Why it can be a good car
The 2016 Q5 is the first-generation car (the 8R) near the end of its run, on Audi's longitudinal platform shared with the A4 and A5 of the era — which means most of the refinements Audi made over the generation are baked in. Two parts of the drivetrain are genuinely outstanding: the eight-speed ZF automatic, one of the best gearboxes of its era, which asks only for a fluid change despite the lifetime-fill talk; and the quattro system, which on this platform is the robust full-time Torsen-based setup rather than a clutch-pack system — one of the least troublesome things on the whole car. The 2.0T (around 220 hp) is torquey and well-liked, and with the factory tow package the Q5 is rated around 4,400 lb — genuinely useful for the class.
Why it can be a bad car
The engine's timing chain and tensioner history is the one decisive question. Early cars of this generation were notorious for tensioner failures that let the chain jump timing — bent valves and a wrecked top end on an interference engine. A 2016 carries the updated tensioner design, so the odds are far better than on the early cars, but the chain itself can still stretch at higher mileage. A competent shop settles it in one visit: a stone-cold start listen, a scan for cam-timing deviation, and a look at the tensioner. Clean result and this is a good SUV at a fair price; a stretched chain is a four-figure job that either comes off the price or ends the deal. Earlier engines of this family also had a documented oil-consumption problem — much less associated with a 2016, but worth a consumption check on any individual car.
Does it have a timing belt or a timing chain?
A timing chain — and it is the whole verdict. Chain-driven interference engine; a brief listen at a stone-cold start plus a scan is the decisive test. No rattle, no cam-timing drift, and the biggest risk on the car is off the table.
The things to check before you buy
- Stone-cold start Insist on it — arrive before the seller runs the car. A one-to-three-second diesel-like rattle from the front of the engine at startup is the tensioner/chain, and it is the sound the entire purchase turns on.
- Water pump and thermostat The plastic assembly weeps coolant right around typical higher mileage — look for crusty residue behind the engine on the passenger side.
- Carbon and PCV Direct injection builds intake-valve carbon (walnut blasting clears it) and the PCV valve tires with age — both ordinary, both priceable.
- Suspension This platform wears several control arms per corner, and salt-belt roads accelerate the bushings — listen for clunks and price accordingly.
- Transmission fluid The excellent ZF eight-speed just wants its fluid changed — cheap insurance if there is no record.
- Sunroof drains and rust Panoramic sunroof drains clog and soak the interior; check the headliner and footwells. On salt-belt cars, inspect the subframe mounts and lines.
What would make you walk (or hard-negotiate)
- A tired chain Persistent cold-start rattle, stored cam-timing codes, or measured stretch — the full chain service comes off the price in writing, or you walk.
- Heavy oil consumption Blue smoke at startup or under load, or a liter-per-1,000-km habit.
- Structural rust Scaling rot at the subframe or suspension cradle on a salted car — the one thing that can't be priced away.