[tl:gallery size=460×325]
The firm body control and grippy tyres which stick a grin on
Jeremy Clarkson’s face are just what you need when trying to keep a caravan on a tight
leash. Combine a sporty drive with four-wheel drive and you have a recipe for
swift and stress-free towing. Do Audi’s two high-performance SUVs have the
potential to keep car enthusiasts and caravanners happy?
[tl:gallery size=460×325]
Audi RS Q3
We know from the 2013 Tow Car Awards just how well the Q3
tows, but the RS Q3 is a very different proposition from the 2.0-litre diesel
we tested back in the spring. For one thing, it’s the first Audi SUV to be
given the ‘RS’ badge, which the company reserves for its quickest and most
driver-focused models. For another, instead of the diesel’s 175bhp, the RS Q3
has 306bhp.
The five-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine makes a
distinctive gruff and gung-ho note, and delivers belligerent
performance. Top-end power is supported by barrel-chested muscle through
the middle of the rev range. The S-tronic transmission usually changes gear quickly and smoothly, although shifts
are felt more with the gearbox in ‘sport’ mode.
Vivid straight-line performance is matched to agile handling: the RS corners like a hot hatch on stilts. At times the extra ride height
compared with a hatchback actually works to the RS Q3 driver’s advantage,
giving a better view of the road ahead. There’s plenty of grip, light and
accurate steering, and a willingness to change direction in a hurry which you
don’t associate with an SUV.
Every RS Q3 comes with Audi’s Drive Select system, which
allows the driver some say in how the suspension and other systems behave. In ‘comfort’
the RS does a remarkable job of combining a supple ride with iron-fisted
control over dips and crests. Switch to ‘dynamic’ mode and there’s more weight
to the steering and a firmer edge to the suspension set up, while ‘auto’ uses
the car’s sensors to decide if the driver is in the mood to press on or dawdle. In
truth, the RS is so good to drive in ‘comfort’ we’d be tempted to leave the car
in this mode most of the time.
Drive the car gently and there’s very little to
make the RS any harder to live with than any other Q3. There’s a fair amount of
road noise kicked up by the big wheels and tyres, but that’s about it.
All this suggests the RS Q3 has the makings of a very capable
tow car, although unfortunately that’s not something we’ve had the chance to
put to the test. But on our solo test drive the RS showed all the ingredients
needed for a fast and stable tug, while the kerbweight of 1730kg (including 75kg
for the driver) gives an 85% match figure of 1471kg. The legal towing limit is
1900kg.
However, given an official combined figure of 32.1mpg, fuel economy
when towing would almost certainly be very poor. And the £43,000 price is an eye-watering amount to pay for an SUV which is no more roomy than
many small hatchbacks, however good it looks or fast it goes.
[tl:gallery size=460×325]
Audi SQ5
A price tag the wrong side of £40k is easier to swallow with
the SQ5. For £44,055 (so just over £1000 more than the RS Q3), your money buys
a much bigger and more practical car, with space for adults to travel
comfortably in the back and a 540-litre boot.
It’s not as if the SQ5 is slower than the smaller car. In
fact, Audi’s own figures suggest it’s quicker, shaving a tenth of a second from the Q3’s 5.2 second 0-62mph
time. What’s more, the 3.0-litre bi-turbo diesel sounds almost as good as the
five-cylinder petrol in the RS, with an ill-tempered bass-heavy note
which speaks of the engine’s 479lb.ft of torque.
That kind of muscle makes for effortless acceleration, and
should make short work of towing any suitably matched tourer. With a kerbweight of 1995kg (including the driver), the SQ5 has an 85% match figure of 1696kg,
although with a car this heavy anyone with a B licence rather than a B+E
entitlement will be heavily restricted in terms of what they can tow.
Fuel economy is also much better than the RS Q3’s, with an
official combined figure of 41.5mpg.
But however much the SQ5 makes its smaller sibling seem
impractical and overpriced, it’s nothing like as much fun to drive. There’s
lots of grip but little finesse. Whereas the RS Q3 makes smooth progress the
SQ5 stomps down the road, picking a fight with each lump and bump in the
surface as it goes.
Now, if Audi could make an SUV which drives like the RS Q3
but is as practical and heavy as the SQ5 they’d have quite a car. And that’s
something Top Gear fans and
caravanners could agree on.
[tl:gallery size=460×325]
