Latest news with #backroads
Times
04-07-2025
- Times
On the road with Andrew McCarthy
Stepping out of my apartment on Manhattan's Upper West Side, I got into my car and began to drive. I was headed to California, across the width of America on a journey that would take in 21 states, and landscapes that ranged from the lowlands of the Mississippi Delta to the Rocky Mountains. But it wasn't the country's abundant sights I was concerned with — it was the people that interested me. As anyone will tell you, America has become increasingly politically polarised, but more worrying, it felt to me like my homeland had begun to grow colder, crueller even. Was I just being fed this impression by a media hungry for clicks? What was really going on out there? Over the following six weeks I would travel 10,000 miles across the country. I'd steer clear of America's massive interstate highway system and stick to the back roads. I'd sleep in roadside motels. I wanted contact, and the closer to the ground I travelled the more of it I'd get. And I would rekindle some old friendships along the way (the subject of which would grow into a book I'm writing). Like many northerners, I harboured an apprehension of life below the Mason-Dixon Line that unofficially delineates the northern states from the South. So that's where I headed first. • Best hotels in New York On the John Marshall Highway in Virginia, I stopped at the New Star Market to fill my tank. I fell into conversation with a tiny and interested man from South Korea, Mr Park. Mr Park came to America in 1985 and has worked in this remote corner ever since. 'This is my friend's place,' he told me. 'Good to have friends. Life's too hard without friends.' Then, reminding me of the power and promise of the multicultural land that America still is despite the current isolationist fervour, he looked at me with feeling and said, 'This is my home.' We chatted for a long time even after my tank clicked full. I crossed the state line into West Virginia, among the most humble and rural of places, and the only state to lie completely within the Appalachian mountain range. Winding, rising, falling, sweeping — the roads are never flat or straight. Nearly all of them felt deserted. I twisted south on Route 32, the dying light in the Monongahela National Forest was gauzy, the western horizon was first aqua then pink then violet. These mountains, while not approaching the grandeur of the Rockies, offered an experience both immediate and vast, simultaneously claustrophobic and expansive, peak after peak after peak receding. The constant rise and fall of the road continually altered perspective and the everchanging view felt like a distinct and singular American pleasure. In the gloaming, a dozen deer made their way across the road. A silver sliver of a moon rose. At Beander's Bar in the area's working town of Elkins, it was trivia night. I teamed up with Rodney Johnson, a bridge inspector, and Chis LaSalle, a national parks ranger, and his wife, Renee. We got only one answer right and had more laughs than anyone in the place. ' • Discover our full guide to the US I picked up the Natchez Trace Parkway, which tracks an old Native American route from the Mississippi River and Cumberland Plateau that evolved from a bison game trail and was used by European settlers. There were no signs, no advertising, no buildings or towns — the road was so serene, uncrowded, and elegantly laid into the land that I was sorry to arrive in Tupelo, Mississippi, three carefree hours and 170 miles later. I had come to pay homage to the King. Before lightning struck and Elvis Presley changed the world, he was born into staggering poverty in a two-room 'shotgun shack' without running water. Today, his childhood home is a lovingly curated shrine, the Elvis Presley Birthplace (£18pp; Barbara Wyndham, a former English teacher 'from out in bootleg country', showed me around. 'The Beatles were more my thing,' she confided. 'But I've made friends from all over the world working here. Where else in Mississippi can I do that?' Over at D' Cracked Egg breakfast joint on Troy Street I sat beside a dozen men in Bible study, members of the Life at Tupelo Pentecostal Church. 'As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend,' Dale recited, then invited me to church the next day. 'I feel like I've just been to church, Dale.' 'You've got friends here now,' Dale replied with a smile, placing a meaty hand on my shoulder. 'The Lord loves you, Andrew, that's for sure.' • Where to go in the US With that assurance, I went off to the gun show. Several times a year, in a musty hall on the edge of town, 50 tables were laid out and covered with all varieties of firearms — hunting rifles, pistols, tactical weapons, shotguns. At one table, an AR15 assault rifle had a price tag hanging from it — $675. I asked if I could hold it. 'Of course you can,' Ted said. It was lighter than I imagined. 'I could buy this from you now?' 'As long as you tell me that you're not a federal criminal.' I wasn't sure what I'd been expecting, but the atmosphere in the room was cordially mundane. There was laughing and teasing, warm greetings were exchanged. It all felt pretty work-a-day. • The most beautiful places in America Mississippi is also home to the blues, the distinctly American form of music that sprang from the oppression and suffering of the cotton fields. And the epicentre of the blues is Clarksdale. Robert Johnson was said to have sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads on the edge of town so he could play the blues like no other. Today, Clarksdale retains a ravaged charm. 'The music brings people out and brings them together,' Roger Stolle, the owner of Cat Head Blues & Folk Art ( an emporium of all things blues on Delta Avenue, told me. 'We're nearly 80 per cent black, less than 20 per cent white, but there's a global friendship through the blues. It's a unifier.' And that night, on the banks of the Sunflower River at Red's Lounge, bluesman Lucious Spiller let rip and brought the room together in one of the most memorable evenings of music I'd ever experienced. As I drove further south on Highway 1 through the Delta, the sun hit hard off the tilled fields. The land felt elemental, thrilling in its lack of adornment. In Natchez I crossed the mighty Mississippi River and then Louisiana and entered the planet that is Texas. I knew I had entered the Lone Star state because the speed limit suddenly increased to 70mph, yet I was being passed by F-150 pick-up trucks as if I was standing still. Stopping for lunch at the once-grand Redlands Hotel in hardscrabble Palestine, I was seated at a table beside a dozen women of a certain age, sharply dressed for no occasion other than it was Thursday. Their laughter bordered on raucous. 'Good to have friends,' I said to the table when I got up to pay my bill. 'It sure is, darlin',' drawled a tall woman in a lime green pantsuit with a large gold pendant. Her hair, expertly sculpted and frozen high in place, might have made Margaret Thatcher envious. The table toasted me with their white wine and went back to laughing. • More US road trip inspiration By the time I got to Waxahachie, things looked like the Texas of imagination — flat and unspeakably vast. Then just south of Dallas I met up with my old friend Eddie and convinced him to take me to the Fort Worth rodeo. 'If you're going to the rodeo you need to get some cowboy boots,' he cautioned. Over at Justin's Outlet on Vickery Boulevard we found them. Floor to ceiling. Pointed toe, squared toe, rounded toe. Leather, snakeskin, ostrich skin. His and hers. A matronly, no-nonsense saleswoman who knew what was what took me in hand while Johnny Cash sang When the Man Comes Around over the store speakers. Twenty minutes later I strode out in my new boots. The 10,000-seat arena was packed. We took our seats just below the rafters, a local pastor blessed the event. Men roped steer and were flung from the backs of angry bulls. It was all more exciting and entertaining than either Eddie or I had anticipated — until the mutton busting. A child of five was placed face down on the back of a sheep and held on for dear life. One youngster after another was sent airborne. Most bounced up quickly after being dislodged. There was something oddly amusing about the sight, if you ignored that these were small children being flung and trampled like rag dolls. Eddie was flabbergasted. 'Two words,' he cried in disbelief. 'Child abuse!' A young girl — the only one in the competition — clung on to the far end of the ring, sealing the win and delighting the crowd. Eddie threw up his hands, 'We ban The Diary of Anne Frank in school, but we let five-year-old kids get their heads kicked in riding a sheep? What the hell is happening to America?' • Great European road trips Leaving Eddie, I drove into the Chihuahuan Desert of West Texas, a lonely place. I visited heartbroken Uvalde, where a school shooting had shattered the community. Then Eagle Pass, the border town with Mexico that has come to represent the immigration battle that has divided America — like all border crossings, it was a transactional, pitiless town. Outside El Paso I finally left Texas behind and headed into the West. Outside White Sands, New Mexico — test sight of the first nuclear bomb — I had a memorable breakfast at the Waffle and Pancake Shoppe. Taking a seat by the window, I was approached by a rail-thin waitress with long grey hair and cat-eye glasses secured by a sparkly chain. She wore an Ozzy Osbourne T-shirt over deeply tanned skin covered in drooping and faded tattoos. 'Do I want the pancakes?' I asked. 'Yes, you do.' Men with bellies and wide-hipped women filled the tables around me. There was easy laughter in the room. I'd witnessed variations on this scene throughout the nation. If I came away from this cross-country odyssey with one conclusion, it was that breakfast in America was the most hopeful meal of the day. I drove on. I reconnected with a few more friends along the way. I was awed by the Grand Canyon, and was made speechless by the jagged, singular peaks of the Teton Valley in Wyoming. In tiny Eureka, Nevada — home to a 19th-century gold mining boom, but long ago gone bust — I went to check into the old Jackson Hotel. 'You know it's haunted,' said Netta, the young woman at the counter. 'Oh? Have you seen ghosts?' 'I feel them.' Netta leaned toward me, confiding. 'I sense things other people don't.' 'OK. Well … what ghosts are there?' 'There's an 11-year-old girl, she likes to do pranks on people. And the lady in red, she used to work in the brothel. She gets into bed with the guests.' 'Does she do anything to them?' My mind began to race. 'No, no. She just lays beside them in the bed.' 'That's too bad,' I said. Netta handed me a key. 'I just thought you should know.' After the first creak in the night, I didn't sleep a wink. Further west, along Highway 50, dubbed by Time magazine as 'the loneliest road in America', I raced past sagebrush for hours without seeing another car. It reminded me how all across America I had encountered surprising degrees of loneliness and isolation, but I had also been readily welcomed into tight knit communities and experienced deep bonds of friendship and easily offered generosity. Then across the central valley of California, into San Francisco and finally over the Golden Gate Bridge to meet my friend Don for a walk among the sequoia trees in Muir Woods National Monument, a park of 554 acres. Gawking up at the giant redwoods he stopped. 'So, tell me,' he said, 'how is it out there?' I considered. 'Still awesome. Still complicated. Still America.'Andrew McCarthy travelled independently. His book, Who Needs Friends: An Unscientific Exploration of Male Friendship Across America, detailing his journey across America, will be published in the US by Grand Central in February 2026 By Siobhan Grogan Start with a plan. Even if you want to stay as spontaneous as possible, you'll need to know where you want to start and finish, how much time you have and a rough route. Good websites for US inspiration include which has 24 suggested itineraries; and which lists road trips to suit various interests including ones for music fans and wine lovers. For DIY trips, compare prices with car hire agencies such as Hertz, Enterprise and Avis, looking for a one-way rental if necessary. Factor in costs for petrol and insurance; the GasBuddy app will find the cheapest petrol prices en route. If insurance is included with the hire, check the policy carefully; if not, it's almost always cheaper to arrange it before the trip. Electric cars are best avoided as charging stations can be hard to find, especially in rural areas, and you'll need to take long breaks for charging (although use the PlugShare app to find stations if you do choose one). Book cars and accommodation early, especially in the peak summer season. Travelling outside this time will mean lower prices, better availability and quieter roads, though it's sensible to avoid leaving or arriving in major cities during rush hour year-round. Whenever you go, don't be too optimistic — every journey will take longer than you think and unexpected detours along the way are all part of the fun. Booking a package is even easier, with flights, car hire and hotels included so all you have to do is drive. The American Road Trip Company can arrange bespoke trips but also has itineraries for all the classic routes, including Route 66 from Chicago to LA (15 nights' room-only from £1,699pp; American Sky has itineraries between 7 and 22 nights, including ones designed specifically for families such as round-trips from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park (12 nights' room-only from £1,529pp; Note that you'll need to generate a free DVLA code from within 21 days of your trip, which US car rental companies will use to check if you have points on your licence. Finally, learn the basics such as how to change a tyre; make sure you have adequate travel insurance; and download suitable playlists — try Fleetwood Mac, Eagles, Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty.
CNET
27-06-2025
- CNET
Say Goodbye to Awful Cell Signal With These 10 Simple Fixes
Summer road trips are all about open roads, good company, and spontaneous detours. That is, until your phone loses service and the whole plan comes to a screeching halt. Whether it's your GPS freezing mid-route, your music app buffering endlessly, or being unable to call for roadside help, poor cell reception can turn a carefree adventure into a frustrating mess. These dead zones tend to show up in the worst spots: backroads, mountain passes, or just that one stretch of highway where nothing seems to work. Fortunately, you don't need a new phone or a major tech upgrade to fix spotty service. There are several simple tricks you can try to get better signal on the go. From changing your network settings to repositioning your phone in the car for better line-of-sight, these small adjustments can make a noticeable difference. Whether you're driving across state lines or just heading out for the weekend, these tips can help you stay connected and keep your trip running smoothly. Whether you're doing some routine phone maintenance or you're stuck in an emergency, there are multiple ways to improve your reception on an iPhone or Android phone, no matter what type of phone plan you're on. It might even come down to something as simple as toggling Airplane mode. To go from dropped calls to full bars, here's what you need to know. For more on iPhone and iOS, check out everything Apple announced at WWDC 2025. Find Free Wi-Fi Near You to Stay Connected Find Free Wi-Fi Near You to Stay Connected Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 8:02 Loaded : 2.46% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 8:02 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Find Free Wi-Fi Near You to Stay Connected Note: Although software across different iPhone models is relatively the same, Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel and other Android phones may have different software versions, so certain settings and where they are located might differ depending on device. For more, check out how you can use Google Maps when you're offline and how you can maybe fix your internet when it's down. To improve your cellphone service, try these steps first The settings on your phone can help you get better cell service, but there are other tricks for improving your reception without even touching your phone's software. Move yourself so that there are no obstructions between your phone and any cell towers outside . That might involve stepping away from metal objects or concrete walls, which both kill reception. Instead, get to a window or go outside if possible. . That might involve stepping away from metal objects or concrete walls, which both kill reception. Instead, get to a window or go outside if possible. Remove your phone case . It doesn't hurt to remove whatever case you have on your phone, especially if it's thick, so that the phone's antenna isn't blocked by anything and can get a better signal. . It doesn't hurt to remove whatever case you have on your phone, especially if it's thick, so that the phone's antenna isn't blocked by anything and can get a better signal. Make sure your phone is charged. Searching for and connecting to a stronger signal drains power, so if your phone battery is already low on charge, you may have a difficult time getting good service. Some phone cases cause more signal disruption than others. David Carnoy/CNET Always start by turning Airplane mode on and off Turning your phone's connection off and then back on is the quickest and easiest way to try and fix your signal woes. If you're moving around from one location to another, toggling Airplane mode restarts the Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and cellular network modems, which forces them to find the best signal in the area. Android: Swipe down from the top of your screen -- to access the Quick Settings panel -- and then tap the Airplane mode icon. Wait for your phone to completely disconnect from its Wi-Fi and cellular connections. It doesn't happen instantly, so give it a good 15 seconds before you tap on the Airplane mode icon again. iPhone: On the iPhone, you can access Airplane mode from the Control Center, but that varies depending on which iPhone model you have. On the iPhone X and later, swipe down from the top-right corner to access the Control Center. On older iPhone models, swipe up from the bottom of the screen. Then tap the Airplane mode icon, which will turn orange when it's enabled. Again, wait up to 15 seconds before turning it off. Left: Airplane mode on your iPhone. Right: Airplane mode on an Android. Screenshots by Jason Cipriani/CNET If Airplane mode doesn't work, restart your phone Our phones are miniature computers, and just like computers, sometimes you can fix issues like network connection by simply restarting them. Android: Hold down the power button, or the power button and the volume down key (depending on your Android phone), until the on-screen menu shows up, and then tap Restart. If your phone doesn't offer a restart option, you can simply tap Power Off to shut down your device, and then boot it back up with the power button. iPhone: On the iPhone X and older models, hold down the sleep/wake button and either one of the volume buttons and then swipe right on the power slider to turn off the device. Wait until it fully turns off, then press down on the sleep/wake button to turn it back on. Alternatively, you can do a force reset on your iPhone: Press the volume up button, followed by the volume down button and then press and hold the side button. Keep holding it in, after your phone's screen goes black and until you see the Apple logo appear again. If your iPhone has a home button, hold down the sleep/wake button until the power slider is displayed and then drag the slider to the right. Once the device is turned off, press and hold the sleep/wake button until you see the Apple logo. Left: Restarting an Android phone. Right: Powering off an iPhone. Screenshots by Jason Cipriani/CNET Older phone? Take your SIM card out Another troubleshooting step that might help is to remove your SIM card, if your phone has one, and then place it back in with the phone turned on. If the SIM card is dirty, clean it. If it has any physical defects, you may need to replace it. You'll need a SIM card tool -- usually included in your phone's box -- or an unfolded paper clip or sewing needle to get the SIM tray out of your phone. All phones: Remove the SIM card, check to see if it's damaged and positioned in the SIM tray correctly, then put it back in your phone. eSIM: For phones with an eSIM -- that is, an embedded electronic SIM in your phone -- there's nothing for you to remove. The best you can do is restart your phone. Removing and putting your SIM card back into your phone takes just a couple of seconds. Jason Cipriani/CNET Check your carrier settings (and update your software) Mobile carriers frequently send out carrier settings updates to help improve connectivity for calls, data and messages on their network. Although this feature is available on all iPhone models, it's not universal on Android, so you might not find carrier settings if you don't have a supported phone. iPhone: Carrier updates should just appear, and you can update from the pop-up message that appears. To force your iPhone to check for a carrier settings update, go to Settings > General > About on your phone. If an update is available, you'll be prompted to install it. Android: As mentioned before, not all Android phones have carrier settings, so you'll have to open the Settings app and type in "carrier settings" to find any possible updates. On supported Pixels, go to Settings > Network & internet > Internet, tap the gear next to your carrier name and then tap Carrier settings versions. Left: iOS carrier settings. Right: Android carrier settings. Screenshots by Nelson Aguilar/CNET Reset your phone's network settings Sometimes all you need is a clean slate to fix an annoying connectivity issue. Refreshing your phone's network settings is one way to do that. But be forewarned, resetting your network settings will also reset any saved Wi-Fi passwords, VPN connections and custom APN settings for those on carriers that require additional setup. Android: In the Settings app, search for "reset" or more specifically "reset network settings" and tap on the setting. On the Pixel, the setting is called Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth. After you reset your network settings, remember to reconnect your phone to your home and work Wi-Fi networks. iPhone: Go to Settings > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network settings. The next page will warn you that resetting your network settings will reset your settings for Wi-Fi, mobile data and Bluetooth. Tap Reset Network Settings and your phone will restart. Resetting network settings should be one of the last troubleshooting steps you try. Screenshots by Nelson Aguilar/CNET Contact your phone carrier Sometimes unexpected signal issues can be traced back to problems with your wireless carrier. A cell tower could be down, or the tower's fiber optic cable could have been cut, causing an outage. For consistent problems connecting to or staying connected to a cellular or data network, it's possible your carrier's coverage doesn't extend well into your neighborhood. Other times, a newfound signal issue can be due to a defect with your phone or a SIM card that's gone bad. Contacting your carrier to begin troubleshooting after you've tried these fixes is the next best step to resolving your spotty signal. Sometimes contacting your carrier is the only way to get signal issues resolved. Angela Lang/CNET If all else fails, try a signal booster to improve cell reception If after going through all of our troubleshooting steps, including talking to your carrier to go over your options, you're still struggling to keep a good signal -- try a booster. A signal booster receives the same cellular signal your carrier uses, then amplifies it just enough to provide coverage in a room or your entire house. The big downside here is the cost. Wilson has three different boosters designed for home use, ranging in price from $349 for single room coverage to $999 to cover your entire home. To be clear, we haven't specifically tested these models. Wilson offers a 30-day money-back guarantee and a two-year warranty should you have any trouble with its products.
Motor Trend
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
2025 Audi Q5 and SQ5 First Drive: With All Due Respect
A compact luxury SUV has to do it all—being both easy to park yet roomy inside, luxurious but not too expensive, sporty but comfortable—and the 2025 Audi Q5 does. After a few hundred miles of driving the new Q5 and SQ5 on beautiful Colorado back roads, we're left struggling to think of ways it comes up short, even if we're not exactly yearning for more time behind the wheel. Introducing the 2025 Audi Q5 The Q5 has been Audi's bestselling vehicle since 2009, which tracks given its attributes: stylish, upscale, right-sized, well equipped, and competitively priced in an SUV segment that earns the appeal of hundreds of thousands of buyers globally each year. This is the third-generation Q5, known by fans of the four-ring brand as the B10. Although it's built on a new architecture called Premium Platform Combustion (PPC, in contrast to the PPE basis of the Q6 E-Tron and other Audi EVs), the 2025 Q5 doesn't remix Audi's winning formula. Throughout, there's more evolution than revolution. Measurements barely change from the outgoing Q5 as aesthetics are modernized—note the slim headlights, trendy taillight bar, textured grille, and deeper sculpting on the hood and doors. It looks chic and clearly recognizable as a Q5, if seeming slightly bulbous compared to its sharply creased predecessor and evocative of the Q6 E-Tron, its de facto EV twin. The sloped-roof Q5 Sportback variant returns to provide sleek street presence. Despite the nearly carryover exterior dimensions, the five-seat 2025 Q5 gains some cargo capacity, plus added space in the door bins and center console. The cabin design uses more shape, texture, and color variation to mostly escape the starkness of the previous generation. In the so-called 'Digital Stage,' an 11.9-inch gauge display and 14.5-inch infotainment touchscreen are combined within an enclosure curved slightly toward the driver. In the high-end Prestige trim, a 10.9-inch touchscreen for the front passenger replaces a big piece of black plastic on the lesser Premium and Premium Plus versions. Engine hardware is similar to before, although the turbocharged four-cylinder gains variable vane turbocharging and other changes aimed at improving drivability. Fuel economy is no better or worse; another plug-in hybrid powertrain is rumored to be in the works. The Q5's 2.0-liter turbo I-4 now produces 268 hp, an increase of 7 hp, good for a 5.8-second 0–60-mph run, according to Audi. Meanwhile, the SQ5's 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 makes 368 hp, a good gain from the 349 hp it made last year, cutting the quoted 0–60 time to 4.6 seconds. Both engines are linked to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and Audi's signature Quattro AWD system. Air suspension—an uncommon offering among compact SUVs—is equipped on the high-end Q5 Prestige and every SQ5. Its height adjusts based on drive mode, lowering in Dynamic and raising in Off Road. By how the Q5 drives, it pulls off a rare feat: endearing without emotion. While some rivals chase cosseting comfort or driver engagement, the Q5 instead makes an impression through pragmatism. Like with the Q6 E-Tron, Audi's signature tuning style results in an anodyne yet competent package. Dynamically, the Q5 does enough. There's sufficient power from its turbocharged engine, distributed adeptly through Quattro as demonstrated across the long section of damp dirt road on our drive route. Like a classic turbo mill, a wave of torque arrives in the midrange where it's needed most, before subsiding as the tachometer climbs. Aside from minor turbo lag, the Q5 can feel just slightly delayed leaving from a stop, a vagary of dual-clutch transmissions as their clutches mesh to send torque to the wheels. Once underway, shifts are quick, crisp, and nearly imperceptible. Beyond the steering ratio itself, the steering wheel's large diameter contributes to the Q5's relaxed and uncomplicated road manners. On the air suspension-equipped Prestige model, ride quality feels more firm than plush when encountering bigger pavement imperfections but remains smooth and steady on textured surfaces and through gradual curves. The brake pedal is surprisingly reactive at the top—almost grabby but not quite—before quickly building into firm stopping power deeper down. The SQ5 Could Use More S Performance increases tangibly in the SQ5, but this sporty model can be as cool and calm as its counterpart—we just wish it weren't so reserved when it doesn't need to be. Thanks to standard air suspension, the SQ5 feels stable and composed like the Q5; Audi didn't excessively stiffen the chassis to impart an artificial sensation of sportiness. With this poise, the SQ5 deflects impacts and uses its good mechanical grip to stay planted when bombing down a twisty road. Compared to the Q5, the SQ5's default steering feels slightly heavier, and its brakes bite stronger. Still, this tuning is well within the range of viability for comfortable everyday use. How the engine makes power, and how that power is put to the ground, could leave an enthusiast driver wanting more. Getting off the line isn't the issue—when using launch control, the SQ5 dumps its clutch to deliver a strong kick of acceleration as Quattro makes terrific traction. Rather, it's once underway where the V-6 suffers a soft feel, both from slight turbo lag and a lack of top end oomph, which is compounded by the transmission's hesitancy to downshift into the powerband. The SQ5 often feels about two seconds behind the commands of its driver, making involvement and engagement distant. Screens of Mixed Success Perhaps we've been conditioned to cringe when functions once controlled by real buttons become integrated into touchscreens, but Audi's execution of this in the Q5 proves some automakers do it better than others. That is to say, how the digital climate controls work in the Q5 is basically a nonissue; they're responsive, clear, and always within reach at the bottom of the touchscreen. Even though the infotainment menu structure is intuitive, Audi's digital voice assistant can recognize commands related to more than 800 functions in the Q5, serving as an effective workaround when two hands must remain on the wheel. The standard digital driver's display is welcome but offers little reconfigurability of information, even less than in the previous Q5 since it can't show a full-screen navigation map. Additionally, we spent as much time behind the wheel as we did riding shotgun, and we're not convinced the passenger touchscreen is anything more than a gimmick, even if it does provide the same great functionality as the primary touchscreen directly next to it. Check out our full interior review of the new 2025 Audi Q5 and SQ5 here. Style, Meet Substance Overall, the Q5 is impressively proficient, such that it's tricky to think of facets still in major need of work or refinement. It does the job well, but it's not perfect. We still wish for more verve, especially in SQ5 guise, so that how it drives could be a reason to want it more. Even if there's not much spirit, the Q5 still earns our respect for its sensible execution. It's a complete package that should excel as a daily driver; a premium one-car solution ready to meet life's needs with panache and practicality.
