Audi Q5, great on gas, fun to drive
Photo credit: Audi, 2009 | The 2009 Audi Q5 makes zero to 60 mph in less than seven seconds.
It's a pretty reliable rule of thumb that the smaller and lighter an SUV is, the better it handles. So it won't be a surprise to anyone that the new Audi Q5 is more fun to drive than its longer, heavier and taller stablemate, the Q7. In fact, it's a hoot. And it's quick, making zero to 60 miles per hour in under seven seconds, without being a gas guzzler.
The Q5 is less expensive, too, than the Q7 - at least in basic form; prices for the Q5 begin at $38,025 with freight. But a long list of options can raise the Q5 price above $60,000.
I could find little to complain about and much to praise after hundreds of miles behind the wheel of the tester. The outside rearview mirrors are large, which is good, but mounted high, so they are in the driver's line of sight in making left turns.
Some controls could be simpler. Functions like adjusting fan speed or changing the radio band still involve two steps rather than one. Many sound system and navigation system adjustments must be made with a joystick-type controller far from the driver's line of sight.
Generally, the Q5's interior is typical of Audis - richly appointed and tastefully trimmed in leather and real wood. Even my rear passengers praised the seats' comfort. Storage space upfront, though, is minimal.
The Q5 shares basics with Audi's A4 sedan and wagon, while the Q7 is on a larger chassis with a wheelbase eight inches longer. So the Q5 is 18 inches shorter, four inches narrower and weighs about 900 pounds less than the Q7.
The Q7 costs about $6,000 more - worth considering if your SUV will be a family hauler in which cargo room is a priority. The Q7 comes with a slightly larger V-6 that delivers more torque, so the Q7 can tow 2,000 pounds more than its smaller cousin - or 6,600 pounds, according to Audi.
In addition to being more fun to drive, the Q5 gets 4 mpg more in local driving and 3 mpg more on the highway, or 18 and 23, by Environmental Protection Agency estimate. My Q5 tester's driving computer said I averaged in the mid- to high-20s on most trips I took. Note, though, that both vehicles prefer premium gasoline, unless the Q7 in question is the diesel version discussed in this space July 17.
Consumer Reports hasn't yet published a reliability rating for the Q5. The Audis for which it has sufficient data range from average to worse than average. J.D. Power and Associates' rankings for Audis are similarly inconsistent.
The Q5 gets a perfect, five-star, rating from the federal government for frontal and side-impact protection. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety calls the Q5 a "top safety pick."
Competitors for the Q5 include the BMW X3, Lexus RX 350 and Acura RDX and MDX, Land Rover LR2, Mercedes GLK, Infiniti EX and Volvo XC60.
