The Motor Forum

Twelfth Monkey

Non S-Line, which probably explains why it rides pretty well.

Pretty nice inside, not my cup of tea on the outside. Feels extremely well screwed-together and is adequately fast for what it is. Grip levels are pretty high, but while it can be hustled along b-roads at a fair rate it feels rather vague. Neither hands nor arse have a precise idea about what's going on at gropund level. Gearbox is short and precise in operation, and the brakes deserve a mention. I didn't notice them until I deliberately set about assessing them, which I consider quite a compliment. Quattro does make itself felt in comparison with fwd variations on the platform. There is no perceptable tugging at the wheel under full throttle.

The dash contains a section which will advise you of the most economic gear in which to drive, but it's tiny and buried at the bottom where it's hardest to read and furthest from your line of sight. Why?

Electronic handbrakes. Don't like, thank you.

And as for the joys of the high driving position, it's rather lost on me, I'm afraid.

Nice to try something different, but not an experience I shall be desperate to repeat. Piccies to follow if it actually makes it home!
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"Accident Blackspot"? These aren't accidents. They're throwing themselves into the road gladly. Throwing themselves into the road to escape all this hideousness.'

Twelfth Monkey · Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 4:32 pm Post subject:

The hippo:

Bright light makes it look less well-finished than it is:

Nasty key:

A tad optimistic, perhaps:

A couple of footwell gripes. The pedals are offset in an irritating manner, and the footrest makes it almost impossible to depress the clutch all the way, or at least to do so without fouling the brake pedal.
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"Accident Blackspot"? These aren't accidents. They're throwing themselves into the road gladly. Throwing themselves into the road to escape all this hideousness.'

Mark · Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 4:54 pm Post subject:

An ugly looking thing – even worse than the BMW X3/X1. It doesn't even look the money which is something that Audi can often pull off. Can’t imagine why one would choose it over (for example) a Volvo XC60.

Martin · Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 7:48 pm Post subject:

The pedal offset is terrible in the A4/S5, the clutch pedal is pretty much where the brake should be! I only drove round the block and could tell that it would give me sore ankles very quickly.

Mark is right, it doesn't look anything special, but it looks like that is a very basic spec model. Huge amount of buttons in the area around the gear lever that looks a bit of a mess and is that a coin holder?
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Racing · Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 10:29 pm Post subject:

Mark · Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 7:52 am Post subject:

Parm · Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 9:44 am Post subject:

I'm in the minority here but I think the Q5 looks good, in an understated way. It's certainly a more cohesive design than the fugly Q7. I also like the XC60. as far as SUVs go.
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Twelfth Monkey · Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 9:54 am Post subject:

I think the XC60 is less ugly than this or the X3, but the question still needs to be asked: why?

One of my partners has a first-gen X5, and this is all but as big, despite being Golf-based.

No-one in the family wanted a test-drive, funnily enough...
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"Accident Blackspot"? These aren't accidents. They're throwing themselves into the road gladly. Throwing themselves into the road to escape all this hideousness.'

Racing · Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 10:08 am Post subject:

Well, taste is always subjective but I find the XC60 an unappetising mismash of styling cues. It's not actively ugly like the X1/X3 but I nevertheless couldn't ever buy one.
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Dr. Hfuhruhurr · Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 10:24 am Post subject:

TimR · Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 12:09 pm Post subject:

The Volvo is pretty unattractive wheras the Audi seems pretty anonymous on the road.
Possibly influenced by all the Audis being black or grey though.

It's interesting to read these comments about offset pedals and discomfort.
The magazines never think to mention anything like that.
Perhaps they're all still under the influence of the 'German is Flawless' wonderdrug.

Racing · Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 12:27 pm Post subject:

Oddly you get used to it. When I first tried a 135i, I found myself fouling my left foot on the footrest when operating the clutch. I very quickly found that I got used to a different foot position and now never do it.
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Twelfth Monkey · Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 12:31 pm Post subject:

In the Q5, there just isn't enough space between the pedals. This plus offset is something I wouldn't live with. I wonder if the next RS4/5 will be similarly blighted.
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"Accident Blackspot"? These aren't accidents. They're throwing themselves into the road gladly. Throwing themselves into the road to escape all this hideousness.'

TimR · Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 12:35 pm Post subject:

I'm used to pedal offset - the Shogun and BMW both had the clutch pedal inline with the steering column but it was never a problem - it's just that actual discomfort is a major thing in a car and it seems to be a problem with the Audis yet is never mentioned.

Conversely the 'Italian' driving position was always mentioned but it's never been a particular problem (for me at least

).

Martin · Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 6:15 pm Post subject:

TimR · Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 6:51 pm Post subject:

Righto.
Don't read Autocar anymore so missed that one.

Dr. Hfuhruhurr · Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 9:05 am Post subject:

ALF · Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 4:04 pm Post subject:

Twelfth Monkey · Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 4:36 pm Post subject:

Having driven a huge number of VAG cars, I've never found one where depresisng the brake killed the throttle. Intriguing.
_________________
"Accident Blackspot"? These aren't accidents. They're throwing themselves into the road gladly. Throwing themselves into the road to escape all this hideousness.'

Mark · Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 4:37 pm Post subject:

[quote="ALF"]

cbeaks1 · Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 7:32 pm Post subject:

Dr. Hfuhruhurr · Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 7:46 am Post subject:

cbeaks1 · Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 8:31 am Post subject:

I know - I couldn't find a suitable smiley thing to represent the source.