What’s your budget or money isnt an issue?
I’d say Q5 is not bad at all. In my book, its chassis tuning is on the stiffer side, giving it a sporty driving feel. When you are on dynamic mode, the steering wheel becomes super precise, and its cornering control is top-notch among SUVs in its class. Plus, it gives you a ton of confidence during high-speed acceleration. I wasn’t a fan of my Q5 at first because the turbo lag made it feel a bit sluggish, but once I got used to it, it actually felt pretty cool. The 45 engine delivers some serious oomph at the backend. One downside is that I feel the brakes are a bit soft, and the acceleration in D mode is a bit slow, probably due to the weight of the vehicle. But if you switch to S mode you won’t have this issue at all.
As for Alfa Romeo, personally I’m more into the Stelvio than the Tonale. The Stelvio’s handling is so good that you forget you’re driving an SUV.
Porsche – that’s a whole different level of car. I’d def get one if i have the budget
I also agree with the OP that the GLC has a softer chassis, making it more suited for a comfortable ride. This new generation of the X3 is leaning more towards comfort than its previous sportier setup.
QX55 and RDX are good options too, I almost got a Rdx sh-awd aspec 6 mo ago, but ended up getting Q5 coz the price lol
This is a great analysis. I 100% agree with your evaluation of the Q5. The stiffer ride is what I liked about it. I only drove the 45. I’m considering that or the phev (no 40, which is underpowered).
I drove the Stelvio and loved it. It handles better than any small SUV in its class. Unfortunately its leases (all Alfa leases really) are significantly overpriced because of a terrible bank rate.
Agreed that the Porsche is a step up, although I was surprised that the drive on the AWD was not meaningfully better than the other cars I liked. The leases are way too expensive but with the high resale value, I was thinking of buying a CPO and reselling in 2-3 years while it still has a few years of warranty left.
My goal for budget is to be around $600/mo net effective. It looks like I can get to that range with the Q5 or one of the Volvos.
I think you’re comparing the Tonale to the Dodge Hornet GT, which is the gas engine. The R/T, which is the phev comparable to Tonale, starts at $41,590. It’s about $3k less than Tonale across the board.
I thought Alfa leases are ok, at least according to their ads and broker deals I found here (seems around high 500-600) I might be wrong
Q5 will be around low-mid 600 w Socal tax for a 45 premium (or premium plus if they are giving you 10%+ off), def a top choice within ur budget
I’m not a fan of Volvo’s chassis tuning. I find it lacking in refinement and sportiness. However, if you don’t pay too much attention to those details, it may not make much of a difference. The C40 and XC40 siblings have recently been offering some substantial discounts, and you might even be able to snag one for just over 400. Moreover, these EVs are super quick, and considering the price, they can be a really good choice. Of course, everything ultimately depends on your test drive experience.
I was quotes some absolute madness at the Alfa dealership. Just reached out to @aronchi in the marketplace to see what kind of deals are out there for July.
I’m in NJ so hoping to see some good deals on the Q5. It’s the leading contender right now.
I’m driving the Volvo XC40 (ice) and XC60 tomorrow. Will report back.
Looks like Infiniti has some good deals but brutal reviews.
Best of luck!
I got mine on 13% off pre-incentive, with the 2500 incentive on Feb ,ended up 18% off msrp in total
With my 1800 equity (they wrote 4300 on the contract to help get a better CCR and lower monthly) and 2500 drive offs turn out 413/mo
plenty of space to play around the numbers on a Q5!
Yeah 378 pretax. the effective monthly is under 600 (mid 500 ish) 36/10k
Couldn’t be happier with this deal
their current program for Q5 is 1500 incentive which is 1k less than Feb, but you can always push for more dealer discounts
Any advice for how to identify vehicles that are likely to have bigger discounts? I’m checking the website for a local dealer, and they have the MSRP listed but for every car it says “Dealer Sets Actual Price”.
Dont worry about what dealer listed on the website, email/call around and give them your price ask if they could make it possible. Some dealers have price match&beat policy you could take the advantage and compete prices for bit.
For unresponsive or stubborn dealers fixated on price, just walk away. They’re likely not motivated to sell or restricted by their invoice prices. Find a dealer who values your business and is willing to provide reasonable discounts.
The cheapest 45 trims are 45 premium, they are 50k-53k depends on different add ons (usually pano roof, convenience pckg, 19 wheel, audi beam, illuminated front badge and cargo cover, noted that white is a free paint so it’s always cheaper than other colors w same equipment)
I’m not sure about MF right now, mine was around .0024. but with the tax policy in NJ you should be able to get great deals once a dealer agree to 8-10%+ off dealer discount. Dont be afraid to push for 10%+ tho i mean if they don’t sell it, you don’t buy it, that simple
@kekirius Your advice has been on-point. Really helpful, thank you so much.
Are there any good guides or tips on how to send initial offers via email and communication best practices? I searched Share Deals & Tips but couldn’t find an intro/primer.
First step is to research on the max discounts of the model you want (most brokers here give 8%-10% on q5. but you can def push for more), also get an idea of current incentive/rebates you are qualified (Q5 qualifies for 1500 summer sales event) you can browser broker deals as a reference if you decide not to use one. You can also check what others got on the “Signed!” cate, I’ve also posted my contract on there
Then you can either take the offer to the dealer and ask them to match it, or you can directly ask for the discounts after they provide their quotes (usually terrible). Once a dealer is willing to provide a decent quote in writing, email it to other dealers for a price match.
Some negotiation tips:
Ignore when sales rep asks you how much down you want to put, instead, ask them how much discounts they are willing to put before all the incentives + rebates
Negotiate price via email or text, confirm before visiting. Most people have pressure with in-person negotiation, and sales tactics can lead to deals above your desired price.
By asking relevant questions like the MF (money factor) and residual value, you can make it clear to the salesperson that you understand leasing. Instead of directly answering their questions (e.g., “When do you plan to come to the dealership?” or “What monthly payment can you afford?”), try to steer the conversation in your desired direction. For example, “If you can offer that discount, I’m ready to come to the dealership and sign the paperwork today.”
I thought Alfa leases are ok, at least according to their ads and broker deals I found here (seems around high 500-600) I might be wrong
378 pretax. the effective monthly is under 600 (mid 500 ish) 36/10k
i mean if they don’t sell it, you don’t buy it, that simple