PHOENIX — Along with Tesla's quirky Model X and Jaguar iPace, the Audi e-tron was among the first fully electric SUVs introduced to the buying public with e-tron first arriving in the spring of 2019. Fast forward five years and these early pioneers are now surrounded with market competitors including the BMW iX, Cadillac Lyric, Mercedes EQE SUV and others.

INDIANAPOLIS — I fly way too much, but sometimes the destination can be reached by car — preferably a very fast and comfortable one.  It’s a great challenge.  Which car to drive?  A large luxury SUV would be great, but they’re not fun fast.  A sports car is fast, but not very comfortable.  Coupes can be comfy and fast, but aren’t very practical.  So, I settled for a top flight “five door coupe.” 

MIAMI — Three things you can count on in a German luxury car. The latest in technology will be available and it will be fussy, and sometimes frustrating to operate. The cabin will live up to the highest standards of luxury while giving you the feel of a high-class English gentleman’s club. It will go like a bat out of hell. The 2019 SQ5 from Audi encompasses all three.

PHOENIX — Last year, Audi updated its fifth-generation A4 sedan. Audi didn’t do anything radical, with the basic dimensions staying the same, but Audi aficionados certainly recognized some significant changes. So, understandably, for 2018 the A4 is almost exclusively a carryover from last year, and a much stronger performance-oriented S4 has joined the lineup.

PHOENIX — The A5 is an attractive version of Audi’s A4 sedan and is available as a coupe, four-door Sportback, and a Cabriolet, tested here. The A5 Cabriolet is available in a choice of two trim levels: base ($49,600) and the performance-oriented S5 version ($62,300). Both trim levels are luxury drop tops with an attractive exterior and a formal interior. Both are well tailored with superb build quality, top rate materials — leathers, wood veneers and brushed aluminum or stainless steel trim — comprehensively engineered with impeccable attention to detail.