It’s hard to boil it down to five, but I tried.
Recently I got to spend the day in a 2022 Audi Q5 Sportback. This gorgeous luxury SUV, with a coupe shape that is sleeker than its Q5 SUV counterpart, starts at $45,600. It has an automatic 2.0 four-cylinder engine that generates 261 horsepower and can accelerate to 60 mph in a quick 5.7 seconds. If you’re looking for a clean, premium SUV to zip around town in – or for a long road trip – the Audi Q5 Sportback is one to consider. Here are the features I liked the best.
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Audi Q5 dashboard. Photo: Donna Biroczky
1. Customizable display panel, aka the Virtual Cockpit
I found this by pushing buttons on the steering wheel. Engine on, in park, I tried to test everything and this is easily a top feature. I don’t like to look away from the road much. If I’m relying on my navigation system to get me to my destination, having it on the display panel right above the steering wheel keeps it easily in my line of sight. With a few clicks of a button, I can switch between many options, from media and music to driver assistance options.
This one is a game-changer, because I spend a lot of hours on Los Angeles freeways. I typically know mostly where I’m going, but maps are critical when trying to find specific buildings or parking lots. I’m a visual person so I like to see the map as opposed to hearing the nav system tell me where to turn. The Audi Q5 Sportback helps people like me by allowing us to easily see the map while still listening to our music, which is how I stay calm while sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
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Head up display. Photo: Audi
2. Head up display that projects your speed onto windshield
This isn’t necessarily the newest feature in newer cars, but it’s nonetheless a good one. I can get a little heavy on the pedal if I’m not paying attention, and seeing my speed projected onto the windshield puts it directly into my vision as I’m driving. My wallet would appreciate this, because it would help me stay within the speed limit. There is an option to turn this off if you don’t like it, but I think I’d keep this one on all the time.This option is part of a Heads Up Display package (or HUD) and comes with a higher-end model of the Audi Q5 Sportback.
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Audi Q5’s top view camera system keeps you from grinding you wheels agains the curb. Photo: Donna Biroczky
3. Top view addition to the rear view camera
My current daily drive vehicle doesn’t have a rear view camera, but my husband’s new SUV does so it’s something I’m still getting used to. I find that I could easily rely too much on the camera to avoid hitting anything behind me, but if there’s a pole or something else to my side when I park in an area in which I’m unfamiliar, the backup camera doesn’t always help me. Enter the Audi Q5 Sportback’s top view camera, which literally gives you a simulated top view of everything around you. I used this the initial time I backed up the Q5, because it was parked very tightly between two other vehicles. I put the SUV in reverse, and up popped the side-by-side view of what’s behind me in addition to what was already around me.
This top view system is available in a premium model of the Q5, and honestly, I’d upgrade to that model alone to get this option. My confidence in parking alone would improve – though the vehicle does come with parking assistance if you’re not a good parallel parker, which I am not.
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Notice the blue light under the media screen; this can be changed to suit your mood. Photo: Donna Biroczky
4. Customizable interior ambient lighting
My fifth favorite item in the Audi Q5 Sportback is something that could be seen as frivolous, but I call it fun: the ability to customize your interior ambient lighting. It doesn’t really do anything beyond make your car a little more personalized. Interior trim lighting always elevates the feel of a car to me, and to be able to change the colors was something I know I’d play with. I drive in the dark a lot, so having a little extra lighting to help me find my bag, or to just feel a little less boxed-in while driving is a wonderful thing. Would it change our driving experience in such a way that I’d buy a car for it? No, but it sure does speak to how Audi has thought of all the little things by adding unusual ways to make your ride more enjoyable.
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Audi Q5 Sportback rear seat has room for three, though if you only have two passengers, pull down the center arm rest which also has cup holders. Photo: Donna Biroczky
5. The Rear Seat Has a Hidden Console
The Audi Q5 Sportback has a seating capacity of five, but if you only need to seat two in the back seat, there is a fun option we discovered when exploring the car. It’s a standard feature, which makes it even better: a console pulls down from the center seat back, offering convenient cupholders and a place to rest your arm. This can be everything when you’re traveling. Now that I primarily drive around with only 1-3 passengers, they’d appreciate having space to stow their phone or their coffee. If I need to take more people, in just a seconds I’m able to return it back to middle-seat mode.
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Audi Q5 Sportback’s roomy cargo area. Photo: Donna Biroczky
What Did I Like Best in the Audi Q5 Sportback?
If I had to pick a top favorite feature, it would be the customizable virtual cockpit, followed by the top view backup camera. These are options that elevate the luxury SUV from an average vehicle to a sweet ride. They signal to me that Audi has spent a lot of time behind the wheel and getting feedback from those who spend a lot of time driving. They’ve asked the right questions and listened to the right suggestions, because this whole car came together in a way that makes me think my next vehicle could be the Audi Q5 Sportback. It’s speedy, sleek, full of safety features and drives like a car a lot higher than its price range, making it a top consideration for my family.
Q5 Sportback Pin by Donna Biroczky
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