Over the summer, I purchased a 2016 Audi Q5 to be my daily driver. Initially, my intention was to save money for a few months and buy another car to replace my Audi S4 in the new calender year. However, as of September, I also own a Mazda Miata RF.
I recently complained about things that annoy me with the Miata, and as I’ve now lived with the Q5 for about six months, it’s only natural to have developed a few dislikes about the Audi as well. As a preface, most of them are technology-related, and somewhat due to the B8 generation Q5 first going on sale in 2009.
1. The Bluetooth is very slow to connect.
Of all of my complaints, this is probably the weakest one. Slower, older infotainment is to be expected on a car that is essentially fourteen years old (albeit in reality only half that) — but not to the extreme of the Q5’s Bluetooth.
I can easily live without Apple CarPlay or SiriusXM radio, or other newer technolgy of that nature, but when Bluetooth or a wired connection is your only choice, you’d at least hope for it to work well. When I first purchased the Q5, my commute from home to work was six to seven minutes each way, and there would be times where the car wouldn’t connect to my phone and begin audio playback for nearly halfway through that drive. If I sat in the parking lot to let the car warm up for a couple minutes prior to driving, most of the time it would only just connect as I was driving off.
2. The steering wheel lacks audio track controls.
Once your phone does decide to connect, actually controlling what you’re listening to can also be mildly inconvenient. Unlike any other newer car (read: produced in the last decade or so) I’ve ever owned, there’s no track forward or backward button on the steering wheel. You have multiple different methods of controlling the very basic LCD screen in the gauge cluster, but no audio track controls.
Instead, you either have to reach down to the center console where you’ll find the volume knob doubles as a track forward/backward toggle, or if you have your phone on a mount like I do, just touch your phone screen. Once again, I realize this is a relatively minor issue, but if you don’t have a free hand, it can be annoying.
3. There are no USB ports anywhere to be found.
As mentioned previously, your phone connection and power source choices are fairly limited in the Q5. If you need a 12V socket, you’re in luck, there’s a few throughout the car — but if you need a USB port, I guess you’d better get an adapter plug.
If you want to pair your device with the vehicle and for some reason prefer a wired connection, the only option is a hilariously old school built-in Lightning connector. What about the over 40 percent of the US population that prefers Android phones? There’s no AUX, USB, or other input to be found.
4. The climate controls lack an obvious synchronization setting.
One thing I’ve always disliked about many BMW models is the lack of a “sync” setting for the climate controls; a way for the driver and passenger zones to be adjusted simultaneously. For the first few months of ownership, I assumed the Q5 was also missing this feature.
One night in a Target parking lot, completely by chance, I discovered that holding down the two temperature knobs together synchronizes the zones. I suppose I could have simply looked this up online or in the owner’s manual, but surely there’s plenty of other people that wouldn’t think anything of it.
5. The front blind spots are huge, depending on your height and driving position.
In my Miata, rearward visibility is impaired by huge blind spots thanks to the design of the RF’s hardtop. In the Q5, I actually have the opposite problem: blind zones in the front corners.
This is partially due to the Q5’s large mirrors (ironic, I know), and partially dependent on your height and seating position. I have my seat as close to the floor as it goes, but not leaned back overly far, and regularly struggle to see huge parts of the road around sharp corners, or anything else that likes to hide behind the mirrors and A-pillars. There are no quarter windows in the Q5 like in most SUVs; instead that space is taken up by a speaker and (ironically) the button for the blind-spot monitoring system.
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Overall, despite these grievances, I still enjoy daily driving the Q5. It’s superbly comfortable, quiet, and rides very well. The technology is adequate, though nothing beyond, and it’s decently quick for what it is. I look forward to potentially another 6 months and 6,000 miles of comfort ahead.
| Vehicle Tested | 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/ Tech Pkg |
| Color | Scuba Blue Metallic / Pistachio Beige & Brown |
| Drivetrain | 2.0L turbocharged I-4, 8-spd automatic, All wheel drive |
| HP / Torque | 220 horsepower / 258 lb-ft |
| Curb Weight | 4,200 lbs (est.) |
| 0-60 mph | 6.5 seconds (est.) |
| EPA Fuel Econ | 20 city / 27 hwy / 22 combined |
| MSRP | $48,740 |
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