Archive for the ‘Q5’ Category

Why's the 2009 Audi Q5 the highest-rated compact luxury SUV here at TheCarConnection.com--and even so, why does it get different scores from its 2009 Audi A4 stablemate, when the two share a drivetrain combination, all-wheel drive and lots of other under-the-skin pieces?

Answers to those questions come from our hands-on road tests. We finally scored an Audi Q5 this past week, and after hundreds of miles cruising Georgia countryside and wandering into Hazzardous territory, we found out the Q5's very nearly the best in its class--pending a deeper look at the new Cadillac SRX.

The Q5 received a score of 8.4 out of 10 from our editors, with a...

For your shopping pleasure, three German SUVs--each one spun from the parts bin at their respective automakers to satisfy an emerging demand. What do buyers like you want? Sport-utility convenience, without the sheer bulk of the full-size utes falling out of favor with every rise in gas prices. A nice badge with some street cred wouldn't hurt., either.

What do these three have for you? Seats for five passengers, six-cylinder engines, all-weather capability and distinct personalities to go with their semi-lofty pricetags--not to mention the ability to slide easily into normal parking spaces.

Which one ranks best? Sounds like time for a...

It's been in showrooms for a few months in V-6 form, and the 2009 Audi Q5 is already being prepped for a green makeover.

For now, the powertrain in the Q5 will continue to be the 270-horsepower, 3.2-liter V-6 installed in every U.S.-bound vehicle. In 2011, Audi plans to fit a hybrid gas-electric powertrain in the compact SUV, though the powertrain hasn't yet been identified. And since the Q5 is related to Audi's A4 range, it's not difficult to see the same powertrain make its way into various sedans, wagons, perhaps even the A5 Coupe and Cabriolet.

The hybrid versions will precede any diesel Q5 to market, Audi has said.

Meanwhile, the...