2018 Audi Q5 Reviews, Pricing & Specs

If you’re having trouble telling the difference between this redesigned 2018 Audi Q5 and last year’s model, you’re probably not alone. The primary visual cues that give this away as the new 2018 version are the trapezoidal grille, the pronounced wave along the SUV’s shoulder line, and questionably restyled aluminum wheels.

Given that the Q5 is Audi’s best-selling model, it’s understandable that the company didn’t want to fiddle too much with a successful recipe. Nevertheless, under that familiar skin is an improved SUV that should keep Audi competitive in a segment full of impressive choices.

Audi hasn’t strayed from last year’s model structure, either, offering the new Q5 in Canada in Komfort, Progressiv, and Technik trim levels. There’s also a performance variant called the SQ5, but this review is focused solely on the standard Q5.

My test vehicle had the U.S. equivalent of Progressiv trim, which starts at $49,950, not including the $2,095 destination charge. The 20-inch alloy wheels are an optional add-on.

The new Q5’s styling is clearly patterned after Audi’s larger Q7 model, but the cues work to a greater degree of success on this smaller SUV, avoiding the Q7’s slab-sided and featureless appearance thanks to its bolder shoulder line, more elegant fender swells, more rakish roofline, and smaller exterior dimensions.

Still, this new Q5 looks a lot like the old Q5, and that design dates back to the 2009 model year. Personally, I don’t mind the lack of imagination here, but I can understand why Audi’s restrained approach and the Q5’s resulting lack of personality could bother some people.

If anything, I’m not all that crazy about the new Q5’s aluminum wheel designs, each of which displays a subtle pinwheel appearance and a bright silver painted finish. Wouldn’t this SUV look all kinds of better with those classic gray five-arm Rotor designs Audi used to offer?

Inside, the Q5 looks and feels like a modern Audi, but with a single and important exception. For whatever reason, in the new Q5, designers did not include the full-width integrated air vent styling element that helps to make the latest A4, A5, and Q7 models look distinctive and feel special.

That’s a shame, because by comparison to its brethren, the Q5’s interior lacks that same sense of exclusivity that can entice luxury-vehicle customers to jump from one brand to another.

As you might guess from the 2.0T badge on my test vehicle’s tailgate, the Q5 is equipped with a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder that's more powerful than last year’s identically sized engine. Providing power specs of 252 horsepower between 5,000 rpm and 6,000 rpm, and 273 pound-feet of torque from 1,600 rpm to 4,500 rpm, it feels like it just won’t ever quit… once you get past the momentary turbo lag when accelerating from a standstill.

A seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual transmission feeds the power through a Quattro all-wheel-drive (AWD) drivetrain and a Drive Mode Select system with five different settings, including an off-road mode. The all-wheel drive system can decouple the rear axle from the driveline in order to maximize fuel economy under certain driving conditions.

The automaker claims the Audi Q5 2.0T powertrain accelerates to 100 kilometres per hour in 6.3 seconds, and by the seat of my pants, that sure feels like an accurate number. What proved inaccurate was the Natural Resources Canada official fuel consumption estimate of 9.6 litres per 100 kilometres in combined city and highway conditions. I got 11.0 L/100 km, and I don’t think it was entirely due to my occasionally energetic driving.

As far as dynamics are concerned, the Q5 drives like an Audi A4 or A5 Sportback but with a choppier ride and more side-to-side head toss. Its wheelbase slots between the A4 and A5 Sportback, but the Q5 is shorter in terms of length than either of the cars, and it's nearly 30 centimeters taller while supplying nearly 21 centimetres of ground clearance. It also weighs up to 180 kilograms (400 pounds) more and has a higher centre of gravity, and my test vehicle had the optional 20-inch wheels with 255/45 tires.

Collectively, these characteristics produce negative dynamic contrast against the A4 and A5 Sportback. But compared to most other compact luxury SUVs, the new Q5 is a delight to drive.

Effortlessly weighted and accurate steering, paddle shifters hooked up to a mind-reading seven-speed transmission, Quattro AWD with fully variable torque-distribution capability, oversize wheels and tires, and a set of fantastic brakes transform the Q5 into a literal expression of a sport/utility vehicle.

Add the downright miraculous turbocharged four-cylinder engine, and you’ve got a genuinely fun SUV.

Equipped with black paint, black leather, and a panoramic sunroof, my Q5 test vehicle’s interior served as a heat sink, which drew immediate attention to the fact that it lacked the available front-seat ventilation.

Nevertheless, the Q5’s standard eight-way power-adjustable and heated front seats are otherwise comfortable, and the driver’s seat position is excellent, helped by a manual tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel and a centre armrest that adjusts for height. Because they lack bolstering, however, you might feel like you’re sliding out of them should you choose to explore the SUV’s significant handling limits.

One of the more significant improvements to the 2018 Q5 is a larger back seat. Still, while Audi says this is a five-passenger SUV, I think four occupants will be happier, unless the three people riding in back are kids.

In any case, it sure seems easier to get into and out of the rear seat, which sits up high and provides impressive thigh support. Legroom, feet room, and headroom are generous, too. Plus, triple-zone automatic climate control is standard for all Q5 models, and my test vehicle had heated backseat cushions. I do, however, take issue with the hard plastic front seat backs. They’re not kind to knees or shins.

Notably, the new Q5’s larger 759-litre cargo area is seemingly sized to support four-person travel, able to hold four full-size suitcases and a few smaller items. Fold down the 40/20/40 split-folding rear seat, and it expands to accommodate 1,710 litres of cargo.

As is true of most redesigned vehicles, the new Q5 benefits from a bevy of technological upgrades.

Bluetooth and a rearview camera are standard on all models, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available, and owners can choose to subscribe to one of three Audi Connect subscription service packages. Improvements, depending on the package, include a mobile app with curfew, speed, and boundary alerts, along with a remote car finder and the ability to remotely lock or unlock the doors.

The latest Multi-Media Interface All-in-Touch infotainment system uses a touchpad on the centre control knob that users can input information with using the handwriting-recognition capability, numbered pads to choose a favorite radio station, and more. The MMI Touch system also includes simplified controls that, with time and practice, can be operated by memory and touch without looking down at the centre console.

My test vehicle also has Audi’s excellent Bang & Olufsen premium Surround Sound system, included as standard equipment for Technik models.

Audi Virtual Cockpit digital instrumentation is also standard for the Technik, swapping the traditional gauges and driver-information system for a 12.3-inch digital display that gives the Q5’s cabin a high-tech look and feel. You can expand the gauges and shrink the centre display, or you can stick with smaller gauges and a larger centre screen. Most impressive is the embedded navigation system, complete with Google Earth imagery.

Another new feature is a full-colour head-up display, which is standard on and exclusive to Technik models.

The 2018 Q5 offers available adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist, and automatic high-beam headlights. As part of the adaptive cruise system, a Traffic Jam Assist semi-autonomous function operates at low speeds in heavy traffic, following the vehicle ahead and maintaining a safe distance.

My test vehicle did include Audi Pre-Sense, which includes forward-collision detection and automatic emergency braking systems that work at speeds below 80 kilometres per hour, as well as technology that prepares the cabin for an unavoidable impact.

As it turned out, I almost needed this stuff. While driving on my test loop in a 90 km/h zone, a person in an older Nissan Altima nearly pulled out in front of me from a side road that intersected with the highway.

Because I had slowed for a vehicle turning right onto this side road, I am sure I was traveling at less than 90 km/h, but can’t confirm it. Therefore, I don’t know if my panic braking was solely the result of my right foot hard on the pedal or if the Audi Pre Sense system also engaged. Regardless, the brakes hauled the Q5 down in a big damn hurry.

Had this driver not come to her senses and halted her advance into my lane on the highway, I would have T-boned her at something like 30 km/h instead of 90 km/h. The icing on the cake? I laid on the horn as I passed in front of her, and she looked at me like the situation was my fault.

Moving on, a blind-spot monitoring system with rear cross-traffic alert is also available along with something called Vehicle Exit Assist, which warns you not to open a door if a vehicle or cyclist is approaching from behind along the side of the SUV.

As this review is written, partial crash-test results are in from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), giving the Q5 top marks for moderate overlap frontal impact and for side impact protection, but a Marginal rating for the headlight performance of certain versions of the vehicle. The NHTSA gives the 2018 Audi Q5 a five-star overall safety rating.

Value is difficult to quantify when it comes to luxury vehicles. You can get a new Q5 for as little as $44,950 in Canada, and it comes standard with AWD, 18-inch aluminum wheels, leather seats, a three-zone climate control system, important safety features and driver-assistance technologies, and plenty more. But at the same time, over at the Chevy dealership, you could get a fully loaded Equinox with a similarly powerful engine and every single bell and whistle, for less. What are you getting with the Audi? Mainly perceived brand prestige, along with nicer materials, more sophisticated driving dynamics, and greater attention to detail.

Whether such things are worth the extra cost is entirely up to you. Within the segment, the Audi commands a price premium over all but its fellow German-branded compatriots, but customers apparently feel the Q5 is worth it, especially given its standard equipment list.

As the Q5 goes, so goes Audi. This SUV is arguably the automaker’s most important vehicle, leading the company’s sales and positioned within a growing segment. Now that this excellent redesigned 2018 model is on sale, my bet is that it will become the best-selling model in its class, outperforming rivals from brands such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Lexus.

And if it doesn’t, it won’t be for any lack of driving dynamism, technological sophistication, materials quality, cabin comfort, or tastefully restrained styling on Audi’s part.

Note: Images and video show a US model.