Skip advert
Advertisement

Audi Q5 review (2008-2017) - can Ingolstadt's best SUV challenge the BMW X3? - Design

The Q5 is the best of Audi’s competent SUV range

Evo rating
RRP
from £32,580
  • Well-sorted chassis, stylish looks inside and out, mega SQ5
  • steering lacks feel, dynamics not as sharp as BMW X3

Design

We like the Q5 best of all when considering Audi’s ‘proper’ off-roaders, as it strikes the right balance between looking like a genuine SUV but not appearing as if it should have its own gravitational pull (Q7, we’re talking about you). Don’t get us wrong, the Q5 is hardly strikingly beautiful but it is neat, crisp and handsome, and the wheels it wears are all sizeable items that fill the arches nicely. There are optional designs of wheel that go up to 21-inches (£1250), if you don’t mind a bouncier ride. 

Advertisement - Article continues below

The standard, no-cost colours for the Q5 are white and black, so if you want a bit more sparkle in your life, metallic and pearl effect paints are £615, Audi exclusive hues (six special finishes to choose from or the entire Audi palette) are £2115 and for £2615, Ingolstadt will clothe your Q5 in any possible shade in the world.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Farewell Honda Civic Type R – car pictures of the week
Honda Civic Type R Ultimate Edition
Features

Farewell Honda Civic Type R – car pictures of the week

It's one of the very best hot hatches ever made but nit production has ended we say an emotional goodbye to Honda's Civic Type R with an epic drive
4 Apr 2026
The classic Porsche 911 is overhyped, according to the man dedicated to perfecting it
Jan Kalmar
Features

The classic Porsche 911 is overhyped, according to the man dedicated to perfecting it

Kalmar Automotive's mission is to create the perfect Porsches for 'nerds' and push the limits, making 911s into everything from rally cars to hypercar…
6 Apr 2026
Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997.2) review – the best car we’ve ever driven? Possibly
Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997)
Reviews

Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997.2) review – the best car we’ve ever driven? Possibly

In 2014 we set out to find the best car we had driven during the first 200 issues of the magazine, and Porsche’s 911 GT3 RS was it.
31 Mar 2026