Audi Q5 review - MPG, running costs & CO2

One petrol, one diesel and one plug-in hybrid option are offered in the latest Audi Q5, and there’s also a more powerful 336bhp diesel engine offered in the Audi SQ5. Those who make frequent long journeys are likely to find the 40 TDI diesel most suitable, while drivers who cover a low annual mileage or want a sportier SUV may find the 45 TFSI petrol better fits their needs. Unusually, the 40 TDI is a little cheaper than the 45 TFSI to the tune of a set of floor mats, so there’s no up-front penalty for picking the diesel as there might have been in the past. The 50 TFSI e plug-in hybrid will appeal to those who make frequent short trips.

Audi Q5 MPG & CO2

The 2.0-litre diesel can manage a respectable 44.1mpg at best, which is all the more impressive considering the Q5’s standard spec includes quattro four-wheel-drive and a seven-speed automatic gearbox. This figure is for a car fitted with 18-inch alloy wheels, however, and the figure drops slightly when 19 to  21-inch wheels are fitted. Depending on wheel choice, CO2 emissions range from 167g/km to 184g/km of CO2, which means the diesel Q5 falls into the highest Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) company-car tax bands but avoids the highest VED vehicle tax rates.

The 2.0-litre petrol engine returns 33.2mpg in Sport trim and its 194-209g/km CO2 emissions place it in the top BiK company car tax category. It's quite a bit faster than the diesel, though, and running costs are similar to the even quicker and more expensive SQ5.

The combination of a 2.0-litre petrol engine, electric motor and a battery makes the plug-in hybrid Q5 potentially very efficient. According to official figures the 50 TFSI e can manage up to 188.3mpg and emits 35-41g/km of CO2, slashing the cost of Benefit-in-Kind taxation for company-car drivers.

Of course, just like all PHEVs, the actual fuel economy figure you manage will depend on how much of the time the car is running on electricity (which in turn depends on how often you’re able to plug it in) and how much the petrol engine is required. From a full charge, the plug-in hybrid Q5 model can travel on electricity for around 36-38 miles, which will cover the daily commute for many people.

However, with an impressive amount of performance on tap it’s likely many TFSI e drivers will be tempted to use up the battery reserves without worrying too much about efficiency. In that case, you can expect a significantly lower electric-only range and to use more petrol because driving with a depleted battery could see the fuel efficiency figure tumble to less than 40mpg. Charging from a 7kW home wallbox takes around 2.5 hours, increasing to seven for a three-pin plug.

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The Audi Q5 starts from over £40,000, so an extra surcharge is payable the first five times your road fund licence is up for renewal – this additional annual bill of more than £500 (taking a 40 TDI to over £700 a year) drops to the standard rate from the sixth year onwards. All post-2020 models qualify for the slightly discounted rate of tax, as all petrol and diesel versions feature mild-hybrid technology.

Insurance groups

The 2.0-litre diesel and petrol Q5 both sit in insurance group 31 out of 50, while the plug-in hybrid TFSI e is more expensive to insure in groups 40 and 41. Audi hasn’t confirmed insurance groups for the very latest SQ5 yet, but the outgoing model started from group 45, so expect higher costs.

Warranty

One thing that doesn’t look set to change any time soon is Audi’s slightly measly warranty. While BMW and Mercedes provide a three-year/unlimited-mileage guarantee with all their cars, Audi makes you settle for the same three years, but with the unwelcome addition of a 60,000-mile cap in that time.

Servicing

Maintaining the new Q5 shouldn’t be eye-wateringly expensive, and Audi’s fixed-price servicing offers are reasonably priced. Expect replacement tyres for those big SUV wheels to be pretty expensive, though.