Best Luxury 4WD

Often built on the foundations of the more-serious all-terrain four-wheel drives, luxury models can prove to be surprisingly capable.

They can perform the big off-road trip of a lifetime if needed, and yet remain classy enough to drop off for valet parking at the swankiest of hotels.

Like its big brother Q7, the Q5 comes well kitted for its occupants, with triple-zone airconditioning, leather seats and six-stack CD with steering wheel controls, along with safety must-haves such as electronic stability control, traction control and anti-lock brakes.

Although good safety credentials are almost a given in the luxury category, these items plus a complement of airbags ensures a five-star ANCAP rating and a top mark of 10 on the ABC score sheet.

The Q5 is available in four specification levels, with the 3.0-litre diesel and 3.2-litre V6 petrol in this class. All have Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system and with the seven-speed ‘S tronic’ transmission fitted, drivers are able to choose normal D (drive) or S (sport) mode on the lever, changing the characteristics of the transmission to suit their desired style. 

As new models are released each year, the benchmark continues to be raised. While BMW X5 has been a winner for two years, in 2009 Audi Q5 proved to be the strongest performer overall.