Over the course of a long-term test, you get a better feel for the more complete ownership experience, and have a greater chance to encounter any common failures or defects, but with a young family and busy schedule, I invariably start to move into the car and keep all our necessities ready and waiting and it becomes our car. With the Audi SQ5, it was my kids that got incredibly possessive and started making plans on how we would buy this car when the test was over. Clearly I have done something wrong with these children since they failed to appreciate the clear superiority of the Audi RS 6 Avant we drove just months prior. Heresy!

The Q5’s four-cylinder turbo has an entirely adequate 261 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque, and my previous drives in that trim demonstrated a smooth, composed ride. The SQ5 adds power to spare, 349 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, not the most powerful in the segment (and Audi skips the ballistic compact crossover niche that the X3M and GLC 63 AMG claim), but 5 seconds to 100 km/h is plenty quick. In normal driving mode, the eight-speed automatic transmission is relatively docile and seamless in almost every situation, but in some low-speed maneuvers, sometimes backing up or slowing down for a traffic light and then taking off before a full stop, it will take an extra second or two to get in the right gear. Switch to Dynamic mode and Sport transmission mode and the powertrain reacts quicker and holds gears longer to get into the heart of the power and feels like this is how the vehicle was meant to be driven, matched by quick, precise steering. This SQ5 was equipped with the “Sound Enhancing Exhaust” that gave the little crossover a badass growl that turned heads and garnered numerous compliments, but it’s a spendy option at $1,800.

The one aspect of the SQ5’s performance that disappointed me was its suspension. Yes, my tastes do run more towards the sport end of the spectrum, but this is the S in the Q5 lineup, and although the suspension was firm and sporty, it still rode quite high, so it displayed significant body roll when doing quick changes of direction and during more aggressive cornering. A variable height air suspension is available (the $3,750 Dynamic Package also adds torque-vectoring Sport differential) to complement the multilink suspension and adaptive damping, and that is just what this car needs to complete the handling variable of the performance equation. Stay tuned for an upcoming SQ5 vs BMW X3 comparison with that air suspension to find out if it helps the SQ5 take the handling crown.

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