Compare the2023 Audi Q5 SportbackVS 2022 Acura RDX

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
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 RDX doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the Q5 Sportback and RDX 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 RDX’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 RDX 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 RDX.

Both the Q5 Sportback and the RDX 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 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 Acura RDX:

	Q5 Sportback	RDX
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	284	300
Neck Injury Risk	22%	26%
Neck Stress	215 lbs.	262 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	80/49 lbs.	328/464 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	187	353
Neck Compression	30 lbs.	84 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	90/55 lbs.	362/441 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 Acura RDX:

	Q5 Sportback	RDX
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	60	63
Chest Movement	.6 inches	.6 inches
Abdominal Force	98 lbs.	130 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	219	486
Spine Acceleration	35 G’s	39 G’s
Hip Force	600 lbs.	704 lbs.

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

Warranty

The Q5 Sportback’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the RDX’s (12 vs. 5 years).

There are over 12 percent more Audi dealers than there are Acura dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Q5 Sportback’s warranty.

Reliability

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

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Q5 Sportback’s reliability 30 points higher than the RDX.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Acura With 12 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Audi higher than Acura.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 14 places higher in reliability than Acura.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Q5 Sportback
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	22 city/29 hwy
RDX
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/28 hwy
		A-Spec 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/27 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/27 hwy
		A-Spec 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/26 hwy

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

The Q5 Sportback has 1.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the RDX (18.5 vs. 17.1 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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 RDX 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 RDX doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Q5 Sportback	RDX
Front Rotors	13.3 inches	12.4 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	12.2 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 RDX are solid, not vented.

Tires and Wheels

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Q5 Sportback Premium Plus/Prestige offers optional 21-inch wheels. The RDX’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Q5 Sportback’s wheelbase is 2.7 inches longer than on the RDX (111 inches vs. 108.3 inches).

Chassis

The Q5 Sportback is 3.5 inches shorter than the RDX, making the Q5 Sportback easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Q5 Sportback’s rear seats recline. The RDX’s rear seats don’t recline.

Towing

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

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Q5 Sportback is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the RDX. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

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 RDX’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

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 RDX doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

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 RDX doesn’t offer headlight washers.

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 RDX 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 RDX is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Q5 Sportback is less expensive to operate than the RDX because typical repairs cost much less on the Q5 Sportback than the RDX, including $149 less for front brake pads and $736 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

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

The Audi Q5 outsold the Acura RDX by 20% during the 2021 model year.