We've yet to see any signs that there's much of a market for premium compact SUVs. Lexus has done well with the (now midsize) RX, but neither the BMW X3 nor the Acura RDX, the first to follow the RX, has met its sales targets. Nevertheless, Infiniti, Mercedes, Audi, and Volvo have launched their own entries in the past year or so. In this suddenly crowded field, does the Audi Q5 do anything to stand out? I took one for a test drive to find out.

Audi Q5 Styling

Audi touts the new Q5 as "distinctively styled," to stand out in a sea of sameness. Well, it's so distinctive that when I was in the Audi showroom someone told me that his wife liked hers for the year in which they'd owned it. How could she have already owned a Q5 for a year? Because this Q7 owner thought he was looking at a Q7.

In other words, the Q5 looks a lot like the Q7, just smaller. It has the clean, semi-round shape people have come to expect from Audis. But with SUV proportions the roundness predominates, and the edges that define the sedans are lost. There's more than a little resemblance to the Saturn VUE.

The Q5 looks best with large wheels--20s are available. The two at the dealer when I dropped by both had the base wheels, which look too small despite being 18s.

I was impressed by the Q5's interior at this year's NAIAS (Detroit Auto Show). The detailing and materials were at least a cut above those in the Volvo XC60, Mercedes GLK, and BMW X3. Make that two or three cuts with the last two.

The interiors of the Q5s at the dealer, though still a match for the best competitors, were a far cry from those at the auto show. Aside from being the base trim, it seems that the car at the show were fitted with interior materials options that aren't even going to be offered in the U.S.

Audi Q5 Accommodations

In the driver's seat of the Q5, you're certainly sitting higher than in a car, but don't feel like you're piloting a massive vehicle the way you do in the Q7. At the same time, the driving position is less upright and more car-like than in the BMW or Mercedes. It probably hits the sweet spot for most people.

The Audi Q5's front seats are fairly comfortable, if not quite a match for those in the Volvo. In back, room is adequate for two adults, but legroom isn't surprisingly abundant the way it is in some compact SUVs.

The Audi Q5's cargo volume vies with that of the Mercedes GLK for tightest in the segment. Well, unless you include the almost-a-wagon Infiniti EX35 in the segment. But then car buyers have rejected the Infiniti largely because it's very tight inside. In comparison, the Audi Q5's cargo volume is tight, but perhaps adequate.

Audi Q5 Performance

Audi is dropping its 3.2-liter V6 from the 2010 U.S.-market A4. Too few people found it worth the extra cost over the less powerful but torquier turbo four. The turbo four's low-end torque would make even more sense in an SUV. Yet so far Audi offers only the V6 in the Q5.

I expected the naturally-aspirated V6 to feel weak unless revved in the two-ton Audi Q5. So I was surprised that it felt fairly powerful. The six-speed automatic serves to keep the Q5 in its powerband without extra prodding from the driver. An additional bonus: the V6 sounds better than a turbo four ever will. All-wheel-drive is standard, and I was not able to provoke any torque steer.

The Infiniti EX35 is the only crossover / SUV I've driven that handled almost like a car, probably because it's essentially a G35 wagon with a smidgen of extra ground clearance. In contrast, the Q5's handling won't be mistaken for that of the A4. You sit quite a bit higher than in the A4, and the higher center-of-gravity is evident. That said, roll is minimal for an SUV, and the chassis feels fairly balanced in hard turns despite a nose-heavy weight distribution. The steering doesn't provide much feedback, but has a pleasing amount of heft to it.

Perhaps because the base tires were fitted, ride quality was also pretty good as SUVs go, with almost none of the bobbling about or impact harshness that continues to afflict some competitors. Noise levels are low--the Q5 provides the sensations (and lack thereof) expected in a luxury vehicle.

Audi Q5 Price Comparisons and Pricing

Pricing for the Audi Q5 starts at $38,000, and exceeds $50,000 when loaded up. A similarly loaded Mercedes-Benz GLK is about $700 less--so price isn't going to be the deciding factor between these two. Compared to a similarly loaded BMW X3, the Audi Q5 lists for about $1,400 less, and adjusting for remaining feature differences increases the Audi's advantge to about $2,600. On the other hand, the Volvo XC60 lists for about $4,400 less and includes about $1,000 in additional features. At this point price might become a factor.

Prices change frequently, and differences will vary based on feature level. To quickly generate these and other comparisons with the specific features you want, visit my Web site, TrueDelta.com. (It's the only site that provides true "apples-to-apples" price comparisons.)

TrueDelta's page for the Audi Q5:

http://www.truedelta.com/models/Q5.php

Last Words

The Audi Q5 looks and drives pleasantly enough. Which is perhaps the problem for me: "pleasant" doesn't get me excited. The Acura and BMW both feel sportier. Also, I'd personally much rather have a better-looking, better-handling A4 Avant. But if you're dead set on a compact SUV, and luxury matters more to you than sport, the Audi is certainly worth a look.

A Note on Audi Q5 Reliability
I cannot practically cover Audi Q5 reliability within the context of this review. However, many people are interested in such information, so I've been collecting my own data. Results are posted to TrueDelta.com, with updates every three months. Unlike other sources, TrueDelta clearly identifies what difference it will make if you buy an Audi Q5 rather than another vehicle by providing "times in the shop" stats.

To report results, TrueDelta needs reliability data on all cars--not just the Audi Q5--from people like you. To encourage participation, those who help provide the data will receive free access to the site's reliability information. Non-participants pay an access fee.

Details here:

http://www.truedelta.com/reliability.php

Alphabetized links to my other vehicle reviews can be found on my profile page.
Amount Paid (US$): 42,800