Despite increasing levels of globalisation across society it remains the case that there are still significant differences in market taste and consumer preferences around the world, so designing a product with appeal that will hit multiple major car markets is still quite difficult. You might have thought that what Europeans think of as a large (but Americans would call mid-sized) SUV style car with a premium badge, such as the Q5, would be a winner in the massive US market, but things are not quite so simple. Whilst Audi is seen a hugely desirable brand in Europe, and regularly features as one of the top-selling marques in countries such as the UK and Germany, often out-selling arch rivals BMW and Mercedes, the Americans are far less convinced. Whether it is memories of the “unintended acceleration” saga of the Audi 4000 (100) that linger (but that was around 40 years ago, so should be a distant memory to anyone who was even around at the time) or more recent internet babble about engines that suffer from oil sludge (not a problem that is much reported in Europe) or whether it is something else is hard to tell, but the reality is that in the US, Audi models are far less evident on the roads than they are in Europe. The range of products offered is not quite so wide, with the Q2 and some versions of the A3 and the Avant cars not offered, and of those which are, there are far fewer engine and trim variants from which to choose. Top seller among them, as indeed it is on a global basis, is the Q5.

The first Q5 model was launched in 2008. Based on the MLB platform, under the skin it was closely related to the B8 generation of Audi A4 and A5 cars, so it was no surprise that when these were updated to the B9 generation, a new Q5 model followed suit. The looks changed sufficiently little that telling the two apart requires more than a second glance, but that is how Audi has been for e last couple of decades and whilst the internet might moan about this, it seems to be what customers actually want. Audi has always been about restrained elegance, unlike its more brash and glitzy rivals, who seem to find ever more extremes to offer with every new model they introduce. The second generation Q5 arrived in America in 2018, a few months behind European market cars. This one is built in Mexico, for all markets, but to the same exacting levels of quality as the German produced cars.  I first sampled one over a wintry weekend in Torino in early 2019. That was an Italian spec car and I did not actually drive it that far over the course of two days, so was certainly keen to get the chance to gain more experience when I could. That chance came when I spotted a freshly washed car being parked up in the President’s Circle area at the Hertz Phoenix Sky Harbor facility just as I was looking for my next rental car. There are only a handful of Audi models in the Hertz US fleet, so this was a rare opportunity that I seized quickly before anyone else spotted the car. Like many of the higher spec cars on Hertz’ fleet in the post-Covid chip-supply era, this one turned out not to be new but was actually a 2019 model year car, but it was in decent condition and had not done a huge mileage, so it was definitely worth grabbing, or so I thought at the time. Would I still feel the same way having spent time behind the wheel? Let’s find out.

Americans are spared Audi’s somewhat confused numerical designations for engine variants, partly because there is no choice here. Every US market Q5 gets the same 2.0 litre TFSi turbo four engine which puts out 248 bhp. In Europe this would be badged as a “45”. Americans are reassured that this engine is as powerful as the 3.0 litre unit that was offered in the first generation Q5 but more fuel efficient and generates fewer emissions. Starting is keyless, as is expected these days.  For sure, this is a good engine, The Q5 goes very well. It always feels very urgent with strong acceleration available at any point in the rev range and regardless the gear that is in use. There are seven of those in the S-tronic dual clutch gearbox and although there are paddles for those who want to so the changes themselves the transmission will do it for itself very smoothly indeed. The Q5 is set up so that the upper gears reduce the work the engine is doing, and indeed at 80 mph, in top, the motor is spinning at just 2000 rpm, which means that the Audi is quiet and peaceful. Couple a Stop/Start system (even if the Americans still remain averse to these) and that yields decent fuel economy too. I drove a significant 395 miles in my day with the A5 and it needed 13.9 gallons to refill it, which works out at 28.4 mpg US, or 33.95 mpg Imperial. The trip computer in the car said a 29.1mpg average, so I imagine I returned the car with slightly more fuel than when I received it. In any case, that has to be a decent result for a large family car.

All US market Q5 models have Audi’s quattro system fitted as standard. Specifically, they feature what Audi calls “Quattro with Ultra Technology”. According to Audi, Ultra technology improves efficiency by decoupling the driveshaft to the rear wheels when all-wheel drive is not needed. Essentially the vehicle becomes front wheel drive when cruising, or in other driving situations where the vehicle’s computers determine all-wheel traction is not needed. Audi claims the system is able to re-engage power to the rear wheels within milliseconds of the system detecting or predicting slip or the driver accelerating aggressively. I was never aware of this system cutting in our out, but then I was not aggressive in my testing. Driven “normally”, the Q5 steers and handles very nicely. I would prefer a little more weighting and feel in the steering, but this is an almost universal observation to be made these days. In everyday conditions, the Q5 is just fine, with the car going round corners neatly, finding plenty of grip and with little in the way of body roll. This Audi came on the optional 255/40 R20 wheels and although on the large side even for a car of this size, there was no discernible ride penalty, the car pricing comfortable on a variety of road surfaces. There were no concerns with the brakes, either. All around visibility is about as good as you get these days and there are a number of systems to help,  including the obligatory rear-view camera and a useful blind spot warning system. I was less enamoured of the Lane Keep Assist feature but at least you can turn it off.

In recent years some of the cheaper Audi models have seen a worrying downgrade in the quality of the materials used in their interiors, but no such changes have been made here (yet!). The inside of the Q5 remains top quality, with a carefully thought through selection of materials which both look good and are splendid to the touch. The brown leather and the specific veneer inlays of the test car were not ones I would choose, but there are plenty of alternatives to both. Needless to say, the steering wheel is leather wrapped and pleasant to hold. The instrument cluster of the Q5 changed quite significantly with the second generation Q5, with a wide range of customisation options so you can get it to show what matters most to you. One possibility is to minimise the size of what are usually the two main dials, so these are small, with a digital representation of your speed in the speedometer, so there is a lot of cluster real estate for the map and navigation details. This was the way I set things up. You can make your selection using buttons on the left hand steering spoke.  There are curved dot chart style gauges for water temperature and fuel level at each end of the cluster. Standard Audi group column stalks are used, with a third one, lower to the left, used for cruise control. The lights operate from a rotary dial on the dash to the left of the wheel. The steering wheel hub is used for audio repeater and trip computer displays. The centre of the dash contains the colour touch screen for the Audi MMI infotainment system. There is also a touch pad and control wheel in the centre console, making this system still pleasingly easy to use. Navigation is included as standard as are Apple Car Play and Android Auto Sound quality is good from the Bang and Olufsen system. Lower in the dash are the buttons for the tri-zone automated climate control and there are also a row of buttons for rarely used functions. A wireless phone charging pad was added to the spec for 2019 model year cars.

The seats are leather trimmed and the quality is good. They can be adjusted electrically, through quite a wide range, so there ought to be a driving position for everyone. I found the seat cushion a little on the long side for my rather short thought bones, but in all other respects they were comfortable. There’s certainly a feeling of space, with particularly generous headroom even with the standard-fitted glass sunroof. The seats are heated and there is a two-position memory to store favourite positions.

There is more than enough room in the back of the Q5, as well. Even with the front seats set well back, there is plenty of legroom and the SUV nature of the car means that headroom is in plentiful supply. The seats are on sliders and you can adjust the backrest angle, with the 40/20/40 split meaning three different positions at the same time are possible. There is a central armrest with cupholders in the upper surface and occupants here benefit from nets on the back of the front seats, pockets on the doors, and their own air vents and climate control selection.

The tailgate is large but it is electrically assisted, so easy to open and close, though like all these things, you have to be patient as it is quite slow. The boot is a good size, and had nets at the side as well as the obligatory hooks to allow you to secure smaller items if needed. There is a space saver under the floor and this is crammed in with no space around it for even the smallest of extra items. The rear seat backrests are split 40/20/40 and simply drop down, though the resulting load bay, whilst long is not actually quite flat. Even so, this does result in very significant cargo capacity. Inside the cabin, there is a generously sized glovebox, bins on the doors, a central armrest cubby with a tray on top and a lidded cubby over the driver’s left knee.

Whilst in European markets, there is quite an array of different Q5 models available, both in terms of engine options and trim, things are much more limited for US buyers, with all cars coming with the same engine and just three different trim versions, Premium, Premium Plus and Prestige trim levels. All three come with a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine generating 248 bhp and 273 lb/ft of torque, joined to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is standard. Standard equipment on the entry level Premium trim includes 18-inch wheels, roof rails and crossbars, a rear spoiler, xenon headlights with LED running lights, LED taillights, keyless entry, rain-sensing wipers, heated side mirrors and a power liftgate. Inside, you’ll find push-button ignition, cruise control, leather upholstery, tri-zone automatic climate control, heated and power-adjustable front seats, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, transmission shift paddles, and a 40/20/40-split folding and reclining rear seat. Technology features include a rearview camera, Bluetooth and an infotainment system with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone integration. Automatic emergency braking for vehicles and pedestrians at speeds up to 52 mph (called Pre Sense City) is also standard. Premium Plus models add 19-inch wheels, a panoramic sunroof, automatic LED headlights, auto-dimming side mirrors, front and rear parking sensors, driver-seat memory functions, a navigation system, a 10-speaker audio system with satellite radio, a wireless phone charger, a Wi-Fi connection, and a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster display. Driver assistance features include blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. Prestige models combine all these features with noise-insulated side windows, a head-up display, ambient cabin lighting, a bird’s-eye view parking camera, a Bang & Olufsen surround-sound system, and driver aids that include adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist. Premium trims can add a handful of stand-alone options such as 19-inch wheels, heated front seats, panoramic sunroof and rear side airbags. The Convenience package, which adds eight-way power-adjustable seats, keyless entry, heated side mirrors and satellite radio, also is available on the Premium. Options for Premium Plus trims include the Black Optic package (20-inch wheels, matte-black roof rails and black exterior trim), Cold Weather package (heated rear seats, heated steering wheel) and the Warm Weather package (ventilated front sport seats, rear window shades). The premium Bang & Olufsen audio system, rear side airbags and 20-inch wheels can also be added à la carte. Prestige models are also offered with the same option packages as those of the Premium Plus trim, and a fixed roof can replace the standard panoramic sunroof on both trims.

It is not hard to see why the Q5 sells so strongly – just under 300,000 units a year, every year in recent times. Whilst not particularly exciting (but Audi have a solution to that with the SQ5), this is a very competent machine which combines plenty of space for people and their luggage with good levels of performance and economy and a decent driving experience, all of which can be enjoyed from a truly premium feeling interior. Add in good levels of equipment and you can see that this is what many people are looking for. It’s a surprise, perhaps, that it does not sell in larger quantities in the US, but then its two closest rivals, the BMW X3 and Mercedes GLC are also less popular in relative terms here than they are in Europe. Having driven all three, I would certainly pick the Audi over both of them, and if I were to find another one at the rental car counter, would be very tempted to take one again, as this car ticks so many proverbial boxes and has no real downsides at all. An impressive product.