Audi Q5 long-term test: report 2
This second-generation Audi Q5 has long been a favourite in the large SUV class, but has a recent facelift made it even better? We're living with one to find out...
The car Audi Q5 45 TFSI quattro 265 S line S tronic Run by Darren Moss, deputy editor
Why it’s here We already think the Audi Q5 is one of the best large SUVs you can buy, but is this facelifted version a step forwards or a leap back?
Needs to Be comfortable for both short and long journeys, spacious and able to function as a mobile office when needed
Mileage 1452 List price £46,500 Target Price £43,831 Price as tested £52,800 Test economy 31.8mpg Official economy 32.8mpg
26 January 2021 – small wonders
When I was at University, I had a poster on my wall reminding me to appreciate the small things in life and be happy with them. Back then, being a student, I was too busy with beer, burgers and bunking off lectures to understand its meaning. Now, though, I think I do, because it’s the small things my Audi Q5 does so well that mean it’s slotting into my life perfectly
Take the storage tray on the centre console, for example. It’s the perfect size for the travel-size bottle of hand sanitizer I keep in there and, although the car’s designers could not have envisioned the current pandemic, it has proven incredibly useful. I know it will always be there when I have inevitably forgotten to bring some along for my journey.
Next, the front and rear parking sensors that come as standard on every Q5 get louder the closer you get to an object. Not only that, but they decrease the stereo volume at the same time, bringing your attention to the job in hand.
And finally, the standard-fit powered tailgate, which means I don’t have to drop my shopping bags onto the soggy Tarmac of Tesco’s car park in order to load the boot. Instead, I just hold down a button on the key and the Q5’s cavernous space is unveiled like the entrance to Aladdin’s cave of wonders.
These features on their own make living with a car slightly easier, but when combined into one, these small things add up to make a big difference. Of course, though, little things work both ways, and while early days with the Q5 have so far been positive, there are also a few niggles which threaten to blight this otherwise sunny experience.
One of these is the touchscreen infotainment system. It looks very swish, but trying to navigate its menus while on the move can be tricky. The pre-facelift Q5 used a rotary dial and touchpad on its centre console to make this easier, but now everything must be done either through voice commands or the touchscreen itself. At least Audi’s system features big icons that are easier to hit than in rivals, and the system responds quickly to inputs.
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