2020 Q5e 2670 mile, 11 day road trip.....
Thread Starter
Audi Q5e Driver
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 457
Likes: 202
2020 Q5e 2670 mile, 11 day road trip.....
And.... Nothing went wrong!
Decided to take the 2020 Q5e on a family vacation road trip over 8 states around the Great Lakes visiting two National Parks for a total trip of 2760 miles over 11 days.
Had limited charging opportunities, tried a ChargePoint charger 2 days into the trip, got about 80% charge in 2 hours from it's slow (5kW rate at claimed 6.6kW port...) charger, at least it was cheap at like 50 cents. Next charge opportunity was at our last hotel (3 nights) for the trip that had recently installed two JuiceBox Pro 40 9.6kW chargers. That helped a lot as I could top off between touring/hiking trips and in the morning/evening when needed.
Few things I learned.
Decided to take the 2020 Q5e on a family vacation road trip over 8 states around the Great Lakes visiting two National Parks for a total trip of 2760 miles over 11 days.
Had limited charging opportunities, tried a ChargePoint charger 2 days into the trip, got about 80% charge in 2 hours from it's slow (5kW rate at claimed 6.6kW port...) charger, at least it was cheap at like 50 cents. Next charge opportunity was at our last hotel (3 nights) for the trip that had recently installed two JuiceBox Pro 40 9.6kW chargers. That helped a lot as I could top off between touring/hiking trips and in the morning/evening when needed.
Few things I learned.
- ACC did not like driving through a long narrow tunnel, warned me that the environment was to confined and told me to take over right before turning off cruise control.
- Lane keep assist was annoying on long straight roads, I WAS HOLDING the wheel (as it dings at me to hold on...)
- Even without regular charging (having to use battery hold for days) I was able to average over 31+mpg on highways.
- And then on days with at least one charge, 34+mpg was the norm.
- That was for long 6-10 hour driving sessions covering hundreds of miles at a time (and usually at least one gas stop). Total range per tank was estimated over 440+ miles on the trip and pretty sure that was accurate based on when I had to refill.
- Even with my sport seats and non-air suspension the ride was comfortable for me and the family (2 adults 2 teens), and had no problem storing all our stuff.
AudiWorld Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 864
Likes: 344
From: Michigan
What fun! Which national parks? You did well to fit 4 and all their stuff for that trip. Sounds perfect for a PHEV vehicle with what you describe as the charging situation. Great mpg overall!
AudiWorld Member
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 598
Likes: 130
From: Boston, MA
Sounds like a fun adventure. This mirrors my experiences on road trips. Low to mid 30s mpg is very respectable for a lux suv carrying 4 people and their luggage. Of course, driving around town you wind up rarely filling up the tank if you keep your batteries topped off. We have a 2019 Q5e and just replaced our 2017 leased Model 3 with a 2022 Model 3. I think the transition to EV is doable, but still nice to have the flexibility of a PHEV. I agree with the annoyance with LKA on long straight roads. The frequent alarming makes it unusable. I wish they could replace the bell with a visual warning, like in the Model 3. LKA actually works well, but that ding is too jarring. It's easier to just keep the car going straight than it is to be constantly putting in torque to the steering wheel to prevent the "DING".
Plugshare has been great for finding hotels with charging or nearby charging opportunities on trips.
Plugshare has been great for finding hotels with charging or nearby charging opportunities on trips.
Thread Starter
Audi Q5e Driver
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 457
Likes: 202
It was a blast, great trip, nice to see some of the Cities up in that area (Ann Arbor, Detroit, Mackinac, Green Bay, Milwaukee, Chicago, Cleveland, Toledo...)
We did Isle Royale (stayed in one of the Cabins on the island) and Indiana Dunes. Isle Royale was beautiful, great hikes and well worth the 3.5 hr boat ride there (and repeat for return) if you at least stay one night. Indiana Dunes... well it's got pretty beaches....
We each packed like we were taking a flight with no checked luggage, and we knew we would have one opportunity to do laundry during the trip. Just about planning ahead and packing thoughtfully.
We did Isle Royale (stayed in one of the Cabins on the island) and Indiana Dunes. Isle Royale was beautiful, great hikes and well worth the 3.5 hr boat ride there (and repeat for return) if you at least stay one night. Indiana Dunes... well it's got pretty beaches....
We each packed like we were taking a flight with no checked luggage, and we knew we would have one opportunity to do laundry during the trip. Just about planning ahead and packing thoughtfully.
Thread Starter
Audi Q5e Driver
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 457
Likes: 202
Basically 4 adults (both my teenagers are taller than their mom), 4 carry-on sized roll-arounds, 4 backback size bags, and 3-4 smaller bags with assorted other items. Was enough space that there was no obstruction out the rear view mirror and everyone was comfortable for the long drives.
Range wise, maybe only 1-2 mpg drop. Was still getting over 420+ miles of range each tank of gas. Highway speeds were generally between 65-75mph. Very pleased, certainly more range than the EPA estimates.
Range wise, maybe only 1-2 mpg drop. Was still getting over 420+ miles of range each tank of gas. Highway speeds were generally between 65-75mph. Very pleased, certainly more range than the EPA estimates.
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