2021 Audi Q5
- Multi-year Kelley Blue Book Best Buy award winner
- High-quality fit and finish
- Choice of powertrains, including plug-in hybrid
- Updated for 2021 with new features
- Pricing starts at $43,300 (plus $1,095 destination)
For the fourth year in a row, the Audi Q5 takes the crown as the Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Award winner among compact luxury SUVs.
What’s the secret behind the Q5’s winning ways? If we could reduce that answer to one word, it would be “balance.” If we could use a few more words, it would be that the 2021 Audi Q5 simply does everything right and has the goods to satisfy a wide variety of buyers.
Whether you desire innovative technology, great safety systems, or all-around practicality – all awash in the premium experience expected in an Audi – the Q5 delivers.
Making the best even better
The 5-passenger Q5 has been a consistent Best Buy winner, but it hasn’t rested on its laurels. Thanks to an update for 2021, the Audi Q5 is better than ever. It has freshened exterior aesthetics, yet retains its overall handsome and contemporary design that will hold up well in the ensuing years. For more stylistic flair, there’s a Sportback variant that is new for 2021. Inside, the Q5 boasts even better technology, and further attention to detail such as contrast stitching.
On the powertrain front, the 2021 Audi Q5 offers three engine choices. The Q5’s standard 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder is now more powerful and more efficient thanks to its mild-hybrid system. For buyers seeking even greater efficiency, there’s a plug-in hybrid variant that can travel nearly 20 miles on electricity alone and earns 50 MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent). And for Q5 drivers craving performance, the SQ5 remains a tempting choice with its turbocharged V6.
Tech powerhouse
Audi and technology have long gone hand in hand, and the Q5 is a fine showcase. For example, once you’ve experienced its optional Virtual Cockpit all-digital driver display with Google satellite navigation, it’s hard to go back. This has been trickling into Audis for years now, yet it still feels like the future.
For 2021, all Q5 models now include a larger 10.1-inch touchscreen that crisply displays infotainment features such as audio, navigation, and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto functionality.
On the safety front, the Q5 comes with a system that can warn of a frontal collision and automatically apply the brakes. Optional driver-assist features include a lane-keeping system and adaptive cruise control.
Premium features, premium feel
The Q5 is also a cut above competitors with regard to its interior features. For example, it has standard leather upholstery, along with tri-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, blind-spot monitoring, and a newly standard integrated toll module.
The Q5 is known for top-rate fit and finish, and the controls have details like knurled knobs and the appeal of walnut wood inlays.
Thoughtful options make the 2021 Audi Q5 even more enticing. For example, how about not only heated and cooled seats, but heated and cooled cupholders? And the Q5 is available with a Bang & Olufsen high-end audio system – a great option if you love music as much as we do.
With a starting price of just over $43,000, the Q5 is a solid buy for a 5-passenger German luxury SUV, especially one that comes standard with AWD. Even a well-equipped model that tops $60,000 brings a lot to the table. The Q5’s value proposition is further sweetened by its history of strong resale value.
More 2021 Audi Q5
Build and price your own 2021 Audi Q5 to see this week’s Fair Purchase Price, 5-Year Cost to Own, and more, or check out the Q5 models for sale today at dealers near you.
