Audi Q5

The 2022 Audi Q5 is a nice compact luxury SUV. Equipped with standard all-wheel drive and available with a turbocharged gasoline four-cylinder engine or a significantly more powerful plug-in hybrid powertrain, the Q5 is decent to drive and appeals to a variety of consumers. It is also roomy, comfortable and built to high quality standards. But it doesn't stand apart from rivals like it once did.

Changes for the 2022 model year help in this regard. Every new Q5 gets sportier S line styling, while the plug-in hybrid, which carries the alphabet soup designation of 55 TFSI e, gets a more powerful battery that increases electric-only driving range to 23 miles (up from 19 miles in 2021). With BMW and Mercedes-Benz exiting the compact plug-in hybrid SUV market for 2022, the Audi Q5 55 TFSI e faces fewer rivals.

In selected cities, Audi also offers a new Traffic Light Information system for the 2022 Q5. Using vehicle-to-infrastructure technology, it predicts when traffic lights will turn green, helping drivers to spend less time idling in traffic. No matter where you live, the infotainment system gains improved voice control this year.

To learn more about the Audi Q5, be sure to read our full Expert Rating for more details about this competent but ultimately unremarkable SUV.

Which Q5 does MatoCar recommend?

The 2022 Audi Q5 is a compact luxury SUV with seating for five people. Premium, Premium Plus and Prestige trim levels are available. All-wheel drive is standard, and you can select between the standard 45 TFSI engine and the available 55 TFSI e plug-in hybrid.

The 45 TFSI is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (261 horsepower, 273 lb-ft) paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The 55 TFSI e builds on the standard engine with a 17.9-kWh battery and an electric motor to supply a combined 362 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. The EPA estimates that a fully charged Q5 plug-in hybrid can go about 23 miles on all-electric power before it switches over to regular hybrid operation.

Audi also sells the Q5 in a Sportback body style and in performance-tuned SQ5 format. Both are reviewed separately.

Premium The entry-level Q5 Premium trim is anything but basic. It includes a handful of features that are optional on some rivals, such as leather seats. Feature highlights include:

• 18-inch wheels
• LED headlights with automatic high-beam operation
• LED taillights with dynamic turn signals
• Rain-sensing windshield wipers
• Power liftgate
• Three-zone automatic climate control
• Eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat
• Leather upholstery
• Heated front seats
• Sliding and reclining 40/20/40-split folding rear seats
• Integrated toll collection module
• 10.1-inch touchscreen
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration
• Connected services including emergency calling
• Remote monitoring and control via a smartphone app

Several advanced driver aids are also standard, including:

• Frontal collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios)
• Blind-spot monitor (alerts you if a vehicle in the next lane over is in your blind spot)
• Lane departure warning (alerts you if the vehicle begins to drift out of its lane)
• Front and rear parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible in front of or behind the vehicle when parking)

A Convenience package is available for the Q5 Premium, adding:

• Power-folding and auto-dimming mirrors
• Passive keyless entry
• Heated steering wheel
• Driver's seat memory functions
• Satellite radio

Premium Plus The Q5 Premium Plus trim includes Premium features and the contents of the Convenience package, plus:

• 19-inch wheels
• Panoramic sunroof
• Simulated leather trim on the center console and door panels
• Digital instrumentation display
• Power-adjustable steering wheel with hands-on detection
• Wireless charging pad with a signal booster
• Adaptive cruise control (adjusts speed to maintain a constant distance between the vehicle and the car in front)
• Lane keeping assist (steers the Q5 back into its lane if it begins to drift over the lane marker)
• Traffic Jam Assist (makes minor steering corrections to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane at lower vehicle speeds)
• Surround-view camera system (gives you a top-down view of the Q5 and its surroundings for tight parking situations)

Options for the Q5 Premium Plus include navigation, enhanced connected services and a premium Bang & Olufsen sound system. Additionally, a Warm Weather package includes:

• Front sport seats
• Ventilated front seats
• Manual rear side window shades

Prestige The top-of-the-line Q5 Prestige is well equipped with the Warm Weather package plus:

• Matrix-design LED headlights
• Acoustic insulated front windows (reduces outside noise)
• Interior ambient lighting
• Head-up display (displays important information in your sight line onto the windshield)
• Heated rear seats
• Heated and cooled front cupholders
• Navigation system
• Bang & Olufsen premium audio
• Automated parking assistance (steers into a parking spot with little or no driver intervention)
• Traffic sign recognition system (can read speed limit signs and show the driver the currently posted speed limit)

All three trims are available with rear side-impact airbags, while both the Premium Plus and Prestige trims offer a Black Optic package with 20-inch wheels and black exterior trim.