Written by: Martin Ward
Wednesday, February 04, 2009 

The last time I drove a Q5 was a few weeks ago in southern Spain near Granada on a nice warm sunny day, and what a great drive we had. This past couple of days I have been driving a Q5 in some of the worst weather for years. Snow, blizzards and ice; very different to the Costa Del Sol.

 

In some fairly icey conditions, the Q5 was happier and more confident going up hills than it was going down, or it could have just been me being ultra cautious. The weight of the car and its high speed tyres are never going to help it when driving down slippery roads and this can be said of most of this type of semi off-roader. Some vehicles like the Land Rover Freelander are more naturally capable of tackling sub-zero surfaces than the Q5 or the BMW X3. However, in normal conditions these cars are fine for general use and a bit of off roading. In extreme conditions you’d really want the tried and tested Land Rover.

 

The Q5 and X3 are not about the extreme. BMW and Audi are the first to say they are ‘soft-roaders’ and they are unlikely to be used off-road; maybe on a gravel drive or a soft verge but that is as far as they go. It is the luxury, style and quality that appeal more and that is exactly what Audi offer in the Q5; it just oozes all three. The interior quality is second to none, the leather trim is better than that found on the most expensive luxury Saloon and the fit and finish is typical Audi; the best in the business. Many people buy this sort of vehicle for the high seating position and not because it’s a 4x4. With this high visibility you do have a commanding view of the road and can see what lies ahead well before you could in a Saloon or Hatchback. This does make you feel safer and more in control.

 

The car we tested had the Volkswagen Group highly efficient and quiet 2.0 TDI engine that produces 170ps, goes from 0-62mph in 9.5 seconds and a top speed where permitted of 126mph. The Co2 emissions figure is 175g/km and the official combined fuel consumption is 42.1mpg. All of this is complimented by a very smooth six speed gearbox. During the testing we achieved on average just over 40mpg overall but on a long motorway cruise it went up to 46mpg. This is a great result for this type of vehicle.

 

The cabin is quiet and refined with very little engine or wind noise. There is however, some tyre and road noise but this can be expected on a 4x4 vehicle. Rear leg room is good and the car is fairly easy to get in and out of, despite it being high off the ground. The boot is a bit disappointing; it is narrow and does not have much depth but it has plenty of height.

 

The new Q5 is a great all round vehicle. The one thing that doesn’t go in its favour is the TV advert which makes it look as though it is made out of cardboard. It deserves better than that; it will be some marketeer’s dream and will no doubt win some award for its concept and arty-ness but it will not do anything to put over the good points of the car, which is a shame.

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