10 Things You Need to Know About the 2018 Audi Q5

2018 Audi Q5 front three quarter hero ・ Photo by Audi

The 2018 Audi Q5 premium compact crossover is all-new for this model year. It marks the debut of the model's second generation, and it has some big shoes to fill. In this crossover-crazy world, the first Q5 didn’t take long to earn the accolade of America's best-selling Audi vehicle. It’s also brought in many customers who are new to the brand. This new Q5, however, looks like it can handle the pressure. Audi says it took everything buyers liked about the first generation and maximized them. So that means the polished design approach that’s an Audi hallmark, intelligent all-wheel drive, impressive refinement, ample power and exemplary fit and finish.

1. The 2018 Audi Q5 starts at $42,475.

The Q5's entry-level Premium trim starts at $42,475 including destination charge, and provides such goodies as 18-inch alloy wheels, heated eight-way power-adjustable front seats, leather upholstery, a power tailgate, tri-zone automatic climate control, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone integration, LED cabin lighting and walnut wood trim. Moving up to Premium Plus means $46,475, for equipment like a panoramic sunroof, driver’s-side memory settings, parking sensors, full LED lighting and blind-spot monitoring. It’s $55,775 for the top Prestige trim, which brings 20-inch alloys, a full-color head-up display, dual-pane acoustic glass for the front side windows, navigation and a banging Bang & Olufsen 755-watt/19-speaker audio system. There's also an available high-performance SQ5 version.

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2. The 2018 Audi Q5 has a roomy and comfy interior.

The previous Q5 was never short on space, but rear legroom has grown just under half an inch to 37.8 inches for 2018. Although the new model is about an inch longer overall, some of that extra legroom might have been achieved by setting the rear seats farther back. The older model offered 29.1 cubic feet of trunk area, this one has 26.8. But the new Q5 has more space when the rear seats are folded down: 60.4 cubic feet, compared with 57.3. Up front are clever headrests that are more comfortable for anyone who has a ponytail where the hair is bunched up higher on the head rather than at the bottom of the neck (think Ariana Grande rather than aging biker).

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3. The 2018 Audi Q5 is more powerful than its predecessor.

To go with this new crossover is a new engine. Yes, it’s based on the usual turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder unit that’s been a mainstay of Volkswagen Group products for quite some time, but it’s developed and tuned to generate 252 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque. That’s a boost of 32 hp and 15 lb-ft over the 2017 Q5. If anyone was wondering how much power that feels like in the real world, the short answer is: enough. Sending the drive to all four wheels is a new seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Don’t be put off by the dual-clutch aspect. It operates like a regular automatic, and steering wheel-mounted shift paddles are also standard.

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4. The base 2018 Audi Q5 is faster than last year's 3.0T model.

Unlike the previous generation, the new Q5 comes only with the 2.0-liter engine. But its extra power means that in a sprint from standstill to 60 mph, it would beat the first-generation version with its optional 3.0-liter V6. Audi claims a time of 5.9 seconds for the 2018 Q5, which is 0.1 of a second quicker than the 2017 3.0T and 1.1 seconds quicker than the old four-cylinder. In normal use, where sane people don’t indulge in stoplight drag races, the 2018 Q5 has plenty of energy to reach freeway speeds in a short time and overtake other vehicles with minimal stress.

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5. The 2018 Audi Q5 is fuel-efficient.

Despite having more power than the previous generation’s 2.0-liter turbo engine — and a seven-speed transmission instead of the eight-speeds found in some competitors — the 2018 Q5 is even better on gas. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates it at 23 mpg city, 27 mpg highway and 25 mpg combined. Compare that with the 2017 model’s 20/27/22 mpg. It looks even better when comparing it to the 2017 3.0T V6’s consumption, which was 18/26/21 mpg. As we have already seen, the new four-cylinder engine comes close in power (the V6 was rated at 272 hp/295 lb-ft) and beats it by a tenth of a second in the sprint to 60 mph.

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6. The 2018 Q5 offers Audi's Virtual Cockpit.

This is one of many cool technology features Audi has come up with lately. It’s a configurable display, measuring 12.3 inches on the diagonal, that takes the place of the traditional gauges behind the steering wheel. It’s optional in Premium Plus trim and standard in Prestige. The Virtual Cockpit can show Google Earth/Google Street View maps, vehicle speed, engine speed and temperatures (among others) in high-resolution graphics. It puts more crucial data in the driver’s line of vision. But learning to use it is easy and quick. The Virtual Cockpit in the higher-performance 2018 Audi SQ5 even has a dedicated Sport mode.

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7. The 2018 Audi SQ5 is also brand-new.

Compared with their regular versions, Audi’s S variants are not as powerful as, say, a BMW M car or the majority of Mercedes-Benz AMG models. But that can be a good thing, and the SQ5 is a prime example. The amount of power (in this case, 354 hp and 396 lb-ft of torque from a new turbocharged 3.0-liter V6), the suspension calibration, equipment levels and supportive (yet still comfortable) sport seats are all pitched just right.

The SQ5 has usable muscle that can be applied to the road by almost anyone with decent driving sensibilities, but it also comes with luxurious touches. It’s a wonderful machine. Prices start at $55,275.

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8. The 2018 Audi Q5 has Drive Select.

Audi's Drive Select feature allows four modes to switch among: Comfort, Auto, Dynamic and Offroad. Comfort makes the steering lighter and the suspension softer — great for long trips. Auto balances various aspects like comfort, body control and steering response, making it an ideal default setting. Dynamic mode firms up the suspension, brings more weight to the steering for greater precision, lets the transmission rev higher before shifting up a gear and makes it more eager to shift down on deceleration. Offroad mode permanently locks the Quattro system into all-wheel drive, while recalibrating engine and steering responses to be more appropriate for tricky surfaces. To engage each mode, just toggle among them using a switch on the center console.

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9. The 2018 Audi Q5 has Quattro with Ultra technology.

Most of us have heard of Quattro. It’s the name Audi has given its all-wheel drive systems for decades. For the new Q5 the system has evolved, hence the "Ultra" addition. It can decouple from the rear wheels completely, so the Q5 saves a little fuel by running as a front-drive vehicle.

The system also has an array of sensors monitoring a broad range of inputs and it can react within 200 milliseconds. In a way, it seems to look half a second into the future and decides which wheel needs how much torque or braking. The Q5’s occupants can’t feel this going on, though; it’s far too subtle and refined for that.

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10. The 2018 Audi Q5 comes with Audi Connect.

A subscription is required, but Audi Connect can bring Wi-Fi, traffic updates and fuel prices, plus many more features like automatic crash notification and stolen vehicle location. American Q5 owners can also enjoy features included especially for the United States, such as alerts for curfew, speed and valet, plus remote lock/unlock, and an online vehicle location function. These are all good things to have, the kind of features that you wonder how you ever lived without in those dark days before you owned a 2018 Audi Q5.

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