I had never driven an electric car before, so I was really amazed when I first drove the Q2. I stepped on the brake and pressed the start button. The car was so quiet that there was almost no sound at all. I even suspected that it hadn't started successfully. When starting, it felt extremely light, like gliding forward effortlessly. This feeling really outshines gasoline cars by a long shot. When driving at a speed below 60 mph, it's much quieter than gasoline cars, with only a slight tire noise. Of course, when the speed goes above 100 mph, the noise becomes quite loud, mainly wind noise and tire noise. But as I mentioned earlier, this car is mainly for urban commuting. How often can you drive above 100 mph? The tires on the car I got are Michelin 215/55/R17. Maybe the quietness is partly due to these Michelin tires. I just don't know if all the cars come with Michelin tires from the factory.
Now, let me briefly talk about my experience of using the car. Since everyone has driven different cars and has different driving habits, the comparison results will definitely vary. I'll try to talk about my feelings based on the normal driving habits of most people.
1. Power: It feels quite average. Usually, electric cars should have an inherent advantage in acceleration, but I didn't feel it at all in this car. Even when I stepped on the accelerator to the floor, there was no sense of being pushed back in the seat. Of course, it's not slow either. When starting at a red light, you won't be the fastest, but you won't be the last one either. It's sufficient for overtaking in normal situations. I haven't tried it on the highway, so I don't know if it struggles to accelerate at high speeds. I won't make random comments on that. Overall, the power gives an impression that matches the core word of the Audi brand: mediocrity.
2. Handling: Just drive it in a normal way. Aggressive driving doesn't suit this car at all. The steering wheel is relatively light, but there is some play. The overall feeling of the chassis is quite good, worthy of its price. However, when turning at a relatively high speed, it feels like it can't grip the road well, which makes me lack confidence. There's a about 70 - degree turn on my way to work. I used to drive through it at 80 mph in a sedan without any problem. But when I first drove the Q2 through it at 80 mph, I clearly felt the rear end was a bit floaty. After that, I basically only dared to take the turn at 60 mph. The initial part of the braking feels soft. I often feel like I can't stop the car, and then when I press the brake harder, the car nods slightly. I think there's room for improvement here.
3. Space: The front row has enough space for normal use. The back row is indeed quite narrow, and there's a bulge in the middle of the rear floor. I'm 166 cm tall, which is relatively short. But when I sit in the back row, my knees just touch the front - row seat, with no extra space at all. The trunk isn't small, which basically meets normal needs. Moreover, the rear seats can be folded down, which is a quite practical feature.
The center console and MMI: The center console is quite simple, but it has all the commonly used functions. Functions like the electronic handbrake and automatic parking are very practical. And all the functions integrated on the steering wheel are there, such as Bluetooth for the phone, cruise control, volume adjustment, voice assistance, etc. I really think that Audi has equipped this car with all the functions for daily use without any cut - backs. It shows some sincerity. There are also ambient lights at the front of the car and on the armrests on both sides at night.
Endurance range: My daily commute is about 45 kilometers in total, with half on urban roads and half on suburban roads. The average speed on urban roads is between 40 and 60 mph, and on suburban roads it's between 60 and 80 mph. During this period, the temperature in Chengdu has been around 10 degrees Celsius. I drive gently, without using the air - conditioner and hardly ever stomping on the accelerator. So this usage range basically reflects the real endurance range of this car. If it's in cold northern areas, or if you drive aggressively, or often use the air - conditioner, the actual endurance range may be shorter. By the way, you can set three levels of energy recovery. You can set it by shifting to the left when the gear is in D. I turned off the energy recovery during my use. The last time I charged the car, it showed that I could still drive 53 kilometers, and the mileage was 2355. I used a fast charger at a TeLaiDian charging station. It took 47 minutes to fully charge the car, and I used 27.8 kWh of electricity, which cost me 33 yuan. When the remaining range was back to 53 kilometers, the mileage was 2553. That means it ran 198 kilometers on a full charge. It's less than the official claim of 240 kilometers per charge, but it's much better than some brands that claim 600 kilometers but actually only run 400 kilometers.
Some things to complain about: First, neither the driver's nor the passenger's seat has electric adjustment. You can only adjust them manually, which is inconvenient. Second, there's no rear - view camera, only a radar. It's very inconvenient for those who are used to using a rear - view camera. Third, not all public charging stations can be used. For example, at a State Grid charging station, it stopped charging when it reached the equivalent of 85 kilometers of range. According to the staff, it might be due to an incompatible protocol. But there's no problem with TeLaiDian. Also, since it's a new - energy vehicle, it should have some connection with intelligent driving, but there's no sign of intelligent driving in this car. The short endurance range shouldn't really be a complaint because its positioning is for urban commuting. But when it's cold and the windows easily fog up, problems arise. When I drove a gasoline car, I would always turn on the defogging air - conditioner. But I dare not do that in this car. As soon as I turn on the defogging function, the endurance range is immediately halved, which makes me extremely worried. So I have to turn it on and off repeatedly, which is both troublesome and unsafe. By the way, I noticed a strange thing. The energy consumption of the defogging function and the air - conditioner is different. When the remaining range showed 247 kilometers, I did a test. When I turned on the defogging function, the range dropped to 133 kilometers. When I turned off the defogging function and turned on the air - conditioner, the range became 189 kilometers.
Finally, here are my personal suggestions. First and most importantly, if you don't have the conditions to install a charging pile at home, I don't recommend buying this car.
