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Audi Q5 Review & Prices

The Audi Q5 is a practical family SUV that’ll eat up the miles quietly and comfortably – just don’t expect it to be all that exciting to drive

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On Sale
RRP £48,175 - £64,750 Avg. Carwow saving £5,386 off RRP
Carwow price from
Cash
£43,505
Monthly
£519*
Used
£20,949
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wowscore
9/10
Reviewed by Carwow after extensive testing of the vehicle.

What's good

  • Feels very well-built
  • Lots of space for four
  • Comfortable and quiet

What's not so good

  • Not exciting to drive
  • Costly optional packs
  • Rear middle seat uncomfortable

Find out more about the Audi Q5

Is the Audi Q5 a good car?

If you’re the sort who wants an SUV that will take you places with the minimum of fuss, while looking decent, then the Audi Q5 could be your thing. It comes with plenty of high-tech kit and feels so well built that you’ll never give it a second thought.

It’s pretty subtle though, and while other cars such as the Mercedes GLC and Jaguar F-Pace look a bit showy, then Audi is much more bland and unobtrusive. Basically, if you’re Batman, then Audi Q5 is Alfred the butler – always there with what he needs and some calming advice. Besides, if you want sleek looks, Audi also does the Q5 Sportback.

Step inside and the Audi Q5’s cabin does little to liven the mood. Everything’s laid out sensibly and all the controls are intuitive to use, but it could do with a splash of colour or a few tactile materials like you get in the Mercedes to spruce things up a bit.

The standard 10.1-inch touchscreen is much easier to use than the display you get in the Mercedes GLC, though. And, you get the Audi Q5 with a huge digital screen in place of conventional instruments as standard which looks absolutely fantastic.

Watch: Audi Q5 v BMW X3 v Mercedes GLC v Volvo XC60

Thankfully, none of these gizmos eats into the Audi Q5’s cabin space. There are loads of handy cubby holes for you to store family bits and bobs and there’s ample space in the front and rear seats for tall adults to get comfy. There’s more space for carrying three abreast than you get in the BMW X3 and more than enough room in the boot for a baby buggy and some large suitcases or a set of golf clubs.

If you plan on venturing further afield than the local golf course, you’ll be pleased to know that every Audi Q5 comes with four-wheel drive as standard. It’s no Land Rover Discovery Sport, but it’ll take the occasional muddy field in its stride. Having said that, the Audi Q5 is much more at home cruising along the motorway – especially if you pay extra for the optional air suspension.

Even without this, the Q5’s pretty comfortable and very quiet – whether you go for the 204hp or 286hp diesel engines or the 265hp petrol. It’s also pretty easy to drive in town thanks to its relatively large windows and raised seating position.

If you plan to run a Q5 as a company car or like the idea of pure-electric driving, there are also two plug-in hybrid models available, which will do around 26 miles on electricity before switching back to petrol. They’re more expensive to buy, but will pay back in reduced fuel cost if you keep them charged.

The Audi Q5 is one of the best SUV all-rounders available – it’ll do everything you ask of it, albeit in a slightly characterless way

The Q5 is nowhere near as fun to drive on a twisting country road as the BMW X3 or Jaguar F-Pace, but it’s more relaxing to travel in for long periods – especially with the optional Tour Pack fitted which lets the car accelerate, brake and steer for you on motorways and in traffic jams.

Sadly, this feature, along with some of the Audi Q5’s other party pieces, costs extra – but don’t let that put you off. If you’re happy to pay a little more for a few options, the Audi Q5 makes an excellent family SUV. You can check out some great Audi Q5 deals at carwow, and if you're interested in a used Audi Q5 then we head over to our used deals page.

You can also find new deals on other Audi models, as well as used Audi models. To clear your parking space for a new car, you can sell your car, where our trusted dealers will bid on your car so you can get the best price for it.

How much is the Audi Q5?

The Audi Q5 has a RRP range of £48,175 to £64,750. However, with Carwow you can save on average £5,386. Prices start at £43,505 if paying cash. Monthly payments start at £519. The price of a used Audi Q5 on Carwow starts at £20,949.

Our most popular versions of the Audi Q5 are:

Model version Carwow price from
40 TDI Quattro Sport 5dr S Tronic £43,505 Compare offers

The premium SUV market is very competitively priced, with the Audi Q5 range starting at just over £45,000 and going up to around £72,000 on top-spec models loaded with optional extras. Alternatives – also from German brands – such as the Mercedes GLC and BMW X3 are also priced close together, so a lot of the decision-making can come down to personal preference. One other model in this area of the market to consider is the Jaguar F-Pace, which is also in the same ballpark money-wise.

You won't find as much pricing parity when it comes to electric SUV alternatives, and even some options from the class below are in a similar cost bracket to the Q5. For example, an entry-level Audi Q4 e-tron (which is the all-electric equivalent of the Audi Q3) will set you back as much as a top-of-the-range Audi Q5. If your budget stretches far enough, more direct size-wise electric SUV alternatives to the Audi Q5 include the BMW iX3 and Tesla Model Y, and in time there'll also be an Audi Q6 e-tron.

There are three grades available in the Q5 range: Sport; S Line and Black Edition. The pick of the bunch are often the Sport models as they are well-equipped with the likes of sat-nav, heated leather seats and electric lumbar support. For an additional £2,500, the S Line adds Alcantara trim, bigger wheels and upgraded seats.

Finally, there's the range-topping Black Edition trim, which is around £2,500 dearer than the S Line spec. You won't find many extra pieces of equipment on this trim over S Line cars, though you do get glossy black alloy wheels and black exterior trim pieces which give the Q5 a more striking appearance. We'll let you decide if the cosmetic touches are worth the higher asking price.

Performance and drive comfort

The Q5 might be a big car, but it performs admirably in town, but at low speeds, drivers might feel bumps and lumps in the road more than other cars in the sector

In town

Around town, the Q5 excels. The driving position means that you sit nice and tall, which provides a great view of the road ahead and all around you. There is a slight blind spot due to the fairly wide pillar between the windscreen and the door, but it’s not enough to really block too much out.

Out of the back window, the view is also good. The Q5 is a fairly wide car and there’s a lot of glass to see out of, plus the rear headrests can be folded flat for extra visibility. If in doubt when it comes to parking the Q5, there are parking sensors and cameras available to guide you into potentially tricky spaces.

The rear pillar is a bit on the wide side, which can be a bit of a hindrance when trying to manoeuvre out of a driveway or in between lanes.

The steering is nice and light, which again helps when it comes to town driving, and the turning circle of 11.7m is decent for a car in this class – smaller than the likes of the Mercedes GLC and BMW X3, for example.

At low speed, the Q5 handles bumps with relative ease. In Sport setting it’s maybe not as comfortable as some might like and certainly not a match for the Volvo XC60, although it doesn’t take too much away from what is a pleasurable experience in urban environments.

On the motorway

At higher speeds, the Q5 is even more impressive. It’s relaxing and easy to drive, and the engines are all very willing with smooth and seamless acceleration, helped by the automatic gearbox. The seats are very comfortable, which helps on longer journeys,

On the move, the cabin is nice and quiet and there’s not much tyre or wind noise. That means that it’s easy to hold a conversation between front passengers, but also to talk to those in the rear of the car. The space around all the passengers means that long journeys are not a chore and travellers will still feel refreshed on arrival.

Mid-range speed is good, too, which means that overtaking on motorways is straightforward and any sudden steering inputs don’t upset the balance of the car.

On a twisty road

Putting the car into the sport mode adds a bit of weight to the steering and makes the gearbox and throttle a bit more responsive. However, due to the size and style of the Q5, it’s not exactly a sports car, but it is an SUV that goes around corners with relative ease.

There is lots of grip in the tyres, the steering is responsive and the all-wheel-drive technology ensures that grip isn’t a problem, even when the roads are damp and slippery.

The brakes on the Q5 are good and there’s minimal movement in the car – considering the size – when stopping.

Space and practicality

There’s plenty of great storage features in the new Q5, but also some quirky small spaces that don’t seem to make a lot of sense

The Q5 isn’t a small car, so it makes sense that when you step inside the cabin, there’s plenty of room around you. Making minor adjustments to get your desired position is easy thanks to electrically operated seats and steering wheel.

There’s plenty of practicality around the cabin and some cool innovation used too to maximise space and efficiency. One example is the cover for the central cupholders, which doubles as a wireless charging pad for smartphones. The cupholders themselves will only accommodate standard sized bottles, but there are larger door bins that can fit all sizes.

Underneath the armrest there’s more space and USB ports, and while the glovebox isn’t the largest, it is lined with felt to make sure that anything that does go in there is protected and won’t rattle around when you’re on the move.

Some of the storage makes less sense. For example, the control of the main infotainment screen is now done purely by touch, which means the wheel mounted next to the gear lever has gone and been replaced by a very small cubby hole. If this was a car from the 1980s, you’d liken it to an ashtray, such are the dimensions. There’s another small, shallow area next to the 12V charging point and USB port, which isn’t big enough for anything of note.

Space in the back seats

The Q5 is a tall car, which means there’s plenty of head room, even when the glass roof is specified, which eats into head space a bit. Leg and knee room is also very good and no-one should struggle or be cramped behind the driver or front passenger.

Practicality-wise, the front seats have storage nets on the back for magazines, tablets or laptops, while the door bins, like the front ones, are big enough to fit larger bottles.

All the rear seats recline for extra comfort and/or space, while sliding rear seats are optional. The middle seat is a bit on the narrow side, and impeded by the transmission tunnel running down the middle of the car. If this restrictive space is going to be a deal-breaker, an alternative option would be the Mercedes GLC. When there’s no middle rear passenger, fold down the armrest and there’s integrated and covered cupholders.

Child seats are easy to fix, thanks to wide-opening rear doors, but watch out for the ISOFIX plastic covers, which can end up getting lost or falling on the floor when they are removed.

The seats all fold individually, meaning that when the middle seat is dropped, there’s a large space to help load long items.

Boot space

The boot of the Q5 is a nice square shape and has a capacity of 550 litres, which is the same space available in the Mercedes GLC and BMW’s X3. That area swallows seven carry-on luggage sized suitcases and also features nets, hooks, tie-down points and a 12V socket.

Usefully, there’s a boot-mounted handle to release the rear seats that creates a relatively flat load space. There’s a bit of a ridge between the boot and the rear seat hinges – and another lip by the back of the boot – but it’s not enough to make a huge difference to loading and unloading.

There’s a false floor in the back of the Q5, but it doesn’t offer a great deal of space, certainly not enough to store the parcel shelf, for example.

Interior style, infotainment and accessories

There are lots of quality materials throughout the Q5’s cabin, but many of the additions are cost options, which means the price rises quickly

The latest Q5 features a new, larger infotainment screen in the centre of the dashboard. It’s standard on every model in the range and runs Audi’s latest operating system that can easily be updated automatically to ensure you are always running the optimum software. It’s easy to use, with clear and precise sat-nav and a sensible menu structure. The system is also compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

The Q5 also gets Audi’s digital driver’s display as standard, which is easy to use and operate using the buttons on the car’s steering wheel. From here, drivers can view a range of different screens such as speed, economy, navigation and audio.

Climate control is one area that hasn't succumbed to the latest trend of touchscreen operation, and the Q5’s dials make much more sense alongside the buttons underneath the digital temperature and fan speed display.

The Q5 offers a range of seat options depending on grade, including quilted leather, Alcantara and two different types of leather. The seats themselves are very comfortable and the driving position is great.

As you would expect from Audi, the cabin has a premium feel to it and the build quality around the driver and passengers is very high. Everything up front feels solid, with no cheap plastics to be seen.

MPG, emissions and tax

All Q5 grades get a choice of three engines, covering diesel, petrol and hybrid options. The range starts with a 2.0-litre diesel with 204hp that records the 0-62mph sprint in 7.6 seconds. Economy-wise, it will return around 45mpg and costs £1,040 for its first year of road tax.

Then there’s a 2.0-litre turbo petrol engined Q5 with 265hp and official fuel economy figure of 34mpg. The zero to 60mph is quicker than the diesel – at 6.1 seconds – but the road tax figure for the first year of ownership is also higher (£2,220 at time of writing).

Finally, to the hybrid, which costs significantly less in company car tax and VED, so might appeal to many on that count alone. It’s another 2.0-litre petrol engine, this time with 299hp and an identical 6.1 seconds time to 60mph from a standstill.

CO2-wise, the petrol comes out worst, at 191g/km, while the diesel emits 165g/km. The hybrid – as you might expect – is much lower, at 35g of CO2 per kilometre emitted.

Safety and security

The latest Euro NCAP test saw five stars awarded to the Q5. This rating relates to the pre-facelifted version of the car but, structurally, very little has changed, so the same information applies.

The Q5 performed well when it came to adult occupant safety, scoring 93%, with child occupant safety coming in at a more than acceptable 83%. Pedestrian protection was rated at 73%, but safety assist technology has been figured at just 53%. This latter figure says more about the requirements of active safety technologies of current Euro NCAP assessments rather than an overall assessment of the car itself.

In reality, there are a whole host of technologies onboard, including autonomous emergency braking to protect pedestrians and while travelling in the city, as well as an active bonnet. Speed assistance technology comes as standard, while lane assist comes as a part of the Audi’s safety pack.

Meanwhile, there’s Keyless Go technology, an anti-theft alarm and remote central locking for peace of mind when it comes to security.

Reliability and problems

Every Q5 gets the industry standard warranty that covers the car for three year and 60,000 miles. There are options to extend this to four years with Audi directly, with prices dependent on the specific model.

According to DVLA, there have been four recalls for the Q5, all relating to minor issues, including the collar of the wheel arch cover becoming detached and moisture entering the starter-alternator.

On the whole the Q5 performs well in industry reliability surveys, with buyers generally happy with the quality of the product and any issues are normally isolated and minor.

Buy or lease the Audi Q5 at a price you’ll love
We take the hassle and haggle out of car buying by finding you great deals from local and national dealers
On Sale
RRP £48,175 - £64,750 Avg. Carwow saving £5,386 off RRP
Carwow price from
Cash
£43,505
Monthly
£519*
Used
£20,949
Ready to see prices tailored to you?
Compare new offers Compare used deals
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