CORNWALL, N.Y. — Some costs are worth it. It is a truth that becomes reality when you spend money on a vehicle for something other than prestige and style. You spend it for value and performance. If prestige and style happen to come along, so much the better.
That serendipitous combination is what you get when you buy the 2015 Audi Q5 TDI Quattro, Prestige edition. The diesel-powered Q5 will cost you about $8,000 more than gasoline-fueled versions of that model, but I think it is worth it.
The easiest rationale for that assessment is fuel economy. Diesel engines are about 30 percent more fuel-efficient than their gasoline counterparts. Translated, that means about 24 miles per gallon in the city and 31 on the highway for the Q5 TDI, not bad for a luxury compact crossover-utility vehicle.
But let’s face it: You can buy a lot of gasoline with the Q5 TDI’s $8,000 cost premium. You’ll be on the road a long time before you make up that money in gasoline-purchase savings. So fuel economy isn’t the primary reason for buying this one.
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What, then?
The answer is torque, lots and lots of constant, smoothly delivered, drive-wheel-twisting power, a maximum 428 pound-feet of it in this case. Too often in automotive journalism, we extol horsepower — the rate at which work is done, originally used to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses — at the expense of torque, the actual work product.
Your appreciation of torque increases with snowfalls, such as the blizzard amounts that blanketed Boston and the Hudson Valley here in recent weeks. All the horsepower in the world won’t get you safely through that mess. You need good tires, all-wheel drive, and the torque to keep those wheels and tires moving and digging through the snow.
You get all of that with the Q5 TDI. And the funny thing is, after the passage of each snow-covered mile, you are far less concerned about the prestige and looks of what you are driving than you are about getting home and hoping that the overnight snowfall is so deep and heavy, there will be no need for you to venture forth the next day. Indeed, if you are lucky, government officials will have issued a stay-off-the-road order, which we should do anyway in bad winter weather, regardless of the type of vehicle available for use.
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But, hey, the weather isn’t always bad. And the Q5 TDI is a wonderful fair-weather friend. Build quality is impeccable, and best appreciated in the vehicle’s cabin, where we spend most of our time on the road. Supple, leather-covered seating surfaces increase comfort. Fine-grain ash inlays enhance the feeling of luxury.
And it was nice to be driving this one just before the Grammy Awards weekend. My oldest daughter, Binta, is an entertainment lawyer. She plays and constantly surrounds herself with music. Grammy season meant nearly round-the-clock listening to musicians, some of them her clients, whom I never heard of and never would have listened to on my own.
The optional Bang & Olufsen sound system ($850) in the Q5 TDI greatly aided in that endeavor. Good sound systems have a way of unveiling artistic fakers and genuine music makers. Katy Perry didn’t fare well. Sam Smith did.
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I have a few complaints about the Q5. The onboard navigation system isn’t one of the best. (The system in my LG G3 smartphone is much more intuitive, and it works better. I figure that Audi and other vehicle manufacturers eventually will realize that it makes more sense to outfit their cars and trucks with smartphone docking portals than it does to install quickly outdated onboard navigation systems. Here’s hoping, anyway.)
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2015 Audi Q5 TDI
Bottom line:The 2015 Audi Q5 TDI is worth the price, which isn't saying the cost should not be reduced if at all possible. You can start by understanding that the Q5 is offered in seven overall trim levels with varied price tags. The gasoline models are the most affordable, beginning at about $39,000 for the 2.0 TFSI Premium, moving up to the 2.0 TSFI Premium Plus, 3.0 TSFI Premium Plus, 3.0 TSFI Prestige, 3.0 TDI Premium Plus, 3.0 TDI Prestige and 2.0 Hybrid Prestige. There also is a high-performance Audi SQ5 with a starting price of nearly $58,000.
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Ride, acceleration and handling: It gets very good marks in all three.
Head-turning quotient: It looks and feels affluent.
Body style/layout: The 2015 Audi Q5 TDI Quattro is an entry-level luxury compact crossover-utility vehicle (previously known as station wagon), with all-wheel drive and four side doors. The body is galvanized steel with aluminum hood and tailgate. There are three TDI trim levels — Premium, Premium Plus and Prestige.
Q5 TDI engine and transmission: It comes standard with a 3-liter, 24-valve turbocharged (forced air) six-cylinder diesel engine delivering 240 horsepower and 428 pound-feet of torque. The engine is linked to an eight-speed automatic transmission that can be operated manually.
Capacities: Seating is for five people. Cargo capacity is 29.1 cubic feet with rear seats up and 57.3 cubic feet with rear seats folded. The fuel tank holds 19.8 gallons; ultra-low-sulfur diesel (15 parts sulfur per million) is required. The Q5 TDI can be equipped to tow a trailer weighing 4,400 pounds.
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Mileage: Following speed limits has practical value for fuel economy. Using that method, I actually averaged 35 miles per gallon on the highway in the Q5 TDI.
Safety: Standard equipment includes front and rear ventilated disc brakes, four-wheel anti-lock brake protection, emergency braking assistance, emergency braking preparation, and automatic brake drying.
Price: The 2015 Audi Q5 3.0 TDI Quattro starts at $47,500, with an estimated dealer's invoice price of $44,500. Price as tested is $52,775, including $4,850 in options (technology package with onboard navigation, and other items) and a $925 factory-to-dealer shipment charge.
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