The 2025 Audi SQ5 is important, and it shows

I’m guilty of this, and you might be too: daily driver syndrome. Yea, you know it, don’t you? You have a nice car, the weekend ride – that gets all the love and money. But for a flurry of reasons, you can’t use it every day (some valid, some not). That means you need the opposite of that special car– practical, reliable, safe and boring.

Stop – this 2025 Audi SQ5 might be practical, reliable and safe, but it sure as hell ain’t boring.

The 2025 Audi SQ5 Overview

It’s no surprise that the family SUV has taken over as the preeminent family vehicle. The Grim Reaper came for station wagons long ago (though they are making a minor come back), and he’s now sunk his sickle into the sedan. So the Audi A4 – dead. In its place is the most important car in Audi’s lineup – this brand new SQ5.

BMW, Mercedes, and Audi – they all follow the same formula for their mid-size SUVs. Roomy enough for four adults. Plenty of cargo space. An uninspiring but efficient base motor. Handsome if unremarkable good looks. Yea – they all copy each other’s homework. But lucky for us, that extends to the performance variants of these mid-sizers.

By adding an S in front of the Q, you get some things that were the stuff of exotic cars a decade ago. Sport adaptive air suspension. Dual-clutch transmission. A turbocharged V-6. Famous Quattro all-wheel drive. It has the potential to be fun, but the last gen SQ5 was merely good – not as hardcore as the X3 M40i. It would dance, just never actually put you in the mood to do so. Fun fact: Audi is selling the old car alongside this one for 2025, if you’re into that sort of thing.

But the SQ5 you see on this very page is all new and ready to battle the other Germans for supremacy. Has Audi gotten the blend of performance and sport perfect this time around?

Performance Score: 9. Mirror, mirror

I’ve always felt that those special weekend cars need to leave you feeling a little sore and tired once you get out – you gotta drive that thing bro. Beat it into submission.

A daily should be more relaxed, yes, but with technology as advanced as it’s become, can we maybe get the best of both words?

Engine

Tough one here. This is Audi’s 3-liter turbocharged V-6, and it’s carried over from the last gen model. Thankfully it stuck out its arm and said “hit me with the good stuff”, so Audi upped the horsepower to 369, and the torque to 406.

You feel the difference. This is a sweet, punchy motor that has the ability to kick you in the butt any time you plant your foot on the throttle. It loves to rev, and when combined with the awesome seven-speed DCT, will play pantomime of your weekend ride with extreme precision. There’s also a fun little snorty roar in sport mode, enough to make pedestrians jump-scare as they walk by.

Wish I could say I was sorry, people of Roosevelt Island. 

But here comes the but – the B58 in the X3. It’s simply that much smoother, that much more powerful (393 horsepower, and it’s underrated). The difference is noticeable if you’ve driven them both closely together.

However, the rest of the SQ5 paints such a compelling picture that it’s easy to forget about the missing power – especially because this V-6 is still such a sweet piece. 

Transmission

From here on out, I’d say the Audi is on par or in some cases better than the competition. And this seven-speed DCT is the perfect example.

It’s smooth and calming on normal drives – feels like an automatic aside from the rolling in park that all dual-clutch transmissions exhibit. But put the car in sport mode and hit those paddle shifters – whooooo. Easy to get into a rhythm as you dip through turns, the trans always ready with the next gear in a snap. The ZF eight-speed in others is an excellent option, but this DCT is just that much quicker in its responses.

Quattro works in an imperceptible manner with this DCT, helping to pull you out of corners. It did rain while I had this car, but I never felt even a slip of a wheel.

The logic for the shifter is okay – just slide it forward or back to engage drive or reverse, its low profile keeping it out of the way.

Steering and Chassis

THIS is where it’s at for the SQ5.

Oftentimes, larger SUVs will have an air suspension that raises or lowers the car, usually for ease of egress and off-road ability. But Audi installed one on the last generation SQ5 and ports it over to this new one. You can adjust the height yourself via the screen, or let the car decide based on your drive mode.

In short it works extremely well, riding better than the BMW while keeping the body much flatter through corners than the GLC can muster. Zooming around on 21-inch summer rubber, there’s minimal body roll and the chassis is extremely adept at changing direction quickly. Credit must also go to the steering, which is direct and very precise, offering the perfect balance between effort and lightness.

When not pretending to be Max Verstappan, the SQ5’s ride becomes serene and rivals a Lexus. No poking at drive modes, the air suspension has you. 

Brakes

Fast cars need brakes that work, and the SQ5’s does. Red calipers poke out from behind multi-spoke wheels and offer a firm pedal – pretty much what you need. This is still a 4,300-pound SUV, so forget about track days. And hey – caliper covers that don’t show the pad clips would be appreciated for the price. 

Lifestyle Score: 8. Perfectly-sized

To go along with this SQ 5, Audi has also released a Sportback variant. It’s like an X4, and I suppose it’s a prerequisite for living in this market segment. But because it exists, Audi allows the regular version you see here to be more practical. 

The SQ5 is within an inch or two of the X3 in every dimension, and it’s just as comfortable inside. The front seats are somewhat thinly-padded but supportive enough – you might wish for more in high-G maneuvers.  The arm rest is also a little low for taller drivers like me.

The back seat is spacious enough for a family of four, unless you gave birth to an NFL lineman. Nappa leather feels nice too – I dig the quilted pattern and contrast stitching. Sun shades and separate HVAC controls will make the children happy.

No issues with trunk space either – this car is so close to its rivals in size that there’s no reason to pick one over the other based on dimensions alone.

Fuel Economy: 3. Gears and batteries

I will now mention the SQ5’s specific curb weight of 4,310 pounds. Why? Because it’s about 200 less than the X3 M50. That’s good.

What is the cause of this? Perhaps it’s the mild hybrid approach that BMW has taken by sandwiching a battery pack between the engine and transmission. The result: 27 combined MPG. That’s bad – for the Audi.

They forgo the battery pack and suffer for it, despite the lower weight. With one less gear in its transmission, it can only muster 22 combined MPG. Five miles is a lot for a car that costs the same, is the same size, and has less power.

To put it another way, that extra five miles per gallon will take you an extra 7,200 miles over the course of a 36-month lease.

Features and Comfort: 8. Going backwards

For your $74,740, you will get quite a lot of Audi. But does it feel like a $74,740 car? Well…

Alcantara, leather, and what’s better

Like a disappointed dad, I can only frown when I sit inside this SQ5. It seems very nice at first – Alcantara on the doors, big screens, lots of ambient lighting. It feels like Audi.

But once you start to use things, it becomes obvious that like the X3, Audi skimped on materials. Plastic feels cheap to the touch, and the nicer materials seem to end abruptly as soon as they leave your line of sight. Even the airbag cover on the steering wheel  – am I in a Golf?

The other big sticking point is the second display in front of the passenger. Why is it here? It shows infotainment items and can be customized (thankfully it does not show current speed), but the passenger can easily access the main controls anyway. And what lunatic passenger would just change the music without consulting the driver? 

When no one is in the seat, it just shows some generic lines that are meant to look modern and nice but ends up being nothing. 

Everything you need is here – from a gigantic sunroof to automatic everything and multiple driving aids. Audi’s infotainment system works well. It’s simply a bit cheap in here, a sin that seems to be spreading.

50 shades of grey

Why Grey, Audi? Gotta be the worst press car color because it hides car lines and blends into everything. Luckily, there are seven other colors aside from this Daytona Gray Pearl, and all aside from White are a $595 option.

*Cough. Ultra Blue Metallic. Cough*

The SQ5 has some cool features on the outside, from three-dimensional tail lights to a light bar that ignites the word QUATTRO at night. Dig the black trim and badging too.

The styling itself is Audi for sure, but feels more generic than the last generation. The sharpness has given way to rounded and smooth. I get it – no big risks on the cash cow, and the styling is pleasant enough. But I’d want my brand new, just-came-out $75k Audi to look brand new.

Other SUVs to consider

• 2025 BMW X3 M50
• 2024 Mercedes AMG GLC43
• 2021 Audi SQ5
• 2022 BMW X3 M40i vs the X3 M
• 2022 BMW X3 M Competition
• 2025 Volvo XC60 T8 Polestar Engineered

The 2025 Audi SQ5 has it where it counts

Audi is in trouble. Big trouble. Sales have fallen, tariffs are here, products are aging out. The outlook isn’t rosy.

But Audi isn’t like Volvo – they have the resources to get themselves out of the doldrums, and the best way to do it is by making products that people actually want. I know, duh, but how many cars are made that don’t live up to that lofty standard?

So the SQ5 is really important for them, because it’s the first of a new design wave that they hope will save them. Yea, it’s not as nice as it used to be inside. And the fuel economy isn’t as good as some competitors. And the shape is all a bit generic.

Doesn’t matter.

Try this one if you’re in the market. I would, if I didn’t just sign up for a lease. The SQ5 is such an enjoyable drive – makes you feel like you’re actually a part of the machine, which is something that sometimes sports cars don’t even get right. 

I think daily drivers say more about people than their special weekend rides do. You want to drive every day, not just some days. And if I see you in one of these, then I already know one thing.

You have excellent automotive taste.