Audi Q5 Review & Prices

If you’re looking for a stylish, fuss-free family SUV with an upmarket image, the Audi Q5 could be the car for you. It’s big, comfortable and well put together, but it’s missing some technology that should be standard at this price – and adding them later costs a fortune.

It’s a bit like buying a Scalextric track – you think you’ve got a great deal, but by the time you’ve bought some extra corners, trackside decorations and the cars you actually want it’s a great deal more expensive.

Still, you’re never going to get a bargain in the posh SUV market, and all of the Q5’s alternatives are pretty pricey – the Mercedes GLC, Range Rover Evoque and Jaguar F-Pace are compelling options, or you could consider the Kia EV6 or Peugeot E-3008 if you’re tempted by an electric car.

All are handsome in their own way, but none manages to be so in quite such an imposing way as the Audi Q5. Sure, it’s got a big grille up front, but its boxy looks and squared off design give it a grown up, purposeful appearance. There’s also the Q5 Sportback if you want a more stylish coupe-like roofline.

Watch: Audi Q5 v BMW X3 v Mercedes GLC v Volvo XC60

The exterior is matched by a cabin that’s a bit dark and dreary, with little in the way of design flair – unlike the stylish Jaguar F-Pace. However, build quality is excellent, everything falls easily to hand and the physical climate controls with the temperature inside the dial is a welcome antidote to modern touchscreen systems.

The 10.1-inch infotainment display works well enough and is intuitive to use, but its dark graphics make it look a touch dated now, particularly compared with the big, bright system that dominates the cabin of the Mercedes GLC.

There can be no complaints about space inside, though. There are a few handy cubby holes for you to store bits and bobs, though they’re not the most practical, but there’s ample space in the front and rear seats for tall adults to get comfy. At 510 litres the boot is smaller than in most alternatives – particularly the 650 litres you get in a Jaguar F-Pace – but it should be more than enough for most families, and has a useful square shape. It’s also worth noting you lose a bit of capacity if you go for the plug-in hybrid version, too.

There isn’t a huge range of engines to choose from, but all the basics are covered, with a petrol, a diesel and a plug-in hybrid. The diesel is best for long distance drivers, the plug-in hybrid is great for town driving but it’s more expensive to buy, and the petrol is a decent compromise between the two.

Whichever engine you go for, the Audi Q5 is a comfortable and refined companion for motorway driving. It soaks up bumps nicely and the cabin is well insulated from outside noise. It’s just disappointing that a car at this price doesn’t get adaptive cruise control as standard.

Despite being pretty big it’s not too intimidating to drive around town because you sit high and the windows are large. The plug-in hybrid system can be a bit clunky switching between electric and petrol power, which gets annoying, but if you can keep the batteries regularly charged it’s great for city driving on the whole.

Because of this comfort focus, the Audi Q5 is not the most fun car on a twisty road. It has plenty of grip, particularly in bad weather with its all-wheel drive system, but the Jaguar F-Pace is more likely to put a smile on your face.

Regardless, if you’re looking for a family car that’s comfortable with build quality that feels like it could withstand the end of the world, this could be the car for you. Find out how much you could save with Carwow’s Audi Q5 deals. You can also browse used Q5s, as well as other used Audis from our network of trusted dealers. When it’s time to sell your car, Carwow can help with that, too.

The Audi Q5 is pretty expensive, but it is largely in line with other premium SUV alternatives. The Mercedes GLC costs a bit more but the Jaguar F-Pace has a similar sub-£50,000 starting price. The Range Rover Evoque almost looks like a bargain by comparison, starting around £40,000.

At this price you could also consider electric alternatives. The Kia EV6 and Peugeot E-3008 are excellent options, and the Peugeot in particular has a lovely interior, you’ll just have to accept a less prestigious badge on the bonnet…

The Q5 might be a big car, but it performs admirably in town. However, at low speeds, drivers might feel bumps and lumps in the road more than in alternatives

In town

Around town, the Q5 excels. The driving position means that you sit nice and tall, which provides a great view of the road ahead and all around you. There is a slight blind spot due to the fairly wide pillar between the windscreen and the door, but it’s not enough to really block too much out.

Out of the back window, the view is also good. The Q5 is a fairly wide car and there’s a lot of glass to see out of, plus the rear headrests can be folded flat for extra visibility. If in doubt when it comes to parking the Q5, there are parking sensors and cameras available to guide you into potentially tricky spaces.

The rear pillar is on the wide side, which can be a bit of a hindrance when trying to manoeuvre out of a driveway or in between lanes.

The steering is nice and light, which again helps when it comes to town driving, and it has a better turning circle than the likes of the Mercedes GLC and BMW X3, for example.

At low speed, the Q5 handles bumps fairly well, but it's certainly not as comfortable as the Volvo XC60, although it doesn’t take too much away from what is a generally easy car to drive in urban environments.

On the motorway

At higher speeds, the Q5 is even more impressive. It’s relaxing and easy to drive, and the engines are all very willing with smooth and seamless acceleration, helped by the automatic gearbox. That said, the plug-in hybrid can be quite clunky at switching between electric and petrol power, so if you put your foot down on a motorway slip road there's a moment's hesitation and some jerkiness.

Still, the seats are very comfortable, which helps on longer journeys, and the cabin is nice and quiet with little tyre or wind noise. That means that it’s easy to hold a conversation between front passengers, but also to talk to those in the rear of the car. The space around all the passengers means that long journeys are not a chore and travellers will still feel refreshed on arrival.

On a twisty road

Being such a comfort-focused car, the Audi Q5 isn't the most exciting car to point down a twisty road. There's plenty of grip from the tyres, and the all-wheel drive system helps to ensure there's little fuss accelerating out of corners, even when the road's wet.

However, the Q5 feels heavy and the steering doesn't offer much feedback about what the tyres are doing, so you feel rather detached from the experience of going quickly. The Jaguar F-Pace is a much more involving drive, and the best option for those who enjoy taking the scenic route home.

There’s plenty of great storage features in the new Q5, but also some quirky small spaces that don’t seem to make a lot of sense

The Q5 isn’t a small car, so it makes sense that when you step inside the cabin, there’s plenty of room around you. Making minor adjustments to get your desired driving position is easy thanks to electrically operated seats and steering wheel.

There’s plenty of practicality around the cabin and some cool innovation used too to maximise space and efficiency. One example is the cover for the central cupholders, which doubles as a wireless charging pad for smartphones. The cupholders themselves will only accommodate standard sized bottles, but there are larger door bins that can fit all sizes.

Underneath the armrest there’s more space and USB ports, and while the glovebox isn’t the largest, it is lined with felt to make sure that anything that does go in there is protected and won’t rattle around when you’re on the move.

Some of the storage makes less sense. For example, the control of the main infotainment screen is now done purely by touch, which means the wheel mounted next to the gear lever has gone and been replaced by a very small cubby hole. If this was a car from the 1980s, you’d liken it to an ashtray, such are the dimensions. There’s another small, shallow area next to the 12V charging point and USB port, which isn’t big enough for anything of note.

Space in the back seats

The Q5 is a tall car, which means there’s plenty of head room, even when the glass roof is specified, which eats into head space a bit. Leg and knee room is also very good and no-one should feel cramped behind the driver or front passenger.

Practicality-wise, the front seats have storage nets on the back for magazines, tablets or laptops, while the door bins, like the front ones, are big enough to fit larger bottles.

All the rear seats recline for extra comfort and/or space, while sliding rear seats are optional. The middle seat is a bit on the narrow side, and impeded by the transmission tunnel running down the middle of the car. If this restrictive space is going to be a deal-breaker, an alternative option would be the Mercedes GLC. When there’s no middle rear passenger, fold down the armrest and there’s integrated and covered cupholders.

Child seats are easy to fit, thanks to wide-opening rear doors, but watch out for the ISOFIX plastic covers, which can end up getting lost or fall on the floor when they are removed.

The seats all fold individually, meaning that when the middle seat is dropped, there’s a large space to help load long items.

Boot space

The boot of the Audi Q5 is a nice square shape and has a capacity of 510 litres, which is less than most alternatives offer. The Jaguar F-Pace wins the space game with 650 litres, followed by the Mercedes GLC on 600 litres. It's also worth noting that the plug-in hybrid model loses space to the battery pack, reducing capacity to just 485 litres.

All that being said, a 510-litre boot is still pretty spacious, so it's unlikely most families will struggle with the space on offer, and there are nets, hooks, tie-down points and a 12V socket for added practicality.

Usefully, there’s a boot-mounted handle to release the rear seats that creates a relatively flat load space. There’s a bit of a ridge between the boot and the rear seat hinges – and another lip by the back of the boot – but it’s not enough to make a huge difference to loading and unloading.

There are lots of quality materials throughout the Q5’s cabin, but many of the additions are cost options, which means the price rises quickly

The Audi Q5 features a 10.1-inch infotainment screen in the centre of the dashboard. It’s standard on every model in the range and runs Audi’s latest operating system that can easily be updated automatically to ensure you are always running the optimum software. It’s easy to use, with clear and precise sat-nav and a sensible menu structure. The system is also compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which is useful because the Audi's dark graphics feel a bit old-fashioned.

The Q5 also gets Audi’s digital driver’s display as standard, which is easy to use and operate using the buttons on the car’s steering wheel. From here, you can view a range of different screens such as speed, economy, navigation and audio.

Climate control is one area where the Q5 hasn't succumbed to the latest trend of touchscreen operation, and the physical dials fall easily to hand with the intuitive temperature readout.

The Q5 offers a range of seat options depending on grade, including quilted leather, Alcantara and two different types of leather. The seats themselves are very comfortable and the driving position is great.

As you would expect from Audi, the cabin has a premium feel to it and the build quality around the driver and passengers is very high. Everything up front feels solid, with no cheap plastics to be seen.

All Q5 grades get a choice of three engines, covering diesel, petrol and hybrid options. The range starts with a 2.0-litre diesel with 204hp that records the 0-62mph sprint in 7.6 seconds, while fuel economy returns up to 44.1mpg in official tests.

Then there’s a 2.0-litre turbo petrol-engined Q5 with 265hp and official fuel economy figure of up to 33.2mpg. The trade off for using more fuel is that the 0-60mph time is quicker than the diesel at 6.1 seconds.

Finally, to the hybrid, which costs significantly less in company car tax and VED, so might appeal to you on that count alone. It’s another 2.0-litre petrol engine, this time with 299hp and an identical 6.1-second 0-60mph time. Official fuel economy figures indicate up to 188mpg, but to achieve that figure you would need to keep the batteries charged and stick to shorter journeys.

The latest Euro NCAP test saw five stars awarded to the Q5. This rating relates to the pre-facelifted version of the car but, structurally, very little has changed, so the same information applies – though the test has become much stricter since then.

The Q5 performed well when it came to adult occupant safety, scoring 93%, with child occupant safety coming in at a more than acceptable 86%. Pedestrian protection was rated at 73%, but safety assist technology has been figured at just 58%.

That's a poor score, but modern Q5s get all the basic safety kit as standard. All models get automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, reversing camera with front and rear parking sensors, and basic cruise control.

Meanwhile, there’s keyless go, an anti-theft alarm and remote central locking for peace of mind when it comes to security.

Every Audi Q5 gets a three-year/60,000-mile warranty, which is about the minimum you'll get from any car manufacturer in the UK. There are options to extend this to four years with Audi directly, with prices dependent on the specific model.

On the whole the Q5 performs okay in reliability surveys, with buyers generally happy with the quality of the product and any issues are normally isolated and minor.