Audi Q2 long-term test: report 3

The car Audi Q2 35 TFSI S line S tronic Run by Darren Moss, deputy digital editor

Why it’s here To prove that small SUVs can still offer the kind of comfort and luxury you’d expect from a larger, more expensive car

Needs to be comfortable for commuting, practical for longer trips, economical, and able to function as a mobile office

Mileage 722 List price £33,915 Target Price £32,432 Price as tested £35,635 Test economy 40.5mpg Official economy 45.6mpg

14 September 2023 – There and back again

You might remember a scene in The Hobbit film where Bilbo Baggins runs after his dwarf companions to begin an epic quest, shouting ‘I’m going on an adventure’ – well, that’s how I felt taking my Audi Q2 small SUV on its longest journey to date.

The first stage of this trip involved heading from London to Kidderminster for a friend’s wedding. Suited and booted, I settled down for a motorway trek. My car’s 1.5-litre petrol engine never feels short on grunt, which is ideal for the morning rush hour traffic but equally useful on faster roads. I don’t need to think too much if I spot a gap in the traffic, I just press my right foot and the Q2 responds pleasantly quickly.

I also appreciated the Q2’s smooth ride at high speeds. On pock-marked urban roads, my car can feel substantially firmer than other small SUVs, most notably the Volkswagen T-Roc – though, thankfully, never to the point of being uncomfortable – but on the motorway it glides along in a very composed manner. 

Another feature which I like is the Q2’s height-adjustable armrest, which means whether you’re tall or Hobbit-sized, you’ll find somewhere comfy to rest your arm. Thanks to all this, I spent a happy couple of hours heading North, with my favourite podcast for company. I arrived feeling refreshed and ready to celebrate the day with friends.

That evening, with much (alcohol-free) Prosecco and wedding cake consumed, I headed to my overnight stop at my parents’ house, another 90-odd miles along motorways and dual carriageways. Every Q2 comes with LED lights as standard, but I did find myself missing the matrix headlights of larger Audi SUVs.

These can morph their beam to give you maximum visibility without dazzling oncoming drivers, but are reserved for the range-topping SQ2 Vorsprung – a car which costs a princely £46,390. It would be nice to see those added as options for the regular Q2 as well, as they used to be, but I believe they were phased out as part of an overall slimming-down of the range.

The next morning my small SUV carried me to a picnic in the local park with some friends who are expecting their second child. Said friends currently drive a Suzuki Ignis, which has been perfect for their three-strong family so far. But with three shortly to become four, they’re on the lookout for something a little larger. And the Q2 would seem to tick many of their boxes, offering a useful increase in space while still being economical to run and punchy enough for most situations.

While my car costs from £32,432 once our Target Price discounts are factored in, used examples of this generation of Q2 can be had from just £11,000, making it sorely tempting indeed.

My journey home again felt like a victory lap for the Q2, having conquered the long trip I’d put before it, and potentially converting new buyers to its cause along the way. It might not be the small SUV to rule them all – that’s our reigning Small SUV of the Year, the T-Roc – but it’s proving to have a big impact all the same.

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