If you think about it, Santa should be given more credit. He threads chimneys, braves storms, finds remote houses, logs a million flier miles, and delivers more joy in less time than anyone has ever found a way of topping. And all with a significant number of people claiming he doesn’t exist! Incredible.
You’d need to have an enormous amount of positive thinking to do what he does, and we’re guessing that the appreciation of millions of kids goes a long way toward keeping the jolly old elf in good spirits. Another thing you would need is a first-class cargo hauler, and in that sense, no one has St. Nick beat.
Just for fun, we thought that we would examine how thoroughly superior Santa’s sleigh is to the Audi Q5, worthy challenger though it tries to be. For ferrying a family around Raleigh and North Carolina, it’s hard to do better than the Q5. Handing out presents to the entire globe in one night? We have to give it to Santa.
In any case, for your enjoyment we present the official Sleigh-Q5 comparison. Best of luck with your holiday shopping!
| 2015 Santa’s Sleigh | 2015 Audi Q5 quattro 4 dr 2.0 TFSI® |
|
| Base MSRP | 5 Golden Icicles | $37,300 |
| Vehicle Type | All the joy and happiness in the world delivery vehicle | Sport Utility Vehicle |
| ENGINE | ||
| Induction/Fuel Injection | Christmas cheer, belief, and/or good will | Turbocharged /TFSI® |
| Horsepower | Eight reindeer, nine if you count Rudolph | 220 @ 4450 RPM |
| Torque (lb-ft) | Santa eats borscht, not torque. A lot of it. | 258 @ 1500 RPM |
| Displacement | Presents for the entire world in a single bag? That’s real displacement | 2.0L |
| Engine Type | Flying reindeer are basically magic | Four-cylinder |
| Fuel Type | Lichens, moss, birch leaves, sedges, grass | Flexible Fuel Capability |
| Fuel Tank Capacity Approx (gal) |
Each reindeer has four stomachs so quite a bit | 19.8 |
| EPA Automatic City | The EPA hasn’t been allowed in the workshop since Watergate | 20 MPG |
| EPA Automatic Highway | Just tell them it’s carbon neutral; sometimes the reindeer sneeze but that’s about it | 28 MPG |
| TRANSMISSION/DRIVETRAIN | ||
| Transmission | Santa has a new set of leather reins this year; they’re pretty cool | Eight-speed Tiptronic® transmission |
| Drive Wheels | Two adamantium rails, but only for emergency use | AWD |
| INTERIOR | ||
| Leather Trim | Elven-stiched, cross-Polar MIRACLEhide® | Standard |
| Rear Air Conditioning | Well it’s an open-top design during the winter, so… | Standard |