Audi’s Latest Q5 45 TFSI is a Great All-Around Package
It’s Long in the Tooth, But Then So Are Audi’s Q5 Rivals. We Put 45 TFSI to the Test.
The middle-of-the-road sporty executive SUV market is a busy little niche. It’s where the likes of BMW X4, the Mercedes-Benz GLC, Porsche Macan, and the Range Rover Velar play.
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And there are some bigger local offerings that offer much value, space, and practicality too. Interestingly enough, all the above are well into the second phase of their life cycles. Which also serves to crack a reprieve for Audi’s similarly long in the tooth Q5.
So, What Does Q5 45 Stand For?
So, it was good to get a refreshed Q5 on test after recently trying some of those rivals. Ours packed ‘45’ level output, in accordance with the obscure numbered system Audi deployed a couple of years ago.
It groups similarly athletic engines in the four-ring range. This one has a 261 HP 273 lb.-ft turbocharged direct injection 2-liter four-cylinder gasoline lump. The 16-valve DOHC engine is typical VAG fare. It has an aluminum cylinder head with Audi variable timing.
It is now also aided and abetted by an increasingly crucial 12-volt Mild Hybrid Electric charge. Basically, it’s a big starter-sized motor to help the car along. Not much has changed beyond that. Power goes through a 7-speed dual-clutch S tronic auto to Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive. It retains an intelligent electronic clutch-based Torsen coupling center differential.
Premium Q5 45 Packs Adaptive Air Springs
Packing five-link front and rear suspension, and progressive electromechanical steering, this premium packed Q5 got adaptive air springs too. Stopping is courtesy of meaty 13.3″ front and 13.0″ aft ventilated disc brakes. Nestling within this premium spec’s shiny face-polished 18” alloys.
Our Premium Packed car’s blacked-out trim eases the regular version’s chrome grimace to make it a bit more of a Velar or Macan rival. And less predictable for a mid-sized German SUV that suffers from the old Bavarian sausage factory family design.
The nip and tuck retains Audi’s lightweight multi-material steel and aluminum hybrid chassis construction. So, it’s still 184.3 inches long, 65.5” tall and rides on a 111-in wheelbase. And a tad heavier. Endowed with a handy 4,400 lbs towing capacity, ours also had a chunky fold-away hitch.
Cabin Finish is Still Good and Rich
Step inside and fit and finish are still good and rich. This one may be dark with a mix of black leather and deep veneer trim. But you can spec a more colorful solution for yours. Like most middling to senior Audis, Q5 packs it all in. Its versatile digital dash and displays and albeit last season’s version of Audi’s ever-evolving MMI infotainment technology is cool. Even though this facelift Q5 lags behind some of its peers. The all-new Q3, for instance.
So, despite a few brave updates, this one is a bit more an Audi of a bygone era. Which means its cabin is more cluttered and curvier than that new kit. But that may very well be a plus if you prefer buttons to pinch and swipe surfaces.
Dash Buttons a Disadvantage. Or Not?
Q5 has also lost its touchpad, so its tablet-like free-standing 10.1-inch infotainment system is touchscreen-only. It’s relatively easy to navigate and packs all the latest programs but lacks the haptic convenience of those newer Audis. So, touching the screen on the fly can be compromised by bumping the wrong part of the screen.
Still, Q5 packs in everything that opens and shuts. All wrapped up in splendid Audi cabin quality that can be so easy to ignore. Second-row space is a little lean, but ample for four adults and the boot will swallow a generous cargo.
Power in reserve is ample and there’s ample accessible torque and grunt on the road. That’s backed by good drivability and crisp response. The 45 engine is refined and quiet, but ready when you want it to rev. Mechanical din is softer than the wind noise. Which was odd, considering the severe cracking noise as the windows powered down.
Q5 45 Was Heavier on Gas. But Quicker than Claimed
Economy can be a challenge. You’d do well to see better than 30 mpg every day. They promise 23 city and 28 highway mpg for a combined 25 mpg. But this Q5 makes up in performance – we tested it a few tenths quicker than Audi said we would, at all stations.
Gear changing is unobtrusive, but Q5 45 TFSI reacts with aplomb when you manually tug back a gear, or two on the steering paddles. It responds as urgently as you’d want from a mid-sized luxury SUV and delivers GTI-trashing drag strip ability too. If you want to.
Yet it isn’t overly sharp or pointed. You still have the 55, S and RS models if you want more of that. This one’s more composed, its adaptive damping soaks up the bumps and thumps and it maintains a level poise at pace. Steering feel may seem a tad remote, but the chassis is stable and composed and fun enough to indulge.
Q5 45 is Modern Enough Versus its Real Rivals
Quiet, swift, and precise, yet smooth and luxurious, this Audi is modern enough, if you don’t consider its latest siblings. That said, its real market rivals are also a little too long in the tooth. Which leaves the Audi Q5 45 TFSI’s material luster, refinement, practicality, and performance to speak for itself.
ROAD TEST: Audi Q5 45 TFSI Prestige quattro Engine: 261 HP 273 lb.-ft 2-lire turbo gasoline I4 Drive: 7-speed double clutch automatic AWD TESTED: 0-60 mph: 5.97 sec 0-100 mph: 15.58 sec ¼-mile: 14.3 sec @ 99 mph 50-75 mph: 4.37 sec 75-100 mph: 6.88 sec CLAIMED: VMax: 130 mph Fuel: average: 25 mpg MSRP List Price: $56,500
Photos: Giordano Lupini
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