Compare the2022 Honda PassportVS 2022 Audi Q5

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Passport are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Q5 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Passport deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Passport’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Q5’s airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

Both the Passport and the Q5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available all wheel drive.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Honda Passport is safer than the Audi Q5:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Honda Passport is safer than the Audi Q5:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Honda’s powertrain warranty covers the Passport 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Audi covers the Q5. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Q5 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 4 times as many Honda dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Passport’s warranty.

The engine in the Passport has a single overhead cam for simplicity. The engines in the Q5 have dual overhead cams, which add to the number of moving parts and the complexity of the cylinder heads.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Passport has a 130-amp alternator. The Q5’s standard 110-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda 17th in initial quality. With 76 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 32nd.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 9 places higher in reliability than Audi.

The Passport’s 3.5 SOHC V6 produces 19 more horsepower (280 vs. 261) than the Q5 45 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Passport’s fuel efficiency. The Q5 doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda Passport uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Q5 requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Passport has 5.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Q5 Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (19.5 vs. 14.3 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Passport has a gallon more fuel capacity than the Q5’s standard fuel tank (19.5 vs. 18.5 gallons).

The Passport has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Q5 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Honda Passport, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the Q5.

The Passport stops shorter than the Q5:

For better traction, the Passport has larger standard tires than the Q5 (245/60R18 vs. 235/60R18). The Passport EX-L/Elite’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Q5 (265/45R20 vs. 255/45R20).

The Passport has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Q5 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Passport is 3.2 inches wider in the front and 3.5 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Q5.

For greater off-road capability the Passport has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Q5 55 TFSI e (8.1 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Passport to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Passport uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Q5 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Passport has 4.3 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear headroom, 1.6 inches more rear legroom and 5.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Q5.

The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Q5 with its rear seat up (41.2 vs. 25.8 cubic feet). The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Q5 with its rear seat folded (77.7 vs. 54 cubic feet).

The Passport’s cargo area is larger than the Q5’s in every dimension:

Maximum trailer towing in the Audi Q5 is limited to 4400 pounds. The Passport AWD offers up to a 5000 lbs. towing capacity.

While the Q5 55 TFSI e can only tow 2000, any Passport can tow a minimum of 3500 pounds.

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Passport uses the Vehicle Stability Assist sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Q5 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Passport has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Q5 doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Passport’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. An easy entry system costs extra on the Q5.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Passport has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Q5 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Consumer Reports rated the Passport’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Q5’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Honda Passport has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Q5.

The Passport TrailSport/Elite has a 115-volt a/c outlet, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Q5 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Passport is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Q5 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Insurance will cost less for the Passport owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Passport will cost $490 to $4155 less than the Q5 over a five-year period.

The Passport will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Passport will retain 50.86% to 51.72% of its original price after five years, while the Q5 only retains 46.6% to 47.73%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Honda Passport will be $10959 to $15914 less than for the Audi Q5.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Honda Passport and the Audi Q5, based on reliability, safety and performance.