2009 Audi Q5

Crossovers have been around for several years now, and the excitement has started to wear off a bit. We all know what crossovers are, and we've accepted them as just another vehicle on the road. But with Audi making a late entrance with its all new Q5, we can get excited again, and now the crossover party can really get started.

Built on the wheelbase of Audi's sports sedans and modeled after the larger Q7 SUV, the Q5 is a smaller vehicle with lots of interior space. James Polyefko, sales and leasing consultant with Phil Long Audi gave me the rundown on the Q5 and its array of equipment during a recent test drive.

With all the safety features and luxury gizmos and gadgets on the Q5, I wondered if new cars are trying to make us stupid and take away our driver instincts. Customers tell Polyefko the Q5 doesn't need all the gadgets; you can just enjoy it for the drive, he says. "Audi never takes away the driving experience," he assures me. "It's a driver's car."

Still, before I tell you about the driving experience in the Q5, let me tell you a little about all those features. The Q5 comes in three trim levels - Premium, Premium Plus and Prestige. The test vehicle was the mid-level Premium Plus, which adds to the already impressive list of standard features that includes leather seating surfaces, wood decorative inlays, three-zone climate control, twelve-way power front seats and aluminum roof rails with crossbars.

Upgrades on the Premium Plus include a panorama sunroof, Bluetooth capabilities, a power tailgate, driver's seat memory, HomeLink universal garage door opener, heated front seats and auto-dimming interior and outside mirrors. The Premium Plus also gets Audi symphony radio that features an AM/FM stereo with a six-disc in-dash CD player and an SD card slot with MP3 capability, and Audi Music Interface that allows you to connect your iPod and control it through the Q5's MMI controller.

The test vehicle was also equipped with the optional Audi MMI Navigation plus Package. The navigation system features a 7-inch, full-color LED screen and MMI control logic. The screen has four times the resolution of any nav screen on the market, says Polyefko.

The system gives you a 40-gigabyte hard drive instead of a disk, as well as topographic maps and real-time traffic to help you avoid rush hour snarls. The system will also play DVDs when the vehicle is in park.

There's also the Audi parking system with a rearview camera. The camera can help with backing into or out of a parking space and it can even help with parallel parking. "I've never seen a rear-view camera as good as ours," Polyefko says, adding, "And I've test driven a lot of cars."

Bluetooth capabilities allow you to sync your Bluetooth-enabled phone with the Q5. Voice controls let you access your phone book, make calls and control the navigation system without taking your hands off the steering wheel.

The huge panoramic sunroof opens above the front seats to a driving position - partway to reduce noise - or to a fully-open viewing position. The sunroof is fixed above the back seats but still lets the sun shine on every passenger in the car. A power sunshade can be stopped at any point to block those rays from some or all the people in the car.

The Q5 is the kind of vehicle to help combat a mid-life crisis. It's practical enough for parents, with plenty of room for kids, pets and gear. But it's still fun, with lots of power. And with it's good looks, it's not stodgy.

The Q5 sports a 3.2-liter V-6 engine, pumping out 270 horsepower. The six-speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly through the gears, but also offers Audi's Tiptronic transmission that allows you to switch to manual mode for more control.

The twists and turns of Ute Pass didn't slow the Q5 down one bit. The vehicle's five-link suspension keeps it flat and quick through the curves. Many people might not notice that during normal driving, Polyefko points out, but it helps keep the Q5 - and its passengers - safe in avoidance maneuvers.

Other safety features include an electronic stability program with rollover mitigation, a roof rack detection system and air bags all over the place. The electronic stability program employs the antilock braking system, electronic brakeforce distribution, electronic differential lock and antislip regulation to help the driver maintain control of the Q5 in adverse conditions.

The roof rack detection system - a class-leading standard feature, Polyefko says - adjusts driving dynamicrelevant parameters according to the center of gravity. In plain English, the system changes the vehicles handling capabilities to account for the higher profile of luggage on the roof, when you have the crossbars installed. It makes the stability control program kick in sooner in dangerous situations. Without crossbars installed, the system adjusts to allow for more animated driving.

The wide array of air bags in the Q5 consist of front airbags and seatmounted side air bags for the driver and front passenger and head protection air bags for all outboard occupants. Additional safety equipment includes the LATCH system, daytime running lights and a tire-pressure monitoring system.

The Q5 is built for the outdoor life, says Polyefko. With a 4,400 pound towing capacity, 220-pound crossbar capacity and 29.1 cubic feet of cargo volume - up to 57.3 with the second row of seats folded - you can bring along all your gear and supplies. And with Quattro all-wheel drive, the Q5 won't have any problem getting you to your destination.

Technical specifications:

Base price/As tested: $37,200/$45,325

Layout: Five-passenger crossover utility vehicle

Engine: 3.2-liter V-6

Horsepower: 270 @ 6,500 rpm

Torque: 243 foot-pounds @ 3,000 rpm

Drive system: Quattro permanent all-wheel drive

Transmission: Six-speed Tiptronic automatic

Brake system: Ventilated disk

Steering: Rack-and-pinion, with hydraulic power assist

Suspension: Independent five-link aluminum, front; independent trapezoidal-link, rear

Wheels: 18-inch alloy

Tires: 235/60R18 all-season

Wheelbase: 110.5 inches

Height: 65.1 inches

Length: 182.2 inches

Curb weight: 4,178 pounds

Cargo volume: 29.1 cubic feet

Fuel capacity: 19.8 gallons

Mileage: 18 mpg city/23 mpg highway