Audi's understated Q5 continued in its subtle conquest of the premium compact SUV sector in the facelifted post-2012 guise we look at here. This improved first generation model got a range of more efficient engines and even more car-like driving dynamics that made this model great on tarmac and even pretty effective for light off road use. There's loads of advanced technology and a beautifully practical interior crafted in Audi's own inimitable style. In short, if you can afford it, you'd like one. In many ways, Audi owns the premium part of the compact SUV segment. Audi doesn't like to radically alter the appearance of its cars when it chooses to update them - and it didn't here. Most Q5 owners we surveyed were very happy with their cars but inevitably, there were a few issues reported. One owner reported premature brake wear, another talked of excessive oil consumption and another had had a complete transmission failure. One owner had a problem with shuddering and bucking on inclines, something which was eventually traced to the need for a new fuel injector.
An air filter costs around £16, an oil filter costs in the £8 to £10 bracket and a fuel filter costs in the £22 to £33 bracket. Brake pads sit in the £28 to £38 bracket for a set, though you could pay up to around £55 to £65 for a pricier brand. Brake discs cost around £127, though you could spend up to around £200 for a disc from a pricier brand. You'll pay around £15 for a drive belt, around £60 for a thermostat, around £86 for a water pump and in the £115 to £130 bracket for a radiator. Tyres sit in the £35 to £45 bracket. Wiper blades cost in the £10 to £18 bracket, though you could pay up to around £35 for pricier brands. The wing mirror glass is priced in the £30 to £35 bracket. At launch, this Q5 set a new benchmark for sporty handling in compact SUVs, feeling much like the conventional Audi A4 saloon and estate models upon which it was based.
If you had to criticise, you'd have said that the steering could have been sharper and the ride was a bit firm - but that was about it. Otherwise, here at last was a model of this kind you could buy without the usual clunky dynamic downsides. By 2012 though, that clear class leadership had been eroded with the launch of the Range Rover Evoque and a new generation version of BMW's X3. Both showed just how good a car like this could really be on tarmac while retaining more than a modicum of off road ability. So with this facelifted first generation model, Audi responded in kind. Suspension tweaks softened the ride and a new electro-mechanical steering system offered more feel around the bends. Buyers of this improved version also found an almost completely new engine range beneath the bonnet, all the units employing turbocharging, direct injection and a stop-start system for frugal emissions. The result of all this was that every unit managed the clever trick of offering more power with lower running costs.
Of more interest will be the way it responds when you're favourite country lane opens up, when you're running late and when there's no one in the car but you. In such a scenario, you'll enjoy yourself more if the car you've chosen is fitted with Audi's clever 'drive select' system. This set-up lets you vary the response of the throttle, the degree of power steering assistance, the operation of the air conditioning and, if specified, the shift points of the auto gearbox, via four modes. You'll play with the 'Comfort' or 'Auto' settings for the first few days you own this car: you may even play with the settings of each element via the 'individual' mode that's offered to those who specify Audi's navigation system. Settle into ownership though and you'll probably just leave 'drive select' in 'auto' to do its own thing. Or opt for the more eco-minded 'efficiency' setting.
