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

This mystery Porsche 911 GT3 has something no GT product has had before
Porsche 911 GT3 Ducktail spies
News

This mystery Porsche 911 GT3 has something no GT product has had before

An unusually undisguised Porsche test mule has been spotted out on the Nürburgring, giving a 911 GT3 a fixed ducktail wing
13 Jul 2026
MST Mk1 Evo is an extreme Ford Escort road rally recreation
MST Mk1 Evo front
News

MST Mk1 Evo is an extreme Ford Escort road rally recreation

MST’s Mk1 Evo is a tarmac rally weapon that only vaguely resembles a Ford Escort
7 Jul 2026
Ariel Atom 4RR review – is the most powerful Atom ever worth McLaren 750S money?
Ariel Atom 4RR front
Reviews

Ariel Atom 4RR review – is the most powerful Atom ever worth McLaren 750S money?

Britain’s ultimate track car just got more extreme and more powerful. We drive it on road and track
14 Jul 2026