Compare the2023 Audi Q5VS 2023 Cadillac XT5

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

Safety

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Both the Q5 and XT5 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 XT5’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 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 XT5 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. But it costs extra on the XT5.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Q5’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The XT5 doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The Q5 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. Only the XT5 Premium Luxury/Sport offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Q5 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. Only the XT5 Premium Luxury/Sport has a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the Q5 and the XT5 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 is safer than the Cadillac XT5:

	Q5	XT5
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	22%	24%
Leg Forces (l/r)	80/49 lbs.	213/542 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	187	287
Neck Injury Risk	34%	37%
Neck Stress	134 lbs.	155 lbs.
Neck Compression	30 lbs.	53 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 Cadillac XT5:

	Q5	XT5
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	60	112
Chest Movement	.6 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	98 lbs.	151 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	817 lbs.	825 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	219	399
Spine Acceleration	35 G’s	39 G’s
Hip Force	600 lbs.	799 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 XT5 last would have qualified as only a standard “Top Safety Pick” in 2017.

Warranty

The Q5’s corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the XT5’s (12 vs. 6 years).

Reliability

The Audi Q5’s engines use a cast iron block for durability, while the XT5’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 Cadillac vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 7 places higher in reliability than Cadillac.

Engine

The Q5 has more powerful engines than the XT5:

	Horsepower	Torque
Q5 45 TFSI 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid	261 HP	273 lbs.-ft.
Q5 55 TFSI e 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid	362 HP	369 lbs.-ft.
XT5 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder	235 HP	258 lbs.-ft.
XT5 3.6 DOHC V6	310 HP	271 lbs.-ft.

As tested in Car and Driver the Q5 55 TFSI e is faster than the Cadillac XT5 V6:

	Q5	XT5
Zero to 60 MPH	4.5 sec	6.6 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	12.2 sec	17.8 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	4.9 sec	7 sec
Passing 30 to 50 MPH	3 sec	3.4 sec
Passing 50 to 70 MPH	3.9 sec	4.7 sec
Quarter Mile	13.2 sec	15.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	104 MPH	93 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Q5 running on electricity gets better mileage than the XT5:

			MPGe
Q5
	AWD	55 TFSI e Electric Motor	60 city/61 hwy
XT5
			MPG
	FWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/29 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/27 hwy

On the EPA test cycle the Q5 running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the XT5:

			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
XT5
	FWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/29 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/27 hwy

The Q5 55 TFSI e can travel with zero emissions for 22 miles. The XT5 can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the Q5’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The XT5 doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

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 XT5 doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The Q5’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 XT5 doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Q5 55 TFSI e’s brake rotors are larger than those on the XT5:

	Q5 55 TFSI e	XT5
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	13.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	12.4 inches

The Q5 stops much shorter than the XT5:

	Q5	XT5
70 to 0 MPH	161 feet	174 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Q5’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the XT5 (255/45R20 vs. 235/65R18).

The Q5’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the XT5’s standard 65 series tires. The Q5’s optional tires have a lower 45 series profile than the XT5’s optional 55 series tires.

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 XT5 doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For greater off-road capability the Q5 55 TFSI e has a greater minimum ground clearance than the XT5 (8 vs. 7.8 inches), allowing the Q5 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Q5 45 TFSI’s minimum ground clearance is .4 inch higher than on the XT5 (8.2 vs. 7.8 inches).

Chassis

The Q5 is 5.3 inches shorter than the XT5, making the Q5 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Q5 has .9 inches more rear headroom and .2 inches more rear shoulder room than the XT5.

The front step up height for the Q5 is .2 inches lower than the XT5 (18.3” vs. 18.5”). The Q5’s rear step up height is 2 inches lower than the XT5’s (18” vs. 20”).

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Q5 easier. The Q5’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 29 inches, while the XT5’s liftover is 30.9 inches.

Towing

The Q5’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the XT5’s (4400 vs. 1000 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Q5 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the XT5. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

The Q5’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 XT5’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the Q5 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 XT5 can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Q5 has a standard locking fuel and charge port 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 XT5 doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

The Q5’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 XT5’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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 XT5 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’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the XT5’s headlights are rated “Marginal.”

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 XT5 doesn’t offer headlight washers.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Q5 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The XT5 doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Q5 owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Q5 with a number “5” insurance rate while the XT5 is rated higher at a number “8” rate.

The Q5 will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Q5 will retain 48.77% to 50.66% of its original price after five years, while the XT5 only retains 42.02% to 43.14%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Q5 is less expensive to operate than the XT5 because it costs $282 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Q5 than the XT5, including $44 less for a muffler, $271 less for a timing belt/chain and $320 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Audi Q5 and the Cadillac XT5, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Audi Q5/SQ5 outsold the Cadillac XT5 by almost two to one during the 2021 model year.

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