Video: 2014 Audi Q5 TDI Review

Sales this year are at 40% compared to 2012. But for 2014, there is one major addition, a TDI diesel version. It boosts power, efficiency, unfortunately it also boosts the price. Powering the TDI is a three liter turbocharged V6 engine. It puts out 240 horsepower. And while that might not sound impressive, the torque numbers are 428 pound-feet of torque in this engine. That's more than Mustangs GT with a five liter V8. At the pump, things improve too. Combined mileage goes from 23 mpg in the base four-cylinder Q5, to 27 mpg with the TDI. You save even more versus the regular gas-powered three liter six-cylinder too. And since the other two gas-powered Q5s require premium gas, the diesel fuel and the improved mileage on the TDI, should save you at the pump. At slow speeds, the TDI doesn't seem that remarkable and actually, acceleration might lag a little. There's not an instant response from the foot pedal with light pressure. However, it's kinda like a point and shoot camera. You just press a little harder and it goes much faster. If that instant acceleration impresses you, the sport mode will be even more fun. Just quickly tap the shifter down, puts you in a sport. And when you press down hard on the pedal, things get even livelier. (engine revving) Surprisingly for a compact crossover, there is little bit of a tippy feeling when taking sharp turns, like a U-turn or a highway off-ramp. While the TDI comes standard with some nice features like heated leather seats and a panoramic sunroof, the navigation system is still optional. It's $3,500, but it's an upgraded unit and it's pretty nice. The command knob used to have a fixed button. Now it actually has a thumb pad instead of the button. So not only do you press down to select something, you could also move the cursor on the navigation screen pretty much any direction 360 degrees. That's pretty nice. Front passengers will be really comfortable, but in the back seat, even though I have plenty of knee room, plenty of headroom, the backseats themselves, they're really firm. So they might not be too comfortable over long drives. Luckily, if you do run out of room, you're taller than me, the seats recline, with an easy lever on the side, tilt you back. If you're buying a crossover SUV of any kind, whether it's luxury or runs on diesel, whatever, you want some extra utility to go with it. At 29.1 cubic feet, the Q5's cargo is towards the top of the class in space, but in reality, there's some issues because it's not terribly deep front to back. So big bulky items, can't go length wise, you have to go diagonal. (baggage clinking) What you really get is a lot of height. So the load floor is really low. So whatever you're taking in and out is easy to get in and out. The Audi Q5 is a well-rounded luxury crossover, if you get the TDI or not, but if you want all that extra power, all that extra torque, and you're willing to pay the extra money, I wouldn't blame you. (engine revving)