Am interested in understanding how dog friendly the Q5 is. I currently have a S4 Avant and my golden (Hannah) does great in the back. I was interested in options on:
- Is there enough space with the back seats up?
- With the back seats down, is there a gap between the trunk floor board and the seat backs (don't want hannah to drop a paw)?
- i imagine the trunk entry is higher than my current, but how high is it really?

thanks in advance for the options/help!

Craig

Am interested in understanding how dog friendly the Q5 is. I currently have a S4 Avant and my golden (Hannah) does great in the back. I was interested in options on:
- Is there enough space with the back seats up?
- With the back seats down, is there a gap between the trunk floor board and the seat backs (don't want hannah to drop a paw)?
- i imagine the trunk entry is higher than my current, but how high is it really?

thanks in advance for the options/help!

Craig

My Golden ("Mazie") said that she does not like the Q5 seats as much as my Yukon. She really liked the "captains" chairs that the Yukon came with. She also doesn't like that her daddy will not let her put her paws on the center console for fear that she will mess up the nice leather on it - never cared about that in the Yukon. So far, the practice has been to have her sit in the back with the seats down and a towel layed over the back of the seats. Not the best set up, but the wife doesn't want to mess up that leather too bad. Guess I will have to fine a nice seat cover.

I have a ten-year-old golden, and she finds it fairly easy to jump into and out of the back of the Q5. I was sure to have a piece of 3M film placed on top of the rear bumper to prevent scratches. When I have the rear seats down, there isn't a gap in the floor as long as the seats are moved all the way back. The biggest problem I have is the collection of dog hair on the seat backs. I have the Audi cargo mat, which is great, but I have yet to find a good solution for the seat backs. I was thinking of having a multi-piece cover made out of some ballistic material that I would then use heavy duty Velcro to attach it to the carpet on the seat backs. There is enough room in the back with the rear seats up but, of course, every dog wants to ride shotgun.

My dog is a 110 lb. shepherd mix and there is NOT enough room for him in the back with the seats UP. I would have to put the seats down. But I found a "hammock" type cover that attaches to the front head rests and the rear head rests, and it keeps him firmly planted in the back seats without rolling around. That is what I use now.

Our beagle Daisy isn't too thrilled with our Q5, she really liked our Saab 97X because she was able to be very stable standing up in the back seat with her head out the window. For some odd reason even though the Q5 window height is lower and she should be able to stand up easier it's not the case and she just can't get a stable footing. She does like standing up with her front paws on the center console more than in the Saab though.

I have a German Shepherd female approximately 80 pounds.

- Is there enough space with the back seats up?

Yes, but not if your dog wants to see you in the front. Just make sure to change the rear seat tilt to straight up and down to create more space.

- With the back seats down, is there a gap between the trunk floor board and the seat backs (don't want hannah to drop a paw)?

With the back seat slid all the way back, there is a minimal gap; nothing to worry about.

- i imagine the trunk entry is higher than my current, but how high is it really?

The height difference is minimal. No problems entering or exiting.

I actually fold the back seats and use a soft crate that is mostly mesh. This keeps the dog in place for safety and controls the hair. Audi also makes a soft cargo divider that attaches to the roof and back seats vertically; I have also used this with good results to keep the dog from trying to get into the front.

The interior space on the Q5 is quite small. I think the S4 Avant has a larger rear space. It would NOT be dog friendly for any pup over say 60lbs.....I'd go for the A6 Avant, or even the 535xi. I think that is a better deal than the X5 and handles better.........though I know it is a fair amt more expensive than the Q5 or S4 avant....