Compare the2023 Audi Q5 SportbackVS 2023 Chevrolet Blazer

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The Q5 Sportback’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Blazer doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the Q5 Sportback and Blazer have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Q5 Sportback has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Blazer’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Q5 Sportback has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Blazer doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Q5 Sportback. But it costs extra on the Blazer.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Q5 Sportback’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Blazer doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The Q5 Sportback has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Blazer’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Q5 Sportback has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Blazer.

Both the Q5 Sportback and the Blazer 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, rearview cameras and available around view monitors.

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

	Q5 Sportback	Blazer
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	22%	22%
Leg Forces (l/r)	80/49 lbs.	104/435 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	187	313
Chest Compression	.7 inches	.8 inches
Neck Injury Risk	34%	43%
Neck Compression	30 lbs.	140 lbs.

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 and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Audi Q5 Sportback is safer than the Chevrolet Blazer:

	Q5 Sportback	Blazer
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	60	93
Chest Movement	.6 inches	.8 inches
Abdominal Force	98 lbs.	157 lbs.
Hip Force	279 lbs.	369 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	185	251
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	219	265
Spine Acceleration	35 G’s	39 G’s
Hip Force	600 lbs.	695 lbs.

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

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Q5 Sportback its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 92 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Blazer last would have qualified as only a standard “Top Safety Pick” in 2017.

Warranty

The Q5 Sportback comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Blazer’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Q5 Sportback’s corrosion warranty is 6 years and unlimited miles longer than the Blazer’s (12/unlimited vs. 6/100,000).

Reliability

The Audi Q5 Sportback’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the Blazer’s engines use an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 3 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

Engine

The Q5 Sportback’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 33 more horsepower (261 vs. 228) and 15 lbs.-ft. more torque (273 vs. 258) than the Blazer’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Q5 Sportback’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 3 lbs.-ft. more torque (273 vs. 270) than the Blazer’s optional 3.6 DOHC V6.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Q5 Sportback gets better mileage than the Blazer:

			MPG
Q5 Sportback
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	22 city/29 hwy
Blazer
	FWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/27 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/27 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Q5 Sportback’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Blazer doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

Transmission

The Q5 Sportback offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Blazer doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The Q5 Sportback’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Blazer doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Q5 Sportback’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Blazer:

	Q5 Sportback	Blazer
Front Rotors	13.3 inches	12.64 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	12.4 inches

The Q5 Sportback’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Blazer are solid, not vented.

Tires and Wheels

The Q5 Sportback’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Blazer’s standard 65 series tires. The Q5 Sportback Premium Plus/Prestige’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Blazer RS/Premier’s optional 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Q5 Sportback has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Blazer.

Chassis

The Q5 Sportback is 7.9 inches shorter than the Blazer, making the Q5 Sportback easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Q5 Sportback easier. The Q5 Sportback’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 29 inches, while the Blazer’s liftover is 30.3 inches.

Towing

The Q5 Sportback’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Blazer’s (4400 vs. 1500 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Q5 Sportback is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Blazer. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Chevrolet. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 13% lower rating, Chevrolet is ranked 16th.

Ergonomics

The Q5 Sportback Prestige has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Blazer doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Q5 Sportback’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Blazer’s passenger windows don’t close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Q5 Sportback the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Blazer can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Q5 Sportback has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Blazer doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

The Q5 Sportback’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Blazer’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Q5 Sportback to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Blazer doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Q5 Sportback’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Blazer’s headlights are rated “Marginal” to “Poor.”

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Q5 Sportback Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Blazer doesn’t offer headlight washers.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Q5 Sportback to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Blazer doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Q5 Sportback Prestige’s Park Steering Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Blazer doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Q5 Sportback owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Q5 Sportback with a number “5” insurance rate while the Blazer is rated higher at a number “8” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Q5 Sportback is less expensive to operate than the Blazer because it costs $236 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Q5 Sportback than the Blazer, including $20 less for front brake pads, $381 less for a timing belt/chain and $653 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Audi Q5 Sportback and the Chevrolet Blazer, based on reliability, safety and performance.