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Ahh, Audi Q5 8R, the official car of fur-wearing ladies and leather hat wearing old people who want social status and nothing else. But how good is the Audi Q5 8R as a car? Let’s find out in today’s article.

The Audi Q5 8R came in 2008 and replaced the Toyota Rav4 XA30 as the official chariot for furs-wearing-indoor-sunglasses-in-the-mall who wants to speak to the manager, they will not be humiliated by talking to the simple employees.

Caution!!! This is not an off-road vehicle !!!

In fact, the only reason the Audi Q5 8R was so successful for VW was that an Audi Q7 was too big for most drivers. This is because usually those who can afford a Q5 can also afford a Q7. And VW immediately realized that there was a market for smaller SUVs and / or crossovers, so they launched the VW Tiguan 5N and Audi Q5 8R at about the same time. If the Tiguan was standing somewhere in the middle of the food chain, Q5 judged the competition from above. And it didn’t take much effort to build the Audi Q5 8R, the bulk of the technology being taken from the Audi A4 B8, the Q5 of this generation being essentially an A4 B8 on stilts.

Audi Q5 8R or Audi A4 B8?

And there were people who bought the Audi Q5 8R like it was made out of Sofia Boutella. A car that offers social status and is easier to drive than an A4 B8 and also sitshigher than an A4 B8 and that allows you to look down on traffic? Where do I sign up for one?

The Audi A4 B8 however wins in terms of sportiness, being more agile and closer to the asphalt. Also the A4 B8 can also come in a station wagon flavor and can accommodate more newly bought clothes from the mall. And an A4 can only come with front-wheel drive and is implicitly cheaper to maintain. Because anyway 99% of the Q5s on the road will not leave the asphalt in their lives and all Q5 engines come with all-wheel drive Quattro, all but the basic 2.0 TDI diesel.

Caution!!! This is not an off-road vehicle !!!

Audi Q5 8R Engines

Petrol

Diesel

• 2.0 TDI of 143, 150, 170 and 177 horsepower – The old, the classic, the eternal, the ancient 2.0 TDI continues its existence. Only on the Audi Q5 8R receives the common-rail version right off the bat, free of the old issues such as the oil pump shaft and remains only with issues with the high pressure pump and the occasional contamination with soot if diesel is used more dubious than invitations to a coffee at a the conference room made by a high school classmate you haven’t spoken to in 15 years and who has a business for you. Overall, a reliable engine. Ah yeah, one more thing, the double mass flywheel tends to go on vaction more often that you’d like.


• 3.0 V6 TDI with 240, 255 and 309 horsepower – As with the 3.0 TFSI, the giant 3.0 V6 TDI does more harm than good. Besides, it comes with issues with the injectors, the water pump and a timing chains that costs so much to replace that you sit back and wonder why you didn’t get an Audi Q7 from the beginning. If you are going bankrupt, at least do it in style.

Hibrid

2.0 TFSI of 245 horsepower (211-horsepower gas + 54 electric) – Probably designed just for the sake of it, the hybrid version can only put up 245 horsepower in combined mode. I don’t understand this car. If you want a hybrid version, you want for it to be economical and be environmentally friendly. Try this with a 2.0 TFSI, to drive economically. It’s more likely for Vinne Jones to become a university professor than it is to find an civilized 2.0 TFSI driver.

Audi Q5 8R General Issues

• As with any VW during this period, there are serious issues with the DSG gearbox, which is called over at Audi as Tiptronic. We discussed in more detail in the article about Golf VI, but in essence the gearbox needs regular changes of oil and filter every 60,000 km, otherwise The Vengaboys come out of the glove compartment and says “Boom boom boom boom, I want a double boom!”. Also, the Mecatronic unit breaks down and can’t be repaired, only replaced with a new one. Also, the non-4×4 Q5s have the dreaded CVT Multitrauma gearbox which is just as good as spoiled beer.


• Electric gremlins are present everywhere in the car, from the MMI unit to the power windows. Before buying a car, make sure you check all the buttons and all the electrical stuff.


• As a specific issue for cars fitted with a Quattro / 4 × 4 system, the tires must be identical in brand, size and wear. If you go with tires of different sizes or brands, you will give the Quattro system a comma and it will die prematurely. It is important to check this before buying an Audi Q5 8R, because this way you will be able to know if the car has been properly maintained or not.

Audi Q5 8R Verdict

If you want a status symbol on wheels and you are not going to drive too fast, then an Audi Q5 8R is a better choice than an A4 B8. Because these two cars do just that: they emphasize the importance and role of the status quo. Especially the Audi Q5 8R, which is a tall car, but which is not capable of off-road. Yes, it will cross a pond and a forest road, but he will never do a serious job. It’s a tall car just for the sake of it, just to look up at the mall’s underground parking lot and you’ll see the natural habitat of the Audi Q5.