2012 Audi Q5 Interior Design, Dimensions, and Comfort
The 2012 Audi Q5 presents us with a calm and collected interior setup– one that focuses on comfort and luxury rather than sportiness and aggression. It even blends utility in the mix. There are physical buttons and dials placed comfortably within the driver’s reach and the overall layout is quite ergonomic. The dash has a pretty attractive design, which encloses the infotainment screen seamlessly. Below it, you will find the AC vents and a plethora of physical controls and buttons. The decision to use minimal hard plastics also makes this interior all the more exciting to be in.
The Q5 comes with leather seating surfaces along with some pretty decorative interior trims and accents in multiple colors. The air vents are surrounded by aluminum trim, while the inlays feature walnut wood. Other than these, you will also find a leather gear shifter material and a beautiful leather-wrapped steering wheel. The Prestige trim also includes S-line emblems on the door sills for added pizzazz, and it also includes a perforated leather gear shifter. When it comes to optional packages, you can add the Luxury package which will add premium Milano leather seats for even more opulence.
The base trim features 12-way power-adjustable front seats with 4-way power lumbar support. Upgrading to the Premium Plus adds heated front seats and driver's seat memory. However, if you want ventilated front seats, you would have to add the Luxury package. The seats, as you might have guessed, are pretty comfortable and also supportive. Even during spirited driving, they well keep you in place. Moreover, the all-around visibility is great, thanks to the thin pillars.
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Models
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2012 Audi Q5
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2012 BMW X3
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2012 Mercedes-Benz GLK 350
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2012 Volvo XC60
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Seating Capacity
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5
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5
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5
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5
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Total Passenger Volume (cubic feet)
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101.5
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N/A
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N/A
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99.0
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Front Row (headroom/shoulder room/legroom) (in)
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39.4/57.7/41.0
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40.7/57.3/39.9
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39.8/55.2/41.4
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38.0/56.7/41.2
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Second Row (headroom/shoulder room/legroom) (in)
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39.0/56.4/37.4
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39.1/56.0/39.1
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39.7/55.4/35.1
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38.1/55.2/36.4
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The interior space is quite impressive inside the Q5. Of course, the front row offers acres of space for occupants of any size, but the rear row, too, has plenty of room. Granted, the legroom takes a hit as compared to the front row, but it’s enough to even let tall passengers sit in comfort. Headroom is excellent for both the front and rear row.
2012 Audi Q5 Infotainment
The 2012 Q5 features a small color display at the center of the dashboard that runs on Audi’s MMI system. The Prestige trim also includes the Audi MMI Navigation Plus package as standard, which, as the name suggests, includes navigation and it also offers you a color driver info display. The system is decent and should perform most of your daily tasks effortlessly. The MMI Navigation Plus package can also be added to the Premium and Premium Plus trims for extra cash.
The base trim comes with features such as AM/FM radio, MP3 player, CD player, Sirius satellite radio with 3 months of complimentary service, SD card slot w/ 32 GB capacity, aux jack, and MMI Concert radio plus. The Prestige trim comes with HDD navigation with voice control, an MMI control panel, an HD radio, and more. The Premium and Premium Plus trims come with a 180W 10-speaker audio system, which is decent. However, the real showstopper is the Bang & Olufsen 505W 14-speaker sound system which comes standard with the Prestige trim.
2012 Audi Q5 Cargo Capacity
Behind the rear seats, the 2012 Q5 offers 29.1 cubic feet of cargo volume, which is a pretty good figure. It can quite easily accommodate an entire family’s luggage for a trip or vacation including items like golf clubs, skis, or camping gear. Moreover, knocking the 40/20/40-split seats down, the capacity expands to 57.3 cubic feet. Evidently, the Q5 offers excellent practicality, which is yet another reason for its popularity.
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Model
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2012 Audi Q5
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2012 BMW X3
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2012 Mercedes-Benz GLK 350
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2012 Volvo XC60
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Standard Cargo Capacity (cubic feet)
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29.1
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19.4
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23.3
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30.8
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Maximum Cargo Capacity (cubic feet)
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57.3
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56.5
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54.7
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67.4
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The XC90 offers the most standard cargo capacity, barely beating the Q5. However, with all the seats down, the Swedish SUV beats all the other German SUVs by a significant margin. That being said, the Q5 is no slouch when it comes to cargo capacity either. On the contrary, both the GLK and X3 struggle in terms of practicality.
Additional Interior Storage Spaces
The interior storage solutions are also decent in the 2012 Q5. A pair of cupholders are provided for both the front and the rear row, and the Prestige trim includes temperature-controlled cupholders. The door pockets are deep and wide, while the glovebox is also pretty sizable. You can also find a center console armrest storage and some other small cubbies throughout the cabin.
2012 Audi Q5 Creature Comforts
The Premium trim of the Q5 offers an impressive list of creature comforts. It includes power-adjustable front seats with power lumbar support, leather upholstery, leather steering wheel, driver information system, 3-zone climate control, manual tilt and telescoping steering column, and more.
The Premium Plus adds heated front seats, driver seat memory, HomeLink 3-channel remote transmitter, auto-dimming mirrors, and a few other upgrades. The top-of-the-line Prestige trim comes with Audi advanced key, temperature-controlled cupholders, navigation, and more.
Final Verdict
The Q5 is the most popular Audi in the United States, and not without reason. Not only does it offer exceptional practicality, comfort, and luxury; but it also doesn’t cost astronomically high. It is an excellent mid-size luxury SUV with an upscale interior and a decent infotainment system. It can even hold quite a bit of cargo. All this makes the 2012 Audi Q5 a massive success in our books.
