The 2025 Audi Q5 Adds More Screens, More Power: Review

2025 Audi Q5 Overview: Similar Tune, Extra Quantity

Photograph by: Tim Stevens / Motor1

The Audi Q5 is a kind of SUVs that feels acquainted even in the event you’ve by no means pushed one earlier than. As Audi’s best-selling mannequin, they’re simple to search out in most parking heaps, hanging the precise mix of inoffensive styling on the skin and aspirational luxurious on the within to ship mass-market attraction. For 2025’s Q5, that basic idea does not change. Audi’s tweaks to this compact SUV are delicate, including a little bit extra cargo area right here and a bit extra legroom there, plus bit extra energy and about an acre’s value of further digital shows. The end result remains to be very a lot the identical recipe, however the result’s sweeter but sharper than earlier than. 

Engine, Drivetrain, Horsepower: Larger Enhance

Photograph by: Tim Stevens / Motor1

The engine that can drive the majority of Q5 fashions bought stays the identical, primary turbocharged 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder as earlier than. It has been massaged a bit, although, now providing 268 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. That is up from 201 hp and 236 lb-ft from the previous base Q5 40 TFSI, or a tick up over the previous Q5 S line 45 TFSI, which made 261 hp and 273 lb-ft. Gasoline financial system is 25 mpg mixed.

Need extra? Step as much as the SQ5 and its 3.0-liter, turbocharged V6, now making 362 hp and 406 lb-ft. Its effectivity is nineteen mpg metropolis, 26 freeway, and 22 mpg mixed. 

That is proper, no hybrid choices nor fancy, high-voltage electrical turbos or something of the like. These turbos are new, although, with a variable geometry design supposed to attenuate lag regardless of these larger output figures. The largest change, although, comes on the opposite finish of the crankshaft: The SQ5 will get a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, a pleasant improve over the previous era’s automated.

Expertise and Infotainment: OMG OLED

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Slot into the driving force’s seat, and it turns into instantly obvious the place Audi’s engineers spent the majority of their money and time on this 2025 rendition of the Q5. Like on the Q6 E-Tron, gauge cluster and infotainment duties are dealt with by a pair of OLED shows joined on the bezel to type a single sweeping pane. OLED expertise means daring colours and luscious distinction, however most significantly, it delivers the form of pure blacks at evening that automotive-grade LCDs can solely dream of.

The panel behind the steering wheel measures 11.9 inches on the diagonal, whereas the brand new infotainment display screen is a contact greater at 14.5. Want extra? Tick the precise packing containers, and you will get a 3rd show on the passenger aspect, one not almost as crisp-looking however providing yet one more solution to interface with Audi’s newest MMI software program. 

Photograph by: Tim Stevens / Motor1

Premium Plus and Status fashions additionally get a brand new heads-up show, greater and brighter than earlier than. It really works higher with polarized sun shades and affords a number of completely different views with sufficient telemetry information that even data-hounds will maintain their eyes on the street. That is good as a result of in case your eyes ought to linger too lengthy on a roadside sizzling canine stand or different culinary distraction, the usual driver-monitoring system will chime early and infrequently.

The HUD is a pleasant improve, however the software program driving the gauge cluster disappoints. It affords loads of pages of information to cycle by however is not almost as customizable or, frankly, as visually compelling as what you may discover in a brand new BMW or Mercedes-Benz. The lackluster design on such a wonderful show looks like a waste.

Photograph by: Tim Stevens / Motor1

I additionally discovered myself hating the capacitive contact buttons on the steering wheel. By the top of the day, I would misplaced depend of the variety of instances I inadvertently turned up the quantity when my proper palm grazed the higher portion of the touch-sensitive space.

Design: Whats up Once more

Photograph by: Tim Stevens / Motor1

The basic form and character of the Q5 have not modified a lot in 2025, however the particulars are fairly completely different. The grille up entrance is even greater than earlier than, and whereas the general look is extra stately and complex, I’ve to say I want the svelte shapeliness of the earlier era.

The headlights and taillights are probably the most vital change, maintaining with the fashionable development of going as slender as doable whereas that includes inordinate ranges of complexity in pursuit of visible aptitude. That comes courtesy of a grid of LED-illuminated sections on the entrance and a crystalline-like construction of OLED panels on the rear, all of which may be custom-made within the automotive’s app or infotainment heart to ship a point of personalization.

Photograph by: Tim Stevens / Motor1

On the within, the most important design change is the aforementioned faceful of OLED pixels, however different delicate revisions are right here, too, together with a change to a a lot smaller shifter. That creates room for greater cup holders and storage cubbies. There’s extra storage out again, 27.6 cubic toes value with the seats up and 56.9 down. Legroom is up, too, all due to the inevitable improve in dimension over the outgoing mannequin. The 2025 Q5 is about an inch and a half longer and a half-inch wider than earlier than. 

Driving Impressions: Extra Really feel, Extra Shove

Photograph by: Tim Stevens / Motor1

Piloting the brand new Q5 by the city sprawl is as easy because it’s ever been. That new DCT has been tuned by Audi, not for immediate, rapid-fire shifts however to slide between gears very like an automated. It eases itself gently in control, sliding from one cog to the following with out a lot as a nod out of your passengers. Energy supply, too, is delicate and relaxed, requiring you to flex your foot onerous on that accelerator to get the turbo working. Steering, nonetheless, is ultra-light, with U-turns requiring only one finger.

The steering beneficial properties fairly a little bit of heft as you cycle by the drive modes, however there is a stunning quantity of really feel all through. In Dynamic, the sportiest, the SQ5’s throttle now turns into much more sharp and that transmission extra keen, if nonetheless relaxed. Faucets on the shift paddles behind the wheel are nonetheless dealt with on a delayed foundation, a delay compounded by a noticeable quantity of turbo lag.

Photograph by: Tim Stevens / Motor1

The SQ5 delivers a lot the identical expertise once you’re idling by city. However, discover some extra participating roads (of which there are a lot in Colorado, the place I examined these SUVs), dial it as much as Dynamic, and the sportier of the 2 actually does really feel considerably completely different. The SQ5 provides extra energy and likewise extra sound. Whether or not idling in site visitors or swinging as much as the redline, the exhaust word on the SQ5 is way extra participating. Likewise, the DCT right here acts with much more intent, shifting shortly once you ask it to.

There’s even larger really feel by the steering wheel, thanks partly to Audi utilizing stiffer mounts to connect the entrance subframe to the chassis. That swap does lead to a slight penalty in journey high quality, particularly over separation joints and different quick, sharp impacts, however the elective air suspension on each Q5 and SQ5 affords remarkably good journey high quality regardless of the bigger wheel sizes. Sadly, I wasn’t in a position to pattern a model with metal springs.

Photograph by: Tim Stevens / Motor1

Gasoline Economic system: Down a Bit

The 2025 Audi Q5 is EPA-rated for 22 mpg within the metropolis, 30 on the freeway, and 25 mpg mixed. That is down one from the outdated Q5’s ranking, however in my testing, I did barely higher, coming in at 25.8 mpg. On the SQ5 aspect, you are 19 mpg metropolis, 26 freeway, and 22 mixed. I once more got here in fairly near the official ranking at 23 mpg. 

Photograph by: Tim Stevens / Motor1

Pricing+Verdict: Splurge On the S

The Q5 begins at $52,200, a giant leap from the 2024 mannequin’s mid-$40,000 MSRP, and you will must drop one other $8,400 for the Status package deal if you’d like niceties just like the air suspension and the gratuitous passenger-side show. The Q5 Status mannequin I drove stickered at $63,290, together with the $1,295 vacation spot. The SQ5 begins at a somewhat dearer $64,800, however for that, you not less than get the air suspension normal. Should you’re pondering of Q5, the additional splurge on the SQ5 feels worthwhile. The modifications to the chassis lead to a noticeable enchancment in really feel, whereas the additional aggression from each engine and transmission make for a much more participating drive with out a lot in the way in which of compromise. Both method, the brand new Q5 is hardly a reinvention, however it does ship sufficient new energy and toys to maintain up with the Joneses – or the Bavarians, because it had been. 

2025 Audi Q5 and SQ5 FAQs

No, not less than not for now. Your solely selections are a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder or a 3.0-liter V6.

Sure, each the bottom Q5 and the warmer SQ5 achieve energy, as much as 268 on the previous and 362 on the latter. The penalty, although, is a few further turbo lag, particularly on the littler 2.0-liter.

BMW’s lately refreshed X3 is unquestionably this factor’s hardest competitors. The Mercedes-Benz GLC remains to be value your consideration within the luxurious crossover SUV crowd, too.