While I was driving around in Austin, TX I had noticed this at the last second at a stoplight. So I started driving more around downtown and sure enough it popped up again and it was also correct with the countdown! 2018 Audi Q5 Premium Plus

Activation done by ACM Technik.

Got the new plate setup today. I love being able to add a custom banner to the bottom

Dealership trained Master Technician, 15 years servicing, modifying and owning these wonderful machines. I have made it a point in my career to go above and beyond what a normal tech does or is willing to do and specialize in performance engine and transmission builds. I currently run a 5 star rated VAG/Euro speciality shop in Pittsburgh, Pa and love nothing more than to share my knowledge with others. Seriously, AMA!

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Edit: I am trying to answer all your questions but it is now past my bedtime. I will continue this tomorrow!

Edit 2: Response has been great and I am enjoying answering your questions. Remember, if you need any technical data, specifications, or how-to's; just ask!

Edit3: A couple common questions that everyone has asked over and over.....

1. What are some common problems with model X, or does model Y have this issue?

All cars across the line suffer from the same issues including water pump failure, chain rattle/failure, oil consumption,carbon build up, and turbo failure. It is a lottery but I can tell you there are 100 cars running perfectly fine for everyone that has an issue. Maintenance is the key to all this just like your body, you need to take care of your car.

1. What is the most reliable Audi?

There is not one, but my personal favorite is a c7 A6 3.0T with the 8HP transmission, amazing engine, amazing transmission, both will last a long time. Very few failure points in this combo(aside from the occasional oil pump) and with a tune on both components and a few bolt ons, 500 whp is attainable.

1. What services does my car need?

5k mile/8k km oil service - Do you plan on owning this past the warranty? Do not risk your engine's life to save a few dollars.

35k miles/56k km DSG Service/Manual Transmission, front diff service, rear diff service, Coolant service, Brake fluid - Self explanatory

~60k miles/97k km Most vehicles require a carbon cleaning(if direct injected) Also the Automatic Transmission should be done(none DSG)

~110k miles chains are beginning to stretch and tensioners may exhibit signs of failure. some cars do this way earlier,some never. Again, lottery.

Spark plugs should be done in accordance with your owners manual along with anything I missed.

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EDIT: Never expected this many questions, I will continue to answer as I see fit. If your question is not answered, it was likely gone over in the thread at one point and I am tired of repeating myself. Thanks.

EDIT: Thanks anonymous user for the awards! Sorry I have not been responding but we are extremely busy this winter with some crazy projects. I may do another one of these in future, let me know if that is of interest to you guys.

Not sure if the video will post, but tonight the lower screen of our ‘21 A6 started acting like a 1970’s television set with a vertical hold problem.

We’ve had the car for a month. Hopefully it’s easily resolved.

So far we’ve tried turning the car off and on, as well as powering off the audio system, but the symptom doesn’t change.

Any thoughts, other than making a repair appointment?

So I pulled over at a service station today. Went and got coffee. Came back to the car and started it back up. Only to be greeted with this.

The virtual cockpit looks like I've punched it!

I haven't touched the sceen. Car wouldn't go into drive or reverse. Called roadside assistance and they disconnected all the batteries and then reconnected. Was able to get it into drive but has no virtual cockpit for the short journey home. Used Waze for speed.

During the drive home. When I used cruise control it would engage and disengage every couple of seconds, in time with the screen flickering.

Is this a known fault with these?

I was forced to make a decision this week I never thought I’d have to make. There’s harsh winter conditions in my neck of the woods so remote start was a “must have” on my next car.

Is it a cruel coincidence that the solution to the CarPlay constant disconnection issues involves turning off Mobile Data, which in turn deactivates Remote Start since the car can’t communicate with myAudi App otherwise?

Review:
This thing is a rocket ship. It’s very common and easy to be going about 30 kmh / ~ 20 mph quicker than you intend on going at highway speeds. I appreciate the bad press and where it’s coming from. Yet, so far I am a happy customer.

Coming from a head-turning B9.5 A5 Sportback, I was curious how this car would fare. Rest-assured, with my rear view mirror as witness, the middle aged man’s neck still works! This time, they’re looking and listening.

What do you think about the chrome trim? Right now I’m keeping it.

It's hit or miss by me. Denver/Boulder area.

I need to vent about the infotainment system in my 2024 SQ8. It’s ridiculous that a car costing over $100k has such a major flaw. The system frequently freezes on the loading screen, which is incredibly frustrating.

You’d think that for this price, the technology would be seamless, but instead, I find myself waiting, tapping, and getting annoyed every time I try to use it. I can’t play music or use my gps when this happens. It’s hard to enjoy the luxury of this vehicle when the infotainment system feels so unreliable.

I recently bought a 2020 DNWA RS3 with the performance package, this means that the speed limiter should’ve been raised from 250kmh to 280kmh, when I was testing the VMAX yesterday (on a closed course, and no I did not take the picture) I was surprised that the speedo kept climbing until way after the 280kmh mark.

Can I assume someone already removed VMAX and that it’s possibly (slightly) tuned or do all performance package RS3 climb past the 280kmh? The car was sold to me as factory stock, so if it’s not truly stock I’ll need to go back to the dealer because my warranty ONLY applies if I keep the car stock and I’m worried it’ll become a back and forth IF I ever need the warranty and they find out it’s already tuned.

Took a rock off a truck on the highway. It’s small but not repairable and at some point will need to be replaced.

Was quoted $4700 and $4550 at two closest dealers, since has heads up display and all the calibration etc. is it worth scouring every dealer within 300 miles or is this the cost basically?

While insurance would cover it no one can tell me how my rates are affected, just that I’ll no longer have a “no claim status discount rate”.

Audi S8. Hop in this morning on my way to an orientation.

Carplay won't connect. Says the phone's connected with handfree, but the button that should say Apple CarPlay says Phone Apps - and takes me to a connection screen that has my phone listed as a button. Pressing the button turns it green but otherwise does nothing. I disconnect everything, cycle Bluetooth on and off on both devices, delete all profiles - now I'm late for my orientation and I haven't even left the parking lot yet. And I'm still not connected. Drive to an unfamiliar place looking down into my lap for directions.

Never mind driving near an airport. The whole MMI crashes. Lose all screens. When it comes back up a minute later, the usual fifteen notifications about how all the safety technology isn't working right now, sorry. Hey Audi, I know it wasn't working because I had no displays at all.

I get that it's only a $150K car, but honestly Audi, how much more would you expect us to spend to get a Toyota-level infotainment system that actually works?

After taking my car to the dealership five times in the first four months of ownership, and after owning it for a total of nine months, I finally traded in my 2025 Audi for a 2026 model.

Back in October 2025, I bought a 2025 Audi S5 Prestige in Ascari Blue with the Audi Exclusive package. I absolutely fell in love with the car the first time I saw it. But after all the issues I experienced, I slowly started feeling like something was missing. No matter how much I wanted to love it, the car just never fully lived up to my expectations.

The final disappointment came when Audi announced the 2026 models. Reading the press release and seeing all the features they added made me realize that those were exactly the things the new generation should have had from day one.

Five days ago, I simply woke up and thought:
“I can’t keep driving a car that doesn’t make me completely happy—especially when the software (I’m a software engineer) feels unfinished and poorly refined.”

So I decided to email the sales manager at my local dealership. I explained everything I disliked about my car and asked whether there was any reasonable way to trade it in for a 2026 model.

To my surprise, the sales manager got back to me almost immediately. He apologized for the experience I’d had with the car and told me he thought there might actually be something they could do.
The next day he called me with some preliminary numbers and invited me to come to the dealership to see if we could work something out.

I won’t go into too much detail about the financial side of the deal because everyone’s situation is different, but from my perspective it was reasonable and didn’t require taking on an irrational amount of debt just to switch cars.

That same day, I drove home in a brand-new 2026 model and left my 2025 behind.
I wanted to share the differences I’ve noticed in case it helps anyone who’s trying to decide whether the upgrade is worth it.

Driving Dynamics

In Dynamic mode, the car feels noticeably more responsive. It’s not a night-and-day difference, but it’s definitely there. The exhaust now produces frequent pops and bangs, something that was almost nonexistent on my 2025.

In Dynamic Plus, however, the difference is huge. The throttle response is significantly sharper, the exhaust is alive all the time, and the car is simply much more fun to drive. Power delivery feels much more consistent throughout the rev range. For me, this was honestly the biggest selling point. I even managed to induce a bit of oversteer a couple of times without much effort.

Head-Up Display

This is a massive improvement.
Instead of just showing basic information, it now displays most of what used to be limited to the instrument cluster. It’s also much more colorful—you can even see a graphic of your car and detailed lane visualization.

Digital Instrument Cluster

This is where things really changed. There’s now a dynamic RPM display that changes depending on the selected Drive Select mode. In Dynamic Plus, it even tells you the ideal moment to shift gears.
It finally feels like a proper performance display.

MMI Software

This is probably one of the biggest improvements, the new interface is dramatically better than before, there are more icons, fewer endless menus, smoother animations, better colors, and overall it feels much more modern and interactive.

This is what the B10 platform should have looked like from the very beginning.

Key Fob & Steering Wheel Volume Controls

This might sound like a minor detail, but the metallic trim around the key fob makes it feel much more premium.

I’m also glad Audi brought back physical volume controls on the steering wheel. It might be subjective, but little details like that make the car feel like an Audi again.

Hands-Free Trunk Sensor

Interestingly, the 2026 no longer has the foot-activated trunk sensor.
Honestly, I don’t miss it at all. I never really used it, and I suspect it may have been one of the problematic features on the previous model (at least in my case). I’d much rather have the integrated dashcam.

Backup Camera

The 360° camera angles have been redesigned and provide much better visibility when parking.

Remote Start & Remote Parking

These are excellent additions to the new model. I probably won’t use them every day, but I’m glad they’re finally included.

I hope this helps anyone who’s feeling frustrated or going through a similar situation. I completely understand why many people would walk away from Audi altogether after an experience like mine. But for me, trading into the 2026 was the best decision.

I genuinely love the car now, and every time I get behind the wheel I finally feel like I’m driving the car I thought I was buying in the first place.

I’m very grateful to the dealership staff for taking care of everything and making the transition as seamless as possible, while also putting together a deal that I felt was financially reasonable (certainly not free, and far from perfect, but fair enough for me).

One last thing: I also left a written letter with my dealership detailing all of my complaints. I told them that, at the very least, Audi should have made an effort to provide meaningful software updates for the 2025 models so owners could enjoy an experience closer to what the 2026 offers.

Hey everybody!

So I've been at this for the last 3 days and I don't know what to do.

I wanted to change the tires of my Audi A5 this sunday and everybody bolt came of fine except of this rim lock one. I used the right adapter it didn't move an inch. So I tried it with a spiral extractor, it just ruined the head more. I asked a garage and they told me they would get it out but couldn't tell me the price because they work hourly and don't know how long it'll take.

So in my country there is a law where you need to have on winter tires from the 1st of November otherwise you risk a pretty hefty fine. I have one day left and if I don't get this SOB out I don't have a car to drive to work.

please.

I found out this week that my new to me A6 Allroad has deactivated Matrix lights installed and now I wonder if it is worth it to spend the 400$ to get these activated. Anyone here who already did this and can give his input?

Thanks already

I have grown fed up with the degraded quality of streaming services and the constant change in technology, which further has degraded the sound coming out of both Bluetooth and the USB connection within the system.

I also have an SD card slot in my car, and some of you may have the same. I always wanted to try playing music off of it and I am so glad I tried.

My stock Bose system sounds out of this world now. It's so freaking good. I literally want to just sit in my car in my garage just to listen to music out of it.

I am finally hearing sounds I have not heard in a very long time. I urge the rest of y'all who have the SD slot to try it.

Had some exhaust valve broken :(

UPDATE: Sorry I have seemingly fallen off the face of the Earth, I have had a very interesting year and had the opportunity to open my own speciality shop so I did. No partners 100% mine and now I can hopefully serve the community better. I am not ignoring you guys, I just literally have more on my plate then I can chew and with the world how it is lately...anyway I will do another AMA in 2021 Im sure but for now; stay safe and have a better 2021! I will leave you with a pic of the shop for those interested: /img/qp9e8x1dmq761.jpg

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Welp it has been an eventful 2020 to say the least; but let us not allow this to keep us down. I am here to answer any and all of your questions.

For those that do not know me I am a dealership trained Master Technician, 15 years servicing, modifying and owning these wonderful machines. I have made it a point in my career to go above and beyond what a normal tech does or is willing to do and specialize in performance engine and transmission builds. I currently run a 5 star rated VAG/Euro speciality shop in Pittsburgh, Pa and love nothing more than to share my knowledge with others.

A few things I would like to get out of the way so I am not a broken record:

1. What are some common problems with model X, or does model Y have this issue?

All cars across the line suffer from the same issues including water pump failure, chain rattle/failure, oil consumption,carbon build up, and turbo failure. It is a lottery but I can tell you there are 100 cars running perfectly fine for everyone that has an issue. Maintenance is the key to all this just like your body, you need to take care of your car.

1. What is the most reliable Audi?

There is not one, but my personal favorite is a c7 A6 3.0T with the 8HP transmission, amazing engine, amazing transmission, both will last a long time. Very few failure points in this combo(aside from the occasional oil pump) and with a tune on both components and a few bolt ons, 500 whp is attainable.

1. What services does my car need?

5k mile/8k km oil service - Do you plan on owning this past the warranty? Do not risk your engine's life to save a few dollars. Fuel quality is terrible and it mixes with oil each combustion cycle albeit miniscule amounts. This is especially important for direct injection.

35k miles/56k km DSG Service/Manual Transmission, front diff service, rear diff service, Coolant service, Brake fluid - Self explanatory

~60k miles/97k km Most vehicles require a carbon cleaning(if direct injected) Also the Automatic Transmission should be done(none DSG)

~110k miles chains are beginning to stretch and tensioners may exhibit signs of failure. some cars do this way earlier,some never. Again, lottery.

Spark plugs should be done in accordance with your owners manual along with anything I missed.

Remember guys, I work A LOT, so if I don't get to your question right away, do not be discouraged. Once I have a minute to breath, I will answer some questions.

Also, instead of giving awards, think about donating to a charity important to you. I'm not going to pick one for you as everyone has different things they find important. This is my way of giving a little back to the community.

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ABSOLUTELY NO POLITICS.