Compare the2023 Audi Q8VS 2023 BMW X5

Safety
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Audi Q8 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The BMW X5 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi Q8 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 X5 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the Q8 and X5 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Q8 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 X5’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 Q8. But it costs extra on the X5.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Q8 Prestige helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The X5 doesn’t offer a night vision system.

Both the Q8 and the X5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 Q8 is safer than the BMW X5:

	Q8	X5
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	30%	34%
Neck Stress	235 lbs.	308 lbs.
Neck Compression	14 lbs.	112 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	82/59 lbs.	636/584 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	238	342
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.8 inches
Neck Injury Risk	34%	35%
Neck Stress	120 lbs.	220 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	47/47 lbs.	527/418 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 Q8 is safer than the BMW X5:

	Q8	X5
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	60	72
Abdominal Force	128 lbs.	130 lbs.
Hip Force	260 lbs.	279 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	282	308
Hip Force	593 lbs.	796 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 “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Q8 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 127 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The X5 is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2022.

Engine

The Q8’s 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid produces 38 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 331) than the X5 40i’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Q8 gets better fuel mileage than the X5 M50i (18 city/23 hwy vs. 16 city/22 hwy).

Both the Q8 and the X5 have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Q8s have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. A disable switch for start/stop is only offered on the X5 M50i.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi Q8 higher (5 out of 10) than the BMW X5 (3). This means the Q8 produces up to 16.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the X5 every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Q8’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the X5:

	Q8	X5
Front Rotors	14.8 inches	13.7 inches
Rear Rotors	13.8 inches	13.6 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Q8 has larger tires than the X5 (285/45R21 vs. 265/50R19). The Q8’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the X5 (285/45R21 vs. 275/40R21).

The Q8’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the X5’s standard 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Q8 has standard 21-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the X5.

Suspension and Handling

The Q8 Prestige handles at .83 G’s, while the X5 xDrive40i pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Q8 Prestige executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the X5 xDrive40i (26.9 seconds @ .69 average G’s vs. 27.3 seconds @ .67 average G’s).

Passenger Space

The Q8 has 1.8 inches more front legroom, 2.8 inches more rear legroom and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the X5.

Cargo Capacity

The Q8’s cargo area is larger than the X5’s in almost every dimension:

	Q8	X5
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	41.1”/75.4”	40.7”/70”
Max Width	54”	49”
Min Width	39.8”	44”
Height	29”	31.5”

The Q8’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The X5’s tailgate’s top part raises up, but the bottom part lowers, getting in the way of loading and making an uneven surface for sliding cargo.

Towing

The Q8’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the X5’s (7700 vs. 5952 pounds).

Ergonomics

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Q8 has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The X5 doesn’t offer headlight washers.

A manual rear sunshade is optional in the Q8 and power rear side window sunshades are optional in the Q8 (except Premium) to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The X5 doesn’t offer a rear sunshade.

The Q8 Prestige’s Park Assist Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Park Assist Plus will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The X5’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

Economic Advantages

The Q8 will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Q8 will retain 48.72% to 49.32% of its original price after five years, while the X5 only retains 47.3% to 48.55%.