zel18

Hi everyone, My name is Ed, and I am supposed to receive my Q5 order either late october or early november. I ordered a Q5 2012 2.0t ( Black on black, premium plus, S-line, nav, sunroof ) last july, and the wait time really sucks big time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I do hope that the q5 is worth the wait.

So anyway, I would like to ask you guys about paint protection. I never had a brand new car, and i dont have a garage right now. I know that black paint is the hardest color to maintain (shows scratches easily). The dealership is offering me a package about waxing the car, but I want some opinion from actual owners on what you did, the first time you got the car to try to maintain it's new paint color.


2nd question, I know that the S-line wheels comes with summer tires. So I will need to replace it asap (especially since I live up north). How is driving with 20' winter tires on? Would you rather recommend go with smaller rims, say 18' or 19'?You see what I would like to do is get another set of wheels for the summer, and attach the summer tires to the new set of wheels I will be getting. Then I would just stick with the original rims for my winter driving. Any input is appreciated. Thanks!

johnlieu

congrats Ed.

the paint protection, if you always driving on high ways etc, go for the protection plus the 3M hood shield. Mine did catch a few rock chips....i am driving a bit aggressive to enjoy my q5.

about the snow tires, many many tips in the forum. I heard it's better to go for smaller rims since you want to leave room for the snow to plow...I also got the s-line wheels so I got 19' for my snow tires from tirerack.com...

enjoy the ride you will love it!

warcity

iTrader: (1)

I too support the 3m.
IMO best winter rim size is 18" though I've seen 17" as well.

Congrats and post pics when you pick it up.

zel18

Thanks for the quick reply guys! I will definitely post pics when I get it. Checking the forums, a lot of people recommend going smaller rims. So I guess I would do that then.

Another question though, I know that the dealerships charge a lot for their products. My friend bought 4 20' winter tires ( no rims ) for his GLK, and it cost him $ 3,000! yikes!

So, If I do order rims and tires from,say tirerack, and i have it installed somewhere else, would it void my warranty if something goes wrong with the installation? You see i have never owned a new car before and I always had all season tires, so no need to change tires. So I don't know what is allowed or not. Do dealerships allow me to buy the product from a third party then have them install it? What would you guys recommend? Sorry for the noob questions, I just dont have any idea. Thanks again.

anders81

You can buy rims/tires from anywhere, have the rubber mounted and balanced.
Then have the dealer install them for you if you want the peace of mind that the install will be done correctly.

That is what I did exactly.

Plus the dealer will know to set the tpms for you also.

Congrats on the Q5!

johnlieu

I had mine delivered right to my house....installed them myself. How much does the dealer charge for installing anyway?

I bought Audi Care as far as I know, changing tires are very normal and does affect not anything warranty wise. (I bought the Q5 in for regular service twice this year)

Changing tires isn't as complicated as it may seem. I learned it from a tech master watching him changing my folks' Honda tires, I helped out a bit.

Last winter it took me 25 minutes to swap each s-line tire and change to winter's....by Spring time this year I can do one in 5mins or so.... kindda enjoy the work and feel good.

On top of what came with the car (clip, lock-key). I just went and bought a strong cross-ranch and a 3Ton Jack.

When I was ordering my winter tires, I also threw in a set of locks for my wheels just in case.

Adrena

I got the paint protection put on before I picked up the Q (they had a special at the dealership) and just put a set of the winter tire package from the dealer aside. The package has 18" aluminum rims and Micheline winters (not sure the name). Cost is $2K or something near that.

You can most likely deal with your sales rep to get a better price.... since you don't have your Q5 yet.

Congrats and don't forget to post pics when you get it! And it is SOO WORTH the wait. You'll miss it every time it has to go for servicing.

Adrena

You can buy tires anywhere. Dealer/Audi doesn't warranty the tires.... and Micheline didn't cover sidewall punctures or bumps.

Trust me - Just had a puncture/bump in the sidewall and had to replace one of those S-line summers... $700 later... Got lucky, last one in the region. If not, would have been a 5 week wait.

Audi Noob

My dealer was advising me to go with 17". they were saying that smaller rims were better for winter tires.

zel18

Thanks a lot for everyone's input. This forum is definitely a big help for noobs like me. I can't wait to have my car!

Regarding the paint protection, i've heard horror stories about paint protection done at the dealership. I'm kinda scared having someone scratch my car's paint. Especially since it is my first new car. Plus it is a black car, it can show more scratches if not done properly...

Did any of you guys had a paint sealant applied right after delivery? I have read that it is recommended to help protect a new car's paint...What do you guys think?

Thanks!