Audi Q5 Review 2024

The Audi Q5 is an excellent all-rounder that will suit a wide variety of buyers. The important things to know here are that this is a comfortable, refined family SUV with lots of practicality and a nice, high-set driving position.

The Audi Q5 will look great on the driveway, and has a stylish cabin that feels luxurious. Combine this sense of quality with its relaxing road manners and you have a car that is superb on long journeys, family holidays, or commuting.

The Audi Q5 has standard four-wheel drive that disengages when it's not needed to help save fuel, but gives useful extra grip and traction on slippery roads or when you're towing. However, a Land Rover Discovery Sport is a better bet if you need to drive off-road.

That premium image comes with a high price tag, and if you just need a spacious family SUV there are a lot of mainstream rivals that do the same job for less money. Still, few have the same level of polish as the Audi Q5.

With its five seats, premium badge and a spacious, high-quality interior, the Audi Q5 is the do-it-all of mid-size SUVs. It's expensive, but that high price brings with it four-wheel drive, stunning materials and some powerful engines.

For similar money to a used Q5, you could get yourself the contemporary Mercedes-Benz GLC, which was revised in 2019 and replaced in late 2022. It brings a lot of technology to the party, a stronger diesel engine, and more generous equipment.

Another closely-matched contender is the BMW X3. It's equally practical when carrying luggage or people in the back, and comes with a wider selection of engines to choose from, with six-cylinder petrol and diesels.

The Lexus NX might not have the badge appeal of the Audi Q5, but it is an excellent SUV with a comfortable interior and an efficient range of petrol-electric hybrid engines. The NX also provides better boot space, while its softer suspension set-up makes it better suited for rough roads and potholes. 

However, if you need your SUV to carry seven passengers, then the Land Rover Discovery Sport, or cheaper alternatives like the Skoda Kodiaq both offer an occasional third row of seats, but aren't quite as comfortable as the Audi Q5. 

Still, if your kids have flown the nest and you fancy something a bit sportier and fun, then the pricey but agile Porsche Macan, plus certain versions of the Jaguar F-Pace and Alfa Romeo Stelvio are all worth a test drive.

The difference between an Audi Q5 and mainstream family SUVs is like the gap between a rented suit and something that's been tailor-made. The shape and layout are similar, but the fit and detailing is a cut above.

Prominent areas that you'll touch regularly are covered in dense, expensive-feeling materials, and cheaper plastics - if you can find any - are kept hidden out of sight. The rich mix of leather upholstery, with aluminium finishers in the doors and climate control switches that are cool to the touch, enhances the upmarket appeal of the Audi Q5.

Audi Q5 S Line models feel especially plush inside, thanks to a set of thickly-bolstered sports seats finished in leather and suede-like Alcantara, with contrasting stitching, bright stainless steel pedals and sportier steering wheel.

The gaps between the overlapping panels and control clusters are precise to the millimetre, and nothing that should be fixed in placed moves or creaks when prodded. It feels exceptionally solid and robust.

Travelling to the upper reaches of the range means you get some extra leather, open pore wood, and fancy multi-coloured LED lighting to bathe the cabin in your preferred hue, but every model feels luxurious to sit in.

If you're buying a used Audi Q5, you might want to avoid the early examples. These came as standard with a teeny 7.0-inch display that's smaller than the ones you get in most superminis today, and it feels very unforgivably old-hat as a result, especially in a premium SUV like the Q5. You could specify a bigger screen and better infotainment functionality as an optional extra, so if you are looking at older Q5s, try and find an example with these options fitted.

As part of a model refresh in 2020, the Q5 received a 10.1-inch touchscreen system that made the display easier to read and looked a lot sharper. However, the rotary wheel controller and shortcut buttons that made the old system easy to use was dispensed with, meaning that you have to navigate the various on-screen menus using the touchscreen, or the buttons and dials on the steering wheel, which is far more distracting when you're driving.

The feature list is decent on the Audi Q5, with DAB radio, Bluetooth, basic voice commands, navigation and USB charging ports, but importantly Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard and allow wireless Bluetooth connectivity on models built from 2022 onwards. 

This software lets you use selected apps from your phone on the main screen, making it easier to message or call your close contacts, navigate around nearby traffic jams or listen to your favourite tunes and podcasts.

Audi's 'Virtual Cockpit' digital instrument panel is another thing that originally cost buyers of all versions extra, but this has since been added as standard throughout the range.

Buyers can rest easy knowing the Audi Q5 will be more than able to cope with the hectic demands of daily life. Measuring 4663mm long and 1893mm wide, it means that the Audi Q5's spacious cabin has room to seat four in total comfort, and the boot is big enough for a wide array of luggage.

The Audi Q5 has a 510-litre boot capacity, which is a little short on the 550 litres you get in the Mercedes-Benz GLC and BMW X3. However accessing the Q5's boot is as simple as pushing a button on the key fob, since all models come with a powered tailgate as standard. Fold the rear seats down and this expands to 1,480 litres, although these figures fall to 465/1405 litres in the plug-in hybrids.

There is a slight load lip that stops you from sliding heavier items straight in and out, but apart from that we have nothing but praise for the layout of the luggage area. It's a nice square shape, with tall sides so it swallows bulky suitcases without complaint, and it's deep enough to carry longer stuff like golf clubs with the seats up.

As standard on all Audi Q5s, the rear bench splits three ways, in a configuration that allows you to carry awkward items like skis and two people at the same time. Seats that individually slide and recline were available as an optional extra. This is a worthwhile option, as it allows you to increase boot space when needed, or maximise knee room on a longer trip, and will certainly be welcomed by any passengers who feel like taking a snooze sat in the back.

The outer seats are sculpted to make them really comfortable, holding passengers in place, but whoever sits in the middle is going to feel like a second-class citizen. The middle seat is narrow and not as well padded, with less headroom and kneeroom, and the large hump in the footwell means you have to straddle your legs apart to plant your feet.

Fitting a child seat is no hassle thanks to the clearly marked ISOFIX anchor points, and Audi gives you two sets in the rear and another in the front passenger seat, so that you'll be able to carry triplets in a pinch. On-board storage is plentiful with the Audi Q5, with deep door pockets and a generously-sized glovebox, and you can stash even more stuff under the armrest.

The engine options available with the Audi Q5 have changed quite a bit over the many years its been on sale. For most of the early part of its life, buyers of the mainstream Q5 chose between the 40 TDI diesel and 45 TFSI petrol: both have four cylinders, and are 2.0-litres in size; with 190PS and 245PS, respectively.

No matter which you choose, you'll be getting a strong engine, that's happy to pull from low revs and breezes up to motorway speeds expending a minimum of effort. The 45 TFSI feels usefully quicker, but most of that extra urgency is only apparent at higher revs, so you'll only notice any performance boost when you push it.

However, driving it enthusiastically will see its fuel plummet well below 30mpg. For most buyers that's why the easy-going and sensible 40 TDI is the better bet. It's got a little bit more in-gear grunt for towing too. Both are paired with a seven-speed automatic gearbox that's quick to shift when using the paddles on the steering wheel, but can be frustratingly hesitant left to its own devices. It's also nowhere near as slick as a BMW X3's.

Audi also offered a meatier six-cylinder engine in the sporty SQ5. It features a 3.0-litre V6 diesel with two turbos and nearly double the pulling power of the 45 TFSI, making it by far the quickest model in the line-up, but it builds speed steadily rather than pinning you back into your seat.

Then there were the 50 and 55 TFSIe plug-in hybrids, which paired a tuned version of the 2.0-litre petrol in the standard car with a 143PS electric motor, for a total output of 299PS in the former and 367PS in the latter. Those figures translate to eye-widening pace in the real world. In hybrid mode, the instant torque from the motor combines harmoniously with the smooth and punchy petrol, and it feels especially quick off the line.

These days, the engine range has been slimmed down. The SQ5 is no more, while the 50 TFSIe is the only one of the plug-in hybrids that remains. Meanwhile, the 40 TDI now has 204PS while the 45 TFSI has 265PS.

While the Audi Q5 is not the most exhilarating of SUVs from behind the wheel, it is one of the most relaxing. For a tall car, wind noise is virtually non-existent, even at higher speeds, and road rumble is fairly well stifled, too. This makes the Audi a calm companion on arduous motorway slogs, cocooning you from the world outside.

Choosing the Vorsprung models - with their adaptive air suspension - means you won't hear any noise from the springs thudding on challenging road surfaces, but this is a pretty rare occurrence on the standard car.

All the engines in the line-up are smooth and civilised, even when you work them harder. The 40 TDI is one of the quietest four-cylinder diesels in this class, narrowly beating out the GLC 220 d and X3 20d for finesse.

Apart from the SQ5, every Q5 comes fitted with Audi's twin-clutch S tronic gearbox. While it does a fine job of swapping between its seven ratios on fast and flowing roads, it can be a bit jerky to use at parking speeds. 

The two TFSI e plug-in hybrids use the instant torque from their electric motors to help smooth out the gaps between changes, so they feel slicker than the conventional cars as a result. The only thing you'll hear while running solely on battery power is a gentle whine from the motor; the transfer to petrol power is seamless.

Almost every premium SUV in this price range has been awarded the maximum five stars for crash safety by testing body Euro NCAP. Does that mean they are all identically safe? Not quite. Looking at the breakdown of the scores in the individual categories, the Audi Q5 doesn't perform as competently as many of its close rivals.

It received a decent rating of 93% for adult protection and 86% for safeguarding children, but was beaten by both the Mercedes-Benz GLC and class-leading Volvo XC60, which got 98% for the former and 87% in the latter.

Its overall score was also dragged down by a low 58% for safety assistance, since Audi only offers lane-keep assistance as part of a pricey optional Tour package that bundles together adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, and an increased range of operating speeds for the vital auto-emergency braking system (AEB). It's also a bit baffling as to why this stuff isn't standard-fit, because it is on so many cars costing a fraction of the price.

The standard Pre-sense City AEB system works below 52mph, and uses a hidden camera to scan the road for cyclists, pedestrians and cars, warning you if you're about to hit something, and applying the brakes if you don't react. Pay to upgrade to the Tour pack and this system works right up to 155mph, so covers the motorway as well.

Acoustic parking sensors are standard on the Audi Q5 to help you with low-speed manoeuvres, and so is a reversing camera, but it wasn't always: once upon a time, you had to stump up for the Comfort & Sound Pack if you wanted one of those.

The good news is that there doesn't appear to be any common faults with the Audi Q5 that we've seen, while Audi performs very well as a brand when it comes to reliability, scoring 9.12 out of 10 in the HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index.

Getting coverage for your pride and joy will cost you a little more in the Audi Q5 than some other premium SUVs. Naturally, the cheapest model in the range, the 40 TDI Sport, is the least expensive to cover. It's in Group 31.

Trim levels have a surprising impact on the insurance rating, too. Pick the same diesel engine in Black Edition specification and it goes up by one band to Group 32, but the all-singing Vorsprung model is up in Group 35. Check out our guide to the cheapest Audis to insure for more info. 

That's in-line with its premium rivals, although in their most popular 2.0-litre diesel guises the BMW X3 and Jaguar F-type are in Group 29, so will cost a bit less in annual premiums.

All new Audi Q5s have a starting price over £40,000, and so did most used ones when they were new, and that means most are liable to pay an additional rate of road tax (VED) for luxury vehicles, during five of the first six years of ownership. That means owning one is going to cost you £570 per year over that time, before dropping down to the standard rate, which is currently £180 a year.

The Audi Q5 50 TFSI e plug-in hybrid version is another exception. It qualifies for a £10 alternative fuels discount on the standard rate.

When the current Q5 launched, Audi offered it in a temptingly affordable SE trim that skimped on a few carefully selected items of equipment that the brand knew you were likely to add later from the options list.

It quickly dispensed of this base spec, and Sport trim is now the jumping-off point for the Audi Q5 range, and the spec sheet looks a bit mean spirited for the money.

Sure, it's great that climate control, leather upholstery, heated sports seats in the front, parking sensors and sat-nav are standard, plus a 10.1-inch infotainment screen, Bluetooth, DAB, cruise control, and a powered tailgate.

However, this is the bare minimum we expect from a premium family SUV. Audi has enhanced kit levels a bit as the years have gone by, adding things like reversing cameras and digital instruments to the standard roster, but it's still far from generous. We consider it pretty ludicrous that in a brand new premium SUV, you're required to pay extra for items like wireless phone charging and adaptive cruise control, even on the top trim levels.

We think it's worth upgrading from Sport to the Audi Q5 S line model. It's not a lot more expensive, and you get 19-inch alloys, brighter LED headlights, leather and suede seats, and rear privacy glass. 

Black Edition Audi Q5s are about in-you-face styling upgrades instead of a useful equipment boost, and while top-spec Vorsprung trim comes with every possible option box ticked, it's also mind-bogglingly expensive. It's also been discontinued as a new car.