On Technology

If you're searching for a car with some of the most advanced gadgetry and state of the art technology, the Audi Q5 should be near the top of your list. That's my conclusion after spending a week with this superb 2010 model. The Q5 is Audi's luxury compact SUV that's built on the A4 platform. Its higher center of gravity provides the driver with a commanding view while still retaining the sports car performance that the Audi A4 is known for.

No matter how many features a product has, if you can't figure out how to use them, they're not very useful. But Audi has that covered as well: The Q5 is the first Audi model to get a new generation of its Multi-Media Interface system (MMI), an advanced user interface for controlling many of the car's multimedia, communications and operations.

There are two color LCD displays, one about the size of the iPhone's display, located directly in front of the driver, between the speedometer and tachometer dials on the instrument panel. A second seven-inch screen with a very high resolution for its size (800 x 480 pixels), located on the center of the dash, is used to display GPS maps, as well as audio, phone and setup menus. Both screens, with LED backlighting, are brilliant and easy to read, with bright crisp text, better than what you'll find on some notebooks.

On the center console between the two seats is the MMI joystick that can rotate and move in eight directions. Four buttons surround the stick. These activate the commands appearing on the four corners of the large screen. On either side of the joystick are more buttons that select the mode: navigation, radio, auxiliary, phone, setup, etc. It took me a few days to get used to the buttons and controls, but once I did, the system became quite easy to use. Many of the selections, such as radio stations also appear on the small screen; tuning and volume are controlled by two convenient scroll buttons on the steering wheel. The small screen also displays information such as time, date, alerts and status.

The test car was equipped with Audi's Drive Select system, an option that transforms the Q5's ride from a more comfy sedan to a sports-car-like ride. Pushing a button alters the throttle's response, steering sensitivity and transmission shift points. While beneficial, the Q5 performed so well at all settings, I would not consider it to be a must have. The interior is exceptionally well finished with high quality materials tastefully done. My only preference would be to tone down the distracting bright chrome bezels surrounding some of the screens and dials. At night the controls are clearly labeled with red illumination much like an airline cockpit. The seats are exceptionally comfortable, even on long trips.

One of the most impressive technology features is Audi's GPS system. It uses a 40 GB hard drive to store a huge amount of GPS information and an NVIDIA chip to create its screen graphics. That allows Audi to provide some of the best map displays found on any car. In its 3D mode, hills and canyons are shaded and appear almost photo-realistic. Three-dimensional buildings are shown in some cities, much like Google Earth. The GPS also shows traffic alerts, listing accidents in a separate pop-up window. But there's no mode that allows the screen to be turned off.

The Q5 has an elaborate system for playing music from portable devices, specifically iPods and iPhones. Several cables are provided to connect different devices to a plug in the glove compartment. When I plugged in an iPod Touch the song titles quickly appeared on the main screen. You can scroll down the list to play a song or album and adjust volume using the scroll buttons. Because there's' no direct auxiliary input you can't run other audio apps through the car's audio such as Internet radio stations. I was able to pair a phone to the in-car Bluetooth and the contacts quickly appeared on the center screen. Dialing can also be done from the steering wheel.

And there's more. There are two SD memory slots for storing songs directly onto the hard drive. A clever parking system uses the back-up camera and sensors on both the front and back bumpers to guide you into parking spaces and help navigate, both backing up and going forward. There's a digital compass in the rear view mirror, a storage tray for a phone, although not in direct sight, two nine-volt power plugs, and retracting side view mirrors for moving into tight spots. The hand brake is activated using a simple electronic button, no pedals or levers. There's a hill descent system that automatically applies braking as needed to maintain a constant speed, whether going forward or backward on a hill. The only anachronistic element is an ashtray front and center that would be more useful as a holder for phones or coins.

The Audi model I tested is a 2010 Audi Q5 3.2 Quattro Tiptronic with a base price of $37,200. The premium plus package ($4,300) adds a panoramic sunroof that spans much of the roof, advanced LED headlights and taillights, power folding mirrors, the iPod interface and CD player. The navigation system, auto parking and rear camera add another $3,000, and the Audi Drive Select an additional $2,950. Sticker price with destination charge is $48,275. There's an additional prestige option package available that includes a blind spot detection system, a B&O audio system, keyless entry and more. For a car so advanced, Audi should offer keyless entry on the basic model.

Mileage is rated at 23 highway/18 city. During my week of driving, including a trip to Northern California, I averaged 23 mpg overall. In short, the Audi Q5 offers a terrific balance of comfort, safety, storage space, and economy in a great looking, fun-to-drive SUV, equipped with the latest technology.