2023 Audi Q5

The 2023 Audi Q5 is like the Apple iPhone of the SUV world: it’s known for its precise build quality, good performance, and refined appearance. Other luxury SUVs offer similar tech features and flashier styling, but the Q5 is satisfaction guaranteed at least for drivers who don’t mind bland handling. A trio of powertrains is on offer, starting with a 201-hp turbocharged four-cylinder which comes standard with Quattro all-wheel drive. A more powerful 261-hp four is optional, as is a 362-hp plug-in hybrid, the two of which provide quick and quicker acceleration. Technophiles rather than enthusiast drivers appear to be the Q5’s target audience, though, as it offers plenty of digital-friendly features and driver assists. If you’re like us and prefer something a zestier, the performance-oriented SQ5 (reviewed separately) might be your ride of choice. Otherwise, know that rivals such as the Alfa Romeo Stelvio and the Porsche Macan offer more driver involvement, but both have a higher starting price than the Q5. Audi has shifted around a few features in the Q5 lineup this year, starting by making adaptive cruise control standard on all models. Premium Plus trims now come with a Bang and Olufsen stereo system and plug-in hybrid “55” models get OLED taillights. Chronos Gray has been replaced by Quantum Gray on the Q5’s exterior color palette, too.

The 2023 Q5 40 features a standard 201-hp turbocharged four-cylinder, a seven-speed automatic transmission, and Quattro all-wheel drive. Stepping up to the 45 model boosts horsepower to 261. The turbo four provides plenty of punch to scoot the Q5 45 around town or blast down a highway on-ramp, and it is smooth, quiet, and mellifluous. At our test track, the Q5 45 delivered a brisk 5.5-second run to 60 mph. The plug-in-hybrid variant adds an electric motor that increases output to a combined 362 horses and 369 lb-ft of torque, which helped it snap off a quick 4.5-second run to 60 mph in our hands, beating the performance oriented SQ5 Sportback by 0.3 seconds. The luxury compact crossover's suspension is well damped and imparts a stable feeling no matter the road or driving condition. The ride is smooth and controlled with or without the optional adaptive suspension even over pockmarked asphalt. The steering is accurate and lightly weighted but provides no discernible feedback from the front wheels. In the Dynamic drive mode, the steering feels heftier but still artificial.

The EPA estimates for Q5 40 will earn 23 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway while the 45 is rated for 23 mpg city and 28 mpg highway. The plug-in-hybrid variant has a combined estimate of 27 mpg and an electric-only range of 23 miles. On our 75-mph fuel economy test route, the Q5 45 matched its EPA rating of 28 mpg; the plug-in hybrid model delivered only 26 mpg in the same test and managed to go on for only 17 of its 23 estimated electric-only miles. Buyers of even the least expensive Q5 will enjoy an intuitive infotainment system displayed in a dashtop 10.1-inch screen. Most of the expected infotainment features are present and accounted for in the base Q5, including a Wi-Fi hotspot and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability. Things get much more interesting if you jump to the Premium Plus or Prestige trims, as they come with a reconfigurable digital gauge cluster that Audi calls Virtual Cockpit. The Q5 comes with standard driver-assistance technology, such as automated emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and forward-collision warning. Other assists are available on the pricier models.