MKC vs Audi Q5

We have nearly 43k miles on my wife's 2012 Q5 2.0T. She absolutely adores that car! Not a single warranty issue to date. The ride is an ideal compromise between sport and comfort on the 19" wheels. The engine makes plenty of power, but it does suffer from the occasional German throttle lag issue. It also has very soft brake pads. The brakes offer amazing feel and stopping power, but the brake dust is out of control. The amount of time and effort I have to put into detailing that car is insane. I'd never put up with it if she weren't so enamored. I put matte black wheels on to help conceal the dust in the wheels, but it still finds its way to body panels where it becomes imbedded and corrodes. Thousands of tiny orange rust spots tend to stand out on bright white paint.

Gas mileage can be pretty impressive. A 1,000 mile round-trip drive to PA last spring netted 30 mpg overall. (32 eastbound leg with slight tailwind, 28 westbound leg with a very slight headwind.) In the winter she averages about 23 in mixed driving, and that jumps to about 26 in the summer. Not bad for a car rated at 27 hwy.

The Quattro AWD is pretty amazing. We saw 113" of snow this winter, and she didn't miss a single day of work due to weather. In the interest of full disclosure, I should point out the car wears Hakkapellitta snow tires through the winter months. Awesome AWD + awesome tires = nearly unstoppable performance in the white stuff.

The interior is really well put together, although it is getting a little dated. Leather is standard and both the standard and sport seats are plenty comfy. Rear seats recline and adjust fore and aft. New models have improved GPS in the MMI system, but ours has the last gen MMI which does not include Google Maps. Regardless of the generation, I have yet to find a factory GPS system that works as well as a higher end Garmin.

I am actually considering the Q5 TDI as an alternate to the MKC. The V6 diesel's torque and great mileage is an appealing combination. The brake pads were changed so the dust problem is greatly reduced. Although Audi typically doesn't need to discount TDI models much at all, as an Audi Club member I qualify for 6% off msrp, plus an additional loyalty discount as a current Audi owner. By skipping the MMI I should be able to get a TDI for about the same price as the MKC.

So if the Q5 is so fantastic, why am I even considering the MKC? Well, despite the similarities, I find the MKC to be a far prettier car. Sure the mustache grille is a little unusual, but it doesn't offend in any way like some other brands (Lexus). I also think the MKC's interior is more attractive. Whether it's as comfortable and well made the Audi is to be determined. Since I use my car for business, including in and around Detroit, driving a premium German brand vehicle can work against me, so it would be an advantage to have an American nameplate. And finally, I'm a Ford stockholder. It's in my own best interest to support my investment.