Car companies foreign and domestic have learned that the best way to
stumble in this market is to design and market a station wagon, no
matter how practical, sporty or affordable. (Make an exception for
Subaru and its wagon fanatics.) The best way to succeed is to offer a
decadent, overweight would-be S.U.V. that looks bulky and capable but
is mostly used for mall reconnaissance; even a weekend trip with two
parents and two children can overwhelm the cargo-carrying ability of
the typical downsized, do-little luxury crossover.
The Dodge Magnum
and Mazda 6 wagon are two recent examples of conventional wagons that
critics loved and consumers rejected. (Don't hold your breath waiting
for either brand to try again.) Even among import brands where you'd
expect die-hard wagonistas to be lurking, crossovers threaten to snuff
their more carlike siblings: Audi sold nearly 21,000 of its big Q7
crossover in 2007, compared with barely 2,800 of its sprightly A4 Avant
wagon and just 758 of the larger A6 wagon.
Even after the economy tanked in 2008, the BMW
X3 crossover outsold the hotter-performing, higher-mileage 3 Series
wagon by better than 10 to 1. BMW sold just 1,553 of those wagons last
year, which actually looks good against the insignificant 175 annual
sales - figure 15 a month nationwide - for Audi's high-performance S4
wagon. Even Volvo's wagon sales were halved when it introduced its XC90
crossover.
All this is not to pick on the new Audi Q5. Stowing my own pro-wagon
prejudices, I found the Q5 the most compelling small luxury crossover
I've driven.
Compared with the 5,300-pound Q7, the 4,200-pound Q5 is far less of
a walrus on wheels. At 182.2 inches long, the Audi matches the Volvo
XC60 and Toyota RAV4,
and it's a foot shorter than big family sedans like the Honda Accord,
making it relatively useful in tight parking lots and urban maneuvers.
The dimensions may be trimmer, yet the Q5 cuts no corners on luxury,
performance or features. The owner is making a clear statement: I could
have leased a Range Rover, and don't you forget it. As such, the Audi
seems aimed at affluent singles, young couples and empty-nesters.
Parents who haven't blown the budget on a designer stroller can apply,
but two fast-growing children can quickly tax the available real
estate.
I'd say that the cabin is straight from the Audi corporate parts
bin, but in this case it's a corporate jewel box: there is rich wood,
gleaming metal trim, a beautifully tactile steering wheel, comfortable
seats and finely wrought gauges and switches. Like its sister cars from
Ingolstadt, the Q5 effortlessly blends form and function.
As I admired the interior, I was struck again by how Audi has become
the Apple of luxury cars: its sleek designs are modern and minimal,
consistent and familiar. Yet like a Mac, the cars are functionally
elegant in a way that lets owners feel they're making a purely rational
choice even as they spend a bit more.
The Q5 is the first Audi with the latest Multi Media Interface, or
M.M.I., a screen-based system that controls the function of the
navigation, audio, climate and other systems. M.M.I. 3.0 has added more
functionality and sharper graphics to what was already among the
industry's most sophisticated controllers. Call up climate settings,
and a transparent temperature readout overlays the navigation map or
audio screen. In other words, you can view two layers of information,
one atop the other, akin to the futuristic screens in Steven Spielberg's "Minority Report."
Frivolous? Perhaps, but it's the kind of thing that sells luxury
cars. And try this: twiddling the console-mounted M.M.I. knob - it now
functions as a joystick, too - lets you preview the songs, programs and
artists playing on every satellite radio station, without having to
change the channel until a title catches your eye. That's a terrific
advance: who wants to plow by trial-and-error through more than 100
satellite stations? The iPod integration is flawless, and your pet
sounds are lovingly rendered by an optional Bang & Olufsen stereo
with 505 watts and 14 speakers.
The navigation system adds 3D topography, including recognizable
buildings in larger cities. It recognizes simple voice commands like
"I'm hungry" or "I need gas" and calls up nearby destinations to
satisfy those requests.
The Q5 also addresses details that elude some luxury brands. The
elegant clamshell hatch - no unsightly hatch seam dissects the
taillights - requires more precise manufacturing than a conventional
liftgate. The clamshell creates not just a smoother appearance but the
largest possible opening. The rear seat slides fore and aft, and a
center section folds so you can carry larger items.
The only real dismay from the interior comes from the center console's miniature bin and scant front-seat storage.
