2021 Audi Q5 Sportback Review

Name: 2021 Audi Q5 Sportback Review
Brand: Audi
Price: 30500 USD

2021 Audi Q5 Sportback Prestige 4dr SUV Exterior Shown

2021 Audi Q5 Sportback Prestige 4dr SUV Exterior

+129

The Q5 Sportback may have the appearance of a sportier SUV, but it isn't any more dynamic than the standard Q5. And when you couple that with the fact that there's less rear headroom and a slightly smaller cargo area due to the sloping rear roof, it becomes even less appealing. The cabin features lots of high-quality materials, but it comes up a bit short in overall comfort and ease of use too. With so many choices in the small luxury SUV class, the Q5 Sportback feels just adequate.

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2021 Audi Q5 Sportback Review

byChristian Wardlaw^{Correspondent
Christian Wardlaw has worked in the automotive industry since 1994. He has written nearly 10,000 car-related articles and tested and reviewed more than 2,000 vehicles over the course of his career. Chris is a correspondent at Edmunds and was the first editor-in-chief of Edmunds.com in the 1990s. He has also contributed to Autotrader, CarGurus, J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, NADAguides, New York Daily News Autos and WardsAuto. His mom claims that his first word was “car,” and Chris believes that Miata is always the answer.}

Pros

Quiet and spacious cabin
Top-notch interior craftsmanship
Lots of standard equipment, including all-wheel drive
Wide array of technology options

Cons

Less overall storage space than standard Q5
Less rear headroom than standard Q5
More expensive than standard Q5

What's new

A sleeker Q5 with a more coupe-like design
Sport front seats and a panoramic sunroof come standard
Introduces the first Q5 Sportback generation for 2021

Overview

Luxury SUVs with coupe-like styling are a growing trend, and the 2021 Audi Q5 Sportback is the latest addition. It has a more rakish roofline than Audi's regular Q5 small SUV that imparts a sportier look, though it comes at the expense of reduced cargo space. Audi also fits the Q5 Sportback with a standard sport-tuned suspension and more thickly bolstered front seats to better hold you in place while cornering, but otherwise it's the same as the standard Q5.

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2021 Audi Q5 Sportback Premium 4dr SUV AWD w/45 TFSI (2.0L 4cyl Turbo gas/electric mild hybrid 7AM) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.89 per gallon for premium unleaded in Virginia.}

Monthly estimates based on costs in Virginia

$193/mo

$177/mo

Avg. Midsize SUV

Calculate my fuel costs

Three trim levels are available, and all are fitted with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that generates a respectable 261 horsepower. All-wheel drive is standard and, as is expected of an Audi, the 2021 Q5 Sportback is awash in luxury and technology. Highlights include Audi's latest infotainment system, an available digital instrument panel display, and numerous driving assistance and collision avoidance systems.

The Q5 Sportback faces off against similarly conceived coupe-like SUVs such as the BMW X4 and Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe. All of them are of somewhat questionable value — you're paying more for less utility than what the regular Q5, X3 and GLC provide — but it's hard to put a price on style. Check out our Expert Rating below to get our test team's full take on the Q5 Sportback.

Edmunds Expert Rating

Our Verdict^{The Edmunds Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.}

Average

7.4

out of 10

edmunds TESTED

Rated for you by America's best test team.

Performance

7/10

How does the Q5 Sportback drive? Our Q5 Sportback accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 6.3 seconds at our test track. That's a respectably quick time for a small luxury SUV with a base engine. Out in real-world driving, however, the engine sometimes feels overworked and there's a noticeable delay when you press the gas pedal.

Braking is the opposite — it feels good on the street and makes it easy to bring the Audi to a smooth stop. But in our track performance braking testing, our Sportback needed 129 feet to stop from 60 mph, which is longer than average. The antilock braking system is pretty noisy too.

Other downsides include overly vague and imprecise steering (you don't get a good feel for the road) and an engine stop-start system that's overly jarring when it fires the engine back up. The Q5 Sportback does have good grip and poise when you push it hard around turns, but it's the singular bright spot for otherwise middling performance.

Comfort

7.5/10

How comfortable is the Q5 Sportback? Our test Q5 Sportback came in the Prestige trim with the superbly comfortable front sport seats that have heating and ventilation. These front seats are the single most premium item in the cabin. Sitting in the driver's seat, you feel very well insulated from the outside world.

However, there are issues with ride comfort. The suspension sends vibration from the road to your seat, making it unavoidable that you will feel cracks and bumps in the pavement. It's not especially firm or sporty — it's just constantly busy. The lack of a refined ride quality is unusual in luxury SUVs of this caliber, and we expect more from the Q5 Sportback.

Interior

8/10

How’s the interior? With the Sportback design, it can be a bit more difficult to get in and out than the standard Q5 — especially for tall passengers. But once you're inside, the cabin is spacious whether you're sitting in the front or the back seat. We also like the commanding driving position that provides impressive outward visibility.

The standard 10.1-inch touchscreen looks great, but it's mounted to the top of the dashboard like a tacked-on tablet. That looks a little awkward, and it's even stranger to use. There is no dial or touchpad controller, so you need to poke and swipe to operate the infotainment system. This feels like it could be made easier.

Technology

7.5/10

How’s the tech? Audi's navigation maps are clear and easy to read, with accurate turn-by-turn directions. Our test vehicle came with a rich and voluminous Bang & Olufsen stereo system that certainly scores some luxury points. The advanced driver aids also performed well. Adaptive cruise control is helpful to use on the freeway, and you can't possibly miss the flashing blind-spot warning lights — we actually wish they weren't as bright.

There were a few hiccups. Though wireless Apple CarPlay smartphone integration comes standard, connection issues forced us to plug in via a USB port. Bluetooth compatibility worked well, and our vehicle included a wireless charging station. Don't expect much from the voice activation system, which requires you to adhere to strict prompts.

Storage

7.5/10

How’s the storage? At 24.7 cubic feet, the Q5 Sportback's trunk is average for the class and only slightly smaller than the standard Q5's below the window beltline. Stack items higher and you'll notice a bigger difference. There are a few tie-down points inside but no underfloor storage. Small-item storage inside the cabin is a bit below average. There's an average-size center console and two small trays that could hold some business cards but not much else.

When so equipped, the Q5 boasts a maximum towing capacity up to 4,400 pounds, which is strong for the class. Only a few competitors can match it. For parents, the easily accessible car seat points and roomy back seat should make it easy to install even the bulkiest of rear-facing infant seats.

Fuel Economy

8/10

How’s the fuel economy? The Q5 Sportback gets an EPA-estimated 25 mpg in combined driving (23 city/28 highway). That's the same as a BMW X3 xDrive30i and higher than the estimates for a Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 4Matic and Volvo XC60 AWD. Our test vehicle returned 26.8 mpg on our evaluation loop in real-world driving, which indicates this estimate should be accurate.

Value

7.5/10

Is the Q5 Sportback a good value? Build quality is a hallmark of Audi vehicles, and the Q5 Sportback is true to the brand. The interior panels exhibit a tight fit throughout the cabin, and there's an interesting mixture of authentic metals, leathers and woods inside. Some competitors do a better job of wowing you with crystals or flashy styling, but the Q5 Sportback brings a lot to the table.

The Sportback's base price is appealing for a luxury SUV considering you get standard all-wheel drive. But by the time you get up to the Prestige trim, pretty much every rival offers the same impressive set of features. There isn't a whole lot that separates the Audi from the pack at this price. Audi offers only four years/50,000 miles of coverage for the basic and powertrain warranties, which is merely average for the class.

Wildcard

6.5/10

While the Q5 Sportback might be more visually appealing to some than the standard model, it's relatively uninspiring to drive. There's nothing dynamically impressive to spark driver interest or set it apart from the current crop of luxury SUVs. If you're looking for driving fun, an upgrade to the sportier SQ5 model might be your best bet.

Which Q5 Sportback does Edmunds recommend?

While the standard Q5 Sportback Premium offers the best value, the Premium Plus trim level adds desirable features such as a configurable digital instrument panel (Audi Virtual Cockpit) and more driving assistance systems. Plus, it provides more choice in terms of optional equipment, including a Sport package, navigation and a Bang & Olufsen premium sound system.

2021 Audi Q5 Sportback models

Audi offers the Q5 Sportback in Premium, Premium Plus and Prestige trim levels. Each one carries a 45 TFSI designation, which means it has a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (261 horsepower, 273 lb-ft of torque), a seven-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. Audi also sells the new Q5 Sportback in a performance-tuned SQ5 variant, which is reviewed separately on Edmunds.

Premium
Audi is good about supplying features that you expect on a luxury vehicle as standard equipment. Highlights of the Premium trim include:

19-inch aluminum wheels
LED headlights
Panoramic sunroof
Power rear liftgate
Three-zone automatic climate control
Front sport seats
Leather upholstery
Power-adjustable, heated front seats
10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration
Frontal collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios)
Blind-spot monitoring (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

Premium Plus
The Premium Plus adds several features that make the Q5 Sportback more desirable, such as:

Power-folding exterior mirrors
Hands-free keyless entry
Simulated leather on door armrests and center console
Audi Virtual Cockpit digital instrumentation display
Heated steering wheel
Wireless smartphone charging
Adaptive cruise control (maintains a driver-set distance between the Audi and the car in front)
Lane keeping system (makes minor steering corrections to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane)
Traffic Jam Assist (adaptive cruise control and lane keeping system for low-speed driving in traffic)
Surround-view camera system (gives you a top-down view of the Q5 and its surroundings for tight parking situations)

Prestige
The Q5 Sportback Prestige comes with the most standard features. Here you get:

Upgraded LED headlights
Interior ambient lighting
Sound-insulating front side windows
Ventilated front seats
Heated rear seats
Navigation system
Bang & Olufsen premium sound system
Head-up display (displays important information in your sight line on the windshield)
Automated parking system (steers into a parking spot with little or no driver intervention)

Consumer reviews

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Notanaudi, 02/03/2022

2021 Audi Q5 Sportback Premium Plus 4dr SUV AWD w/45 TFSI (2.0L 4cyl Turbo gas/electric mild hybrid 7AM)

I’m confused on so many levels. First, I paid $58k for my sport back and got $1500 off so the pricing is off. Pro: I love the way it drives but this is the only pro. Cons: I had this car for less than 1 year and it had 2 extremely unsafe recalls. The first one I would be driving, get ready to turn and my car would slam on its breaks and strangle me with the seatbelt. I had my …

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2021 Q5 Sportback Highlights

Trim:

Premium

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$47,800
Engine Type	Mild hybrid
Combined MPG	25 MPG
Cost to Drive	$193/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	24.7 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	all wheel drive
Warranty	4 years / 50,000 miles

See all features & specs

Safety

Our experts like the Q5 Sportback models:

Audi Pre Sense Front: Warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios.
Audi Side Assist: Alerts you if a vehicle in the next lane over is in your blind spot.
Traffic Jam Assist: Combines adaptive cruise control and a lane keeping system to ease travel in heavy traffic.

NHTSA Overall Rating

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.

Frontal Barrier Crash Rating
Overall5 / 5
Driver5 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Side Crash Rating
Overall5 / 5
Side Barrier Rating
Overall5 / 5
Driver5 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Combined Side Barrier & Pole Ratings
Front Seat5 / 5
Back Seat5 / 5
Rollover
Rollover4 / 5
Dynamic Test ResultNo Tip
Risk Of Rollover16.4%

IIHS Rating

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.

Small Overlap Front Driver-Side Test
Good
Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side Test
Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Original
Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Updated
Not Tested
Side Impact Test – Original
Good
Side Impact Test – Updated
Not Tested
Roof Strength Test
Good
Rear Crash Protection / Head Restraint
Good

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2021 Audi Q5 Sportback Review

2021 Audi Q5 Sportback Review

Pros

Cons

What's new

Overview

Edmunds Expert Rating

Performance

Comfort

Interior

Technology

Storage

Fuel Economy

Value

Wildcard

Which Q5 Sportback does Edmunds recommend?

2021 Audi Q5 Sportback models

Consumer reviews

Read what other owners think about the Used 2021 Audi Q5 Sportback.

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Does Audi pay for good reviews?

2021 Q5 Sportback Highlights

Safety

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