Audi Q5 review

Being a premium-badged SUV, the Q5 isn’t exactly cheap to buy, but it’s priced competitively against its nearest rivals. And it should be worth more than its peers when you decide to sell on in the future, with better predicted resale values than even the Land Rover Discovery Sport. Slow depreciation helps with finance rates, too, making the Q5 surprisingly affordable next to many rivals if you're buying on a PCP finance.

If you're a company car user, the 2.0 TDI 190’s relatively low CO2 emissions keep company car tax bills competitive, although the Mercedes-Benz GLC is even more efficient. The 3.0 TDI 286 obviously isn't as cheap to run, although it isn't terribly costly compared with rivals with similar performance.

We’ve run our real-world fuel tests on the popular 2.0 TDI 190. While it typically failed to match the manufacturer's claims, it did record a respectable combined 41.0mpg, which compares well with the 36.5mpg achieved by a Volvo XC60 2.0 D4.

Meanwhile, the range-topping SQ5 averaged a frankly awful 25.3mpg, making it one of the least efficient cars we've ever tested. However, that's hardly a surprise given that it weighs two tonnes and has a turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine.

Standard equipment is pretty generous across the range. Starting with entry-level SE trim, you get 18in alloy wheels, an electrically powered tailgate, three-zone climate control, part-leather and part-leatherette seats, xenon headlights, front and rear parking sensors and heated front seats.

For a small premium, you can move up to our recommended Sport trim. This adds some sporty styling upgrades but, more importantly, sat-nav. You also get more supportive sports seats that include four-way electric lumbar adjustment and it opens up your option choices, too. We'd suggest looking at the Technology Pack, for instance – this adds features including an improved infotainment system and Virtual Cockpit digital dials.

Finally, there’s S line trim. This takes the sporty look up a notch, with larger 19in alloy wheels, more aggressive bumper styling and privacy glass. You also get powerful LED headlights and part-leather and part-Alcantara sports seats. Yet, for us, the price jump over Sport is too much for the extras you get.

The range-topping SQ5 is a bespoke model rather than a trim, but it adds bigger alloys, electrically adjustable front seats and an upgraded infotainment system.

The latest Q5 was too new to feature in our most recent reliability survey, but Audi as a brand fared reasonably well, finishing in 12th place (out of 32 manufacturers). That's a better showing than Mercedes-Benz and BMW, although Lexus owners reported even fewer faults.

Warranty cover for the Q5 is for three years or 60,000 miles; extended warranties of up to five years or 90,000 miles are available.

Euro NCAP awarded the Q5 a full five-star rating in its crash testing. However, if you look at individual scores for each category, the GLC achieved slightly higher marks for protecting adults and children, and a considerably better mark for keeping pedestrains safe.

Every Q5 gets six airbags as standard (you can add two more rear side airbags for a small charge), as well as automatic emergency braking (AEB). At speeds of up to 52mph, AEB warns you if you’re about to hit a pedestrian or the car in front, jamming on the brakes if you don’t respond in time.

An optional Tour Pack includes turn assist (which stops the Q5 if you fail to spot a car when pulling out of a T-junction), traffic sign recognition to keep you up to date with the speed limit and adaptive cruise control. The latter is coupled to the traffic jam assist, which will stop, start and steer for you at up to 40mph in traffic.

Additional safety features come with the optional Parking Assistance Pack. These include a pre-sense system that tightens the seatbelts and shuts the windows if the car thinks you are about to have an accident, blindspot monitoring and cross-traffic assist. The latter looks out for hazards at the rear when reversing, stopping the car if it thinks you haven't seen something.

All Q5s come with a full Thatcham-approved remote-operated alarm and immobiliser as standard.

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