2025 Audi Q5 And SQ5 Are Pretty, Pretty Good

The Audi Q5 is objectively the most important vehicle the German automaker builds. It represents the plurality of the brand’s sales and profits, so when it came to redesigning the car for its third generation, Audi needed to do something bold… but not too bold. You don’t mess with a good thing like the Audi Q5 and SQ5, and that’s something Audi clearly knows. Hell, it’s sort of hard to tell the first two generations apart, but that isn’t the case anymore.

With new (but evolutionary) sheet metal and a revamped interior, Audi is looking to win over customers who might not love the unrestrained looks of some of its competitors. I’ll tell you what, it toes the line of being very new while also being very familiar. Sure, electric vehicles are all the rage right now, including from Audi, but the third-gen Q5 and SQ5 make it clear that internal combustion-powered cars still have an extremely important role in today’s automotive landscape. Thanks to features like optional air suspension and a dual-clutch gearbox, the Q5 and SQ5 feel sportier than their rivals. These SUVs are clearly for Real Drivers, but that could hurt them in the eyes of those who want a comfier experience.

Full Disclosure: Audi flew me out to Colorado, put me up in a lavish hotel and fed me all sorts of fancy food just so I could drive the 2026 Audi Q5 and SQ5.

On the outside, the Q5 has lost some of its distinct Audi-ness, but it’s really not the end of the world since it looks quite nice for what it is. The Q5 certainly outshines its main competitor, the BMW X3, when it comes to looks, and to me, this is probably the best application of Audi’s current design language. Audi’s designers said they used a one-third glass/ two-thirds bodywork approach for the shape and proportions, and it definitely shows. There’s a lot of bodywork on the sides of the rear of the car that is broken up with different types of black cladding. It’s certainly more upright-looking than before.

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Out back, you get a now-customary lightbar and the return of actual exhaust pipes. Q5s get a large rectangular tip on either side, and the SQ5 is fitted with quad circular pipes for a more aggressive look. Overall, the two cars don’t look drastically different from each other, but there are a few other S-specific details like more matte silver trim pieces and some very lovely looking 20 and 21-inch wheels. The SQ5 also rides about 0.8 inches lower than the Q5.

Audi certainly played it safe with the new Q5 and SQ5, and given how some automakers (cough, cough, BMW, cough) have been accused of over-styling their vehicles recently, this is certainly a nice departure from that trend.

The interior and technology of the new Q5 is a vast departure from the cars that came before, though. Without a doubt the focal point of the interior is the three-screen setup that Audi is employing across its lineup. It consists of an 11.9-inch gauge cluster display and a 14.5-inch center infotainment touchscreen in one big curved display, and an optional 10.9-inch passenger touchscreen.

The gauge cluster screen can give you all the pertinent information you’ll ever really need, but it isn’t terribly customizable and there’s no way to display a map. The few controls you do have are located on the steering wheel using capacitive touch buttons, which I’m sure you’ll love. In all honesty, it feels like a bit of a step backward from Audi’s old Virtual Cockpit. The center display, on the other hand, is wonderfully easy to use — especially since it’s angled toward the driver. It handles all of the main functions of the car, climate controls included, but it’s laid out intuitively to make it a more pleasant experience. Audi also designed a small shelf below the center screen to rest your hand on, which makes it much easier to use. The optional passenger screen is a must-have if you ask me, and that’s partially because the center display’s curvature means it’s a bit hard for passengers to use. The third screen can display all sorts of data from off-road settings and the radio to navigation and performance pages.

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The seats in both the Q5 or SQ5 are quite comfortable, though the SQ5’s quilted buckets with even more bolstering and a massage function take things to another level. Those lovely leather-trimmed buckets match the rest of the interior in material quality. You’re going to find plenty of real metal, dark wood and solid plastics throughout. My one overall interior gripe is that you’re going to have to become OK with piano black plastic. It’s all over the center console, screen bezels, and even a smattering of control switches on the driver’s door.

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While that might be a bit of a downside, space certainly isn’t. At 6’1″ I can comfortably fit behind my driving position in the rear seats. Audi has touted class-leading shoulder room, so you should be fairly comfortable fitting three adult-sized people in the second row without too much fuss. The new Q5 also sees gains in cargo space. Behind the rear seats, you now get 27.6 cubic feet of room. If that’s not enough, drop the second row and you’ll be rewarded with 56.9 cubic feet. Not too shabby if ya ask me.

There are two motors available for Audi’s Q5 family. Volkswagen Group’s corporate turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4 is found in the regular Q5, where it pumps out a more-than-adequate 268 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque — enough to pull the 4,200-pound crossover from 0 to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds, according to Audi. A big part of that snappy acceleration is the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission Audi has fitted to the Q5 (the previous car got a torque-converter eight-speed auto) and standard Quattro all-wheel-drive. When it comes to gas mileage, the EPA says it’ll return 22 mpg city, 30 mpg highway and 25 mpg combined.

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If you have a deep need for speed in your compact luxury crossover, you can always upgrade to the SQ5. It replaces the four-popper with a turbocharger 3.0-liter V6 that’ll pump out 362 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque, lowering the 0-to-60 time to a very respectable 4.6 seconds, thanks again to that seven-speed dual-clutch. Keep your foot in it, and you’ll hit a 155-mph speed limiter. Mileage does take an expected hit, dipping to an EPA-estimated 19 city/26 highway/22 combined. It’s a small price to pay if you ask me, though I’ve got auto journalist brain. The truth is that the standard Q5 will be more than enough for the average luxury compact crossover buyer.

Real Audi Heads™ are going to notice that these motors carry over from the previous Q5 and SQ5, but that’s really not surprising. You can’t expect actually new gas motors in an era where we’re quickly transitioning to electric drivetrains. Still, despite their age, both engines feel well-suited for today’s world. I wish the mileage was a bit better, but the lack of an eighth gear, standard AWD and a lot of mass are going to have their drawbacks.

For the most part, the Q5 is completely inoffensive to drive. If you’ve got a smooth bit of highway, it’s fairly comfortable and the adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist systems make sure you can dissociate from the fact you’re heading to your office job with ease. There are some issues that arise when you’re driving around town or going over bumpy pavement, though. The main issue is the seven-speed dual-clutch’s operation. It’s difficult to drive totally smoothly because of the nature of a dual-clutch; you’re going to notice a slight hesitation whenever you hit the gas as the transmission slams a lower gear and you wait for the turbo to spool. After a half-second you get going, but it does take a little getting used to. A regular torque-converter auto would probably be better suited for a vehicle like the Q5.

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It’s also firm over broken pavement, even with the optional air suspension that can raise and lower the Q5 a couple of inches to do some light off-roading. Of course, this means it’s rather competent in the corners with tons of grip and minimal body roll (for a compact luxo crossover), but I’m not really sure that will matter to your average Q5 buyer.

Some of the Q5’s deficiencies have ended up being the SQ5’s strengths. Its snappy transmission (and the 4,000-rpm clutch dump launches it lets you do) feels very at home in Audi’s sportier offering. Its standard air suspension also makes a lot more sense in a vehicle like this. Even after all of these years, the turbocharged V6 is a really strong powerplant that is well suited for both bopping around town and blasting out of a tight corner in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.

My one issue is that for me, a guy with auto journalist brain, it’s a bit too quiet. Even in full-kill Dynamic mode, the SQ5 just isn’t that loud. I can sort of hear the pops and crackles it makes on deceleration, but you’ve really got to be listening.

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Using the SQ5’s squircle steering wheel takes a little bit of getting used to (Q5s get a regular circular unit), but it provides a pretty good amount of feedback. It’s certainly not the most talkative steering system, but because of the way the box is mounted, you’re able to get a pretty good idea of changing road surfaces and when the 21-inch summer tires are starting to let go.

Unfortunately for Audi and its customers, these cars are built in Mexico, so they could end up being subject to whatever tariffs President Trump feels like levying on any given day. You’ve got to take everything with a grain of salt, but for the sake of argument, we’re going to go with the pricing Audi says it can guarantee through at least the end of June. Right now, the Q5 starts at $53,495 including destination, and the SQ5 will set you back $66,095. That’s roughly in line with the BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC, which start at $51,125 and $50,400, including destination, respectively

Adding the $8,400 Prestige package to the Q5 gets you 19-inch wheels, air suspension, an upgraded driver-assist system, acoustic glass, cooled seats, a Bang & Olufsen stereo, OLED taillights and the passenger display screen, among other things. I’ve got a feeling most Q5s will end up being spec’d with this package since you get so goddamn much with it. When you add in $600 in paint and $800 20-inch wheels, you get my tester’s $63,290 sticker price.

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Adding the Prestige package to the SQ5 gets you fewer features, but it costs $2,000 less and you get a lot more as standard on the SQ5. Still, it gives you that B&O stereo, Nappa leather, enhanced lighting, a panoramic sunroof, heated and cooled seats and a few other things. Adding in my tester’s $600 gray paint and the $1,650 Black Optic package (that adds 21-inch wheels, summer tires and some other black trim pieces) brought its total MSRP to $74,740. Again, this is in line with vehicles like the Mercedes-AMG GLC43 ($68,250) and BMW X3 M50 ($65,875).

Audi didn’t exactly reinvent the wheel with the redesigned 2025 Q5 and SQ5, but why would it? Since the car’s introduction in 2009, it has been the German company’s best-selling model by far. That’s not something you screw up by taking wildly big swings that might not pay off (again, looking at you BMW).

Still, these cars feel thoroughly modern and are certainly going to fill the needs of luxury crossover buyers who aren’t quite ready to make the transition to electric vehicles just yet. Are these bona fide sports cars that’ll light your soul on fire with their driving experiences? Certainly not, but they are a pretty, pretty good way to get from A to B with minimal hassle. For most people, that’s way more than enough.

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