By Duane Pemberton

With the 2011 Q5, Audi is offering a compact cross-over SUV that offers great handling for a car in its class, all-wheel drive and a turbo 4-cylinder that adds a very “peppy” feel to the overall performance of this car.

It has a very “classic Audi” look on the front-end with a grill and overall feel to it that screams Audi – and that’s a good thing for fans of this car company. Even though it’s on the smaller side of the cross-over market, it offers an overall package that is well-balanced in regards to overall interior space (roominess), functionality, features and sport. In fact, of all the smaller cross-over’s I’ve driven to date, the Q5 is by far my favorite and here’s why.

Specs:

• Base engine size: 2.0 L
• Cam type: Double overhead cam (DOHC)
• Cylinders: inline 4
• Valves: 16
• Valve timing: Variable
• Direct injection
• Torque: 258 ft-lbs. @ 1500 rpm
• Horsepower: 211 hp @ 4300 rpm
• Turning circle: 38.1 ft.
• Base engine type: gas
• Fuel type: premium unleaded (required)
• Fuel tank capacity: 19.8 gal.
• Range in miles (cty/hwy): 396.0/534.6 mi.
• EPA mileage est. (cty/hwy): 20/27 mpg

While the Japanese market has been very competitive in this class of vehicle, none of them I’ve driven so far offer that classic “German road car” feel to them – it’s at tactical thing that’s a bit hard to put into words – you simply need to drive an Audi to see what I mean. That isn’t to say that there aren’t Japanese variants that don’t handle well; it’s a “road-feel” thing.

Inside you are welcomed with a rather spacious, leather-clad interior that fits sort of like a pair of well-worn jeans. Everything is in easy reach and even though this particular model didn’t have the on-board NAV system, I really didn’t miss it – too much.

The audio system is easily one of the better sounding stock ones I’ve heard in any car to date – it remains very clear up at loud volumes. It features an SD card reader rather than USB which is fine with me at this point as it seems as if SD is such a wide industry standard for data storage. Additionally, there is a $900 upgrade option to a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system.

Perhaps the most noticeable feature of our model is the panorama sunroof that has a massive pane of glass, giving it an almost “topless” feel to it. Of course this means that you won’t have a truly dark interior during the day, however, the sunscreen does block out the bright sun so it’s not really that bad at all.

Rear seating is comfortable enough for 2 adults as the middle seat would definitely be less-than-desirable and also has a bit of a hump to it – however, a small kid could easily fit there. The 3-way climate zone control allows you to give rear passengers their desired temperatures as well.

The seats do lay-down flat, should have have cargo that is larger than the available, immediate area  which would easily fit two large suitcases and some smaller items as well.

Safety Features:

The super bright xenon headlamps and LED tail lamps give a very modern look to the car at night – in addition, the Q5 features LED daytime running lights. With near wrap-around airbags, the safety of this car is among the best you’ll find in any car.  Four-wheel ABS disc brakes are standard as are high-strength steel/aluminum crossmembers and reinforced bumpers.

Powertrain:

The 2-liter 4-cylinder motor is turbo-charged and churns out 211hp@4200 RPM and 253 lbs. ft of torque @ 1500 RPM. While there is a V6 option for the Q5 in the Prestige version, I’m confident most people would be able to tell the difference in overall power but would clearly see a nice gain in fuel savings as the 2.0T is rated at a combined MPG of 22 (20 city / 27 highway).  And with Premium Fuel as the recommended type, any extra fuel savings is something most people can appreciate.

Audi rates this car’s zero-60 time at 7.1 seconds – that “feels” about right from my spirited driving of this car – it doesn’t seem sluggish at all, even the turbo-lag is barely noticeable.

Final impressions. 

Let’s face it, when it comes to an Audi, it’s all about the driving experience and this is where this car truly struts its stuff. I realize I mentioned at the beginning of this article how much I love the “feel” – well that feel begs you to take hard corners as the AWD system and built-in stability control systems give a stance and sense of balance which – combined with the 211 horses under the hood – make this an incredibly spirited car to drive.

While the suspension is stiff for better handling, it’ is a bit forgiving so doing longer drives in this car would not be a burden at all.

If you’re in the market for a compact cross-over SUV that has a superior, overall balance of performance, features and ride, then I’d highly recommend you get out and test-drive one asap.

If this car was a bottle of wine, I’d liken it to a bottle of German Riesling – goes down very easy yet has enough finesse to handle most food-curveballs you can throw at it.