Call it a midsize crossover all you like, but the 2012 Audi Q5 3.2 FSI Prestige is a heavy vehicle, and one feels every pound. The unboosted V6 is a delight at higher rpm, but when lugging around town I wished for Audi’s supercharged six and its extra torque down low. Or a diesel, for that matter.
Driving dynamics are another mixed bag. Aside from the aforementioned torque hole at takeoff, I also felt some throttle hesitation at tip-in; BMW’s 5-series is notorious around here for the same delay, so I hope Audi isn’t going down the same road. Handling is outstanding, but the steering gets artificial-feeling weight in certain dynamic modes; extra feel would be nice, but the Q5 feels synthetic. One can tell magnets and motors are involved in a sensory charade. Worse still, steering resistance seems to build in low-speed parking-lot situations, lightening on the expressway—the opposite of what most drivers expect.
My complaints do not extend to the inside, where the Audi Q5 feels like a proper luxury SUV. Real metal greets the fingertips on the MMI controller and console surround, and the steering wheel is swaddled in that buttery leather found across the Audi/VW lineup. No discussion of Audi products can be complete without mentioning how good the company’s MMI infotainment system is; make no mistake, there’s still ample opportunity for a driver to get distracted, but more than almost any system on the market today, MMI does what’s expected every time.
Give me one with the Prestige package, but ditch the dynamic/adaptive drive-control equipment. I’d rather have a big crossover that authentically drives like a big crossover than one artificially tuned to be something it’s not.
SENIOR ONLINE EDITOR RORY CARROLL: Audi says this car weighs 4,299 pounds. The first thing I found really striking was how much of that weight felt like it was sitting over the front wheels.
There actually is a big engine sitting on the front wheels, so part of the perception that the car is front-heavy is real. It goes beyond the steering because the car feels a little loose out back, upon hard application of the brakes.
The other part of it is that Audi seems to be calibrating steering effort and throttle response to make the car seem heavier. I’d have written it off as a side effect of the big engine, but the Audi A8L I drove shortly after felt similar. Maybe they assume that drivers will equate the feeling of weight with a feeling of quality. I’m sure there was a focus group.
Anyway, driving the Q5 felt a lot like driving the Mazda CX-5, only with the aforementioned weighty feeling, a more pronounced general perception of solidity and a good deal more power.
At first, the car doesn’t feel at all “sporty.” But switching it into dynamic mode makes the steering wheel even harder to turn, and the shifts get a lot more abrupt. There are also paddle shifters. I’m not sure why you’d include paddle shifters and then let the transmission shift on its own as redline is approached, but then there seem to be a number of things about this car—and cars in general—that I do not understand.
In summary, pushing the dynamic button turns this thing into a raw, fire-breathing race car for the street.
Kidding aside, those who are shopping in this segment of luxurious crossovers will probably really love the Q5. While it isn’t aimed at me, the interior and the general feeling of high quality that this car offers will be more than enough to sell as many of these things as Audi chooses to make. It looks smart and expensive, and it handles highway duty as it should. The drive would probably be a bit better with the 2.0-liter TSI engine, despite the reduction in power.
Great stereo though: When Shellac’s Steve Albini says, “I paid more than anyone would advise for this watch, and so far I am disappointed in it,” you really believe it.
EDITOR WES RAYNAL: Before looking at this file, I figured this cost about $50,000—and I was right.
It drives mostly like a tall A4 (which is basically what it is). There’s decent power from the creamy six-cylinder, and the adjustable suspension is best left in auto mode in my opinion—that seems to offer the best ride/handling/dynamic mix, though it still just drives like a tall hot(ish) hatch.
Inside, again, it’s mostly A4-like, and that’s a good thing: comfortable seats, solidly built out of premium materials. I’d surely take a Q5 over Audi’s too-big-for-its-own-good Q7 (not to mention the BMW X3).
SENIOR MOTORSPORTS EDITOR MAC MORRISON: Look, you have to appreciate the 2012 Audi Q5’s aggressive Teutonic styling and, in this white paint with dark trim, Storm Trooper presentation. It’s filling a slot in Audi’s lineup that the market has proven to support, even though you might scratch your head contemplating why the market does so.
You’re paying here for the Audi cachet, the exterior styling, the top-notch interior and MMI interface. The driving experience, as noted, is a bit confounding. I was surprised at how lackadaisical the Q5 felt to all of my inputs, especially in the steering department, though activating dynamic mode via the dash-mounted button seemed to tighten up its responses. Andy is correct that it tends to heavy-up the steering, but that doesn’t bother me. It certainly was the best of the available modes for the way I wanted to drive the car.
Regardless, while I was able to adjust my driving style to compensate for what remained essentially a relatively mundane machine, the Q5 is less of a driver’s car and more of a stylish utility device. Don’t go into it expecting a performance-ute experience, which I suspect many of our editors did (thanks simply to the sharp styling).
In other words, the Q5 looks better than it drives.
Base Price: $43,875
As-Tested Price: $58,225
Drivetrain: 3.2-liter V6; AWD, six-speed automatic
Output: 270 hp @ 6,500 rpm, 243 lb-ft @ 3,000 rpm
Curb Weight: 4,299 lb
Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 20/20.5 mpg
Options: Prestige package including Audi adaptive light, Audi side assist, Audi MMI Navigation Plus package, Bang & Olufsen sound system, thermo cupholder, manual sunshades for rear doors ($7,100); Q5 Audi Drive Select package including Audi Drive Select control panel, adjustable engine/transmission characteristics, dynamic chassis and steering ($2,950); Luxury package including leather instrument-panel top and armrests, perforated Milano leather upholstery, ventilated front seats ($2,300); S line package including 20-inch five-spoke wheels, 255/45 summer tires, S line three-spoke steering wheel with shift paddles, brushed-aluminum inlays, black cloth headliner, S line shift knob ($1,500); S Line Plus package including Black Optic exterior package ($500)
Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20120816/carreviews/120819894#ixzz2CeodqKGA
No comments:
Post a Comment