When I first started reviewing cars back in 1971, Audi appeared to me to be very much a new kid on the block, too.
It had just doubled the size of its UK range by adding the 100 to the 80 that was already on sale and I was smitten. I still rate the Audi 100 I bought in 1982, 10 years after I tested an almost identical car, to be one of the best sets of wheels I’ve ever owned.
I knew Audi had more of a history than that, though, but it did come as a surprise to find earlier this year that this week sees it celebrating its centenary.
The brand has always been an innovator since the day it started on July 16, 1909, when all its cars were right hand drive. It switched to left steer in 1921, way before Germany legislated for the change, and while this suits the rest of Europe most British drivers probably find that switch regrettable as cars have to be re-engineered for our market away from their intended layout.
Audi has a very comprehensive range these days, far expanded from the two models it offered us in the UK almost 40 years ago. It embraces everything from sensible saloons to sports cars, coupes, cabriolets, estates, and SUVs, although there are no MPVs unless you count the seven seat Q7 4x4, a gargantuan beast.
Its latest 4x4 is the Q5, a BMW X3 and Land Rover Freelander rival that’s of more acceptable proportions than the Q7. Recent arrivals in this sector have also included the Volvo XC60 but that car is not a patch on the bigger XC90. So here we really have a straight fight between the Audi, BMW, and Land Rover.
Really, while the Audi and Beemer are similar, the Land Rover stands head and shoulders above them if you want real off-road ability. But few buyers do, so that pushes the Freelander aside very quickly – or at least it might, depending on how the TD4_e version behaves when it arrives here soon. If it can outsmart the Audi for fuel economy and off-road ability it might be back to the top of the pile.
As it is now, though, the Audi really only has the BMW and possibly the smaller of the two Volvos to worry about. The Volvo rides superbly but I don’t like its electronics, which are too clever by half and never let me feel in real control. It becomes a trade off between whether you want ultimate comfort and driveability and, if you do, whether you are prepared to let the car govern other functions.
The Audi is nearly as good but is let down only by its ride. It drives well otherwise and on fast main roads or motorways might be acceptable. But many buyers will want to use it on country roads, where it is far less competent.
That said, I reckon it’s far superior to the BMW in every respect, although both compete to shaft you comprehensively when it comes to price. For this test we borrowed a Q5 S line with Audi’s 2.0 turbodiesel, not exactly an exotic choice but it will still cost you £31,430 on the road. But the true skill of German makers of high end kit is to get you tucking into the options list.
Working on the theory that you are far more likely to be the type to choose foie gras than garlic bread for starters, it will hit you with £1,955 for a technology pack and even £45 for hill-hold assist. That’s mean, a bit like wanting 10p for a ketchup sachet at the chippie. So it was that “our” S line would have been £40,405 on the road.
Mind you, the Q5 does have its good points. It will pull up to 2.4 tonnes of trailer if the hills are not too steep, or two tonnes if they are. That’s usefully more than the BMW and for buyers of cars like this towing ability is a big decider.
The Audi will also achieve 35.7 mpg, although this is with a manual box rather than the auto that struggled to give us 31 mpg with the XC60. Audi also has a very strong pedigree in the world of 4x4 after all those years of bringing us quattro models. So the Q5, with almost as much luggage space as the executive sized Audi A6 estate as a bonus, could be a real threat to Land Rover both among the country set and the townies who buy Hunter wellies.
Maurice Hardy
One thing we have come to expect from Audis over the years is quality. They have come a long way from the fake wood I can vaguely remember in the early cars and today are deeply convincing as a sensible buy.
For that reason alone, the Q5 would seriously tempt me should I be in the market for a reasonably compact 4x4 estate. Even with just a 2.0 diesel under the bonnet it feels powerful enough to keep up with the cut and thrust that is modern traffic but it would worry me if I wanted a serious off-road tool.
It strikes me as being just that bit too pricey to risk wiping the superb paint finish with a succession of blackthorn bushes along some narrow green lane. There are less costly ways of acquiring battle scars.
Inside, the Audi has comfort and space in the right measures and is bigger than its shape would have you believe. The rear end looks stunted, with its small glass and thick pillars, although inside there’s decent load capacity. But a drawback is limited rear three quarter visibility. Worse still is the bad ride quality, and that alone would be enough to put me off.
Annette Hardy
Car: Audi Q5 2.0 TDI quattro S line
Does it fit your ego?...
0-62 mph: 9.5 secs
Top speed: 126 mph
Bhp: 168 @ 4200 rpm
Torque: 258 lb ft @ 1750 - 2500 rpm
...and your wallet?...
Price: £31,430
Urban: 34.4 mpg
Extra urban: 48.7 mpg
Combined: 42.1 mpg
CO2 emissions: 175 g/km
Insurance Group: 14
Best bits: good towing capacity; generous interior space; reasonable economy.
