I lease a 2018 Q5 and I need to make a decision of whether I buy off the lease or get something else. I love the car but I don't know how reliable they are long term. I understand maintenance can be very costly long term. I'd love to drive a 4Runner to the ground but giving the current car market it would have to be an older 4Runner to fit the $30k budget. What should I do?
It was a good thing you leased that Audi Q5. We don’t recommend buying any German vehicles especially the highly sophisticated “computer on wheels” modern ones, only lease them. The thing about German vehicles people keep forgetting about is it’s not just the powertrain you need to focus on but all the surrounding electronics on board. Did you know some German vehicles have over 100 computer modules on board?! It’s a matter of time before they act up or go haywire on you, and then good luck getting it fixed - for complex problems you will have to take to a special shop that works on those vehicles or the dealer and they will charge an arm and a leg. The smart way to own those modern complex German vehicles is to lease them under warranty. That way if anything breaks, it’s on their dime. Audi and the Germans know people lease their vehicles and so cram all that tech into their vehicles to satisfy their customers and win over new ones. Longevity and long-term reliability is usually out the window.
An older 4runner beats that Audi Q5, if you care about longevity, minimal fuss and repair (including costs).
Wait until the madness passes
Let the temporary insanity pass.
