They are, of course, mistaken, as are the Japanese, who still do not perceive Koreans as competitors.
Each of the German trio of mid-size premium crossovers has its own recognizable character, and this leaves its mark on everything. The X3 from BMW is handling, dynamics, and at the same time efficiency, but it does not ensure stability on a straight line — that was sacrificed. The GLK from Mercedes is conservatism, classic smooth ride, and relaxation behind the wheel. And the Q5 from Audi is sportiness and solidity, like a business suit. If you want to press the pedal and not let go of the steering wheel — this is the X3. If you just need to drive comfortably — choose the GLK. If you want to combine respectability with a racing temperament — take the Q5.
QUATTRO LIKES WHEELSPIN
Under the hood it has a modest engine in terms of displacement, but the turbo brings power up to 211 horsepower. It would seem, a small-displacement engine — what can you expect from it? Peak torque is usually at high revs, while the turbo spools up... But not so. Thanks to direct FSI injection, there is excellent torque here. The 350 Nm of torque is available almost immediately, from 1500 rpm. This is precisely the main trump card of the Audi Q5 off-road.
I tested it on snow, sticky mud, and sand. And everywhere the torquey engine saved the day. Why exactly it? Because there is nothing else to rely on. The proprietary Quattro all-wheel drive prefers high revs and active wheelspin. The very idea of careful, creeping driving is abhorrent to it. If you get stuck on a loose or slippery surface, it takes offense and refuses to work. The heart of Quattro is, in essence, a mechanical self-locking differential. It does not lock rigidly, far from 100%. In corners, that is enough, but to get out of a pit or over a log — no longer. The most exciting way to discover the capabilities of the Audi Q5 is to find a snowy track and give free rein to emotions in a controlled drift. Here the Q5 feels like a fish in water.
Under the hood it has a modest engine in terms of displacement, but the turbo brings power up to 211 horsepower. It would seem, a small-displacement engine — what can you expect from it? Peak torque is usually at high revs, while the turbo spools up... But not so. Thanks to direct FSI injection, there is excellent torque here. The 350 Nm of torque is available almost immediately, from 1500 rpm. This is precisely the main trump card of the Audi Q5 off-road.
I tested it on snow, sticky mud, and sand. And everywhere the torquey engine saved the day. Why exactly it? Because there is nothing else to rely on. The proprietary Quattro all-wheel drive prefers high revs and active wheelspin. The very idea of careful, creeping driving is abhorrent to it. If you get stuck on a loose or slippery surface, it takes offense and refuses to work. The heart of Quattro is, in essence, a mechanical self-locking differential. It does not lock rigidly, far from 100%. In corners, that is enough, but to get out of a pit or over a log — no longer. The most exciting way to discover the capabilities of the Audi Q5 is to find a snowy track and give free rein to emotions in a controlled drift. Here the Q5 feels like a fish in water.
What else pleases on rough terrain? Surprisingly, the smoothness of the ride. On asphalt, the Audi, even on a fairly high profile (as applicable to the size 235/65 R17), behaves not calmly enough. Russian asphalt is not to its liking, and it constantly informs the driver about this. Small irregularities bother it. But large bumps, from a "speed bump" and larger, it handles very comfortably. Such is the suspension tuning. Maybe the testers just did not drive on broken asphalt?
RALLY INSTEAD OF TROPHY
How many modes there are! "Comfort", "dynamic", "individual", and "automatic". They affect not so much the shock absorbers as the logic of the gearbox, power steering, and electronic gas pedal. Fiddling with settings quickly gets boring: in the end, you choose auto, and the electronics decide everything for you. But sometimes the hand itself reaches for "dynamic" to keep high revs longer and feel the steering wheel better, which fills with heaviness. Audi is created for fast driving. It accelerates harmoniously and obediently.
RALLY INSTEAD OF TROPHY
How many modes there are! "Comfort", "dynamic", "individual", and "automatic". They affect not so much the shock absorbers as the logic of the gearbox, power steering, and electronic gas pedal. Fiddling with settings quickly gets boring: in the end, you choose auto, and the electronics decide everything for you. But sometimes the hand itself reaches for "dynamic" to keep high revs longer and feel the steering wheel better, which fills with heaviness. Audi is created for fast driving. It accelerates harmoniously and obediently.
Off-road, the Q5 is more suited to the "rally" discipline than "trophy". Ground clearance, like a "UAZ", is 200 mm. But geometric cross-country ability is "crossover-like". The breakover angle is only 17.5 degrees due to the long wheelbase. The approach/departure angles are stated by the manufacturer as 25/26 degrees, but visually they seem smaller (one German magazine cited a figure of 19 degrees). The maximum incline it can overcome is 31 degrees. The tilt angle is only 25 degrees. The wading depth, like the BMW X3, is 500 mm.
Plus, the Audi has two off-road options. The hill descent assist function, as we tested in practice, works very effectively even on slippery slopes. There is also an ESP off button. It seriously helps on treacherous off-road sections, especially on sand dunes. I would not go on hard, icy hills or rocks. The underbody is weakly protected, only with thin and soft plastic.
Plus, the Audi has two off-road options. The hill descent assist function, as we tested in practice, works very effectively even on slippery slopes. There is also an ESP off button. It seriously helps on treacherous off-road sections, especially on sand dunes. I would not go on hard, icy hills or rocks. The underbody is weakly protected, only with thin and soft plastic.
SPECS: AUDI Q5
GLUTTONOUS, GRAY, EXPENSIVE, CONTROLLABLE
Is the Q5 worth its 1,800,000 rubles — that is exactly how much it costs in the trim with leather interior and panoramic roof? A question that causes too much debate, and truth is not born in them. While I am typing these lines, the atmosphere in the editorial office is heating up. The editor-in-chief shouts that he would not give a penny for the Ingolstadt monster when there is the BMW X3. The photographer sarcastically notes that any person eventually comes to Mercedes. Then the conversation unexpectedly shifts... to the Gelandewagen. And not a single voice in favor of Audi. For us, it is too official and will forever remain transport for deputies. Even without a flashing light and covered in mud.
Is the Q5 worth its 1,800,000 rubles — that is exactly how much it costs in the trim with leather interior and panoramic roof? A question that causes too much debate, and truth is not born in them. While I am typing these lines, the atmosphere in the editorial office is heating up. The editor-in-chief shouts that he would not give a penny for the Ingolstadt monster when there is the BMW X3. The photographer sarcastically notes that any person eventually comes to Mercedes. Then the conversation unexpectedly shifts... to the Gelandewagen. And not a single voice in favor of Audi. For us, it is too official and will forever remain transport for deputies. Even without a flashing light and covered in mud.
It brakes and accelerates excellently (7.2 s to 100 km/h). It is pleasant to drive in a sporty style, especially when it grips the asphalt tenaciously in a sharp turn. But where do people usually drive it? To Okhotny Ryad. Hence the conservative interior trim. Mouse-colored plastic. Soft, but too official. I can add that fuel consumption is absolutely indifferent to the owner's wallet. I drove 670 km, and the average appetite of the Q5 was 15.7 liters per 100 km. The previous driver, judging by the on-board computer data, was more aggressive and spent 17.5 liters per hundred. The turbo, after all...
And that is how the Audi turned out. Expensive, fast, controllable, gluttonous, and somehow overall gray — inside and out in terms of design and trim. It lacks a super idea. It will stand in line with the "Germans" and occupy an intermediate niche — the middle. It could use at least some trump card — for example, in the form of air suspension, like its older brother Q7. Something must compensate for the long wheelbase, because of which it sits on ground irregularities. Or at least make a more durable transmission, because the modern DSG system overheats too quickly off-road.
