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Still just can't get with the program on the sound. For the price of the Q7(60k plus) I need 6 cylinders. That is going to be a lot of revving over the life of that 2.0T. On top of this, what advantage are you getting by going smaller? It gets worse MPG than the 3.5 in the MDX....
Might have been different results at sea level compared to +5280 feet.
I live at +5000 feet, average between, 6,000-8,000 feet in NM, and travel as high as 11,000 feet in Colorado. My 1st Gen RDX drives so much better and the least effected by altitude compared to my MDX. I rather have 2.0T or 3.0T compared to larger displacement NA when the air gets thin.
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You definitely want a turbo if you are at altitude.
Which is why I'm moving back to a turbo after my TLX lease is done. My city is about 3500 ft. above sea level. I had three turbo'd vehicles prior to my TLX, and while the V6 isn't slow by any means, it has a noticeable lack of pep.
Still just can't get with the program on the sound. For the price of the Q7(60k plus) I need 6 cylinders. That is going to be a lot of revving over the life of that 2.0T. On top of this, what advantage are you getting by going smaller? It gets worse MPG than the 3.5 in the MDX....
Did you watch the video? Because the Q7 was clearly faster than both V6s.
The observed fuel rating seems that the MDX is about 1mpg better in the city and 2mpg better on the highway, than the Q7... which makes sense. Q7 is faster and uses a bit more fuel to move. However, there's more to it than just that. The MDX has an extra gear in its transmission, compared to the Q7, which would make for slightly better fuel economy. If the Q7 had the same transmission, the difference would be even smaller between the two.
Here's the kicker, though: according to Car and Driver, the Q7 weighs 650 pounds MORE than the MDX. and yet it is faster, produces less horsepower, and gets marginally worse fuel economy. If both vehicles weighed the same, the 2.0T would get much better fuel economy. You simply aren't comparing apples to apples, when looking at the V6 vs 2.0T.
What this video also doesn't tell you is the usable power. A quarter mile sprint in a 4000+ pound SUV is kind of useless... as most nobody will ever be driving like that in one of these.... but what this video fails to address is the Q7 having way more useable torque down in the rpm range, than the MDX. Which is exactly what you want in a heavy vehicle, for daily purposes.
You are right about one thing, though- I too don't know how I feel about a 2.0L engine moving almost 4700 pounds around, year after year. The verdict is still out on that, but we won't know for many years, I presume, if this was a bad idea overall.
My 08 RDX has more usable TQ at almost any rpm range above 1500 rpm and driving altitude. Noticeable difference with the RDX in passing speed when you need to floor it because of max TQ at a lower, broader, and higher range (even with the 5AT vs the 6AT in my MDX). My MDX Adv+Ent is about 500lbs heavier at a minimal and up to 1200-1500 lbs heavier when loaded down when traveling. I still get 1-4 mpgs better in my 3.7L MDX compared to my RDX on the exact same hwy runs.
Very hard to drive my RDX at posted hwy speeds of 75-80 mph without the turbo spooling a lot of times. I wouldn't be too surprised if the V-6T with way more hp/tq scheduled for gen MDX gives almost the same combined mpgs as the 2.0T depending on how you drive.
Did you watch the video? Because the Q7 was clearly faster than both V6s.
The observed fuel rating seems that the MDX is about 1mpg better in the city and 2mpg better on the highway, than the Q7... which makes sense. Q7 is faster and uses a bit more fuel to move. However, there's more to it than just that. The MDX has an extra gear in its transmission, compared to the Q7, which would make for slightly better fuel economy. If the Q7 had the same transmission, the difference would be even smaller between the two.
Here's the kicker, though: according to Car and Driver, the Q7 weighs 650 pounds MORE than the MDX. and yet it is faster, produces less horsepower, and gets marginally worse fuel economy. If both vehicles weighed the same, the 2.0T would get much better fuel economy. You simply aren't comparing apples to apples, when looking at the V6 vs 2.0T.
What this video also doesn't tell you is the usable power. A quarter mile sprint in a 4000+ pound SUV is kind of useless... as most nobody will ever be driving like that in one of these.... but what this video fails to address is the Q7 having way more useable torque down in the rpm range, than the MDX. Which is exactly what you want in a heavy vehicle, for daily purposes.
You are right about one thing, though- I too don't know how I feel about a 2.0L engine moving almost 4700 pounds around, year after year. The verdict is still out on that, but we won't know for many years, I presume, if this was a bad idea overall.
Did I watch the video? Ummm, yes. This is how I got the info about MPG. The performance stats are not enough for me. Impressive for a 2.0T 4 cylinder? Yes(I am sure the RDX's 2.0T will yield similar results). The engine I want in my $60K full size luxury SUV? Nope. For the new RDX it is a bit more palatable, but if we are talking about the MDX, not so much.
My brother took his Q7 in for some work at the local Audi dealership and they gave him a 2018 Audi Q5 2.0T S-Line. I have never been so impressed with a car in my entire life. That Audi 2.0T is so incredibly linear and powerful! I was absolutely blown away. I was reminded about what torque just off idle feels like (not to mention mid-range passing power).
I was already on board with the 2.0T in the RDX before this experience but I was literally thinking to myself V6 what? I am certain this lighter engine helped with the absolutely CRISP handling of the Q5. A V6 would have ruined the nimbleness for sure. 0-60 in 5.8s and incredibly impressive fuel economy despite literally hammering the car for 4 days straight was the icing on the cake. The V6 is DEAD and for that I am thankful.
HOWEVER, in a car the size of the MDX, Q7, XC90...etc. I want a V6 period. Smaller displacement V6T would be ideal for me. Love the ford 2.7TT for example. Interesting little piece of info. Kia offered the 2016-2018 Sorento with either a 2.4l NA engine, 2.0T, or 3.3l NA V6 and for 2019 they actually dropped the 2.0T. That says a lot to me about the utility of small displacement turbos in larger vehicles. Perhaps if they paired it with a hybrid drive-train I would be more supportive of it and it would make a lot more sense.
My brother took his Q7 in for some work at the local Audi dealership and they gave him a 2018 Audi Q5 2.0T S-Line. I have never been so impressed with a car in my entire life. That Audi 2.0T is so incredibly linear and powerful! I was absolutely blown away. I was reminded about what torque just off idle feels like (not to mention mid-range passing power).
I was already on board with the 2.0T in the RDX before this experience but I was literally thinking to myself V6 what? I am certain this lighter engine helped with the absolutely CRISP handling of the Q5. A V6 would have ruined the nimbleness for sure. 0-60 in 5.8s and incredibly impressive fuel economy despite literally hammering the car for 4 days straight was the icing on the cake. The V6 is DEAD and for that I am thankful.
HOWEVER, in a car the size of the MDX, Q7, XC90...etc. I want a V6 period. Smaller displacement V6T would be ideal for me. Love the ford 2.7TT for example. Interesting little piece of info. Kia offered the 2016-2018 Sorento with either a 2.4l NA engine, 2.0T, or 3.3l NA V6 and for 2019 they actually dropped the 2.0T. That says a lot to me about the utility of small displacement turbos in larger vehicles. Perhaps if they paired it with a hybrid drive-train I would be more supportive of it and it would make a lot more sense.
The Q5 has a lot going for it. The 7-speed DSG snaps off quick shifts, and returns impressive acceleration and fuel efficiency. I found it to be a little lumpy in stop and go driving, but there is no doubt it has its benefits. I can't say I'm completely on board with the quattro with Ultra AWD, however. The car always launches in AWD, so there is no torque-steer, and like SH-AWD it offers torque-vectoring across the rear axle. But can it match the all-weather capability of good ole Torsen-based quattro? My Touareg was seemingly unstoppable.
Personally, I think the allroad with the Q5's powertrain is a better overall package, but it's overpriced for what you get. Even if it weren't, it's unlikely to find a VAG brand in my garage anytime soon.
The Q5 has a lot going for it. The 7-speed DSG snaps off quick shifts, and returns impressive acceleration and fuel efficiency. I found it to be a little lumpy in stop and go driving, but there is no doubt it has its benefits. I can't say I'm completely on board with the quattro with Ultra AWD, however. The car always launches in AWD, so there is no torque-steer, and like SH-AWD it offers torque-vectoring across the rear axle. But can it match the all-weather capability of good ole Torsen-based quattro? My Touareg was seemingly unstoppable.
Personally, I think the allroad with the Q5's powertrain is a better overall package, but it's overpriced for what you get. Even if it weren't, it's unlikely to find a VAG brand in my garage anytime soon.
Funny that you mention the lumpy shifts. When I first got into the Q5, before I drove it I thought it still had the ZF 8AT. Immediately I noticed that lumpiness and downright crappy shifts at low speeds. I went online to find the official 0-60 times because it was proper quick for a 2.0T and that’s when I found out it now has a 7DCT. At speed it was incredibly crisp shifting but in stop and go traffic it was very jerky. A few times it slammed so hard that it reminded me of my 2007 Touareg when the valve body was shot. It was such a violent shift that it kind of jolted me forward in my seat. Mind you this thing only has ~500 kms on it. I read that it takes them a couple thousand kms to adapt and start driving smoother but to me it was terrible for a new car to shift like that.
I hate the idea of Quattro-ultra. It’s a load of garbage. The lower end models with quattro-ultra don’t have proper torque vectoring across the rear axle (iirc) and only the true S/RS versions have real quattro and the torque vectoring rear diff. I kept the Q5 in dynamic mode almost the whole 3 days I drove it so I am not sure if it locks the AWD clutch pack because I could not feel any front end push typical of fwd based AWD systems
SH-AWD IMO was just as capable if not more capable than the standard Quattro IME but when it comes to offroading situations I vastly prefer the torsen based AWD systems over the clutch pack based ones. They can take a much harder beating whereas the clutch pack based ones tend to over heat and give up fast. I hear you on the allroad, really one of my favorite cars but yes totally overpriced and also I agree about VAG. Very disappointed with a lot of the things they have done. I think VAG will always be my favorite group of auto companies but they have some cleanup to do (pun semi intended).
Edit: Wait a minute, I noticed you spoke about your Touareg in past tense and now just seen your signature! When did you get the MKX? Congratulations man, it’s truly such an under-rated vehicle.
Funny that you mention the lumpy shifts. When I first got into the Q5, before I drove it I thought it still had the ZF 8AT. Immediately I noticed that lumpiness and downright crappy shifts at low speeds. I went online to find the official 0-60 times because it was proper quick for a 2.0T and that’s when I found out it now has a 7DCT. At speed it was incredibly crisp shifting but in stop and go traffic it was very jerky. A few times it slammed so hard that it reminded me of my 2007 Touareg when the valve body was shot. It was such a violent shift that it kind of jolted me forward in my seat. Mind you this thing only has ~500 kms on it. I read that it takes them a couple thousand kms to adapt and start driving smoother but to me it was terrible for a new car to shift like that.
I hate the idea of Quattro-ultra. It’s a load of garbage. The lower end models with quattro-ultra don’t have proper torque vectoring across the rear axle (iirc) and only the true S/RS versions have real quattro and the torque vectoring rear diff. I kept the Q5 in dynamic mode almost the whole 3 days I drove it so I am not sure if it locks the AWD clutch pack because I could not feel any front end push typical of fwd based AWD systems
SH-AWD IMO was just as capable if not more capable than the standard Quattro IME but when it comes to offroading situations I vastly prefer the torsen based AWD systems over the clutch pack based ones. They can take a much harder beating whereas the clutch pack based ones tend to over heat and give up fast. I hear you on the allroad, really one of my favorite cars but yes totally overpriced and also I agree about VAG. Very disappointed with a lot of the things they have done. I think VAG will always be my favorite group of auto companies but they have some cleanup to do (pun semi intended).
The ZF 8-speed is such a good gearbox. It's too bad that you have to step up to the SQ5 to get it. Kind of ironic since it's the more relaxed transmission. Unfortunately, it's not compatible with the quattro Ultra.
I wish Audi still offered at least one powertrain upgrade on the base model. The old Q5 with the 3.0T was an excellent car, and a genuine sleeper. BMW and Mercedes are doing the same with the X3 and GLC -- forcing you to take a sportier, less-compliant ride to get more power.
Originally Posted by RDX10
Edit: Wait a minute, I noticed you spoke about your Touareg in past tense and now just seen your signature! When did you get the MKX? Congratulations man, it’s truly such an under-rated vehicle.
Yep, I picked it up at the end of March. I hated what the exhaust modification did to my Touareg. I had planned to wait until I could sample the RDX, Edge ST and Nautilus before moving on, but I just couldn't tolerate it. I was told there is no such thing as a "bad fix", but my car's behavior sounded way worse than what others were reporting.
I narrowed my choices down to the Stinger GT2, Edge Sport, MKX 2.7T and XC60. The Stinger was my favorite going in, but I was turned off by the dealership experience. I loved driving the Edge, but it lacked some key features. I negotiated a good deal on a loaded 6k-mile CPO XC60 Inscription (it was driven by Volvo's local Regional Manager for 6 months), but in the end the the lousy infotainment system and small-ish cargo capacity were deal-breakers. Then while trying to find an appropriately-optioned new MKX, I came across a CPO Black Label 2.7T, and quickly snatched it up for $17k under the original MSRP. It has everything except the 21" wheels, which I didn't want anyway. Lincoln's Black Label CPO program might be the best in the industry ... 100k mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, service loaners, dealer drop-off and pick-up, free maintenance thru 50,000 miles, anytime car washes and once a year wax/detailing. I even got .9% financing. It's a joy to drive, and really excels on the highway. I went backwards in fuel economy, of course, and as a result range is about half of the Touareg's, but other than that I'm tickled.
The only photo I have is the one I took at the dealership. I have new wheels and tires on order, so I'll get more pics next week after I bolt them on.
My brother took his Q7 in for some work at the local Audi dealership and they gave him a 2018 Audi Q5 2.0T S-Line. I have never been so impressed with a car in my entire life. That Audi 2.0T is so incredibly linear and powerful! I was absolutely blown away. I was reminded about what torque just off idle feels like (not to mention mid-range passing power).
That is absolutely right. That low end torque disappears as soon as you throw that engine into larger, heavier vehicles.
The ZF 8-speed is such a good gearbox. It's too bad that you have to step up to the SQ5 to get it. Kind of ironic since it's the more relaxed transmission. Unfortunately, it's not compatible with the quattro Ultra.
I wish Audi still offered at least one powertrain upgrade on the base model. The old Q5 with the 3.0T was an excellent car, and a genuine sleeper. BMW and Mercedes are doing the same with the X3 and GLC -- forcing you to take a sportier, less-compliant ride to get more power.
Yep, I picked it up at the end of March. I hated what the exhaust modification did to my Touareg. I had planned to wait until I could sample the RDX, Edge ST and Nautilus before moving on, but I just couldn't tolerate it. I was told there is no such thing as a "bad fix", but my car's behavior sounded way worse than what others were reporting.
I narrowed my choices down to the Stinger GT2, Edge Sport, MKX 2.7T and XC60. The Stinger was my favorite going in, but I was turned off by the dealership experience. I loved driving the Edge, but it lacked some key features. I negotiated a good deal on a loaded 6k-mile CPO XC60 Inscription (it was driven by Volvo's local Regional Manager for 6 months), but in the end the the lousy infotainment system and small-ish cargo capacity were deal-breakers. Then while trying to find an appropriately-optioned new MKX, I came across a CPO Black Label 2.7T, and quickly snatched it up for $17k under the original MSRP. It has everything except the 21" wheels, which I didn't want anyway. Lincoln's Black Label CPO program might be the best in the industry ... 100k mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, service loaners, dealer drop-off and pick-up, free maintenance thru 50,000 miles, anytime car washes and once a year wax/detailing. I even got .9% financing. It's a joy to drive, and really excels on the highway. I went backwards in fuel economy, of course, and as a result range is about half of the Touareg's, but other than that I'm tickled.
The only photo I have is the one I took at the dealership. I have new wheels and tires on order, so I'll get more pics next week after I bolt them on.
Agreed, I do not like that you can only get the 2.0T in the base model. It is very obvious to me that VAG is cutting MASSIVE corners with their products in order to recoup the diesel scandal costs. New Tiguan and Atlas are atrocious inside.
I have to admit that color is not my favourite but it sure does clean up nice and I LOVE those full LED headlights on the black label models. Truly sets it apart from other MKX's and the edge.Wow that really is an amazing CPO deal. What color is the interior? Black? The fuel economy is for sure worse than your Touareg but the massive leap in luxury and tech/features alone would be well worth it to me, not to mention better performance as well. Not sure if you seen the latest Touareg yet but boy oh boy is that thing gorgeous!!!
I have to admit that color is not my favourite but it sure does clean up nice and I LOVE those full LED headlights on the black label models. Truly sets it apart from other MKX's and the edge.Wow that really is an amazing CPO deal. What color is the interior? Black? The fuel economy is for sure worse than your Touareg but the massive leap in luxury and tech/features alone would be well worth it to me, not to mention better performance as well. Not sure if you seen the latest Touareg yet but boy oh boy is that thing gorgeous!!!
The interior is the Indulgence theme (truffle/ganache). I don't have any good photos, so I'll show the stock photos. (My steering wheel isn't black, however, it's the same brown leather as the dash.)
It drives so much better than the Touareg. As I've said before, I'm glad VW isn't bringing the new Touareg here. I don't want the temptation. As it stands, I find the US lineup to be generally lackluster, and that made it easy to say goodbye.
The interior is the Indulgence theme (truffle/ganache). I don't have any good photos, so I'll show the stock photos. (My steering wheel isn't black, however, it's the same brown leather as the dash.)
It drives so much better than the Touareg. As I've said before, I'm glad VW isn't bringing the new Touareg here. I don't want the temptation. As it stands, I find the US lineup to be generally lackluster, and that made it easy to say goodbye.
Oh boy that interior is pure sex on wheels. I've never owned a car with a brown interior yet, but every time I see one I fall in love even more. It just looks so rich and warm. I bet it's such a serene and pleasant place to be. I also love the angle of that center console, the way it just rolls down to the center armrest must make it so comfortable to drive. Also really like the perforation pattern on the seats, super unique and classy. Did you get the 30(?) way seats?
I'm still bummed that they are not bringing it here. The atlas is a joke. But I have seen so many Atlas's on the road that I really don't see VW ever bringing the touareg back, why would they?
I am very excited to see where Lincoln takes the next generation Nautilus, they just keep on making massive leaps with each Generation/refresh. I would EASILY take the Nautilus over the Lexus RX, Jeep GC, XT5...etc.
^ They top off at 22-way seats on the MKX, at least for now, but yes - it does. I thought the massage function was a gimmick, but I really like it on long drives. I'm no audiophile, but the Revel Ultima sounds pretty darn good to these ears. It is genuinely pleasant place to spend some time.
The problem with all that fancy sh!t that nobody needs, is that once you actually do have it, man, you need it on your next car.
That sucks, man. I mean, who needs some sort of navigation in your car? What about a triptick? Marry a woman who can read a map. How hard could that be?
The problem with all that fancy sh!t that nobody needs, is that once you actually do have it, man, you need it on your next car.
That sucks, man. I mean, who needs some sort of navigation in your car? What about a triptick? Marry a woman who can read a map. How hard could that be?
Getting an in-car Navi system saved my marriage when we traveled. A lot of fighting because of missed turns or reading the map wrong with multiple paper printouts before the smartphone days. We now have Acura Navi, our AT&T iphone, and work Verizon iPhone to make sure we can get to our destination 100% of the time.
Getting an in-car Navi system saved my marriage when we traveled. A lot of fighting because of missed turns or reading the map wrong with multiple paper printouts before the smartphone days. We now have Acura Navi, our AT&T iphone, and work Verizon iPhone to make sure we can get to our destination 100% of the time.
It has really transformed driving. I remain amazed at how accurate the ETA times are.
As I may have mentioned earlier, both of my cars are running fine, but I want in on the new driving aids. I never thought I would look to replace a well-running car because it became outmoded.
The problem with all that fancy sh!t that nobody needs, is that once you actually do have it, man, you need it on your next car.
That sucks, man. I mean, who needs some sort of navigation in your car? What about a triptick? Marry a woman who can read a map. How hard could that be?
Isn’t this the truth! Now that I’ve had things like push button start, power lift gate, heated/cooled seats, heated steering wheel, backup cam...etc. I find it hard to look at cars that don’t have those features.
04-18-2018, 08:32 PM
