Audi Q5 Buyers Guide | Reliability, Engines, Features, Price & More

The base model of the Audi Q5 is the Sport, which gives you a great combination of standard features by default while also giving you a high level of luxury, performance, and technology, all rolled into the starter model.

For instance, it comes equipped with a range of standard features that ensure you get a comfortable and enjoyable starting experience with this range, including the integration with both Apple CarPlay & Android Auto, as well as including, for instance:

Wheels

• 19" x 8.0J 5-twin-spoke alloy wheels with 235/55 R19 tyres
• Tyre repair kit
• Anti-theft wheel bolts

Performance and suspension

• Audi drive select
• Comfort suspension
• Towbar preparation
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Lighting

• LED headlights plus including daytime running lights, dynamic coming and leaving home function, turning light, all-weather light, motorway light,
• Manoeuvring light and intersection light
• High beam assist⁸
• LED rear lights pro, including dynamic rear indicators and illuminated light strip with animated coming and leaving home function
• Headlight cleaning system

Exterior

• Exterior mirrors, electrically adjustable, heated and folding, automatically dimming on both sides
• Logo projection light in exterior mirrors
• Rear and side windows with heat insulating glass
• Windscreen with acoustic glass
• Luggage compartment lid, electrically opening and closing
• Roof rails in aluminium
• Contrast bumpers in Volcano grey metallic paint finish
• Body-coloured door mirrors
• High gloss window surrounds

Seats

• Front Sport seats in Twin leather¹ with integrated headrest
• Front seats with manual adjustment for position and 4-way electric lumbar support
• Heated front seats
• Split-folding rear seat bench – can be split 40:20:40 with centre armrest and cup holders

Inlays

• Matt brushed aluminium inlays, silver

Interior equipment

• Deluxe 3-zone electronic climate control
• Twin-spoke leather steering wheel with multi-function buttons with touch control, shift paddles and trim in chrome look
• Manual steering column adjustment
• Headlining in Rock grey cloth
• Ambient lighting package plus (multi-coloured)
• Auto-dimming rear view mirror
• Comfort centre armrest, front
• Front and rear floor mats
• Upper and lower interior elements in artificial leather
• Black dashboard with contrast stitching
• Softwrap in leatherette
• Accent surfaces and control buttons in gloss black
• Front door sill trims with aluminium inlays, illuminated
• Interior trim in aluminium look

Audio & Communication

• MMI navigation plus with high resolution 14.5” OLED touchscreen colour display and Audi virtual cockpit plus with 11.9" OLED colour display
• Audi connect emergency call & service with Audi connect remote & control²
• Audi connect navigation & infotainment (3 year subscription)^3,4
• Audi Assistant³
• 2 USB-C ports in both the front & rear
• Audi sound system: 8 loudspeakers including centre loudspeaker and subwoofer, 6-channel amplifier with a total output of 180 watts
• DAB digital radio
• Audi Application Store^11,12 & Smartphone interface^5,6
• Phone compartment with wireless charging⁷

Driver assistance⁸

• Remote control key with SAFELOCK and keyless go
• Hill hold assist
• Parking system plus with 360° display
• Swerve assist and front turn assist
• Reversing camera
• Traffic-sign-based speed limiter
• Adaptive cruise control
• Front emergency brake assist
• Camera-based traffic sign recognition
• Park Assist Plus
• Front cross traffic intersection assist
• Lane departure warning
• Advanced driver attention and fatigue monitor

Safety & Security

• Anti-theft alarm  - Thatcham approved category 1
• First-aid kit with warning triangle and high-visibility vest
• i-Size child seat mounting on the front passenger side and i-Size and top tether on the outer rear seats
• Rear seat occupant reminder
• Electric child safety lock
• Front airbags, passenger airbag can be deactivated manually
• Front side airbags with head airbag system and front interaction airbag
• Acoustic vehicle alerting system
• Tyre pressure loss indicator

Next is the Q5 S line trim, which enhances the Sport model with a range of upgrades. With the S line, you’ll benefit from features like S sport suspension, 20" 5-arm alloy wheels, and an expanded Storage and Luggage Compartment Pack.

Consequently, this model brings you the following in addition to the Sport model:

Wheels

• 20" x 8.0J '5-arm' alloy wheels with 255/45 R20 tyres

Performance and Suspension

• S sport suspension

Exterior

• S line bumpers in contrasting Volcano grey, metallic paint finish
• Privacy glass
• S line exterior styling with radiator grille in phantom black, with frame, inlay and front air inlets in matt anthracite chrome. Rear honeycombe grille in matt black with inlay in matt anthracite chrome.
• S line badge on front wings
• Projection light for rear window. From the underside of the rear spoiler, an LED light module projects an additional brake light onto the rear window where it is clearly visible. It also supports the coming home/leaving home function.

Seats

• Front Sport seats in Twin leather1 with integrated headrest and 'S' embossed logo
• Rear seat bench plus

Inlays

• Anthracite matt brushed aluminium inlays with linear embossing

Interior Equipment

• 3-spoke leather steering wheel with multi-function buttons with touch control, flattened on top and bottom, with 'S' badging, contrast stitching, steering wheel grips in perforated leather and shift paddles
• Headlining in black cloth
• Stainless steel pedals and footrest
• Front door sill trims with aluminium inlays, illuminated with 'S' logo
• Storage and luggage compartment pack

At the top of the range is the Q5 Edition 1 trim, which builds further on the S line specification. This range topping model adds premium features such as 21" 5-twin-spoke 'Y' design Audi Sport alloy wheels in silk matt grey, Matrix LED headlights, and striking red brake calipers, along with a host of other enhancements.

Wheels

• 21" x 8.5J 5-twin-spoke 'Y' silk matt grey, gloss turned finish Audi Sport alloy wheels with 255/40 R21 tyres

Lighting

• Matrix LED headlights
• Active digital light signatures. Six additional combinations of active daytime running light signature available, selectable in the MMI or in the myAudi app⁷

Exterior

• Roof rails in black
• Full paint finish
• Black door mirrors with memory function
• Black styling package plus - with Audi rings, front and rear in anthracite grey
• Tailpipes in dark chrome
• Red brake calipers

Seats

• Front Sport seats in Dinamica microfiber/leather combination with diamond stitching with integrated headrest and 'S' embossed logo, centre armrest in Dinamica
• Front seats, electrically-adjustable with memory function for the driver's seat

Interior Equipment

• Upper and lower interior elements in Dinamica microfiber
• Softwrap in Dinamica
• MMI 10.9” front passenger display

Driver Assitance⁸

• Convenience key with safelock - unlock and lock your vehicle via the sensors on the door handles or with a kicking gesture at the rear of the car when carrying the key on you
• Digital key - Locking, unlocking and start authorisation with smartphone or smartwatch
• Top view camera
• Lane departure warning with emergency assist
• Lane change assistant and exit warning system, rear cross traffic assist and rear turn assist

Safety & Security

• Occupant detection in rear seat area
• Side airbags in front and rear with head airbag system and front interaction airbag
• Proactive passenger protection system for front, sides and rear

At the front, the bold Singleframe grille with the iconic Audi rings is also sided by LED headlights, which provide you with excellent visibility while also giving you that modern touch such as you get with the BMW X3 or the Mercedes-Benz GLC.

The sculpted bonnet and strong character lines further enhance this family SUV with a sporty appeal.

Moving to the side, the Q5 features what can only be described as a smooth, flowing profile with a gently sloping roofline - actually giving it a more coupe-like silhouette.

Large alloy wheels, which are also available in various designs and sizes, further enhance the SUV's stance and road presence.

If you are, then it's no problem, as the Q5 comes with a very functional roof, such as roof bars, that make it exceptionally easy to transport additional large items, such as bikes or roof boxes.

The door mirrors can also be both folding and auto-dimming but also come with a memory function along with an automatic kerb view function - which tilts your passenger mirror automatically downwards when reverse gear is engaged, allowing you to easily see your passenger side's kerb when parking - helping you to protect those precious alloys - which if you have ever kerbed them, you will know this feature alone will help to keep your running costs down from constant alloy repairs here.

At the rear, the Q5 also continues its refined design with sleek LED taillights and a subtle roof spoiler. It also has a powered tailgate, which is a very practical feature as well as a nice feature. It provides easy access to the very large boot, which is 465 Litres with the rear seats up to 1,520 litres with the seat area down.

The rear bumper also integrates really well with dual exhaust outlets, which further helps to give you that touch of sportiness to the overall design as well as the front look.

The cabin design of the Audi Q5 features a sleek and modern design, with clean lines and a more minimalist approach, very similar to the new Audi Q7.

This is again due to the high-quality materials, such as leather and soft-touch plastics, used throughout, which give the interior a very upscale feel.

Then, with the addition of interior ambient lighting, this really adds a touch of mood toning, as it allows you to heavily customise the cabin's atmosphere to suit your exact mood for the day.

The driver-centric layout also ensures that all your controls are easily accessible, which really does add to your driving experience. This is in part due to the MMI navigation plus system.

With the MMI Navigation Plus, you get a hard disk navigation with a topographical map that then displays points of interest and 3D town models of your current location so you can easily see where you are - all shown on a high-resolution 14.5” OLED touchscreen colour display.

The system can even offer you three route options, with the ability to scroll along the chosen route and navigate within the map as well. It can easily recognise a 7-digit postcode, along with giving you a split-screen mode, which shows you route information on one side. At the same time, it can also include dynamic route guidance (TMC), intersection zoom, motorway exits, and lane recommendations on the other side in the Driver's Information System (DIS) section.

The Q5 comes equipped with heated front seats - perfect for those winter morning. The seats can have their own individual temperature controls - which in turn adds that extra touch of luxury for you and your fellow passengers.

The front seats are also electrically adjustable, with options for you to adjust:

• Height
• Forwards
• Backwards position
• Backrest angle
• Lumbar support, which is also ideal when combined with the Sport seats option as well

The electrically adjustable front seats in this premium SUV can also come with memory function and lumbar support. This function includes electric front seats with memory functions for the driver’s side and lumbar support.

The Rear Bench Seat Plus feature allows both the 1/3 and 2/3 sections of the rear bench seat to be adjusted independently by 100mm forwards and backwards, which is great for your rear passengers to settle in on long drives.

The rear seats can also include a through-load facility with a centre armrest that has two cup holders.

The reason Audi designed the Q5 in the first place was to offer you the benefits of an SUV - such as higher driving position and lots of space that families especially started to crave - while also maintaining the sporty feel that comes with their Audi A8 cars.

The first generation - launched in 2008 at the Beijing Auto Show - featured Quattro All-wheel Drive and a range of efficient engines, which set a high standard in its class, especially for the time.

In 2016, Audi launched the second generation of the Q5, which they revealed at the 2016 Paris Motor Show. This facelifted version brought with it significant updates, including a more modern design, improved technology, and much better fuel efficiency.

This second generation also saw the new Q5 get Audi's Virtual Cockpit - a digital instrument cluster that replaces the more traditional dials with a high-resolution screen that we are starting to become more accustomed to today.

Over the years, the Q5 has also continued to evolve with regular updates and special editions as well as the introduction of the plug-in hybrid models from 2012, which were to meet the growing demand for eco-friendly vehicles, combining electric, which give you a much-improved better fuel economy and range of 166 MPG - 188 MPG, with 39 miles on its pure electric battery alone on a single charge.