I own this car. Bought it used as a dealership loaner car for 46k, w/ 14k miles. Took it on a road trip from WA to AZ, and it was such a pleasure to drive. Great mileage, and we could go 90 mph all day, and it felt smooth w/o any shimmy. Handles very well, and genuinely fun to drive. Stock stereo sounds great, and it came w/ 20” run flat tires, to reduce weight and space saving in trunk. Also very fast off the line in sport mode, and able to surprise cars that thought they’d beat me off the line. I think the 0-60 is about 4.9 secs. Can’t recommend this car enough, should you come across one used.
I just bought a used model with 36k miles for 27k plus California tax and license/registration and extended warranty. It came out to 32k. Downgraded from a Q8, they took the trade as a wash. Just bought a house so trying to save everywhere I can. Didn't need a fancy car for now. It's my wife's/small family suv. Doesn't drive very far so the short range of EV is perfect. We will only use gas on longer trips, and reason why we didn't get a used E-Tron, for the longer trips we might take.
I just got a new Q5 mild hybrid and never thought the vehicle changed so much from the previous version. To my surprise it’s peppier, smoother, quieter, and the suspension takes the holes better, and no turbo lag. I was going for an X3 that BMW could never deliver and am glad went with the Q5, it feels more luxurious, torque is better and like the better acceleration. My previous Q5 was the most reliable vehicle that I’ve ever had. Love the breaks and driving on snow with all seasons is superb. I’m not sure why Alex gave a B on noise, mine is as quiet as our X7, whereas the previous was not.
Was able to grab one on a great lease deal, last March, just before the inventory got horrible. My wife is loving it! Great review, as always. Hello from the south bay :)
Great review again. There are very few people whose opinion on cars I trust more than myself, but you are one of them. I dare say I trust your opinions more than anyone else in the car industry. You seem to answer questions I didn’t even know I had about the car. Thank you for what you do!
I m from Germany and have this as my lease car but it is a sportback version. The power of 367 ps is really great for the autobahn. However I m someone who prefers economical driving most of the time. I have got over 700 kms (720-750) dring at a constant speed of 105-110 km/hr and with full charge. My car does 63 km on a full charge and has approx 17 kwh battery pack. I have Benn driving it since Oct 2021.
@abaida10 well I wouldn't buy it but lease it as a company car. If I were to buy it, I would go for the diesel version with 204 ps or 40 TDI. This engine is just perfect. Gives a range of a 1000 km on a full tank and has enough power to take the car to 250 kmph. It is not as peppy as the 367 hp PHEV but well I am no racer. I am happy with 204 ps
I own this car. This car runs very fuel efficiently and engine power is enough of enough. I use a level 2 charger from home and run this car 80 percent with electricity. Gas only can go easily over 35 mpg. Very intelligent system and fuel efficient with 362 horse powers
Although it is not really true what he said about Quattro system in this Q5. This car as oppose to SQ5, has a Quattro Ultra system, that is not fully mechanical, and allows the rear axel to be disconnected from the system for better fuel economy. This of course increases the fuel economy, however is a bit less efficient in "off-road", if someone decides ever to go offroad
Great review- as always! However you didn’t mention that the 2022 Audi Q5e is in production and will have a larger battery at 17.9 kWh. Given that you tested at 25 miles of EV range, it may be that the new battery will surpass 30 miles. Although the EPA rates the 2022Q5 model at just 23 miles and the WLTP has the EV range at 51-62 km, I think it is definitely the right car for me. Thank you the excellent review!
I get 30+ EV miles in my 2021 at 35-55mph commute conditions. The 2022 will likely be closer or over 40 miles in those kind of conditions. Well worth the wait
I hope Auto brake hold is an option, otherwise I’ll have to look elsewhere. I really appreciate you calling that out though because I just assumed that every new car had that.
@@naveenthemachine - I don't quite get why you said "probably not." I thought the point you were making was that a $17,000 car comes with brake hold, therefore luxury brands certainly should too. No?
I agree. The Audi is faster, but the Lincoln is a more durable design as Ford and Toyota cross-license their hybrid technology. And have you seen the Lincoln interior? It's a cut above.
@@wallyballou7417 Yes. Always were two major competing technologies in hybrids for 20 years: parallel from Toyota/Ford and serial from GM/Honda. Today a clear serial system is mostly employed by Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and inefficient PHEVs from BMW. The Audi is in between as Volvo and even Honda Clarity PHEV. Since any PHEV becomes a regular HEV hybrid when battery is depleted than that main difference shows itself in fuel economy: from Toyota/Ford one is more efficient vs gas version while serial ones from BMW/Mitsubishi is worse than a gas version while battery is depleted. The clear difference in efficiency can be noticed comparing Chevrolet Volt first generation (serial) vs second generation (parallel). Most OEMs switched silently to parallel hybrids as are most new Honda/GM/Stellantis vehicles. The worst in efficiency serial hybrids are PHEVs still produced from Land Rover. Only Hyundai/Kia uses its proprietary parralel hybrid technology non-derived from original Toyota/Ford concepts and beats even original efficiency.
Think that will depend on if one wants to lease or keep for longer time. Over time the Lexus will be more reliable and cheaper to run. But if looking to lease, this is perfect
Alex, why don’t the German plug in hybrids recharge the battery from driving after the battery is depleted like a Rav 4 or Espace Hybrid or CR-V that get 40mpg?
As no one really does and it’s fake marketing. Power generated by all hybrids are used directly by drive motor. No power is going to the battery. The range would go up making it look like the battery is charging however it really is not. Volkswagen group learn that if they played by the same rules as others they will again get sued and nobody else will similar to diesel gate
It’s really unbelievable that Audi would send you a tester that has an expired license for their “premier” navigation GUI. This is them putting their best foot forward for the public?
Many people have short commutes, and that sort of range will cover all of their everyday driving. The gasoline engine is still there for longer trips when they need it.
I've had a '21 Q5e since Feb and typically get 28-29 miles of EV range which is more than I usually drive in a day. Aside from road trips, I can go for weeks without using the ICE.
@@YoshandStan It may shows 28-29 miles of ev range but you will never get that range, no matter how you drive. That would be a new world record 30%+ range over the estimated :) The best ev range for the Q5e is about 20-21 miles with local driving only. And to charge for 15-16 hours for that is just insane. (110V)
I have noticed to my PHEV Q5, the way i use Hybrid and EV mode are the same, the way the battery get depleted when it comes to consumption, im expecting when i use Hybrid mode it must only be depleted little. Another thing, when i use Battery Hold mode, im expecting no ev battery being consumed, and only petrol will be consumed. Any advice please? Thanks🙏
Yeah. The rav4 prime is the real competitor to the q5 plug-in. Not the nx450h+. It’s gonna be a lot slower than the rav4 prime. The rav4 prime goes as lot as 5.4 seconds vs 5 for thr Audi. and it’s more efficient and more range too
My Honda clarity does 48 Miles in EV mode , this one does 19 ( expect winter time to do not more then 12-13 ) , mine in winter drops to 32-35 .... Q5 is an irrelevant PHEV with that EV range and MPG combined .
8:20 I really wanted an Audi but what put me off is that they all have a transmission tunnel from hell. It’s so high and wide to the point that it pretty much makes it a 4 seater
32 km of all electric range is pretty good, it's enough to get to work and back and take care of a few errands on a day off for me. Then the 8.7 L / 100 km fuel economy is really good for a crossover of this size. Depending on the lease deal this maybe really tempting!
With PHEVs, how many close to full charging cycles do we expect out of the batteries? If it's in the 3000 (most Li-ion seem to be rated 1000-2000 full charge cycles), does that mean the batteries if fully depleted and charged daily, are going to last about about 8 to 10 years?
Most lithium battery charging cycles are quoted to 80% of the original capacity. At the end of the 8-10 years, the battery won't dead completely but will have about 80% of the initial capacity (and range).
I think he's talking about Audi's "Matrix LED" lights which, in Europe, sense where the oncoming traffic is, moment by moment, and avoid shining bright high beam light just in that one specific direction. Far fancier than turning headlights. The fanciest trim line Audis have the hardware for this in the USA now, but it's deactivated until the regulations change.
@@marksandstrom4248 "Far fancier than turning headlights." -- Having regularly driven in the mountains for the past few decades, the lack of turning headlights on great majority of cars is painful. I am moving into flatlands, so it's less of an issue, but I do like the functionality you are describing. These days many cars have auto high beams, but the delay in dropping the high beam is enough to blind you repeatedly when you drive.
I dont understand why they would say it has a range of up to 19 miles, where I live it says up to 45 km which equals to 27-28 miles, so reaching 25 doesnt surprise me.
Alex you mention the forthcoming Lexus NX PHEV but not the Lincoln Corsair Grand Touring PHEV - why’s that? Seems like a direct competitor to the Audi et al once available.
VW group makes the best DCTs. I have experience with Mercedes 7G-DCT in the CLA and Ford with their Powershift in the Focus and neither is as good as the Golf GTI or Audi A3 I tested.
The first generation Hyundai/Kia DCT had a dry clutch pack and was troublesome. They totally redesigned the second gen ones with a wet clutch and I haven't hard of any overheating problems.
It may not have the cachet, but the RAV4 beats this in a lot of ways. The all wheel drive system uses an electric motor in the rear, which saves weight and complexity (no driveshaft, no transfer case), while the planetary CVT Toyota uses is more efficient and reliable than the DCT in the Audi. Also, the Toyota uses an Atkinson cycle 4 cylinder with port injection, so long life and no carbon build up while the Audi uses VW's direct injected EA888 motor, which - as any GTI owner will tell you - starts to fall apart at about 50k miles. Get the Audi if you have to have a status symbol in your driveway, but lease it.
The rav4 prime I think is the more direct competitor to the q5 plug-in. Not the upcoming nx450h+. The rav4 prime is only 0.4 sec slower than the Audi and it gets more range and much better fuel efficiency, but it’s faster than the x3 phev and the upcoming nx450h+
@@naveenthemachine I bought a Q5e in February after I was told by the Toyota dealer that the Rav4 Prime wouldn't be available in Minnesota for another two years. Given current choices, the Q5e is a great vehicle.
I thought it was just me! That spindle grille looks like a giant chin. It's probably exaggerated by being photographed from such a low angle, but it's going to be ugly no matter what. A shame, as the old NX had one of the better Lexus front ends.
Two fine point questions I didn't catch being addressed: 1) the Audiusa website seems to say that Q5 non-PHEV and PHEV both have the same 25.8 ft3 cargo volume, but in a quick showroom tape measure experiment I thought I observed a higher load floor in the PHEV, by a 1-2 inches, which must cut into cargo volume. Have I caught Audi in some sloppy data gathering? This seems far more serious than the 0.2 ft3 they do concede the sunroof causes in cargo volume loss. 2) I would assume that on a long vacation trip, you shouldn't use the EV mode at all if you want to have 362 horsepower available? And that if you want to minimize fuel cost and do use EV during all-day drives, you should count on only 260 hp?? Or is there some complicated compromise strategy that would be smarter?
hello, the Audi web page, at least in EU clearly states that the Non PHEV version has 510 liters of trunk space while the PHEV has 445. of course it is measured up the the cover, so in practice they have much more
Asking what kind of fuel the Audi takes is like asking “How’s the reliability of a JLR product?😆” All jokes aside, it’s easily premium gas. Any European car takes premium gas
@@Trades46 the old one yes. But the new one will require premium gas AFAIK the NX250 and NX450h+ will take regular but the NX350 and NX350h will both require premium
@@naveenthemachine we don't know enough about the MY2022 NX yet to make that claim. I work at a Lexus store and details should be released for fact around October.
Can someone tell me where I can purchase a 2022 Q5 e? I ordered one 7 months ago and nothing so far. One dealer said I might have to wait 6 months more and that will be a 2023!
Hey Alex...when you accelerate is there the typical Audi turbo lag where you have to wait a couple seconds before the car responds or does the electric motor mitigate that? That lag is my biggest complaint with my current older model ICE Q5. Our second car is a Model 3 and we hare having a difficult time deciding to replace our current Q5 with the PHEV version or a Model Y. Went to an Audi dealership a couple months ago and was 1) disappointed there wasn't one available to test drive and 2) the sale guy had no clue about the PHEV or their full BEV options. It felt like he wasn't interested in selling anything but ICE models. It was a big turn off to a brand we have been loyal to for over 20 years.
I have leased the '21 Q5e and can confirm that the lag is NOT present unlike the gas only Q5. The clear reason is the electric motor operates at stop with high torque and it seamlessly switches to the engine at 15 mph or so in hybrid mode. Alex covers this somewhere in this video as well.
I still don’t get the purpose of 19 miles of pure electric……..just like I didn’t get it on the rav4 prime…….or any other vehicles. Why would you buy a plug in hybrid vs a hybrid. ? Do they have a short work commute of 7 or 8 miles each way? Why wouldn’t you buy a strictly electric vehicle?
My partner on her daily commute, like many others, only travels 15 miles return trip to work so during the week she would run on electric. On a weekend, if we want to do a family trip, we have the petrol to get us more distance. Why not get pure electric? We have no decent infrastructure in place for EVs where we live...and the EV version of this car is much more expensive.
I have a Honda Clarity plug in hybrid and it has a 48 miles official EV range, but i get 50-55 miles EV range during the summer easy. I don't know how much is your daily commute but mine is under 10 miles, so even with grocery shoping and other errands i only have to charge it every 2-3 days. No range anxiety and just fun pure EV feel. Btw we just took a 4400 mile road trip and i got 49.1 mpg so it's also a great hybrid car.
I agree with all the other comments. In my case, I’m looking at the xc60 because my wife would drive it Monday to Friday around town, plugging in nightly. Many weekends we road trip long distances and I drive and definitely want the gas it and go option.
It's one car that can operate like an electric for around-town driving, and increase commute efficiency, even if the commute is longer than the EV range. Take it on vacation and it drives like a regular hybrid.
Horrible marketing really! If you average the electric driving with the gas driving (27 mpg) when the battery runs out, your average MPG will be much much much higher (like 75 mpg). Its a really disingenuous way to describe it via the gas engine mpg alone, since each day you leave the house with a full battery and can do almost all of your local driving on electric alone when you plug in at home. It really depends on your farthest commute distance what your average mpg(e) will be. I averaged around 75mpg in my Hyundai Sonata plug in vs 66mpg in my Ford Fusion Energi plug in for my 60 mile roundtrip commute. (The Hyundai had a longer electric range)
my only experience is my late-2014 MY A5 2.0T (CPMB engine code) owned from new - mine still consumes near zero oil between 5,000 mile changes I do myself. I've got 67,000 miles on it now. Since I do the oil changes myself, I know it didn't start out overfilled, either. I've also done a quick science experiment with the electronic dipstick, so I know that the dashboard screen display of oil level WILL register a loss of oil as small as 1/4 of one quart (8 fl. oz.). I've been using Mobil 1 0W-40 ("European car"). So, beware single data points, but my answer is, No, the problem is solved.
All of the Toyota hybrids are exceptionally efficient. Always have been. But in no other way is the Highlander competitive. It doesn't handle as well, is slower, has fewer features, and simply isn't as luxurious.
Excited for the Lexus, because it may be the perfect mix of gas and electric with much more electric range than the other options. But I agree with Alex the interior looks interesting… lol
Full battery recharge from a regular household outlet is “only” 8 hours on the Volvo XC60, considerably longer on this Audi. IMO a definite factor in favor of the Volvo.
I don't get luxury car buyers. I thought the Rav4 Prime was expensive enough and these vehicles don't seem to offer much more. I thought they would have a massage chair if not a real massage girl in there or something. :D
It's all about status. It's why Mercedes' grill badge is cartoonishly huge these days (at least on their cheaper stuff) and even Ferrari puts their badge on the front quarter panels. Gawd lol!
You say having a “weak” rear electric motor compromised AWD performance. For the way most people drive, I suspect the motor on the Volvo PHEV and RAV4 prime is good enough. If you disagree, please tell me the power rating you consider adequate. 100 kW? 150 kW?
IMO the electric motor in a hybrid should be more powerful than the gas motor. Hybrids should be able to do everything on battery power alone to minimize gas engine usage. Otherwise what's the point?
Agreed, but that likely won’t be possible without going full BEV. Battery power dictates motor power, and probably would need at least a 50 kWh pack to get 200 kW. At that point the pack is probably too large to have ice too.
@@future62 sadly, not possible. The power output is not more than 3C - 4C, maybe 5C or 6C very briefly (~6 kW max from that battery). The gas engine turns a motor to produce electricity which then powers the motor connected to the wheels.
@@barryw9473 Barry think about what you're saying. If only 3-6kW is possible from a 1kWh battery, how are automakers getting 20-30x that power out of that battery capacity for hundreds of thousands of miles? In the Honda's case the motor is directly connected between the battery and wheels... there's not even a transmission.
It’s gonna be a rav4 prime with a Lexus logo. Same 302hp 0-60 in 6 seconds even and getting 35 miles ev range 36mpg but also don’t expect it to be really competitive except in fuel efficiency
I can’t help but compare this to the RAV4 Prime, despite the RAV4 not being a luxury car. I care about reliability, and I think most of my concerns about Audi’s reliability would vanish if this was an EV.
@@naveenthemachineI just mean that I think EVs are more modular in how their powertrains are built and there are much less moving parts. Their components are more expensive, but usually more reliable and easy to replace compared to a German engine where you have to disassemble everything to replace something. And EV parts will only get cheaper in the future.
I suspect they're not letting you use the full 14kW. But even if 70% of the battery is used, it's still pretty bad, especially considering that Tesla is getting 4mi/kWh. This is a compliance car, built for European cities where IC engines are restricted and to get EV credits in the US.
Sorry, no matter how fast or good handling, 27 mpg does not cut it...not when honda and toyota can better that by a lot for much less. Hell my cx30 avgs over 27 mpg!
CX30 is a different class, but you’re right about Honda and Toyota. Lower class vehicles with same size that still get 50% more range out of a gallon. You could argue that they are way slower, but overall this Q5 is too inefficient, because up until 5 years ago they didn’t even do research on hybrids
How is this being compared to Honda/Toyota? This should be compared to bmw/Merc, whose comparable vehicles have similar mpg. The bmw X3 plugin is much worse than this when battery is depleted. Also 27mpg (and the 19 mile range) is a very conservative estimate by Audi, in practice it's more as Alex said. I am also speaking from personal experience, leased this earlier this year
@@philippluklas yes i know it is a diff class but i cited it as it is not too much smaller or lighter and given it is an ICE vehicle attainable with no hybridization, audi's hybridization of this vehicle makes a poor case.
I own this car. Bought it used as a dealership loaner car for 46k, w/ 14k miles. Took it on a road trip from WA to AZ, and it was such a pleasure to drive. Great mileage, and we could go 90 mph all day, and it felt smooth w/o any shimmy. Handles very well, and genuinely fun to drive. Stock stereo sounds great, and it came w/ 20” run flat tires, to reduce weight and space saving in trunk. Also very fast off the line in sport mode, and able to surprise cars that thought they’d beat me off the line. I think the 0-60 is about 4.9 secs. Can’t recommend this car enough, should you come across one used.
are you still happy with it? How is the hybrid system working for you, is it not annoying to keep the battery charged?
Hello! how is the overall mpg assuming it gets charged every day? how many times do you need to go to the gas station in a month? Thanks!
I just bought a used model with 36k miles for 27k plus California tax and license/registration and extended warranty. It came out to 32k. Downgraded from a Q8, they took the trade as a wash. Just bought a house so trying to save everywhere I can. Didn't need a fancy car for now. It's my wife's/small family suv. Doesn't drive very far so the short range of EV is perfect. We will only use gas on longer trips, and reason why we didn't get a used E-Tron, for the longer trips we might take.
Good lord this guy knows his stuff! Amazing presentation and extremely informative..
I just got a new Q5 mild hybrid and never thought the vehicle changed so much from the previous version. To my surprise it’s peppier, smoother, quieter, and the suspension takes the holes better, and no turbo lag. I was going for an X3 that BMW could never deliver and am glad went with the Q5, it feels more luxurious, torque is better and like the better acceleration. My previous Q5 was the most reliable vehicle that I’ve ever had. Love the breaks and driving on snow with all seasons is superb. I’m not sure why Alex gave a B on noise, mine is as quiet as our X7, whereas the previous was not.
um... maybe because this vehicle is in 2021, and u said u just the new q5 e hybrid so that would be a 2023 obviously
Was able to grab one on a great lease deal, last March, just before the inventory got horrible. My wife is loving it! Great review, as always. Hello from the south bay :)
I thought someone was knocking at my door until I realized it's the sound of your dropping your arms on the table, heard through good earphones.
Great review again. There are very few people whose opinion on cars I trust more than myself, but you are one of them. I dare say I trust your opinions more than anyone else in the car industry. You seem to answer questions I didn’t even know I had about the car. Thank you for what you do!
Audi seems to be nailing the PHEV drivetrains recently.
I m from Germany and have this as my lease car but it is a sportback version. The power of 367 ps is really great for the autobahn. However I m someone who prefers economical driving most of the time. I have got over 700 kms (720-750) dring at a constant speed of 105-110 km/hr and with full charge. My car does 63 km on a full charge and has approx 17 kwh battery pack. I have Benn driving it since Oct 2021.
If so,that is very good autonomy-over 35 miles & much better than the official # here in the states (23 mi. For 2022)
Hi. So do u think still the better choice ? I am really considering buying used one
What do you recommend, Thank you so much.
@abaida10 well I wouldn't buy it but lease it as a company car. If I were to buy it, I would go for the diesel version with 204 ps or 40 TDI. This engine is just perfect. Gives a range of a 1000 km on a full tank and has enough power to take the car to 250 kmph. It is not as peppy as the 367 hp PHEV but well I am no racer. I am happy with 204 ps
I own this car. This car runs very fuel efficiently and engine power is enough of enough. I use a level 2 charger from home and run this car 80 percent with electricity. Gas only can go easily over 35 mpg. Very intelligent system and fuel efficient with 362 horse powers
Really appreciate the details on the 4wd system differences - winter / weather driving is a key differentiator for me
Although it is not really true what he said about Quattro system in this Q5. This car as oppose to SQ5, has a Quattro Ultra system, that is not fully mechanical, and allows the rear axel to be disconnected from the system for better fuel economy. This of course increases the fuel economy, however is a bit less efficient in "off-road", if someone decides ever to go offroad
Great review- as always! However you didn’t mention that the 2022 Audi Q5e is in production and will have a larger battery at 17.9 kWh. Given that you tested at 25 miles of EV range, it may be that the new battery will surpass 30 miles. Although the EPA rates the 2022Q5 model at just 23 miles and the WLTP has the EV range at 51-62 km, I think it is definitely the right car for me. Thank you the excellent review!
So the 2021s battery is smaller?
I get 30+ EV miles in my 2021 at 35-55mph commute conditions. The 2022 will likely be closer or over 40 miles in those kind of conditions. Well worth the wait
ua-cam.com/video/vGXcMeOmg-4/v-deo.html also the range test for the 17.9kWh version
Would love an updated review of the 2022 version with the bigger battery.
Me too
Interesting. There's TFSI e which is plug in hybrid and eTFSI which is mild hybrid.
I hope Auto brake hold is an option, otherwise I’ll have to look elsewhere. I really appreciate you calling that out though because I just assumed that every new car had that.
If a corolla comes with auto brake hold standard on the base L trim then probably not…
@@naveenthemachine - I don't quite get why you said "probably not." I thought the point you were making was that a $17,000 car comes with brake hold, therefore luxury brands certainly should too. No?
@@jsfbay1 yeah
Luxury cars don’t even come with radar cruise or lane keeping standard haha while those are standard on a corolla
@@naveenthemachine Yeah, that may be true, but you're still driving a corolla. ugh
It would be interesting a comparison of Audi Q5 PHEV with Lincoln Corsair PHEV.
I agree. The Audi is faster, but the Lincoln is a more durable design as Ford and Toyota cross-license their hybrid technology. And have you seen the Lincoln interior? It's a cut above.
@@wallyballou7417 Yes. Always were two major competing technologies in hybrids for 20 years: parallel from Toyota/Ford and serial from GM/Honda. Today a clear serial system is mostly employed by Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and inefficient PHEVs from BMW. The Audi is in between as Volvo and even Honda Clarity PHEV. Since any PHEV becomes a regular HEV hybrid when battery is depleted than that main difference shows itself in fuel economy: from Toyota/Ford one is more efficient vs gas version while serial ones from BMW/Mitsubishi is worse than a gas version while battery is depleted. The clear difference in efficiency can be noticed comparing Chevrolet Volt first generation (serial) vs second generation (parallel). Most OEMs switched silently to parallel hybrids as are most new Honda/GM/Stellantis vehicles. The worst in efficiency serial hybrids are PHEVs still produced from Land Rover. Only Hyundai/Kia uses its proprietary parralel hybrid technology non-derived from original Toyota/Ford concepts and beats even original efficiency.
Always excellent reviews. Q5 phev would be my choice over the Lexus. Like the AUDI looks and mechanical awd.
Think that will depend on if one wants to lease or keep for longer time. Over time the Lexus will be more reliable and cheaper to run. But if looking to lease, this is perfect
@@jiayaw dude anything else is better than the Lexus…
@@jiayaw that’s the only thing Lexus has but every other competitor is better.
Would love to see you review the 2022 Q5 55e with the bigger battery.
Alex, why don’t the German plug in hybrids recharge the battery from driving after the battery is depleted like a Rav 4 or Espace Hybrid or CR-V that get 40mpg?
As no one really does and it’s fake marketing. Power generated by all hybrids are used directly by drive motor. No power is going to the battery. The range would go up making it look like the battery is charging however it really is not. Volkswagen group learn that if they played by the same rules as others they will again get sued and nobody else will similar to diesel gate
It’s really unbelievable that Audi would send you a tester that has an expired license for their “premier” navigation GUI. This is them putting their best foot forward for the public?
True, but honestly I think it's like $30/month for Audi Connect? I'm all set. Lol
Probably very low inventory as well due to chip shortage
Great video as always. I just don't get these plug in hybrids with 10-20 miles EV range.
agree. makes no sense
It’s ideal for those who drive a few miles per day in the city and can charge at home. Gas for the longer trips.
Many people have short commutes, and that sort of range will cover all of their everyday driving. The gasoline engine is still there for longer trips when they need it.
I've had a '21 Q5e since Feb and typically get 28-29 miles of EV range which is more than I usually drive in a day. Aside from road trips, I can go for weeks without using the ICE.
@@YoshandStan It may shows 28-29 miles of ev range but you will never get that range, no matter how you drive. That would be a new world record 30%+ range over the estimated :)
The best ev range for the Q5e is about 20-21 miles with local driving only. And to charge for 15-16 hours for that is just insane. (110V)
Now thats a pano roof. good job audi
I have noticed to my PHEV Q5, the way i use Hybrid and EV mode are the same, the way the battery get depleted when it comes to consumption, im expecting when i use Hybrid mode it must only be depleted little.
Another thing, when i use Battery Hold mode, im expecting no ev battery being consumed, and only petrol will be consumed. Any advice please? Thanks🙏
We've been spoiled with RAV4 hybrid/PHEV 40 mpg! 27 mpg for same size PHEV doesn't seem that impressive 🤔
Yeah. The rav4 prime is the real competitor to the q5 plug-in. Not the nx450h+. It’s gonna be a lot slower than the rav4 prime. The rav4 prime goes as lot as 5.4 seconds vs 5 for thr Audi. and it’s more efficient and more range too
My Honda clarity does 48 Miles in EV mode , this one does 19 ( expect winter time to do not more then 12-13 ) , mine in winter drops to 32-35 ....
Q5 is an irrelevant PHEV with that EV range and MPG combined .
Yeah when considering the Q5 PHEV or the Volvo XC60 PHEV, and then looking at the Rav4 PHEV, it's clear Toyota has refined their hybrids more.
But Audi has much refined drive, better control, much better interior. It another class.
@@naveenthemachine I don't think the NX would be that much slower, I feel Lexus is underrating their numbers
8:20 I really wanted an Audi but what put me off is that they all have a transmission tunnel from hell. It’s so high and wide to the point that it pretty much makes it a 4 seater
Thanks for another great review.
32 km of all electric range is pretty good, it's enough to get to work and back and take care of a few errands on a day off for me. Then the 8.7 L / 100 km fuel economy is really good for a crossover of this size. Depending on the lease deal this maybe really tempting!
32km is a bit small in comparison with other plugin hybrids, most of the aim for 50km, RAV4 plug-in hybrid can do almost 70km
Please compare the 2022 Volvo XC60 PHEV with the 2022 Audi Q5 PHEV. Which one has the bigger cargo area? I have dogs 🙂
With PHEVs, how many close to full charging cycles do we expect out of the batteries? If it's in the 3000 (most Li-ion seem to be rated 1000-2000 full charge cycles), does that mean the batteries if fully depleted and charged daily, are going to last about about 8 to 10 years?
Most lithium battery charging cycles are quoted to 80% of the original capacity. At the end of the 8-10 years, the battery won't dead completely but will have about 80% of the initial capacity (and range).
In that case most batteries will last longer than most Audis
Which car has the best seats - the Audi Q5 sports seat or the X3 seats?
0:52 Alex, so what specifically do these lights do or not do, or is it a secret? I will take a wild guess that they do not corner. What else?
I think he's talking about Audi's "Matrix LED" lights which, in Europe, sense where the oncoming traffic is, moment by moment, and avoid shining bright high beam light just in that one specific direction. Far fancier than turning headlights. The fanciest trim line Audis have the hardware for this in the USA now, but it's deactivated until the regulations change.
@@marksandstrom4248 "Far fancier than turning headlights." -- Having regularly driven in the mountains for the past few decades, the lack of turning headlights on great majority of cars is painful. I am moving into flatlands, so it's less of an issue, but I do like the functionality you are describing. These days many cars have auto high beams, but the delay in dropping the high beam is enough to blind you repeatedly when you drive.
There are cornering lights that change in intensity based on steering wheel at night. Works well
I dont understand why they would say it has a range of up to 19 miles, where I live it says up to 45 km which equals to 27-28 miles, so reaching 25 doesnt surprise me.
It would help if you could mention, in all your Reviews, whether Premium Fuel is Required or Recommended
Premium is required for Audis.
Alex, would you please mention in your videos the warranty coverage?
Could you review Volvo XC40 Recharge?
Alex you mention the forthcoming Lexus NX PHEV but not the Lincoln Corsair Grand Touring PHEV - why’s that? Seems like a direct competitor to the Audi et al once available.
Why the VW group has NO FOG LAMPS?? 🤔🤔
It’s interesting that Audi seems like the only company that can pull off a DCT. Fords were awful and Kias seem to overheat easily.
Yeah, Audi/VW/Porsche(especially) kill it with DCTs
VW group makes the best DCTs. I have experience with Mercedes 7G-DCT in the CLA and Ford with their Powershift in the Focus and neither is as good as the Golf GTI or Audi A3 I tested.
The first generation Hyundai/Kia DCT had a dry clutch pack and was troublesome. They totally redesigned the second gen ones with a wet clutch and I haven't hard of any overheating problems.
It may not have the cachet, but the RAV4 beats this in a lot of ways. The all wheel drive system uses an electric motor in the rear, which saves weight and complexity (no driveshaft, no transfer case), while the planetary CVT Toyota uses is more efficient and reliable than the DCT in the Audi. Also, the Toyota uses an Atkinson cycle 4 cylinder with port injection, so long life and no carbon build up while the Audi uses VW's direct injected EA888 motor, which - as any GTI owner will tell you - starts to fall apart at about 50k miles. Get the Audi if you have to have a status symbol in your driveway, but lease it.
The rav4 prime I think is the more direct competitor to the q5 plug-in. Not the upcoming nx450h+. The rav4 prime is only 0.4 sec slower than the Audi and it gets more range and much better fuel efficiency, but it’s faster than the x3 phev and the upcoming nx450h+
@@naveenthemachine I bought a Q5e in February after I was told by the Toyota dealer that the Rav4 Prime wouldn't be available in Minnesota for another two years. Given current choices, the Q5e is a great vehicle.
How about used? Recommend a used one?
The front of the Lexus is hideous.
I thought it was just me! That spindle grille looks like a giant chin. It's probably exaggerated by being photographed from such a low angle, but it's going to be ugly no matter what. A shame, as the old NX had one of the better Lexus front ends.
Two fine point questions I didn't catch being addressed: 1) the Audiusa website seems to say that Q5 non-PHEV and PHEV both have the same 25.8 ft3 cargo volume, but in a quick showroom tape measure experiment I thought I observed a higher load floor in the PHEV, by a 1-2 inches, which must cut into cargo volume. Have I caught Audi in some sloppy data gathering? This seems far more serious than the 0.2 ft3 they do concede the sunroof causes in cargo volume loss. 2) I would assume that on a long vacation trip, you shouldn't use the EV mode at all if you want to have 362 horsepower available? And that if you want to minimize fuel cost and do use EV during all-day drives, you should count on only 260 hp?? Or is there some complicated compromise strategy that would be smarter?
Follow. I want to know if we always have 362 hp
Did you get a reply for this?
@@shivanandatre nope
hello, the Audi web page, at least in EU clearly states that the Non PHEV version has 510 liters of trunk space while the PHEV has 445. of course it is measured up the the cover, so in practice they have much more
And of course in PHEV there is not option for spare tire :-)
Does the battery become a 500lb dead weight if I travel a long distant, say more than 100 miles ?
what makes a difference is their Quattro system is legit
what is the MPG out of hybrid mode? is it similar to the BMW? like 19 MPG??
27 mpg combined after electric range is depleted. Have seen 36 mpg on highway 100 mile trip
What type of fuel premium or regular.? I bet premium and the Lexus will burn regular.
Asking what kind of fuel the Audi takes is like asking “How’s the reliability of a JLR product?😆”
All jokes aside, it’s easily premium gas. Any European car takes premium gas
The Lexus NX wants premium as well I'm afraid. That said the NX hybrid uses regular.
@@Trades46 the old one yes. But the new one will require premium gas
AFAIK the NX250 and NX450h+ will take regular but the NX350 and NX350h will both require premium
@@naveenthemachine we don't know enough about the MY2022 NX yet to make that claim. I work at a Lexus store and details should be released for fact around October.
@@naveenthemachine If NX350h is using the same engine as Highlander/RAV4, I am reasonably confident it takes the same regular fuel too.
Can someone tell me where I can purchase a 2022 Q5 e? I ordered one 7 months ago and nothing so far. One dealer said I might have to wait 6 months more and that will be a 2023!
What can the headlights do in Europe that they can't in North America?
beautiful 😻
Lincoln corsair has a plug in hybrid trim
Will the Velite 6 phev come in the US?
how tall are you? whats your inseam length?
Hey Alex...when you accelerate is there the typical Audi turbo lag where you have to wait a couple seconds before the car responds or does the electric motor mitigate that? That lag is my biggest complaint with my current older model ICE Q5. Our second car is a Model 3 and we hare having a difficult time deciding to replace our current Q5 with the PHEV version or a Model Y. Went to an Audi dealership a couple months ago and was 1) disappointed there wasn't one available to test drive and 2) the sale guy had no clue about the PHEV or their full BEV options. It felt like he wasn't interested in selling anything but ICE models. It was a big turn off to a brand we have been loyal to for over 20 years.
I have leased the '21 Q5e and can confirm that the lag is NOT present unlike the gas only Q5. The clear reason is the electric motor operates at stop with high torque and it seamlessly switches to the engine at 15 mph or so in hybrid mode. Alex covers this somewhere in this video as well.
Needs a style redesign
I still don’t get the purpose of 19 miles of pure electric……..just like I didn’t get it on the rav4 prime…….or any other vehicles. Why would you buy a plug in hybrid vs a hybrid. ? Do they have a short work commute of 7 or 8 miles each way? Why wouldn’t you buy a strictly electric vehicle?
My partner on her daily commute, like many others, only travels 15 miles return trip to work so during the week she would run on electric. On a weekend, if we want to do a family trip, we have the petrol to get us more distance. Why not get pure electric? We have no decent infrastructure in place for EVs where we live...and the EV version of this car is much more expensive.
I have a an 8 mile commute, but every other weekend I have to go out of town, about 100 miles both ways. It makes sense for me
I have a Honda Clarity plug in hybrid and it has a 48 miles official EV range, but i get 50-55 miles EV range during the summer easy. I don't know how much is your daily commute but mine is under 10 miles, so even with grocery shoping and other errands i only have to charge it every 2-3 days. No range anxiety and just fun pure EV feel. Btw we just took a 4400 mile road trip and i got 49.1 mpg so it's also a great hybrid car.
I agree with all the other comments. In my case, I’m looking at the xc60 because my wife would drive it Monday to Friday around town, plugging in nightly. Many weekends we road trip long distances and I drive and definitely want the gas it and go option.
It's one car that can operate like an electric for around-town driving, and increase commute efficiency, even if the commute is longer than the EV range. Take it on vacation and it drives like a regular hybrid.
When the battery has been depleted, will the car lose its AWD capability?
No the gas engine will always charge the battery before its fully depleted like a regular hybrid.
This has a mechanical AWD system. So the hybrid batteries are in no way connected to the AWD system.
When the Hybrid battery permanently dies yes, you might not even be able to drive at all depending on how it is designed.
@@musicalhistory4392 That wasn’t the question.
@@joetacchino4470 Yes, I misunderstood the question, the first two answers are correct.
27 mpg is sad tbh
Horrible marketing really! If you average the electric driving with the gas driving (27 mpg) when the battery runs out, your average MPG will be much much much higher (like 75 mpg). Its a really disingenuous way to describe it via the gas engine mpg alone, since each day you leave the house with a full battery and can do almost all of your local driving on electric alone when you plug in at home. It really depends on your farthest commute distance what your average mpg(e) will be. I averaged around 75mpg in my Hyundai Sonata plug in vs 66mpg in my Ford Fusion Energi plug in for my 60 mile roundtrip commute. (The Hyundai had a longer electric range)
Do they still have a problem with engine oil use?
my only experience is my late-2014 MY A5 2.0T (CPMB engine code) owned from new - mine still consumes near zero oil between 5,000 mile changes I do myself. I've got 67,000 miles on it now. Since I do the oil changes myself, I know it didn't start out overfilled, either. I've also done a quick science experiment with the electronic dipstick, so I know that the dashboard screen display of oil level WILL register a loss of oil as small as 1/4 of one quart (8 fl. oz.). I've been using Mobil 1 0W-40 ("European car"). So, beware single data points, but my answer is, No, the problem is solved.
@@marksandstrom4248
Thanks
For this market segment can you please add the Model Y specs to the comparison.
I chuckled at the US laws are stupid comment but thankfully the law just got changed! 😂 Next question, will Audi push a SW update to unlock Matrix?
It seems like a standard Highlander Hybrid still beats this plugin. Can you please put in context.
Even a sienna hybrid gets the same mpg as the Highlander and offers way more space than the highlander hybrid
All of the Toyota hybrids are exceptionally efficient. Always have been. But in no other way is the Highlander competitive. It doesn't handle as well, is slower, has fewer features, and simply isn't as luxurious.
@@markmiller3279 the platinum trim is nice though
It’s getting hard to see how the luxury brands can be called luxury when in nearly every single trim a Kia or Hyundai is more luxurious
The whole point of this car is to impress the neighbors. Reality: It's a Tiguan with slightly nicer seats.
Excited for the Lexus, because it may be the perfect mix of gas and electric with much more electric range than the other options. But I agree with Alex the interior looks interesting… lol
The nx is the least fun as Alex said. You’ll be disappointed with how it drives vs the Audi
If I’m looking for the absolute best winter PHEV with a true mechanical AWD system it’s the Jeep Wrangler 4xe Rubicon.
Full battery recharge from a regular household outlet is “only” 8 hours on the Volvo XC60, considerably longer on this Audi. IMO a definite factor in favor of the Volvo.
I don't get luxury car buyers. I thought the Rav4 Prime was expensive enough and these vehicles don't seem to offer much more. I thought they would have a massage chair if not a real massage girl in there or something. :D
It's all about status. It's why Mercedes' grill badge is cartoonishly huge these days (at least on their cheaper stuff) and even Ferrari puts their badge on the front quarter panels. Gawd lol!
cause, i like to floor my Volvo in parking garages at full steering lock??!! 25:34 .....
You say having a “weak” rear electric motor compromised AWD performance. For the way most people drive, I suspect the motor on the Volvo PHEV and RAV4 prime is good enough. If you disagree, please tell me the power rating you consider adequate. 100 kW? 150 kW?
IMO the electric motor in a hybrid should be more powerful than the gas motor. Hybrids should be able to do everything on battery power alone to minimize gas engine usage. Otherwise what's the point?
Agreed, but that likely won’t be possible without going full BEV. Battery power dictates motor power, and probably would need at least a 50 kWh pack to get 200 kW. At that point the pack is probably too large to have ice too.
@@barryw9473 Honda pulls 180HP out of a 1.1kwh battery. Bigger power does require more from a battery but not necessarily big kWh
@@future62 sadly, not possible. The power output is not more than 3C - 4C, maybe 5C or 6C very briefly (~6 kW max from that battery). The gas engine turns a motor to produce electricity which then powers the motor connected to the wheels.
@@barryw9473 Barry think about what you're saying. If only 3-6kW is possible from a 1kWh battery, how are automakers getting 20-30x that power out of that battery capacity for hundreds of thousands of miles? In the Honda's case the motor is directly connected between the battery and wheels... there's not even a transmission.
The Lexus NX is coming in a PHEV?…. Hmmmm.
It’s gonna be a rav4 prime with a Lexus logo. Same 302hp 0-60 in 6 seconds even and getting 35 miles ev range 36mpg
but also don’t expect it to be really competitive except in fuel efficiency
wtf is the Q5 a compact?
Much better with plug in hybride. Not ELECTRIC.
The interior needs alot of work. This interior was good back in 2017 not in 2021 , wake up AUDI it’s almost 2022
I can’t help but compare this to the RAV4 Prime, despite the RAV4 not being a luxury car. I care about reliability, and I think most of my concerns about Audi’s reliability would vanish if this was an EV.
If the q5 were a rebadged rav4 yes. But I’m not sure how reliable audis electronics are compared to Toyota
@@naveenthemachineI just mean that I think EVs are more modular in how their powertrains are built and there are much less moving parts. Their components are more expensive, but usually more reliable and easy to replace compared to a German engine where you have to disassemble everything to replace something. And EV parts will only get cheaper in the future.
How do you get only 19 EV miles from a 14 kWh battery? That’s 1.35 miles per kWh. How embarrassing. What’s the point?
I suspect they're not letting you use the full 14kW. But even if 70% of the battery is used, it's still pretty bad, especially considering that Tesla is getting 4mi/kWh. This is a compliance car, built for European cities where IC engines are restricted and to get EV credits in the US.
It’s not true. Audi underrates their EV ranges. I get closer to 3 miles per kWh (about 12ish kWh accessible) in 35-55mph commutes
I consistently get 27-28 EV miles from my Q5e
No one wants these premium cars that use premium gas, that will run you over $5+ a gallon regardless of being a hybrid or plug in.
Good SUV but just way too expensive. You can get SQ5 for $5k less. Or regular Q5 for $25k less. Not sure who will be buying these.
Sorry, no matter how fast or good handling, 27 mpg does not cut it...not when honda and toyota can better that by a lot for much less. Hell my cx30 avgs over 27 mpg!
CX30 is a different class, but you’re right about Honda and Toyota. Lower class vehicles with same size that still get 50% more range out of a gallon. You could argue that they are way slower, but overall this Q5 is too inefficient, because up until 5 years ago they didn’t even do research on hybrids
@@philippluklas I mean the RAV4 Prime does 0-60 in about 5.7 seconds
How is this being compared to Honda/Toyota? This should be compared to bmw/Merc, whose comparable vehicles have similar mpg. The bmw X3 plugin is much worse than this when battery is depleted. Also 27mpg (and the 19 mile range) is a very conservative estimate by Audi, in practice it's more as Alex said. I am also speaking from personal experience, leased this earlier this year
@@tejaskary it is comparable not because of marque or quality but because of similar size. As i said, 27 mpg avg for this size hybrid is dismal
@@philippluklas yes i know it is a diff class but i cited it as it is not too much smaller or lighter and given it is an ICE vehicle attainable with no hybridization, audi's hybridization of this vehicle makes a poor case.
Alex please ditch the music!
Michael
Only 19 miles electric range from 14.1 kWh usable battery capacity is disappointingly less efficient compared to other vehicles.
Q5 is too small.
Alex not everyone has a fuel mileage fetish just so you know...
So ppl just want good afforable cars
People buying hybrids are wanting better fuel milage, especially in the PHEV case where they are willing to plug it in to gain fuel milage.
Wait till you see what I say about the bolt…
@@AAutoBuyersGuide no need Alex, GM said enough - don't plug your Bolt in, it can catch fire.
"So ppl just want good afforable cars" -- Are you talking about Audi?
If you want good affordable cars you buy a Hyundai or Kia. Toyota’s and Honda’s are more expensive than them though
Hire a real designer and Change your logo and intro. It's annoyingly geeky
The materials in this vehicle look cheap and not luxurious to much plastic and no leather stitching on door panels and dashboard.
27 MPG is pathetic.
Thats just the gas engine without factoring in the battery/hybrid components. The average is much higher.
19 miles lol
Sponsored by audi it seems