Compare the2023 Audi Q5VS 2023 BMW X3

Safety
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi Q5 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW X3 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the Q5 and X3 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Q5 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 X3’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.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Q5. But it costs extra on the X3.

Both the Q5 and the X3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, 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 is safer than the BMW X3:

	Q5	X3
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Compression	44 lbs.	64 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	80/49 lbs.	116/280 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	34%	38%
Neck Stress	134 lbs.	139 lbs.
Neck Compression	30 lbs.	72 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	90/55 lbs.	183/114 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 is safer than the BMW X3:

	Q5	X3
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	60	64
Abdominal Force	98 lbs.	153 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	219	281
Spine Acceleration	35 G’s	43 G’s
Hip Force	600 lbs.	624 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 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 92 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The X3 has not been fully tested, yet.

Reliability

The Audi Q5’s engines use a cast iron block for durability, while the X3’s engines use 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’s reliability 17 points higher than the X3.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Q5 running on electricity gets better mileage than the X3:

			MPGe
Q5
	AWD	55 TFSI e Electric Motor	60 city/61 hwy
X3
			MPG
	RWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/29 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy
		3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Hybrid	21 city/26 hwy

On the EPA test cycle the Q5 running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the X3:

			MPG
Q5
	AWD	55 TFSI e 2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	25 city/27 hwy
		40 TFSI 2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	23 city/29 hwy
		45 TFSI 2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	22 city/29 hwy
X3
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy
		3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Hybrid	21 city/26 hwy

The Q5 55 TFSI e can travel with zero emissions for 22 miles. The X3 can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Audi Q5 uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The X3 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Q5’s standard fuel tank has 1.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the X3 (18.5 vs. 17.2 gallons).

Transmission

The Q5 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 X3 doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Q5’s brake rotors are larger than those on the X3:

	Q5 45 TFSI	Q5 55 TFSI e	X3	X3 M40i
Front Rotors	13.3 inches	13.8 inches	13 inches	13.7 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Q5’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the X3 (255/45R20 vs. 245/45R20).

Suspension and Handling

The Q5 55 TFSI e has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Q5’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The X3 doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The Q5 45 TFSI Prestige executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the X3 xDrive30i (27.2 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 27.6 seconds @ .63 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Q5 40/45 TFSI’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the X3’s (38.7 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Q5 45 TFSI has a greater minimum ground clearance than the X3 (8.2 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Q5 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Passenger Space

The Q5 has .6 inches more front legroom, .1 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, 1.6 inches more rear legroom and .5 inches more rear shoulder room than the X3.

Ergonomics

The Q5’s optional easy entry system raises the steering wheel when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The X3 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Q5 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The X3 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 Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The X3 doesn’t offer headlight washers.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Q5 is less expensive to operate than the X3 because it costs $272 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Q5 than the X3, including $168 less for a water pump, $286 less for a muffler, $79 less for fuel injection, $85 less for front struts, $297 less for a timing belt/chain and $1058 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Audi Q5 and the BMW X3, based on reliability, safety and performance.