Family CAR REVIEW: 2023 Audi Q5

How big is the boot of the 2023 Audi Q5?

The Audi Q5 has a generous-size boot for families. From empty, fourteen shopping bags will fit in the boot of the Audi Q5, which is comparable to the BMW X3, Genesis GV70 and Porsche Macan, which all hold thirteen shopping bags.

The Jiffle Wagon 6-in-1 pram with its seat fits in the boot of the Audi Q5 with four shopping bags.

The Jiffle Wagon 6-in-1 cart fits in the boot with eight shopping bags, and the Jiffle wagon holds up to 60kg of cargo inside the wagon too.

The boot space and its functionality are really important. I like to have a big boot space and little side wells or areas I can divide things into. So something I don’t want to move around while I’m driving such as Bub’s lunch bag or her wet swimming gear can be sectioned off in a little well where it’s not going to spill or get squashed by the rest of the things in the boot.

Hooks for securing shopping bags to are also favourites of mine, I like being able to secure the bag containing more fragile things like eggs so they don’t move around on the journey.

I measure the boot space in freezer shopping bags, prams and dogs. Not because I think all there is to a mum’s life is food shopping, prams and dogs. (Although it can feel like it sometimes!!) But because these are visually mesurable items we can all associate with. For me, the car company boot measurement of litres is not an amount I can easily visualise and 400L in one car may differ in usability to that in another due to the configuration or shape of the space.

The Jiffle Wagon, with the Adapt More Infant capsule installed into the 2023 Audi Q5, fits with eight shopping bags.

The Jiffle Wagon, with the bassinet, fits in the boot of the Audi Q5 with three shopping bags.

The boot floor of the Audi Q5 is carpeted and flat, so you can comfortably transport your medium/large-size family dog, and it's good for emergency nappy changes. There are recesses on either side of the boot behind the wheel arches, these are great for popping bits and pieces you need for the kids, like wipes and suncream, on days out.

How good is storage inside the 2023 Audi Q5?

Storage throughout the interior of the Audi Q5 is practical for families. In the back, there are map pockets on the back of the front seats that will hold but not conceal an iPad.

There are two small cup holders in a fold-down armrest in the central seatback. They will hold a kids drink cup or disposable coffee cup.

The door bins in the back will hold a refillable and disposable water bottle.

There are two USB-Cs and a 12V socket in the back of the central console box for rear passengers to charge devices while driving along too.

In the front, the door bins are longer and they will hold a refillable water bottle and an iPad.

The glove box is a good size and fits an iPad and wallet easily with the manual.

There are two cup holders in the central console underneath the armrest; the cup holders will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup, and behind them is a phone tray and a central console box.

In front of the cup holders are various-sized spaces for popping the key or passenger's phone, and a 12V and USB socket sits beside another phone charging tray.

How noisy is the 2023 Audi Q5 SUV?

The Audi Q5 is not a loud car to drive. Being a luxury car, you are well-cocooned from any road or wind noise while driving, which makes the drive more enjoyable.

The reversing camera has a good-quality image…

… and you can easily mute the parking sensors with the button on the dash below the media screen.

You can also adjust the sound in the media screen.

The media system in the 2023 Audi Q5 is a really modern touch screen that is easy to use and navigate while driving.

The Audi Q5 has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto too, which is great for easily connecting your smartphone to access navigation, messaging and listening apps while driving.

Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!

That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.

If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?

It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?

A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.

Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!

I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.

The windows of the Audi Q5 are nice and quiet to open and close and don't disturb my sleeping Bub.

Since becoming a mum I spend A LOT of time parked up somewhere with a nice view while my daughter is asleep in the back!

The driver display in front of the steering wheel clearly tells you your distance to empty and has good door and seatbelt visuals, which are all great BabyDrive features.

The cruise controls are on a stalk on the left behind the steering wheel. I found them quite easy to use and the cruise control is incredibly accurate at high speeds on motorways as well as at slower speeds on bendy roads. However on the base model I tested this is not adaptive cruise control that automatically keeps your distance from the vehicle in front.

How many child seats fit in the 2023 Audi Q5?

The 2023 Audi Q5 is practical for families with one to three children. It has ISOFix in the two outer rear seats, they are within guides and nice and easy to connect to.

There are top tether anchorages on the back of all three rear seats, they are easy to access and connect to through the boot.

I found that three Infasecure child seats will fit across the back seats of the 2023 Audi Q5. I installed the Infasecure Adapt More infant capsule rear-facing behind the driver and the Infasecure Momentum More and Achieve More forward-facing in the two other seats.

Although this combination of three Infasecure child seats will fit across, there wasn't room for three forward-facing child seats.

Legroom is quite good for families in the Audi Q5, we could fit around a 180cm driver in front of the rear-facing Infasecure Adapt More infant capsule and taller passengers in front of the forward-facing child seats.

The ceiling is high enough inside the Audi Q5 that posting Bub into their seat from inside is easy too. There are handles above both the rear doors to hang a child's toy from and lights in the central ceiling.

Australia being a country of weather extremes; blazing sun and torrential rain, mean you may find it easier to put Bub into their seat from inside the car sometimes. If it’s hot you can get the air-con going, cool the car down and not stand out in the sun while you fasten them in or shelter from the rain and not get soaked yourself whilst you’re doing it. So it is important to test whether Bub can be easily installed from either direction!

There is plenty of room to feed Bub in the back of the Q5 if you only have one child seat installed.

How comfortable is the 2023 Audi Q5? And How good is the Audi Q5 to drive?

The front seats of the Audi Q5 are very comfortable and easily adjusted.

The headrests are not adjustable forward/backward, though, which means it can be tricky to wear a ponytail while driving.

I had spent hours styling my hair this morning to get this ponytail just right too… said no new mum ever!!!

The seats are leather with simple stitch details, so they are easy to keep clean with kids' spills and crumbs.

For a mum travelling in the back with their Bub, the seats are comfortable too. You would just fit in the middle between two child seats in the 2023 Audi Q5.

For the first year of my babies lives when we would go out as a family, if I wasn’t driving, I would travel in the back with them so it’s important to check the back seat comfort as you may be spending a lot of time in them! They were never something I gave any thought to before but I definitely notice a good or bad back seat now!

The steering wheel is fully adjustable in/out and up/down as well in the Audi Q5 and feels nice and firm.

There are four air vents along the front dash of the Audi Q5, two underneath the media screen and one at each end of the dash.

There are vents in the back of the central console box for rear passengers too, which is fantastic for keeping kids comfortable while travelling.

The aircon for front and rear passengers is easily controlled using the controls below the media screen.

Visibility in the 2023 Audi Q5 is good. With three Infasecure child seats installed in the back, I could still see out of the rear side windows and had a view out of the rear too.

Also, the rearview camera has great-quality images.

One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and Bub has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually I dread parking new cars as they take longer in our tight apartment block carpark, the Audi Q5 is nice and easy to park using the cameras do help.

How safe is the 2023 Audi Q5?

The Audi Q5 has a five-star ANCAP safety score.

Scoring 86% for child occupant protection, broken down into 42.33 out of 49 points. The Audi Q5 scored 93% for adult occupant protection, 35.67 out of 38 points.

Six airbags come as standard in the Audi Q5; including dual frontal airbags, side chest-protecting, and side head-protecting airbags (curtains) are also standard for front and second-row outboard positions.

The Audi Q5 SUV comes with active bonnet, antilock braking system (ABS), autonomous emergency braking (AEB) city, interurban and vulnerable road user, attention assist (Fatigue detection), blind spot monitor (BSM), electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), electronic stabilisation control (ESC), emergency brake assist, exit warning, lane support system (LSS), daytime running lights (DRL), hill launch assist, reversing collision avoidance and tyre pressure monitoring system.

Some of these safety features are also features that drive me crazy as a mum! Like the lane departure and forward collision alert or the parking sensor beeping sound. I want all the safety technology AND to be able to mute the sound when Bub’s asleep!