Car Tech forum: Audi S4/A4 or Audi Q5?

Off-Roading in an S4 or A4? Those are 4-door sedans. One is a turbo V8 made for performance while the other is a nice road sedan made for spirited driving. But off-road?? At least the Q5 has some ground clearance and has larger tires that could withstand some bumpy roads. Now, if you were a geologist who wanted to get to your destination before eveyone else, get the S4, except for the fact that you'll need to stop for gas more often. It does not get the best gas mileage. But neither does the A4 or Q5.

You'll probably regret it the first time you take an S4 off-road. The same can be said for the A4 as well; neither sedan/wagon(A4 only) has reasonable ground clearance for anything beyond that of a smoothly paved dirt road with a minimum of rutting and potholes.

As for the Q5, that would seem be a bit more appropriate although it's still an off-road wannabe pretender rather than a legit challenger to the off-road capabilities of say, a Jeep or Land Rover. But at least it could cope with a somewhat greater amount of rougher terrain than either the A4 or S4. Depending upon just how much driving you actually DO off-road and how severe the driving conditions are, there ARE indeed times when a pickup or full-blown SUV makes perfect sense.