two thousand fifteen Audi Q5 Review

The Car Connection Accomplished Review

• Lots of drivetrain choices, all good
• A lesson in good taste
• Quick shifts from the eight-speed
• Google Earth maps make Audi Connect a must-have
• Quattro is standard

• Still no standard rearview camera
• Gas mileage isn’t stellar on gas-only models
• We’re not sold by Drive Select’s adaptive controls
• Effortless to spend more than $50,000
• 3G connectivity comes with subscription fee

The two thousand fifteen Audi Q5 produces fine acceleration, good treating, and extraordinaire fuel efficiency, all with more height and ground clearance compared to a sedan or sport wagon-essentially what every luxury compact crossover shopper seeks.

Less of a shrunken Q7 than a more spacious Audi wagon, the Audi Q5 has pretty proportions and a cabin that’s cleanly styled and trimmed to a high standard. The cohesive look fits snugly alongside Audi’s car lineup, blending in lightly with the Allroad wagon and even the A4 sedan, which all share its tall grille and slender LED-outlined headlamps. Its cockpit sets a high-water mark for plainness and for fit and finish, particularly with the optional layered-oak trim, however we might wish for more recognizable buttons while we fumble to control the lush-looking non-touchscreen display.

In front, the driver and front passenger have a high seating position, and slew of gam and head room. The seats have broad cushions with enough bolstering to make a lot of people comfy, slender or not so slender. The back seat also doles out reasonable gam room, thanks to a wheelbase that’s relatively long. The Q5’s cabin is nicely detailed, about the best to be found in its compact-luxury niche.

We’re blessed with any powerplants, especially the Two.0-liter turbo-4. It’s lighter and almost as quick as the Q5 Three.0T, with its supercharged 272-hp Three.0-liter V-6. We’ve spent a little time with the Q5 Hybrid. It blends the power from lithium-ion batteries and a 54-hp electrical motor for two hundred forty five hp net, but would tend to choose the Q5 TDI we’ve driven extensively, anyway. The turbodiesel’s acceleration is similar, its combined fuel economy higher, and its driving feel more natural. We’re also fans of the SQ5, which comes with an upgraded suspension, as well as a 354-hp version of the Trio.0-liter supercharged V-6. All-wheel drive comes standard on all Q5 crossovers, as does an eight-speed, paddle-shifted automatic.

In all its non-hybrid drivetrain versions, the Q5 excels at passing maneuvers, and out of corners. Car-like treating is a promise lots of SUV makers make, but the Q5 supplies it, with the responses and maneuvers of a sport wagon. Given the choice, we’d go for the less costly stock suspension setup, instead of the optional, electronically managed rail and treating of the Drive Select-equipped models.

The Audi Q5 makes rear-seat airbags an option on the Q5. You’ll have to spend a lot extra to get a ordinary rearview camera. Bluetooth is standard. And altogether, the Q5’s combination of IIHS Top Safety Pick+ status and effective accident-avoiding safety gear helps trump any hesitations from its four-star overall federal safety score.

The Q5 isn’t cheap, and adding the options we think most buyers want will drive the price up quickly. All models have power features, 10-speaker audio, leather, power front seats, automatic climate control, satellite radio, and a connectivity kit for iPhones.

Premium Plus and Prestige models ladle on the luxury features. A Q5 Three.0T lightly passes the $55,000 mark. Make sure you save some money to make the Q5 one of your devices on an AT&T mobile plan: that pipes in data, turning the SUV into a wireless hotspot and enabling in-car Google Earth maps.

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