Audi wins Golden Steering Wheel award
November 10, 2008 by Matt Brogan
The Golden Steering Wheel has been awarded annually since 1975 to the best new cars of the year, and this year Audi’s handsome new Q5 has taken out the prestigious award, even before making its market introduction.
It’s the second year in a row Audi has received the award with the A4 winning last year, and as one of the highest forms of praise a vehicle can receive, Audi’s Chairman of the Board of Management, Rupert Stadler, couldn’t be more thrilled.
“This is a tremendous success for both the new Q5 and the Audi brand. To me, it is also an acknowledgment of the great performance of our highly motivated and committed team,” said Stadler during the awards ceremony. “Our Golden Steering Wheel also proves to me that this car is apparently not only close to my heart; it also convinced the jury.”
Members of the “Golden Steering Wheel” jury, consisting of VIPs, technical experts, and racing and rally pros, got another chance to put test candidates through their paces this year.
The Audi Q5 was able to win them over not only through its comfort, ergonomics and space, but also for great handling and versatility. It also ranked very high in the interior and exterior design disciplines. The technicians among the jury had particular praise for the new performance SUV’s ease of repair and environmental friendliness.
The new Audi Q5 combines the dynamism of a sports sedan with a highly flexible interior and a wide range of options for leisure and family. Three powerful, efficient engines, quattro permanent all-wheel drive and agile suspension form the basis of an impressive technological package for on-road and off-road use. The innovative S tronic seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and the Audi drive select handling system are among its other highlights.
The award for is the 17th victory in 33 years for a vehicle bearing the four rings, making Audi the most successful competing brand.
Print it: 
Curious how a car wins before being made available. I would have thought the consumer should have an input into the selection criteria in terms of sales targets met, perceived value for money, fuel economy, and other consumer determined qualities and not just leave the decision up to a select panel of ‘experts’. After all Audi builds cars to sell to the public, not because it likes building cars for the sake of it.
Just because an ‘expert’ likes they way the car copes with a 10% rocky incline with consummate ease may not be lauded by the average suburbanite on the same grounds.
I never put much cred into these awards. Just chest beating.
The “Golden Steering Wheel” award sounds a bit like one of the “World’s Best Dad” awards.
However, having Google’d it, it seems to be fairly prestigious in Germany, so good luck to Audi. I’m sure the Q5 is a very nice car.
WVB: The Q5 is available elsewhere in the world. Hence it was judged there.
But you raise some good points, maybe you can come up with a new award called the the ‘Consumer Car Award’ or the ‘Golden Gearstick’.
I’m curious, WVB, why you bother to read this site, if “expert” opinions are worthless. After all, everything written on Caradvice is not written by consumers, it’s written by the experts you disbelieve.
Caradvice must therefore be all “chest beating” according to your perspective, as is every other motoring website besides user forums.
The Q5 sounds like the vehicle that takes all the Tiguan negatives and corrects them, without going to the extremes of the Q7 or Touareg.
A Q5 might be my next car for sure, especially with the V6 diesel – mmmmmm, very yummy sounding indeed.
^reckless, I never mentioned a worthless expert opinion but suggested a balanced verdict taking into account some consumer responses. These awards are often based on opinions of industry people. Would it hurt if the Q5 had 500 satisfied customers in Europe to balance the equation………..?
btw I don’t doubt the Q5 is great even if i think they’re chest beating , not CA.
I’ve had my eye on the Q5 for some time now. As a current owner of Volvo XC70, I’ve been very disapointed with the new XC70 and also the forthcoming XC60. I agree the V6 diesel would be the pick – if you can afford it. Otherwise the 2.0l turbo petrol also looks very good – a 0-100km/h time of 7.2 sec with a combined fuel economy of 8.5l/100km. Unfortunatley it pisses all over the T6 XC60.
@Supercujo: Which other markets in the world is the Q5 available???
The internal launch to Audi dealers only took place last week.
You’re right, Tony – if the Audi pricing goes the way BMW does, where you can pay more for an X3 than an X5 if you tick an option or two, the V6 diesel Q5 could be well over $80, and more than the Q7.
What they should do is sell the fully loaded Q5 V6 Diesel for $49999 drive away – haha :) I wish.
The 2.0T engine really has some mumbo, but the problem with it in the Q5 is the 1740kg. Too much weight for that engine IMO, although it is tuned for 350nm and 155kw, and comes with a 7 speed S-tronic dual clutch box to help get it moving.
The V6 is 175kw 500nm, far nicer numbers :)
Giving a car an award even before its released…. they’re obviously suffering from “premature adjudication”
Because if the Q5 turns out to be an absolute shockerl in anyway [very unlikely] it will be just as embarrassing
Q5 has been out for testing for a while, and I believe in what experts say. Audi has been producing amazing cars, beautiful exterior as well as interior. Durability could still be a question when compared with Mercedes and BMW, but Golden Steering Wheel seems not taking it into account, nor price, nor resale value. Seems that is all about performance, handling, and economy.
Skybreak said “However, having Google’d it, it seems to be fairly prestigious in Germany, so good luck to Audi. I’m sure the Q5 is a very nice car”.
German award for German Car, However a bloody nice car putting the Ugly BMW X3 to shame.
Um, this car has been out over seas for a couple of months now. And it is an overseas award after all. The 2.0 TDi is actually the best engine. The 3.0 TDi feels a bit much in this car and the 2.0 Petrol is thirsty in town. Just a shame the 2.0 TDi doesn’t come with an automatic option as it is the perfect engine for this car but I don’t think most people want a manual in a relaxed compact SUV.