Used Audi Q5 cars for sale

Audi Q5 buying guide

The Q5 mixes a premium interior with powerful engines, a big boot and a comfortable ride. Grippy four-wheel drive comes as standard, so the Q5 is confidence-inspiring in any weather (it’s also an accomplished tow car with a maximum towing weight of nearly 2.5 tonnes). The running costs are worth considering, but that’s the same for its nearest rivals. In every other respect, the Audi Q5 is an excellent all-rounder.

What Audi Q5 trim levels are there?

Sport is often the name of a high-spec trim, but on Audis it usually represents a mid-range offering. On the Q5, Sport is the first available trim, and it comes with a really strong equipment list. There are 18-inch alloy wheels, plus heated front seats, a powered tailgate, multi-zone air conditioning, push-button start, sat nav and digital radio. More recent models may also feature LED headlights, a reversing camera and digital dials.

Next up is S Line, which is often popular with UK buyers. It boasts a different grille and more chrome trim, plus bigger wheels and S Line badging. It comes with sports seats and firmer sports suspension, as well as tinted rear windows and part-leather upholstery.

Depending on the age of the car, the next trim is either called Black Edition or Edition 1. Both feature a black trim pack that replaces all the S Line’s chrome, plus 20-inch alloy wheels.

Top-spec Vorsprung is nothing short of a tech fest, with adaptive air suspension, a heated steering wheel, heated rear seats and massaging front seats. You also get an arsenal of extra active safety features, including traffic sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, lane-assist, a 360-degree camera and a system that scans for cyclists and pedestrians before you get out.

No Q5 is slow, but speed freaks are well catered for by the Audi SQ5. In terms of equipment, the SQ5 probably sits between the top two trim levels, as it comes with some of the features from Vorsprung models. There is also an SQ5 Vorsprung if you really want to have your Audi-flavoured cake and eat it.

Audi Q5 interior and technology

The Audi Q5’s interior feels as upmarket as you’d expect – both the quality of the materials used and how they’re all screwed together are very good. There’s leather trim on major touchpoints like the steering wheel, plus cool metal and solid-feeling buttons. There’s not a panel or button out of place or misaligned.

There’s a sensibleness to the layout of the interior, with plenty of buttons to control the car’s major functions. These include the climate control options and some of the infotainment features too. With so much to control, you might feel like a pilot in a plane’s cockpit!

To some eyes the touchscreen looks like it was a last-minute addition, but the Q5 might well have been ahead of the trend as many cars have followed suit. Facelift cars get a bigger screen with crisper graphics, with a media interface that feels a little more modern. Handily, a rotary dial can be used to navigate the screen if you don’t want greasy fingerprint marks dotted all over it.

Audi Q5 engine range explained

Audi Q5 40 TDI diesel

Diesel is still a great choice when it comes to a car like this, giving plenty of power for fully laden trips and decent fuel economy. The 2.0-litre diesel, badged 40 TDI, returns almost 45mpg – that’s on a par with any similarly sized four-wheel-drive SUV – and promises hundreds of miles between trips to the filling station. It’s also capable of brisk acceleration, thanks to 204hp and a slick-shifting seven-speed automatic gearbox.

Audi Q5 45 TFSI petrol

Perhaps you’re predominantly going to be driving around town, you don’t like diesel or fuel economy is a lower priority. If so, the 265hp 2.0-litre petrol engine is ideal. It feels very powerful, and is quicker than many hot hatchbacks if the mood takes you. Switching through the drive modes turns it from a scorchingly quick car into a more relaxed long-distance cruiser. Expect around 30mpg.

Audi Q5 50 TFSIe plug-in hybrid

Audi’s plug-in hybrid engine could be the best of both worlds – the potential for far better fuel economy than the diesel engine, and acceleration that matches the 45 TFSI petrol car. Officially, you can manage over 150mpg and drive for over 35 miles on electric power alone, but both of these things rely on you plugging the car in regularly to recharge the battery. There’s a very slight reduction in luggage capacity if you choose this model, but many buyers see it as a small price to pay for the tech on board.

Audi SQ5 3.0 TDI diesel

Topping the range is the Audi SQ5 performance model, and you might be surprised to read that it’s powered by a diesel engine. But the 341hp 3.0-litre diesel engine nearly has enough power to rip up the tarmac beneath you, with flat-out acceleration from 0-62mph in just five seconds. Almost 35mpg is possible from this engine, despite it being the fastest Q5 you can buy.