Used 2020 Audi SQ5

#1 in Best Small Luxury SUVs of 2020

Price: The 2020 Audi Q5 starts at $43,300, plus a $995 destination charge.

In the hotly contested compact-luxury-SUV market, the 2020 Audi Q5 stands out with its handsome styling, sophisticated interior and impressive performance. Up against a host of less expensive rivals such as the Acura RDX, the Q5 impresses with its efficient yet powerful 2.0-liter turbocharged engine and standard quattro all-wheel drive. Numerous standard safety systems are also onboard, and even more find their way to the optional-equipment list.

If you’re looking for better performance, the SQ5 is the SUV you’ll want to test out, but it doesn’t come cheap. Other competitors to consider include the Lexus NX, Mercedes-Benz GLC and Jaguar F-Pace, with the Lexus and Mercedes-Benz offering 2-wheel-drive models for those who don’t want or need all-wheel drive.

On twisty mountain roads, the 2020 Q5 feels more like a sports sedan than a crossover SUV. But that doesn’t mean it sacrifices comfort around town or on the highway, where we appreciate the quiet, well-controlled ride. Although most owners won’t get their Q5 dirty, this compact all-wheel-drive (AWD) SUV is competent on dirt trails.

The Q5’s 248-horsepower 4-cylinder engine and 7-speed dual-clutch transmission are a good pairing, propelling this compact-luxury sport ute to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds. The SQ5, with 101 extra horsepower and sharper reflexes, adds tremendously to the sporting quotient while still maintaining a high degree of overall comfort.

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It’s still hard to beat an Audi interior and in the 2020 Q5 SUV the same holds true. Inside this 2-row/5-passenger crossover SUV, Audi weds leather, chrome and wood into a fashion statement that makes all other interiors look and feel rather pedestrian. The touch-screen for infotainment is easy to see and operate, while proper knobs and hard buttons are retained in the heating and ventilation controls.

The Virtual Cockpit (see Favorite Features) comes standard on the Premium Plus model and really makes the Q5’s interior something special. Rear-seat legroom ranks about mid-pack in this segment, but the Q5’s cargo bay falls short of the BMW X3 and Acura RDX. However, folding the rear seats down expands cargo volume to nearly 60 cubic feet.

There is nothing revolutionary about the 2020 Audi Q5 compact-luxury-crossover SUV and that’s rather typical for Audi. The Q5’s design bears a strong familiarity with the previous generation, only with slightly more exaggerated features like the massive grille and fog-light openings, as well as bigger wheel-and-tire combos ranging from 18 to 20 inches. Flush aero headlight pods can be filled with either HID or LED lighting, while around back LED taillights glow brightly.

True to its SUV nature, the Q5 does include a roof rack, but it’s not nearly as purposeful as the more advanced racks found on less expensive SUVs like the Subaru Outback. The Q5’s rear hatch offers the option to set different opening heights, but even at its highest setting, those over 6-foot are going to bump their heads.

AUDI DRIVE SELECT
With the standard Audi Drive Select, drivers can choose among five different modes that recalibrate the setting for throttle, suspension, transmission shift points and steering sensitivity. The settings include: Comfort, Dynamic, Offroad, Individual and Automatic.

AUDI VIRTUAL COCKPIT
Perhaps one of the most enjoyable aspects of the 2020 Audi Q5 isn’t visceral, but visual. With the available Virtual Cockpit, stunning navigational images from Google Earth appear on a 12.3-inch color display that also re-creates a virtual instrument cluster complete with speedometer, tachometer and various gauges.

For 2020 the Audi Q5 arrives in three levels of trim: Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige. Premium is nicely equipped, even for a luxury-crossover SUV, with standard features such as a leather interior, heated front seats and tri-zone climate control, plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Premium Plus includes MMI Navigation and rear USB ports, while the opulent Prestige also boasts S-level exterior enhancements.

Additionally, all Q5s are equipped with what Audi calls “Pre-Sense Basic.” If this system determines that a frontal impact is imminent, it will close the side windows and sunroof, snug the seatbelts and preload the brakes for quicker response. Park Assist is now standard on the Prestige, as is a head-up display.

The potent 2020 Audi SQ5 is equipped with the Convenience Plus package, which is highlighted by a wireless phone charger, a cellphone signal booster, and parking sensors front and rear.

The available S Sport Package equips the 2020 Q5 with adaptive air suspension, which allows the driver, via Audi Drive Select, to raise or lower the Q5 chassis. The Sport Package also includes a Quattro Sport rear differential that helps the Q5 take corners by selectively splitting the torque between the rear wheels to minimize understeer. The Convenience package brings Audi Side Assist and Audi Pre Sense Rear, while the Cold Weather package adds heated rear seats and a heated steering wheel. On the safety front, the Driver Assistance package adds adaptive cruise control with Traffic Jam Assist and Active Lane Assist.

The Q5’s 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine comes standard with a 7-speed dual-clutch S tronic transmission that routes power to all four wheels via standard quattro all-wheel drive. The sophisticated system enhances fuel efficiency by powering the front wheels most of the time, and will shift as much as 100 percent of the power rearward as needed. You won’t notice it working, but you will feel the added security, especially in slippery conditions.

The SQ5, with its turbocharged V6, packs 101 more horsepower than a standard Q5; its transmission is a Tiptronic 8-speed automatic. A plug-in hybrid model also joined the Q5 lineup this year. It’s powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine and electric motor assist. It will travel 29 miles on electricity alone.

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 (Q5)
248 horsepower @ 5,000-6,000 rpm
273 lb-ft of torque @ 1,600-4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 22/28 mpg

3.0-liter turbocharged V6 (SQ5)
349 horsepower @ 5,400-6,400 rpm
369 lb-ft of torque @ 1,370-4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 18/23 mpg

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4/permanent magnet electric motor (Q5 TFSI e)
252 horsepower @ 5,000-6,000 rpm
273 lb-ft of torque @ 1,600-4,500 rpm
105-kW permanent-magnet electric motor
141 horsepower, 258 lb-ft of torque
Total system output: 349 horsepower, 332 lb-ft of torque
EPA Combined fuel economy: 65 MPGe (gas & electric), 27 mpg (gas)
Electric range: 20 miles