Golf R. We also saw an SQ5 there in Ultra Blue metallic which was another color we were slightly considering. It's a nice color but the green is just too damn special to pass up on.

We're looking at 4-5 months for delivery. If we can both get vaccinated by then we might consider flying up to get it and drive it home but more than likely we'll end up shipping it.

It's going to be a long 5 months...

Congrats! I love that color. One of my favorites right now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[tonytonitone]

The SQ5 will be a nice upgrade from the Subaru. Before my 2019 SQ5, I had a 15 WRX, 16 WRX STI, and an 18 Forester XT. The SQ5 is as much fun to drive as the STI and gets better fuel economy!

[rcprato]

FWIW I opted out of sport suspension because of the extra $$ on our CPO SQ5, I have absolutely no complaints on how it drives/handles but I also have not driven an SQ5 with air suspension and won't so I don't have buyers remorse......

The SQ5 is a great car, just the right size and a huge fun factor to drive !

Funny though when CFO (wife) didn't think the extra money for air suspension made sense on my new to me 18 SQ5 last summer and when we went looking for her new Jeep Grand Cherokee a month ago we ended up getting the Overland model because she liked how the air suspension rode.... just saying !

[F10TT]

A color I wish I held out until 2021 for!

I was between Azores over Gray or Quantum over Black and went with the Quantum.

I highly encourage you drive both the steel suspension and air suspension back to back. It was worth the extra money in my mind.

I'm in NoVA if you ever want to meet up and go through what I've done to my car and what I wish I would have done differently.

[Hostile]

I really appreciate everyone suggesting the S sport package but I had a budget to work within and I'm happy with what I have selected.

[rcprato]

A SQ5 without air suspension is way better than not having a SQ5, enjoy !

[vwgli]

So Friday we call my guy back and we give him an order to put in on this:





2021 SQ5 Premium Plus
District Green metallic
Black Leather/Dinamica seats
Rear side thoracic airbags
255/45 R20 all-season tires
Bang & Olufsen® 3D Premium Sound System
Black Optic package
Carbon Atlas inlays

I had really wanted my next car to have ventilated seats but I just could not bring myself to get them in the S. You don't get the S embossing and the seats themselves just seemed less special since they are the same seats used across the entire brand for ventilation. I also bounced back and forth between the B&O system and the Nappa leather diamond-stitched seats. If I could have gotten the red seats it would have been a harder choice but they only offered it in the boring colors- white, silver, black. We stopped into a local Audi dealership on Thursday so I could hear the standard stereo and the B&O back to back. The B&O is being absolutely worth it, even the Mrs agreed it sounded way better. She also saw a TTS on the lot and had visions of it replacing her Golf R. We also saw an SQ5 there in Ultra Blue metallic which was another color we were slightly considering. It's a nice color but the green is just too damn special to pass up on.

We're looking at 4-5 months for delivery. If we can both get vaccinated by then we might consider flying up to get it and drive it home but more than likely we'll end up shipping it.

It's going to be a long 5 months...

Hey! Yesterday, I had one Audi dealer offer to put in an order for an SQ5 but another said Audi isn’t accepting SQ5 orders anymore. What dealer did you order from? I’m trying to collect as much intel as possible to figure out what’s going on with orders, realizing that if it was ordered it’ll be a LONG wait. Looking forward to whatever insight you gathered on the order process right now!

[Mops@Nemesis]

The steel suspension comes with the adaptive dampers from the S Sport Pack S4/S5. Add the ABT HAS kit when the fun coupons have been replenished, and you'll have a setup that should handle as well or better than the air. More important than S Sport is Dynamic Steering... HUGE difference. I do love the sport diff though, and if you really push the vehicle, it helps quite a lot.

Congrats on your SQ my man!

[Hostile]

Hey! Yesterday, I had one Audi dealer offer to put in an order for an SQ5 but another said Audi isn’t accepting SQ5 orders anymore. What dealer did you order from? I’m trying to collect as much intel as possible to figure out what’s going on with orders, realizing that if it was ordered it’ll be a LONG wait. Looking forward to whatever insight you gathered on the order process right now!

I ordered from a friend at a dealer in Chicago. I don't know why a dealer would tell you Audi isn't taking any more orders. My understanding is that if the '22 model goes into production before mine hits the factory then my order will just be rolled over as a '22 order.

The steel suspension comes with the adaptive dampers from the S Sport Pack S4/S5. Add the ABT HAS kit when the fun coupons have been replenished, and you'll have a setup that should handle as well or better than the air. More important than S Sport is Dynamic Steering... HUGE difference. I do love the sport diff though, and if you really push the vehicle, it helps quite a lot.

Congrats on your SQ my man!

Thanks! I actually tried to get the dynamic steering but, at least for '21, you can't get it without the S Sport package. /shrug

[buggravy]

Great narrative, and congrats! I finally saw a district green SQ in person the other day, and it's a fantastic color. Nice choice, and spec overall!

[vwgli]

Thanks! Finally got the ‘21 order in at another dealer (no deposit! Is that normal?) for an Ultra Blue SQ5, Premium Plus, Nappa Leather, S Sport, Black Optic, B&O system, Carbon Atlas, and port-installed Sport Exhaust

[Chris@EPL]

We just picked up a District Green 2021 SQ5 with the Sport package and should have the tunes for the 2021 cars shortly.

[Hostile]

Nice! I don't have facebook so it's not easy to find official info on your products. Do you do a tune for the ZF transmission? If so, can it be installed an accompanying ECU tune?

Also, does your ECU tune reset the flash counter in the ECU so the dealer won't see a bunch of flashes that they have no record of?

[Chris@EPL]

Nice! I don't have facebook so it's not easy to find official info on your products. Do you do a tune for the ZF transmission? If so, can it be installed an accompanying ECU tune?

Also, does your ECU tune reset the flash counter in the ECU so the dealer won't see a bunch of flashes that they have no record of?

2021 files have not been released yet. We release our TCU for the S4 cars and are working on it for the 2021 cars.

[Hostile]

2021 files have not been released yet. We release our TCU for the S4 cars and are working on it for the 2021 cars.

I forgot a word in my post, I meant to ask if you do a TCU tune and if so, can it be installed *without* your ECU tune?

Which lead into my other question about the flash counter in the ECU.

[Chris@EPL]

We do not sell our TCU tune unless you are running our ECU tune. We do not touch the flash counter and it is not part of Audi's testing protocol.

[Hostile]

Ok, thanks.

[biggator]

I just ordered a '21 SQ5 prestige/ultra blue a few weeks ago.. they're telling me likely late may/june. ordered mine completely loaded except for the nappa leather (I wanted ventilated seats)...

[vwgli]

I just ordered a '21 SQ5 prestige/ultra blue a few weeks ago.. they're telling me likely late may/june. ordered mine completely loaded except for the nappa leather (I wanted ventilated seats)...

Awesome! Do you have a production week yet?

[Hostile]

I just ordered a '21 SQ5 prestige/ultra blue a few weeks ago.. they're telling me likely late may/june. ordered mine completely loaded except for the nappa leather (I wanted ventilated seats)...

Nice, congrats!

[biggator]

Awesome! Do you have a production week yet?

Not yet. Just got the 'thanks for ordering' email, but nothing about a build date yet.

[vwgli]

Hey!

Anyone have any Q5/SQ5
production updates? Are they at full capacity down there?

For orders placed mid to late March, what’s your production week and delivery ETA?

[Hostile]

My order was submitted sometime after March 19th, has been picked up and is locked in.

My build week is 2121, which is the week of May 24th.

[383vett]

My order was submitted sometime after April 19th, has been picked up and is locked in.

My build date is the week of May 24th.

Back to the future.

[Hostile]

Oops, March 19th.

[vwgli]

My order was submitted sometime after March 19th, has been picked up and is locked in.

My build date is the week of May 24th.

Nice! On March 24, I modified a dealer allocation order already in “factory” status. Heard it’s scheduled for production week 24.

[Hostile]

Nice! On March 24, I modified a dealer allocation order already in “factory” status. Heard it’s scheduled for production week 24.

Huh, interesting that we have the same production week. I wasn’t able to replace an existing allocation order.

[Hostile]

Got my first status email today!

Capture3.jpg

[vwgli]

Got my first status email today!

Capture3.jpg

Nice! My build week moved up 2 weeks to 2221 from 2421, so you might want to get an update on yours.

[Hostile]

Nice! My build week moved up 2 weeks to 2221 from 2421, so you might want to get an update on yours.

Interesting, will do!

[Windsor]

My production week on my 2021 SQ5 was 1421 - but...I haven’t received ANY emails. I confirmed they have my correct email on order sheet, am in Owner In Waiting program, and have checked my spam.

Thoughts?

[vwgli]

My production week on my 2021 SQ5 was 1421 - but...I haven’t received ANY emails. I confirmed they have my correct email on order sheet, am in Owner In Waiting program, and have checked my spam.

Thoughts?

Weird. You should have received a couple more emails by now. Are you sure it actually entered production during 1421? Ask the dealer for a screenshot of all the ETAs for your comm#.

[Windsor]

According to my Vehicle Details sheet, Production Complete was 4/10.

Thinking at this point that they did NOT register me in the Owner In Waiting Program (how can I independently confirm?)

[vwgli]

According to my Vehicle Details sheet, Production Complete was 4/10.

Thinking at this point that they did NOT register me in the Owner In Waiting Program (how can I independently confirm?)

If you haven’t received any emails from [email protected], then your email was not added to the program. I’ve received the emails, even though my email doesn’t appear on the detail sheet. Unfortunately, there’s no way to independently confirm that, as far as I know. Maybe the GM at the dealership can help.

[Hostile]

I have my commission number and my build week is still 2121.

I chatted with Audi customer service and their current ETA for delivery is sometime is between July 7th and 27th.