HOW TO ARRIVE ON Q (some text hidden) SECTIONED_new_AudiQ5_270409

By Steve Walker

Introductionword count: 106

What's needed to make a really good premium compact 4x4? A premium badge always helps as does experience in the field of all-wheel-drive vehicles. A top class line-up of engines is essential to keep performance up but costs down and it's always handy if you can fashion a cabin with the panache to have hearts skipping beats in the showrooms. Back in 2008, Audi looked better qualified that any other manufacturer to deliver on these criteria so the Q5 premium compact 4x4 it launched in that year should be a winner. That's the theory but does it mean a used Q5 is something you should consider?

Modelsword count: 16

Models Covered: 5dr 4x4 (2.0 TFSI petrol 2.0 TDI, 3.0 TDI diesel [base, SE, S line])

Historyword count: 243

By rights, Audi should be brilliant at 4x4s. Its quattro all-wheel-drive technology did much to popularise the concept of four driven wheels in road cars back in the 1980s so when off-road vehicles began appearing on our streets in growing numbers, the German brand should have been licking its lips. In the event, Audi proved uncharacteristically tentative. While the BMW X5 and Mercedes M-Class were making their name, the only off-road flavoured vehicle Audi could muster was the Allroad - a beefed-up A6 estate. It finally took the plunge with the Q7 but its enormous dimensions and cumbersome feel drew a mixed response. We had to wait until 2008, for Audi to really show its true colours in the 4x4 arena with the compact Q5 arriving to challenge head to head with the BMW X3 and Land Rover Freelander. The Q5 launched in the summer of 2008, slotting into the Audi range below the Q7 luxury 4x4. Three engines were offered, the 2.0-litre TDI diesel and 2.0 TFSI petrol were the more affordable four-cylinder choices but a six-cylinder 3.0-litre TDI diesel was also available as a powerful range-topping variant. The usual Audi trim level hierarchy applied with base models supplemented by SE models that added a more luxurious feel and S-Line variants with added sport. All Q5s had Audi's quattro all-wheel-drive technology. A less powerful 180bhp version of the 2.0 TFSI engine was launched in 2009 as an entry-level models in the range.

What You Getword count: 226

The Q5 is conservatively styled and falls in line with Audi's established design cues as they stood in 2008. It's an attractive shape though, a little less chunky than many 4x4s of its size and it achieves a low drag coefficient of 0.33cd. Dimensions that see it at 4,630mm long but only 1,650mm tall give it a sleek, ground-hugging stance and bring the centre of gravity closer to terra firma than in the majority of rivals. The Q5 might not be as bold or brash externally as we've come to expect in the SUV sector but inside, it aims to replicate the interior versatility of its most sizable rivals. Audi's cabin design and build quality remains tough to fault and the Q5 also includes some clever features that make the whole thing more practical to use on a daily basis. The rear seat backs can be reclined to increase comfort and the whole of the back bench can be folded at a stroke by means of a lever in the boot. Luggage space is 540 litres but once those seats are stowed, 1,560 litres is opened up. SE models have an advanced 10-speaker stereo, leather upholstery, 3-zone climate control and parking sensors. S-Line models have all that plus sports suspension, sports seats, Xenon headlights with LED running lights and a host of other exterior styling upgrades.

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