Audi's New X3.. I mean Q5...

[sfhondapilot]

On the reliability question, I can vouch first hand that (a) my 2003 Honda Pilot is been MUCH better than my 2004 X3 (if you seen my posts over at bimmerfest you know what I am referring to as my s/n on that forum is sfca-325i). I can also say that our 2006 B7 A4 has been very reliable.

Here's a summary:

2003 Honda Pilot purchased new 12/02. Zero issues that I encountered that forced me to bring the car in for service. There were two service actions (airbag programming and oil jet kit for the tranny) that were performed at my scheduled maintenance.

2004 X3 3.0 si purchased new in 4/04.

• 4/05 replaced accelerator pedal and passenger mirror.
• 9/05 replaced passenger mirror.
• 12/05 replaced ignition coils.
• 3/06 replaced sunroof cassette and front passenger window regulator.
• 4/06 replaced sunroof cassette (second repair) and replaced front passenger seat mat.
• 5/06 replaced steering gear.
• 12/07 replaced rear disks and pads due to ebrake problem.
• 3/08 replaced front passenger seat mat (second repair). Some of these repairs required multiple visits (parts backordered, etc.)

Combine this with the tranny issues reported on the recent X3 models suggests that build quality is an issue.

2006 A4 2.0t cvt purchased new 11/05. So far, only scheduled maintenance has been performed. No service actions.

Honda/Acura seems, however, to have a problem with road noise. It's a common "con" mentioned in consumer reports. My pilot is no exception.

The fit and finish in the A4 has been excellent. Based on my direct experience with the A4, if the Q5 was offered with the 2.0T, I would definately consider that as a replacement for our X3.