What are they like inside?
Audi Q5 3.0 TDI: 4/5
Mercedes-Ben ML 250 CDI: 4/5
The Mercedes ML has a high-set cabin and
this means you need to use the footboard to climb in. But once inside, you’ll
like the large and accommodating front seats for the comfort and great
visibility they afford. You’ll also like the dashboard’s elegant design, though
we weren’t impressed by the color combination on our test car. However, the
fantastic cabin quality, with micrometer-perfect panel fit and a sea of
well-finished soft-touch plastics, makes this a really special place to be. As
expected, the ML is the more spacious SUV here and this is most evident when
you slide into the back seat, where the crucial few centimeters of extra knee
room and width make all the difference. The seat itself is very comfy and can
be reclined, unlike the Q5’s. A near-flat floor also aids middle-passenger
comfort.
ML
is spacious and comfort is first rate
From the moment you grip the nicely
sculpted wheel of the Q5, its sporty intentions become clear. The dashboard
design is really interesting too. The red backlit buttons make it look like an
aircraft cabin at night and, barring a few bits of patchy plastic, it is a
cabin high on quality and expensive feel. It’s well specked too – you get a
reversing camera, Audi’s MMI system, adjustable dampers and fully powered seats
with seat memory.
Q5
is spacious and comfort is good too
However, we didn’t like the panoramic sunroof,
which is standard on the 3.0 TDI. As good as it is on a full moon night, it’s
the reason the car gets unbearably hot when parked, and the air-con takes
longer to cool the cabin thereafter. That said, the cabin is impressively
spacious, with plenty of leg- and headroom for four adults, or five at a push
(the high and wide center tunnel means the rear center passenger has to sit
with legs splayed).
Buying & owning
Audi Q5 3.0 TDI: 4/5
Mercedes-Ben ML 250 CDI: 4/5
The Mercedes ML 250 CDI is priced at a very
reasonable $94, 380 compared to the much higher $104, 940 you will pay for the
Q5 3.0 TDI. It’s important to note that both Mercedes-Benz and Audi only have a
presence in the larger Indian cities, so service can be an issue if you stay in
a smaller town. The ML and Q5 are neck-and-neck as far as standard warranty is
concerned. They both come with 24-month/unlimited-km warranties.
Equipment & safety
Audi Q5 3.0 TDI: 4/5
Mercedes-Ben ML 250 CDI: 4/5
Both SUVs can be specified with extra
features and equipment, and this could drastically change what you finally pay
for them. However, if you compare their base prices, surprisingly, the Mercedes
ML 250 CDI is cheaper at $94, 380(ex-showroom, Delhi), and the top-of-the-line
Audi Q5 3.0 TDI Premium+, at $104,940 is over $10,000 more expensive.
Both
SUVs can be specified with extra features and equipment, and this could
drastically change what you finally pay for them.
The ML 250 CDI is the base version of the
M-class range in India. However, it still gets luxury SUV essentials like
powered front seats, xenon headlights, a sunroof, parking sensors, Bluetooth
audio and telephony, and three-zone climate control. Where the 250 CDI differs
from the 350 CDI is in its use of a simpler interface for the audio system (it’s
missing the full-fledged Mercedes COMAND infotainment system). There’s no seat
memory and no electric tailgate operation either.
The ML 250 CDI comes with nine airbags and
also gets Merc’s ‘Attention Assist’ system, which uses various parameters to detect
if a driver is drowsy and warns them if they are. Standard on the ML 250 CDI is
Mercedes’ ‘Pre-Safe’, which primes the safety systems in advance if it detects
a possible collision. The system tightens the seat belts and automatically
closes all windows for optimal airbag effectiveness.
But then the updated Q5, in 3.0 TDI
Premium+ guise, has a lot of standard equipment too. It gets Audi’s MMI
infotainment system, a six-CD changer with aux-in and USB ports, Bluetooth,
leather seats, adjustable dampers, the panoramic sun-roof, cruise control,
three-zone climate control, a reversing camera and xenon lamps.
But
then the updated Q5, in 3.0 TDI Premium+ guise, has a lot of standard equipment
too.
On the safety front, the Q5 comes with
eight airbags, a tire pressure monitor, ABS with EBD and ESP as standard.
Our Verdict
Mercedes ML 250 CDI: 4/5
·
For: Feels
expensive, big-SUV feel
·
Against: Is a bit
dull to drive
·
Verdict: A
proper, no-compromise Merc at an appealing price
Audi Q5 3.0 TDI: 4/5
·
For: Mighty
performance, fun to drive
·
Against:
Excessive wind and road noise
·
Verdict: Is
brilliant to drive but isn’t the all-rounder the Merc is
With the Q5’s overall improvements, Audi
has certainly raised its game – enough to give the impressive M-class some
cause for worry. It is not only the quicker of the two, but also the more
enjoyable one to drive. And even when you look at the overall experience, it is
hard to fault. But what it lacks, or rather falls short of, is the big-SUV feel
the ML offers. It doesn’t feel as luxurious and it is more expensive too.
And that’s exactly why the ML 250 CDI is
our winner once again. It gets you the most SUV for the money and easily wins
on comfort. It’s got really big seats, the most space and also the
better-finished cabin. The performance is good enough to make you forget this
is a 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine. The Merc ML 250 CDI may not be as exciting
to drive as the Q5 or as well equipped, but it strikes the best balance of
performance, comfort and size at a very competitive price.
