Mother Proof's view

Audi’s newest addition to its crossover lineup, the Q5, had me feeling giddy like a schoolgirl. I found myself falling for the crossover, and in an attempt to save my heart from breaking, I went looking for faults in the Q5. I found two. Two. Yes, the Q5 broke my heart and left me crying on the side of the road, but not through any fault of its own. It’s only because the people at Audi wouldn’t let me keep it. I’m still not over it, and if I had the money to run right out and buy one, I would. So, um, yeah, I liked it.

The Q5 looks amazing and drives even better. I loved the quiet power and super-smooth ride. The Q5 comes with Audi’s Quattro all-wheel drive. There’s only one engine option – a V-6 – in this year’s Q5, (although there are rumblings of others in the future), but I wouldn’t want another one. It has enough power to encourage poor decision-making on my part (yes, I have a lead foot); I loved going to the grocery store in this thing.

The Q5 is the perfect size for a family of four and has every luxury I could imagine, as well as some I hadn’t thought of. An absolutely enormous panoramic moonroof and a power sunshade bring in as much light as your mood may desire. The third generation of Audi’s MMI entertainment and communication system puts all the controls into one knob.

As far as economy goes, this isn’t a cheap car, and it requires premium gas. Still, the Q5 gets pretty decent mileage for its class, with an EPA rating of 18/23 mpg city/highway.

Exterior

I’m going to go ahead and say it: The Q5 is super cute. It’s so good-looking that it robbed me of my dignity; I couldn’t help but squeal and say things best represented by teenagers’ texting (OMG i
In the front, the large grille surrounds the equally large four rings of Audi. The xenon headlights with LED daytime lights are slightly slanted and set high on the car’s far corners. The side mirrors with integrated turn-signal indicators seem small, but they managed to provide great visibility. The 18-inch alloy wheels have a split-spoke design that shows off the sporty brakes.

While the door handles are body-colored, a slim chrome strip wraps around the tinted windows, adding definition and a bit of shine. The only other chrome accents are on the Q5’s badges at the rear and on the tips of the dual exhaust pipes. The shaped taillights also have LEDs, and the reverse lights are entirely LED. No one can possibly be confused by your intentions while driving the Q5.

The large rear window is tinted and allows for terrific rear visibility. In fact, visibility seems to be a theme with the Q5. You can see everything around you, and everyone around you can see what you’re doing.

The doors are solid without being too heavy, and my kids didn’t have any trouble getting them shut. My 6-year-old did struggle to open the door; he couldn’t always manage the sharp tug it takes to open the door from the outside. The rear tailgate opens at the push of a button, which is great when your hands are full, or if you’re just lazy, like me.

Getting in and out wasn’t difficult for anyone. The Q5 does sit a bit higher on the road than a sedan, but not so high that I needed running boards or a boost to get in. My kids climbed right in without any problems. There’s plenty of headroom, which is great for tall people or kids who think the car is a jungle gym and are constantly walking/climbing around the inside before getting belted in.

SENSE AND STYLE

Family Friendly (Not Really, Fair, Great, Excellent): Excellent

Fun-Factor (None, Some, Good Times, Groove On): Groove On

Interior

The Q5’s interior is pure luxury. In my test car, the seats were a rich-looking, creamy Cardamom color, and the dash was trimmed in blond maple wood. It was gorgeous. When I first saw the interior, I actually said, “Ooooohhhh,” in front of the delivery guy. It’s that pretty.

I sunk into the heated leather driver’s seat and easily found my perfect driving position, thanks to the eight-way power adjustments with four-way lumbar support. The steering wheel both tilts and telescopes and has controls for Bluetooth and the audio system. The dash is mostly black leather with gauges lit in white and red, making everything both Euro-sporty and easy to read. There’s a three-zone climate system, so everyone can have it their way. Automatic lights and wipers come on when needed.

The Q5 is equipped with the third-generation MMI, which is easier and more intuitive than ever. It even understands voice commands, including statements like, “I need coffee.” Because, really, who among us doesn’t?

My test car came with the Premium Plus Package, which includes great stuff like Bluetooth hands-free connectivity, memory seating, auto-dimming mirrors and a ginormous panoramic moonroof – really, it’s impossibly large. A power-sliding sunshade covers as much or as little of the sunroof as you like. The Q5 almost feels like a convertible when the sunroof is open. Surprisingly, the wind buffeting isn’t too bad, at least at moderate speeds.

The MMI Navigation Plus Package includes a CD/DVD player, satellite radio and a USB jack for an iPod, which is really easy to use. I especially enjoyed the USB jack because it charged my iPod while it was playing. Unlike other cars, the Q5’s iPod interface is simple and easy to navigate; it’s a lot like using an iPod. On the down side, however, the interface didn’t work with my iPhone. Ugh! Still, it’s cool.

The rear seats not only recline, but they slide forward and back, adjusting for extra legroom in the second row or cargo space in the back. There’s some minimal bolstering on the seats, but the bench is mostly flat, so installing rear-facing infant seats, child-safety seats and booster seats is super easy. Audi’s famous, fabulous Latch connectors are right out in the open, no digging required.

The rear seat not only has a 60/40 split, but the center seat also folds down to create a pass-through for longer items, like skis. The doors open easily for little ones, and a flat step-in area made it easy for the kids to climb in. In my test car, the doorsills and edge of the trunk have stainless-steel strips that added to the general luster of the car, and they don’t get scratched up like the hard plastic in other cars. There are two cupholders in the rear armrest, and in each rear door there’s a bottleholder and a decent-sized bin for books and toys. There’s also a seatback pocket on both sides. The wood trim continues along the rear doors, and the almost unbelievable sunroof lets the sun shine down on your little sunshines.

The cargo space is roomy and flat, and comes with a hard, removable cargo cover. I loved it because it not only kept my stuff out of view and out of the sun, but it kept my kids from climbing over the rear seat and wreaking havoc on everything in the cargo area. There’s an underfloor storage area that’s great for dirty, wet items like muddy cleats or for keeping emergency rations out of the way. There’s an additional 12-volt charging point in the cargo area, and a lever that folds down the rear seats.

IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT

Storage Compartments (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Ample

Cargo/Trunk Space (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Galore

Safety

The Q5 has a ton of safety features to keep you and your family safe on the road. The Q5’s Quattro all-wheel drive, traction control, stability control and antilock brakes help you handle any slippery situations. The Q5 has standard front-, side-impact and side curtain airbags. Side-impact airbags for the second row are available.

The Q5’s Braking Guard uses adaptive cruise control to warn you if you’re getting too close to the car in front of you. The system sounds an alarm and illuminates warning lights to warn the driver; if no action is taken, it’ll pump the brakes.

There’s an available blind spot warning system that alerts you to cars in your blind spot, and an optional lane departure warning system vibrates the steering wheel if you start to drift out of your lane.

I particularly loved the rearview camera in the Q5. Not only does it have a great image, but it superimposes guide lines on the image to show your current path of travel. Never has it been so easy to tell if you are going to make it into that tight parking spot.

Audi has the best Latch connectors I’ve ever tested. They’re easy to find and have plastic covers that pop right off the Latch connectors. No digging, no crowbar, no broken fingernails. The Q5 had me right there.

FAMILY LIFESTAGE

In Diapers: The best Latch connectors in the business make installing child-safety seats a breeze.

In School: Firm seat belts and plenty of storage spots make little ones feel welcome in the backseat.

Teens: Teens will like all the legroom and the fabulous audio system.