THE Audi Q5 compact crossover appeared in early 2009 and quickly became the second-biggest seller in the German company’s North American line-up of 10 vehicles. With 1,717 sales in December, it trailed the A4 sedan at 3,555.

Built from the A5 coupe and A4 architecture, the Q5 is about the same size as the A4, but with more cargo room and more command-of-the-road visibility. The Q5 isn’t a power statement for taking colleagues to lunch, but it gives a good introduction to all things Audi. And it costs about US$10,000 less than the larger, seven-passenger Q7, which has a higher level of refinement.

The Q5 is a building block in the company’s line-up. Its modular, longitudinal engine setup is shared with A5 coupe and A4, and in the future A6, A7 (the sexy four-door “coupe” version of the full-size A8) and the redesigned A8 due late this year.

Most compact crossovers do a nimble job. The architecture generally provides clear sightlines over the shoulder (because there isn’t another foot of length to get in the way) and over the hood. There is adequate back-seat room for family duty and fuel economy is usually in the mid-20s.

I spent several hundred miles in a well-equipped Q5 3.2 quattro Tiptronic, which in Audi terms is the 270-horsepower, 3.2-litre V-6 engine with six-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.

Sold in trim lines of Premium, Premium Plus and Prestige, the 2010 Q5 pricing ranges from US$38,175, including the US$825 freight charge from Ingolstadt, Germany, to US$49,675 for the top-line Prestige. The Premium Plus tester was US$47,350 with options, and the extras were features most buyers in this luxury segment would want to have, such as a panorama sunroof, rearview camera, power tailgate and a powerful Bang & Olufsen audio system.

The new 2010 Cadillac SRX is priced at about the same level. Other competitors include the Acura RDX, BMW X3, Lexus RX, Lincoln MKX and Mercedes-Benz GLK.

The Q5 is compact, but it drives with the presence of a full-size luxury vehicle. It doesn’t seem like a “baby Audi”. It is comfortable as a long-distance commuter with styling that emphasises function over fashion. The Cadillac SRX, for example, has much more flash and makes an overall style treatment. The Audi may appear plain by comparison, but the design is subtle with creative lines and arcs in a restrained German-functional presentation.

There are 39.4 inches of front headroom (38.1 with the sunroof), plenty of rear foot space and a generous 37.4 inches of rear legroom. The centre position is compromised on foot space by the tall transmission tunnel, but there is an adjustable head restraint. The back seat is nicely equipped with lights, storage, cup holders, coat hooks and grab handles. Seat comfort is firm with decent thigh support for smaller occupants.

Other important specifications include five-star NHTSA crash ratings for front occupants and front and rear side impact as well as four stars for rollover.

Audi electronics are an ongoing learning curve for me. I have mastered the company’s engineering of multifunction buttons, in which one knob will control fan speed, seat heaters, temperature and automatic temp control. It is an efficient use of space, once you remember to first select the mode/function than twist the knob. I also understand the central controller — multimedia interface — for its range of cabin and car functions, but it, too, is distinct in operation from other such systems.

This system and the navigation system will not be intuitive for someone new to Audi electronics, so pay attention during the dealership tutorial. In time, the process will seem logical.

It may also take a few days to adapt to what I call Audi’s precision engineering. At first, the accelerator response may seem soft and vague. I had to push through what feels like drive-by-wire sponginess to get to the power. But in time, the Q5 trained me to not be so rough in my actions. By the end of the week, I was in tune with the electronics — and my next test car seemed almost crude by comparison.

All Audi’s gasoline engines use high-compression, direct-injection technology for efficiency and performance. The V-6 has the right mix of power-to-fuel economy. The EPA mileage estimates are 18 mpg city and 23 highway on premium fuel. In my week of driving — 307.4 miles — I went to downtown Los Angeles and back, and after the seventh day, the computer said there were still 120 miles to go before empty. The computer claimed an average of 23.2 miles combined city/highway on the round trip to LA.

There is a body style and image for everybody among the competitors in this luxury crossover segment.

Audi uses technology to make an environmental-impact statement.

“Audi is the first car company to offer 100 per cent FSI direct-injection technology in all of its gas engines,” said Audi product specialist Christian Bokich. “Second, we offer TDI clean diesel vehicles in the A3 (hatchback) and Q7 models with excellent range and performance with environmentally-friendly emissions output. We will offer a hybrid powertrain in the Q5, and also fully electric powertrains with certain vehicles.”

— Mark Maynard