Luxury Car Sales Rebound in September

Do you ever watch the business news and wonder who’s making money in the stock market when most people you know are cutting back? Inexplicably, luxury automakers saw sales bounce back in September.

While sales of Toyota were down 19% in September, Lexus saw sales go up 7%; that’s mostly because of the new RX crossover, which had an uptick of 70%.

Ford sales were down 6%, but sales at its Swedish Volvo brand were up 16%, thanks largely to the new XC60 crossover.

With relatively no new models in its lineup, BMW sales were up 3%.

Even at GM where sales were down 45%, Cadillac sales were down just 8% because of swift sales of the redesigned SRX crossover.

Audi Announces Pricing for 2010 A4, A5 and Q5

Audi has released pricing information for three of its 2010 models. The A4 will begin at $31,450, a mild increase over the 2009’s $31,000 sticker price. With a number of different trims, the A4’s ultimate price will depend on the goodies you want, but it tops out at $42,250 for a Prestige trim with the Tiptronic automatic gearbox.

The A5 gets a price reduction from the $40,700 2009 model, thanks to Audi trading the 3.2-liter six-cylinder engine for a turbocharged 2.0-liter four in the base model. Starting at $36,000 for the 2010 A5 2.0T Quattro coupe, the A5 can climb as high as $45,500 for the automatic Prestige model, which keeps the 3.2-liter six.

Finally, the 2010 Q5 stands as the priciest of these models, with a starting MSRP of $37,350. This a miniscule increase over the ’09, which started at $37,200. The Q5 only comes with an automatic transmission, and the Prestige trim pushes the price up to $48,850. We would have liked to have seen the 2.0-liter turbo make its way into the Q5 and lower the price like Audi did with the A5.

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Weekend Athlete: 2009 Audi Q5

I don’t know who Audi has in mind to drive this car, but it isn’t Weekend Athletes.

Yes, you could take it camping in the way you could take any car camping. And you could take a bike in it, just like you could in any midsize SUV. But as far as I’m concerned, it would be like taking your grandmother’s irreplaceable china as the place setting for a picnic. You could do it, but why on earth would you want to?

On to the tests.

Cars.com Reviews the 2009 Audi Q5

Cars.com’s Kelsey Mays compares the 2009 Audi Q5 with pistachio-mint ice cream. Why, you ask? Mays believes that for Audi faithful, the Q5 will be an instant winner, but if you don’t like the taste of mint all that much, well, you’ll end up on his side of the fence. Read Mays’ full review to find out why the Q5 didn’t send him into a tizzy and which other luxury SUVs rank higher in his estimation.

2009 Audi Q5 Review

Audi Q5, Volkswagen CC Named IIHS Top Safety Picks

Audi’s Q5 small SUV and Volkswagen’s CC midsize sedan – both new for 2009 – have earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s highest crash-test distinction, Top Safety Pick. To earn Top Safety Pick status, IIHS requires a vehicle to pass front, side and rear tests with its best rating, Good, and come standard with an electronic stability system.

The Q5’s closest competitors also earned Top Safety Pick status, including the Acura RDX, BMW X3 and Infiniti EX35. Some of the Volkswagen CC’s competition has also earned the distinction, including the Acura TL, Hyundai Genesis sedan and Infiniti G37. 

2009 Audi Q5 Video

Audi's Q5 is just the latest compact luxury SUV to hit the market, and it seems to be generating sales for the German brand. Cars.com senior editor Joe Wiesenfelder delivers this video about the Q5, and we learn some things we didn't know about it. For example, did you know that the car's suspension can tell when there's cargo attached to the roof rack? Didn't think so.

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Cars.com Reviews the 2009 Audi Q5

Cars.com reviewer Joe Wiesenfelder had an added task when he reviewed the 2009 Audi Q5: Not only did he have to decide what he thought about the car, he had to decide where the new compact crossover fit amid the crowded lineup of Audi hatchbacks. Read his full review to find out how the Q5 stacks up compared with its siblings, as well as competition from the likes of Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Volvo.

2009 Audi Q5 Review

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