Compare the2023 Jeep Grand CherokeeVS 2023 Audi Q5 Sportback

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Grand Cherokee are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Q5 Sportback doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Q5 Sportback doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Grand Cherokee has standard ParkSense Rear Park Assist with Stop that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Q5 Sportback doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk/Overland/Summit 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 Q5 Sportback doesn’t offer a night vision system.

The Grand Cherokee Summit’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Q5 Sportback doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Grand Cherokee and the Q5 Sportback 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, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Grand Cherokee its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 36 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Q5 Sportback has not been fully tested, yet.

Jeep’s powertrain warranty covers the Grand Cherokee 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Audi covers the Q5 Sportback. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Q5 Sportback ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

Jeep pays for scheduled maintenance on the Grand Cherokee for 3 years and unlimited miles. Jeep will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance (up to 3 visits). Audi only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Q5 Sportback.

There are almost 8 times as many Jeep dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Grand Cherokee’s warranty.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Grand Cherokee has a standard 160-amp alternator (240-amp - Grand Cherokee optional). The Q5 Sportback’s standard 110-amp alternator and largest (optional) 150-amp alternator aren’t as powerful.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Grand Cherokee has a standard 850-amp battery (900 Trailhawk/Overland/Summit and 700 V8). The Q5 Sportback’s 420-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Jeep vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Jeep above average in initial quality. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Jeep vehicles are more reliable than Audi With 31 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Jeep higher than Audi.

The Grand Cherokee’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 32 more horsepower (293 vs. 261) than the Q5 Sportback’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The Grand Cherokee’s optional 5.7 V8 produces 96 more horsepower (357 vs. 261) and 117 lbs.-ft. more torque (390 vs. 273) than the Q5 Sportback’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The Grand Cherokee 4xe’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 114 more horsepower (375 vs. 261) and 197 lbs.-ft. more torque (470 vs. 273) than the Q5 Sportback’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

On the EPA test cycle the Grand Cherokee 4xe running on electricity gets better mileage than the Q5 Sportback (57 city/56 hwy MPGe vs. 22 city/29 hwy).

The Grand Cherokee 4xe can travel with zero emissions for 26 miles. The Q5 Sportback can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Grand Cherokee V8’s fuel efficiency. The Q5 Sportback doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The Grand Cherokee’s standard fuel tank has 4.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Q5 Sportback (23 vs. 18.5 gallons).

The Grand Cherokee has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Q5 Sportback doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Jeep Grand Cherokee, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the Q5 Sportback.

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

For better traction, the Grand Cherokee has larger standard tires than the Q5 Sportback (245/70R17 vs. 235/55R19). The Grand Cherokee Summit’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Q5 Sportback (275/45R21 vs. 255/45R20).

The Grand Cherokee has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Q5 Sportback doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Grand Cherokee offers an optional full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Q5 Sportback; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

The Grand Cherokee Trailhawk has active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Q5 Sportback doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The Grand Cherokee offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Q5 Sportback’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Grand Cherokee offers an optional automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Grand Cherokee’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 Q5 Sportback doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Grand Cherokee’s wheelbase is 5.7 inches longer than on the Q5 Sportback (116.7 inches vs. 111 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Grand Cherokee is 1.8 inches wider in the front and 2.1 inches wider in the rear than on the Q5 Sportback.

For better maneuverability, the Grand Cherokee’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the Q5 Sportback’s (38 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

The front grille of the Grand Cherokee uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Q5 Sportback doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Grand Cherokee offers available computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Q5 Sportback doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Grand Cherokee has .3 inches more front legroom, 1.5 inches more front shoulder room, 1.7 inches more rear headroom, .4 inches more rear legroom and 1.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Q5 Sportback.

The Grand Cherokee has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Q5 Sportback with its rear seat up (37.7 vs. 24.7 cubic feet). The Grand Cherokee has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Q5 Sportback with its rear seat folded (70.8 vs. 51.9 cubic feet).

The Grand Cherokee’s cargo area is larger than the Q5 Sportback’s in every dimension:

Maximum trailer towing in the Audi Q5 Sportback is limited to 4400 pounds. The Grand Cherokee 4x4 offers up to a 7200 lbs. towing capacity.

The Grand Cherokee 4WD with optional equipment can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Grand Cherokee can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Q5 Sportback can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Grand Cherokee uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Q5 Sportback doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Grand Cherokee offers a remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Q5 Sportback doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

Unlike the driver-only memory system optional at extra cost in the Q5 Sportback, the Grand Cherokee 4xe/Limited/Trailhawk/Overland/Summit offers an optional passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position (with optional power wheel adjuster), outside mirror angle and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Grand Cherokee’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Q5 Sportback does not have an oil pressure gauge.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Grand Cherokee has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Q5 Sportback only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Optional air conditioned front and rear seats keep the Grand Cherokee’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The Q5 Sportback doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

The Grand Cherokee Overland Lux Tech/Summit has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Q5 Sportback.

The Grand Cherokee offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Q5 Sportback doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Grand Cherokee is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Q5 Sportback doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee outsold the Audi Q5 by almost four to one during 2022.