Introduction

Audi Q5 is an all-new crossover derived from the recent A4 and A5 line. As with the Q7, Audi came to the SUV party fashionably late but came well equipped. The 2009 Q5 comes with a gasoline V6 engine and six-speed automatic transmissions; both gas-electric hybrid and diesel variants remain possibilities a few years in the future. All-wheel drive, with which Audi has arguably as much experience as any car company, is standard, as are a full suite of passive safety systems (only rear side airbags are standard; you may not want them with children) and an advanced stability control system that alters performance when the roof rack is in use. True to name, the Q5 has five seats, and the rear seats offer the recline-and-slide functions that until now have oddly been the purview of less-expensive class crossovers. Cargo volume is substantially greater than the A4 Avant, the Q5 will tow a minimum 900 pounds more than anything else in this class, and EPA ratings are among best in class. Styling inside and out is typical Audi, and the cabin has few peers for the combination of function, style, materials and finish. There is no obvious cost-cutting here: what looks like leather, wood or aluminum is; the passenger gets the same 12-way power seat the driver does; and three-zone climate control is standard. Features and electronics rise with price, which ranges from $38,000 to $56,000 or more when fully loaded. Features include: heated front seats; panorama sunroof; iPod interface; Bluetooth/HomeLink; Xenon headlamps and LED running lamps; power-fold auto-dimming mirrors; programmable power tailgate; driver memory system; 18-, 19-, and 20-inch wheels; navigation with 3-D graphics, voice recognition, rear camera, real-time traffic and weather; Bang & Olufsen stereo and Advance Key. The Q5 competes with the Acura RDX, BMW X3, Infiniti EX35, Land Rover LR2, Lexus RX350, Mercedes-Benz GLK350, and Volvo XC60.

Walkaround

The first word mentioned in every Audi Q5 presentation we've seen is stylish; there's nothing really ground-breaking in the Q5's appearance although they have done a few things differently. As you'd expect it looks much like its big-brother Q7, has Audi's familiar full-height grille face, and Audi notes a drag coefficient of 0.33; that's good for a relatively short, upright shape but as usual, no mention of frontal area (an important part of the equation) was made. Wind noise won't become an issue at U.S. highway speeds, but it will take more fuel to push this through the air than an A4 Avant (wagon) for instance. Q5 shares lineage with the A4 and A5 lines, bit it is four inches wider than an A4, nearly nine inches higher and about 10-percent heavier than a comparably equipped A4 wagon. Relative to others in its class it is wider than most (Land Rover's LR2 is narrower), average in height (the LR2 and Volvo XC60 notably taller, the Infiniti EX notably lower) and longer than the LR2 but shorter than the Lexus RX. Audi's signature LED running lights are standard on Premium Plus or Prestige cars and make the front more distinctive than most; all Q5's use LED lamps in back. Those rear lights are all in the hatch that wraps around the sides so they won't get damaged loading anything; conversely there will be no section of taillight showing while loading things at night. Character lines are similar to those on every front-engine Audi, with the upper one soft through the doors and tightly creased at the rear, and the upswept line from front wheel center through the lower doors. The rear door opening marks the leading edge of the wheelwell but insulation is sufficient your slacks won't get covered in muck sliding in and out. A variety of wheels are used and many appear directional; most people will not notice all the detail on the first glance. Regardless of size, all wheels are alloy and relatively easy to clean. Aluminum roof rails and the cross bars that go in them are standard on every Q5 and the rated roof rack load of 220 pounds is higher than many. Leave the cross bars out until you need them because one, they generate some wind noise, and two, because the electronic stability program algorithm changes with the bars installed.

Interior Features

The Q5 cabin is what we have come to expect from Audi, stylish design that won't appear faddish in a few years' time, plenty of features and first-rate assembly and materials. It's no secret that other companies use Audi interiors as a benchmark, and not that hard to reason why. Every Q5 comes with leather seating surfaces and what looks like wood or aluminum is genuine. While a loaded top-line model comes with more amenities, the basics of appearance, comfort, and function are equal on the entry model. If you have to have a gee-whiz or state-of-the-art gadget you will need a high-line model, whereas seating, cargo room, towing, quiet, and performance are all very similar across the range. Power seats are standard with 12-way adjustment for both front occupants and heaters on most versions. A three-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel with thumbwheels and switches for redundant control has good tilt/telescope range so every driver should find a good, comfortable position. Outward visibility is quite good and the rear wiper clears virtually all the glass you see through, but some short drivers may find the large mirrors (from the Q7) create a wide, front pillar to look around. The door sill is narrower than many so it doesn't feel like you're climbing in, more like a step sideways. Most interior storage is in the glove-box and larger door pockets (each will hold a 1-liter bottle), with smaller spaces in the console. Trim panels or wood, aluminum, or a combination of those grace the doors, dash, and wrap over the sides of the center console where they might be vulnerable to scratching (don't let the carwash vacuum from just one side). The light-hued headliner adds spaciousness but the S Line trim makes it black. Instruments use clear white-on-black markings with fuel and coolant gauges nesting to the side of big speedometer and tachometer; the big gauges have 0 right at the bottom so you may have to recalibrate if you're not used to 60 mph being shown as a needle pointed due left. The display directly ahead of the driver gives data for clock/calendar, trip computer, odometer, gear requested and gear engaged, audio source, and on navigation cars upcoming turning instructions. The center dash is angled very slightly toward the driver with audio controls below the vents and dual-zone climate control below that. For many controls a rotary knob varies the parameter chosen by the buttons surrounding it; there is a lot of flexibility in the climate system and it's easy to get to. Every Q5 comes with an AM/FM/CD sound system; the Premium Plus includes an upgraded Symphony system with 6CD changer and SD card, and the optional-on-Premium-model iPod integration that works with any Gen 4 iPod with a connector dock. On cars with MMI, the iPod is fully controllable through MMI. Prestige models use a superb sound system from Bang & Olufsen with half a kilowatt of power driving 14 speakers. A conventional shifter offers manual mode up/down shifting though we prefer that on the driver's side of the shift lever, and the parking brake is operated through a switch to the shifter's left. Cars with navigation get the first application of Audi's third generation MMI (multimedia interface) system that offers more features than earlier versions but is still easy to work with. The voice-recognition system has been improved and will accommodate simple statements like "I need gas" or "find food" as well as accept address input for the navigation; all result in a choice of offers and when you select one it does the route guidance. It also offers Sirius links to real-time traffic info, weather and so forth. The hard-disc drive allots 30GB solely for navigation data; check with your dealer regarding the cost of updating the data. It now uses and nVIDIA chip for 3D graphics so once you're into a metropolitan area on the 200-yard-or-smaller scale it shows buildings and landmarks as 3D structures. The rearview camera with the system shows predictive backing for backing straight into a space or backing into a parallel parking spot. It's a great feature that adds safety and convenience. Rear seats are split 60/40 with the wide side behind then driver, partially recline, have three adjustable headrests, and slide back and forth about 4.5 inches; with the front seats back all the way that negates knee room but does make an easier reach to a child seat or more cargo space with shorter occupants in front. The center seat position does not have an anchor for the back tether on a baby seat. Room is typical of the class and will fit a couple of adults, but the roof sides by the panoramic sunroof takes more than an inch off headroom and will limit head space for taller passengers. A fold-out armrest with pop-out cupholders does not rest on the seat cushion, leaving extra thigh space, the rear seat has its own warmer/cooler climate control, and side windows don't quite go down flush in the door. Rear seats may be dropped by a single-lever pull at the side doors or hatch, and the aluminum hatch is easy to use and powered on higher line models. The cargo area is nicely finished and has a solid fiberglass cover that is quickly removed; four tie-down rings in the floor secure heavier items. Under the floor a one-piece bin surrounds the spare tire, ideal for storing a couple of iced beverages, wet hiking gear, and so on. The cargo floor is about 28 inches off the ground for easy loading, and the trailer hitch is 13.5 inches center to ground.