Audi's Q5 widens its off-road appeal
05/02/09 09:01 Filed in: Road tests
Anyone familiar with the Audi Q7 will be in no doubt about the manufacturer of the new Audi Q5. It looks pretty much like a more compact, more manageable version of its bigger sibling. And it is.
As I discovered back in December 2006, the main talking point with the Q7 is its size, which is perhaps visually exaggerated by the towering front grille. The size may not look out of place on pre-credit crunch US freeways, but in Europe there is little doubt that the large proportions of the Q7 have put off some buyers.
The Q5 potentially provides the answer. It looks neat and appealing and it very much is.
You hop on-board and the interior is very much what you would expect for an Audi. It is attractive, exudes quality and is also functional, with switches and dials just where you would expect them to be. Anyone familiar with the new Audi A4, will feel very much at home behind this particular wheel.
My first impression when setting out on my first country-road drive was how well weighted the steering is. It feels almost heavy, but those who like a light hand on the tiller around town need not fear. At lower speeds it really does lighten up quite considerably, while retaining this reassuring weight on country roads.
Indeed, the Q5 is a very pleasant companion on cross-country routes. Where many off-roaders teeter a bit on their tall suspension, the Q5 just sits on the road with reassuring poise and precision.
Yet it is not firm. The ride quality is generally good and refined, with just occasional restlessness when faced with badly corrugated surfaces. Like the Q7, the downside is that the suspension is definitely biased for on-road use and is a bit firm for rougher off-road surfaces. But, Audi have probably sussed their market well.
The Q5 and cars of its ilk are seldom going to be pressed into service for really serious mud-plugging. If you want a vehicle with ultimate off-road ability you may be as well to look elsewhere to the likes of Land Rover.
One of the charges laid against 4x4s is that they are unnecessarily wasteful of resources and overly-polluting.
That’s really not an accusation that can justifiable be aimed at my road test car, the Audi Q5 2.0 TDI quattro SE. Although I never made the official combined fuel consumption figure of 42.1 mpg, I reckon my average commuting figure of just over 30 mpg is pretty good. A carbon dioxide emissions figure of 175 g/km is also quite reasonable.
The great news is that the Q5’s engine is so well muffled and so responsive that you will soon forget it is a diesel. Just make sure you remember when you get to the filling station pumps, though.
The practicality of the Q5 extends to good passenger and load space. On the test car the large tailgate opened and closed electrically. It’s a nice touch, during filthy winter driving conditions – saving the usual dirty fingers on a muddy tailgate. However, it is just one of the many items on a very tempting list of optional extras.
It is easy to get carried away with this options list. The road test car was a good example. The basic price for the Q5 2.0 TDI quattro is £28,530. Once it has all the goodies added (including the extremely reasonable £45 hill hold assist that makes the electronic parking brake much more bearable), the road test car’s price ends up being almost £8,000 higher at £36,195.
The bottom line, then, is that the Q5 impressed with its combination of good road manners, practicality and reasonable economy. I never once even thought about selecting any other set of keys during the road test period and that is always the acid test.
With deep snow falling outside as I write, the Audi Q5 seems an even more attractive proposition.
As I discovered back in December 2006, the main talking point with the Q7 is its size, which is perhaps visually exaggerated by the towering front grille. The size may not look out of place on pre-credit crunch US freeways, but in Europe there is little doubt that the large proportions of the Q7 have put off some buyers.
The Q5 potentially provides the answer. It looks neat and appealing and it very much is.
You hop on-board and the interior is very much what you would expect for an Audi. It is attractive, exudes quality and is also functional, with switches and dials just where you would expect them to be. Anyone familiar with the new Audi A4, will feel very much at home behind this particular wheel.
My first impression when setting out on my first country-road drive was how well weighted the steering is. It feels almost heavy, but those who like a light hand on the tiller around town need not fear. At lower speeds it really does lighten up quite considerably, while retaining this reassuring weight on country roads.
Indeed, the Q5 is a very pleasant companion on cross-country routes. Where many off-roaders teeter a bit on their tall suspension, the Q5 just sits on the road with reassuring poise and precision.
Yet it is not firm. The ride quality is generally good and refined, with just occasional restlessness when faced with badly corrugated surfaces. Like the Q7, the downside is that the suspension is definitely biased for on-road use and is a bit firm for rougher off-road surfaces. But, Audi have probably sussed their market well.
The Q5 and cars of its ilk are seldom going to be pressed into service for really serious mud-plugging. If you want a vehicle with ultimate off-road ability you may be as well to look elsewhere to the likes of Land Rover.
One of the charges laid against 4x4s is that they are unnecessarily wasteful of resources and overly-polluting.
That’s really not an accusation that can justifiable be aimed at my road test car, the Audi Q5 2.0 TDI quattro SE. Although I never made the official combined fuel consumption figure of 42.1 mpg, I reckon my average commuting figure of just over 30 mpg is pretty good. A carbon dioxide emissions figure of 175 g/km is also quite reasonable.
The great news is that the Q5’s engine is so well muffled and so responsive that you will soon forget it is a diesel. Just make sure you remember when you get to the filling station pumps, though.
The practicality of the Q5 extends to good passenger and load space. On the test car the large tailgate opened and closed electrically. It’s a nice touch, during filthy winter driving conditions – saving the usual dirty fingers on a muddy tailgate. However, it is just one of the many items on a very tempting list of optional extras.
It is easy to get carried away with this options list. The road test car was a good example. The basic price for the Q5 2.0 TDI quattro is £28,530. Once it has all the goodies added (including the extremely reasonable £45 hill hold assist that makes the electronic parking brake much more bearable), the road test car’s price ends up being almost £8,000 higher at £36,195.
The bottom line, then, is that the Q5 impressed with its combination of good road manners, practicality and reasonable economy. I never once even thought about selecting any other set of keys during the road test period and that is always the acid test.
With deep snow falling outside as I write, the Audi Q5 seems an even more attractive proposition.
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