Audi Q2 - a brand and vehicle I wasn't expecting to try out - review based on a rental of several days

[trinacriabob]

This vehicle was an upgrade, although that situation didn’t go smoothly.  There was a fair bit of obfuscation that led to an upcharge for this Audi Q2.  I actually wanted a smaller sedan with an automatic, so somewhat of a downgrade, but they didn’t have vehicles in that category.  The other vehicles were larger and I turned down a newer Citroen DS 7 SUV. 

As I was being presented with choices, all with automatic transmissions, I would be checking their retail prices on my phone.  I didn’t want that expensive of a car.  For being an Audi, this is “somewhat” lower priced, but, per reading reviews and comments, this a vehicle where the sticker can climb if optioned up.

As I got into the Audi Q2, it didn’t seem much different in content and feel from the VW family of brands cars like it.  The dashboard was very functional and the seats were upholstered in fabric.  The dashboard had a central cluster with 2 large dials: the tachometer and the speedometer, with temperature and fuel gauges inset within their curvature.  In between them was a squarish digital display with many clearly shown items of information such as time, temperature, odometer, and, if set up as such, a digital display of the vehicle’s speed.  The trip odometer allows for resetting it through a button underneath the cluster rather than through a stalk.  The infotainment center is upright, but recessed into a small “swale” at the top of the center stack.  Center vents and side vents are round, and the opening is adjustable by clasping and turning the slight extension at their center … almost like a design going back to Cutlass Supreme colonnades and even some AMC products; however, here, the affect is Germanic and the build quality appears to be higher.  The seating has fabric in its insets, which feel sturdier and tweed-like to the touch, with some nicely done non-contrasting stitching inside strong bolsters.  One is not hemmed in, but, rather, supported.  The seats are comfortable over long distances.

I set things up in the Audi’s infotainment system, with the Bluetooth set up not as easy as I would have hoped.  (In some rentals, it’s fairly easy.)  I also needed help upon returning it to detach my information.  I delete all other phones on vehicles rather soon, mostly because the list irritates me!

While it has a tall trademark Audi grille, the other parts of the sheet metal are nondescript and the rear sail panel, with its appliques, is thick.  The beltline seems a little high, such that the car actually looks a little thick throughout, a look that is accentuated by sheet metal that lacks sculpting and “character lines.”

As I pulled out, the Q2’s personality immediately came through as nimble.  That means that it was not as taut as, say, the VW Polo I’ve become accustomed to.  However, it didn’t take that long to get used to it.  The handling was very easy and the ride was serene, with some wind noise.  There was not much in the way of tire thum.  The engine was a 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder engine.  The model badging 35 TSFI refers to its specific engine, which makes about 150 hp.  Additionally, it was surprisingly efficient in how it used fuel, and reviews point this out.  Per the display of the gears on the dash, the numbers shown went from 1 through 7.  Automatic transmissions in Europe, especially by German companies, are smooth and reliable units.  The early shifts (1 to 2 and 2 to 3) were very clean and later ones were imperceptible.  If not fully up to highway speed, gear 5 or 6 was retained.  In any case, rarely did the tachometer exceed 2,000 rpms, and this probably contributed to its commendable fuel economy.

Again, I had told myself that with this nimble handling and softer ride, the control might not be as good as in a VW, a SEAT, or a Skoda.  This simply wasn’t true.  It handled just as well on winding highways and in cloverleafs.  It’s obvious that, since this is a more premium brand, the higher price commands that sort of nimble, at times almost detached, flipping of the steering wheel while always maintaining a tight grip on the road. That said, the Audi Q2 feels a little contradictory in that it holds the road yet the steering wheel spins so effortlessly and the ride can be a little soft.  Either I am used to more communication from the steering wheel or I’ve come to prefer cars with more road feel.  It is, however, a pleasant and controlled vehicle at all times.   

This is the second car I’ve gotten to drive where the infotainment system is not a touch screen.  A dial between the gear selector and the console is turned to highlight/illuminate the selections on the touch screen and then, on taps (downward) on it.  Most likely, it's that touch screens, with their size and complex graphics, are costlier to repair.  A large dial, as a solid-state piece, might be less work and less expense to replace if it were to fail at some point in the future.  However, the learning curve is a little long for rotating the dial to get it to do what you want it to do instead of manually selecting an item on the touch screen.

If you like the Audi brand and want to be in this niche or something of a similar price point, like a BMW, then the Audi Q2 could be your vehicle.  It’s one of the lower priced Audis, and a little more than an A1.  However, if the perceived prestige is not mandatory, there are other vehicles that deliver most of the same features at a slightly lower price, with many of them powered by 3-cylinder engines.

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PHOTOS FORTHCOMING

[trinacriabob]

EXTERIOR PHOTOS

This is the front of the slightly angled vehicle which sports the typical Audi grille vocabulary

The side of the vehicle shows a tall beltline and the rear sail panel appears to be thick, but, once inside, it's more manageable than it looks from the outside

This is the rear of the vehicle, and one can see the cover that is over the cargo area

[trinacriabob]

INTERIOR PHOTOS

This is the view upon getting into the driver's seat; the leather steering wheel is nicely stitched and finished

This is the view from the passenger front door

From a driver's seat that has been adjusted upward, the view over the cowl is good (the best is probably that of the last-gen Chevy Malibu); not the way the infotainment screen is slightly recessed and how circular air ducts figure prominently

Instrumentation is very simple (less is more?) and the insertion of temperature and fuel gauges is an interesting presentation; the info box is between the tachometer and the speedometer, with it being set to show vehicle speed when in "drive."  Also, the odometer (re)setting is right at the base of this photo

Controlling the infotainment screen is done by that circular dial.  It's probably a more practical way and helps the longevity of what would have been a touch screen, but there is learning curve

This shows the seating and space available to rear seat passengers

This shows the visibility given the real sail panel, and also shows how the front bucket seats are finished

[trinacriabob]

MECHANICAL PHOTOS

What's different here?  It may not be apparent.  Once you start opening the hood, there is no need to manually place the prop rod to keep the hood open.  This is to be expected for a more premium car line, whereas VW-SEAT-Skoda tend to have prop rods that you slot into place.

 

This is a transverse view of the engine bay where there are 4 cylinders at work under the hood, and which are assisted by a turbocharger as the plumbing would indicate.

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END OF PHOTOS

[Drew Dowdell]

This could very well just be a VW, but I guess VAG didn't learn anything from 1980's GM and decided Audi needed something at this price point even though it's likely available at VW.... and SEAT and Skoda and Cupra.

Next up Lambo, Bentley, and Porsche?   Maybe even Ducati?

[Robert Hall]

So this is Audi's smallest crossover..the shape reminds me of the 1st gen Trax. .the funny thing is their top crossover--the Q8--has a very similar profile but is about 30 inches longer. 

[G. David Felt]

WOW, such a bland interior for a supposedly premium trim. 🤢