What makes people in the supermarket actually buy the expensive Markenkekse and not the no-name product? Good experiences with the brand, perhaps, and that one with DeBeukelaer biscuits does not stand as an economical Knauserer. For premium cars, it is probably similar, but perhaps there are also factual reasons to leave the cheap Skoda Kodiaq at the dealer and rather an Audi Q5 to buy? We have tested the new generation of the Ingolstadt middle class SUV and found it out.
Strong engines, also with six cylinders
The "Vorsprung durch Technik" ("Vorsprung durch Technik") underpins the Audi Q5 with its powerful engines. First, a 2.0 TFSI with 252 hp, a 2.0 TDI in three PS stages as well as a 3.0 TDI with 286 hp are offered, later a 3.0 TFSI, an SQ5 TDI and a plug-in drive are added. Only the 150 hp base diesel is coupled as standard with manual transmission and front drive, the other engines have all-wheel drive and a double clutch or an eight-speed automatic (3.0 TDI). The 190-hp diesel is to be bought most frequently in Germany. It ensures proper acceleration. No wonder 400 Newton meters are also a little for a 4.66 meters long SUV. The car is not really agile, but it is simply too big and probably too heavy - even the lightest version of the engine is weighing 1.8 tonnes, but the air suspension and the extensive extra equipment of the test car are also available.
Very quiet
In Q5, it remains remarkably quiet. The exhaust gas cleaning is carried out with an SCR system. As standard, the Q5 has a twelve-liter tank for the Adblue additive, which is expected to be around 12,000 kilometers. Frequently, the 24-liter tank should be ordered. The seven-stage S tronic switches quickly and easily. If you want, you can still help a little with the standard shift paddles.
Easily adjustable with Drive Select
With the Drive-Select system, the car can be significantly modified. In the steering I prefer "Comfort", which makes them nicely light. For the accelerator pedal, gearbox and chassis I choose the dynamic mode. On the winding country road the wavering completely, even though the car has no active roll stabilization. At all events, I would prefer to use "Comfort" because of the shocks. All this refers to the aerodynamics that Audi offers for the first time in the Q5 (with adaptive dampers, 1,950 euros).
Outstanding chassis
The system is primarily intended to increase driving comfort, which was often criticized in the first Q5 generation. Mission fulfilled, I would say, the Q5 works with this chassis really very balanced. The comfort is supposed to win especially when the car is heavily loaded or with a trailer, because the standard suspension will shorten the spring travel and comfort, as I am told by Audi chassis expert Christian Schneider. The fact that the Ingolstädter, unlike Mercedes, does not rely on a multi-chamber system at the GLC, explains Schneider: With air suspension, more air volume means higher comfort, but a multi-chamber system has a smaller volume than a single-chamber system. The advantages of a multi-chamber system (as it is also used in the Porsche Panamera) when it comes to making a car tighter and sportier. This was not the goal at the Q5, because there was no lack of tautness.
Height adjustable in five steps
The fact that the adaptive air suspension can also be used to change the height of the landing gear is a pleasant side effect. For example, the car can be lowered by about eight centimeters (by button in the trunk), and at a high speed, the automatically lowered position reduces the wind resistance. And there is a higher ground clearance in the terrain.
Sportdifferential for active Torque Vectoring
Otherwise, the Q5 gets much known (and acknowledged good), like the Predicative Efficiency Assistance, which, for example, automatically decelerates before the roundabout and accelerates again after the abandonment to the Tempolimit. Or the Matrix-LED headlights, the dynamic "wiper-blinkers", a head-up display and much more. From the Q7 is also known the exit assistant, which warns when opening the door before cyclists. For the first time, the Q5 gets a sport differential (optional, only for the 3.0 TDI), which shifts the driving forces on the rear axle to the outside in the curve, thus providing additional dynamics.
Fuel-saving all-wheel drive
With the quattro system, the car (except as the 3.0 TDI) is leaving the permanent all-wheel drive: the rear axle can only be switched on as needed. Special feature: If the rear axle does not have to be driven, not only the cardan shaft is decoupled by a lamella clutch, but a second (claw) clutch also separates the shaft from the rear axle. Thus, the then only "running" rear axle is not braked, the Q5 then sails further than without the second clutch. Remarkable are the standard fixed brakes on the front axle - something like this so far was almost exclusively with sports cars. The elaborate technology not only improves the braking performance, but also saves even a small amount of fuel because the linings are pulled away from the disc when the brake pedal is released, so that no further superfluous friction remains.
Slightly wide seats
Inside Audi has chosen beautiful materials, only the hard plastic around the air vents disappointed. The (lacquered and open-pore) woods fit less for my taste to the high-tech ambience than the brushed aluleists from the S-line collection. The predecessors emphasize the comfort rather than the sides - in the seats of the recently driven Toyota C-HR, for example, I sat better. An interesting and very useful detail are the new headrests, which can be brought closer to the head. Again and again, the Virtual Cockpit, the "virtual" instruments in the form of a huge LCD display. The system costs only Euro 500 for the Q5, but can only be ordered together with the 2.820 Euro expensive MMI Navigation plus and is therefore an expensive fun.
Optional: Sliding backrest
On the back seat, the space is good, provided the optional sliding bench is not moved to the front position. Thanks to the double-backrest, the seat can be used variably. If the middle part is turned over, skis or long shelf sections can be stowed well. The fact that the engine is always installed along the length of the Q5 is noticeable, especially in the luggage compartment: it is with 550 to 1,550 liters significantly smaller than with the Skoda Kodiaq (650 to 2.065 liters) with its transverse motors. However, without the longitudinal integration in the Q5 neither the six-cylinder seat nor the five-axis pedestrian axle, and also the thick air springs would be difficult to accommodate. This also provides answers to the question of the advantages of the expensive Q5 compared to the Kodiaq: In the Q5, there are also six-cylinder engines that do not fit into the Kodiaq. He has an excellent chassis that would not have a seat in the Skoda. And he has a lot of technology that no one would buy in the Kodiaq, such as the dynamic turn signals or the semi-autonomous driving technique. Skoda has to turn to cheap Simply-Clever-details from cheap plastic.
Basic price for the 40,000 euros
The new, second generation of the Q5 will be available from dealers in 2017. The fact that he is not quite favorable is likely to emerge from what has been said. The prices start at 45,100 euros (163-hp diesel with all-wheel drive), with the 150-hp hand-switch with front-wheel drive one should get the car a little later also for around 40,000 euros. The driven 190-hp diesel is available (with all-wheel drive and S tronic) for 46,400 euros. Then the car comes however on 17-Zollern therefore, for such a car is nevertheless quite under-dimensioned. Recommendable is therefore probably the design equipment for 1,950 euro surcharge. The Audi Q5 does not make much sense if you do not check a few boxes when you order - otherwise the advantage is lacking through technology. We would recommend the air suspension and the package from Virtual Cockpit and the high-quality navigation. If you order the fascinating efficiency assistant, an S-line interior and this and that one, you either shake your head at some point and finally order a Kodiaq in the face of the total prize. Or there is a "now-is-it-eh-sausage" feeling one and one simply crosses more and more, and further, and further.
EmoticonEmoticon